Improvements in the Manufacture of Garments and other Articles from Looped, Knitted, Woven, or other like Fabrics.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 21st July, 1891-Accepted, 29:h Aug., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Garments and other Articles
from Looped, Knitted, Woven, or other like Fabrics.
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention which has been com-
municated to me from abroad by The Willcox and Gibbs Sewing Machine Company
of the City County 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 has special reference to the manufacture of garments and other
articles from looped or knitted fabric, and more particularly to the uniting of the
cut edges of such fabric by means of sewing machine stitches, in such manner as to
make a strong and durable and at the same time a flat scam.
In the best quality of knit goods, the several parts are formed with selvage
edges, and the loops on the meeting edges are united by an interlocking thread, so
that the resulting scam is flat and presents no ridge or welt.
The raw edges of knit goods have been united by overseaming machines, and
machines making a zig-zag stitch; but while the product in these cases is a com-
paratively strong seam, the formation of an objectionable ridge or welt along the
line of stitching is the result.
In uniting the raw cut edges of the knitted goods, the strength of the resulting
seam depends largely upon the direction of the cut edge with respect to the wales
of the fabric. The strongest scam is made when the cut is parallel with the wales;
but when the cut is made across the wales, as in the case of the shoulder seam in
undershirts, or at an oblique angle thereto, the tendency to ravelling is very
great.
The main object of this invention is the production of hosiery and other articles
from pieces of knitted or other fabric, in which the seams uniting the cut edges are
without ridge or welt, and are strong and durable in whatever direction the fabric
has been cut.
This object is attained, according to one plan, in the following way:-The pieces
having been cut to the desired shape, which may be done without reference to the
character of the raw edge produced thereby, the edges are prepared for sewing by
forming along each separately a row of stitches preferably by means of a suitable
overedge sewing machine. This results in the expeditious production of what may
be termed an "artificial selvage" edge. It is difficult, owing to the curl of knit
goods, to produce a line of stitching exactly at the edge of the fabric. It is there-
fore preferred to perform this operation by means of an overedge sewing machine,
provided with a trimming attachment which acts on the goods directly in advance
of the stitch forming mechanism. Such machines are well known and require no
description.
By this means the line of stitching is accurately placed so that the edge presents
a series of loops formed by the sewing thread, which holds securely to the fabric,
owing to the fact that the needle enters the goods some little distance from the edge,
as well understood.
The two meeting edges having been thus prepared, the pieces to be joined are
placed one on the other, or edge to edge, and again passed through an overedge or
other suitable machine (without a trimming attachment), in such manner that the
third line of stitching, or the threads which form the seam proper, interlock with
the loops formed by the preliminary lines of stitches. It will be understood that
the seam thus formed does not depend for its strength upon the hold which its
threads take upon the fabric, as this may be slight, but that it is retained mainly by

page_text: the loops of what is herein termed the "artificial selvage." Consequently, when
the operation is performed and the goods straightened out, the united edges meet or
abut, as in the regular made goods, and do not overlap at the scam. The slight
additional thickness imparted by the extra threads is not sufficient to produce
discomfort to the wearer of the goods.
The new seam is of particular advantage in the manufacture of underskirts. The
trunks of these garments are usually knitted on a circular knitting machine, the
fabric being cut across the wales presenting raw edges to be joined over the shoulders.
At this point the formation of any ordinary scam is inadmissible, and consequently
the practice is to pick up each individual loop upon points and unite the meeting
edges by what is known as a "turning off" machine. This operation is tedious
and, of course, adds considerably to the cost of manufacture. The ribbed cuff
portions, which are separately knitted, are ordinarily joined to the sleeves, and the
finishing band to the lower edge of the garment in the same way. The new seams
herein described, can be successfully applied to these, as well as to other parts of
the garment, and the manufacture thereby greatly expedited and cheapened.
Instead of forming along each raw edge a line of overedge stitches, a similar
result may be effected by running along and within each raw edge, a line of stitches
to serve as a stay or anchorage, and then uniting the two edges by cross-stitches,
such as are made by a zig-zag machine, these stitches extending over and beyond
the lines of the stay or anchorage stitches.
