IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTON-HOLE ATTACHMENTS FOR SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1885

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
I, JOHN KENNEDY HARRIS, of Springfield, in the county of Clarke, and State of
Ohio, one of the United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTON-HOLE ATTACHMENTS FOR
SEWING MACHINES" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Fig 1 is a plan view of a button-hole attachment embodying my invention.
Fig 218 a sectional side view of the same
Fig 3 is a plan view of the feed bar and its operating pinion
Fig 4 is a plan view of a modified form of rack for the feed bar
Figs 5 and 6 are representations of button-holes worked with my device
My invention relates to certain improvements on the button-hole attachment
shown by my British patent number 3774, dated August 30, 1881, the object of
the present invention being to render the feeding mechanism automatic during the
entire working of the button-hole, so that when the device is set in operation the
button-hole may be entirely finished without further attention from the operator
such as was required in my former attachment when the button-hole was partly
completed.
In the drawing, A indicates the swinging or oscillating feed bar which is
provided, at its forward end, with the usual cloth-clamp B, and at its rear end
with a continuous rack Cc, formed in two portions, the portion c being adjustable
to vary the working length of the rack and thus adapt it to button-holes of
different sizes
The feed bar is oscillated to form the overseam or overedge stitches in the same
manner as my patent above referred to, that is to say by means of the bell-crank
lever D, operated by the needle bar of the sewing machine and having pivoted to
its lower or vertical arm, a transverse lever e engaging alternately with lugs ƒ of
an oscillator F, the latter being connected by the screw f¹, and block f³, to the
feed bar, and by the circular projection f³, to a sliding plate G, having inclined
lugs g, against which the level e alternately impinges, said inclined lugs causing
said lever to vibrate so that it engages the lugs f, of the oscillator alternately.
The feed bar A, is provided near its centre with a guiding slot a, in which
loosely fits the block f, said bar swinging on said block as its position is changed
an working the ends of the button-holes, as will be explained

page_text: At the rear end of the attachment is a short vertical shaft H carrying an
adjusting wheel h, a ratchet wheel I, and a pinion K, the latter gearing with the
feed bar rack Co
To the lower or vertical arm of the operating bell-orank lever D is attached
a pawl L engaging the ratchet wheel I, and serving to operate the same as the said
lever is vibrated, a detaining pawl preventing said wheel from moving back-
wards. The feed bar is provided with an extensible guide M formed of two
overlapping portions, one of which is movable with the adjustable part o of the
rack The guide M, is engaged by the upper end of the shaft H, and thus serves
to hold the pinion in gear with the rack, the ends of the guide being rounded to
conform to the shape of the rack
From the foregoing it will be apparent that as the operating level D is vibrated
the feed bar will be oscillated or moved laterally to form overedge stitches for the
button-hole in the fabric held in the cloth clamp B, the vibrating movements of
the said operating lever simultaneously causing the pawl L to intermittingly rotate
the ratchet wheel I, and the pinion K meshing with the rack Co, thus imparting a
feeding or longitudinal movement to the feed bar and cloth clamp carried by the
latter
When the end of the button-hole is reached the pinion continuing in gear with
the rounded ond of the rack, will move the feed har sidewise, making a series of
overlapping stitches at the end of the button-hole thus forming a strong bar or
finish for the latter If a button-hole with an eye, as in Fig 5, is to be made, the
continuous rack will have an enlarged outer end, as in Figs 1 and 3, but for working
straight button-holes, as shown by Fig 6, a rack of the form shown in Fig 4 will
be employed The hand wheel h can be used for turning the shaft H to adjust
the feed bar to any desired position independently of the operating mechanism.
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 In a button-hole attachment for sewing machines the combination with the
feed bar and the cloth-clamp of a continuous rack, having rounded ends, an
intermittingly rotated pinion and a guide for retaining the latter in gear with said
rack, substantially as hereinbefore set forth
2 In a button-hole attachment for sewing machines the combination with a
cloth-clamp of a feed plate or bar therefor provided with a continuous adjustable or
extensible rack, having semi-circular or rounded ends, an intermittingly rotating
pinion and an adjustable or extensible guide for retaining the latter in gear with
the said rack, substantially as hereinbefore set forth
3 In a button-hole attachment for sewing machines the combination with an
oscillating and longitudinally movable feed bar carrying a cloth-clamp at its
forward end and provided at its rear end with a continuous adjustable or extensible
rack, having rounded ends, an intermittingly rotated pinion and an adjustable or
extensible guide for the pinion stud, whereby fabrics may be automatically
moved to entirely work different sized button holes without turning the goods or
cloth-clamp bodily around the vertical line in which the needle reciprocates,
substantially as hereinbefore set forth.