Improvements in Sewing Machines for Doing Honeycombing Work.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 30th Oct., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sewing Machines for Doing Honeycombing Work.
We, ALEXANDER WOOD, of 80, Main Street, Gorbals,, Glasgow, Mechanic,
WILLIAM RUXTON of 46 Millbrae Road, Langside, Glasgow, Manager, and JERVIS
COATS, Junior, Secretary of Arthur & Co., Ltd., 75 Queen Street, Glasgow, 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 Specification of our prior invention No. 24509 dated 3rd Nov. 1896 we
described a honeycombing attachment for sewing machines and in our said
Specification we stated that the frame and slide of the attachment could be
reciprocated back and forward for the sewing of each pleat by means of auto-
matically acting mechanism driven from the sewing machine shaft. The present
invention refers to such automatically acting mechanism for traversing the frame
and also to mechanism connected therewith which we have arranged and adapted
for throwing the traversing mechanism into gear whenever the frame is to be
traversed and for throwing it out of gear whenever the frame is to be held
stationary. Mechanism similar to that used on an ordinary Singer tacking
machine is also provided for stopping the sewing mechanism during the time
the frame is being moved, for regulating the number of stitches at each
and for regulating the tension.
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6
tack"
The features of novelty constituting the invention are clearly pointed out in
the claims at the end of this Specification.
The movable frame, pleating device, and the means for holding the pleats in
proper position whilst being sewn are all the same as in the Specification of our
prior invention aforesaid.
And in order that our said invention may be properly understood we have
hereunto appended five sheets of drawings which show, by way of illustration or
example, a convenient method of carrying our invention into effect or practice
in connection with a zig-zag stitch machine of the Singer type.
Fig. 1 is a side view. of the machine with the honeycombing attachment fitted
thereto.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the attachment. The head and the greater part of
the arm of the sewing machine are broken away in order to show the attachment
clearly.
Fig. 3 is an inverted plan showing mechanism at the underside of the bed
plate.
Fig. 4 is an opposite side view from that in Fig. 1
Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 9, 10, 10, 10°, 10° are detail views.
On the drawings the same reference numerals wherever repeated indicate the
same parts.
1 is the bed plate, 2 the arm, 3 the head, 4 the needle bar, 5 the needle, the
tension, 8 the horizontal driving shaft, 9, 10, the fast and loose power-pulleys,
11 the driving strap or belt shifting fork, and 13 the shuttle mechanismi, of "au
ordinary Singer zig-zag stitch machine.

page_text: The parts for automatically stopping the sewing mechanism after the com-
pletion of the proper number of stitches at each tack, for regulating the number
of stitches at each tack, for varying the tension, and for throwing the stopping
mechanism out of gear, are the same as the parts used on Singer machines
for the same purposes. The parts consist of the stop lever 12, its spring 111, its
adjusting screw 112, the stops 110 110* on the fast pulley 9, the two armed trip
lever 113, 113, with its spring 119, the stitch regulating ratchet wheel 116, the
trips 117, 118, on the ratchet wheel, the starting rod 122 with its spiral spring 120
the starting rod bracket 126, the starting crank shaft 123 with its chain 124
connected with a treadle not shown, the tension connecting rod 128 with its
spring 130, the bell crank 7 and the tension pin 129. As usual the fork 11 15
secured to a bracket 127 attached to the upper end 12" of the stop lever and the
connecting rod 128 is also attached to this bracket.
120 is the vertical shaft of the machine, 121 is the usual connecting rod for
the shuttle mechanism 13. 120 is the eccentric pawl for turning the stitch
wheel 116.
The following parts of the Honeycombing mechanism are the same as in our
prior Specification aforesaid and need not again be described, viz:-
The movable frame 14, guides 15, slide 16, (with the exception that there are
no holes in the slide), pleating knife 17, locking strip or clamp 18, spring pawl
locking device 19, rocking spindle 20, handle 21, springs 22, the slide 23 for
operating the pleating knife and its handle 24. The accessories connected with
these parts are also the same.
-
The guides 15 are strengthened by a cast stay or bracket 25 secured to the
bed plate 1.
