IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES AND BUTTON FEEDING DEVICES ADAPTED TO BE USED THEREWITH
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors 6 Lord Street Liverpool in the county of Lancaster and
of 323 High Holborn in the county of Middlesex Civil Engineer for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES AND BUTTON FEEDING
DEVICES ADAPTED TO BE USED THEREWITH" A communication to him from
abroad by The Morley Sewing Machine Company of Boston in the state of
Massachusetts United States of America, Charles A. Sinclair Treasurer
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Phillips Thompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th October 1882.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors
6 Lord Street Liverpool in the county of Lancaster and of 323 High Holborn
in the county of Middlesex Civil Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
AND BUTTON FEEDING DEVICES ADAPTED TO BE USED THEREWITH
" a communi-
cation to me from abroad by The Morley Sewing Machine Company of Boston in
the state of Massachusetts United States of America Charles A Sinclair Treasurer
This Invention relates to improvements in the details of the construction of the
button-feeding and carrying devices of Machines for sewing Buttons to Fabrics
et-cetera, and of mechanism for operating the presser-foot, the cast off-bar, and of
counting devices therefor, the object being to feed and carry buttons more
expeditiously to the sewing devices of the machine and with less liability to
obstruction from buttons of varying sizes, to operate the presser foot independently
of the vertical needle-bar, and to provide with machines of this class, suitable
means for determining the number of buttons which have been sewed on by the
machine during a given period.
This invention is in the nature of an improvement upon English Patent No 326,
dated January 25th 1881, to which reference may be had.
In said patent a button-carrier lever is actuated by a cam on the secondary
shaft of the machine, and there is employed a cam in the construction herein ⚫

page_text: described, for a like purpose and in addition thereto for another purpose, as
follows, namely: A screw is cut upon the periphory of this cam and a grooved
counting device driving shaft is set transversely under said cam, so that the said
screw thereon will engage with the grooves on said shaft, and the latter be rotated
when said cam revolves. Said shaft is provided with a gear near one end thereof,
and this and enters a counting device, which is attached to one side of frame of
the machine, consisting of the usual multiplying internal gear wheels and corre
sponding dials and pointers, and said counting device is actuated by said shaft
whose gear engages with one inside thereof..
A double ratchet device is fitted on said shaft, the teeth of which are held in
engagement with each other by a spring, but said spring yields sufficiently when
the machine is run backwards; to let said teetli revolve past cach other, and so
prevent the counting device from being turned backward.
By the use of said counting device with the sewing and button feeding mechanism
of this machine, an accurate count resulting from the revolution of the main shaft
is kept of all the buttons sewed on by the machine, said counting device being 80
timed as to mark 1 each time a button is sewed to the fabric.
In said patent No 326 of 1881 the button-carrier lever is pivoted above its
actuating cam, but in this machine I pivot said lever, on a transverse shaft located
under the frame of the machine fixing a stud, in said lever the inner end of which
engages in the groove of the cam whereby a much easier motion is given to said
lever, the latter being unlike that in said patent, connected directly with the
button carrier (on which are two adjustable collars) by a connecting-rod attached
to a sleeve located between said collars.
In this machine, as in said patent, a rotating motion is given to the button
carrier by the employment of a spirally-grooved sleeve and a stud fixed in the
button carrier, which works in the groove in the sleeve, but the said sleeve is now
located in the rear bearing of said button-carrier in the frame of the machine said
button-carrier having a horizontal reciprocating motion in two bearings in said
fraine.
The feed trough is pivoted to frame in such a manner as to permit the opposite
end thereof to swing or vibrate on said pivot, and while the machine is running to
agitate the contents of hopper or bowl which carries the supply of buttons: The
said bopper or bowl is preferably circular in form. and has an inwardly projecting
button-rim around its interior just above its base, which is flat on the top-side,
and is of a semi-arched form beneath, its edge being quite thin.
The fixed bottom of the button hopper is attached to the button trough and has
an opening through it directly over a groove in said trough.
An intermittently rotating perforated button gate (having a stud on its under
side upon which is formed a ratchet which fits a central perforation in the fixed
bottom of the hopper) is located on fixed bottom, and as the button gate rotates,
the circle of holes or perforations through it swings over the opening in the fixed
bottom bringing one of said, boles after the other over it.
A guard of thin metal is secured to the edge of the fixed bottom, and partially
covers a portion of the holes in the gate standing above the surface of the latter.
An opening is made through the side of the hopper or bowl opposite to said
guard.
A longitudinal chamber is made under the bottom of the hopper in which is
placed a pawl carrier and button ejector which pushes the buttons onto the button
trough.
The pawl on this pawl-carrier and ejector engages with a small ratchet and has
upon it a down-hanging arm, to which is attached a slotted. connecting bar and
spring the latter being connected to said bar by one ond, and having its opposite
end connected to a screw which enters the arm on the ejector whereby is formed
a yielding connection for the purpose of obviating any injury to the machine if the
movement of said ejector to the right should be obstructed by any derangement of
the buttons while being fed as, in the latter case, the drawing force exerted upon

page_text: the arm, by the connecting rod would be only that of the spring, said rod under
such circumstances being forced to move by the side of the arm while the latter
remains stationary.
The right hand end of the connecting bar is pivotally connected to one end of a
vibrating lever, which is pivoted to the button trough and its lower end is
connected with the button carrier lever actuated by the before mentioned cam.
A cam slot is formed in the top end of the button carrier lever through which
projects a stud attached to the button trough and hopper so that when the upper
end of the button carrier lever is given a vibratory motion by the operation of the
cam a rapid reciprocating motion is imparted to the hopper, and to the rear end of
the button trough.
A button turner substantially such as is shown in the before mentioned patent of
1881 is fitted to the top-side of the button trough, so that the lower parts of its
corrugations extend downward into said trough and said button turner is connected
to the button carrier lever whereby a reciprocating motion is given to said button
turner, between the under side of which and the bottom of said trough there is
room for buttons to move along when they lay with their faces up, but if in other
positions they are hit by the corrugated surface of said button turner and are turned
over to the position faces up, when they move along down the incline of the button
trough to the delivery end thereof.
A curved cap is provided for the curved delivery end of the button trough and is
secured to the latter by several screws, a part of which enter the edges of the
trough to draw the cap down, and a part of them are screwed into the cap having
their points operating against the edges to lift the cap, so that the distance between
the under face of said cap and the bottom of said trough may be varied to suit
buttons of different sizes.
An opening into that portion of said trough directly under said cap is made by
cutting away the side of the trough at that point, to permit of access to the buttons.
therein and for the purpose of cleaning the trough.
The button receiving end of the button carrier is of an improved construction as
compared with that shown in the Specification of Patent No 326 of 1881. An
adjusting wedge is secured on the rear side of the button trough as and for the
purpose herein-after described.
'
The forward, or button-seizing end of the carrier is bored longitudinally to
receive the shank of the button finger and said end is reduced in size to receive a
sleeve having the wings A finger lever is pivoted between the wings on the
sleeve. The shank to said button finger is notched to let the end of said finger
lever engage with it and is reduced in diameter between said notched part and its
rear end, to receive thereon a notched sliding sleeve and a spring. A slotted
button plate is secured to the front edges of the wings, and the button finger
stands before this plate.
A spring surrounds the end of the sleeve at the junction of said sleeve with the
button carrier the ends of which spring are secured respectively to the said carrier
and said sleeve, and where said spring is hooked to said sleeve the latter is slotted
and a screw secured in the carrier under said sleeve projects through one end of
said slot.
The cloth plate is secured to the frame of the machine over the needles, and the
buttons are turned over upon it, as in the opening through their shanks being held
over the slot in the cloth plate and directly in the track of an up-moving needle.
The take up is operated in this machine, in conjunction with the swinging
needle-bar frame substantially the same as in the specification of the before
mentioned patent of 1881, and the course of the thread from one to the other of
said parts is the same.
Said swinging needle bar frame, however, differs in its construction, and
adaptation to other parts of the machine, from that one shown in Specification of
said patent, and is pivoted low down in the frame on a shaft to obtain an easier
swinging movement therefor.

page_text: In the construction of this present machine the needle-bar frame is swung by
two cams operating against roller ended adjustable plugs which are adjustable by
the screws to vary their relative positions to said cams; and the inclined needle
bar and cast off bars are located side by side in the needle bar frame in suitable
bearings therein. A yoke is secured by a set screw to said needle bar, and the
cast off bar passes freely through said yoke so that the latter may have a
reciprocating motion on the former.
The cast off bar has two adjustable collars, upon it, and is partly flatted on
one side. This flatted portion passes through a part of the needle bar frame in
which is supported and pressed against it by a piston spring and screw, a friction
block, having a face partially of leather or similar material.
The yoke is moved as hereafter described between the collars on the cast off bar,
first against one and then the other giving to said bar an intermittent motion with
a rest between each one, and said frictional devices hold said bar in a fixed position
while said yoke moves from one collar to the other. By means of the screw and
spring the proper frictional adjustment may be had.
The pitman which connects the crank shaft of the machine with the inclined
needle bar as in Specification of the aforesaid patent, has its upper end connected to
a pitman bar, which is secured in one end of the yoke by a set-screw.
Thus the reciprocating vertical movement of said pitman imparts a reciprocating
motion to both the needle-bar and the cast off bar. In this machine the inclined
needle bar carries a hook-needle and the cast off' bar carries a tubular cast off
through which said hook needle operates.
The front-end of the swinging needle bar frame has a vertical flat needle bar
properly fitted and supported thereupon, so that it may freely reciprocate vertically
thereon by its connection as in said patent with a cranke disk and cam-plate secured
to said needle bar.
The presser foot is operated entirely independent of the needle bar as follows:
A cam is formed on the edge of the crank disk and a lever provided with proper
anti-friction devices is hung on a block on the frame. The presser foot bar is
supported in a vertical position in the frame by passing through properly pierced
blocks thereon. A spring on said bar operates between a collar thereon and a stud
on said frame to force the presser foot up against the under side of the needle plate.
A lever arm is secured to said presser-foot bar upon the top of which one end of
said cam lever bears.
Said lever arm projects through the front end of the frame and serves to prevent
said presser bar from turning in its supports.
Thus the operation of this cam upon the cam lever imparts the requisite vertical
reciprocating motion to the presser foot, without the aid of the needle bar.
By the above described construction of the button carrying end of the button
carrier whereby the sleeve may rotate slightly on said carrier, provision is made
for allowing said sleeve and the button finger and their directly connected parts to
turn slightly on the end of the carrier, if the needle in passing up to go through
the eye of the button should happen to strike the button shank or any part of said
button handling mechanism thus often preventing the needle from being broken, or
other injury being done to the machine such as might occur if said parts were
rigidly fixed on the button carrier.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent.filed
by the said William Phillips Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th April 1883.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors
6 Lord Street Liverpool in the county of Lancaster and of 323 High Holborn.
in the county of Middlesex Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING-
AND BUTTON-FEEDING DEVICES ADAPTED TO BE USED THEREWITH."
A communication to me from abroad by the Morley Sewing Machine Company of
Boston in the State of Massachusetts United States of America, Charles A Sinclair
Treasurer:
MACHINES
This invention relates to improvements in the details of the construction of the
button feeding and carrying devices of Machines for sewing buttons to Fabrics
et-cetera, and of mechanism for operating the presser foot, the cast off bar and of
counting devices therefor, the object being to feed and carry buttons more
expeditiously to the sewing devices of the machine and with less liability to
obstruction from, buttons of varying sizes, to operate the presser foot independently
of the vertical needle-bar, and to provide with machines of this class suitable means
for determining the number of buttons which have been sewn on by the machine
during a given period.
In the drawing forming part of this specification.
Fig 1. is a partly sectional side elevation of a button feeding and sewing machine
embodying this invention in which the upper end of the take up bar and the
tension are removed:
Fig 2 is a side elevation partly in section, on the reverse side from Fig 1.
Fig 3 is a front end elevation.
Fig 4 is a perspective view of the front end of the bed of the machine including
the sewing devices.
Fig 5 is a sectional view through the line xx Fig 1.
Fig 6 is a rear perspective view of the swinging needle bar framé and
attachments.
Fig 7 is a sectional view of portions of one needle bar and the cast off bar, and
a part of the swinging needle-bar frame in which they operate.
Fig 8 is a perspective view of the needle-bar, and cast off yoke.
Fig 9 is a view partly in section of the button-hopper and the upper end of the
feed trough.
Fig 10 is a transverse section of the feed trough.
:
Fig 11 is a view partly in section of the rotating button gate of the hopper and
its actuating
devices.
