IMPROVE- MENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1887

page_text: I, JULIUS GUTMANN of Alexanderstrasse, Berlin in the German Empire, Sewing
Machine Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SEWING MACHINES, and in what manner the same is to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is the production of a sewing machine which with the
greatest simplicity and cheapness, easier portability, small weight, and small space
requirement, yet satisfies all the usual demands and further presents the advantage that
it may also be utilised for sewing button holes.
A sewing machine in accordance with this invention is shewn in the accompanying
drawings, Figs. 1, 2, 3 being respectively a side, front and back view thereof and
Fig. 4 a view of the mechanism for sewing button holes. The main parts of the
machine are the cast frame A with the projecting parts a serving in conjunction with
the screw 6 for fixing the machine on the edge of a table; needle levers B, B¹; cam
or crank wheel C and the mechanism for driving the shuttle and fabric feeder. The
frame A which carries all the parts is with the needle plate T which serves for
supporting the fabric and the fabric presser guide S, cast in one piece. At c it carries
the needle lever B capable of turning on two points or centres; at d the cam wheel C
parallel to and not as usual perpendicular to the machine from which wheel all the
movements are communicated to the various parts and which is provided with two
curved or cam grooves, the one x (Fig. 1) in which engages a friction roller carried
on a stud fixed to the end of the lever B, and which is as shewn of such a kind that
upon one turn of the wheel C the lever B is caused to make two sets of similar
movements, namely, two large and two restricted up and down movements such as
are executed by the needle of sewing machines generally, the other groove z (Fig. 1)
upon one turn of the wheel C causes one to an fro travel of the shuttle through
the double lever D which by the short rod e jointed thereto sets in oscillating motion
the cylinder E hung on centres and the shuttle holder F cast in one piece with it.
In order, upon one to and fro movement of the shuttle and two complete up and
down movements of the needle to get two complete stitches the shuttle is made
taper at both of its ends and may thus be double acting. Consequently upon each
to

page_text: movement it passes through the thread loop and connects in a known manner the
upper with the lower thread. The fabric feeder is driven from the cam wheel Cin
the following way -A cam plate G provided with two projections n, is fixed at the
inner side of C and next to the same another cam H both of which cams when
rotating act upon the two armed fabric feeder lever I so suspended on the frame A
that it may oscillate on i both in a vertical and horizontal direction, these two move-
ments being operated by the cams G and H, the horizontal oscillation by the projec-
tions n of G and the vertical oscillation by H. This latter movement of the lever I
causes a vertical travel of the slide K between two guides k, k¹, whilst the other
movement sets in oscillation the lever L turning on s which is again transferred to the
slide K, this latter being so carried in the guides k, k', that it may be moved both
vertically and round on a stud fixed horizontally in the guides, ¹. The turning
movement of the slide K is brought about by the oscillating lever L fixed to the
guide k by the pivot screws on which lever L the lever I operates. The lever L has
at top an arm which bears against the slide K. The horizontal stroke of the lever I
and therewith the length of stitch is regulated by the lever M having the form of a
wedge (Figs. 2 and 3) and fixed to and turning on the frame A. When it is turned
in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 1) the stroke of the lever I and therewith the length
of stitch is reduced. A spring N presses the slide K both downwards and against the
lever L and consequently acts on the fabric feeder lever I. A further improve-
ment consists in a simplification of the method of carrying the thread. Hitherto for
keeping the same in tension a thread raiser and various small springs have been
required, which parts are in this invention replaced by a single spring t.
The upper
thread passes from the friction disc through the frame A lever B' and lever B, then
underneath and round the spring t through the eye o of the projecting part o' on the
lever B to the needle. The spring t which performs with B a portion of the movement
of this latter comes to bear during the latter portion of the descent of B upon a pin ⟫
fixed in the frame A. The fabric presser S' moves in the guide S. It is pressed upon
the fabric to be sewn by the spring S² carried through the stem of the fabric presser S
and serving as a handle for raising or lowering S, and for the purpose of fixing the
height is placed in the notch s¹ of the fabric presser guide S.
The button hole sewing mechanism is as follows:
For ordinary sewing the lever B¹ is firmly connected to the lever B by means of
screw and engages with its forked end a boss 9 of lever B serving it when working
as a point of oscillation. The other end of lever B' which carries the needle
engages the corresponding end of lever B by means of a slide like coupling (Figs. 1
and 2) so that the end of B' may slide on the end of B. A spring T having one end
fixed to lever B and the other to lever B tends to move the lever B' in the direction
of the arrow (Figs. 1 and 4) when the screw no longer holds the lever B' fixed.
The slide part U fixed on lever B serves as a guide to lever B¹. A lever V mounted
on the frame A so that it may oscillate at is upon a revolution of the cam G pressed
by this once against lever B' thereby moving it against the resistance of the spring T
thus placed in tension, for instance when it is desired to sew a button hole, the
levers B, B', are disconnected by unscrewing the screw whereupon however the
latter is constrained to accompany in the movements of the former by the slide part U
and slide like coupling at its needle end, the spring T₁ now pressing lever B' against
lever V. The cam wheel C is now set in rotation thereby in one rotation causing
levers B, B" to move twice up and down, whilst in the same rotation the lever
operated by the cam G pushes the lever B¹ once forwards, and the spring T¹ brings it
back again. Now the cam G is so placed with reference to the cam groove that
upon the cominencement of the first descent of the levers B, B', this latter is slid
forward, remaining stationary during the completion of the descent and comnience-
ment of the ascent, during the completion of the ascent and of the second descent
again moved back again by the spring T, and then again being stationary until the
completion of the second ascent. In the needle plate T at the right hand of the needle
is a square recess which during ordinary sewing is covered with an ordinary plate
cover and which when sewing button holes has another cover in its place provided

page_text: with two needle holes. Upon the first descent of the needle levers the needle
passes into its usual path or orifice, but upon the second descent into one of the
two needle holes in the plate in front of it. A small eccentric lever w―the operation
of which is clearly shown in Fig. 4-serves for regulating the stroke of the needle
lever B.
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. A sewing machine in which the needle lever during one revolution of the cam
or crank wheel performs two downward and upward movements whilst the shuttle
only performs one to and fro movement, substantially as shewn and described.
2. In a sewing machine of the kind referred to, the combination of cani z in wheel C
with lever D, cylinder E and rod e, and shuttle holder F for the shuttle motion,
substantially as described and shewn.
3. In a sewing machine of the kind referred to, the combination of cam G having
projections n, n, and cam H with the horizontally and vertically moving lever I,
slide K, lever L and spring N for the. purpose of the fabric feeder motion which may
be regulated by lever M, substantially as described and shewn.
4. In a sewing machine of the kind referred to, the combination of spring S² with
fabric presser S which spring passes through the fabric presser and serves as handle
for placing the same in a higher or lower position and as fabric presser spring
substantially as described and shewn.
5. In a sewing machine of the kind referred to, the spring t which serves both as a
thread stretcher and as a thread raiser, substantially as described and shewn.
6. In a sewing machine of the kind referred to, for the purpose of sewing button
holes, the needle levers B, B1, this latter being provided at its needle end with a slide
like guide or coupling with which it engages lever B whilst its other forked end
engages boss
of lever B serving it as a point of oscillation, in combination with
spring T, screw lever V, cam G and eccentric lever w substantially as described and
shewn.
7. The combination of the cams or curves t, z, and cam G having projections n, n,
and cam H with needle levers B, B¹, lever D, cylinder E and lever F, lever I,
slide K, lever Land spring N, lever V spring T¹ slide U and lever w substantially as
described and shewn.