An Improved Binder for Sewing Machines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Oct., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 24th July, 1891-Accepted, 26th Sept., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Binder for Sewing Machines.
We RICHARD ANDREW EDWARDS, of 4 Albert Street, Nottingham, in the
County of Nottingham, Manager, and THE WHEELER & WILSON, MANU-
FACTURING COMPANY of 21 Queen Victoria Street in the City of London,
Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to an improved binder for sewing-machines and is designed
to provide for automatically adjusting the position of the folder according to the
thickness of the material or work that is being bound.
As heretofore constructed the folder or binder is stationary, and consequently
delivers braid in the same position relatively to the needle no matter how the
thickness of the work may vary.
Now it is obvious that if the material to be
bound by the braid is thick, the said braid will not overlap to the same extent or
take up as much width of material as. when the said material or work is thin. It
therefore happens, that when the work is very thick, the needle sometimes misses
the edge of the braid altogether, and when the work is very thin, the stitches are
formed at too great a distance from the edge of the braid thus producing irregular
and, unsatisfactory work..
According to our invention, we obviate this objection by providing that the
folder shall automatically be moved nearer the needle when the work is thick
and be drawn away from the needle when the work is thin. By this means we
ensure that the stitches shall be formed at the-same distance from, the edge of the
braid, no matter how the thickness of the work may vary.
In carrying our said invention into practice we prefer to arrange the folder to
work on or in a slide. For example, the said folder may be constructed with a slot
through which the holding-down screw passes to act as a guide for the said folder
while allowing of a free movement towards and from the needle. We then pivot
on the machine base plate a short lever, one end of which enters a groove or recess
formed in the folder and the other end is connected to a second lever which is
pivoted to a bracket attached to the presser bar. The connection between the
said two levers is such as will allow of the presser bar being raised without
interfering with the said connection.
We extend the second lever beyond its pivot on the presser bar, and form.near
its upper end an inclined. or cam like edge, and we fix on the machine arm a stop
pin to engage with the said inclined edge. Moreover we provide a spring attached
at one end to the machine,arm. and at the other end to the aforesaid lever pivoted
to the presser bar. The said spring acts to press the lever against the stop pin
and tends to draw the folder away from the needle. When the presser bar is
raised, as for instance by reason of thicker work being passed through the machine,
the lever pivoted thereto is also raised and the inclined face thereon slides up the
stop, pin,, which, movement causes, the lever to be turned slightly on its pivot and
thereby to act on the folder and move it inwards towards the needle. The position
of the said folder is therefore dependant on the height of the presser bar, which it
is well known, varies with the thickness of the work. When the presser bar falls,
the folder is drawn away from the needle by the aforesaid spring..
Dated this 24th day of October 1890.

page_text: CONTIMI SEDIE ALION.
An Improved Binder for Sewing Machines,
We, RICHARD ANDREW EDWARDS of 4 Albert Street Nottingham, Manager, and
THE WHEELER AND WILSON MANUFACTURING Co. of 21 Queen Victoria Street,
Manufacturers, 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 :-
Our invention relates to an improved binder for sewing-machines, and is designed
to provide for the automatic adjustment of the work according to the thickness of
the same in such a manner that the edge of the braid or other binding will always
be brought into its proper position relatively to the needle. Therefore, in the
binding of articles the thickness of which varies at different parts of the edge to be
bound, the edge of the binding-strip will be kept properly under the needles at all
times during the passage of the work through the machine. Moreover the machine
is thus adapted automatically for binding materials of different thickness with
binding-strips of the same width.
As heretofore constructed, the folder or binder has been stationary, and adjustable
by hand; consequently the work has, during its passage through the machine, been
held in an unvarying position relatively to the needle, no matter how the thickness
of the work might vary, and it has been necessary to adjust the binder by hand to
adapt the machine for binding materials of different thickness with binding-strips of
the same width.
