IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1885

page_text: We, JOHN WILLIAM RAMSDEN of 81 Bruce Street, Leeds in the County of York
Mechanic, and HARRY SENIOR ELLIS of Hope Cottage Hanover Lane, Leeds in the
said County Mechanical Draughtsman do hereby declare the nature of our
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES" and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
Our invention, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, relates to
improvements in sewing machines of the kind in which two waxed threads are used
by means of a hooked needle and shuttle operating above the work or material to
be sewn-Referring to the drawings Fig. 1, is a side elevation, Fig. 2, is a plan and
Fig. 3, a front elevation, of a sewing machine in accordance with our invention-
Figs. 4 to 8 both inclusive illustrate various details hereinafter referred to-Fig. 9
shews the development of the actuating cams C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J. K in their
proper relative positions for producing the required results herein indicated-The
same letters of reference are used to indicate like parts wherever they occur.
In our Specification No 14746 A.D. 1884 we have described a machine using a
hooked needle with its attendant loop dividing and stripping plate, and recipro-
cating shuttle for the purpose of closing boot uppers, belts, harness and other work
that permits of a straight needle being used.
The object of our present invention is to modify certain parts of the apparatus
described in the above named specification and shewn in the drawings accoin-
panying the same and to combine them with certain other apparatus so as to adapt
this class of sewing machine for the manufacture of "welted" boots and for "pumps"
or turn shoes.
To sew this class of work upon the "last" it is necessary to have more room to
bring the work under the action of the needle than can be obtained in a straight
needle machine, such as described and shewn in our Specification and drawings
previously referred to.
To this end we make use of a curved needle Q, and the reciprocating shuttle T 1,
instead of working in a flat or straight race at right angles to the needle, works in
a race forming an arc of a circle so disposed as to be nearest the work at the point
where the shuttle crosses the path of the needle, the ends of the race being
consequently furthest away from the work so as to give greater facilities for the
boot under treatment to be brought under the action of the needle,

page_text: When sewing in the welt of welted boots through the upper leather to the insole,
the boot is lasted and prepared for the machine in a manner as nearly as can be, to
that required when the welt has to be sewn in by hand, that is to say-the
"insole" is bevelled on the outer edge and "flanged "-In place of the usual
needle plate used in closing machines, we use a combined stitching cap and welt
guide L. This stitching cap is suitably shaped for the lasted boot to be held
against it, has one opening L 1, therein (shewn in Figs. 7 and 8) to admit and
guide the welt into position for being sewn to the insole, and another opening L 2
Fig. 1 through which the needle passes when piercing the work-This latter
opening is elongated horizontally to allow of a sideway motion of the needle when
feeding the work which is held firmly together and to the machine by means of a
hooked pressure foot M actuated by a spring M 2 and caused to release the work at
the time of feeding by the action of a cam K on the main shaft of the machine.
The curved needle Q is fixed in a suitable holder which is provided with a toothed
sector and is mounted upon an axis N-This axis has a reciprocating circular or
angular motion imparted to it by a corresponding toothed sector H 2 on the end
of a lever actuated by a cam H, on the main shaft of the machine. During the
said angular motion, the needle is accompanied through a portion of its path by a
guide R similar in construction and in the manner of actuation to the needle
holder-When this guide has approached within a short distance of the work
under treatment, its motion ceases while that of the needle and its holder continues
until the work is pierced, the needle in the meantime being supported by the said
now stationary guide-While the needle is in this position with its hook through
the work & rotating looper O throws a thread into the hook and an endwise
motion is by the action of a cam G on the main shaft of the machine imparted to
the axis N, carrying the needle holder and guide to effect the feed of the work
forwards The amount of this sideways motion can be adjusted by a regulator N. 3.
(Figs. 1. 2. 3).
At the same time that this endwise motion of, the axis N, is taking place and in
order to assist the needle in giving the feed a finger S (Figs. 7-8) is caused by a
cam F on the main shaft to approach that part of the needle which projects through
the work and the stitching cap-This finger bears against the needle immediately
above the hook and moves horizontally with the same velocity as the needle to
prevent any springing and to secure regularity in the feed motion.
As described, the needle having had thread introduced into the hook by the
rotating looper O, retires and draws the loop of thread through the work.
:
The centrally pointed shuttle T 1 is curved to the same radius as and works in
the segmentally formed shuttle race T previously referred to-It travels across the
curvilinear path of the hooked needle in a direction pointing to its open side and
receives its notion from a cam J, to which it is connected by suitable mechanism.
We use a cop of thread in the shuttle as described in our former Specification
hereinabove referred to.
Immediately above what may be termed the upper face of the curvilinear shuttle
race and working reciprocally in the same inclined plane or nearly so is a dividing
and stripping plate U, similar to that described in our former Specification, of an
annular form, and of suitable material such as steel, the opening therein being large
enough for the needle holder and guide to pass through it.
The hooked needle having by its retirement drawn the loop of thread through
the work, slightly advances and thus slackens the loop and at the same time the
pointed projection U1 of the dividing and stripping plate (Fig. 6) advances
towards the hooked needle-This pointed projection enters between and forces the
threads (that is the two opposite parts of the loop) further apart so as to admit the
now advancing shuttle to enter and pass freely through the loop-Immediately this
has been effected, the needle advances again, this time with its point and hook just
within a second hole in the stripping plate, which at the moment receives a reverse
motion.

