IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PRODUCING FRILLS AND GATHERED WORK
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Smith, of Hackney Road, in the County, of
Middlesex. Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR PRODUCING FRILLS AND GATHERED WORK,"
Sealed the 16th December 1864, and dated the 20th June 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
Juue 1864.
I, ALFRED SMITH, of Hackney Road, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR PRODUCING FRILLS AND GATHERED WORK," to be as follows:-
My improved machinery is intended to be used with and applied to sewing
machines, and is intended to produce frilled or gathered work by itself, or to
produce frilled or gathered work, and at the same time attach it to plain
work.
My machinery may be applied to any sewing machine, but for clearness
sake I proceed to describe it applied to one of those machines known as
"Wilcox and Gibbs'." On the excentric at the end of the main shaft I fit
one end of a connecting rod, the opposite end of which is connected by a screw
or pin to an upright lever, the bottom of which is free to oscillate upon a fixed
stud;
to the top of this upright lever I fit one end of a crank, which has con-
nected to its opposite end a pressing foot with a roughened under surface
this pressing foot is capable of play upon the end of the crank to allow of the
whole of its under surface pressing upon the fabric, as hereafter explained.
The plate upon which the work rests, and through which the needle passes, is
formed double for a portion of its extent, to allow of the part of the work
Pin d

page_text: which is not to be frilled to pass between the two thicknesses of the plate, and
thus out of the action of the pressing foot.
Below the connecting rod first mentioned I fit a rocking lever; at one
part of the throw of the main shaft carrying the excentric,the excentric comes
in contact with one end of the rocking lever, and raises the opposite end, to
which a bar is connected; this bar is formed with a head or button at top,
and passing through an aperture in the work plate rests upon the under side
of the crank connected to the upright lever beforementioned, and overcomes
the pressure of a spring constantly pressing down the last-mentioned crank.
The operation is as follows:-Supposing a frill to be about to be formed
and at the same time attached to a plain fabric or band, the plain. fabric or
band is first inserted between the thicknesses of the work plate where it is
formed double, while the fabric which is to be gathered is placed on the
top of the work plate, when one thickness of the double plate will be
between the two fabrics. The pressing foot rests upon the fabric to be
gathered, and motion is given to the sewing machine in the ordinary manner,
whereupon the pressing foot moves forward gathering portion of the
fabric to be frilled. The feed motion of the sewing machine and the pressing
foot now act to drive forward the fabrics, the needle descends, secures the
gathered portion of the upper fabric to the band, the pressing foot rises,
retreats, and again brings up a gather as before, and so on. When a frilled
band or fabric only is to be produced, then no plain band is required, and
the gathers are secured by the stitching.
Sometimes I modify my machinery to obtain similar motions to those
before described for the pressing foot. Upon the main shaft of the machine
beyond the work plate, I key a bevilled pinion which works into a toothed
excentric wheel; the top of this wheel is formed with a groove, and for a
half of its circumference a portion of the outer wall of the groove is removed.
In this groove a pin descending from one end of a lever is received; the
lever noves universally in a crutch carried by a stud rising from the work
plate, and the opposite end of the lever carries the pressing foot. A spring
extends from the crutch to the wall and upper surface of the excentric
wheel. The pressing foot forms a wedge against a fixed plate on the work
plate, and on the sewing machine being set to work, similar motions are
imparted to the pressing foot to those described in the former arrangement
of frilling machinery.
Another modification for the purpose of obtaining similar motions in the
pressing foot which I have invented is as follows:-I make the pressing foot
work from below instead of from above, and in this case, of course the fabric

page_text: which is placed undermost is that which is frilled. I fit upon the main
shaft a pinion, which gears into another pinion upon a separate shaft,
which carries an excentric similar to that on the main shaft. The
pressing foot is connected to the excentric on the separate shaft, and on
the sewing machine being set to work the motions necessary for producing
a frilled fabric are imparted to the pressing foot.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th December 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
SMITH, of Hackney Road, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Alfred Smith, Her special licence that I, the said Alfred
Smith, my executors, adininistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Alfred Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, aud Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR PRODUCING FRILLS AND GATHERED WORK," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Smith, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under ny, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Smith, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
My improved machinery is intended to be used with and applied to sewing

page_text: machines, and is intended to produce frilled or gathered work by itself, or
to produce frilled or gathered work, and at the same time attach it to
plain work.
My machinery may be applied to any sewing machine, but for clearness
sake I proceed to describe it applied to one of those machines known as
"Wilcox and Gibbs'." On the eccentric at the end of the main shaft. I fit
one end of a connecting rod, the opposite end of which is connected by a screw
or pin to an upright lever, the bottom of which is free to oscillate upon a fixed
stud; to the top of this upright lever I fit one end of a crank which has cou-
nected to its opposite end a pressing foot with a roughened under surface;
this pressing foot is capable of play upon the end of the crank to allow of the
whole of its under surface pressing upon the fabric, as hereafter explained.
The plate upon which the work rests and through which the needle passes
is formed double for a portion of its extent to allow of the part of the work
which is not to be frilled to pass between the two thicknesses of the plate,
and thus out of the action of the pressing foot.
Below the connecting rod first ineutioned I fit a rocking lever; at one part
of the throw of the main shaft carrying the excentric, the excentric comes in
contact with one end of the rocking lever, and raises the opposite end, to
which a bar is connected; this bar is formed with a head or button at top,
and passing through an aperture in the work plate, rests upon the under side
of the crauk connected to the upright lever, before mentioned and overcomes
the pressure of a spring constantly pressing down the last-mentioned crank.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a front view with the work
plate in section of a Wilcox and Gibbs' sewing machine with my improved
machinery applied thereto; Figure 2 is a plan of the working parts; and
Figure 3, a front view, with the ordinary feed parts of the sewing machine
removed.
a is the main shaft of the sewing machine, and the excentric at the end
of the shaft is a connecting rod, oue end of which is fitted ou the
excentric b, and the opposite end connected by a screw or pin d to at: upright
lever e, the bottom of which is free to oscillate upon a fixed stud /; to the top
of the lever e I fit one end of a crank y, to the opposite end of which a
pressing foot h with a roughened under surface is attached; this pressing foot
is capable of play upon the end of the crank g to allow of the whole of its
under surface pressing upon the fabric,as before mentioned. For the purpose
of regulating the travel of the presser foot, I form a slot in the upper end of
the lever e; i is the plate upon which the work rests, and through which the
needle passes; it is formed double for a portion of its extent, that is to say, the

page_text: portion marked j, j,j,j, to allow of the part of the work which is not to be
frilled to pass between the two thicknesses of the plate and out of the action
of the foot h. Below the connecting rod c is a rocking lever / pivoted on
a stud
0
At one part of the throw of the shaft a the excentric 6 causes
the rode to press down the right-hand end of the lever k, and raise the
opposite end, and with it a bar connected thereto. The bar m is tapped
to receive a head or button to regulate its position with regard to that of
the crank in the slot in the lever e. This bar passes through an aperture
in the work plate, and rests against the under side of the crank 9. and over-
comes the pressure of a spring constantly pressing down the crank g.
The operation is as follows:-Supposing a frill to be about to be formed,
and at the same time attached to a plain fabric or band; the plain fabric or
band is first inserted between the thicknesses of the work plate i, while the
fabric which is to be gathered is placed on the top of the work plate, when
one thickness of the double plate will be between the two fabrics. The
pressing footrests upon the fabric to be gathered, and motion is given to
the sewi
is mov
hine in the ordinary manner, whereupon the pressing foot h
ird by the excentric b, causing the rod c, uprighi lever e, and
crank g to ove forward to the left; the foot h in moving forward gathers a
portion of the fabric to be frilled. The pressure of the foot upon the fabric
is regulated by the spring o. The feed motion of the sewing machine and
the pressing foot now acts to drive forward the fabrics; the needle p de-
scends and secures the gathered portion of the upper fabric to the band.
The pressing foot is then caused to move back by the reverse action of the
excentric b. aud in this backward motion the excentric acts ou the rode to
press down the right-hand end of the rocking lever k, whereby the bar m con-
nected to the other end of the lever is raised, overcomes the action of the
spring o, raises the crank g, and pressing foot h clear of the fabric. The
foot h again brings up a gather, as before, and so on. The ordinary feed-
ing mechanism of the sewing machine acts simultaneously to feed the
fabric. When a frilled baud or fabric only is to be produced, then no plain
band is required, and the gathers are secured by the stitching. Figure 4
represents four views of the ordinary feed mechanism or foot detached.
Sometimes I modify my machinery to obtain similar motions to those
before described for the pressing foot. This modification is represented in
side elevation in Figure 5. Upon the main shaft a of the machine beyond
the work plate, I key a bevelled pinion 6, which works in a toothed wheel c;
the top of this wheel is formed with an excentric groove d, as shewn in
Figure 6, which is a plan of the wheel c detached; for a half of its circum-

