IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES to be as follows:-
Year: 1885

page_text: I WILLIAM WALKER of 13 John Street, Luton in the County of Bedford,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SEWING MACHINES to be as follows:-
"
―:
My invention relates to improvements in sewing machines suitable for the
manufacture of straw hats and bonnets.
My invention consists in the employment of two needles, one arranged above,
and the other below the work-plate and arranged to operate at an angle to each
other. My invention also consists in the arrangement of a suitable looper to
operate in combination with the said needles and in the means for actuating the
said looper; and also in means for regulating the throw or travel of the upper
needle-bar whereby the amount of cotton required by the feed movement is taken
down by the said needle.
The top needle, or that which is above the work-plate, may pierce the work at
an angle, or be so arranged that it enters the work in a vertical direction. Upon
this upper needle I form a barb, a short distance from and with its point in the
direction of the point of the needle, the object of the said barb being to carry the
cotton down only. The under needle, which is of the ordinary sewing machine
type and carries the cotton, I arrange at an angle, so that when through the work
it crosses the path of the upper needle. I attach the needles to suitable bars
actuated by eccentrics or cams and provide the said bars with suitable means
whereby the said needles may be adjusted to any desired angle.
I employ a suitable looper to operate in combination with the said needles, the
said looper being carried by a rocking lever on a rock-shaft and actuated by a
rocking lever and eccentric, and I also employ a suitable single feed arrangement.
The upper needle-bar is operated by a lever on a rock-shaft, the said shaft
carrying at its other end a lever operated by an eccentric and connecting rod.
I regulate or adjust the throw of the said needle-bar by constructing the said
connecting rod so that its length can be increased or diminished according to the
throw required for the needle-bar or by making the connection between the said
rod, and the lever on the rock-shaft adjustable.
The operation of my improved machine is as follows:-The under needle,
carrying the cotton, passes up through the work and the upper needle descends

page_text: in time to enter the loop thrown out by the return movement of the under needle.
This movement causes the cotton to be drawn round the upper needle so that the
barb of the said needle takes the cotton and carries it through the work. The
looper is timed to take the loop at the return movement of the upper needle and
carry the said loop forward close to the under needle, the feed movement which
takes place when the upper needle has cleared the work carries the loop over the
point of the under needle, the needle moves forward through the loop and the
operation before described is repeated. The stitch formed is a short double thread
on the top of the work, varying in length according to the adjustment of the
needles and bars, and a long single and treble thread on the underside of the work
varying in length according to the feed movement.

