IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Frank Armstrong at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th.
November 1869.-A communication from Mr. Henry A. House,
of Bridgeport, in the County of Fairfield, and State of Connec
ticut, United States of America..
I, FRANK ARMSTRONG, of Paris, in the French Empire, Merchant, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SEWING MACHINES," a communication, to be as follows:-
My Invention, though more particularly adapted to the so called
"Wheeler and Wilson," machine, and in some of its features especially
adapted to machines of that description, is in certain respects, or so far
at least as relates to a portion of it, applicable to sewing machines of
different kinds. It will suffice here however to describe the said Inven-
tion in connection with a "Wheeler and Wilson" machine having"
a straight reciprocating needle action in place of the usual curvilinear
one, and as many of the parts and motions in the machine herein
described are well known and common to other sewing machines no
particular or lengthy reference will here be made to them.

page_text: The said Invention mainly relates to the "feed," which may be of the
usual character common to machines of the character just referred to,
and amongst other purposes or objects sought to be attained by the said
Invention are a more perfect noiseless action for the feed, a steadier
working of the feeding bar, and larger operating pulley and feed cam
than is otherwise attainable.
In such connection the said Invention consists in a swivel block on
the feed bar arranged to adapt itself when the labor comes on to the
whole depth of the feed operating cam, or that portion of it which gives
the horizontal motion to the feed, thereby obviating the cutting of the
cam into grooves and ridges. Also in the use of a taper pointed
screw in combination with the said swivel block for adjusting and
varying the feed.
The said Invention includes a forked or yoke like construction of the
feed bar arranged to form an open covering or structure over the
operating pulley and feed cam, whereby in machines of the kind herein.
before referred to a larger cam and pulley may be used, thereby increasing
the penetrating power or action of the machine.
The said Invention in connection with the feed further consists in
an oblique arrangement of the spring, which produces the retraction of
the feed bar, whereby the latter is held up steadily against the plate or
cloth table.
Furthermore the said Invention apart from that portion of it which
relates to the feed consists in a combination of a sliding needle bar with a
slit stationary arm and set screws for providing against the wear of the
said slide on its ways as formed by the slit part of the arm. This portion
of the said Invention is not limited to rotary hook machines.
The cloth plate or table is carried by a suitable frame, that as well as
certain working parts of the machine it will not be necessary here to
describe, as they may be the same as in an ordinary "Wheeler and
Wilson" or other rotary hook machine. Some of the improvements
described may be applied to machines already in use.
An operating
pulley and cam in connection with a spring give the usual four-fold
motion to the feed bar which is provided with the ordinary serrated
feeding claws. This cam or that portion of it which gives the horizontal
motion to the feed I cause to bear for the whole depth of its surface
when the labor of effecting the feed takes place on the feed bar or

page_text: rather an appendage thereto, and so obviate the cutting of the cam into
grooves and ridges (which is incidental to previous constructions) of the
feed bar bearing surface on the cam, and that occasions irregularity in the
motion and noise. This improved action I accomplish by pivoting to the.
needle bar a swivel block of a length or depth equal to the depth of the
cam, and arrange at the rear of the said block below its point an adjust-
ing device that serves to vary the angular presentation of the front edge of
the block, so as to cause the cam to act sooner or later upon it according
to the required length of the feed or stitch, but insuring at all times when
the labor of moving the feed comes on a full bearing for the block for
or throughout the whole depth of the cam or that portion of it which
gives the horizontal motion to the feed. The adjusting device I propose
to use for thus purpose is a taper pointed screw carried by the feed bar
or attachment thereto, and arranged so that it bears laterally at its taper
point against the back of the block. This forms a very gradual, simple,
and efficient means for adjusting and regulating the feed, the taper
point of the screw acting laterally as described and operating in addition
to the thread on the screw to graduate the adjustment. The lifting
cam or that portion of the cam which effects the raising and lowering
action of the feed is arranged within the periphery of the cam that
gives the horizontal action to the feed mechanism, but instead of being
formed sloping as heretofore, is made straight or parallel with its axis
on its lifting or acting surface. The feed bar is constructed of a
forked or open form over the operating pulley and feed cam, which, or
the cam at least, may thus be allowed to work through it, and both
pulley and cam accordingly may be made of larger diameter than where
a close straight bar running over the pulley and cam is used. This has
the effect of increasing the penetrating power of the machine as also
of securing a more efficient feed, and inasmuch as the rotating hook of
the machine requires to occupy a certain relative position or distance
below the cloth table, the same is not to be attained without serious
disadvantage by lowering the operating pulley shaft on which the rotary
hook is secured in order that room may be made for a larger operating
pulley and feed cam. To prevent all noise from the feed bar by its
striking the cloth plate or table or otherwise as the same is recipro-
cated and moved up and down, and to give a steadier motion to the said
bar without interfering with its lifting action, I cause the same near
its rear end to be constantly pressed up against the said table by giving
an oblique disposition to the seat which carries the spring, so that the

page_text: latter not only serves to throw back the feed bar when released from
the cam, but also to keep the same in constant contact on its upper
edge (which may be arched for the purpose) on or against the under
side of the cloth table. The needle arm instead of operating a curved
needle is caused to work a straight one by or through a link or rod
and needle bar or slide of a double V form to give it a free and straight
or steady action up and down ways formed in a jaw-like vertical position
of a stationary arm, which carries the presser foot and cam, lever, or
device for lifting the same. The jaw-like portion is formed by a slit
arranged to extend down the vertical portion or to divide it at or above
and below its lateral junction with the forward end or presser foot socket
of the arm, so that when required to tighten the guide to the needle
slide formed by the ways in the jaw-like portion to compensate for wear
of the said ways or of the slide the same may be effected or any desired
degree of freedom insured to the slide by turning cross screws which
connect the opposite sides of the jaw-like or slit portion which by reason
of its construction springs or yields to admit of such adjustment by
the screws. The slitted arm in combination with these screws thus
forms a cheap and efficient means for regulating the free play of the
needle slide, and for tightening it as required, and enables me to dispense
with adjustable guides or ways requiring to be separately fitted to their
places.