The formation of these seams requires three operations. The invention includes
also the production of a strong flat seam by two operations. In carrying out this
part of the invention, an artificial selvage is first formed on only one of the two
edges to be joined. The pieces are then laid one upon the other, so that the raw
edge projects beyond the protected edge. The former is then trimmed off on a line
parallel with the latter, but at a little distance from it, and the two edges are
united by overedge stitches which pass through both layers within the protective
stitches and around the projecting raw edge. As the stitches are tightened, the
thread draws or curls up the projecting raw edge, and when the united pieces are
flattened out the seam presents on its face a very neat appearance and is more like
looping than the other seams described.
The protective stitches may be produced by means of any suitable over-edge
zig-zag straight-ahead, or two-needle machine. Preferably a machine having a
trimming attachment is used.
Finally the invention relates to the preparation and attachment of the ribbed-
band, with which the ends of sleeves, the waists of shirts, and other parts of
garments are finished off. These bands are formed from a special fabric commonly
known as knit-ribs or "welted-stuff" its distinctive feature being a series of
parallel lips or welts which project from one side of the goods and extend across
the same.
*6
"
Heretofore in using this stuff, it has been severed into strips by cutting along
and close to the welt either by hand, or by a special cutting apparatus. The
welt at one edge of the strip forms the finish or end of the sleeve or other
part, to which the opposite raw edge is attached.
According to this part of the present invention the welted stuff is severed
into strips or bands by cutting along and under the rib or welt, and while the
cutting proceeds forming along the raw edge a row of protective stitches in the
manner herein before described. By this method the trimmer follows the line of
the welt, cutting under the same and leaving no burr on the underside. The
raw edge being protected with selvage or anchorage stitches as soon as it is
cut, will not ravel out or curl and requires no further trimming or other
preparation. Waste of material is avoided and the ribbed fabric can be knit
with the welts or lips closer together than heretofore. As this stuff is now
made a surplus margin has been allowed for ravelling off in attaching the
ribbed band by the old plan of looping on what is known as & "turning-off
machine."

page_text: This part of the invention may be carried out by means of any suitable
sewing machine having a trimming device acting in advance of overseaming or
zig-zag stitching mechanism or by means of a two-needle machine having an
Oscillating thread carrying device and provided with a trimming mechanism
either in front or behind the needles.
The finishing band thus prepared, is attached to the edge of the garment by any
suitable seaming mechanism the sewing thread engaging and holding by the
protective stitches as above pointed out.
For the purpose of more fully explaining the said invention, and the several
improvements comprised thereby, reference will now be made to the accompanying
drawings, in which
Figure I shews on an enlarged scale two pieces of fabric united in accordance
with the first part of the invention.
Figures II and III are views in plan and perspective illustrating seams made in
accordance with the second of the improvements hereinbefore described.
Figures IV V and VI illustrate the formation of a seam by two operations,
Figure IV being a plan view on an enlarged scale shewing the seam in course of
formation, Figure Va perspective view of the completed seam and Figure VI a
cross-section in the plane of the needle.
Figures VII VIII and IX illustrate the preparation of the ribbed band,
Figure VII shews a piece of the welted stuff, Figure VIII is a plan view illustrating
the operation, and Figure IX is a vertical section.
These
Referring to Figure 1 the two pieces of fabric to be joined are marked a. They
are cut to proper shape and their raw edges are provided with lines 6 of overedge
sewing machine stitches, constituting an artificial selvage or anchorage.
stitches present a series of loops at the edge of the fabric, which is preferably
trimmed in advance of the sewing so that the loops may be accurately placed.
The two edges are joined by the threads r, the stitches passing through, or inter-
locking with the loops of the threads so that the seam holds mainly by the
threads 6 instead of altogether by the threads or loops of the fabric itself. As
shewn, the seam formed in this manner is flat and presents but one thickness of
fabric.
While the invention is of particular utility in connection with the manufacture
of knitted goods, it may obviously be used in connection with woven or other
fabric.
The artificial selvage is not necessarily applied to both edges, for sometimes a
cut edge is sewed to an edge having a true selvage or other finish.
In seams made according to the plan illustrated in Figures II and III,
represents lines of stitches which are formed along and within the cut edges of
the pieces e of knitted or other fabric to be joined. The stitches are formed by
any suitable machine preferably by a chain stitch machine and by them the ends
of the cut loops of the fabric are held and ravelling is thereby prevented. The
stitches 9 unite the two edges, and the threads forming these stitches cross back
and forth over the meeting edges and pass through the fabric within the anchoring
stitches f
g
The stitches g can conveniently be made by a zig-zag sewing machine, but a
two-needle or other suitable machine may be used.
In Figures IV, V and VI, A represents a piece of fabric upon the cut edge of
which has been formed a row of protective or artificial selvage stitches a shewn in
this case as overedge stitches. The piece B to which the piece A, is to be
connected has a raw edge. In uniting these edges according to this part of the
invention, the pieces A and B are laid one upon the other in such manner that the
edge of piece B projects slightly beyond the edge of A, as shewn in Figure IV.
In this position the two pieces are fed to the needle D of a suitable overedge
sewing machine, the raw edge of the piece B being trimmed off and made even by
a trimmer blade E acting in advance of the needle, but still leaving a margin

page_text: projecting beyond the piece A. The edge of the piece A may be guided by a
shoe attached to the presser-foot F.
The stitch-forming mechanism then unites the two edges, the thread 6 passing
through both pieces of fabric so as to engage and hold by the protective stitches a
and then over both edges in the well known manner of making an overedge stitch.
When the thread is drawn tight it draws or folds the projecting edge of the
piece B over towards the piece A and when the seam is completed and the two
pieces are straightened out the edges assume the positions represented in Figure V
and a practically flat seam is the result.
Referring now to Figures VII VIII and IX I will describe the mode of
preparing the ribbed finishing band.
In
A represents a piece of the welted stuff or fabric from which these bands are
prepared the said stuff or fabric being knitted with a series of parallel lips or
welts a which lean over in the same direction and extend across the face of the
fabric. In preparing the fabric according to this invention, it is placed on the
work-plate B² of a suitable sewing machine provided with a trimming attachment,
and that portion of the fabric on which the welt a' is to remain is bent over the
edge of the work-plate just in advance of the trimmer blade C causing the welt a²
to stand out vertically or nearly so as shewn in Figure IX. A guide d attached to
the presser-foot D' assists in holding the welt out of the path of the blade C.
this position the trimmer-blade shears the fabric directly along and under the welt
leaving no burr on the under side. As the cutting proceeds the strip A' having the
welt a on its edge, falls over the edge of the work plate B². At the same time by
means of the needle E² and the usual co-operating stitch forming devices, a row e³
of protective stitches is formed along the adjacent raw edge of the main piece of
goods. When the first strip A' is cut off, the other strips are treated successively
in the same way, each strip as it leaves the machine having a finishing welt a² on
one edge, and a row of protective stitches along the other edge. The latter
edge is now ready for attachment to the end of a shirt-sleeve, or to the edge of the
body of the garment, or to the appropriate part of other articles. This attachment
may be effected by either of the methods hereinbefore described for making flat
seams.
The invention includes the new industrial methods herein described as well as
the new or improved manufactures produced thereby.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. The production of a flat seam by forming along one or both of the edges to
be united a row of artificial selvage or protective stitches, and then uniting the
edges of the contiguous pieces by another line of stitches: interlocking with the
selvage stitches substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn in Figure I of
the accompanying drawings.
2nd. The production of a flat seam by forming within and near the edge of: the
pieces to be joined a continuous line of stitches, and uniting the edges by another
line of zig-zag or equivalent cross-stitches substantially as herein before: described
and illustrated in Figures II and III of the accompanying drawings.
3rd. The production of a flat seam by providing the edge of one of the pieces
to be joined with protective stitches placing the two pieces one on the other so that
the raw edge projects beyond the protected edge and uniting them by a thread or
threads passing around both edges and within the said protective stitches
substantially as herein before described and illustrated in Figures IV V and VI of
the accompanying drawings.
th. The mode of preparing a ribbed band for attachment to articles such as
undergarments by severing the welted stuff and while so doing forming along the
raw. edge of the piece from which the welt is severed a. line of protective stitches

page_text: substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures VII, VIII
and IX of the accompanying drawings.
5th. The several flat seams hereinbefore shewn and described when produced
by the methods specified or either of them and embodied in articles made from cut
knit or similar fabric.
Dated the 21st day of Jul 1801
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.