page_text: position as shown in figure 2 the point of the needle being directed towards the
operator. In both cases the needle and bar are provided with means whereby
the needle can be adjusted so as to vary the point at which it shall enter the work
and consequently (as hereinafter explained) the length of the stitch on the face of
the work.
Figures 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 illustrate the means I employ for adjusting the needle a
when it operates vertically. Figure 3 is a front end view of the bracket A' with
plate c and needle bar b and means for adjustment. Figure 4 is an edge view of
the same. Figure 5 is a view of the face of the bracket A¹ and Figure an edge
view of the same. Figure 7 is a view of the back of the plate c in which the
needle-bar b works. The back of the plate c is formed with a horizontal rib c¹
which fits and slides freely in a horizontal groove A³ in the face of the bracket A¹.
In about the centre of the said groove A³ is a slot A4 and near the outer end of the
said groove A³ is a pin or stud A³ (see figures 5 and 6). The rib c¹ on the plate c
being inserted into the groove A³ (as in Figure 4) the said plate is clamped to the
bracket A by means of a screw A6. The outer edge of the back of the plate c is
formed with a recess c² to receive the stem of the shouldered adjusting screw c³ the
threaded portion of which screw screws into a hole c* in the body of the plate c.
The stem of the screw c³ has a circumferential groove c in which groove, when the
parts are fitted together, the pin A5 on the bracket A' works. Thus by loosening
the screw A and turning the screw c³ the plate c can be moved along the groove A³
in the bracket A¹ and the position of the needle adjusted as desired. After the
adjustment the clamping screw A is again tightened up.
When the needle operates in a slightly oblique position as shown in Figure 2
I form on the back of the plate ca stud c which fits into a socket c' in the
bracket A¹. The stud c is tapped to receive the screw c which when screwed up
tightly against the washers c holds the plate c firmly in position against the face
of the bracket A¹. The stud c forms a pivot for the plate c so that by loosening
the screw the plate c and with it the needle-bar band needle a can be adjusted
so as to vary the angle at which the needle shall operate, the extent of the
movement of the plate c being limited by the shoulder or abutment A².
The requisite reciprocating motion is imparted to the needle a from the rock-
shaft D by means of the arm or lever e secured on the forward end of the said
rock-shaft and pivottally connected to one end of the link which is pivottally
connected at its other end to the needle-bar b. The rock-shaft D receives its
motion from the main shaft C by means of the eccentric g and eccentric rod g¹
connected to the arm or lever h secured on the rear end of the said rock-shaft.
The needle a is formed with a barb a¹ a short distance from its point (as clearly
shown in the enlarged view Figure 14) the point of the said barb being in the
direction of the point of the needle. The object of this barb will be hereinafter
explained.
The lower needle i which is of the ordinary sewing machine type, and carries
the cotton, is carried by the needle-bar j which is fitted to work freely in an oblique
dovetail slot in the standard k secured to the frame or base A of the machine.
The needle i enters the work at about an angle of forty five degrees and is so
arranged that when through the work it crosses the path of the upper needle a,,
the upper needle a being so arranged as to pass close to the needle i when the two
needles cross each other. The lower needle operated by the arm or lever ou
the forward end of the rock-shaft E, the said arm or lever being pivottally connected
to a link m pivotted on the needle-bar j. Motion is imparted to the rock-shaft E
from the main shaft C by means of the arm or lever n and cam disc o, the pin and
friction roller n¹ on the said lever taking into the cam groove of of the said cam
disc.
It is necessary that the needles be so arranged that the upper needle a crosses
the lower needle i when the latter is above the work and enters the loop of thread
formed by the lower needle and carries it through the work at a point in advance
of that at which the work was pierced and the loop brought up through the work