On
In our former Specification aforesaid the frame 14 was traversed back and
forward, whenever necessary, by hand the slide 16 attached to the frame being
locked in position whenever the sewing was to be performed by means of a spring
locking pin device. In this invention the frame 14 and slide 16 are traversed
backwards and forwards by means of a screwed spindle 26 whose ends pass
through the bearing blocks 27, 28, secured to the bracket 25. The screwed spindle
also passes freely through a hole in an adjusting block 29 attached, by means of
screws 30,, to the slide 16. The adjusting block is provided with means for lock-
ing it in any desired position on the screw 26 which we term the feed screw.
the drawings we have shown a spring locking pin device exactly similar to the
spring locking pin device of our prior invention. The pin 31 is normally held
down or locked with its point in the groove of the screw by means of the spring 32
and it can be raised up out of contact with the screw, or unlocked, by depressing
the thumb lever 33. When the pin is raised up out of contact with the screw
the adjusting block 29 can be slid along the screw and the slide 16 and frame 144
be moved with it, but when the pin is locked in the groove of the screw the frame
is locked firmly and cannot be traversed apart from the movement of the feed
screw. The space between any two of the convolutions of the screw is equal to
a tack," ie., the space between the stitches made when Honeycombing.
The feed screw 26 is driven from a countershaft 38 having a pulley 71 which
is rotated by a belt 70 running on an additional pulley 70° attached to the loose
pulley 10 of the machine shaft S. The shaft 38 is carried in a bearing bracket 80.
When the feed screw is rotated in one direction it, owing to the pin 31 working
in the screw thread, traverses the frame in one direction, and, when it is rotated
in an opposite direction, it reverses the movement of the frame.
In order to reverse the direction of rotation of the feed screw 26 and con-
sequently the traverse of the frame a bevel gear reversing motion, such as shown
at Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8, can be used. This motion consists of an arrangement of
three bevel wheels two 34, 35, of which are fitted to sleeves working loosely on
the end of the spindle 26 whilst the third 36 is rigidly attached to the end 38 5
of the countershaft 38. Either the bevel wheel 34 or 35 can be thrown into gear
with the feed screw 26 by means of the sliding clutch 37. This clutch consists,

page_text: of a metal ring 39 40 which is capable of being slid backwards and forwards
on the feed screw spindle 26, so that either the tooth 41 locks in the correspond-
ing recess 42 of the sleeve of the wheel 35 or the tooth 43 locks in the recess 44
of the sleeve of the wheel 34, by the action of a fork 45 whose ends catch in a
groove in the clutch 37 and which is attached to a slide 46 operated by a slotted
arm 47 attached to the rocking shaft 48 (see also Fig. 8). A pin 49 on the
slide 46 projects outwardly through the slot in the arm 47, 50, 51, is the slide bar
upon which the slide 46 moves. The bar is fitted in snugs 52 secured to the
block 27.
53 is a collar secured to the feed screw spindle 26 by screws 54.
55 is a guide
slot in the clutch 37 and 56 is a guide pin fitted in the feed screw spindle 26
and working in said slot.
The shaft 48 is rocked, so as to move the slide 46 and shift the clutch 37, by
means of the device shown more particularly at Figs. 7 and 8 which is actuated
by the turning of the spindle 20 of the frame 14. The device consists of a cross
head or lever 57, secured at its centre to the end of the shaft 48 and the ends of
this lever are connected by links 58, 59, to two slides 60, 61, working in a guide
frame 62. At the lower end of the slide 60 is a screw 63, or pin, with a flat
face or part whilst at the lower end of the slide 61 a similar screw or pin 64 is
fitted. On the rocking spindle 20 of the frame 14 two (or more) tappets 65, 66
are fitted. The tappet 65 can be made, by the turning of the spindle 20, to bear
upon and depress the pin 63 and its slide 60 when the frame 14 is at the end of
its back traverse whilst the tappet 66 can, in the same manner, be made to bear
upon, and depress the pin 64 and its slide 61 when the frame 14 is at the end of
its forward traverse. When the pin 63 and slide 60 is depressed the shaft 48
is rocked in one direction and, at the same time, the slide 61 with its pin 64 is
pulled up. When the pin 64 and slide 61 is depressed the shaft 48 is rocked in
the opposite direction and, at the same time, the slide 60 with its pin 63 is pulled
up. The tappets are made adjustable upon the spindle 20. The guide frame 62
is secured to the guides 15 by screws 67.
"
68 is a bridge piece for carrying the bearing pin 69 of the rock shaft 48.
