Improvements in Drop Stands for Sewing Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 25th June, 1895-Accepted, 10th Aug., 1895
[Communicated from abroad by THE SINGER MANUFACTURING Co., of New
York, in the United States of America, Sewing Machine Manufacturers.
Improvements in Drop Stands for Sewing Machines.
I, WILLIAM HARVEY INSLEE, Manager of The Singer Manufacturing Company,
Kilbowie, Dumbartonshire, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to that class of sewing machine stands or tables which are
so constructed that the machines, when not in use, may be dropped down beneath
the surfaces of the tables and the openings in the table-tops be then covered over
by folding extension leaves so that the tables may be used for other purposes than
as sewing machine tables; and my invention has for its object to provide a sewing
machine drop-stand or table, of the class referred to, which will be strong and
durable, and thus little liable to get out of order, while at the same time it will be
neat and attractive in appearance aud convenient in use, as well as simple in
construction, so that it may be manufactured at a minimum cost.
In carrying my invention into effect I provide a hinged support which is arranged
at the right hand end of the opening in the table-top in which the machine bed-
plate is received, or at the end of said opening beneath the fly and pulley wheel of
the machine. The said hinged support is provided with openings for the passage
of the driving belt and has also a lip extending beneath the bed-plate of the
machine. Beneath the table, at the rear of the machine, is a torsional coil spring
one end of which is held stationary while the other end thereof engages said hinged
support so that said spring serves to counterbalance the weight of the machine
when the latter is turned down on its hinges beneath the table top.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a front view of a sewing machine stand embodying my invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.
Fig. 3 is a section through the table.
Fig. 4 is a detail of one of the hinges connecting the machine bed-plate to the
table.
Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of the torsional spring and adjacent parts.
A denotes the table having an opening a which receives the bed-plate b of the
machine, said bed-plate being connected at its rear side to said table by hinges b'
of such construction as to permit the machine to be dropped down below the table-
top or tilted over backwards above the table when access to the mechanism under
the bed-plate is desired. The bed-plate is normally supported at its front side
by a hinged leaf A' having a lip a¹ extending beneath said bed-plate. A² is an
extension leaf which, when the machine is dropped below the upper surface of the
table, is folded over, as denoted by dotted lines in Fig. 1, to cover the opening
down through which the machine has passed, to render the table fit for use for
other purposes than as a sewing machine table.
C is a sustaining plate or support placed at the right hand end of the opening a
and hinged at its rear end to a bracket e beneath the table top, said hinged support

page_text: having near its front end a lip or lug c¹ extending under the machine bel-plate ↳,
and said support being provided with belt openings c³.. - :
D is a torsional coil spring surrounding lateral extensions or bars e², preferably
cast integral with brackets or hangers e, e', secured to the underside of the table A,
the bracket or hanger e being preferably cast integral with the bracket c to which
the support C is hinged. One end d of the spring D extends beneath the support C
and is received in a groove ct formed by ribs c, and the other end d' of said spring
engages a collar on the extension e² of the bracket e¹. The collar f is normally
held stationary, as by a pin g engaging a part of the bracket e¹ and entering any
one of the holes in said collar. The stress of the spring D may be regulated,
to secure the proper tension, by turning the collar f in one direction or the other,
as will be readily understood.
H denotes a box or housing secured to the underside of the table A and serving
to enclose the machine and protect the same from dust when it is dropped beneath
the table. The lower wall of the housing may also serve as a drip pan, or may be
metal lined for this purpose.
When the machine is to be dropped below the table its front side is first lifted
slightly so that the hinged leaf A' may be raised to bring its lip a¹ out of range of
the front edge of the machine bed-plate and the machine may then be lowered
into the receptacle beneath the table, and ir. this operation the counter-balancing
spring D prevents any accidental jar or strain on the hinges b₁ which might
otherwise result in thus lowering the machine into said receptacle. In fact if said
spring be properly adjusted it will of itself limit the downward swinging movement
of the machine, said spring being wound up in lowering the machine, so that its
torsional strain is increased. In lifting the machine to working position the
operation is assisted by the spring D as will be understood, so that but little force
is required to be exerted by the operator.
66
When the machine is tilted over above the table for access to the works beneath
the bed-plate, the support C is prevented from being lifted above the table A by
the engagement of the rear end of said support with the part a* of the table A.
The part C, although herein termed a support," does not sustain the machine
when the latter is in working position, the machine, at such times, being supported
by the hinges and the lip a¹ of the hinged leaf A¹. The support C, in its normal
or raised position, is preferably flush with the top of the table A and thus practically
forms an extension of the machine bed-plate & which is of lesser length than the
opening a, said support and bed-plate together just filling the said opening.
I do not wish to be understood as limiting my invention to all of the details
herein shewn, as these details may be varied considerably without departing from
the spirit of my invention. For example, the machine bed-plate hinged to the
table at one side might be supported at its opposite side by sliding latches or
other movable equivalents for the hinged leaf A with its lip a'. Also instead of
employing the hinged support C, through the medium of which the stress of the
torsional spring is conveyed to the hinged bed-plate of the machine, said support
might be dispensed with and the said spring engaged directly with the machine
bed-plate.
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. The combination with a sewing machine table having an opening, of a sewing
machine the bed-plate of which is hinged to said table, so that it may be tilted
over above the latter, and a torsional coil spring serving to counter-balance the
weight of said machine when the latter is dropped below said table through said
opening.
2. The combination with a sewing machine table having an opening, of a sewing
machine the bed-plate of which is hinged to said table, a hinged support having a

page_text: Tip or portion extending beneath said bed-plate, and a torsional coil spring serving.
to counter-balance the weight of said machine when the latter is dropped below
said table through said opening.
3. The combination with a sewing machine table having an opening, of a sewing
machine the bed-plate of which is hinged at its rear side to said table, a hinged
leaf having a lip or portion extending beneath the front side of said bed-plate to
support the said front side, the hinges sustaining the rear side thereof, and a
torsional spring serving to counter-balance the weight of the said machine when
the latter is dropped below said table through said opening.
4. The combination with a sewing machine table having an opening, of a sewing
machine the bed-plate of which is hinged at its rear side to said table, a hinged
leaf having a lip or portion extending beneath the front side of said bed-plate to
support the said front side, the hinges sustaining the rear side thereof, a hinged
support having a lip or portion extending beneath said bed-plate, and a coil
torsional spring acting on said support and serving to counter-balance the weight
of the said machine when the latter is dropped below said table through said
opening.
5. The combination with a sewing machine table having an opening, of a sewing
machine having a bed-plate which is hinged to said table and which is of lesser
length than said opening, a hinged support in said opening at one end of said
bed-plate and having a lip or portion extending beneath the latter, and a counter-
balancing torsional coil spring beneath said table, one end of said spring being
locked or held fast and the other end thereof engaging said hinged support.
6. The combination with a sewing machine table having an opening, of a sewing
machine having a bed-plate which is hinged to said table, and which is of lesser
length than said opening, a hinged support in said opening at the driving wheel end
of the machine, said support being provided with belt holes and with a lip or
portion extending beneath said bed-plate, and a torsional coil spring having a part
engaging said hinged support and serving to counter-balance the weight of said
machine when the latter is dropped below the table through said opening.
7. The combination with the table A having the opening a, of a sewing machine
the bed-plate of which is attached to said table at its rear side by the hinges b¹ and
which bed-plate is of lesser length than said opening, the hinged support C in said
opening at the driving wheel end of said bed-plate and having a lip or portion c
extending beneath the latter and having also belt openings c', the torsional
spring Done end of which engages said support and the other end of which is
fixed, and the brackets e, e', having lateral bars or extensions e² to sustain said
spring.
8. The combination with the table A having the pening a, of a sewing machine
the bed-plate of which is attached to said table at its rear side by the hinges b' and
which bed-plate is of lesser length than said opening, the hinged support C in said
opening at the driving wheel end of said bed-plate and having a lip or portion e
extending beneath the latter and having also belt opening c', the torsional
spring D one end of which engages said support, the brackets e, e', having the
lateral bars or extensions e² to sustain said spring, and the normally stationary but
adjustable collar which is engaged by the other end of said spring.
9. The combination with the table A having the opening a, of a sewing machine
the bed-plate of which is hinged at its rear side to said table, the hinged leaf A'
having the lip a to support the front side of said bed-plate, the hinged support C
having a lip or portion extending beneath said bed-plate, the coiled torsional spring D
one end of which engages said support and the other end of which is fixed, and the
brackets e, e', having the bars 2 to sustain said spring.
10. The combination with the table A having the opening a, of a sewing machine
the bed-plate of which is hinged at its rear side to said table, the hinged leaf A
having the lip a¹ to support the front side of said bed-plate, the hinged support C
having a lip or portion extending beneath said bed-plate, the coiled torsional

page_text: spring D one end of which engages said support and the other end of which is
fixed, the brackets e, e', having the bars e to sustain the said spring, and the
extension leaf A' to cover said opening a when the machine is lowered beneath the
table.
Dated this 24th dor of June 1805
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agent,
62 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant.