Improvement in Buttonhole Sewing Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 20th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 25th May, 1894
.PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Buttonhole Sewing Machines..
GEORGE BENSON, 48 & 50 Fountain Street Belfast, Machinist JOHN LAIRD,
4 Hibernia Terrace Belfast, Mechanic do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of an improved method of sewing buttonholes by sewing
the two sides of the buttonhole simultaneously and at one operation.
To do this we employ that style of machine which uses a clamp for holding the
fabric, which clamp travels up and down the cloth plate the distance required for
the buttonhole, the needle being stationary except so far as is required to make
the buttonhole stitch.
Of these machines we adopt that known as the "Sellers."
Hitherto the fabric has been moved forward to make one side of stitching, and
then back to make the other side, only one shuttle and one needle being employed.
In this invention we employ two needles and two shuttles, working simultaneously
and sewing both sides of the hole at the same time. The first or ordinary needle
occupies its usual place. Immediately in front of it is the second needle, both being
held in position by a needle clamp. Two spools of thread are used. The first
needle is threaded from front to back, the second from back to front, both threads
are passed through the same thread guide and quadrant.
Two shuttles are used, a right and left hand one. The right hand-shuttle
supplies the under thread for the first or back needle, the left hand shuttle for the
second or front needle. Both shuttles are driven by one shuttle rod which has at
its furthest extremity two baskets or carriers placed side by side for the two
shuttles.
For giving the special movement to the clamp a triple outside cam is used.
The motion for regulating the depth of stitch is conveyed to the clamp by a feed
roller actuated by the triple cam, the roller working a small lever at the end of
and at right angles to a rocking shaft, and this shaft carrying on the motion to the
clamp.
The two outside cams are the same in size and shape and are employed for
giving the stitch to the two sides of the buttonhole, the inner cam for giving the
bridging stitch.
In operating the machine the fabric is placed in the clamp, the first bridge is
stitched, then the two sides of the buttonhole, then the last bridge, which completes
the buttonhole.
Dated this Trconte cocond dar of Amil 1802
GEO. BENSON.
JOHN LAIRD.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Buttonhole Sewing Machines.
GEORGE BENSON 48 & 50 Fountain Street Belfast Machinist JOHN LAIRD
4 Hibernia Terrace, Belfast Mechanic 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 consists of an improved method of sewing buttonholes by sewing
the two sides of the buttonhole simultaneously and at one operation.

page_text: To do this we employ that style of machine which uses a clamp for holding the
fabric, which clamp travels up and down the cloth plate the distance required for
the buttonhole, the needle being stationary except so far as is required to make the
buttonhole stitch...
Of these machines we adopt that known as the "Sellers."
Hitherto the fabric has been carried forward to make one side or row of
stitching, and then back to make the other side, only one shuttle and one needle
being employed.
In this invention we employ two needles and two shuttles working simultaneously
and sewing both sides of the hole at the same time.
The first or ordinary needle occupies its usual place. Immediately in front of it
is the second needle, both being held in position by a needle clamp. Two spools of
thread are used. The, first needle is threaded from front to back, the second from
back to front; both threads are passed through the same thread guide and quadrant.
Two shuttles are used, a right and left hand one. The right hand shuttle supplies
the under thread for the first or back needle, the left hand shuttle for the second or
front needle. Both shuttles are driven by one shuttle rod, which has at its furthest
extremity two baskets or carriers placed side by side for the two shuttles.
The clamp for holding the fabric which we will call the "holding clamp" is
moved up and down the needle plate by a stationary screw underneath working in
a boss on the under side of the "holding clamp."
The holding clamp consists of two parts, an upper and a lower. The upper is a
metal finger shaped like a buttonhole, attached to and carried by the lower. The
lower is a metal plate with a shaped recess meeting the upper, and is worked up
and down the needle plate by the above mentioned screw working in the boss.
The fixed screw at its end nearest a triple cam, carries a five toothed star
ratchet. This star ratchet is rotated by two discs at right anglés carrying pauls
or strikers.
-
The discs and a triple cam all slide on the same driving shaft and are thrown
in and out of gear by a clutch worked by a lever and this arrangement gives all
the motions required. For giving the bridging stitch, and the stitches for the two
sides of the buttonhole, a triple outside cam is used. The motion for these stitches
is conveyed to the holding clamp from the cams by a feed roller working on a
small lever at the end of and at right angles to a rocking shaft.
This rocking shaft carries at its other end a lever working against and pushing
a slide which moves in a groove cut in the aforesaid boss. To bring back this slide
a coil spring is used.
As this slide carries the holding clamp, the backwards and forwards motion
thus conveyed from the triple cams produces either the side, or bridging stitches.
The two outside cams are the same in size and shape and are employed for giving
the stitch to the two sides of the buttonhole; the inner cam for giving the bridging
stitch.
In order that our said invention may be clearly understood, we have hereunto
appended explanatory sheets of drawings.
Fig. I is the triple cam A and A 1 are the two outside cams, and B is the
inner cam.
Fig. 1 is the needle bar clamp and needles, C is the needle bar, D the clamp,
and E and E1 the needles, W is the small lever with the roller W 1.
Fig. 1 is the shuttle rod with two baskets attached F is the shuttle rod
G and G 1 are the two baskets or carriers.
Fig. IV shows the clutch J and its leverage, as worked by the handle H.
K and A1 are the two discs on each side of the star ratchet at end of screw L.
N is the lower part of the holding clamp and the upper.
Fig. V shows a back view of the holding clamp N and O and the screw L
working in the boss M.
Fig. VI shows the rocking shaft P carrying lever R for actuating the slide S.
Fig. 7 is a sectional end view showing the rocking shaft P carrying levers R.

page_text: and W. with the coil spring T, and a section of the stationary screw L working in
the boss M; and the slide S.
In operation the fabric is inserted in the holding clamp N and O and the
handle H is set upright.
This throws both discs out of gear with the star ratchet at end of screw and at
the same time throws the small lever W. into gear with the inner cam B. The
operator then sews the first bridge or bar of the hole.
The stitch is produced by the oscillation of the holding clamp N. by means
of the lever R striking the slide S. each time the lever W is depressed by either
of the cams A, A1 or B, the coil spring T bringing the slide back to its position.
The holding clamp N is screwed to the slide S and therefore travels with it.
The handle is then lowered to a horizontal position from the operator. This
throws the disc A 1 into gear with the star ratchet aud screw and the lever W into
gear with the cam A. Both sides of the hole are then sewn simultaneously. The
handle is again placed vertically to sew the second bridge and the hole is
finished.
The holding clamp has now travelled to the left end of the needle plate, so to
make it travel back to its starting point the handle H must be pulled down
horizontally to the operator. This will throw the disc K into gear with the star
ratchet and the cam A 1 with the lever W. a second hole is thus sewn while
travelling back.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is.
The combination of the triple cam A 1 A 1 and B with a shuttle rod F carrying
2 baskets G & G 1 and using a right and left hand shuttle with the two needles E
and E 1 all working simultaneously to produce the buttonhole stitch substantially
as hereinbefore set forth.
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