Improvements in Hemmers.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 16th Mar., 1895
[Communicated from abroad by SAMUEL HICKOX WHEELER, of Bridgeport, in
the County of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, United States of America,
President of the Wheeler and Wilson Manufacturing Company.]
Improvements in Hemmers.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to that class of devices which are made use of to fold the
edge or edges of fabrics whereby to form a hem or hems thereon, and is used either
alone or in connection with any of the different forms of sewing machines; its
object being to provide a device of this class, which, while simple and comparatively
cheap in construction, shall, at the same time, fold the edge or edges of the fabric
in an absolutely uniform manner.
To these ends, the invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction of the
hemmer whereby the folding of the edge of the fabric is efficiently accomplished, all
as will hereinafter more fully appear.
Referring to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this Specifi-
cation,
Figure 1, is a rear perspective view of the attachment complete, looking from a
point above and to one side of the point of operation of a sewing machine
needle;
Figure 2, a similar view, but omitting a part of the attaching arm, and showing
a piece of fabric in position of folding, and
Figure 3, is an enlarged end view of the hemmer looking from the rear, and
indicating the fabric by dotted lines.
In the several figures, like letters of reference are employed to designate the
corresponding parts.
A represents a supporting plate which is or may be provided with a slot or other
suitable means whereby it may be secured to a sewing machine or other convenient
support. To this plate, and separated from it by a depending lug or spacing piece a,
which serves as a guide for the edge of the fabric as it is passed through the
hemmer, is secured the guide tongue or plate B. This tongue or plate is elongated
or otherwise provided with an extension b, which, in my preferred form of
construction, is preferably nearly as wide as the distance from the edge of the
fabric to the fold or crease first given thereto, and has or may have its corners
rounded to avoid catching in the meshes of the fabric. The end of this plate
toward which the fabric travels, is preferably reduced in width and one edge is
rounded or curved, as at 61, for the purpose hereinafter described.
The edge turner and folder C consists of a plate of thin metal which is attached
to the plate A and is bent over and under the edges of the tongue or plate Ba
slight distance therefrom, leaving a small space between the edge turner and such
plate through which the fabric is passed as it is fed through the hemmer.
The middle portion of the folder is preferably cut away, as at c, to form a slit by
means of which the finger of the operator may obtain ready access to the fabric
being hemmed to push it forward when the fabric is being inserted or otherwise,
but this is not essential and may be omitted if so desired.

page_text: At the extreme rear end of the folder, or at that end from which the fabric
emerges after having been folded, the metal is preferably cut away both above and
below the plane of the plate B, as shown at c', to receive the presser foot of the
sewing machine when the hemmer is used in connection therewith.
The side of the turner or folder which turns the edge of the fabric under
plate B is flared, as at e³, the said flaring portion extending partially over the
rounded part of the plate B, so as to co-operate therewith in turning said edge of
the fabric, while the side ct thereof which folds the fabric and creases it over the
free edge of the plate B, is longer than the side c³, in order to obviate the tendency
of the fabric to creep out of the proper line of fold and feed, and is preferably
flared, as shown at c.
In the use of the said attachment, the fabric is laid under the extension 6 of the
tongue B and carried laterally over the same until its edge abuts against the lug or
block a, and then passed forward through the hemmer. As it thus passes forward,
the flaring portion of the turner or folder engages with the edge thereof and
turns the same under the guide tongue or plate B, while the portion 6 of the latter
in front of the rounded part keeps the fabric stretched outwardly with the proper
tension to ensure a smooth fold. At the same time that the edge of the fabric is
being thus folded, the crease forming the other edge of the hem is being formed by
the co-operation of the side e, of the turner or folder and the other side of the
tongue or plate B.
When the attachment is used in connection with a sewing machine, it will be
secured thereto in such relation to the stitching devices that the presser foot of the
machine will preferably enter the cut-away portion c¹ of the turner or folder, when
the hem will be fed to such stitching devices by the feeding mechanism of the
machine in proper position to receive the line of stitching therein. When, on the
other hand, the attachment is used to form the folds of a hem without stitching
the same, the hemmer will be secured to the sewing machine or other suitable support,
or held in the hand, and the fabric, after having been passed over the tongue or
plate B and through the turner or folder C as above explained, may be drawn
through the hemmer by the hand of the operator, while being so guided that the
edge thereof which receives the fold is held in contact with the lug or block a.
As thus constructed and arranged, a hemmer is produced which may be used
alone or with a sewing machine, and which, while applicable to the hemming of
different kinds of fabric and articles, is especially advantageous in the folding of
bandkerchiefs and other articles which are to be hem-stitched with a given width
of hem.
When employed in connection with sewing machines, the means whereby the
hemmer is secured thereto will of course be modified to suit it to the particular
form of machine to which it is to be applied.
While in the foregoing I have described what I consider the best form of my
invention, I wish it distinctly understood that I do not limit myself strictly thereto,
as it is obvious that I may modify the same in various ways without departing from
the spirit thereof.
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
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :--
1. A hemmer comprising in its construction the guide plate B, having one end
extended with parallel edges, and having the other end provided with the curved
portion b', the edge turner C bent around said plate and having the side and
Haring portion c³, to co-operate with the curved portion in turning the edge of
the fabric, and the side c opposite the side c³, substantially as described.
2. The combination with a guide plate B, and an edge turner C, bent around said
plate whereby a space is formed between them for the passage of the fabric, of a
supporting plate, A, to which such guide plate and edge turner are secure and a
guide a for the edge of the fabric, substantially as described.

page_text: 3. A hemmer comprising in its construction a guide plate having one end
extended with parallel edges, and an edge turner bent around the other end of said
guide plate whereby to form a space between them through which the fabric is
passed and the folding of the hem thereby effected, the said turner being provided
with a slit to permit access of the finger of the operator, substantially as
described.
1
C
100%
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant..