Improvements in Embroidering Machines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 14th May, 1890-Accepted, 18th Oct., 1890'
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Embroidering Machines..
A communication from LOUIS LEGRAND, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of
Belgium.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E., 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 :-
In the embroidering frames hitherto used the following points required special
attention.
The motion of the frame carrying the fabric to be embroidered which motion is
obtained by means of a pantograph moved by the operative by hand.
The opening and closing of the gripping jaws effected by means of two foot-boards
by pressing which a number of eccentrics are operated through the medium of a series
of levers.
The passage of the needles through the fabric, caused by needle-carriers and other
gearing set in motion by the operative turning a crank handle.
The passage of the threads through the fabric obtained by the continued motion of
the said needle-carriers.
The control of the tension of the thread, also effected by means of the crank-handle
pressed upon more or less by the operative when the needle-carriers have brought the
threads to the end of their stroke or path.
Now the object of my invention is to obtain mechanically all the movements,
enumerated above except that of the pantograph which the workman still has to
guide by hand; the result of such improvement being that the working capacity of
the embroidering frame is materially increased, while the hand labour is reduced.to
a minimum; and that to double the amount of work obtainable it is only necessary
to couple together two frames.
Having the pantograph only to operate the attendant may devote both hands to
this work.
The motion whereby the gripping jaws are caused to open or close is obtained
by means of a cam acting through a series of rods upon the two eccentrics of the
said jaws.
The passage of the needles through the material embroidered upon is here also
obtained by means of sliding needle-carriers. The crank handle however is in this
case replaced by a cam imparting a uniform and continuous motion to both needle
carriers whose path or stroke is limited to 5 centimetres (about 2 inches) instead of
being adjustable according to circumstances.
The threads are drawn through the stuff by racks or combs carrying as many takers
as there are needles employed in the frame. Each of the racks alternately grasps the
threads and through its rotary motion draws them through the fabric to their full
extent. This movement would be very simple if the threads always remained of
uniform length, but becoming as they do shorter at each stitch, and that to a variable
extent, it is necessary to provide means to impart. to the said racks a differential
motion. This is obtained by means of a cam, acting upon the shaft of the racks, through
the medium of a plate provided with a variable detent arrangement.
As regards lastly the tension of the threads it is easily and uniformly effected after
each stitch by means of a spring acting upon the said rack at the precise moment when
the latter has with the threads reached the end of its stroke.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 Sheet I, is a front elevation of an embroidering frame or machine embodying
my invention supposed to be broken through the centre.

page_text: Fig. 2 Sheet 11, is a plan of the same.
Fig. 3 Sheet III, is an elevation of the right hand end of the machine as shown
in Figure 1.
Figs. 4, 41, 42, 43, Sheet III, are detail views of the cam operating the reciprocating
carriages or slides whereon the needle holders are arranged.
Fig. 5, Sheet IV, is an elevation of the left hand end of the machine as shown
in Figure 1.
Fig. 6, Sheet IV, is a detached view of the cam adapted to control the opening and
closing of the jaws or holders by means of a pendulum motion acting upon the eccentric
shafts.
Fig. 7, Sheet V, is a view seen from the right of Figure 1 of portion of the apparatus
part of the supporting frame being removed so as to show the arrangements of the
plates or discs fitted with the variable detent or locking arrangement operating the
thread-taking racks or combs.
Fig. 8, Sheet V, is a plan of Figure 7.
Fig. 9, Sheet V, is a section on line x of Figure 8.
Fig. 10 Sheet VI, is an enlarged sectional view of the gear wheel and cam plate
for supplementing the tension of the threads by means of springs.
Fig. 11, Sheet VI, is a diagram showing the movements performed by the
threads.
Fig. 12 indicates the position of the cam operating the needle-holding carriages
in relation to that of the cam operating the racks of the variable detent plate.
The cam here drawn in full lines is that which actuates the needle carriers, while
the one indicated in dotted lines is that which controls the detent racks.
On Sheet VII Figs. A, B, C, and D, are respectively an enlarged vertical section,
transverse section, longitudinal section and external view of the parts combined to form
the variable detent plate.. Fig. E Sheet VII; is a view of piece forming the incline
whereby the box 12 of the variable detent plate is thrown into or out of gear:
The same letters of reference designate like parts in all figures.
The pantograph is not shewn in the accompanying drawings as its form does
not differ from that ordinarily used and its position in relation to the other parts
of the machine is the same as that which it has always occupied in embroidery
frames.