Fig 12, is a plan-view of said button gate and the button guard.
Fig 13 is a perspective view of the counting device driving-shaft.
Fig 14 is a view of the driving gears, parts of the two shafts, the main cam, and
the rear side of the counting devices.
Fig 15 is a front elevation of the presser foot and bar and their actuating devices,
and parts of the front side of the swinging needle-bar frame and the vertical
needle-bar.
Fig 16 is a view partly in section, of the delivery end of the button feed trough,
and a side view of the front end of the button carrier.
Fig 17 is a plan view of the needle plate.
Fig 18 is a side elevation of the button carrier and the button finger adjusting
wedge.
Fig 19 is a face view of said wedge.
Hir 20 is a view partly in section of the front end of the button carrier

page_text: Fig 21 is an enlarged perspective view of the cloth plate and the front end of
the button carrier.
Like letters and numbers refer to like parts in the various figures.
This invention is in the nature of an improvement upon English Patent N° 326
dated January 25th 1881, to which reference may be. had.
In said Patent a button carrier lever is actuated by a cam on the secondary shaft
of the machine, and there is employed a cam 63 in the construction herein shown
for a like purpose, and in addition thereto for another purpose, as follows namely:
A screw 20, is cut upon the periphery of cam b³ and a grooved counting device
driving shaft is set transversely under said cam so that the said screw thereon
will engage with the grooves on said shaft and the latter be rotated when said cam
revolves. Said shaft is provided with a genr near one end thereof, as in Fig 13,
and said end enters a counting device f which is attached to one side of frame A
of the machine, consisting of the usual multiplying internal gear wheels and
corresponding dials and pointers, and said counting device is actuated by said
shaft whose gear engages with one inside thereof.
A double ratchet device f³ is fitted on said shaft the teeth of which are held
in engagement with each other by a spring f' but said spring yields sufficiently
when the machine is run backwards, to let said teeth revolve past each other, and
so prevent the counting device from being turned back ward,
By the use of said counting device with the sewing and button feeding
mechanism of this machine an accurate count resulting from the revolution of the
main shaft b, is kept of all the buttons sewed on by the machine, said counting
device being so timed as to mark 1, each time a button is sowed to the fabric.
In said patent No 326 of 1881, the button carrier lever is pivoted above its
actuating cam, but in this machine said lever d' is pivoted on a transverse shaft de
located under frame A fixing a stud 6 in said lever, the inner end of which
engages in the groove of cam b³, whereby a much easier motion is given to said
lever the latter being unlike that in said patent connected directly with the
button carrier b on which are two adjustable collars 44 by a connecting rod o
attached to a sleeve 5 located between said collars.
In this machine as in said patent a rotating motion is given to the button
carrier 6 by the employment of the spirally grooved sleeve o' and a stud e fixed in
the button carrier but the said sleeve o' is now located in the rear bearing of said
carrior in frame A, said carrier having a horizontal reciprocating motion in two
bearings in said frame as shown in Fig 1.
In the construction herein shown the button feeding devices are essentially
improved as compared with those in said patent.
The feed trough dis pivoted to frame A at d³ Fig 2, permitting the opposite
end thereof to swing or vibrate on said pivot, and while the machine is running to
agitate the contents of the button hopper bowl B. Said bowl is of the form shown
and has an inwardly projecting button-rim c around its interior just above its
base which is flat on its top side and is of a semi-arched form beneath as shown,
its edge being quite thin.
The fixed bottom c¹ of said hopper is attached to said trough d being rather
thin. The fixed bottom of said hopper has an opening K, Fig 9, through it,
directly over the button groove in said trough.
An intermittently rotating perforated button-gate c³, having a stud c on its
under side, upon which is formed a ratchet c which fits a central perforation in
said bottom c' as seen in dotted lines in Fig 9 is located on said bottom, and as
said gate c³ rotates, the circle of holes or perforations through it swings over said
opening E bringing one of said holes after the other over it.
A button guard c³ of thin 'metal is secured to the edge of the bottom c¹ and
partially covers a portion of said holes in the gate c, standing above the surface of
the latter.
An opening as shown in Fig 1 is made through the side of said hopper-bowl
onnosite to said guard c³.

page_text: A longitudinal chamber is made under the bottom c¹ and alongside of said
stud c on the gate c² for the reception of a pawl carrier and button ejector o
shown in full and in dotted lines in Fig 9, and partly in section in Fig 11.
Said pawl carrier and ejector is provided with a pawl c7 which engages with
said ratchet and has upon it a down-hanging arm e to which is attached a
slotted connecting bar d and spring d', the latter being connected to said bar by
one end, and having its opposite end connected to a screw which enters said arm e
whereby is formed a yielding connection for the purpose of obviating any injury to
the machine if the movement of said ejector ce to the right should be obstructed
by any derangement of the buttons while being fed, as in the latter case, the
drawing force exerted upon arme by the connecting rod d would be only that of
spring d¹, said rod under said circumstances being forced to move by the side of
arme while the latter remains stationary.
The right hand end of said rod d is pivotally connected to one end of the
lever d², the latter being hung to vibrate on a stud o fixed in an arm o³, under the
troughs, and its lower end is connected with lever d³ by a stud in the latter
which enters a slot in lever d³!
A cam slot a is formed in the lever d through which projects the said stud o.in
arm o² so that when the upper end of said lever d' is given a vibratory motion, a
rapid reciprocating motion is imparted to the hopper B and the rear end of the
trough ds.
A button turner e² substantially such as is shown in the before mentioned patent
of 1881, is fitted to the top side of the button trough d³ so that the lower parts o
.of
its corrugations extend downward into said trough as shown in dotted lines.in
Fig 1. and said button turner is connected as shown to the lever d' whereby a
reciprocating motion is given to said button. turner between the under side of
which and the bottom of said trough there is room for buttons to move along when
they lay with their faces up, but if in other positions they are hit by the corrugated
surface of said button turner and are turned over to the position faces up shown in
Fig 16, when they move along down the inclined trough to the delivery end
thereof.
A curved cap e' is provided for the curved delivery end of the trough d³ and is
secured to the latter by several screws 3 a part of which enter the edges of the
trough to draw the cap down and a part of them are screwed into the cap having
their points operating against said edges to lift up said cap so that the distance
between the under face of said cap and the bottom of said trough may be varied to
suit buttons of different sizes.
An opening into that portion of said trough directly under said cap is made by
cutting away the side of the trough at that point to permit of access to the buttons
therein and for the purpose of cleaning the trough.
The operation of the above-described button-feeding devices is as follows.
The hopper bowl B is supplied with a quantity of ordinary shoe buttons, but
the projection of the button-rim c over the holes in the rotating button gate c³,
prevents the buttons from filing up over said holes, and preventing too great
crowding of the buttons upon the gate and over its holes, and insures the proper
deposit of a button in each of said holes while others may lay upon and around
said button.
When however said button gate is rotated moving in. the direction indicated by
the arrow in Fig 12, any buttons laying upon those which are in the holes in said
gate are pushed off as said holes pass under the button guard c³, and as often as one
of the said holes in the gate c² comes around over the opening K in the bottom c¹
a button is dropped into the trough d³ thereunder, and the ejector c6 then moves
forward against said button pushing it further along in said trough, the latter
meanwhile being shaken as above described and so a line of buttons is formed
therein from under said bowl to its delivery end and made to assume the proper
positions by the button turner e², as above described, sliding along in the trough
with their shanks hanging down in its lower narrow groove, from whence they are

page_text: taken by the button carrier b one by one. A flexible cap spring 65 is secured to
the cape and its lower end is bent to cover the lower end of trough d³ and
prevent the buttons from dropping out until by the movement of the button fingor
against it, it is moved back as shown in Fig 16.
The button receiving end of the button-carrier b is of an improved construction
as compared with that shown in the Specification of Patent No. 326 of 1881, and
its operative relations to the feed trough d as shown in Fig 10. An adjusting
wedge is secured on the rear side of said trough as, and for the purpose herein-
after described.
The forward or button-seizing end of said carrier bis bored longitudinally to
receive the shank o, of the button finger, and said end is reduced in size to
receive the sleeve having the wings 8 thereon. A finger lever is pivoted
between said wings on sleeve. The shank o to said button finger is notched as
in Fig 20, to let the end of said finger-lever engage with it, and is reduced in
diameter between said notched part and its rear end, to receive thereon a notched
Bliding-sleeve o and a spring o. A slotted button plate is secured to the front
edges of the wings ; and the button finger stands before said plate.
A spring surrounds the end of said sleeve at the junction of said sleeve
with the carrier b; the ends of which spring are secured respectively to the said
carrier and said sleeve, and where said spring is hooked to said sleeve the latter is
slotted as in Fig 20 and a screw secured in the carrier under said sleeve projects
through one end of said slot.
A screw seen in Fig. 16, is inserted through sleeve 2, its inner end projecting into
the notch in said sliding collar o
Thus when trough d is provided with a supply of buttons, and the spring eð
unobstructedly springs under them, keeping thein, from dropping down, the button
carrier actuated by the devices heretofore described turns from the position in
which it is shown in Fig 21, and moves towards the end of the trough and the
end of the button finger strikes said spring e carrying it from under the buttons,
and almost simultaneously with the above described movements the upper end of
the finger-lever has been held stationary against the wedge, while the button-
carrier moved along thus causing the. lower end of said lever to push the button-
finger away from the slotted plate and let a button drop there between, as shown,
the shank of the button being placed in the slot of said plate.
Said button-carrier now moves back letting the spring e cover again the end of
the trough and by carrying the finger lever away from the latter said button-
finger, actuated by spring, of clamps the button between it and plate 2, and the
carrier continuing to move back and to turn finally causes the button to be brought
to the position upon the cloth plate b shown in Fig 21.
to
The said adjusting wedge which the upper end of the finger lever i strikes,
when the button.carrying devices go forward to take a button, is made adjustable
vertically upon trough de so that said lover may strike its thick or thin part and
thus vary the movement of the button-finger away from the button plate
accommodate the said parts to the manipulation of buttons of various thicknesses.
The cloth plate is secured to the frame of the machine over the needles, as
shown in the several figures, and the buttons are turned over. upon it as in Fig 21,
the opening through their shanks being held over the slot in the cloth plate and
directly in the track of an up-moving needle as shown.
The take-up is operated in this machine. in conjunction with the swinging
needle-bar frame 1), substantially the same as in the specification of the before.
mentioned patent of 1881, and the course of the thread from one to the other of
said parts is the same.
Said swinging needle-bar frame however, differs in its construction and adaptation
to other parts of the machine from that one shown in specification of said patent,
and is pivoted low down in frame A on a shaft to obtain an easier swinging
movement therefor.
said needle-bar
In the construction herein shown the cams 7 and 8 which swing sai

page_text: frame D operate against the roller-ended adjustable plugs z z, which are moved
out by the screws xx to vary their relative positions to said cams, and the inclined
needle-bar and cast-off bars 15 and 16 are located side by side in frame D, in suitable
bearings therein. The yoke 18, Fig 8, is secured by the set screw g¹ to said needle
bar 15 and the cast-off bar 16 passes freely through said yoke, so that the latter
may have a reciprocating motion on the former.
Said cast-off bar has two adjustable collars.ss upon it and is partly flattened on
one side as shown. Said flattened portion passes through a part of said frame D
(Fig 7) in which is supported and pressed against it by piston v², spring v³, and
screw t, the friction block having a face partially of leather or similar material.
Said yoke 18 is moved as hereafter described between said collars 88 on the
bar 16, first against one and then the other giving to said bar an intermittent
motion with a rest between each one, and said frictional devices hold said bar in a
fixed position while said yoke moves from one collar to the other. By said screw t
and spring the said proper frictional adjustment may be had.
The pitman 17 which connects the crank shaft of the machine with the inclined
needle-bar, as in specification of the aforesaid patent, has its upper end connected
to a pitman bar v, which is secured in one end of yoke 18 by a set screw s².
Thus the reciprocating vertical movement of said pitman 17 imparts a reciprocating
motion to both the needle-bar 15, and the cast-off bar 16. In this machine the
inclined needle-bar carries the hook-needle 2 and the cast-off bar 16 carries the
tubular cast-off a through which said hook-needle operates.
The front end of said swinging needle-bar frame D has the vertical flat needle-bar
14 properly fitted and supported thereupon, so that it may freely reciprocate
vertically thereon by its connection, as in said patent, with the crank disc and
the cam plate 13 secured to said needle-bar.
The presser foot w¹ is operated entirely independent of the needle bar 14.as
follows.
A cam w is formed on the edge of the crank dise 11 and a lever w³ provided
with proper anti friction devices as shown is hung on a block w on frame A.
The presser-foot bar w is supported in a vertical position in frame A by passing
through properly pierced blocks thereon as shown. A spring w² on said bar
operates between a collar thereon and a stud on said frame to force the presser-foot
up against the under side of the needle-plate 6. A lever-arm wis secured to said
presser-foot bar upon the top of which one end of said cam-lever w³ bears.
Said lever-arm projects through the front end of frame A and serves to prevent
said presser-bar from turning in its supports.
Thus the operation of said cam w6, upon lever w³ imparts the requisite vertical
reciprocating motion to the presser-foot, without the aid of the needle-bar. By the
above described construction of the button-carrying end of the button-carrier b,
whereby the sleeve i³ may rotate slightly on said carrier, provision is made for
allowing said sleeve and the button-finger and their directly connected parts, to
turn slightly on the end of the carrier b, if the needle in passing up to go through
the eye of the button as in Fig 21 should happen to strike the button shank or
any part of said button-handling mechanism, thus often preventing the needle
from being broken, or other injury being done to the machine such as might occur
if said parts were rigidly fixed on the button-carrier.
Having now described the invention as communicated to me I wish it to be
understood that what I desire to protect and claim is :-
:-
1st In a machine for sewing shank-buttons to fabrics, the button feed trough
pivoted to the frame of the machine at or near its delivery end, and having the
curved cap e, secured adjustably thereto, and the cap spring e, secured to said cap,
substantially as set forth.
2nd In button-feed mechanism for sewing machines, the combination with a
perforated intermittently rotating button-gate located at the bottom of the hopper
bowl, of a button guard to extend over a portion of the perforations in said button-
gate, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 3rd In combination, levers and the slotted rod d, spring d, the button.
ejector having arm thereon, and operating mechanism substantially as
described, and the trough, substantially as set forth.
4th The combination with the feed-trough d, having a hopper bottom of thereon
provided with an opening K therein, of the button-ejector o; having a recipro-
cating motion under said bottom in a line with said trough, substantially as
set forth.
5th In combination, the hopper bowl B having the inwardly projecting button-
rim c around its interior, and the perforated rotating button-gate c³, substantially
ás set forth.
Cth The combination with the sewing and button-feeding mechanism of a
inachine for sewing buttons on to fabrics, of a button-counting device connected
by mechanism, substantially as described, with the operative parts of said machine,
substantially as set forth.
7th The combination with the button carrier band with appliances substantially
as described for imparting thereto a longitudinal and rotating reciprocating motion,
of the button-finger having a shank extending into the end of said carrier, the
sleeve having the finger-lever i pivoted thereto, the plate 23, and springs
and o, substantially as set forth,
8 The adjustable wedge secured to the trough d³, the button-finger i, and
the finger lever it, combined and operating substantially as set forth.
9th In combination, the cloth-plate 6, the presser-foot ! to press against the
underside of said cloth-plate, the presser-bar w supported in the frame of the
machine, springs w, the cam won the disc 11, and lever w³ having a bearing on
said disc and on said presser-bar, substantially as set forth.
+
10th In combination, the swinging needle-bar frame D, needle bar 15, and its
needle yoke 18 secured to said needle-bar, the cast-off bar 16 carrying the cast-
off, passing through said yoke, and having thereon the collars ss, and mechanism
substantially as described, for imparting a reciprocating motion to said yoke,
substantially as set forth:
11 The combination with the cast-off bar 16 having a flat side and with the
swinging needle bar frame D of the friction block bearing, against said flat sido
of bar 16, piston v³, spring and screw t, substantially as set forth.
12 The button-feed trough having thereon the fixed hopper-bottom having
through it the opening K, the hopper bowl having the inwardly projecting button-
rim c around its interior, the button-gate having the ratchet thereon, and a
series of perforations through it, the button-guard extending over a portion of said
perforations, the button ejector having the pawl c' thereon, and mechanisın
substantially as described for vertically vibrating said trough and hopper bowl, and
for imparting to the button ejector a reciprocating motion, all combined and
operating substantially as set forth..
In witness whereof I the said William Phillips Thompson have hereunto
set my hand and seal this tenth day of April in the year of our Lord
one thousand eight hundred and eighty three."
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