IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR SEWING BUTTON HOLES AND OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1878

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Frederick Simmons at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th March 1878.
FREDERICK SIMMONS, of No. 1, Webber Street, Blackfriars Road, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR SEWING BUTTON HOLES
AND OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES."
My Invention relates to improvements in button hole machines, by which greater
regularity in the stitch of the button hole is insured, and the same is finished
complete, and also enabling the button hole to be commenced and finished at any
point.
My improvements or parts of my improvements may likewise be fixed to ordinary
machines.
I make use of a compound or vibrating foot with a self-holding spring clamp
attached, which may be lifted by a lever in the ordinary way, and in which the
work or fabric is placed of any thickness with ease. This compound or vibrating
foot has three distinct motions; the parts regulating these are fitted to the back of
the head of the frame, one motion being vertical, and lifted by lever for placing the
work as mentioned; the other two motions are horizontal or cross motions, one
giving the motion for the bar, and the other for the stitch of the button hole. All
three of these motions work in suitable slides, thereby insuring regularity and
ovenness. Attached to this compound or vibrating foot is the sliding bar, controlled
or actuated by means of a rocking cam or tappit sliding on a shaft. On this
sliding shaft is an adjustable tongue lever, with a screw for holding same in position;
the adjustable tongue lever works in the rocking cam. This shaft is worked by a
lever which works in a face gearing cam, and which face gearing cam is placed or
runs loose on another or lower shaft, but in gearing with a pinion on the driving
shaft. This face gearing cam forms the rocking motion, having an adjustable lever
with roller. On the same shaft as the face gearing cam is a second cam, which
throws a lever in and out gear, thereby causing the cam to shift, and so form the
bar of the button hole, being in reality self acting, and therefore does away with
the necessity of shifting by hand. On the same shaft is also fixed a third cam, in
which is cut a left and right hand worm; at the junction of this left and right

page_text: hand worm is a cut which gives the cam motion. This third cam is connected to a
bar or rocking shaft with levers, one being adjustable with a slot; this gives the
motion to the compound or vibrating foot, and so causes the stitch of the button
hole to be formed.
In the adjustable lever with a slot a pin is placed, with an adjustable roller and
nut, so that any length of button hole may be regulated. The roller works in a
slot or slide fixed to the compound or vibruting foot. On the same shaft as carries
the three cams a feed disc is fixed, having a lever and two stops, with regulating
springs, lock nut, and screw attached for regulating the stitch.
I also propose to make use of the above motions and parts described for an under-
neath motion, that is, reversing it from a top to an underneath motion, in which
case the plate could be made to vibrate if necessary.