It is obvious that the greater the thickness of the material to be bound, the less
the braid or other binding will overlap the same, and consequently the less will be
the distance from the edge of the binding-strip to the edge of the material to be
bound. Therefore, when the material to be bound varies in thickness, the needle is
apt to miss the edge of the braid or other binding altogether at the thicker portions
of such material, and to make the stitches at too great a distance from the edge of
the braid or other binding at the thinner parts of the said material, thus producing
irregular and unsatisfactory work.
According to our invention, we obviate this objection by making the folder or
binder movable or adjustable towards and away from the needle, and providing
suitable means for automatically moving the said folder or binder towards the
needle when the thickness of the material being bound increases, and drawing the
said folder or binder away from the needle when the thickness of the said material
diminishes. By these means we ensure that the stitches shall be formed at the
same distance from the edge of the braid or other binding, notwithstanding
variations in the thickness of the material being bound. Moreover the binder will
be automatically adjusted to its proper position when the material to be bound is
inserted beneath the presser-foot.
:
In the accompanying drawings we have shown how our said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is an elevation of one side, and
Figure 2 an elevation of the other side of a portion of a sewing-machine having
our improved binder applied thereto.
Figure 3 is a plan, partly in horizontal section on the line a, a, Figures 1 and 2.
A is the work-plate of the machine; B is the overhanging arm or goose-neck;
C is the presser-bar; D is the needle-bar; E is the material to be bound; F is the
binding-strip.
a is the folder or binder, through which the binding-strip is passed in the usual
manner... This binder is fitted to slide in a guide-groove 6 in the work-plate, and
is formed with a slot a' through which a holding-down screw c is passed, the said
screw being secured in the work-plate A. d is a lever pivoted at d¹ to the work-
plate; one end of this lever works in a recess or cavity a² in the folder or binder a ;

page_text: the other end of the said lever is formed with a hole or slot d², in which works a
pin or stud at the lower end of another lever e pivoted at e¹ to a bracket f attached
to the presser-bar C, the said pin or stud at the lower end of the lever e extending
a short distance through the lever d into a hole or slot in the work-plate, so as to
allow of the presser-bar being raised to a limited extent without interfering with
the connection between these levers. The upper arm of the lever e is formed with an
inclined or curved surface e2 which bears against a pin or bolt g attached to or held in
a bracket h secured to the arm or goose-neck B. We prefer to make the bolt g
adjustable in a slot h¹ in the bracket h, and to provide, in the said bracket, a screw j
for effecting the adjustment of the said bolt for the purpose of regulating the
position of the folder or binder relatively to the needle. A spring k is attached at
one end to the arm B and at its other end to the lever e. This spring acts to keep
the said lever e against the bolt g, and tends to draw the folder or binder away from
the needle.
When the presser-bar C is raised by reason of any increase in the thickness of
the work, the lever e, being pivoted thereto, is raised therewith, and the inclined
surface e² of the said lever sliding against the pin or bolt g, the said lever is caused
to turn through a small angle about its pivot e¹ and thus move the folder or binder
towards the needle. When the presser-bar descends, the lever e moves downward
therewith and is turned about its pivot in the reverse direction by the spring k, the
folder or binder is thus drawn away from the needle. The position of the folder or
binder relatively to the needle is, therefore, dependent upon the height to which
the presser-bar is raised by the work.
It is evident that we can, if desired, substitute for the devices hereinbefore
described, other suitable means whereby our binder will be automatically moved
towards and away from the needle for the purpose above specified.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. A binder for sewing-machines, which is adapted to be automatically moved
towards and away from the needle according to variations in the thickness of the
material being bound, for the purpose above specified.
Second. The combination, with a binder such as we have hereinabove described,
of suitable means whereby the presser-bar, when it rises or descends by reason of
variations in the thickness of the work, will move the said binder towards and away
from the needle, for the purpose above specified.
Third. A sewing-machine having our improved device applied thereto
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 24th day of July 1891
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.