Improvements in Wax Thread or Dry Thread Sewing Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wax Thread or Dry Thread Sewing Machines.
We, HENRY HARRISON, Harness Manufacturer, of 1 and 2, Marlborough Street,
Blackfriars, and ALBERT RITTER, Engineer, of 21, Tennyson Street, York Road,
Lambeth, both in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The machine has a straight needle and needle bar, a straight running shuttle
and a straight shuttle race, a top feeder which regulates itself entirely automati-
cally to any thickness of work for which this machine is adapted, and is so
arranged that it will pass either from thick to thin or from thin to thick work
entirely by the aforementioned automatic adjustment. We effect this somewhat
as follows:-The first movement is obtained from the main shaft which runs
through the arm of the machine, on the end of said shaft which enters the head
of the machine is fixed a compound cam. One part of the compound cam lifts a
lever mounted on a rocking shaft mounted in the head of the machine, said rock-
ing shaft transmits the movements of one part of the compound cam to the feeder
slide in the following manner; the compound cam lifts the lever mounted on the
rocking shaft, a pawl pivoted in said lever engages in a ratchet wheel, fixed on the
rocking shaft, the engagement of the pawl in the ratchet wheel causes the work-
ing shaft to turn. On the rocking shaft in front of the ratchet wheel is fixed a
finger which engages in a slot in the feeder slide.
Instead of using a single slot in the feeder slide and a single finger to enter
said slot, two or more slots, that is to say a rack may be formed on the feeder
slide and a corresponding number of fingers that is to say a segment of a
toothed wheel, fixed on the rocking shaft.
The thickness of material to be sewn regulates the height of the feeder slide
which in turn acts on the finger on the rocking shaft and so causes the latter to
turn backwards if thicker material is placed under the feeder slide, or permits it
to turn forwards if thinner material is placed under said feeder slide, thereby
causing the pawl to engage in different teeth of the ratchet wheel. The com-
pound cam lifts the lever up and a spring pulls it down, the pawl engages in the
ratchet wheel when the lever is lifted, and disengages therefrom when said
lever is dropped thus permitting the feeder slide to drop freely and so turn the
rocking shaft in its descent; this disengagement is effected by a stop acting on
the tail of the pawl.
As the thickness of material to be sewn varies, so will a different tooth of the
ratchet wheel be presented to the pawl and thus is obtained the same lift above
the work, for feeding purposes, either for thick or thin work or for any length
of work of varying thicknesses.
For lifting the feeder slide by hand a spring handle is provided on the front

page_text: of the machine mounted on the outer end of the rocking shaft, on the boss of
said spring handle is a projection or tooth and on the end of the rocking shaft is
fixed a pin. When lifting the feeder slide upwards the tooth or projection on the
spring handle engages the pin on the rocking shaft and turns the latter which
by the finger lifts the feeder slide..
For feeding the work to be sewn a lever is mounted on a stud in the head of
the machine said lever is worked by another part of the compound cam and moves
the feeder slide forwards, a spring moving it in the contrary direction the size of
stitch is regulated by an eccentric pin mounted on the end of the lever and
which works on the front of the feeder slide.
The front of the feeder slide on which the eccentric pin works has an inclined
surface so that the same length of feed is obtained on thick or thin work, with the
same setting. The bottom end of feeder slide has a boss. A round hole runs
through said boss at an angle to receive the presser and feeding foot, the hole in
the boss being made at an angle allows the feeding presser foot to be readily
adjusted to the required distance from the needle.
As this machine is designed to sew thick and thin work automatically, we pro-
vide an automatically adjusted thread supplier which is worked from the feeder
slide. A crank lever is pivoted on the frame of the machine, one end of said
lever is pivoted to the top of the feeder slide whilst the other end is pivoted to an
outwardly movable thread carrier mounted in a rocking boss, said thread carrier
being worked up and down by the needle slide as usual; when the feeder slide is
raised it lifts one arm of the crank lever which in turn acting on the thread
.carrier causes the latter to project a greater or less distance from the front of the
head of the machine which gives more or less thread according to the thickness
placed under the feeder slide.
For the top thread tension we employ a circumferentially grooved dome round
which the thread travels after leaving the thread waxing pot, said dome revolves
on a fixed spindle through which a hole is drilled to admit the heat from a gas
jet to evenly warm the dome over which the waxed thread passes. The tension
is regulated by a screw and a spring acting on the dome by friction.
The shuttle is driven in the usual manner by a connecting rod and a crank.
We have also arranged this machine to form a face stitch on both sides of the
work.
The means by which the face stitch is obtained on the underneath side is some-
what as follows:-On the front side on the bed of the machine underneath the
throat plate is a vertical slide worked up by a lever adjustably fixed on the
shuttle carrier. Through the bottom of the slide is pivoted a catch which is so
arranged that when the shuttle carrier on which is pivoted the adjustable lever
moves forward, said lever comes in contact with the catch and so moves the slide
upwards, when the shuttle carrier is returning the lever on said shuttle carrier
causes the catch to turn on its pivot and so prevents the slide from being moved
upwards in such return motion. Said slide is moved down by means of a spring.
The top of the slide is formed to admit the stitch "printer" slide which is ad-
justed backwards and forwards by means of a screw.
65
The underneath of the throat plate is provided with a slot in which the stitch
printer" slide works and passes to the back of the needle hole. On the end of
the stitch printer" slide is a tooth. When the slide is raised by the action of
the adjustable lever on the shuttle carrier, the first or second stitch (as desired)
behind the needle is "printed." On the front of the bed of the machine is a
spring handle fitted with a pointer, said spring handle is fixed ou a spindle which
passes through the frame of the machine. On the spindle inside the frame of the
machine is fixed, a crank pin which acts on the catch: by moving the spring
handle a quarter revolution the catch is engaged or disengaged to throw the
stitch "printer" in or out of gear.
For sewing with fine or large needles we provide different sized needle sleeves
to fit in the needle hole in the bed of the machine; so that for a fine needle a fine

page_text: needle sleeve may be inserted to prevent there being too much play for the
needle.
Dated this 18th day of February 1899.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in Wax Thread or Dry Thread Sewing Machines.
We, HENRY HARRISON, Harness Manufacturer, of 1 and 2, Marlborough Street,
Blackfriars, and ALBERT RITTER, Engineer, of 21, Tennyson Street, York Road,
Lambeth, both in the County of Surrey, 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:-
We will describe our invention by the aid of the accompanying drawings in
which Fig. 1 is a side view with parts broken away of a sewing machine provided
with our improvements.
Figs. 2 and 3 are two opposite side views partly in section and Fig. 4 is a front
view of the head of the machine with the face plate removed drawn to a larger
scale than Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a cross section of the base of the machine showing
the shuttle, shuttle carrier, a front view of the stitch printer and other parts.
Fig. 6 is a side view of the stitch printer shuttle and shuttle carrier. Fig. 7 is
the opposite side view of the stitch printer. Fig. 8 is a detail view of parts for
throwing the stitch printer out of action when required and Figs. 9 and 10 are
elevations drawn at right angles to each other of the presser and feeder.
Figures 5 to 10 are drawn full size. A is the bed or base of the machine, B the
arm. C the head, D the main shaft, the driving pulley mounted on the
stud E and which is driven by a strap or hand from a suitable motive power
is a toothed pinion fixed to the pulley E and giving motion through the toothed
pinion to the main shaft D.
On the main shaft D is fixed a bevel wheel D2 which gives motion to a vertical
shaft F by gearing into a bevel wheel F fixed to the upper end of said shaft.
On the lower end of shaft F is fixed a disc F2 having a crank pin which
by a connecting rod F gives motion to the shuttle carrier F. The machine has
a straight needle a and needle bar a: a top feeder carrying an adjustable
presser is automatically regulated to any thickness of work for which the
machine is adapted and is so arranged that it will automatically pass either from
thick to thin or from thin to thick work. The needle bar is operated as
follows, it has fixed thereto a cam which is acted upon by a crank pin D³ on
the compound cam d fixed to the front end of shaft D.
C
The part of the compound cam acts upon a lever mounted with capability
of rocking on a shaft c mounted in the head of the machine and said rocking lever
transmits the movements of the cam to the feeder slide 6 in the following
manner. A pawl pivoted to the lever c¹ engages with a ratchet wheel e fixed
in the shaft and thus causes the said shaft to partially rotate. On said shaft e
in front of the ratchet wheel is fixed a finger which engages in a slot 7 in
the feeder slide b.
C
The thickness of the material to be sewn regulates the height of the feeder
slide 62 which in turn acts on the finger of and so causes the rocking shaft e to
turn backwards if thicker material is placed under the feeder or permits it to
turn forwards if thinner work is presented thereby causing the spring paw! ² to

page_text: engage in different teeth of the ratchet wheel. The cam lifts the lever c¹
and a spring keeps said lever in contact with the cam, the spring pawl
engages the ratchet wheel when the lever e¹ is lifted and disengages therefrom
when the lever falls thus permitting the feeder slide to drop freely and so
turn the rocking shaft in its descent; this disengagement is effected by a
stop 6 acting on the tail of the pawl c². As the thickness of material to be sewn
varies, so will a different tooth of the ratchet wheel c³ be presented to the pawl
and thus is obtained the same lift above the work for feeding purposes either for
thick or thin work or for any length of work of varying thicknesses.
