Improvements in Button Hole Sewing Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 25th July, 1889-Accepted, 28th Sept., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Button Hole Sewing Machines.
We DAVID HERMANN and LEO FLATOW of the firm of Hermann and Flatow,
Manufacturing Engineers of 56ª Königgrätzerstrasse in the City of Berlin, Germany
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
Our Invention relates to improvements in button hole sewing Machines and refers
to that class of Machines that are provided with shuttles and in which the needle is
moved sideways, stitch after stitch from a to b and b to a (Fig. 2) in order to form
a button hole edge seam or in other terms to sew the edge of a button hole. In such
Machines a pin a' (Figs. 2 and 3) placed in the centre of the button hole serves as
a guide along which the said button hole slides.
At the end of the button hole the speed of the lateral motion of the needle from
to c is increased in order to lock the said button hole at the top, the material and
button hole being then inverted and the other side being sewn in a similar manner
and likewise locked. This invention refers more particularly to those machines in
which the needle bar and its bearings are used to carry out such lateral motion, and
consists of such an arrangement that the requisite lateral motion of the needle bar
either for seaming or locking is alterable by the movement of a lever, so that the
needle bar runs after each stitch either the course a and b a or the course b c. In
the locking operation the carrier is at the same time disengaged in order to allow the
button hole requiring to be sewn to remain still.
The arrangement is moreover such that the motion of the lever mentioned can only
take place when the needle is in its highest position, whereby the breakage of the
needle is prevented during its displacement from the seaming to the locking position
or vice versa. To dispense with the counting by the operative of the number of
locking stitches required the reversal of the Machine from the locking to the seaming
operation is automatically carried out.
In the accompanying drawings we have only illustrated those parts of the Machine
which are necessary to render the Invention understood while we have omitted all
the parts that were generally known and could be conveniently dispensed with.
Fig. 1 is the opening of a button hole with stitch holes. Figs. 2 and 3 are the
stitching plate of the Machine. Figs. 4 & 6 are views of the Machine partly in
cross section. Fig. 5 is a cross section on line 78 of Fig. 4.-Fig. 7 is a cross
section on line ² of Fig. 6.-Fig. S is a cross section on line of Fig. 6.-
Fig. 9 is a rear view of the driving wheel. Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are parts of the gear
or coupling shewn in Fig. 4.-Fig. 13 is the carrier or feed for the material.
Figs. 14, 15, and 16 is a schematic illustration of the motor mechanism for the
needle bar. Fig. 17 illustrates the automatic change of the lateral motion of the
needle bar.
The needle barn Fig. 4 which carries the needle is arranged to move in a vertical
direction within a slide s which has a horizontal motion within a guide s¹ (Fig. 5)
connected with the fixed arm of the Machine. The vertical motion of the needle
bar n is carried out in the usual manner by means of a cylindrical cam which
imparts a motion to the lever h¹. The rod 2 moves within the lever ' and is
connected by the joint 3 with the needle bar n so that the oscillation of the lever h
causes the up and down motion of the needle bar n. The cam imparts a motion
to the shuttle in a well known manner, so that no further mention or representation
of this part of the Machine need be made. A slight lateral motion of the slide s
occurs when the button hole edge is being sewn, this is however increased when the
locking operation takes place.

page_text: This lateral motion is caused by the excentric cam c (Fig. 6) which is mounted
upon the axle d and is actuated by the pair of bevil wheels set in motion by the
motor shaft w (Fig. 4). The cam c operates upon the forked end of the lever e the
other end of which is connected with one arm of another lever having two equal
arms and whose other arm 1 acts upon the slides jointed at g' to the connecting
rod 9. It will be obviously understood that an up and down motion of the lever e
which acts as a connecting rod will cause a lateral displacement of the needle bar.
When the needle moves to and fro between a and (Fig. 2) the button hole is being
seamed, but when it travels to and fro between and c the said hole is being locked.
The up and down motion of the lever e is obtained in such a manner that the latter
has a movable pivot e' resting upon a link i whose point of oscillation can assume
two positions corresponding one to the displacement of the needle barn when the
locking is effected and the other to a similar displacement when the seaming takes
place. The oscillating point of the link is placed upon a double armed lever k
which pivots at '. To the left of the pivot ke', the lever k has a pink moving in
the slot of a lever pivoting at (Figs. 6 to 8) when therefore the lever k turns
its pivot the lever accomplishes likewise an oscillating motion
upon
12. The
upon
pin transmits this motion by means of the double armed lever m (Fig. 8) to a
rail 9 actuating the forked piece which displaces the coupling disc q³ (Fig. 4) upon
the shaft whereby the cam c² is either firmly connected with or released there-
from. In the first case the cam c² rotates with the shaft, and the carrier is set in
operation while in the second case the cam c² stands still, and the carrier is
motionless.