page_text: Che bar which is opposite the pointed projection and between the
two openings, moves quickly against the loop and strips it out of the hook.
The needle, its holder and guide then again retire and the stitch is drawn into
the work by a horizontally working stitch tightening apparatus consisting of a bell-
crank lever C1 receiving motion from a cam C on the main shaft of the machine.
In the meantime the axis N carrying the hooked needle and guide, is caused by
the cam G and lever G1 to return to its normal position ready to commence
another stitch.
The looper thread is drawn from a reel V in any convenient part of the machine
is waxed by being drawn through a hot bath of wax W, the pan of which is
surrounded by water heated by any convenient medium, such as a combustible
mixture of air and gas.
A. A are the framework and standard of the machine, B is the main shaft upon
which are mounted the cams which effect the several motions.
The shaft rotates in bearings in the standard and is actuated by the
wheels B1-B2, driving pulley B 3 and friction clutch B4, which the operator
can engage at pleasure by the treadle lever B 5 and rod and lever B6 and B7.
The machine may be worked by a treadle motion when other power is not
obtainable L is the stitching cap against which the work is held by means of the
hooked pressure foot M. This latter is attached to the lever MI which has its
centre of motion on the axis N and is actuated by the spring M 2 the work being
freed from pressure at the moment of feeding, by the cam K lever K 1 rod K 2 and
sector K 3. By means of the latter the lever M 1 of the pressure foot may be
adjusted to suit the thickness of the material undor treatment.
The stitching cap L is provided with a suitable attachment L1 Figs. 7 and 8 for
guiding the welt into position for being sewn to the insole of a boot.
Immediately behind the stitching cap Lis rotating looper O through which
passes the thread -P for forming the loop-This looper is actuated by the cam D,
Jever D 1, shaft D 2 and toothed sector D 3 the latter taking into a pinion 01, at
the rear end of the looper, Q is the curved hooked needle, Q1 the needle, holder
fixed to the axis N and formed at the rear part into a toothed sector-It is actuated
by the cam H and lever H1 having formed at the end H 2 a toothed sector for
taking into the above named sector on the needle holder Q1-R is the needle guide
of similar construction to the needle holder Q1, it turns freely upon the axis N and
is provided with a toothed sector at the back-It is actuated by the cam E,
lever E1 and toothed sector. E2 on the end of the lever E1 and accompanies the
needle in its path but its motion is arrested on approaching the work while the
needle continues its movement, being steadied by the said guide during the piercing
of the work.
While the needle is in the work the axis N upon which the needle holder and
guide are mounted is by the cam G and lever G1 (its forked end G 2 taking
between the collars N 1, N 2) caused to move endwise-There is thus imparted a
side motion to the needle to feed the work forward and in order that the needle
may be sustained during such sideway motion, and that each movement may be
regular, a finger S, is provided, which presses against the needle just above the hook
as it projects through the work and the stitching cap E. This finger is caused to
travel with the same velocity and in the same direction as the axis N and the
needle by means of the cam F and lever F 1. The hook of the needle having
passed through the work, the looper O, is caused to rotate around it to introduce
the thread, the needle is then withdrawn from the work together with the looped
thread as hereinabove referred to. T Fig. 1 is the circular or curvilinear shuttle
race, shewn in plan in its own plane in Fig. 4 and its front position is indicated by
dotted lines T in Fig. 3. T1 is the shuttle and T 2 its carrier, both shewn in plan
in Fig. 5 and actuated by the cam J, lever J 1, shaft J2 universally jointed
levers J 3, lever J 4 and link J 5 connected to the carrier T 2-U Fig. 6 is the loop
dividing and stripping plate actuated by the cam I lever I 1, shaft I 2, lever 13, in
which it is adjustable, its movements being properly timed for opening the looped

page_text: thread (when the needle with the said looped thread has been drawn through the
work) by the action of the projecting point U 1 and the angular sides U 2 of such
projection The shuttle T 1 now passes through the opened loop the needle again
partially advances this time dipping into the opening U3 of the dividing and
stripping plate U 4 is the bar between the two said openings, and by means of it
on the quick reverse motion of the said plate the loop is stripped from the hook of
.the needle. The stitch being yet incomplete is next tightened by the action of the
cam C and bellerank C1 as hereinabove referred to.
The same cycle of operations is repeated for each stitch V is a recl from which
the looper thread P, is supplied to the looper O passing firstly through the hot wax
bath W and wax stripper X as shewn.
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
1st In a sewing machine of the kind wherein two waxed threads are used by
means of a shuttle operating above the work and in which also a curved and hooked
needle having a sideways motion is employed for feeding the work, we claim a
finger or guide for supporting the needle while it is making its sideways motion to
feed the work substantially as described.
2nd In a sewing machine of the kind wherein two waxed threads are used by
means of a shuttle operating above the work and in which also a curved hooked
needle having a sideways motion is employed for feeding the work, we claim the
method substantially as described of effecting the tightening of the stitch after the
feed is completed.
3rd In a lock stitch sewing machine having its shuttle above the work the
arrangement and combination of a curvilinear shuttle race with a curved hooked
'needle substantially as and for the purpose hereinabove set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of August 1889.
JOHN WILLIAM RAMSDEN.
HARRY SENIOR ELLIS.
Witness,
THOS E. CRAVEN, C.E.,
Fellow Inst. Patent Agents,
24, Victoria Chambers, Leeds.