Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 11th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 11th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 4th May, 1895
I, WILLIAM BOWDEN, of 13 Swan Street Manchester in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturer of Embroidered Goods, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to tuck sewing machines, and its objects are to enable two
or more tucks to be sewn simultaneously and quickly, to ensure a more perfect
joining of the beginning and end of the sewing in circular tucks, to enable tucks of
different widths and distances apart to be sewn on the same machine, and to
facilitate the feeding and guiding of the fabric in which the tucks are to be
formed.
According to my invention I may use either two or more separate sewing
machines arranged parallel with each other, or a single machine with a multiple
needle bar, feed motion, and rotary shuttle looper or bobbin, that is to say the
actual stitch forming and feed parts employed by me may be operated by a single
machine, or they may belong to separate machines.
The needles and their accessories are stepped, and arranged on parallel lines at a
distance apart equal to the minimum distance between any two tucks to be sewn by
the machine, and the needles work across slots into which the fabric is depressed by
adjustable gauges which determine the width of the tuck.
If it be desired to sew tucks at a greater distance apart than the minimum
distance, gauges or thickness pieces are introduced in the spaces between the lines
in which the needles are arranged. Thus, a greater width of fabric is required to
pass over the gauges than over the level surface of the table, hence the distance
between the tucks will be governed by the dimensions of the removable or
adjustable gauges.
When circular work is to be made on the machine, the adjustable depressing
gauges direct the fold of the tuck at the end of the work, into line with the
commencement, and in order to lift this gauge automatically out of the tuck, I may
arrange it so that it is normally pressed upwards by a spring, but is held down in
the working position by a catch which can be liberated by a trigger. As soon as
the commencement of the sewing comes into contact with the trigger, the catch is
released, and the gauge is forced up out of the way by the spring.
Instead of arranging the presser foot to be operated from the needle bar side of
the work, I may arrange it on the opposite or under side to be operated by similar
means.
Dated this 9th day of June A.D. 1894.
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicant..

page_text: I, WILLIAM BOWDEN of 13 Swan Street Manchester in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturer of Embroidered Goods, 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 relates to tuck sewing machines and its objects are to enable two
or more tucks to be sewn simultaneously and quickly, to ensure a more perfect
joining of the beginning and end of the sewing in circular tucks, to enable tucks of
different widths and distances apart to be sewn on the same machine, and to
facilitate the feeding and guiding of the fabric in which the tucks are to be
formed.
According to my invention I may use two or more separate sewing machines
arranged parallel with each other, or a single machine with a multiple needle bar,
feed motion and rotary shuttle, looper, or bobbin; that is to say, the actual stitch
forming and feed parts employed may constitute parts of and he operated by a
single machine, or they may belong to separate assembled machines.
The needles and their accessories are stepped, and arranged on parallel lines at a
distance apart equal to the minimum distance between any two tucks to be sewn by
the machine, and the needles work across slots into which the fabric is depressed by
suitable gauges or depressers which determine the width of the tucks.
If it be desired to sew tucks at a greater distance apart than the minimum
distance, gauges or thickness pieces are introduced in the spaces between the lines
in which the needles are arranged. Thus, a greater width of fabric is required to
pass over the gauges than over the level surface of the table, hence the distance
between the tucks will be governed by the dimensions of the removable or
adjustable gauges.
When circular work has to be done on the machine, the adjustable depressing
gauges or depressers direct the fold of the tuck at the end of the work into line
with the commencement, and in order to lift this gauge automatically out of the
tuck, I may arrange it so that it is normally pressed upwards by a spring, but
is held down in the working position by a catch which can be liberated by a
trigger. As soon as the commencement of the sewing comes into contact with the
trigger, the catch is released, and the gauge is forced up out of the way by the
spring.
Instead of arranging the presser foot to be operated from the needle bar side of
the work, I may arrange it to be operated by similar means from the other side of
the work.
I will more particularly describe my said invention with reference to the accom-
panying drawings, in which
Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation, Figure 2 a sectional plan, and Figures 3
to 8 inclusive details drawn to an enlarged scale.
The machine illustrated is of the chain-stitch type, which is preferred because of
its cheapness and high speed in work. Machines of other types may however be
used in a similar manner, if preferred.
In each of the figures of the drawings similar parts when represented are denoted
by similar letters of reference.
A is the driving pulley, B the spindle on which A is fixed, C the driving band
from the clutch pulley D, and E the main driving belt. F is the excentric fixed
upon the shaft B, and actuating the needle bar G, by means of the excentric

page_text: rod H, and the levers I I. The drawings shew a machine constructed to sew
three tucks simultaneously, but it may obviously be similarly constructed to sew
any other convenient number.
The construction and arrangement of the channels in which the tucks are sewn
are illustrated by Figures 3 to 8 inclusive. As here illustrated each channel is
perpendicular to the machine table K and parallel with the direction of travel of
the work, but the several channels are in different vertical planes, or in other
words, the channels are arranged step-wise, as shewn by Figure 4. Each is also
rovided with a separate presser foot a feed plate needle-bar G and rotary hook d
the latter being driven from the spindle B by the pinions J J. The channel
walls are perforated as shewn in Figure 5A and the plate or wall e is also
perforated, as indicated by Figure 4, for the passage of the feed plate b. In the
wall of each channel opposite to that shewn in this figure, an opening is made for
the reception of the presser foot a.
The feed plates are all mounted upon a bar g which is reciprocated by a cam
and the spring . Slots are formed through the bar g for the passage of the
spindles of the rotary hooks d.
The presser feet a are mounted upon the ends of the bars i arranged below the
level of the bottoms of the channels, and are normally pressed into contact with the
tuck in the channel by springs ; one of which is indicated in Figure 3. They are
forced out of contact with the tuck, when the machine is not working by the
cams Figures 1 and 2 as will be hereinafter described.
The entrance to the first channel is bounded by the table top, as, if the channel
cut right through the edge of the table, the cloth might fold into the bottom of the
channel, and thus a tuck might be formed wider than designed. By commencing
the channel in the table itself, the fold can be formed no deeper than the bottom of
the depresser. Opposite to the end of the first channel, and of each succeeding
channel, except the last where is optional, there is a ramp or inclined plane k to
lift the tuck just formed out of the channel upon the table.
The adjustable depressers L L which fold the tucks in the channels may be
variously constructed and arranged so as to be lowered into the channels at the
commencement of the work and be lifted at the ends of the tucks. As illustrated
by the drawings, they are mounted upon the upper and outer end of the U-shaped
lever M pivoted at K Figures 1 and 2 and are vertically adjustable by means of
the screw nuts N N. It is preferred that the lower ends of the depressers should
be flat and rounded as shewn in front elevation by Figure 8 and in side elevation
by Figures 1, 3, 5, and 6.
The machine may be started and the depressers lowered by a single movement of
the pedal Q and accessories shewn by Figures 1 and 2. Two pitmans no are
connected to the pedal. Of these o is pivoted at its upper end to the cam O fixed
upon the spindle P, upon which are also fixed the cams 11. The upper end of the
pitman n is slotted and connected through this slot with a pin on the lever S which
actuates the clutch T. The pedal and parts of the pitmans are omitted in Figure 1,
to economise room, but their construction will be obvious with reference to Figure 2.
When the pedal Q is depressed by the foot of the operator, the pitman o draws
down the cam O which thus depresses the lower limb of the lever M and lowers the
depressers into the channels. The cloth being upon the table, the depressers thus
fold it into tucks in the channels. The same motion of the pedal and cam rotates
the shaft P, and consequently also the cams bringing their short radii opposite
to the ends of the presser feet rods ii whereupon the springs one of which is
indicated in Figure 3 and before described, force the presser fect upon the tucks.
As soon as this has taken place, the slot in the upper end of the pitman n will have
come into contact with and commences to depress the clutch lever S, the further
motion of which closes the clutch and starts the machine. When the work is
finished, the pedal is liberated, whereupon the clutch opens, the machine stops, and
the depressers lift automatically by the action of the springs s.

page_text: Means for varying the distances between the tucks are illustrated by
Figures 5, 5, 6, and 7. In one form these consist of the gauge pieces V, which
may be removably fixed upon the top edge of the channel as shewn by Figure 5,
by the pins fitting into suitable holes. It will be seen by reference to the figure,
that since the fabric e must pass over the gauge pieces between the tucks, the
deeper the gauge piece is the greater will be the distance between the tucks.
A modified form of device equivalent to that just described for varying the
distances between the tucks is illustrated by Figures 6 and 7. In this modification
an auxiliary channel and an auxiliary depresser is used. The auxiliary depressers m
are adjustably fixed upon the tuck depressers so as to fold the cloth between the
tucks to a greater or less depth into the auxiliary channels. The channel gauge,
made of different depths, shewn by Figure 7 may be employed in the auxiliary
channels if desired.
The ramp or inclined plane k which is the device I prefer to employ for lifting
the sewn tuck out of the channel is illustrated in side elevation in Figure 8. It is
obvious that some such means must be employed for removing the tuck first formed
out of the path of the needle which sews the following tuck, and I do not limit
myself to the means illustrated and described for this purpose.
The thread for the needles y y is supplied from the spools K and its tension
may be regulated as usual by means of the screws Y.
A machine may be constructed according to this invention for sewing a single
tuck only, and a series of such machines may be arranged. together to sew several
tucks in a single fabric, simultaneously, but I prefer to construct them always in
the multiple form illustrated by the drawings.
When it is desired to join the ends of tucks in circular work 1 may arrange that
the depresser is lifted by a spring catch and trigger as already described, but
I have found in practice that this device may be safely dispensed with, particularly
as it may tend to induce the operator not to watch the work at critical points, and
I have therefore not illustrated it in the accompanying drawings.
I find that the arrangement of the needles channels and tuck folders already
described and illustrated and in which the needles reciprocate in a horizontal plane
is the most convenient in practice, as the fabric is then flat upon a horizontal table,
as in ordinary sewing machines nevertheless they may be arranged in other ways
provided always that means of an obvious character are provided for preventing
the sewn tuck or tucks coming in contact with the needle and accessories engaged
in sewing the following tuck.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A tuck sewing machine constructed arranged and operating substantially as
hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. A tuck sewing machine having as its essential features a channel or channels
in which the tuck or tucks are sewn, stitch forming devices to sew the tuck or tucks
through the upper part of each channel, and a depresser to fold the tuck in each
channel, substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accom-
panying drawings.
3. In a multiple tuck sewing machine, arranging the needles and their accessories
step-wise, substantially as and for the purposes herein before described and as
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 9th day of March A.D. 1895
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicant.