IMPROVEMENTS IN EMBROIDERY APPARATUS FOR SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
EMBROIDERY APPARATUS FOR SEWING MACHINES."
A communication from abroad by Oakley Selleck, of the City and State
SN Vale Talenton of
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th October 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN EMBROIDERY APPARATUS
FOR SEWING MACHINES." [A communication from abroad by Oakley Selleck,
of the City and State of New York, United States of America.]
This Invention relates to improvements in embroidery apparatus, and consists in
an attachment for sewing machines, by means of which a series of loops may be
produced and laid on the surface of fabrics, and secured thereto by the stitching
mechanism.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide the presser-foot of a sewing
machine of ordinary construction with a spiral bar pivotted at its lower end on a
pin in the centre of the said presser-foot, and at its upper end on a pin fitting a
socket formed in a screw in a projection of the bracket to which the presser-foot is
attached.
A traveller is clamped upon the needle-bar of the sewing machine by means of
a screw passing through arms at its slotted rear end, and embraces at its forward
end the aforesaid spiral bar within an opening corresponding with the straight
part of this bar. Rotation in alternately different directions is thereby imparted to
said bar as the traveller slides along it in its reciprocations with the needle-bar. A
curved looper is secured at the base of the aforesaid spiral bar so as to oscillate in
unison therewith and with a loop-detainer pivotted on a pin on the presser-foot.
There is also arranged a spring which acts upon the loop-detainer, and a stop
limits the backward movement thereof.
Suitable guides conduct the embroidering thread, and a cam formed at the base
of the looper or at the lower end of the spiral bar serves for the purpose of

page_text: throwing forward the loop-detainer simultaneously with the advance of the
looper.
The action of the parts is as follows:-
The embroidery thread is led through the guides. As the needle of the sewing
machine rises, the traveller embracing the spiral bar causes the latter to turn, and
thereby to carry the looper towards the needle. A notch on the forward end of
this looper catches the embroidery thread, and carries it forward until it meets the
loop-detainer, which latter is thrown forward by the action of the cam upon its
heel into position to engage with the thread carried by the looper. The looper
continues its movement forward, and a V-shaped loop is formed in the embroidery
thread around the looper and the loop-detniner.
When the needle descends the spiral bar herein before mentioned is partially
rotated in a reverse direction by the traveller, and causes the looper to return to
its former position, the cam ceases to act on the end of the loop detainer, which is
withdrawn by the spring above referred to, and a thread-guide on the traveller
takes up the slack and draws the embroidery thread taut, the loop remaining upon
the loop-detainer until the completion of the stitch which secures it to the fabric.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
April 1881.
"
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. IMPROVEMENTS IN EMBROIDERY APPARATUS
FOR SEWING-MACHINES." A communication from abroad by Oakley Selleck,
of the City and State of New York, United States of America.
This Invention relates to improved embroidery apparatus to be used as an
attachment to a sewing machine, by means of which apparatus a series of loops may
be produced and laid on the surface of fabrics, and secured thereto by the stitching
mechanism of the said machine.
In the accompanying Drawing
Figure 1 is an elevation of the head of a sewing machine shewing my improved
attachment applied to the presser-bar thereof.
Figure 2 is a horizontal section on the line y, y, Figure 1, the presser-bar being
omitted.
Figures 3 and 4 are similar sections on the line x, x, Figure 1, showing the loop-
forming devices in the different positions which they assume during and for the
formation of a loop; and
Figure 5 is a view of the traveller detached.
A represents the presser-foot; B is a spiral bar pivoted at its lower end on a
pin C in the centre of the presser-foot A, and at its upper end on a pin fitting a
Bocket formed in the screw D in the projection E of the bracket H, to which
bracket the presser-foot is attaclied.
A traveller I is clamped upon the needle-bar of the sewing machine by means
of a screw K passing through the arms at its slotted rear end, and embraces at its
forward end the bar B within an opening corresponding with the straight part of
the bar. Rotation in alternately different directions is thereby imparted to the bar
as the traveller slides along it in its reciprocations with the needle-bar. The
curved looper L is secured at the base of the spiral bar B so as to oscillate in
unison with the said bar, and the loop-detainer O is pivoted on a pin P on the
presser-foot A.
R is a spring which retracts the loop-detainer O; S is a stop which limits the
backward movement of the latter.
T1, T2, T3, are the guides for the embroidering thread, and U is a cam formed at
the base of the looper L, or at the lower end of the spiral bar B, for the purpose of
throwing forward the loop-detainer ○ simultaneously with the advance of the
looper L.
The action of the above described apparatus is as follows:—
The embroidery thread is led through the guides T¹, T, T³, in the order in
which the same are above specified. As the needle of the sewing machine rises,
the traveller I embracing the spiral bar B causes the said bar to turn, and thereby
to carry the looper L towards the needle. This looper arrives in the position
shown in Figure 3, and the notch on the forward end of this looper catches the
embroidery thread, as shown in Figure 3, and carries it forward until it meets the
loop-detainer O; the latter is thrown forward by the action of the cam U upon its
heel into position to engage with the thread carried by the looper. The looper
continues its movement forward, and a V-shaped loop is formed in the embroidery
thread, as shewn in Figure 4, around the looper and the loop-detainer.
When the needle descends the spiral bar B is partially rotated in a reverse
direction by the action of the traveller I, and causes the looper to return to its

page_text: former position, the cam U ceases to act upon the end of the loop-detainer, which
is withdrawn by the spring R, and the thread-guide T', on the traveller I, takes
up the slack and draws the embroidery thread taut, the loop remaining upon the
loop-detainer, as shewn in Figure 4, until the completion of the stitch which
secures it to the fabric, the character of the loop so formed being illustrated in this 5
Figure.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,―
The combination of the bracket H adapted to be attached to the presser-bar of 1
a sewing machine, and having the presser-foot secured thereto, with the traveller
adapted to be connected with the needle-bar of the sewing machine, the spiral bar,
the looper, the loop-detainer, and the mechanism whereby the looper and loop-
detainer are operated, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my 1
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
14
AR