IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR SEWING BRAID AND SIMILAR ARTICLES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS AND BONNETS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Jensen, of 33, Chancery Lane, London, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR SEWING BRAID AND SIMILAR
ARTICLES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS AND BONNETS." A communication
from abroad by William Edwards Doubleday, of Brooklyn, in the State of
New York. United States of America.
aled the 13th September 1878, and dated the 11th June 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Jensen at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th June 1878.
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES
FOR SEWING BRAID AND SIMILAR ARTICLES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS AND
BONNETS." (A communication from abroad by William Edwards Doubleday, of
Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United States of America.)
PETER JENSEN, of 33, Chancery Lane, London.
An eye-pointed needle is made use of that is reciprocated horizontally or nearly
80, and the threads are either looped, or a shuttle is used to carry a thread through
the loops of needle thread as now usual in sewing.
The special features of this improvement relate to a mechanism that is used to
present the goods to the needle.
Two rollers are employed, but instead of their surfaces being cylindrical, they
are either prismatic or in the form of a X sectionally, the braid passing between
two rollers of this character receives a crimp or fold, and it is held while the needle
passes through the fold. There are notches in the edges of the rollers that allow of
the needle passing through the folded braid, and the hat fabric to which it is
sewed. These prismatic or X shaped rollers are revolved progressively to feed the
braid and hat along as the sewing progresses; they remain stationary while each
stitch is being made.
In some instances, a clamping feed mechanism is employed to grasp the fabric
and braid after each stitch, to flatten out the crimp therein, and to feed the material

page_text: along. The eye-pointed needle runs through a hole in a movable throat piece, by
the adjustment of which the point of the needle is raised or lowered to cause it to
properly penetrate the fabric.
The rollers may have any convenient number of flutes, instead of being X shaped,
the operation of the same being as before described, and the braid may be moved
up and down at each side of the crimping flute of the roller by a lifting fork that
causes the braid and fabric to be out of the path of the reciprocating needle, except
where the needle penetrates and passes through the crimp.
The rollers, feeding clamps, needle bar, lifting fork, and other parts of this
machine receive their proper, motion by cams and levere actuated by a inain shaft.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Peter Jensen in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th December
1878.
PETER JENSEN, of 33, Chancery Lane, London.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES
FOR SEWING BRAID AND SIMILAR ARTICLES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS AND
BONNETS." A communication from abroad by William Edwards Doubleday, of
Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United States of America.
An eye-pointed needle is made use of that is reciprocated horizontally or nearly
so, and the threads are either looped, or a shuttle is used to carry a thread through
the loops of needle thread as now usual in sewing.
The special feature of this improvement relates to a mechanism that is used to
present the goods to the needle.
Two rollers are employed, but instead of their surfaces being cylindrical, they
are either prismatic or in the form of an X sectionally; the braid passing between
two rollers of this character receives a crimp or fold, and it is held while the needle
passes through the fold. There are notches in the edges of the rollers that allow of
the needle passing through the folded braid and the hat fabric to which it is
sewed. These prismatic or X shaped rollers are revolved progressively to feed the
braid and hat along as the sewing progresses; they remain stationary while each
stitch is being made.
In some instances, a clamping feed mechanism is employed to grasp the fabric
and braid after each stitch, to flatten out the crimp therein, and to feed the material
along. The eye-pointed neodle runs through a hole in a movable throat piece, by
the adjustment of which the point of the needle is raised or lowered to cause it to
properly penetrate the fabric.
The rollers may have any convenient number of flutes instead of being X shaped,
the operation of the same being as before. described, and the braid may be moved
up and down at each side of the crimping flute of the roller by a lifting fork that
causes the braid and fabric to be cut of the path of the reciprocating needle, except
when the needle penetrates and passes through the crimp.

page_text: The rollers, feeding clamps, needle bar, lifting fork, and other parts of this
machine receive their proper motion by cams and levers actuated by a main shaft.
In the Drawing,—
Fio. I is a section of the machine transversely of the rollers.
Hig is a section of the machine transversely of the rollers.
Fig. 2 is a plan of a portion of the same.
Fig. 3 is a section of the rollers with the material in position, and the needle
passing through the same.
Fig. 4 represents the rollers in an open or X shape.
Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation at the line x, x, Fig. 2.
Fig. 6 is a plan, and,―
Fig. 7 is a section in larger size representing a modification of the folding or
crimping mechanism.
