Improved Blind Stitching and Overseaming Attachment for Sewing Machines."
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Oct., 1897--Accepted, 4th Dec.,
1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
"Improved Blind Stitching and Overseaming Attachment for
Sewing Machines."
I, HENRY BIRKBECK of the firm of Tongue & Birkbeck, 31 Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, London, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication to me from abroad by
William Daniel Elger of No. 18 Broadway, in the City of New York, in the County
of New York, and State of New York, in the United States of America, Merchant)
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is to provide a new and improved attachment for
sewing machines by means of which overseaming and blind stitches can be made
which for example are used for holding down the raw edges of fabrics folded over one
side of the fabric in such a manner that the stitches do not appear on the outer or
exposed side of the fabric and are so-called "blind stitches."
In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which
like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures-Fig 1 is a plan view of
the improved overseaming and blind stitching attachment for sewing machines.
Fig 2 is a side view of the same.
Fig 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on the lines 3-3 Fig 1.
Fig 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line 4-4 Fig 1.
Fig 5 is a plan view of part of the attachment the parts being in different
position.
Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view on the lines 6-6 of Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a plan view of a modified construction.
Figures 8-and-9 are vertical sectional views on the line 8-8 of Figure 7, the
parts having different positions.
Figure 10 is a face view of a folded piece of fabric having the raw edge secured by
means of blind stitching.
Figure 11 is a transverse sectional view of the same.
The presser foot A has a lateral extension B, on which a forked socket piece C is
mounted to slide longitudinally, which piece C has an upwardly extending socket D,
for receiving the lower end of the presser bar E, which is held in place in said socket
by the binding screw E¹.
A screw F, provided with a head F", is mounted to turn in a cross piece C¹ on the
open end of the socket piece C and is screwed through a nut piece G on the top of
the extension B and between the shanks of the forked piece C, so that by turning
said screw F the forked piece C can be shifted longitudinally in relation to the
extension B.
A screw H projects upward from the nut piece G and on it a nut H¹ is screwed
which, when screwed down upon the forked block C, locks the same in place on the
extension B.
The presser foot A has two apertured end projections I for receiving two pins J
projecting upward from a base plate K, which plate rests upon the bed plate of the

page_text: sewing machine and supports the improved plate of the sewing machine and supports
the improved overseaming and blind stitching attachment.
By turning the screw F the presser foot A can readily be adjusted toward or from
the needle and as the base plate K is connected with the presser foot by the
projections I and pins J, the base plate is adjusted with the presser foot toward and
from the needle a.
The base plate K has a standard L on which an angle lever M is pivoted at M1,
which lever is provided at its upper end with a lateral extension N; on which a lug N¹
on the needle bar N2, shown in dotted lines, can act during the upstroke of the needle
bar, so as to throw the lever M in one direction, the spring O on the standard L
serving to throw the said lever back into its initial position during the down-stroke
of the needle bar.
The lower end of the angle lever M engages a slide P guided to reciprocate
horizontally on the upper surface of the base plate K and said slide carries a spring
pawl Q, engaging a ratchet wheel R mounted to rotate on a vertical axis on the
plate K and carrying a triangular cam S.
A lever T is pivoted at T' to the top of the base plate K, and is pressed by the
spring against the edge of the cam S so that as the cam is rotated, step by step,
the lever T is alternately pressed by the cam toward the edge of the base plate K and
moved from said edge by the spring V.
The base plate K is provided with a recess W opening toward the presser foot A.
and in said recess a pusher U is mounted to reciprocate toward and from the presser.
foot A in such a manner that it can be withdrawn entirely into the recess W and
projected beyond the edge of the base plate alternately.
The said pusher is forked or slotted longitudinally so that the needle a can pass
through the recess U₁ between the prongs.
It thus follows that as the needle bar is worked up and down, the pusher will be
reciprocated and for each alternate down stroke of the needle pushes the fabric b out
of the path of the needle as shown in Figures 4 and 7, the fabric assuming its
normal position against the edge of the base plate, under its own resiliency when the
pusher is withdrawn as shown in Figures 5 and 6.
As the fabric is moved from the edge of the plate K for each alternate stroke it
follows that zig zag stitches will be made as shown in Figure 10.
When the fabric b is folded, as in Figures 4 and 6 the needle a passes through the
same at the fold d and the thread is carried over the raw edge of the fabric in such
a manner that when the fabric is flattened out the stitches do not appear on the outer
face of the fabric but hold the folded edge of the fabric to the inner surface of the
body of the fabric as shown in Figure 11.
In some cases it is necessary that the needle should pass through the fold d
for each stroke and pass through the bottom layer e at each alternate stitch.
only and for such purposes the pusher U is so mounted as to have a recess
lug U2 at the bottom and projecting from the outer end of the pusher, which
lug can push back the bottom layer E.
The body of the pusher remains in the recess W and only the lug U is pro-
jected for each alternate stroke of the needle a beyond the edge of the plate K
and can act on the bottom layer E only, without affecting the rest of the fabric.
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. In a sewing machine attachment, the combination with a
base plate
adapted to be attached to the presser foot and provided with a recess opening
toward the presser foot, of a longitudinally reciprocating pusher guided to move
toward and from the presser foot, and having a recess or slot through which the
needle can pass and means for operating the pusher from the needle bar,
substantially as herein shown and described.
2. The combination with the presser bar of a sewing machine, of a socket piece

page_text: attached to the same, a presser foot having an extension mounted to slide on the
socket piece, a screw for adjusting the extension on the socket piece, a base plate held
on the extension of the presser foot devices on the base plate for shifting the edge of
the fabric being sewed, and means for operating said devices from the needle bar of
the sewing machine, substantially as herein shown and described.
3. The combination with the presser bar of a sewing machine, of a socket piece
attached to the same, a presser foot having an extension mounted adjustably on the
socket piece, means for shifting the said extension on the socket piece, means for
locking the extension on the socket piece, a base plate attached to the presser foot
devices on said base plate for shifting the edge of the fabric being sewed and
means for operating said devices from the needle bar of the sewing machine,
substantially as herein shown and described.
4. The combination with the presser foot of a sewing machine of pins projecting
upward from the same, a base plate having holes for receiving such pins, devices
on said plate for shifting, the edge of the fabric being sewed and means for
operating said devices from the needle bar of the sewing machine, substantially
as herein shown and described.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings. Chancery Lane. London. W.C.
Agents for the Applicant.