An Improved Presser-foot Lifting Device for Sewing Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Apr., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 30th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 20th Mar.. 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by FRANK WOODARD MERRICK,
corner of
Grampian Way and Rockland Avenue, Boston, U.S.A., Mechanical
Engineer.]
An Improved Presser-foot Lifting Device for Sewing Machines.
I WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6. Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of
Lancaster, and Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
follows:-
to be as
The invention has for its object to provide a presser-foot lifting mechanism fir
sewing machines which may be quickly and easily adjusted by the operator to work
on any thickness of stock which may be in the machine.
In the accompanying drawings to which reference is made in the following
description,
Fig. 1 is a view in elevation representing the head of a sewing machine with my
invention applied thereto.
Fig. 2 is an end view of the parts shown in Fig. 1 from the right of the latter
figure.
Fig. 3 is a detail of the essential parts of my improved mechanism detached.
Fig. 4 is a view in horizontal section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.
At 1 is represented the head of a sewing machine. At 2 the awl-bar, at 3 the
awl carried by the said awl-bar, at 4 the presser foot and at 5 the presser-bar. The
machine is provided preferably with the usual lever operated by the foot for lifting
the presser-foot and presser-bar when desired, and also with the usual hand-operated
lever by which the operator is enabled to raise the presser-foot by hand when
desired. These parts I do not deem it necessary to describe as they are of well
known construction. In like manner the awl-bar is operated in any well known or
suitable manner.
At 9 is a collar or sleeve which surrounds the upper end of the presser-bar 5, the
said collar or sleeve being preferably fitted to a bearing provided therefor in the
upper part of the head I and being free to slide up and down in such bearing.
The upper extremity of the presser bar 5 extends above the upper end of the said
sleeve and is borne upon by the free end of a leaf-spring 10 which latter is secured
to the arm or frame of the machine, as shown Fig. 1. The said spring 10 acts to
hold the presser foot 4 normally pressed upon the upper surface of the work. The
upper end of the presser-bar 5 is threaded to receive a nut 11 which has projecting
therefrom an arm 12 by means of which the nut may be readily turned by the hand
of the operator. The lower face of the nut 11 is serrated as shown at 13, the
serrations therein fitting corresponding serrations in the upper end of the sleeve 9.
The lower end of the said sleeve 9 is provided with a cross-piece 14 preferably
integral therewith, one end of which is forked or grooved to engage the awl-bar 2,
thus serving to guide the sleeve 9 in its vertical movement and to prevent it from
rotating relatively to the presser-bar. The opposite end of the cross-piece 14

page_text: projects from the sleeve 9 into the path of movement of the lifting arm 15 which is
mounted upon the rock shaft 16. The rock-shaft 16 is mounted on centre bearings
in the frame of the machine, and is provided with an arm 17, preferably at the
opposite end thereof from that on which the lifting arm 15 is secured.
Said
arm 17 is pivoted to the arm 18 of an eccentric 19 on the main shaft 20, so that at
each revolution of the main shaft the lifting arm is reciprocated. Adjusting
devices of well known construction may be used in connection with the mechanism
which actuates the rock shaft 16 to vary the throw of the lifting arm. Such
devices are of well known construction and I do not deem it necessary to describe
them in detail.
Below the cross piece 14 at the lower end of the sleeve 9 I place a spiral spring 25
on the presser bar 5, the said spring being located between the said cross-piece 14
and the block 26 which is rigidly secured to the said presser-bar. The spring 25
serves to hold the sleeve 9 pressed upwardly so that the serrations in the upper end
of said sleeve will be in engagement with the serrations on the lower face of the
nut 11. If now the nut 11 be turned by the operator the serrations upon the lower
face thereof will be caused to slip over the serrations on the upper end of the
sleeve 9, that is, a slight power applied to the arm 12 to turn the nut 11 will cause
the serrations to slip upon each other, the sleeve 9 being depressed against the
pressure of the spring 25 to permit the slipping to take place. It will thus be
clear that by turning the nut 11 the operator may adjust the sleeve 9 and it will
also be clear that if said nut is turned so as to cause the nut to move downwardly
on the threaded end of the presser-bar, the bar will be lifted relatively to the
sleeve 9 and cross-piece 14 and the foot will be correspondingly lifted from the
work plate to adjust the height of said foot for thicker work. If the nut 11 be
turned in the opposite direction the presser foot inay in like manner be adjusted
for thinner work. As the throw of the lifting arm 15 is constant regardless of the
position of the presser bar relatively to the sleeve 9 and cross piece 14, the presser
foot will be lifted at each revolution of the main shaft a uniform distance whether
it be set on thicker or thinner work.
It will also be noted that the serrations on the lower face of the nut 11 engaging
with those on the upper end of the sleeve prevent the nut from turning and thus
from accidentally shifting the relation of the presser-bar and sleeve.
By the employment of this device a very speedy and easy adjustment of the
presser foot for any thickness of work may be effected.
Dated this 4th day of April 1896.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Presser-foot Lifting Device for Sewing Machines.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of
Lancaster, and Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
The invention has for its object to provide a presser-foot lifting mechanism for
sewing machines which may be quickly and easily adjusted by the operator to
work on any thickness of stock which may be in the machine.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings to which reference is made in the following
description,
Fig. 1 is a view in elevation representing the head of a sewing machine with my -
invention applied thereto.
Fig. 2 is an end view of the parts shown in Fig. 1 from the right of the latter-
figure.
Fig. 3 is a detail of the essential parts of my improved mechanism detached.
Fig. 4 is a view in horizontal section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.
At 1 is represented the head of a sewing machine. At 2 the awl-bar, at 3 the
awl carried by the said awl-bar, at 4 the presser-foot and at 5 the presser-bar.
The machine is provided preferably with the usual lever operated by the foot for
lifting the presser-foot and presser-bar when desired, and also with the usual hand-
operated lever by which the operator is enabled to raise the presser-foot by hand"
when desired. These parts I do not deem it necessary to describe as they are of
well known construction. In like manner the awl-bar is operated in any well
known or suitable manner.
At 9 is a collar or sleeve which surrounds the upper end of the presser-bar 5, the
said collar or sleeve being preferably fitted to a bearing provided therefor in the
upper part of the head I and being free to slide up and down in such bearing..
The upper extremity of the presser bar 5 extends above the upper end of the said
sleeve and is borne upon by the free end of a leaf-spring 10 which latter is secured
to the arm or frame of the machine, as shown Fig. 1. The said spring 10 acts to
hold the presser foot 4 normally pressed upon the upper surface of the work. The-
upper end of the presser-bar 5 is threaded to receive a nut 11 which has projecting
therefrom an arm 12 by means of which the nut may be readily turned by the hand.
of the operator. The lower face of the nut 11 is serrated as shown at 13, the
serrations therein fitting corresponding serrations in the upper end of the sleeve 9.
The lower end of the said sleeve 9 is provided with a cross-piece 14 preferably
integral therewith, one end of which is forked or grooved to engage the awl-bar 2,
thus serving to guide the sleeve 9 in its vertical movement and to prevent it from
rotating relatively to the presser-bar. The opposite end of the cross-piece 14
projects from the sleeve 9 into the path of movement of the lifting arm 15 which is
mounted upon the rock shaft 16. The rock-shaft 16 is mounted ou centre bearings.
in the frame of the machine, and is provided with an arm 17, preferably at the
opposite end thereof from that on which the lifting arm 15 is secured. Said
arm 17 is pivoted to the arm 18 of an eccentric 19 on the main shaft 20, so that at
each revolution of the main shaft the lifting arm is reciprocated. Adjusting
devices of well known construction may be used in connection with the mechanism
which actuates the rock shaft 16 to vary the throw of the lifting arm. Such
devices are of well known construction and I do not deem it necessary to describe
them in detail.
Below the cross-piece 14 at the lower end of the sleeve 9 I place a spiral
spring 25 on the presser bar 5, the said spring being located between the said
cross-piece 14 and the block 26 which is rigidly secured to the said presser-bar.
The spring 25 serves to hold the sleeve 9 pressed upwardly so that the serrations
in the upper end of said sleeve will be in engagement with the serrations on the
lower face of the nut 11. If now the nut 11 be turned by the operator the
serrations upon the lower face thereof will be caused to slip over the serrations on
the upper end of the sleeve 9, that is, a slight power applied to the arm 12 to turn
the nut 11 will cause the serrations to slip upon each other, the sleeve 9 being
depressed against the pressure of the spring 25 to permit the slipping to take place.
It will thus be clear that by turning the nut 11 the operator may adjust the
sleeve 9, and it will also be clear that if said nut is turned so as to cause the nut to
move downwardly on the threaded end of the presser-bar, the bar will be lifted
relatively to the sleeve 9 and cross-piece 14 and the foot will be correspondingly
lifted from the work plate to adjust the height of said foot for thicker work. If
the nut 11 be turned in the opposite direction the presser foot may in like manner

page_text: be adjusted for thinner work. As the throw of the lifting arm 15 is constant
regardless of the position of the presser bar relatively to the sleeve 9 and cross
piece 14, the presser foot will be lifted at each revolution of the main shaft a
uniform distance whether it be set on thicker or thinner work.
It will also be noted that the serrations-on-the-lower-face-of-the nut 11 engaging
with those on the upper end of the sleeve prevent the nut from turning and thus
from accidentally shifting the relation of the presser-bar and sleeve.
By the employment of this device a very speedy and easy adjustment of the
presser foot for any thickness of work may be effected.
Having now particularly ascertained and described the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
The improvement in presser-foot lifting devices herein shown and described.
Dated the 30th day of December 1896.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham.