Improvements in Sewing Machines for Sewing on Shank Buttons to Fabrics.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 1st July, 1893
[Communicated from abroad by GEORG NEIDLINGER, of 79, Admiralitatstrasse,
Hamburg, in the Empire of Germany.]
Improvements in Sewing Machines for Sewing on Shank Buttons to
Fabrics.
I, ALEXANDER ANDERSON, Manager of the Singer Manufacturing Company's
Works, Kilbowie, Dumbartonshire, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in sewing machines for sewing on shank
buttons to fabrics; and the object of the same is first to regularly feed the shank
buttons and to hold the same within reach of the needle whilst being fastened to
the fabric and second to effect the feeding motion of the fabric on the needle plate
automatically and in such a manner that the buttons will be sewn on the fabric at a
uniform distance one from the other.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figures 2 and 3 front and rear views of part of
a sewing machine showing the invention applied thereto.
Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 are views of details of the pacing wheel and parts for
delivering and spacing the buttons to be sewn on to the fabric.
Figures 8 and 10 are a sectional elevation and plan of part of the sewing
machine arm showing the drum or reservoir containing the buttons and mechanism
for delivering them into the race way.
Figure 9 shows details of the same.
Figures 11 and 12 are an elevation and plan respectively of a sewing machine
showing a modification of the arrangement of the button reservoir and an alarm
device for warning the operator when each button is sewn on to the fabric.
Figures 13 and 14 are side and end elevations of part of a sewing machine
showing the application of an automatic arrangement for stopping the machine
when the button is sewn on to the fabric and
Figure 15 is a plan of part of Figure 13.
As represented in the drawings I provide at the lower end of a race-way M of
known construction attached to the presser bar P of the sewing machine a pacing
wheel R fitted within a casing S which may be integral with the race-way or in
any usual manner connected thereto. This wheel R is provided at its circumference
with a number of cells which are arranged at a given distance one from the other
and adapted to receive successively the head of a button from the race-way M and
to offer at the same time the shank of another button to the needle which in case
of the employment of a sewing machine having a horizontally vibrating needle-bar
is thus enabled to sew on the button to the fabric in the manner as described in the
Specifications of Letters Patent Nos. 8802 of 1892 and 3534 of 1893.
The said facing wheel R has a position somewhat inclined to the race of the
needle so that only the shank of that button occupying the lowest position in the
wheel is enabled to come within the reach of the needle c on the periodical rotating
motion of the wheel.
On the rear face of the pacing wheel is provided a ratchet or crown wheel t¹
having a plurality of annularly arranged studs t meshing one at a time with a pawl
or claw u operated by a spring u¹ and pivoted to the head of the sewing machine,
so that at each time the pressure bar P is raised in the ordinary manner or by
means controlled by the knee of the attendant the pacing wheel R which is raised
together with the presser bar is turned to an extent corresponding with the pitch
of the said crown or ratchet wheel. Since the pitch of the latter corresponds with

page_text: race way.
the pitch of the cells r of the pacing wheel R on each rotating motion of the latter
another button reaches the position in which its shank is enabled to be sewed on
to the fabric e. On each rotation of the pacing wheel an empty cell r arrives
heneath the lower mouth of the race-way M so that the lowermost button within
the latter may drop into this cell whereby the button-shank will remain in the
position radially to the wheel R as prescribed by the direction of the slit m² of the
As the latter is however continued concentrically in the cover of
the casing S of the pacing wheel, each button is turned by the guide-way & within its
cell on the rotation of the wheel R in such a manner that its shank when arriving
at its lowest position will be properly situated for sewing on to the fabric. The
button when fastened to the fabric e is thus enabled to move the latter on the
needle plate a the presser bar being raised and thereby the pacing wheel turned an
arc equal to the pitch of the cells in the latter, so that each succeeding button may
be fastened to the fabric at a uniform distance one from the other while the button
previously fastened to the fabric will quit its cell in the wheel R.