Motion is imparted to the embroidering frame by means of suitable driving gear
consisting of a fast pulley B₁ and a fly-wheel B2, the shaft carrying these is also
provided with a loose pulley B and a pinion B3 by the latter of which, motion is
transmitted to the gear wheel B which in its turn operates another gear wheel of
the same diameter B secured on to the main shaft C extending across the machine
from end to end.
With each of the wheels B and B a pinion B is in gear both pinions B being of
the same diameter. This mechanism is the same on both sides of the frame; both
counter-parts being connected by means of the shaft C.
A cam G (Fig. 6 Sheet 4 Fig. 3 Sheet 3) is mounted upon the main shaft C. This
cam works in a collar Q carrying two internal rollers qq, this collar is connected on
one side to the frame by means of an arm R pivoted at r and on the other side to a
rod T by means of a pin S. This rod at its upper part is connected to a crank t mounted
upon the shaft or pivot of an upper lever or bean U. From the two ends of this
lever U two rods u extend downwardly and are connected to the lever arms or cranks u¹
of the eccentric shafts V whereby the jaws or holders i Fig. 3 are opened and closed.
Two other rods u² connected at their upper ends to the rods u transmit motion to the
lower jaws or holders, assuming the frame to be formed of two sections placed one
above the other as shown in Fig. 3. The closing motion of the holders of one carriage
corresponds to the opening motion of those of the other carriage and the same motion
is repeated on both sides of the frame.
Pinions B are secured on shafts H each of which carries a cam H. Two of these
cams are adapted to impart reciprocating motion to the front carriage I one on the
right and one on the left, the other two cams performing the same action in regard' to

page_text: the back carriage.
and 43 Sheet 3.
The arrangement of one of
Referring now to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the carriages I are supported by
rollers X in the ordinary manner, the difference being however that whereas in the
looms bitherto used their stroke was generally one metre long it does not exceed
five centimetres in the present arrangement as they are only required here to cause
the needles to pass through the material while the threads are stretched by a separate
mechanism.
The cams H consist of grooved discs turning with shafts H whereon they are
secured. Within the groove of each of these plates works a roller K mounted upon
a stud L (Figs. 4 41 42 43 Sheet 3) the stud of this roller is secured to the frame of
carriage I the relative position of the said roller in regard to the displacement of the
carriage may be adjusted by means of a screw / supplemented by a lock nut the screw
being adjustable in a guide provided for the purpose in the frame containing the said
pin of the roller.
On one side of the frame the shafts carrying the wheels D D¹ gearing with the
pinions d extend beyond the said wheels and are each provided with a cam 18 of
irregular shape shewn in dotted lines in Fig. 12 sheet 6 and Fig. 7 sheet 5.
The cams 18 secured on their respective shafts serve to operate the racks 15 each
through the medium of a roller 17 fixed to each of the racks.
These racks reciprocate in a horizontal direction and each is guided at one end by a
fork supported by the shaft of the cam and at the other end by. a guide J. When
under the action of the cams 18 the racks 15 have completed their stroke they are
carried back each to its original position by a spiral spring 16 one end of which is
attached to the rack and the other to one of the uprights 6 of the machine frame.
As these bars operate two apparatus of exactly similar construction, the one in
front and the other behind the frame, it is only necessary to describe one of these
apparatus. We shall therefore herein describe the front apparatus, viz., that which
imparts motion to the two front racks or combs. The rack 15 acts upon a disc 14 herein
termed "
a variable detent dise" and one third of whose periphery is provided with
teeth; on sheet 7 these parts are shewn at one third of their real size.
This disc is loose on its shaft which also supports the arms carrying the thread
taking rack or comb. The disc is provided with a notch 19 with which engages. a
bolt 11 carried by one of the arms 4 of the said thread taking rack so that the disc
becomes as it were integral with the shaft when the bolt rests in the notch. This
bolt is pressed into the notch under the action of a small spring 10 controlled by an
adjusting screw, it is however bevelled on one side so as to be capable of being
raised notwithstanding the action of the said spring when the box 12 is moved so as
to insert its wedge shaped edge between the bolt 11 and the disc 14. The horizontal.
reciprocating motion of this box will be presently more fully described.
In addition to the bolt the arın 4 carries a stop 9 intended to come in contact in its
upward motion with an adjusting serew 4¹ (Figs. 7, 8, 9 sheet 5).