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As it is essential that the frame 14 be fed forward by the feed screw only one
"
tack at a time and then stopped during the stitching of the pleats it is neces-
sary that the feed screw be stopped at every revolution, (every revolution is equal
to a forward feed of a tack until the stitching is done and then restarted.
To effect this we have provided an automatic feed regulating device which is
shown more particularly at Figs. 9, 9, 10, 10, 10, and 10°. This device works
in conjunction with the stop motion of the machine.
On the shaft 38 which is made, as shown, in two parts 38, 38, fitting into
each other, the part 38 having a round male end 78 which enters the socketed
female end 79 of the part 38b, is fitted a clutch 74, 77. The box part 77 of the
clutch is fitted rigidly on the end 79 of the part 38b of the shaft whilst the
sliding part or clutch piece 74 is fitted loosely on the part 38 of the shaft and
has a coil spring 73 which tends to press its pin 75 into engagement with the
hole 76 made in the box part 77. On the part 38 is a collar 81 having a hole 81*
through which the pin 75 passes. The clutch piece 74 has a grooved cam 82
in conjunction with it. Working in the groove of the cam is a pin 83 (Fig. 2)
attached to one end of a lever 84 (see also Fig. 10) whose other end has a tail
piece 87.
The clutch piece 74 has a recess 88 with which a spring locking bolt 89 (Fig. 10)
in the block 86, can engage. The bolt has a guide pin 90 which works in a
slot 91 cut in the block 86.
The clutch piece 74 is automatically moved into gear with the clutch box 77.
by the action of the spring and it is moved out of gear once in each revolution
of the shaft 38 and also of the feed screw 26 by the action of the pin 83 of the
lever 84 working in the groove of the cam 82. In order that the clutch may
only be allowed to enter into gear at the proper times the regulator shown. at

page_text: Figs. and 2 is provided. This regulator, which acts in conjunction with the
stop motion, consists of a lever 92 fulcrumed to the bed plate at 93 and connected
by a bar 94 with a lateral pin 96 on the stop motion lever 12. .97 is a spring
bearing against the tooth 98 which is pivotted at 104 in the end jaw 99 of the
lever. This tooth has a pointed face formed by the two bevels 100, 101 (see
Figs. 10, 10 and 10°). The tooth also tapers away towards the rear as shown
at 103 Figs. 10 and 10°. Fig. 10^ shows a front view of the end of the lever 92
whilst Fig. 10 is a side view looking towards the left hand of Fig. 10 and
showing the pointed end of the tooth and Fig. 10° is a plan of the tooth: The
pointed end of the tooth, is, at certain times, capable of bearing. against and
depressing a pin 105 fitted in a spring bolt 106 (see Fig. 10) which works in a
hole in the block 86. The pin 105 moves vertically in a slot in the block. The
dotted lines at 107 represent the spring of the bolt. The head 108 of the bolt is
cut away as shown at Fig. 2. 109 is a spring catch (the spring is not shown on
the drawings) pivotted at 109 and provided with a projection which owing to
the action of the spring is capable of automatically catching on and holding down
the pin 105 when depressed. The pin is released whenever the lever 84 is moved
forward by the tail piece 87 striking against the upper end of the catch.
The modus operandi is as follows:-
Presuming the fabric has been inserted in place in the sliding frame and that
a pleat has been made in it in the manner described in our prior Specification
aforesaid and that it is now desired fo stitch the first tack in the pleat then the
treadle is depressed and the crank shaft 123 and starting rod 122 actuated so as
to force the stop lever 12 into the position shown at Fig 1 in which position it
is thereafter automatically retained by the trip lever 113 bearing against the
adjusting screw 112. When the stop lever is in this position the fork 11 is
shifted so as to throw the driving belt (not shown) of the machine on to the fast
pulley 9 and thus start the sewing mechanism. The sewing mechanism continues
in operation until the stitch wheel 116 moves round half its number of teeth
when the trip (say 117) strikes against the projection 115 of the strip lever and
forces it backwards so as to disengage the end 113 from the stop lever screw 112
whereupon the stop lever is immediately moved, by the action of the spring 111,
and its end 12ª brought into engagement with the stop 110 of the pulley 9 so as
to stop the sewing mechanism. The movement of the lever 12 throws the driving
belt off the pulley 9 on to the loose pulley 10 and at the same time operates the
rod 94 and lever 92 and causes the bevelled edge 101 of the tooth 98 to strike
against and depress the pin 105 of the spring bolt 106 thereby releasing the
lever 84 and allowing the cam 82 and clutch piece 74 to move laterally on the
shaft 38 and bring the pin 75 into engagement with the hole 76 of the clutch box
thereby securely locking the two parts 38", 38, of the shaft.38 together.