The buttons are maintained in proper position within their cells by an arc-shaped
guide pieces within the casing S elastically pressing upon the head of the former
under the action of a springs which is transmitted upon the guide piece through
the medium of a number of studs 8 guided within the casing S. The pacing
wheel R is attached to the latter by means of the crown or ratchet wheel & t' which
is secured to the pivot of the pacing wheel R journalled in the casing S.
When an automatic supply of the buttons from a reservoir to the race-way M
is desired, this may be arranged at the head of the sewing machine so that the
buttons may drop successively through a hole in the bottom of the reservoir.
The cover of the reservoir or drum V is journalled in the latter by means of a
spindle extending through the hub of the drum and provided with a ratchet
wheel which is actuated by a spring operated pawl to pivoted between two loose
discs . The latter rest upon a coiled spring on the spindle and are con-
nected by a pitman to to the horizontally oscillating frame of the needle bar or to
a moving rod so that a number of brushes 4 fastened to the lower face of the
cover are intermittently rotated or oscillated in order to successively feed the
buttons stored in the drum into the race-way M through the hole after the shanks of
the buttons have previously entered an adjoining slot in the bottom of the drum.
The width of this slot decreases toward the hole in such a manner that the
button shanks fare in any event turned by the aid of the slot into the vertical
plane of the slot m* of the race-way M and may therefore be properly received
within the latter on tilting under the influence of the brushes about the edge mo
of the race-way (Figure 9)..
ย
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The reservoir or drum V is preferably provided with a concentrically arranged
partition which is designed to prevent the buttons on filling the drum through
the gate entering the slot or the hole laterally, under the action of the
brushes vt.
In the modification shown at Figures 11 and 12 the button reservoir V is turned
on edge and the bottom part is inclined towards the orifice through which the
buttons pass to the race-way. The reservoir is supported over the arm of the
machine and into it is carried a horizontal rock shaft vs having on it a holder l
with a number of brushes which by agitating the buttons direct them singly
through the orifice v into the raceway M. The rockshaft has on its end an
arm w² connected to a lever w³ centred at x and whose opposite end is connected
to the bar X which imparts the zig zag movement to the needle bar of the
machine.
In order to warn the operator when each button has been stitched on the fabric
a bell or gong Y is secured upon the arm of the machine and it is struck after
the required number of stitches have been made by means of a hammer y on a
lever y¹ centred at x and acted on by a wyper y on a wheel y³ which is rotated
by gearing from the main shaft of the machine. In lieu of the alarm arrange-
ment above described an automatic stop may be provided as indicated at

page_text: Figures 13, 14 and 15 whereby the sewing machine is stopped when the requisite
number of stitches for securing the button has been made.
In this case the wyper y' on the disc y in its rotation acts upon an adjustable
block on a spring lever y* secured to the lever Z commonly applied to the driving
pulley of sewing machines for starting and stopping, the action of the wyper being
to raise the lever y' and throw the friction block Z' on the lever Z into engage-
ment with the face of the driving pulley whereby the machine is stopped.
A catchy secured on the spring arm of the lever y* is provided and adapted to
engage with the edge of a block y' on the machine arm to retain the stop lever Z
normally in the position in which it puts the machine in operation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me I
declare that what I claim is :--
1. In a machine for sewing shank buttons on to fabrics a feeding device attached
to the presser bar and consisting of a pacing wheel R within a casing S to which
is fastened a crown or ratchet wheel tt meshing with a pawl or claw pivoted to
the head of the machine substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
2. In a machine for sewing shank buttons on to fabrics successively the com-
bination with a race-way M of a reservoir or drum V in which a number of
brushes are intermittently rotated or oscillated by the action of the sewing
machine and which is provided with an opening in the bottom for passing the
buttons into the race-way and with an adjoining slot decreasing in width
towards the opening v substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
3. The combination with a sewing machine for sewing shank buttons on to
fabrics of a gong or alarm bell acted on by a hammer operated by a wyper from
the operating mechanism of the machine for warning the operator when the
stitching on of each button is completed substantially as described.
4. The combination with a sewing machine for sewing shank buttons on to
fabrics of an automatic stop consisting of a spring catch lever acted on by a
wyper from the operating mechanism to actuate the starting and stopping lever of
the machine substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 27th day of April 1893.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.