Fig. 8 is a section of the braids as sewed together, showing the interlacing of the
threads.
Fig. 9 is a plan of the braid and sewing devices, and,-
Fig. 10 is a section of the same, with the needle through the braid.
In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, A. is the base or frame of the machine to bearings, in which
is adapted the driving shaft B. On the latter is formed a collar a, having a cam
slot, in which is a pin projecting from the under side of the bar D; this bar D is in
guides in the bed of the machine, and carries the eye-pointed needle b, and said bar
and needle receive a longitudinally reciprocating movement from the shaft B and
cam.
E is the shuttle race which extends transversely across the machine, the shuttle
carrier being reciprocated from the shaft B through the medium of a suitable con-
necting arm. To the shaft B is secured a hub d, on which are formed a rib and
teeth so constructed and so adapted to the teeth of a wheel e, on the inner end of a
transverse shaft F, as to impart an intermittent movement to said shaft, and lock it
between its movements.
The shaft F serves, through the medium of cog wheels f, f¹, and g, g¹, Fig. 5, to
impart motion in contrary directions to two shafts G, G¹, both of which are in
pivoted bearings at their rear ends; the front end of the shaft G is supported in a
spring box h, and the front end of the shaft G' is in a box h¹, in guides in standards
H, secured to the frame of the machine.
The box h¹ has a stem i, from which projects a pin i, adapted to a curved slot in
an extension of the standard H, so that by turning said stem i, the box h', and
with it the front end of the shaft G', may be raised or lowered.
Each of the shafts carries a feed wheel m, these feed wheels being reduced at the
front ends so as to form angular extensions which are square in the present instance,
but which may be triangular or otherwise if desired.
The extensions of the feed wheels are recessed at the edges for the passage of the
needle, as shown in the Drawing.
To guides beneath and in line with the feed wheels is adapted the stem of a
forked plate n, having arms which embrace the lower feed wheel, a vertical reci-
procating motion being imparted to this plate n in the present instance by a cam p
on the driving shaft B.
S and T are the usual plates for guiding the braid, the latter as it is fed to the
machine passing first between lugs 7, 71, on the guide S, and then under the pro-
jecting finger of the guide T, to the feed rolls. The upper layer of braid, that is,
the outer layer of the circular mat which is being sewed, abuts against a lugs on a
plate t, carried by the guide T, and overlaps the lower layer, the amount of overlap
of the two layers of braid being determined by the position of the lug 8, in respect
to the feed rolls.
The action of the forked plato n will be understood by reference to Fig. 3; when
the plate n is down and the needle retracted, the braid is free to be fed by the
rollers m; but when the plate rises, it bends the braid around the angular portion of
the upper feed roll, and forms a crimp for the passage of the needle.

page_text: When the rollers m are each made of an X shape, as seen in Fig. 4, the plate n
may be dispensed with, as the material is crimped by the action of the rollers
themselves, and both raised, depressed, and held by the rollers during the passage of
the needle in performing the sewing.
The modification shown in Figs. 6, 7, 9, and 10, is adapted to performing the
sewing in a manner similar to that before described, only the braid is fed up from
below, and only the previously sewed fabric is crimped.
The bed a² is provided with a reciprocating needle carrier 62 and needle c³, and
the shuttle is in the raceway c³, and moved back and forth by a bell-crank lover
that receives its motion from a cam on the driving shaft.
The braid e comes up from below, and is beneath the braid or previously sewed
materiale. It will be evident that if the material e is depressed or crimped, as
seen in Fig. 10, the needle c² will pass first through the braid, then through the
crimp, and the shuttle now passes through the loop of needle thread, or else the
loop of needle thread will be taken by a looper.
The feed draws the material in the direction of the arrow, see Figs. 7 & 10,
another stitch is made, and the sewing progresses, the needle thread lying simply
beneath the braid, the shuttle thread or the interlaced loops lying between the
braid and the upper surface, either not showing any stitch or but a short one,
according to the position of the needle to the crimp.
Another feature of this improvement relates to the cam-shaped throat 2, in the
cylindrical guide 3, through which the needle passes; this guide 3 is in a hole near
the surface of the bed; the needle passes transversely through a throat or opening
in this guide, the point of the needle draws back into this throat, but does not
draw away from said throat, and by turning the guide slightly in its bearings by a
pin placed in a hole, the cam-shaped portion 2 will press more or less upon the
needle, and spring it down to lessen the stitch upon the top of the crimp, or allow
the needle to spring up higher and increase the length of the stitch at the top or
right side of the fabric that is being sewed.
The crimp or fold in the fabric may be made by the rollers before described, but
a folder f is shown that is notched at its ends so as to be clear of the path of the
needle, and it is raised or lowered at the proper time by a cam that acts upon the
lower part or arm of a bent lever.
The braid should be guided at both edges. A movable guide g² is made use of
within the slot 8; this guide g² is upon a slide arm g³, and the attaching scrow h
passes through a slot in the arm g³, so that the guide g³ can be drawn back to open
the slot and allow the introduction or removal of the braid, and for this purpose a
turning cam button 10 at the end of 9 is shown that takes against the stock piece
h2, and draws back and holds the gauge g² against the action of a spring that other-
wise holds the gauge towards the needle side of the slot. This gauge g² determines
the position of the edge of the braid relatively to the point where the perforation
by the needle takes place, and for varying this point, the gauge should be adjust-
able.
At the other side of the ascending strip of braid there is the gauge ³ that hangs
down in the slot 8. This gauge k² is attached to a plate that lies upon the bed
a, and is secured by a clamp screw 15 that allows of its adjustment.
A nut 16 upon a screw 17 that projects from the plate ³, is provided with a
grooved neck that sets between vertical horns on a plate that is connected to the
plate a², so that by turning the nut 16, the plate k³, and gauge k³, will be moved
one way or the other to suit the width of braid made use of. Upon the plate ³ is
a third gauge 12 for the edge of the previously sewed braid or fabric; this gauge is
adjusted upon the plate ³ by the screw ³, and clamped after adjustment by the
screw 19.
By these gauges the relative position of the braid to the edge of the previously
sewed braid can be adjusted, and also the position of such braid and material to the
needle, so that the line of sewing can be properly made.

page_text: A cam on the main shaft gives a definite swinging movement at the proper time
to the stock of the feeding device, by means of the lever n², link n³, and a cam
upon the driving shaft.
At the end of the stock is a plate that passes below the braid, and in the upper
part of the stock is a movable jaw 8 that is closed by a spring t², and can be
opened for inserting the braid, and there is an arm 20 that projects from the side of
the jaw 8, and this lies upon the roller 21 that is upon a standard that passes up
through a slot in the bed a², and is part of a lever beneath the bed, the end of
which lever rests upon a cam on the main shaft. When this cam lifts the lever
and roller 21, the jaw 82 is raised to open the same; at this time, the backward
movement towards the folder f' takes place. The cam then ceases to act, the
spring t² closes the jaw, & grips the fabric, and the feed cam moves the jaw laterally
away from the folder or crimper, drawing the fabric out from the slot, straightening
the crimp, and moving the fabric and braid along the distance required for the next
stitch.
What is claimed and to be secured by Letters Patent is,-
First. The combination of the feed rolls of a sewing machine with the forked
crimping plate n and mechanism, substantially as described for reciprocating said
crimping plate.
Second. The combination in a sewing machine of the fluted rollers m, m, for
feeding and crimping the material, with the needle b attached to its needle bar,
and having a reciprocating motion in and out of the said material, as set forth.
Third. The method herein specified of sewing braid for hats, consisting in per-
forating the loose braid with the eye-pointed needle, passing the needle through a
crimp of the previously sewed braid or fabric, and then passing the shuttle thread
through the loop of needle thread or looping such needle thread, so that the shuttle
threads or chain stitch loops are between the two thicknesses of braid, substantially
as set forth.
Fourth. The combination in a sewing machine of a folder or crimper, a guide for
the braid below the surface of the bed, an eye-pointed needle acting near the surface
of the bed, and a feeding mechanism acting upon the sewed material, substantially
as set forth.
Fifth. The combination with the guide for the edge of the sewed material, of a
guide that passes down into a slot in the bed, and guides one edge of the braid
in said slot, substantially as set forth.
Sixth. The combination with the guide in the slot of the bed, of the adjustablo
guide g² in the same slot, for the opposite edge of the braid, substantially as set
forth.
Seventh. The cam-shaped throat
in the cylindrical guide 3, in combination
with the reciprocating eye-pointed needle, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Petor Jensen, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
PETER JENSEN. (LS.)