The variable detent disc 14 also carries three pawls 13 which cause a ratchet wheel 1
to revolve when the said disc 14 turns in the direction indicated by the arrow in
Fig. A sheet 7 but leave the said wheel in the same position when turning, in the
opposite direction. These three pawls are each of different length or differently
pivoted to the extent of about one third of the length of one tooth so as to render
their action upon the ratchet wheel 1 exceedingly prompt it being only necessary to
move the pawls to the extent of the third of a tooth length instead of the length of a
complete tooth to ensure the engagement of one of the pawls with one of the teeth.
This ratchet wheel 1 is not rigidly fixed upon its shaft but is driven in one direc-
tion by the pawls 13 and in the other direction by the friction wheel. For this
purpose a friction plate 3 is fixed to the shaft and a spring 6 adjustable by a nut and
lock-nut or equivalent means, constantly presses the ratchet wheel 1 against the fast
plate 3 these being separated from each other by a leather or equivalent washer 2.
To make the mechanism more compact it will be seen that the nave or boss of

page_text: i
disc 3 is used as a shaft for disc 14 and in the same way the nave or boss of the ratchet
wheel serves as the shaft of box 12.
It has been stated before that the box 12 receives a horizontal reciprocating motion
upon the sleeve formed by the nave or boss of the ratchet wheel, this motion is
obtained by means of a piece arranged on the back device, in other words, the front
box receives its motion from the back piece and conversely by means of the lever 8.
This piece is formed of a segment 7 in the edge of which is a cam groove 21 within
which travels a roller 20 situated at the end of the lever 8. This lever 8 carries at its
opposite end blocks engaging with the groove collar or boss of the box 12.
The two levers, viz. the front one and the back one, cross each other in their length;
they are pivoted by means of the pins 81 81 provided on the frame of the machine see
Figs. 7 and 8 sheet 5. Part of only one of these levers is shown in Figs. C and D so
as to enable the inclined way or path 7 to be clearly seen. Fig. B shows the end
roller 20 of one of the two levers and so does Fig. E.
In order to properly stretch the threads a lever M Figs. I II and V is placed within
easy reach of the operative. This lever operates a small gear wheel m engaging
another gear wheel m' Fig. 5 of the same diameter. Each of these wheels supports
by its shaft the end of a spring N. Each of these springs is provided on its lower
surface with a roller n travelling over the inclined end of a segment ☐ secured against
the side of the toothed wheels B and B5, see Fig. 10 sheet 6 which is an enlarged
'view' of the arrangement.
The free end of each of the springs N rests upon a roller o fixed to one of the
Vertical toothed rods or racks P the motion of which is conveyed to sectors pp
secured to the shafts 5 and 51 of the thread taking racks or combs of both the
superposed parts of the machine.
When it is required to operate the lever M the operative releases the catch of such
lever from the stop notches of the quadrant M! and then moves the said lever over
so as to place the springs N under compression or tension so that they will exert a
more or less powerful action upon the shafts of the racks or combs so long as the
said springs are not supported by the segments O.
To enable the operation of the machine to be understood I shall revert again to the
motion of the aforesaid racks or combs and describe the manner in which a stitch is
'formed.
There are two racks or combs E for each row of needles one in front of and the
other behind, the fabric to be embroidered. Each rack or comb is provided with
thread takers e made preferably of wood and the number of which corresponds to that
of the needles employed. The upper racks are connected with the lower ones by
means of toothed sectors p and a rack P. The operation being the same in the case of
the front racks as in that of the back ones I shall only here describe the motion of one
rack or comb carrying shaft.
.
Let us suppose the carriages or slides to be practically open, and that the needles
have just passed behind the stuff. The front rack or comb which had held the
stretched threads has now moved up again loosening but not releasing the threads the
object of this being to prevent the wear of the threads; it continues to move up
in proportion as the back comb descends thus always being the same distance in
advance.
The front rack or comb rises in this manner until it reaches a point somewhat below
the needles where the threads automatically become unhooked while the rack or comb
encounters a stop 4¹ limiting its upward stroke. From this moment the motion of the
rack or comb continues the same for all stitches no matter whether the threads are
long or short. It must indeed in the first place sink or recede under the needles so as
to allow of the passage of the carriage, while the grippers close to grasp the needles;
then it rises again to take hold of the threads that will be presented to it; and this
movement is effected with sufficient abruptness to enable the threads to be at once
grasped with the required firmness. The threads are hooked on to the rack before the
carriage is quite open so that they are stretched by the very act of the said carriage

page_text: opening, and of themselves take up their position under the thread-taker. For the
same reason the back thread is stretched somewhat at that moment. As soon as the
thread or threads are hooked on to the taker, the rack or comb descends until
the threads are sufficiently stretched, but becomes free before the threads are fully
extended at approximately the end of their course. When free the thread is stretched
by means of the spring N which at that moment acts upon the shaft of the rack or
comb through the medium of the rollers provided on the vertical racks P P.
