Improvements in Sewing Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 19th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 28th Nov., 1896
Improvements in Sewing Machines.
We MARSHALL HENRY PEARSON of 16, Blue Boar Lane, Leicester, Engineer,
and PEARSON & BENNION, LTD. of 16, Blue Boar Lane, Leicester, Engineers,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in sewing machines and consists of
improved mechanism for controlling the supply of thread.
In some sewing machines we find it desirable to stop the thread supply during a
certain portion of the time occupied in forming a stitch, as, for instance, while the
stitch is being pulled tight, and to effect this we provide, on any convenient part
of the machine, two plates, one preferably fixed and the other movable, between
which the thread is firmly pressed, when required, by a lever, which may or may
Dot be attached to the movable plate, but is pivotted to the framework of the
machine or to the fixed plate, and is provided with a hole or eye through which
the thread is passed.
The two plates may be normally pressed together by a spring though we do
not depend upon this spring for stopping the thread supply, but so arrange the
lever, movable plate, &c. that, when the thread is made taut it acts upon
the lever which presses the movable plate upon the thread and thus stops the
supply.
To obtain sufficient pressure upon the thread we may either connect the lever
to the movable plate by toggle levers, cam, crank or eccentric, or we may hinge
the movable plate to the lever in such a manner, that, when the plates are slightly
separated, a line, passing through the centres of the hinge and lever fulcrum,
would make, with the faces of the plates an angle of, say, seventy five degrees,
but when the plates are pressed together this angle would be increased to, say,
eighty five degrees.
If it is found desirable to have the movable plate separate from the lever, either
may be provided with a roller, the axle of which should correspond with the pin
of the hinge, previously alluded to, as regards its relative position to the fulcrum
of the lever and the faces of the plates.
By either of these methods the movable plate may be caused to exert upon the
thread a much greater pressure than is exerted by the thread upon the thread-eye
in the lever.
When it is required to allow the thread to pass freely between the plates, they
may be separated by any suitable mechanism actuated by any convenient moving
part of the machine and arranged to move the lever in an opposite direction to
that in which it is moved by the thread.
Dated this 19th day of December 1895
MARSHALL HENRY PEARSON.
PEARSON & BENNION, LIMITED,
FRANK E. WHEELER, Secretary,
For the Company.

page_text: We, MARSHALL HENRY PEARSON, of Blue Boar Lane, Leicester, Engineer,
and PEARSON AND BENNION, LIMITED of Blue Boar Lane, Leicester, Engineers,
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 improvements in sewing machines and consists of
improved mechanism for controlling the supply of thread.
In some sewing machines we find it desirable to stop the thread supply during a
certain portion of the time occupied in forming a stitch, as, for instance, while the
stitch is being pulled tight, and to effect this we provide, on any convenient part
of the machine, two plates, one preferably fixed and the other movable, between
which the thread is firmly pressed when required, by a lever which may or may
not be attached to the movable plate but is pivotted to the framework of the
machine or to the fixed plate and is provided with means for carrying the thread
at the end furthest from the fulcrum.
The lever, plates &c. are so arranged, that when the thread is made taut it acts
upon the lever, which presses the movable plate upon the thread and thus stops
the supply.
In the accompanying drawings :-
Fig. 1. is an end elevation of our thread locking device.
Fig. 2. is a front elevation of the same shewing the plates pressed together and
tbread supply stopped.
Fig. 3. is a front elevation shewing the plates, lever &c. in their normal position,
with the thread free to pass between the plates.
Figs. 4. & 5. are front elevations shewing alternative means for connecting the
movable plate to the lever.
The arrows, in Figs. 2. to 5, shew the direction in which the thread passes from
the source of supply to the needle. A. and B. are the two plates, A. being fixed
to any convenient part of the machine C., while B. is movable and may be either
attached to the lever D. as shewn in Figs. 4. & 5. or it may be separate, as shewn
in Figs. 2. & 3. The plate B is kept in position by pins L. L'.
The thread J. is taken from its source of supply, through the eye K., between
the plates A. and B., half round the pin L., back between the plates A. and B.,
again through the eye K., round the lever D. and thence through eyes &c. to the
needle. Any suitable form of eye may be used at the end of the lever D. or the
thread may be passed round the lever D., a hook M. being provided, as shewn in
the drawings, to prevent its falling off.
The lever D. is pivotted to the framing of the machine C. at G. and is normally
held in the position shewn in Fig. 3. by any suitable mechanism (such as the
connecting link H.) actuated in any convenient manner. While in this position
no pressure is exerted by the plate B. upon the thread, (beyond that due to its
own weight) and the thread J. is free to pass between the plates A. and B.; but
when it is desired to stop the thread supply, the lever D. is allowed to fall into the
position shewn in Figs. 2. 4. & 5. with the result that any strain on the thread, in
the direction shewn by the arrows, is imparted, with increased force, through the
lever D. to the plate B. which presses upon the thread J and prevents it passing
between the plates A. and B.
Any suitable means for connecting the lever D. to the plate B. may be employed,
such as toggle levers, as shewn in Fig. 4; hinge, as shewn in Fig. 5; cam, crank
or eccentric, but we prefer the construction as shewn in Figs. to 3., a recess

page_text: being formed in the lever D. for the reception of the roller N. which is pivotted
at F. and when the lever D. falls, presses upon the plate B.
In each of the constructions shewn in the drawings we find the best results are
obtained if the pivots F. & G. are so arranged that when the lever D. falls,
a line O. O. passing through their centres would make, with the faces of the
plates A. and B., an angle of about eighty-five degrees, as shewn in Fig. 2.
We also find that the weight of the plate B. resting upon the thread while the
lever D. is raised has the effect of removing kinks from the thread and prevents a
greater quantity of thread than is actually required from being jerked through
the plates.
If the weight of the plate B. is not found sufficient for these
purposes it may be pressed upon the thread by a spring &c. in any convenient
manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
A device for controlling the thread supply of a sewing machine, consisting of a
lever, two thread pressing plates, &c. so arranged that at certain intervals the
thread may act upon the lever and cause the plates to press upon the thread with
much greater force than that exerted by the thread upon the lever, thus preventing
all movement of the thread between the plates, substantially as herein described.
Dated this 18th day of September 1896.
MARSHALL H. PEARSON.
PEARSON & BENNION, LIMITED,
FRANK E. WHEELER, Secretary,
For the Company.