Improvements in or connected with Sewing Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 4th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 13th Feb.. 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Sewing Machines.
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON, of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has been
communicated to me from abroad by Heinrich Springmann of 3 Hindersinstrasse,
Berlin, in the German Empire, Engineer) to be as follows:-
or any other
This invention relates to those classes of sewing machines which comprise
annular, or other loop-takers, loop-catchers, or like arrangements, and the main
distinguishing feature of which is that the device adapted to intercept the loop
(whether the point of the shuttle, an annular, or other loop-taker,
suitable part of machinery) is arranged to move at right angles to the lower shaft
of the machine. And as the loop-taker very frequently is rigidly secured to the
shaft, and furthermore, where shuttles are used-as the shuttle is adapted to
perform its swinging, or rotary, movements, or strokes, within a closed-in race;
when it is desired to change the spool, it suffices in most cases to take out the
spool alone,or only, perhaps, along with the cap, or other similar attachment,
appertaining to it. This operation, heretofore, has usually been performed by
hand, and therefore, has not only caused the operator a great deal of inconvenience
and loss of time, but has required also a certain amount of training, or skill, on
the part of the person performing it, owing to the fact that the hand has had but
little space to move in, and that it is not an easy matter to get the spool out of its
recess in which it is pretty deeply embedded.
Besides this the operator is in many instances compelled to turn back the top
part of the machine on its hinges, so as to expose the whole of the driving gearing,
and make room for the removal of the spool by hand. This takes a long time and
is tedious and absorbs more of the operators attention than he often can afford to
give it.
Efforts have been made to overcome such inconveniences by an arrangement
somewhat like a spool ejector but these have not proved satisfactory.
The improvements according to this invention provide means or devices of great
simplicity and durability whereby the spool can be more effectively than hitherto,
moved outside the machine and placed within easy reach whenever access thereto
is desirable.
According to this invention, by either touching a knob or button or depressing
a lever the working point of which is projecting aside from the bed plate of the
machine at a place as much as possible out of the way of the material to be sewn,
positive motion is, by external operation, imparted to a mechanical device which,
in its turn, is adapted to act, by either pressure, or tension, and either directly, or
through suitable mechanical agencies,-upon the spool situated within the loop-
taker, shuttle, or spool-carrier, (as the case may be). The spool, thus subjected to
pressure or tension, therefore, leaves the recess enclosing it, without requiring the
assistance of the operators hand, it being unnecessary to shift a sliding-plate,
carrying the spool-holder, or to move a combination of levers, acting on the spool,
or to touch either the spool, or its cap, or to perform any of the other complicated
manipulations which spool-changing has hitherto occasioned. All the operator
needs to do is to put his open hand under the spool, for it to drop in, or to hold a

page_text: small basket, or cage, ready for its reception; so that, the removal of the spool by
this mechanical or, as it were, automatic method, may be performed very quickly
and in a perfectly reliable and satisfactory manner, care being taken that the
mechanical device, when not in operation automatically returns to a position such
that resistance resulting from friction is avoided. The re-insertion of a fresh
spool, filled with thread, offers no difficulty: such re-insertion being, of course,
effected by hand.
In carrying out this invention it is imperative that the device, employed in its
performance should be either altogether inoperative, or, if it move at all, be idle,
whilst sewing is going on.
The arrangement embodying this invention mainly consists of small rods or pins,
small pistons, or hooks, or one such device so arranged within the casing of the
loop-taker, shuttle or spool-carrier, that it or they participates or participate in the
motion of the shaft whereon the spool-holding device is mounted and may be
caused, by mechanism positively connected with it or them, and alapted to be
operated from outside (such as a hand lever, button, or the like) to act upon the
spool, so as to move it out of the machine into a readily accessible position when
required.
When such pressing pin, piston, hook, or the like, is arranged within the shaft
carrying the spool-holding device (the shaft being as usual properly hollowed out
for the purpose) and the rest of the arrangement such, that the said pressure pin
or its equivalent shall be retained wholly within the said shaft by spring pressure,
under normal conditions; and be provided with a stud, finger, or arm, emerging,
laterally from the said shaft, such stud, finger, or arm, being connected with an
adjusting ring moveably arranged upon the shaft, provision being made for shifting
the ring in opposition to the spring pressure exercised upon the said arm, or the
like, and for this purpose it may according to this invention be acted upon by a
lever or sliding piece the end of the said lever or piece projecting beyond the edge
of the sewing machine frame, so that it may be readily grasped by the operators
hand even in case the table or bed plate of the sewing machine be covered with
the material being sewn. This may be done for example by arranging the knob
or sliding piece near to the standard of the machine. Such movement or adjust-
anent of the ring makes the front end of the pressing pin or piston enter by a
springing forward movement into the space wherein the spool is enclosed, and
consequently it will force or drive the spool out of such space and with it any
spool-retainer there may be with it.
