IMPROVED EMBROIDERY APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Fash Proctor, of Glasgow, North Britain,
Sewing Machine Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
EMBROIDERY APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO SEWING MACHINES."-A com-
munication from abroad by the Singer Manufacturing Company
(Incorporated), of the City and State of New York, United States of
Sealed the 9th October 1868, and dated the 10th June 1868..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said. William Fash Proctor
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 10th June 1868.
I, WILLIAM FASH PROCTOR, of Glasgow, North Britain, Sewing
Machine Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVED EMBROIDERY APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO SEWING
MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of automatic apparatus-
to be applied to sewing machines of the ordinary construction for lapping

page_text: braiding threads around the vertical needle so that they may be held
down on the face of the fabric to be ornamented by means of the needle
thread. The arrangement admits of modification, but the plan preferred
will be the following, as it may be easily removed when the machine is
required to be used for the sewing of seams. In place of the ordinary
presser foot (which is to be removed) the presser foot bar is fitted with
a broad foot that extends rearwards and carries a fulcrum pin in rear
of the bar but in line with the needle. Upon this fulcrum pin a pair
of curved rocking arms is mounted, which arms carry cach a thread
guide at their extremities, and are intended by their rocking movements
to lap around the stem of the depressed needle the braiding threads
which are threaded through their respective guides. These threads lead
off from bobbins carried by a frame secured by a clip and clamping
screw to the guide box of the machine. Fitted to the stem of the
presser foot by a pivot or fulcrum pin is a pendent slotted plate, the
lower end of which is bent at right angles so as to form a horizontal
arm that projects rearwards and overlies the hubs of the rocking arms.
Pivotted to the vertical face of this plate is a switch or tumbler which
presents an incline face for a pin or tappet carried by the needle bar
to act upon and thereby to rock the pláto carrying the switch or tumbler
alternately to the right and to the left. A light spring fixed to the
stem of the presser foot and having free space for action in the slot of
the switch plate is connected to the switch so as to throw it over to the
right or left whenever the switch is pressed by the pin or tappet on
the needle bar past the vertical position, and thereby to present its
opposite face to the action of the pin or tappet on the next descent of
the needle. A limit is given to the movement of the switch over the
plate by stop pins, between which it is free to rock, and it is by the
spring throwing the switch against one or other of these stop pins that
the switch is brought into a position for reversing the rocking motion
of the switch plate at the next descent of the needle. It may here be
stated that it is the rocking of the switch plate that causes the opening
and closing of the arms carrying the braiding threads. The rear hori-
zontál termination of the switch plate is slotted to embrace a pair of
sttid pins with which the hubs of the rocking arms are fitted, such pins
being at opposite sides of and the same distance from the centre of
motion of the rocking arms. It will now be understood that when on
the descent of the needle the switch plate is rocked its slots which

page_text: embrace the pins on the hubs of the rocking arms will cause them
alternately to open and close, and thus lap the braiding threads around
the stem of the depressed needle and open out the threads to receive
the needle. As however this action proceeds concurrently with the
ordinary sewing operation the braided threads will be sewn to the face
of the work. By duplicating the thread guides on each rocking arm
four braiding threads may be worked together into the embroidery
pattern. For the purpose of maintaining the switch plate in its rocked
positions a pressure spring is used to put the requisite amount of friction
upon it. The pin or tappet on the needle bar is conveniently fixed in
its place by the clamping screw which secures the needle to its bar.
This pin or tappet for rocking the switch plate may also be actuated
by a rotary shaft or disc if preferred in place of the reciprocating needle
bar or other vibrating motor.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Fash Proctor in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 10th December 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
FASH PROCTOR, of Glasgow, North Britain, Sewing Machine Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Fash Proctor, Her special
licence that I, the said William Fash Proctor, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Fash
Proctor, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVED EMBROIDERY APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO SEWING MACHINES,"
being a communication to me from the Singer Manufacturing Company
(Incorporated), of the City and State of New York, United States

page_text: of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Fash Proctor, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Fash Proctor, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is, to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say) :-
This Invention relates to the application to sewing machines of the
ordinary construction of automatic apparatus by means of which braiding
threads may be lapped around the vertical needle and made to cross
each other in such manner that they may be held down on the face of
the fabric to be ornamented by means of the stitches formed by the
needle thread. The arrangement admits of modification as will be
hereafter explained.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 shews in front elevation, and
Fig. 2 in side elevation so much of a sewing machine as will serve to
illustrate the mode of applying the Invention thereto. In Fig. 1 the
embroidering apparatus is represented in side elevation, and in Fig. 2 it
is represented in front elevation. Fig. 3 shews the same in plan view as
looking down upon it from above; and Fig. 4 shews the presses
detached from the presser bar.
The whole of the parts constituting the improved embroidery
apparatus admit of being readily removed that the machine may be
restored to its ordinary state when required to be used for the sewing
of seams. In place of the ordinary presser foot (which is to be removed
when fitting the machine for braiding) the presser foot bar A is fitted
with the broad foot A' (shewn detached at Fig. 4), which foot extends
rearwards (see Figures 1 and 3) and carries a fulcrum pin a in rear of
the bar but in line with the needle. Upon this fulcrum pin a pair of
curved rocking arms B, B, is mounted, which arms carry each a thread
guide b at their extremities. These arms are intended by their rocking