page_text: ference a portion of the outer wall a of the groove d is removed, as shewn.
In this groove a pin e descending from one end of a lever fis received; the
lever moves universally in a crutch g carried by a stud h rising from the work
plate i, and the opposite end of the lever f carries the pressing or frilling
foot connected loosely to it. A spring k extends from the crutch y to the
wall and upper surface of the excentric wheel c; the pressing foot j is made
to travel to and fro in a straight line by contact with a fixed guide / on the
work plate. On the sewing machine being set to work similar motions are
imparted to the pressing foot to those described in the former arrangement
of frilling machinery. These motions are produced by the pin e riding in
the groove d, the excentricity of which imparts to-and-fro motion to the
lever and pressing foot, while the pressure of the foot on the fabric is
caused to be exerted and removed by the spring k riding alternately on the
higher and lower portions of the wall of the groove. The wheel e is carried
on a standard in on the frame of the sewing machine
Another modification for the purpose of obtaining similar motions in the
pressing foot which I have invented is represented at Figures 7 and 8, which
are respectively a plan and a front elevation of a portion of a sewing machine
with this machinery applied thereto. I make the pressing foot work from
below instead of from above, and in this case of course the fabric which is
placed undermost is that which is frilled. I fit upon the main shaft a
pinion b, which gears into another pinion cupou a separate shaft d, which
carries an excentric e similar to the excentric on the main shaft. The back
end of the shaft d is supported in a bearing in a standard 1, and is kept by
a pin in the standard entering a recess in the shaft d. The pressing foot y
is connected to a pin i on a block, which is connected to the excentric
on the shaft d. The block h fits over the excentric e, and is slotted as shewu
to receive a pin on which it is free to rock. The back end of the pressing
foot g is forked, as shewn, and a pin passes through the forks to act as a
guide to the foot in its movements. k is an upper pressing foot kept down
upon the fabric during the working of the machine by a spring in the
ordinary manner. The end of this foot is turned upwards in order to bear
against the under part of the end of a lip m carried by a spring plate n secured
to the work plate; this spring platen presses upon and holds the frilled or
gathered portion of the fabric while the sewing is being performed. The
fabric to be frilled is placed under and the other fabric above the spring plate
n. When required to introduce the fabrics, the foot and the spring plate n
are raised by turning a handle connected to a cam in the ordinary manner.
The action is as follows:-The pinion 6 on the main shaft imparts rotary

page_text: motion to the shaft through the pinion c; the excentric produces the
to-and-fro notion of the block h, which at the same time receives an up-
and-down motion by rocking on the pin which enters its slot. The
pressing foot g being connected, as before stated, to the block h, receives
similar and simultaneous to-and-fro and up-and-down motions, whereby the
gathering and feeding of the fabric are effected.
For the sake of clearness, as before stated, I have described my frilling
and gathering apparatus applied to one of the sewing machines known in the
trade as Wilcox and Gibbs'. I do not intend to limit the application to
such particular machines, as my Invention is applicable to sewing machines
generally such slight alterations in fitting as may be necessary for different
classes of sewing machines will readily suggest themselves to any ordinary
mechanic. And although I have throughout mentioned fabrics as being
frilled, I do not limit myself to the frilling of fabrics, as leather and other
materials may be frilled and gathered by means of my Invention.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
mauner the saine is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my improve-
ments in machinery for producing frills and gathered work,-
First, the combination of parts consisting of a connecting rod and upright
lever, a crank and pressing foot, together with a rocking lever, lifting bar,
and pressing spring, constituting a frilling and gathering apparatus, acting
substantially in manner here-inbefore described with reference to
Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying Drawing.
Second, the combination of parts consisting of a bevelled pinion, toothed
and excentrically grooved wheel, pin aud lever spring, and pressing foot, all
acting in manner before described with reference to Figures 5 and 6, and
constituting a frilling and gathering apparatus.
And, third, the combination of parts consisting of a shaft with an excentric
end, two pinions, a block, and frilling foot, working as described, and con-
stituting a frilling and gathering apparatus, as herein-before described with
reference to Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of December, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-four.