Improvements in Means for Driving Sewing Machines and the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 10th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 15th Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Driving Sewing Machines and
the like.
FRANK BRYAN, of 11 Brackley Terrace, Chiswick, in the County of Middlesex,
Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
This invention relates to the application of electricity to operating sewing
machines and consists in so arranging the motor that intermediate belting toothed
gearing or the like is dispensed with, the motor acting directly upon the spindle or
its equivalent (such as hitherto operated by a belt from the treadle) whereby a
large saving in the quantity of current required is effected, also the stopping and
starting of the motor is effected through a switch controlled by the foot and this
may be arranged in such a manner that resistance is readily thrown in or taken out
of the circuit and that when the circuit is entirely broken a mechanical or other
brake is caused to act so as to stop the motor or the brake may be put on
whilst the current is still passing.
The motor, for this reason, and also to ensure efficient protection from injury,
and to, as far as possible conform to the usual configuration of the ordinary sewing
machine, is arranged with fixed fields and an external rotating armature with radial
commutator, the enclosing case for the armature being preferably smooth regular
and highly polished admitting of the application of the hand to start or slightly
move the whole mechanism for adjusting the needle or the like operation, in the
same manner that the present hand wheel is used.
Arrangements are also made whereby the rotating armature on the main spindle
can be readily disconnected when it is wished to use the motor for spool winding or
similar purposes, this is readily effected by arranging the armature so that it is
clamped to the main spindle between a shoulder on the said spindle and a milled
headed nut on the same which can be readily slacked back by hand leaving the
armature free to do other work but run loose on the main spindle. That the milled
nut may not become detached, a left handed screw with head larger than the
diameter of the spindle is tapped into the end of the spindle.
Dated this 10th day of December 1891.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Driving Sewing Machines and
the like.
I, FRANK BRYAN, of 11 Brackley Terrace, Chiswick, in the County of Middlesex,.
Electrical Engineer, 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:-
This invention relates to the application of electricity to operating sewing
machines and consists in so arranging the motor that intermediate belting toothed
gearing or the like is dispensed with, the motor acting directly upon the spindle
or its equivalent (such as hitherto operated by a belt from the treadle) whereby a
large saving in the quantity of current required is effected. Also the starting and
stopping of the motor is effected through a switch controlled by the foot and this
Daini

page_text: may be arranged in such a manner that resistance is readily thrown in or taken out
of the circuit and that when the circuit is entirely broken a mechanical or other
brake is caused to act so as to stop the motor.
The motor, for this reason, and also to ensure sufficient protection from injury
and to as far as possible conform to the usual configuration of the ordinary sewing
machine, is arranged with fixed fields and an external rotating armature with radial
commutator, the enclosing case for the armature being preferably smooth, regular
and highly polished, admitting of the application of the hand to start stop or
slightly move the whole mechanism for adjusting the needle or the like operation,
in the same manner that the present hand wheel is used.
Arrangements are also made whereby the rotating armature on the main spindle
can be readily disconnected from the same when it is wished to use the motor for
spool winding or similar purposes, this is readily effected by arranging the armature
so that it is clamped to the main spindle between the shoulder on the said spindle
and a milled headed nut on the same which can be readily slacked back by hand
having the armature free to do other work but run loose on the main spindle. That
the milled nut may not become detached a left handed screw with head larger than
the diameter of the spindle is tapped into the end of the spindle.
I will now proceed to describe this invention with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
On Sheet 1 Fig I is a side elevation of the motor with the field magnets
armature windings & core removed, showing the commutator segments mounted on
a plate or disc of insulating material B fixed inside the metal case C.
Fig. IV is the same side elevation but with the field magnets F in position.
This also shows the armature core E which is preferably made of thin sheets of
iron but may be built up of iron wire. G G¹ are two screws for attaching the field
magnets to the pillar of the sewing machine.
Fig. 11 is a section through the motor on the line X X' and Fig. III a
section through the line Y Y¹ showing the metal case C holding the armature
and core E by its periphery, being kept from metallic contact with the wires
on the armature by the insulating material H surrounding the armature. I is
the spindle of the sewing machine on which is fixed by means of a grub screw
or other means the tube K having at its outer end a screw thread on which the
milled headed nut L is. fitted. This nut serves to clamp the case C against
the shoulder M and thus cause the rotation of the armature to carry with it the
spindle I.
The screw N prevents the nut L from being unscrewed more than a small amount
sufficient to free the case C from the collar M and thus to allow the armature to
run free from the machine for winding spools or other purposes.
The armature is wound in the usual well known manner and each section con-
nected to the corresponding section of the commutator A.
The brushes Of which press on the commutator may be made of brass, copper
.or other suitable material and are screwed to, but are insulated from the magnet F
and are of such a length and so adjusted as to press on the commutator at the
proper neutral points as is well known to electricians.
The field magnet may be wound and connections made in any of the well known
ways so as to use the machine as a series or shunt wound motor, but the series
winding is most suitable.
On Sheet 2, Fig. V shews the general arrangements of the connections and the
regulating resistance R with the switch S arranged to be worked by the depression
of the pedal P by means of the cord Q.
The brake T is pressed upwards against the revolving motor case C by the
spring U when the pedal P is released thus applying the brake to stop the motor
at the same time the current is cut off at the switch S.
The terminals V V₁ are arranged upon a case or cover W which is fixed to the
pillar of the machine in order to protect the armature etc. from injury.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
I. The application of an electric motor substantially as shown and described, for
driving a sewing machine or the like directly without the intervention of belting or
other gearing.
II. The combination of an electromotor and a regulating switch and pedal or
other equivalent device for the purpose, substantially as described.
III. The combination with an electrically driven sewing machine or the like of
a brake and regulating switch, substantially as and for the purposes described.
IV. The combination of an electromotor for driving a sewing machine or the
like, with a brake and regulating switch, substantially as and for the purposes
described.
Dated this 10th to 1000