Improvements in Button Hole Attachments for Sewing Machines.
Year: 1888

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Button Hole Attachments for Sewing Machines.
I HERBERT JOHN ALLISON of 52 Chancery Lane, London in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention which has
been communicated to me from abroad by The Harris Button Hole Attachment
Company (Incorporated) of the City and State of New York, United States of
America, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
This invention relates to a device for forming the requisite stitching necessary to
the construction of any desired size or form of button hole such as is in common use,
and it consists of a mechanism adapted for attachment to the presser foot bar of any
ordinary sewing machine, and the operative parts of which are attachable to and
operated by the needle bar of the sewing machine through an intermediate rock shaft
and ratchet wheel from which is transmitted both the forward and lateral, or zig-zag
feed movement required for the formation of the button hole stitch.
The invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings, of which
Fig. 1. is a general plan of the button hole mechanism.
Fig. 2. is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same taken on the line a―x of
Fig. 1.
Fig. 3. is a side clevation of it.
Fig. 4. is a rear end elevation of it.
Fig. 5. is a top view of the feed plate showing the adjustable racks and actuating
pinion.
Fig. 6. is a side elevation of the feed plate.
Fig. 7. is a detailed plan view of the laterally vibrating lever which gives a zig-zag
or button hole stitch movement to the feeding device.
Fig. 8. is a detailed plan of the frame plate of the button hole mechanism, and of
the parts which are located above it. The feed plate being located below the bed
plate does not show in this figure.
Fig. 9. is a detailed plan view of the adjustable rack and pinion of the feed plate
by means of which the feed movement is made to conform to the size and shape of
the required button hole.

page_text: Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are respectively detailed side elevations of the parts shown in
plan in Fig. 9. and illustrate the longitudinal adjustment of this mechanism, so as to
adapt it to button holes of different lengths.
Figs. 13, 14 and 15 are respectively a plan, a side elevation, and an end view of a
modified form of the feed plate.
Fig. 16. is a bottom plan of the presser foot of the feed plate as it is usually
made.
Figs. 17 and 18 are respectively a plan and a side elevation of a modified form
of the throat plate of the sewing machine to provide for the operation of this
attachment.
Fig. 19 is a plan view of a modification of the adjustable rack and pinion shown in
Fig. 9. by means of which the feed movement is made to conform to the size and
shape of the required button hole.
Fig. 20. is a side elevation of the same.
Fig. 21. is a general plan of a modification of the button hole attachment.
Fig. 22. is a side elevation of the same.
Fig. 23. is a bottom plan of the same.
Fig. 24. is a detailed plan view of a modification of the adjusting mechanism of the
feed plate to regulate it to the length of button hole required.
Fig. 25. is a horizontal sectional elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 24.
Fig. 26. is an end elevation of the rear end of the modified machine, showing only
the ends of the adjusting feed plates and the attachments thereto belonging, and with
one of the laterally adjusting hooks engaged with the edge of the feed plate to hold it
in one of its peculiar lateral positions.
Fig. 27, is a similar view to Fig. 26 except that both of the lateral hooks are
disengaged.
Fig. 28. is a transverse section on the line a-a of Fig. 25.
The mechanism of this machine or attachment is constructed on or assembled with
a common frame plate A which is attached to the presser foot bar of the sewing
machine in any suitable manner. To this frame plate is attached an upwardly pro-
jecting arm or standard B which forms an abutment or lug for the attachment and
support of the axle B¹ on which is mounted the ratchet or driving wheel C which
constitutes the principle feed operator of the machine and also the actuating, vertically
vibrating lever D, by means of which the said ratchet wheel is operated. The said
lever D is preferably made of two pieces d and d¹ placed side by side and in contact
with each other, and held together by two or more assembling screws d² and d³, so
that the said pieces d and may be adjusted so as to make the said lever D longer
or shorter, for the purpose of adapting it to a longer or a shorter stroke and also to
adapt the button hole mechanism to any required sewing machine. The forward or
free end of the said actuating lever D is bifurcated or slotted at d, for attachment to
the needle bar of the sewing machine to which it is to be attached, any suitable lug
formed on or attached to the said needle bar of the sewing machine, being readily
adapted to enter into the said notch d*, and thereby move the said actuating lever of
the button hole attachment up and down with the corresponding movement of the
said needle bar. The ratchet wheel C has teeth or serrations c formed on its periphery
and also cam like lugs or wipers 1 and 2 formed on its sides near its periphery.