The invention also may be carried out in a modified form, by arranging the
said pins or pistons outside the shaft and parallel thereto within the wall of the
spool carrier, in which wall they should be moveable, like they are in the arrange-
ments first described, up to the time when they enter the space or recess enclosing
the spool. Their front ends may exercise their expelling action, upon the spool
either directly or indirectly; being, in the latter case, secured to some such
device as a disc or pulley, for example, interposed between the spool and the rear
wall of the chamber receiving them.
Instead of being guided by the rear wall of the spool-carrier, loop-taker, or the
like, the said pins or pistons may be embedded within the periphery of the spool
carrying medium and be so arranged that, when acted upon by an external lever or
knob, through the agency of suitable intermediate gearing, they may exercise the
desired action upon the spool.
Where a spool-bolder, or a cover for the spool-holder is provided, its con-
struction and arrangement may be such that it is caused to open at the required
moment, either by the mechanism expelling the spool, or by the spool itself as it
is thus expelled.
Dated this 4th day of March 1896.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: Improvements in or connected with Sewing Machines.
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON, of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has
been communicated to me from abroad by Heinrich Springmann of 3 Hindersin-
strasse, Berlin, Germany, Engineer,) 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 those classes of sewing machines which comprise
annular or other loop-takers, loop-catchers, or like arrangements, and the main
distinguishing feature of which is that the device adapted to intercept the loop
(whether the point of the shuttle, an annular, or other loop-taker, or any suitable
part of machinery) is arranged to move at right angles to the axis of the lower
shaft of the machine. And as the loop-taker very frequently is rigidly secured to
the shaft, and furthermore, where shuttles are used-as the shuttle is adapted to
perform its swinging, or rotary movements, or strokes within a closed-in race;
when it is desired to change the spool, it suffices in most cases to take out the
spool alone, or only, perhaps, along with the cap or other similar attachment,
appertaining to it. This operation heretofore, has usually been performed by
haud, and therefore has not only caused the operator a great deal of inconvenience
and loss of time, but has required also a certain amount of training, or skill, on the
part of the person performing it, owing to the fact that the hand has had but little
space to move in, and that it is not an easy matter to get the spool out of its recess
in which it is pretty deeply embedded.
Besides this the operator is in many instances compelled to turn back the top part
of the machine on its hinges, so as to expose the whole of the driving gearing to
make room for the removal of the spool by hand. This takes a long time and is
tedious and absorbs more of the operator's attention than he often can afford to
give it.
Efforts have been made to overcome such inconveniences by an arrangement
somewhat like a spool ejector but these have not proved satisfactory.
The improvements according to this invention provide means or devices of great
simplicity and durability whereby the spool can more effectively than hitherto be
moved outside the machine and placed within easy reach whenever access thereto
is desirable.
And in order that the said invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
figures on the annexed sheet of drawings, the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures:-
In the example illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings,
which figures represent respectively a longitudinal section through the bed plate ()
of a sewing machine and a plan of said plate, the loop-taker a is shown fixed to the.
shaft e, a bearing or eye for the latter being provided in a rib k projecting down-
ward from bed-plate h. The spool 6 situated within the loop-taker (shuttle or
spool carrier, as the case may be) is to be acted upon by a pressure bar or pin c
arranged within a hollow space in the shaft e, so as to admit of it being freely
moved longitudinally in the said space. A spring d surrounds the reduced forward
end of the pin and bears at one end against an annular nut m screwed into the outer
end of the recess the opposite end of the spring pressing upon a shoulder on the
pressure bar or pin c the said spring thus tending to maintain the pressure bar or
pin within the hollow space in the shaft e as shewn in Figure 1. A boss or

page_text: adjusting ring farranged to be shifted on the shaft e, is connected to the pressure
barc by means of a screw g. projecting through a slot provided in the outer wall of
the hollowed part of shaft e into a screwed hole in the pressure bar or pin. Thus
by shifting the boss toward the left, the pressure-har c is moved in the same
direction and the spring d compressed, on the shifting impulse ceasing, the spring
expanding again will move the pressure bar and boss back to their normal positions
shown in the drawing. The shifting impulse, according to the example represented
in Figures 1 and 2, is imparted to the boss f by an arm r of a lever i, the fulcrum
of which is secured in the bed plate ; the other arm of the lever carries a knob p
to be moved by the hand of the operator.
Assuming the spool 6 is required to be changed, the machine is arrested and the
knob p, visible at the front side of the bed plate, is pushed toward the right hand.
The arm of the lever i, consequently moves toward the left side and the pressure
bar c is impelled forward by the boss f, thus ejecting the spool b by the fore-part
of bar c entering the space wherein the spool is enclosed. All the operator needs
to do is to put his open hand under the spool to receive it, or to hold a small basket,
or cage, in position, for its reception. The removal of the spool by this means can
be performed very quickly and in a perfectly reliable and satisfactory manner,
whilst the mechanical device, when not in operation, is by means of á spring d or
its equivalent automatically returned to a position such, that resistance resulting
from friction is avoided. The insertion of a fresh spool filled with thread, offers no
difficulty, such insertion being, of course, effected by hand.
In Figure 2 a modification of the lever for operating the adjusting ring or boss f
is represented, according to which the knob, actuated by the hand of the operator
is arranged out of reach of the cloth or material being sewn. In place of the lever i
in Figures 1 and 2 a sliding rod r, is fitted to slide in a guide in the bed plate h,
the knob p' to be grasped by the operator's hand being near to the standard of the
machine, as clearly shown in Figure 2. By pushing the knob p' against the force
of a spring d', the boss or adjusting ring is moved in such a manner, that the
front end of the pressure pin or bar is caused to enter by a springing forward
movement into the space wherein the spool b is enclosed and consequently to force
or drive the spool out of such space and with it any spool-retainer, such for instance
as is represented at z in Figure 4.
According to the modified form of this invention, as illustrated in Figure 3,
pressure pins, bars, or pistons c are arranged outside the shaft e, and parallel thereto.
These pins bars or pistons are movably supported in the wall of the spool carrier a,
springs d serving to hold the said pins or pistons back in the position shown. The
front ends of these pins or pistons, projecting in the space enclosing the spool b may
be combined with or secured to a plate or disc S, interposed between the spool and
the rear wall of the chamber in the loop taker a. The disc S, however, constitutes
no essential feature of this invention, and it may be dispensed with, in which case
the front ends of the pistons f will exercise their expelling action on the spool
directly, instead of indirectly.
Opposite the rear ends of the pistons c there is arranged to slide on the shaft e a
sleeve or circular piece f combined with an adjusting lever or rod, such as is shown
ati in Figures 1 and 2 or in Figure 24, enabling the operator to move the said
sleeve or piece f toward the left and against the pins or pistons c and thus to expel
the spool bout of its place, as explained above.
Instead of being guided by the rear wall of the loop taker a the pins c may be
embedded within the periphery (Figure 4) of the loop taker or other spool-
carrying medium and be so arranged, that, when acted upon by an external lever or
knob, such as p or pl in Figures 1, 2, and 24, through the agency of suitable
intermediate gearing they may exercise the desired action upon the spool. In case
a spool holder or cover of a kind indicated by in Figure 4, or in any other form,
is provided, its construction and arrangement may be such, that it is caused to open
at the required moment either by the mechanism for expelling the spool or by the
spool itself as it is expelled.

page_text: In all cases the conditions fulfilled by the arrangements described are that the
device employed for expelling the spool is idle whilst sewing is going on, and the
springs (d, d) retain the expelling device, when in a state of rest, in sich position
that no part thereof is exposed to injurious friction while the machine is in
operation.
The foregoing description clearly shows, that by only either touching a knob or
button (p p) or suitably actuating its equivalent, the operating portion of which is
arranged at near one side of the bed plate of the machine, at a place as much as
possible out of the way of the material to be sewn, positive motion is by external
operation imparted to a mechanical device, which in its turn is adapted to act, by
either pressure or tension, and either directly or through suitable mechanical
agencies, upon the spool situated within the loop taker, and any one, skilled in the
art, will be able to construct mechanis:ns answering the purpose in question. In
cases where the spool is situated within the shuttle or spool carrier, instead of
within the loop taker, as supposed in the arrangements described, care should be
taken that in all cases the spool, this subjected to pressure or tension, leaves the
recess inclosing it, without requiring the assistance of the operator's hand, it being
unnecessary to shift a sliding-plate, carrying the spool-holder, or to move a combi-
nation of levers acting on the spool, or to touch either the spool, or its cap, or to
perform any of the other complicated manipulations which spool changing has
hitherto occasioned.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In sewing machines a spool expelling device characterized by one or more
pins, rods, or pistons, arranged to be pushed forward into the space enclosing the
spool, and directly or indirectly connected to or acted on at its or their rear ends.
by an adjusting ring (f), or a circular piece (f), which in turn is operated upon by
a lever (i) or sliding rod () adapted to be actuated from outside the bed plate of
the machine, substantially as herein before described.
2. In a spool expelling device, as characterized by Claim 1, the combination with.
the means described for expelling the spool (pin or bar e pins or pistons c, c, acted
upon by lever i or rod r) of a spring or springs (d d') for returning the parts to
their normal positions and retaining them in this position, so that no parts will be
in a position to cause friction, when the machine is at work, substantially as herein-
before described.
Dated this 4th day of December 1896.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents..