IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING ATTACHMENTS FOR SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of the firm of Allison Brothers, Patent Agents, of
52, Chancery Lane, London, in the county of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING ATTACHMENTS FOR
SEWING MACHINES," a communication to ine from abroad by William Ransley
Somers, of 436 Main Street, Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States, Gontleman,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
My invention is applicable to different styles of machines, and is especially
adapted for use in the manufacture of corsets.
The object of my invention is to produce a device which will serve as a gage or
guide for the edges of two thicknesses or plys of material as they are being stitched
together, and which at the same time will fold both edges inward and press them
down.
Heretofore, in the manufacture of corsets, it has been necessary to turn in and
fold the edges of the two plys separately, either by hand or otherwise: and the plys
have been stitched together both before, and after folding, but wholly independently
of said folding. The result has been, that it was impossible to produce two corre-
sponding sections without there being perceptible variation in their size, shape, and
curvature, which has been so apparent in the completed corsets that molding and.
other methods of stretching the corsets have been resorted to with a view of over-
coming as far as possible the differences in size in the same lot of corsets, and also
the imperfections in their contour owing to the uneven turning in of the edges, and
the irregularity of the seams. These serious objections are entirely overcome by
the novel and simple device which I have invented, and will now proceed to describe
referring by letters to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,
in which-
Fig. 1, is a side elevation of the device as it appears in position on the bed of a
machine.

page_text: Fig. 3, a rear end elevation, with the bed of a machine in section and showing one
means of operating the device, which is a cam or projection secured to the periphery
of the variable motion flange, as in a Wheeler and Wilson No. 10 machine.
Fig. 4, a front end elevation, of the device detached.
Fig. 5, a side elevation detached, the separator being removed.
Fig. 6, a perspective of the separator.
Fig. 7, a perspective of one of the markers and its corresponding plate.
Fig. 8, a perspective of one of the folders, and
Fig. 9, an enlarged section of the two plys of material, showing the edges as folded
under by the attachment.
Similar letters indicate like parts in all the Figs.
A, is the bed of the machine. B, the cloth plate. C, needle hole. C¹, needle bar.
C, the needle. D, the feed. E, and E', the slides, and F, the presser foot, all of
which are of ordinary construction. G, is the plate of the attachinent, which is
secured to plate E¹, by a set screw G¹. G³, is a standard projecting upward from
plate G, the upper end of said standard being forked to accomodate the vibrating
arm H, which is pivoted in the fork. This arm is provided with two branches as
will be more fully explained. I, is the separator preferably having upper and lower
branches 1', 1', and pivoted to plate G, by a set screw passing through a slot K², in
shank 1. In heavy work if preferred the upper branch may be omitted. I' is a
gage preferably made integral with the separator, which serves as a guide to the
edge of the lower ply of the material as it passes into the attachment. The exact
shape of the separator is not an essential feature. K, is the upper marker and K¹,
the lower marker. These markers are simply plates of metal, with their outer ends
turned upward or downward as may be, and secured to plate G, by set screws
passing through slots K³, in their shanks. L, is a marker plate corresponding with
marker K, and L¹, a similar plate corresponding with marker K₁. The shanks of
the marker plates are preferably united to the shanks of the markers as shown
The marker
in Fig. 7, and both are secured to plate G, by a single set screw.
plates are preferably provided with slight grooves L², corresponding with the
markers, into which the cloth is forced to mark or crease it by blows of hammer H³,
which is adjustably secured in the front branch H', of the vibrating arm H. The
upper ply of material passes between marker K, and plate L, and the lower ply
between marker K¹, and plate L'. As one marker is placed directly above the
other, a single bammer suffices to mark or crease both plys of the material.
Just back of the markers are the folders M, and M'. After being creased by the
markers the upper ply of material passes into folder M, and the lower ply into
folder M¹.
These folders are curved plates which act to turn the edges of both plys of
material inward, the edge of the upper ply being turned downward and the edge
of the under ply upward, the amount of material turned in being determined by
the adjustment of the markers. The shanks of the markers extend over plato G,
and are adjustably secured thereto by set screws passing through slots K³, in said
shanks.
It will of course be understood that the folders should be adjustel to correspond
with the markers. Their shanks being provided with slots K³, through which the
set screws pass, to permit of such adjustment.
After leaving the folders the material passes under the presser which consists of
a plate H, riveted or secured in any suitable manner to the rear branch H*, of the
vibrating arm. Ho, is a plate having a shank, and secured to plate G, by a set screw
in a similar manner to the other shanks. Both plys of the material pass over this
plate as they leave the folders, and are pressed against it by the blows of plate H³,
which acts to press the turned in portions down firmly as indicated in Fig. 9.
The only moving part of the attachment is the vibrating arm to which motion
may be imparted in any suitable manner from any moving part of the machine
to which the attachment is applied. In the drawings I have shown the attachment
as applied to a Wheeler and Wilson No. 10, machine. In which machine, as a means

page_text: of imparting motion to the attachment, I rivet, or otherwise secure, a boss N¹, upon
the variable motion flange N, upon the main shaft, which in shown in section at O,
in Fig. 3. H³, is a screw pin at the inner end of the vibrating lever, which passes
through an opening E³, in slide E¹, and bears upon the flange. As shown in Fig. 1,
the upper marker plate L, acts as a spring to lift hammer H2, which tilts the
vibrating arm sufficiently to place the operating pin in contact with the periphery
of flange N, and holds it in that position. At each revolution of the flange, however,
the boss N¹, lfte pin H, against the power of the spring, thus vibrating lever H,
and actuating the hammer and the presser.
The operation is as follows, it of course being understood that the sewing
machine is threaded in the usual manner. The two plys of material are inserted
with their edges parallel, and in the same vertical plane, one above, the other below
the separator, the edge of the lower ply resting against the gage I, which serves
as a guide therefor. The markers act to crease both plys at the point at which it
is desired to have the fold made. After the crease is made the upper ply of
material passes over the upper branch of the separator when used and the lower
ply under the lower branch thereof. The action of the folders is to curl the edges
of the plys over the branches of the separator, and turn both of them inward.
After passing the folders both plys are pressed down closely by the blows of the
presser as already described. It will be observed that the separator, markers, and
folders are all made adjustable, thus permitting the width of the turned in portions
to be regulated as may be desired, or as is ordinarily the case in the manufacture
of corsets to permit the upper ply to be turned in slightly more than the under one,
leaving the fold of the lower ply projecting slightly beyond the upper one as
indicated in Fig. 9. As stated above this invention is particularly applicable in
the manufacture of corsets, as it is obvious that the completed sections must
preserve the outline of the parts as cut, the edge of one of the parts serving as a
guide both for the stitching together of the parts, and the turning in of their
edges. I thus accomplish an entirely new result, and make it as easy to stitch a
perfectly formed corset as a poorly formed one, which has been an utter
impossibility up to this time no matter how perfectly the parts were cut as the
turning in of the edges, and the stitching together of the parts were separate
operations, and usually performed by different persons.
I do not, however, propose to limit the use of my invention to the manufacture
of corsets as it is obviously capable of various other uses.
In regard to the number of plys used, I have described the manipulation of
two plys only as being the simplest, and ordinary use of the attachment.
It should be understood however that two, or even more, plys of lighter material
may be run into one or both of the folders should it be desirable. The marking,
folding, and pressing, being performed in the same manner upon three or more plys
as upon two.
It will be readily apparent that my invention is susceptible of various modifica-
tions without departing in the slightest from the spirit thereof.
I do not therefore wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact
construction illustrated in the drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. In a sewing machino attachment for turning in the edges of two plys of
material, the combination of two independent adjustable folders, the presser, and
means, as the vibrating arm for actuating the pressor.
2. The folders, the presser, and the vibrating arm, in combination with a separator
which carries the upper and lower plys of material into the upper and lower
folders respectively.
3. The folders, in combination with the markers and means, for example the
hammer and vibrating arm for operating the markers, the separator, and the
presser,

page_text: 4. The markers, marker plates, and separator, in combination with the folders
and the vibrating arm carrying the adjustable hammer, and the presser.
5. The markers, marker plates, one of which serves as a spring to tilt the
vibrating arm; separator and folders all adjustably held by set screws passing
through slots in their shanks, in combination with the vibrating arm carrying the
adjustable hammer and the presser.
6. The markers, separator, and folders, in combination with the vibrating arm
having upon one side of its fulcrum, branches carrying the hammer and the presser,
and at its opposite end connected to some moving part of the machine, for example
boss N¹, upon flange N, against both of which the operating pin bears.
7. The vibrating arm having an operating pin passing through a slot in one of
the slides, in combination with flange N, and boss N', the separator, folders, and
presser.
8 The combination with the stitch forming mechanism of a sewing machine, of
folders which turn the edges of two plys of material inward, and a presser upon a
vibrating arm operated from a moving part of the machine which presses the
edges down, whereby two plys of material may be stitched together while at the
same time the edges of both are folded in and pressed down.
9. In an attachment for turning in the edges of two plys of material as they
are stitched, the following elements in combination.
1st a combined separator and gage which carries the two plys to their respective
folders, and serves as a gage for the edge of one ply,
2d the folders which turn the edges of both plys inward,
3d the presser, and 4th means, as the vibrating arm, for actuating the presser.
Dated this 2nd day of December 1884.