At this moment another variable interval occurs. The rack remains stationary
for a longer or shorter space of time until the carriage begins to move towards the
As the carriage
work. Then the stationary movement is repeated for all stitches.
approaches the material embroidered upon, the thread rises and continues its upward
At a certain
motion during the time occupied by the opening of the sliding frame.
point the carriage stops so as to thoroughly stretch the threads which are to be taken
up by the back takers the rack or comb continues its upward motion in the manner
described above.
It will thus be understood that two movements must be imparted to the rack-carry-
ing shaft for each stitch such movements being separated by two intervals of time
during which the shaft remains at rest for a variable period. All these movements
are obtained as before stated by means of the cam 18 acting upon the detent disc 14
by means of the rack 15.
The rack 15 which receives the continuous motion from the cam acts upon the
disc 14 by means of teeth provided upon the circumference of the disc this disc is not.
rigidly attached to but loose upon its shaft and connected to the lever arm 4 and the
rack E through the medium of the spring controlled bolt or pin 11. The arm 4 is in
operative position when the bolt 11 adjustable by its regulating screw engages disc 14.
When this connection is established the rack E follows the motion imparted to the
disc 14 but remains independent of such motion if the connection is not made. When
the threads are of full length, the pin 11 does not get out of gear but so long as
this is not the case the rack E must stop before the rack 15 has been brought to the
termination of its stroke.
The pin 11 is released by means of a circular bevelled edge provided on the box 12
which for the purpose takes up its position under the said pin. This box 12 receives
its motion from a lever arm 8 operated by the shaft of the rack situated behind the
material. In the same way another lever 8 receives its oscillatory motion from the
shaft of the front rack so as to effect the release of the back detent.
When the pin is thus released the disc 14 continues its motion without exerting any
action upon the shaft which remains free until the rack E is required to move up again.
For this purpose a ratchet wheel 1 loose on its shaft is pressed by a spiral spring 6
against a plate 2 made preferably of leather which transmits the friction to a plate or
disc 3 secured to a conical part of the shaft. Three pawls fixed upon the plate 14
are in gear with the ratchet wheel 1 so that the motion of this wheel only becomes
dependent on that of the plate 14 when the latter is turned in the inverse direction,
that is to say when it tends to raise the comb but as soon as it encounters too powerful
a resistance upon the shaft 5 the said ratchet wheel slips on the disc 3 (see particularly
sheet VII). Thus all the movements that are required are obtained by the means just
described. When the front rack rises, the bolt or pin 11 is released and the plate or
disc 14 imparts its motion to the plate 3 shaft 5 and arm 4 by means of the ratchet
wheel 1. When the rack or comb reaches the end of its upwards stroke the lever
plate being positively driven again overcomes the friction and begins to turn. The
plate 3 then stops whereas the wheel 1 continues to turn but during the upward motion
of the plate 3 the pin 11 had met the notch 19 in the disc and entered it, thus
re-establishing the connection between the rack and the disc 14. This disc now imparts
the downward motion to the rack so as to prevent it coming in contact with the needle
holders and then causes it to move up again so as to seize the threads and lastly
makes it move downwards once more so as to stretch the threads. At the moment
when the threads are about to be stretched the opposite racks are always in the same

page_text: J
position namely near the end of their upward stroke and the lever 8 acts upon the
box 12 and releases the pin 11 so that the rack is free again.
So long as the disc 14 tends to cause a downward motion to the rack the pawls 13
slide over the teeth of the wheel 1 but as soon as it begins to move in the inverse
direction these pawls engage the teeth and cause the rack to move upwards.
The description of our apparatus may here be concluded and we will only add that
it has the additional great advantage of enabling two machines to be combined
-together one operative being capable of attending to both. All that is necessary to
effect this is to connect the pantographs of both machines.
Having now. particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:
1. In an improved embroidering frame or machine the combination and employment
of an arrangement of a variable detent plate or disc whereby a rectilinear, curved
and a circular motion may be obtained in succession, consisting of a shaft provided
with a conical piece at one of its ends whereon a friction plate or disc is secured, with
a disc provided with a toothed segment set loosely upon the nave of a friction wheel
lined with leather or any other equivalent material and of a movable ratchet wheel
mounted on the same shaft; all for the purpose of establishing or interrupting the
connection between the moving plate or disc and the shaft.
2. In combination with the ratchet wheel, mounted upon the shaft of the variable
detent mechanism, spiral spring bearing against the extended nave of the said ratchet
wheel for the purpose of pressing the latter against the friction plate or when the
said plate is not caused to rotate owing to its connection with the plate carrying the
toothed segment substantially as described and shown.
3. In combination with the ratchet wheel and the friction disc mounted upon
the shaft of the variable detent mechanism the plate provided with a toothed
segment and carrying one or more pawls intended to engage the said ratchet
wheel when the said toothed plate turns in one direction and to release the said
wheel when the plate turns in the other direction for the purpose of producing
or preventing resistance and thereby controlling the motion of the thread taking
racks or combs substantially as and for the purpose specified and as shown in the
accompanying drawings.
*
4. In combination with the plate or disc provided with a toothed segment of
a variable detent mechanism a spring controlled pin adapted to enter a notch
formed in the periphery of the said toothed plate or disc for the purpose of con-
necting the latter to the lever guiding the thread taking racks in their downward
motion, the said pin being moved in a case or box formed in a projection or boss
integral with the body of the lever fixed to the shaft of the variable detent
mechanism substantially as and for the purpose described and shown in the
accompanying drawings.
5. In combination with the plate or disc provided with a toothed segment and
with the ratchet wheel forming part of the variable detent mechanism the box
with a bevelled edge forming a circular wedge intended to take up its position
between the point. of engagement of the lever carrying the thread taking racks
and the periphery of the partly toothed plate or disc for the purpose of rendering
the said lever independent of the motion of the said plate or disc turning under
the impulse of a rack or bar which itself is acted upon by turns either by a cam
or a spring substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
6. In combination with a box provided with a circular bevelled flange and with
an external collar movable upon the extended nave of the ratchet wheel, a forked
lever pivoted in such a position as to impart to the said box a reciprocating
motion upon the central shaft of the variable detent mechanism for the purpose
of throwing into or out of gear a bolt, mounted upon the lever carrying the thread-

page_text: taking racks or combs, the motion of the lever operating the bevel edged box
being obtained by providing one of the ends of the said lever with a roller
travelling in an inclined way or path performing the action of a cam provided in
a segment arranged at the end of the shaft of the second variable detent mechanism
and conversely substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
7. In combination with the variable detent mechanism the lever carrying the
thread-taking racks or combs one end of which is carried by the shaft of the said
variable detent mechanism which lever, is provided with a stop on its upper
surface for the purpose of offering a point of contact to the stationary but
adjustable stop provided on the frame of the machine for the control of the length
of the stroke of the thread taking racks in relation to the position of the needles
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
8. In combination with the disc or plate provided with toothed segment of a
variable detent mechanism the toothed bar provided with roller arranged horizontally
in the direction of the width of the frame, such bar being adapted to engage the
teeth of the said partly toothed plate or disc for the purpose of undergoing their
action under the impulse of the toothed bars and through the medium of cams
mounted upon shafts operated by the driving gear of the machine the said cams
being secured to the said shafts in the same direction and the said toothed bars being
brought back to their initial position when the cams are out of effective contact by
means of spiral or other springs substantially as and for the purpose specified and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
9. In an embroidering frame or machine the employment and combination of the
springs adapted to control the tension of the thread such springs consisting of steel
plates or bands one end of which is rolled round suitable spindles each of which is
provided with a pinion operated by a locking lever adapted to travel over an arc of a
circle and having its motion limited by a stop notch the opposite ends of the said
springs leaning against the projection provided with a roller fixed to the vertical
toothed bars acting upon toothed segments rigidly secured to the shafts to which
are wedged the levers carrying the thread-taking racks or combs in combination
with the variable detent mechanisms substantially as described and shown in the
accompanying drawings.
10. In combination with the springs provided for controlling the tension of the
threads a roller carried by the lower portions of the said springs and adapted to be
raised by a cam fixed to the nave of each of the gear wheels for the purpose of
compressing the said springs or allowing them to expand whereby a reciprocating
motion is imparted to the vertical toothed bars combined with the variable detent
mechanism the ends of the said springs exerting their pressure at the point above the
said toothed bars substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
11. The whole of the improvements herein above specified and the application
thereof to embroidering frames or machines of all kinds whether constructed
according to this invention or according to any of the systems hitherto known the
details of the construction being variable according to the nature of the frame or
machine the improvements are to be applied to.
Dated this 14th day of May 1890.
WP. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.