IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Owen Robinson at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th March
-1865.
I, OWEN ROBINSON, of Kettering, in the County of Northampton, Machinist,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SEWING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in that class of sewing machines
known as shuttle or lock-stitch machines, and consists,―
Firstly, in placing the wheel feed of a cylinder machine so as to work on
the right-hand side of the needle in lieu of on the left-hand side as heretofore,
whereby I am enabled to perform the operation known in the trade as
"goloshing the uppers" of boots and shoes more easily and expeditiously.
Secondly, of a peculiar combination of mechanism for driving or actuating
the feed wheel, whether such feed wheel be applied to a cylinder or arm
machine or to a platform machine. In carrying out this part of my Invention
I employ a crown ratchet wheel, which is keyed on to a feeding shaft, such
shaft either carrying also the feed wheel itself or carrying a pinion which
gears into the feed wheel. On this shaft works freely a reciprocating lever
arm, which carries a spring pall taking into the teeth of the crown ratchet
wheel, and consequently giving motion to the feed shaft. This lever is

page_text: actuated so as to give the proper desired length of stitch by the free end of a
second lever placed at right angles thereto, the opposite end of such lever
carrying an antifriction roller, which is acted upon by a cam, wiper, or eccentric
fast on the main driving shaft of the machine.
Thirdly, in placing a wheel feed of any suitable or well known construction
with its axis transverse to or at right angles with the longitudinal axis of the
arm or cylinder in that class of sewing machines, so that the material may be
fed in the direction of the cylinder; motion is imparted to this feed wheel,
placed as above described, by means of a connecting rod inside the arm or
cylinder attached to a vertical vibrating lever working on a centre at its
upper extremity, and actuated by the joint action of a spring and a cam or
wiper on the main shaft of the machine.
Fourthly, to an arrangement for lifting the presser foot after each stitch
in those sewing machines wherein the wheel feed is employed in order to
facilitate the turning of the work. For this purpose I employ a separate
and distinct bell-crank lever working on the same axis or centre of vibration
as the needle lever, and actuated at one end by a cam or eccentric fixed on
the main shaft, or fitted to or formed in one piece with the needle cam, the
other end of the bell-crank lever being made to operate against a stud or
projection in the stem of the presser foot.
Fifthly, of a peculiar combination of mechanism for actuating the shuttle
driver of lock-stitch machines, for which purpose the driver is jointed to one
end of a connecting rod, which is jointed at its opposite end to a vertical
vibrating lever working on a centre at its lower end, and actuated by means of
a grooved face cam, in the groove of which an antifriction roller fitted to the
side of the lever works.
In cylinder or arm machines I propose to place the shuttle in its race
with its nose pointing in the direction of the outer end of the cylinder or arm,
so that it shall catch the loop of the needle thread when it is moving outwards
or towards the outer end of the arın or cylinder. I also propose in machines
of this class to place the main driving shaft at right angles to the longitudinal
axis of the arm or cylinder, and to carry it completely through both sides of
the table or stand of the machine, the cams for giving motion to the needle
and shuttle being grooved face cams.