A pawl D pivoted at its lower end to the actuating lever D and provided at or near
its said pivot with a suitable engagement spring C, is at its other end made to
engage with the teeth or serrations e of the ratchet wheel C, and so move the said
ratchet wheel about its axis in a series of intermittent movements, as the actuating
arm D is moved up and down by the successive strokes of the needle bar, as above
described.
A laterally vibrating lever E is made in an L shape by means of its horizontal
arm e and a vertical arm el projecting upwardly therefrom at its inner end. The
outer end of this lever is pivoted by a pivot pin e to the bottom of the plate A, as
shown best in Fig. 2, so as to allow the rear or inner end of said lever a lateral
vibration thereon. The upper end of the upwardly projecting arm e¹ is slotted at e

page_text: and arranged to embrace the lower part of the ratchet wheel C, as is also shown
in Fig. 2. At each movement of the said wheel C, one of the lugs c¹ or c² (they
being placed alternately on opposite sides of the said wheel for this purpose)
engage with the said lever E-e and moves it toward one side, and then a lug on the
opposite side of the wheel moves the lever toward the other side and thus causes
the lever to vibrate laterally coincidently with the vertical strokes of the needle bar of
the sewing machine attached to the vertical lever D as above described.
This vibrating lateral movement of the vibrating lever E is transmitted through its
projecting armes on its inner end as is shown in Fig. 2, and through a spring pawl e¹
pivoted thereon to a horizontally rotating feed ratchet wheel F mounted on a vertical
axle or post F' seated in the inner end of the plate A. These movements are utilized
to produce the forward and backward, lateral or zig-zag movements of the feeding
plate G, and its presser foot G for forming the button hole work, in the manner next
hereinbelow described.
The said vibrating plate G is an elongated metal plate somewhat longer and
narrower than the frame plate A below which it is located. The vibrating lever E is
interposed between the frame plate A and the feed plate G and the assembling pin G²
couples them together, the said pin G2 for this purpose passing through a slot e
in the said lever E. A slot y in the feed plate G accommodates the assembling pin G²
and the two slots e and g, permit a longitudinal adjustment of the said assembling
pin, so as to make the lateral throw of the feed plate more or less in order to
accommodate coarser or finer work.
The frame plate A has a slot a of sufficient width to allow the upper end or head
of the pin to vibrate laterally with the plates E and G. At the rear or inner end
of the feed plate G it is provided with a longitudinally adjustable toothed rack made
in two sections and which are placed one above the other and made adjustable
as to length by sliding one of them over the other so as to lengthen or shorten the
entire rack (which really constitutes the button hole former) so as to conform it to
the length of the button hole to be worked. One of these cogged sections gorg² is fixed
to the feed plate G and the other one is made to slide longitudinally thereon in
certain fixed movements which are measured by teeth or serrations g³ (shown in
Fig.) which are formed on the plate G and coincide with the distance between the
teeth of the racks g¹ and ². In this manner when a longitudinal adjustment of
the racks gg is made the overlapping teeth of the one will come vertically over the
underlying teeth of the other so as to make a perfectly continuous rack as shown by
the detail drawings in Figs. 10, 11 and 12.
The preferred way of arranging the adjustable racks is as follows: The rack
section is provided on its under side with a flange or ridge that fits in a
corresponding slot g' in the rack section g². The ridge g is secured to a frame g
that may be adjusted back and forth in suitable guide ways in the feed plate G. A
clamping tooth, is secured to the adjustable frame and engages with teeth or
serrations on the feed plate.