page_text: movements to lap around the stem of the depressed needle in opposite
directions (and so that they will cross each other) the braiding threads
which are threaded through their respective guides, as indicated by the
red lines in Figures 1 and 3. These threads lead off from bobbins C, C,
carried by a frame C¹ secured by a clip and clamping screw to the
guide box of the machine, and it terminates in an eye through which
the braiding threads are led in their passage to the rocking arms B.
Fitted to the stem of the presser foot by a pivot or fulcrum pin a' is
a pendent slotted plate D which carries at its lower end a tail piece
extension bent at right angles to the main portion of the plate so as
to form a horizontal arm that projects rearwards and overlies the hubs
of the rocking arms B. Pivotted to the vertical face of this plate is
a switch or tumbler E, the upper end of which terminates in a double
incline against the faces of which a pin or tappet f carried by the
needle bar F is intended to act alternately and thereby to rock the
plate carrying the switch or tumbler alternately to the right and to the
left. A light spring e fixed to the stem of the presser foot (see Fig. 4)
and having free space for action in the slot of the switch plate is con-
nected to the switch E so as to throw it over to the right or left
whenever the switch is driven by the pin or tappet f on the needle
bar past the vertical position, and thereby to present its opposite face
to the action of the pin or tappet on the next descent of the needle.
A limit is given to the movement of the switch over the plate by stop
pins d, d, between which it is free to rock, and it is by the spring e
throwing the switch against one or other of these stop pins that the
switch is brought into a position for reversing the rocking motion of
the switch plate at the next descent of the needle. It may here be
stated that it is the rocking of the switch plate that causes the opening
and closing of the arms carrying the braiding threads. The rear
horizontal termination of the switch plate is notched at its opposite
edges to embrace a pair of stud pins b', b', with which the hubs of the
rocking arms are fitted, such pins being at opposite sides of and the
same distance from the centre of motion of the rocking arms. It will
now be understood that when on the descent of the needle the switch
plate is rocked its notches which embrace the pins. ' will cause the
rocking arms alternately to open and close and thus lap the braiding
threads around the stem of the depressed needle, laying the same
crosswise on the face of the work that the stitches formed by the needle
thread may secure them thereto. As this action of the rocking arms

page_text: proceeds concurrently with the ordinary sewing operation the braided
threads will be sewn to the face of the work in the manner indicated
at Fig. 3. By duplicating the thread guides on each rocking arm four
braiding threads may be worked together into the embroidery pattern.
For the purpose of maintaining the switch plate in its rocked position
a pressure spring D¹ is used to put the requisite amount of friction
upon it. This spring like all the other working parts of the em-
broidering apparatus, except the tappet, is attached to the stem of the
presser foot, when therefore the machine is required to be used for
plain sewing it will only be necessary to replace the presser and its
appendages with an ordinary presser foot. The pin or tappet on the
needle bar is conveniently fixed in its place by the clamping screw
which secures the needle to its bar. The pin or tappet for rocking the
switch plate may also be actuated by a rotary shaft or disc if preferred
in place of the reciprocating needle bar or other vibrating motor. An
arrangement for effecting this is shewn at Figures 5 and 6; Fig. 5
shews in front elevation (partly in section) a portion of a Singer sewing
machine with the embroidery apparatus applied thereto and worked
by rotary motion, and Fig. 6 is a partial side view of the same.
place of the swinging plate D which carries the switch a slotted rock
lever D loosely pivotted to the guide box at d is used for operating
the rocking arms B. A bar D¹ secured by screws to the guide box
and slotted to allow of its receiving an endway motion carries the
spring e which gives the falling impetus to the switch E as before
described. The rock lever D and bar D' are connected together by a
pin d¹ to ensure their rising together when the presser foot is lifted
from the work. The rising of the bar D¹ prevents undue strain being
put on the switch spring e when the presser foot is lifted. To suit the
direction of rotation of the shaft which operates the needle bar and
gives motion to the embroidery apparatus the position of the switch E
is in this case inverted. By means of a cam or tappet f projecting
from the periphery of the disc which carries the crank pin used in
the Singer machine for operating the needle bar the switch is operated,
and the rock lever D is thrown from side to side to work the rocking
'arms B as in the first-described arrangement.
In
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of " Improved
Embroidery Apparatus to be applied to Sewing Machines," as com-
municated to me, and explained the manner of carrying the same into

page_text: effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim, the means above described for effecting the
automatic operation of the rocking arms employed for crossing the
braiding threads and laying them on the fabric in the apparant path of
the needle over the work.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Fash Proctor, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Tenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
0 Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
WILLIAM FASH PROCTOR. (L.S.)