APPLIANCE ADAPTING A SEWING MACHINE FOR STITCHING A CORRUGATED STRIP ON THE LINING OF A HAT OR HELMET
Year: 1885

page_text: I, WILLIAM FREDERICK THOMAS of No: 48 Holborn Viaduct in the City of
London, Sewing Machine Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention for "APPLIANCE ADAPTING A SEWING MACHINE FOR STITCHING A
CORRUGATED STRIP ON THE LINING OF A HAT OR HELMET" and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
At the lower edge of a hat or helmet there is often interposed between the body
of the hat or helmet and the lining, a strip of metal, such as zinc, corrugated so as
to give a number of passages for ventilation. My invention relates to an appliance
adapting a sewing machine for stitching such a corrugated strip on the lining before
the lining is itself secured in its place, as I will explain referring to the accompanying
drawings. Fig. 1 is an elevation of the back-of a sewing machine. Fig. 2 is a
front view and fig. 3 an end view of parts of the needle and shuttle arms, and fig 4
is a plan shewing the lining in position for stitching. Fig 5 is a transverse section,
fig. G is a part longitudinal section and fig. 7 a part plan of the lining with the
corrugated strip secured on it. The lining consists of a strip A of stiff material,
such as fabric stiffened by lac, to which is attached a band B of pliable leather
which finally is folded inwards as indicated by the dotted lines B₁ (fig. 5) and
constitutes the inner lining. On A and B is sewn the corrugated strip C by the
following set of stitches. 1, The needle descends at a where a stitch is formed
and the needle ascends. 2. The needle slide moves forwards transversely so that
the needle next descends at b forming a stitch and again ascends. 3, The needle
slide moves backwards transversely so that the needle again descends at a, and,
another stitch being formed there, the needle ascends. 4, While the needle is up,
the fabric is fed onward the width of a corrugation and the like stitches are
repeated at a b' then at a b³, a³ 63 and so on quite round the circumference of the
lining. Such being the nature of the stitching operation, I will now describe the
parts which I apply to a sewing machine as an appliance for effecting it. The
vertical needle slide D is mounted on a horizontal slide E worked to and fro by a
cam so that when the needle has risen from a it is transferred horizontally to
descend at b, and having risen, it is transferred back to descend again at a and
again at a after the feed has taken place. The cam F fig. 1 for this purpose is
caused by gearing in the proportion of 1 to 3 to revolve at one third of the speed

page_text: of the main shaft of the machine, the transference of the needle slide to the b
position and back being thus effected once in every three vertical strokes of the
needle. On the same axis with this cam F, or it may be, as shewn in fig. 1, on a
separate axis driven by equivalent gearing 1 to 3 is a barrel or face cam G against
which bears an arm g which is free on a rocking shaft H. An arm h fixed on H
bas a setting screw . bearing against the arm 9. Another arm h¹ fixed on the
shaft H bears against an arm I which is mounted on the framing of the machine
and is pressed on by a spring i. This arm carries at its lower end a hook-ended
lever K, which has its rear arm pressed downwards by a spring k so as to elevate
its hook end and also has the rear arm connected by a stronger spring to a bent
lever L that bears against a cam G¹ on the same axis with G. Once in every three
vertical strokes of the needle, the cams G and G¹ operate as follows:
The end of the lever L entering the hollow of the cam G¹ relieves the spring /
and allows the spring k to act, raising the hook end of K high enough to pass over
the corrugations of C.
Thereupon the end of the arm g entering the hollow of the face cam G, allows
the lever K to be advanced by the pressure of the spring i so that its hook end,
now elevated, passes back over the width of a corrugation. The cam G', then
acting on the lever L, so as to strain the spring ¹, causes the hook end of K to be
depressed into the hollow of one of the corrugations C, and when it is so depressed,
the cam G, acting on g causes the lever K to be drawn forward taking with it the
lining which is thus fed- forward the width of one of the corrugations C. During
the strokes of the needle effecting the stitches at a and b the cams G G¹ prevent
dwells or parts keeping the arms on which they act stationary. For guiding the
lining while it is being stitched, I provide in the first place a presser foot M carrying
an adjustable angle guide m, which bears against the ridge presented on the lining
at m (fig. 5) where the leather B bends over the edge of the stiffening strip A.
On the other side of the fabric I provide two sliding guides pressed forward by
springs. The lower slide N pressed by the spring n bears against the Edge of the
stiffening strip A. The upper slide P pressed by the spring p has a vertical face
which bears against the edges of the corrugations C. The hook end of the lever K
has a notch cut in it so as to clear the needle when it comes towards it over a
corrugation. By means of the setting screw h² and a stop screw h³ the stroke of
the lever K can be adjusted to the pitch or width of the corrugations C. The cam F
gives the horizontal to and fro movement to the needle slide E, in a manner similar
to that adopted in many sewing machines for button hole and other kinds of
stit hing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is
As an appliance adapting a sewing machine for stitching a corrugated strip on
the lining of a hat or helmet, the cams G G¹ and their connections to the hook
lever K in combination with the guides m N and P, and with means of moving
the needle slide horizontally to and fro, substantially as and for the purposes
herein set forth.