The teeth g³ are spaced to correspond with the teeth or cogs in the rack sections
so that the sections may be adjusted accurately to bring their teeth in line with each
other. A cogged pinion F2 attached to the bottom end of the post or axle F¹ is
arranged to gear into this cogged rack, and, as it is rotated by the ratchet F in the
manner above described the said pinion F moves the rack g-g2, and with it, the
feed plate G, in a succession of intermittent movements coinciding with the movements
of the needle of the machine around the whole contour of the button hole to be
worked, and, at the same time, a laterally vibrating movement to the feed plate by
the lateral movements of the lever E and its pin G acting upon the feed plate Gin
the manner above described. These two movements of the feed plate impart to the
presser foot (a zig-zag movement of the button hole stitch.
For the purpose of regulating and adjusting the mechanism to work button holes
of different lengths, the adjusting disk W, shown in Figs. 19 and 20, may be used in
lieu of the sliding toothed racks herein before described. This disk W is mounted on
a central vertical pin or axle o the top end of which terminates in a push button or

page_text: knob W, and which is environed by a coiled spring W, which habitually throws the
said axle and knob up so as to hold the disk with any one of its cogged racks wi
alignment with the longitudinal axis of the feed plate G. When the knob Wis
pressed down, the spring detent (not shown) which temporarily holds the disk in its
aforesaid positions of alignment, releases its hold and the disk may be rotated so as
to bring any one of its cogged racks w into alignment with the said feeding plate, and
the adjustment is thus readily and quickly made. The cogged racks we are made on
the top face of the disk W and are placed in radial lines leading from its central
pivot o. They are made in different lengths, and to coincide with the length or size
of the button hole to be formed.
The bottom face of the presser foot G¹ may be in the usual serrated form as shown
in Fig. 16 or the foot and the feed plate may be made in one piece as in Figs. 13, 14
and 15 and the serrations thrown up thereon by means of forming dies.
At the front end of the frame plate A there is an upwardly projecting hub or lug A
which is socketed at a to receive the rod X of the presser foot of the sewing machine,
which is coupled to this hub piece by a set screw a'. At the rear end of the frame
plate A is attached an overlying strap piece A2 which forms the upper support for the
vertical post or shaft as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4.
The upper end of this post or shaft F1 terminates in an operating knob by means
of which the operator can raise up the said shaft and its attached pinion F, so as to
disconnect the said pinion from its cogged rack g', g². A recess in the bottom side
of the ratchet wheel F is made to receive a coil of spiral spring which is set so as
to habitually throw the said post F down, but also permit it and its attachments to
be raised up as above described, the object of raising it up and disconnecting the said
pinion being to allow the operator to move and adjust the feed plate G to the work
in hand without moving the other operative parts of the machine. The ratchet
wheel is coupled with the axle F by means of a tongue or spline or groove (not
shown) so as to allow for this vertical movement of the said axle F without interrupting
the rotation of the said parts.
An adjustable stop or guage pawl H, is pivoted to the bed plate A by means of an
assembling screw or pin h (as shown in Fig. 1.) which said pin passes through a
slot in the said pawl H, the slot being formed in the pawl so that it may be moved
in or out as required for the adjustment of the said pawl or stop guage. The forward
end of this guage piece H is made to contact or nearly contact with the periphery of
the ratchet wheel F just behind or under the operating pawl ef, and, by moving it in
or out by means of its adjustment - as above described, the pawl e may be
adjusted so as to take one or more of the teeth of the said ratchet Fat each siroke
of the lever E and thus the movement of the feed plate at each stroke and thus
the spread of the zig-zag making up the stitch may be regulated to a great
exactness.
Herein below are described certain modifications in the adjustment devices for the
limit of movements of the feeding plate G to regulate the length of the button hole to
bé worked and also to the construction and mechanism of the operating lever D.
The rear end of the feed plate G is provided with two parallel toothed racks g' and g²
placed a short distance apart as shown in Figs. 21 and 24 so as to form an open space
or aperture g between them. A fixed rack piece, y", joins the front ends of the
racks g and g so as to form a continuous rack at the front end of the said aperture,
and a sliding rack piece, 13, is made to move horizontally between the said pieces g
and g², so as to lengthen or shorten the space g". With the sliding piece gs placed
in any of its positions of adjustment, the teeth of the said rack pieces g', g², g¹², g¹³ form
a continuous cogged rack about a rectangular space", and into this cogged rack a small
pinion F gears. This cogged pinion is mounted on the shank or spindle F, and is rotated
by the pawl e and ratchet F. As the said pinion F is rotated it feeds along the cogged
racks g¹, g², g¹², y¹³ and carries or moves the said feed plate G around the contour of
the button hole in a series of intermittent movements, each the required length of a
button hole stitch. The shank or spindle of the said pinion F occupies a relatively
fixed position, so that by its rotation it moves the said cogged racks g'; I²; I¹; 9¹³

page_text: about it thus giving to the presser foot G¹ a corresponding movement, as it is fixed
to the opposite end of the laterally vibrating feed plate G. Just below the said rack
plates, which are screwed to the top face of the said feed plate G appear the edges of
the slotted part of the said feed plate G, in Fig. 24, and against those edges rest the
shank of the spindle F', below the said pinion F, and this forms a guide for the said
spindle to run on. Guiding blocks g and gs guide the other side of the said
spidnle in turning the ends of the slot ", so as to keep the pinion up to its work
on the said racks. As the pinion moves along the racks gand g it throws the
feed plate G to one side or the other as the case may be, and thus adjusts the presser
foot G to one side or the other of the button hole to be worked. When thrown
over thus to one side or the other, the feed plate is held in that position while the
rack gorg (as the case may be) is being traversed by the pinion F2 by means of
one of the lateral holding hooks M or M' as shown in Figs. 26 and 27. These hooks
are respectively pivoted to the transverse plate frame M, at m and m¹ and they are
provided respectively with actuating springs m² and m³ to throw them into contact
with and hook over the said plate as shown in Fig. 27. The sliding block y¹³,
which regulates the length of the aperture g", is assembled to the plate G as is
shown in Fig. 25, and at its outer end it is provided with an operating knob I and
a spring clutch 1, which said clutch has a downwardly projecting tooth i, which
engages with one of the notches of the feed plate, as shown in Figs. 23 and 25.
By lifting the knob I up, the tooth is disengaged from the notch, and then the
block may be moved along so as to shorten or lengthen the guiding recess g", as
and for the purpose above described.
i
The lever D in this machine is fulcrumed at its rear end to a supporting lug or
post D. attached to the bed plate A, and its adjustable section d' is movable up or
down by means of the adjusting screw d², moving up or down in the slot d. This
mechanism enables me to place the said lever at one side of the machine as is shown
in Fig. 21, and obviate the necessity of slotting it for the axle 13 as in the device
above described.
The lateral holding hooks M and M' are disengaged from the edge of the feed plate G
in the following described manner. When the said feed plate is moved forward by the
pinion F to the forward limit of its movement the inclined plane or wedge piece ye
(shown in Fig. 25) affixed to the bottom of the plate C, slides over the shank of the hook M
and forces it down, so as to release its hold from the edge of the piece G, thereby
allowing the said feed plate G to move freely to the other side as the pinion moves
along the rack 13. At the other or backward limit of the movement of the feed plate G,
the edge of the plate G is rounded off as at g' in Fig. 28, and as soon as this rounded
off space is moved opposite the hook M, the said hook automatically slides down and
off of the said rounded or bevelled edge, and thus the feed plate is released at that end
of the stroke, and the said pinion F is thus allowed to move the feed plate laterally
along the cogged rack. Thus a continuous forward and backward and lateral
movement of the feed plate is maintained by the aforesaid movements of the actuating
A cloth holder K is attached to
pinion F, so long as it is in gear with the said racks.
a lug k, fixed to the bottom of the feed plato G, near its centre and extends thence
forward to the presser foot, for the reception of which it is slotted, as in Fig. 23,
thereby forming a perfect cloth holder in a single piece, in combination with the said
presser foot Gr
A removable throat plate X' (shown in Figs. 17 and 18) is provided with a trans-
verse offset at a and forms a cover for the ordinary feeding mechanism of the sewing
machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare what I
claim is
First The combination of the frame plate, the feed plate, the rack secured thereon,
a pinion mounted in the frame plate, the driving wheel having ratchet teeth in its
1
ciler lovar vibrated

page_text: by the driving wheel, connections between the lever and the feed plate for giving the
latter a vibrating movement, and connections between the lever and pinion that engage
with the rack for giving the feed plate a longitudinal movement substantially as set
forth.