The whole of the above arrangement is carried out in such a manner that the
lever produces in one of its extreme positions the motion of the needle for the
locking operation in which case and are uncoupled.-When the lever k is turned
to the left hand side, the needle moves laterally to produce the seam and at this
moment and g² are coupled, and the carrier transports the material the required
distance further.
The mode of operation of the mechanism used for imparting a lateral motion to the
needle bar is shown in Figs. 14 to 16. In Fig. 14 the needle bar is shown in its
outermost position at the left hand side when the needle makes the stitch b (Fig. 1)
while the position shown in dotted lines corresponds to the stitch c when the machine
is locking. In consequence of the rotation of the cam c the forked end of the lever e
pivoting at e is moved to the right hand side in the position shown in dotted lines.
The oscillating point el placed upon the link pivoting at i¹ is caused at the following
displacement to the left hand side, to move upon an arc described from with the
radius i and in a downward direction towards 1. If the lever arms ff are of equal
length, the vertical distance between e¹ and 1 must be equal to the lateral displace-
ment of the needle bar, and should the latter only accomplish for seaming purposes
the travel from 6 to a (Fig. 1) that is to say about half the course, then the point of
oscillation will not move to 1 but will only accomplish half the distance. This
shortening of the course or travel can be obtained by shifting the oscillating point (1
of the link to the left hand side. During this motion of the point the point e
must remain stationary otherwise the needle bar n would come out of its assumed left
handed and extreme position (stitch 6) and hence the point e¹ must coincide in the
extreme position for the stitch b. with the pivoting point of the lever k upon which
the link . is placed as clearly shown in Fig. 14. When the lever is turned upon
its pivot to the left hand side, moves upon a circular arc described from k¹ and el
as shewn in Fig. 15. When reaches the point 2, the oscillation point e¹ will by
reason of the motion of the cam e pursue its descending course to the right hand side
upon a horizontal circular are described from 2, whereby the vertical distance between
the extreme position 3 of the point e¹ and the position at starting is rendered smaller
than that shown in Fig. 14. or in other terms the needle bar travels only from b to a
(Fig. 1) and hence the button hole is being seamed.
The lever being moved from the position to the position 2, the pink moves
downwardly upon a circular are described from k¹ until it reaches point 4.-As

page_text: slides in the slot of the lever 1, the latter will turn upon the point and issue from
the position of Fig. 15 to enter that of Fig. 16. In consequence of the corresponding
motion of the pin to the right hand side, the coupling which sets the carrier in
motion is thrown into gear. Fig. 16 shows the position of the two levers k and
during the seaming period. Upon the lever is arranged a pin . When the lever
is moved out of the position shown in Fig. 14 into that of Fig. 16 or vice versa the
pin passes around the segmental projection or flange arranged upon the bevil
wheel (Figs. 6 and 8). As shown in Figs. 8 and 9 the said segmental projection
or flange has two notches which are arranged in the same direction as that in
which the pin moves when the needle bar assumes its upper position, so that in this
uppermost position of the needle only can the pin allow the fever and with it the
lever to move.
When the needle is in a stitch hole, a reversal of the mechanism
owing to the handle (Fig. 6) being turned to the left, for instance, could not be
possible, and in like manner a lateral motion of the needle in such position is not liable
to occur and hence the said needle could not be broken.
The manner in which the carrier is set in motion is illustrated in Fig. 13. As the
pin of the lever 1 (Figs. 6 and 14) issues, when the mechanism is reversed from its
locking to its seaming position (Fig. 16) the pin 13 oscillates upon 12 towards the
right hand side and causes thereby the double armed lever m (Fig. 8) to pivot upon
m in such a manner that the rail y pushes the forked piece q' (Fig. 4) to the left hand
side. The coupling disc q2 sliding now upon the shaft w, but otherwise rotating there-
with is also moved to the left, and the spring coupling pin g³ (Fig. 12) abuts against
the surface of the cam c² loosely mounted on the shaft, which causes the said pin to
spring back to the right hand side until it arrives in the course of its rotation upon
the hole of the disc q' (Fig. 11), entering therein so as to cause the disc q' and con-
sequently the cam c to rotate therewith.
In consequence of the rotation of the cam (Fig. 13) the projecting part ³ presses
upon the lever end o, and the part c presses upon the part o¹ of a lever oscillating
upon o².
The point of is placed upon a link o pivoting upon the fixed point o³. Owing to
the action of the projecting parts c³ of the excentric and of the spring of exerting a
contrary pressure, the carrier o³ connected with o and o¹ receives the required up and
down, and to and fro motion in order to feed the material until the release of the
coupling occurs for locking purposes.
A lever poscillating about p is placed with a roller p³ against the lever o o' and
limits the motion of the carrier toward the right the latter being pushed back to
the left whereby o is removed beyond the reach of the projecting part of the
excentric.
It has been hitherto assumed that the motion of the lever & by means of the handle k³
was carried out by hand from one position determined by the projection t (Fig. 6)
that is to say the locking position, to that determined by the projection ti.e. the
seaming position. It is however requisite for the sake of good workmanship that the
same number of locking stitches should obtain for all the button holes.-The operator
has been moreover hitherto compelled to count these stitches numbering about 6 or 8
which is a difficult task owing to the rapid motion of the machine.-A device is
therefore provided for automatically operating after a determined number of stitches
the return motion of the lever from the locking (Figs. 14 and 6) to the seaming
(Fig. 16) position. A device of this kind is illustrated in Fig. 17.-When the lever
which in this case has a handle instead of the lever k, is turned by hand in the
locking position, the indented foot of a piece v connected with k meshes within the
screw thread of the machine shaft w or of a sleeve mounted on the said shaft.-As
soon as the latter rotates the piece is moved to the left hand side, whereby the slot v¹
slides over the guide -In this motion the pin fixed to carries the lever ari u
with it, as is placed in an open slot u² of this lever. In consequence thereof the
other lever arm u descends, so that its end u³, which holds the lever controlled by
the spring in the required position runs off the point of the lever 1, and the latter
solicited by the spring 1 turns upon l' to the right hand side, while u remains in the

page_text: position shown in dotted lines. The slot takes now the pin 2 of the lever
with it.
so that is brought over in the position shown at 4 (Fig. 15) which is the position
required for seaming.
Meanwhile the pin of the piece v has moved away from the slot, while has
reached its highest position as shown in dotted lines, its foot being now withdrawn
from the screw threaded part of the shaft w, and brought again by the spring to
the right hand side. Should it now be required to proceed again with the locking,
the operator shifts the lever and with it the lever k to the position shown in Fig. 17,
the spring u pressing the lever a¹ until it reaches the projection u³ when the opera-
tion is repeated. It must be remarked that for the sake of clearness the lever and
the link have not been shown in Fig. 17.-This device may be also carried out in
such a manner that the required impulse may be given to the lever by a suitable
spring so that it could be withdrawn from the locking position whenever any suitable
stopping device arranged upon the said lever was released by the piece v.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. In a single needle button hole sewing Machine, in which the needle makes stitch
after stitch with a to and fro lateral motion which is increased for the purpose of
locking the button holes, the lever k pivoting at and carrying a link i whose free
end forms the point of oscillation of a lever 7 actuated by a cam c and operating the
lateral displacement of the needle barn, the arrangement of these parts being such that
the oscillation of the lever & from one extreme position to the other, causes a horizontal
motion of the needle of greater or lesser extent substantially, as and for the purpose
set forth and shown in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a button hole sewing Machine as above claimed the combination of the lever k
with the lever 1 pivoting at in such manner that when the first lever is set in
operation the latter throws the cam c² which actuates the carrier in or out of geary
substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. The pin fixed to the lever which can only pass the notch of the segmental
projection when the lever 7 is turned, provided the needle has reached its highest
position substantially as and for the purpose described and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
4. In combination with the lever k the pieco v connected therewith which when the
lever is shifted meshes by means of the indented foot with the screw threaded part
of the Machine shaft w and is thereby displaced horizontally in order to release a
stopping device (u u¹) whereby the lever k is automatically brought by a spring after
a determined number of locking stitches in the other or seaming position substantially
as and for the purpose set forth and shown in Fig. 17 of the drawings.
Dated this 25th dow of Lul., 1980
HUGHES, SON & Co.,
38, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.