The parts of the mechanism are so arranged relatively with each other that
each tooth in the stitch wheel 116 represents a stitch therefore if there are, as
shown, eighteen teeth in the wheel eighteen stitches will be made during a
revolution of the stitch wheel. As there are two trips on the stitch wheel the
sewing mechanism 'is stopped twice in each revolution of the wheel so that only
nine stitches can be done at a time, that is to say, nine stitches only are made
at' each tack." This number of stitches we find to answer very well but if a
smaller or a larger number is desired at each tack in the honeycombing then
stitch wheels with the desired number of teeth can be used to meet the require-
ments. The stitch wheels can be easily changed.
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With the completion of the half revolution of the stitch wheel the first tack in
the fabric has been sewn and the sewing mechanism has been brought to a standstill,
the stop lever being moved into engagement with the stop 110 and the driving belt
shifted on to the loose pulley 10. Immediately the driving belt is shifted on to
the loose pulley however the shaft 38 is actuated and through the closed
clutch 74, 77, and gearing 36, 34, (or 35)- the feed screw 26 is revolved so as to

page_text: feed the frame forward. During the revolution of the shaft 38 the groove of the
cam 82 (which is shaped for the purpose) working on the pin 83 moves the lever 84
until eventually it assumes the position shown at Fig. 2 and is caught by the
head 108 of the spring bolt 106. The lever 84 is now locked in position and the
further movement of the cam has, owing to the shape of its groove, the effect of
causing both the cam and the clutch 74 to move laterally on the part 38ª of the
shaft until eventually, when a complete revolution of the shaft 38 has been effected,
the clutch pin 75 is drawn right out of the recess 76 of the clutch box and the
clutch mechanism thrown out of gear whereupon the revolution of the part 38*
of the shaft 38 is, along with the movement of the feed screw 20 and of the
frame 14, at once stopped (Fig. 9 shows the parts of the clutch in gear whilst
Fig. 9 shows the parts out of gear. When a complete revolution of the shaft 38
and the feed screw has been effected the frame 14 has been moved forward exactly
the proper distance for sewing the next tack in the pleat. The stop lever is now,
again, in the manner before described, thrown out of gear with the stop 110
and the sewing mechanism again started. so as to sew the second tack with the
required number of stitches. When the stitches have been completed the sewing
mechanism is again stopped by the action of the stitch wheel and the feed
mechanism thrown into gear so as to feed forward the frame the space necessary
for the third tack; and so on.
When the stop lever is thrown out of engagement with the stop 110 its move-
ment causes the lever 92 to swing backwards into the position shown at Fig. 2.
In its swing the bevelled back part 103 of the tooth strikes against the pin 105
and as a result the tooth (turning on its pivot 104) yields to an extent sufficient
to permit of its point overriding the pin 105.
The bolt 89 locks the clutch piece 74 in position.
When considered necessary the catch 109 can be moved so as to hold the pin 105
in the depressed position and retain the head 108 of the bolt clear of the lever 84.
The attachment can be modified or altered in its details of construction so as
to adapt it to different types of sewing machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
consider novel and desire to claim is:-
1. A honeycombing attachment for sewing machines wherein the frame carry-
ing the pleating device is automatically traversed by means of mechanism driven
by the machine, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
2. A honeycombing attachment for sewing machines having in combination
mechanism for automatically traversing the frame and mechanism for reversing
the direction of the traverse, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
3. A honeycombing attachment for sewing machines having in combination
mechanism for automatically traversing the frame, mechanism for reversing the
traverse, and mechanism for throwing the traversing mechanism into and out of
gear at the proper times so as to regulate the feed, substantially as hereinbefore
set forth.
4. The general arrangement and combination of parts of the honeycombing
attachment substantially as hereinbefore described and shown on the drawings
annexed.
1
15th
of Cantanhar 1807
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70 Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.