:
Second The combination of the frame plate, the driving wheel having teeth in its
periphery, and cams or wipers alternately set upon its opposite sides, the vibrating
lever in operative connection with the driving wheel, a pinion mounted on the frame
plate operatively connected with the vibrating lever, the rack on the feed plate with
which the pinion meshes, and connections between the vibrating lever and the feed
plate for giving the latter a vibrating motion, substantially as set forth.
Third The combination of the frame plate, the feed plate, the driving wheel and
means for rotating it, the vibrating lever operated by the driving wheel, the rack
secured on the feed plate, the pinion with which it meshes, the ratchet wheel rigidly
connected with the pinion and operatively connected with the vibrating lever, and a
handle or knob for withdrawing the pinion from engagement with the rack substantially
as set forth.
Fourth The combination of the frame plate, the feed plate, the driving wheel, means
for rotating it, the vibrating lever operated by the driving wheel, the pawl on the end
of said lever, the ratchet wheel with which it engages, the pinion rigidly secured
thereto, the rack on the feed plate with which the pinion engages, and an adjustable
guage that regulates the movement of the pawl on the end of the vibrating lever,
substantially as set forth.
Fifth; The combination of the frame plate, the feed plate, the driving wheel mounted
on the frame plate and having teeth in its periphery and cam shaped lugs or wipers on
its opposite sides, a lever pivoted to the frame plate and having a slotted upright
extension in which the driving wheel works, and a backwardly extending arm carrying
a pawl, the ratchet wheel with which said pawl engages, the pinion secured thereto,
the rack secured to the feed piate with which the pinion meshes, and the securing pin G²
extending through slots in the feed plate and the vibrating lever and adjustable therein
substantially as set forth.
Sixth The combination of a button hole attachment, the bed plate of a sewing
machine and a removable throat plate X having an off set at to form a
cover for the ordinary feeding mechanism of the sewing machine, substantially as
set forth.
⠀
Seventh The adjustable disk W provided with radial cogged racks w of varying
lengths or sizes to correspond with the sized button hole to be worked and combined
with the feed plate G substantially as set forth.
Eighth The mechanism for regulating the length of the button hole, consisting of
the longitudinally adjustable rectangular toothed rack attached to the feed bar, the
operating pinion working therein and guided in contact with the working side of the
rack by means of an automatically laterally sliding guiding block substantially as
described and set forth.
Ninth; The toothed rectangular racks, g¹, g², g₁, g¹³ and the central guiding blocks gl
and automatically held in their proper lateral positions by automatically operating
retaining hooks M and M' substantially as described.
Tenth The feed plate of a button hole machine provided with a longitudinally
adjustable sliding block glo adapted to lengthen or shorten the cogged slot which forms
the rack for moving the feed plate the required distance to form a button hole in
combination with an operating knob I, spring I, toothed pawl i, feed plate notched
at and central guiding blocks and gl, completing the cogged rack way in harmony 5
with said adjustable block substantially as set forth.
Eleventh The actuating lever D formed of two vertically adjustable sections d and d'
coupled together by an adjustable assembling screw d² and slot d and pivoted to
post I erected on frame A and the pawl D' pivoted to said lever D in combination
with the ratchet wheel C, the spring (and the operating mechanism of a button hole 5
machine substantially as described.
Twelfth; The feed bar of a button hole machine combined with a holding hook M

page_text: and provided with the inclined way piece 916 and adapted to hold the operating feeding
pinion in contact with the feeding rack or release it therefrom automatically as described
and set forth.
Thirteenth The feed bar of a button hole machine combined with a holding
hook M provided with a spring seat m³ adapted to hold the operating feeding pinion
in contact with the feeding rack or release it therefrom automatically as described
and set forth.
Fourteenth; The cloth holder K formed of a single metallic plate, attached at k to the
bottom face of the feed plate, and apertured at its front end for the reception of the
presser foot G¹ as described and set forth.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.