page_text: by the under needle. The distance between the point at which the lower needle
enters the work and that at which the upper needle enters the work is the length
of the stitch on the upper surface of the said work.
I employ a looper or other suitable device to operate in combination with the
needles a and i for the purpose of taking the loop from the needle a when below
the work-plate and (in conjunction with the feed movement) passing the said loop
over the point of the needle i. The looper p shown in the drawings is carried by
the vibrating arm or lever q mounted on the rock-shaft r, motion being imparted
to the said shaft by the arm or levers on the inner end of the said shaft, connected
to the eccentric t on the driving shaft C. The point of the looper pis formed
with a recess p² in which recess the point of the needle i lies when the looper is at
the end of its forward stroke and thus the passage of a loop of thread from the
looper p over the point of the needle is facilitated. Other suitable devices may
be used instead of the looper p. Thus a sliding bar or rod might be employed, the
said bar or rod working in a horizontal line, and having a suitably pointed end for
taking the loop from the needle a and conveying it to needle i.
In the feeding arrangement shown in the drawings, the serrated feed-bar u is
carried by a stem which slides in a vertical groove in the horizontal bar v.
This bar vis hinged to the rocking arm w which is pivotted at w¹. The stem u¹
of the serrated feed-bar is bent under the bar and provided with a screw u²
setting in the underside of the bar v, by means of which screw the height of the
serrated feed-bar u can be adjusted. The eccentric x on the end of the driving
shaft C works in a horizontal groove in the forward end of the bar v and gives
the rising and falling motions to the feed-bar. The strap y is carried on a rocking
arm y¹ pivotted at y³ and the said strap fits over an eccentric y³ on the driving
shaft C. To the inner side of the strap y is pivotted a bar y which on its other
end carries a pin y which works in a cam slot w² in the rocking arm w The
pin y is provided with any suitable device whereby it may be clamped in any
desired position in the slot w. The revolution of the eccentric y³ within the
strap y rocks the arm y¹ and imparts, through the bar y', the backward and
forward movement of the feed, the extent of the movement being regulated by
raising or lowering the pin ys (on the end of the bar y') in the cam slot w². The
eccentrics x and y may be cast in one piece with the boss ye by which they can
conveniently be secured on the shaft C.
To ensure that the needle a shall properly take the loop of cotton brought up by
the under needle i tension is put on the cotton from the time when the under
needle is at its top stroke until the loop has entered the barb a¹ on the upper
needle. For this purpose I use the stop-tension device shown in Figure 9. The
cotton is passed through the tension discs 1 and thence through suitable guides, to
the under needle i. The tension discs 1 are mounted on a suitable rod 2 secured
to the base of the machine as shown in figures 1 and 2. A short spiral spring and
regulating nut are arranged above the upper tension disc. The bell-crank lever 3
is pivotted to the frame of the machine, and its end 4 is slotted or forked so as to
receive the standard 2, this slotted end of the bell-crank lever being under the
lower tension disc. The other end of the said lever carries a friction roller 5. The
spring 6 on the standard 2 normally keeps the end 4 of the lever pressed against
the lower tension disc, and also keeps the friction roller 5 in contact with the
cam 7 on the main shaft C. This cam 7 causes the end 4 of the lever to depress
the spring 6 except during the passage of the friction roller 5 over the flat side 8
of the said cam, when the spring 6, being released from the pressure of the lever,
forces the end 4 of the lever against the tension discs 1 with sufficient power to
stop the passage of the cotton through the said tension discs. The cam 7 is so
arranged on the shaft as to put on the tension and stop the passage of the cotton
from the completion of the upward stroke of the needle i until the needle a has
entered the loop and received the cotton into its barb a¹.
Any other suitable feeding mechanism which will give a regular or uniform feed
to the work, and any other suitable stop-tension device may however be employed
"

page_text: with my improved machine, instead of the feeding mechanism and stop-tension
device hereinbefore described.
The operation of my improved machine is as follows. The under needle i,
carrying the cotton, passes up through the work and the upper needle a is timed
to descend and enter the loop of cotton thrown out by the return movement of the
under needle as shown in figure 10. This movement of the needle i causes the
cotton to be drawn round the upper needle a so that the barb a¹ of the said needle
takes the cotton and carries it through the work as shown in figure 11, the cotton
being gripped between the tension discs 1 while the barb a¹ is taking the loop of
thread. The looper p is timed to take the loop at the return movement of the
upper needle a (as shown in figure 12) and carry the said loop forward, close to
the under needle the point of the said needle lying in the recess p¹ at the point
of the hook as shown in figure 2. The feed movement which takes place when
the upper needle has cleared the work, carries the loop to the end of the looper p
and over the point of the under needle i as shown in Figure 13, the said needle
moves forward through the loop and the operations before described are repeated,
thus forming a succession of loop or chain stitches. The stitch formed is a short
double thread on the top of the work, varying in length according to the adjust-
ment of the upper needle a and its bar b, and a long single and treble thread on
the under side of the work, varying in length according to the adjustment of the
feed movement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what
I claim is:-
First. In a machine for sewing straw plait, the combination of the barbed
needle a, arranged to operate vertically or obliquely above the work-plate and
provided with means of adjustment to vary the point at which it shall pierce the
work, the eye-pointed needle i below the work-plate, and the looper p, with
mechanism for giving a regular and uniform feed to the work; the said needles a
and and looper p being arranged and operating substantially in the manner
herein set forth.
Second. In a machine for sewing straw plait, the barbed needle a arranged to
operate vertically or obliquely above the work-plate, with the eye-pointed needle ¿
below the work-plate, combined, arranged, and operating substantially as herein
set forth.
Dated this 99ndow of Manh AD 1000
T. N. PALMER & Co.,
For the Applicant.