C
For lifting the feeder slide 62 by hand a spring handle e is provided on the
front of the machine mounted on the outer end of the rocking shaft c. On the
boss of said spring handle is a projection or tooth e¹ and on the end of the rocking
shaft is fixed a pin c. When lifting the feeder slide 2 the tooth or projection e¹
engages with the pin and turns the rocking shafte which by the finger lifts
the feeder slide 62. A spring 66 acts to press the feeder slide 2 downwards.
For feeding the work to be sewn a lever f is mounted on a stud f' in the head
of the machine, said lever f is worked by the cam and moves the feeder slide 2
forwards, a spring f2 moving it in the contrary direction; the size of the stitch is
regulated by an eccentric pin f on the end of an arm of the lever, said pin
working against the front edge of the feeder slide 1º.
The front edge of the feeder slide on which the eccentric pin f works has
an inclined face + so that the same length of feed is obtained on thick or thin
work with the same setting.
By partially rotating the eccentric carrying the pin f3 a longer or shorter feed
and consequently stitch can be obtained."
The bottom end of feeder slide has a boss 5 having a round hole passing
through the same at an angle to receive the stem of the presser and feeding
foot, the hole in the boss 65 being at an angle allows the feeding presser foot
to be readily adjusted the required distance from the needle.
As the machine is designed to sew thick and thin work automatically we pro-
vide an automatically adjusted thread supplier which is worked from the feeder
slide b. A crank lever g is pivoted in the head of the machine, one arm of said
crank lever has a slot g¹ within which works a stud 2 at the top of the feeder
slide whilst the other arm of said crank lever is provided with a slot g³ to
receive a stud gt on an outwardly movable thread handler mounted in a rocking
boss g carried by the head of the machine said thread handler being worked
downwards by the needle slide a¹ and returned by a spring g' as usual, when the
feeder slide 2 is raised it lifts one arm of the crank lever which in turn acting
on the thread handler causes the latter to project a greater or less distance
from the front of the head of the machine which gives more or less thread
according to the thickness of work placed under the feeder slide.
For the top thread tension we employ a circumferentially grooved dome h
round which the thread travels after leaving the thread waxing pot i, said dome
revolves on a fixed spindle through which a hole is drilled to admit the heat
from a gas jet 2 to evenly warm the dome. The tension is regulated by a frac-
tion piece acting on the side of the dome h, the pressure exerted by said friction
piece being regulated by a screw acting through the medium of a spring
the pin of the friction piece.
on
The thread passes over the edge of the wax pot i and then round rollers in a
plate from the upper one of which it passes between two clamping plates
having a mass of horse hair 3 between them to secure an even amount of wax to
the thread. The thread then passes to the friction dome h thence over the guide
roller o down round the roller p, up to the roller gs at the end of the thread
handler and thence down through the guide eyes qr to the eve of the needle a.
The shuttle is moved to and fro by the shuttle carrier which latter runs to
and fro on the bar A' and is operated as hereinbefore described.

page_text: The machine is also provided with means to form a face stitch on both sides
of the work.
The means by which the face stitch is obtained on the underneath side is as
follows:-
On the front side of the bed A of the machine underneath the throat plate k is
a vertical slide worked upwards by a bar or lever F6 pivoted at 17 to the shuttle
carrier and adjustably fixed by a screw F's. In the bottom of the slide is
mounted the pivot più of a catch which latter is so arranged that when the
shuttle carrier moves forward the end of the bar or lever F carried thereby,
comes in contact with the inclined bottom of the catch and so moves the slide
upwards, when the shuttle carrier is returning the bar or lever F acts on the
vertical face of the catch and causes the latter to turn on its pivot and so
prevents the slide from being moved upwards in said return motion.
Said slide is moved downwards by a spring attached thereto and to the
base or bed A of the machine.
The top of the slide have a dovetail groove to receive the stitch printer
slide which is adjusted backwards and forwards and held by a screw 16.
The underneath of the throat plate is provided with a slot in which the
stitch printer slide works and passes to the back of the needle hole. On the
end of the slide is a tooth which can rise through an opening k¹ made in the
throat plate.
When the slide is raised by the action of the arm or lever is on the shuttle
carrier, the first or second stitch (as desired) behind the needle is "printed.".
On the front of the bed of the machine is a spring handle m fitted with a
pin mt, said spring handle m is fixed on a spindle m² which passes through the
front of the bed A of the machine. On the spindle inside the bed A is fixed a
disc carrying a crank pin m³ which acts on the arm fixed on the pin of the
catchThus by moving the spring handle a quarter revolution the catch 2 is
engaged or disengaged to throw the stitch "printer" in or out of action.
The arm has attached thereto a spring 18 which returns the catch to its
normal position after each operation. Holes A2 are formed in the bed A to
receive the pin m' and thereby hold the spring arm m in either position.
For sewing with different sized needles we provide different sized needle
sleeves to fit in the needle hole in the bed of the machine so that for a fine
needle a fine needle sleeve may be inserted to prevent there being too much play
for the needle.
The printing of the stitches on the upper surface of the work is effected by
the pointed end of the feeder b. s is a gas jet to warm the shuttle and shuttle
carrier and is a gas jet to warm the wax pot i.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In a sewing machine having a straight needle and needle bar, a straight
running shuttle and a straight shuttle race the combination therewith of an
automatically adjusted top feeder to suit different thicknesses of work, substan-
tially as herein set forth.
2. In a sewing machine having a straight needle and needle bar, a straight
running shuttle and a straight shuttle race, the combination therewith of an auto-
matically adjusted thread handler to draw off and deliver the length of thread
required for various thicknesses of work substantially as herein set forth.
3. In a sewing machine having a straight needle and needle bar, a straight
running shuttle and a straight shuttle race, the combination therewith of a stitch
printer acting on the under surface of the work and lifted by the shuttle carrier
and depressed by a spring, substantially as herein set forth.
4. In a sewing machine the combination with a top feeder of means for auto-
matically adjusting the action thereof to suit different thicknesses of work, such

page_text: means consisting of a cam on the main shaft, a pawl lever mounted loosely on a
rocking shaft and operated by said cam, a spring pawl on said lever, an opening
in one side of the feeder slide, an arm fixed on the rocking shaft and entering the
opening in the feeder slide, a segmental ratchet wheel fixed on the rocking shaft,
with which the pawl engages and a spring to keep the operating lever up to its
cam, substantially as herein set forth.
5. In a sewing machine an automatically adjusted thread handler consisting of
an arm mounted in an oscillating guide, a thread guide roller at the outer end of
said arm, a crank lever operated by the feeder slide, and a pin on the thread
handler arm working in a slot in the crank lever by which the thread handler is
moved to and fro to draw off and deliver more or less thread according to the
thickness of work, substantially as herein set forth.
6. In a sewing machine a stitch "printer" acting on the under surface of the
work and means for operating it consisting of a vertical slide, an adjustable cross
slide on its upper end fitted with the "printer" pin a swivelling catch acted upon
by a spring and mounted at the lower end of the vertical slide, an adjustable
bar or lever on the shuttle carrier. acting in one direction underneath the catch
to lift the vertical slide and in the contrary direction pushing the catch aside to
avoid lifting the vertical slide, a spring acting on the catch to return it to its
operative position, a spring acting to pull the vertical slide downwards, an arm
on the axle of the catch, a dise having a crank pin acting on such arm and a
spring lever on the axle of said disc and exterior of the machine bed to enable
the vertical slide to be thrown into or out of action, substantially as herein set
forth.
7. In a sewing machine having a straight needle and needle bar, a straight
running shuttle and a straight shuttle race, the combination therewith of an
automatically adjusted top feeder to suit different thicknesses of work, and secure
uniformity and adjustability of feed, an automatically adjusted thread handler
to draw off and deliver the length of thread required for various thicknesses of
work, and a stitch printer acting on the under surface of the work and lifted by
the shuttle carrier and depressed by a spring, substantially as herein set forth.
8. In a sewing machine the combination with a top feeder of means for auto-
matically securing uniformity of feed when working on different thicknesses of
work, and for adjusting the length of feed, such means consisting of a feed operat-
ing lever pivoted to the machine head, a cam on the main shaft acting on said
lever, an adjustable pin on an eccentric carried by said lever, an inclined portion
on the edge of the feed slide on which such pin acts and a spring acting on the
opposite edge of the feed slide substantially as herein set forth.
9. In a sewing machine the combination with a top feeder of means for auto-
matically adjusting the action thereof and to secure uniformity of feed when
working on different thicknesses of work, such means consisting of a cam on the
main shaft, a pawl lever mounted loosely on a rocking shaft and operated by said
cam, a spring pawl on said lever, an opening in one side of the feeder slide, an
arm fixed on the rocking shaft and entering the said opening, a segmental ratchet
wheel fixed on the rocking shaft, with which the pawl engages, a spring to keep
the operating lever up to its cam, a feed operating lever pivoted to the machine
head, a cam on the main shaft acting on said lever, an adjustable pin on an
eccentric carried by said lever, an inclined portion on the edge of the feed slide
on which such pin acts and a spring action on the opposite edge of the feed slide
substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this 20th day of November 1800
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.