Improvements in Sewing Machine Lap Seam Fellers.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 5th July, 1898-Accepted, 1st Oct., 1898
[Communicated from abroad by THE SINGER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, of New
York, United States of America, Sewing Machine Manufacturers.]
Improvements in Sewing Machine Lap Seam Fellers.
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, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to that class of sewing machine lap-seam fellers more
particularly adapted for use in sewing heavy goods, as men's woollen clothing,
and in which it is desirable that the guiding scrolls should be strong and rigid
so as to be reliably adapted for the heavy work for which they are intended;
but in the use of lap-seam fellers of this class more or less difficulty has hereto-
fore been experienced by reason of the fact that in crossing a seam previously
made the thickened portion of the work at the seam was liable to choke the
feller so that the work could not be properly guided and the edges thereof turned
in as it was fed to the stitch forming mechanism of the sewing machine. This
objection is obviated in my improved lap-seam feller by constructing the same
in two independent parts one of which is to be attached to the work plate of the
machine and the other of which is supported from above the work plate, and.
by providing the rigid guiding scroll portions thereof with spring lips which
extend inward beyond the inclined guiding edges of the two-part feller, the
spring lip for the feller which turns in the edge of the lower portion of fabric
being placed at the upper side of the rigid scroll or edge guide, while the spring
lip for the part of the feller which turns in the edge of the upper section of
fabric is formed on the lower side of the rigid scroll and guide, this latter scroll
and guide for the upper piece of fabric being supported slightly above the work
plate of the machine so that the lower section or piece of fabric will pass
beneath it.
In a modification of the invention the rigid guiding blocks or scroll portions
thereof are constructed in such a manner that they will yield laterally when
a thickened portion of the seam is passing through the feller, and also preferably
said scroll portions or blocks are provided with spring lips which extend inward
beyond the inclined guiding edges of the two-part feller, these spring lips being
adapted to yield or spring vertically, thus facilitating the passage of the thick
portions of the work.
"
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing my in-
vention in operative relation to the stitch forming mechanism of a Singer "armı
machine in which the work is fed lengthwise of the arm, as is necessary in
sewing tubular articles, as a coat sleeve or the like. Fig. 2 is a front end view,
Fig. 3 a partial side view, and Fig. 4 a partial plan view of the same. Fig. 5
is a cross section on a somewhat larger scale than the other figures, on line 5-5
of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a plan view and Fig. 7 a front view of a slightly different

page_text: form of my invention from that shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive. Fig. 8 is a
sectional view to illustrate, the work performed by the use of my invention.
Fig. 9 is a plan view of a modification of my improved two-part feller, and Figs. 10
and 11 are front and side views, respectively, of the same. Fig. 12 is a cross
section on the line 12--12, of Fig. 9.
Referring to Figures 1 to 8, A denotes the work-supporting arm and B the
work-plate of a well known form of sewing machine having a needle bar C
carrying two needles c which co-operate with shuttles 1 oscillating in the arm A
for producing two independent rows of stitches, the work being fed lengthwise of
the arm A so as to adapt the machine for sewing tubular articles. E is the
presser-bar and e the presser foot secured thereto. Attached to the work plate B
is a plate F provided with a rigid block f to serve as a guide for the lower
piece or section of the two pieces or sections of material to be joined by a lap-
seam, the guiding edge g of the said block f being concaved or scroll-formed
so as to be adapted to turn over the edge of the goods and being also inclined
relative to the path in which the goods are to travel. The block f is provided
at its upper side with a spring plate h which overhangs the guiding edge g and
which, when a thick portion of the work passes beneath it, is adapted to yield
or rise to permit the passage through the feller of a seam or any thickened
portion of the work, without clogging the feller. Supported from the presser
bar E is an arm I carrying at its forward end a rigid block i having a hollowed-
out or concave guiding edge k somewhat scroll-formed and adapted to turn over
the edge of the upper piece of material which will be guided to the sewing
machine above the block f, the said block i having a rigid overhanging lip
at its upper side. The block is supported from above the work-plate of the
machine, and is, in operation, slightly above said work-plate so that the lower
piece of material, y, will pass beneath it, and is provided on its lower side with
a spring plate which is adapted to yield downward when a thickened portion
of the work passes into the feller.
m
In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the rigid guide f¹ for
the lower section of fabric is provided with an arm F1 by means of which it may
be attached to the work-plate of the machine, and is also provided at its upper
side with the overhanging plate h', which yields upwardly when a thickened
- portion of the work passes in to the feller; while the rigid guide or block i¹,
which is supported slightly above the machine work-plate by the bar I', is pro-
vided at its lower side with the spring n', which is adapted to yield downwardly
when a thickened portion of the work passes the feller.
The concaved guiding edges of the rigid blocks of the two-part lap-seam
feller are oppositely arranged so as to face each other and are preferably in-
clined slightly relative to the path in which the goods are to travel, so as to
converge towards each other rearwardly, or towards the needles of the machine
(see dotted lines, Fig. 4) and in the form on my invention shown in Sheet 1 of
the drawings the spring plates h and are attached to their respective rigid
guide blocks f and i at their forward ends, or at their ends which are farthest
from the needles of the machine, so that the rear ends of said plates, where the
greatest strain is liable to come, will be free to yield. In the form of my inven-
tion shown in Sheet 2 the spring plates hand ¹ are attached to their respective
guide blocks f¹ and at their ends farthest from the concaved edges g¹ and kl
of the said blocks f¹ and i, so that said plates will be free to yield at their ends
which project inward beyond the said concaved guiding edges gland of the said
blocks and 1. In both of these forms of my invention the spring plates have
lips or portions which project inward beyond the concave guiding edges of the
rigid blocks or scroll guides to which said plates are attached.
In the use of this form of my improved lap-seam feller two pieces of material.
as x, y, are passed through the feller, the upper piece of the material having
its edge turned in, as at a, by the concaved guiding edge k of the block i, while
the lower piece of material y, has its edge turned in, as at y', by the concaved

page_text: guiding edge 9 of the block f, these inturned edges being, when the device is
applied to a two-needle sewing machine, simultaneously stitched down by two
rows of stitches, the positions of which are denoted by the dotted lines z so that
the two sections of fabric are properly joined by a lap-seam having inturned
edges for both pieces or sections of material.
In the modification represented at Figures 9 to 12, A denotes a base plate
provided with a slotted arm a by which it may be adjustably secured to the work
plate of a sewing machine. B is a rigid guiding block provided with an in-
clined, concave, guiding edge b, said block being pivoted by a pin or screw
to the base plate A. The said base plate A is provided with a fixed under-cut
block a¹ beneath which extends a lip or portion 62 of the block B, and said
block B is recessed for the reception of a coil spring c which is confined between
the inner wall of the recess and a fixed lug a2 extending upward from the base
plate A, the said spring thus serving to normally hold the block B in the position
shown in Fig. 9, but yielding when a thickened portion of the fabric is passing
through the hemmer, so that the block B will move laterally somewhat in opposi-
tion to the stress of said spring to permit the work to pass. The inward movement
of the block B under the stress of the spring e, is limited by a stop pin d fixed
in the base plate A and the fixed block a₁, and received in a notch 63 in the
plate B; while the outward swinging movement of the block B, in opposition
to the stress of the spring c, is limited by the inclined forward edge a³ of the
block a against which the inclined end portion of the block B impinges when
the said block B is forced outward.
E denotes a rigid guiding block having a concave guiding edge e, said block
being pivotally attached by a pin el to a lug f at the forward end of an arm F
pivotally mounted in a boss projecting from a block G having an opening g
for the reception of the presser bar of the machine to which said block G may
be attached. The arm F is thus adapted to be turned up, when desired, on its
pivotal connection with the block G when the work is to be inserted or removed,
The block E is recessed for the reception of a spring the outer end of which
impinges against the side of the arm F, and thus has a tendency to hold the free
or forward end of the block inward in the position denoted in Fig. 9, the said
spring yielding when a thickened portion of the work is passing through the
feller to permit the said free end of the guiding block to move to the left, and
thus facilitate the passage of the work. This movement of the block E to the
left is limited by the arm F against which the inclined outer edge e³ of the said
block impinges when the latter is fully swung to the left on its pivot e¹:
while the inward movement of the said block, under the stress of the spring e²,
is limited by ears et formed on the outer end of the said block, said ears
impinging against the front end of the arm F.
The block B is preferably provided at its upper side with a thin spring plate h,
which overhangs the guiding edge of the said block, and which, when a
thickened portion of the work passes beneath it, is adapted to yield or rise at
its forward end, said plate being attached to said block at its rear end by
screws h¹. The guide block E is also preferably provided on its lower side with
a thin spring plate i extending inward beyond the inclined concave guiding edge e
of the said block E, said spring plate being attached near its rear end to the said
block E by screws so that the forward or free end of the said plate may yield
or spring downward when a thickened portion of the work is passing through
the feller.
From the foregoing it will be apparent that this form of the improved feller,
in which the guide blocks B and E are pivotally attached to the parts by which
they are supported, and which are yieldingly held in working position," is par-
ticularly adapted for use in heavy work, as in crossing seams or thickened por-
tions said guiding blocks are free to yield laterally when there is a stress owing
to the passage of a thickened portion of the work, and thus any clogging of
the feller is avoided; while the spring plates h and i are also adapted to yield

page_text: vertically when required, thus providing a feller which is elastic both vertically
and laterally, while the guiding parts thereof consist, in themselves, of rigid
blocks which are strong and durable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. A sewing machine lap seam feller consisting of two entirely separate and
independent parts one of which is provided with means whereby it is adapted
to be attached to the work-plate of a sewing machine, and the other of which
is provided with means whereby it may be supported from above said work-
plate, said parts having concave guiding edges arranged opposite to and thus
facing each other, said concave guiding edges being approximately in the same
horizontal plane, and having an unobstructed space or opening between them.
2. A sewing machine lap-seam feller consisting of two independent rigid blocks
having concaved guiding edges for turning in the edges of the material, one of
the said guide blocks having means by which it is adapted for attachment to the
work-plate of the machine, while the other thereof is supported above said
work-plate, the former of said guide 'blocks having at its upper side a spring
plate or lip overhanging its concaved guiding edge, while the other of said guide
blocks is provided beneath with a spring plate or lip projecting inward beyond
its concaved guiding edge.
3. The combination with the work-plate and stitch forming mechanism of a
sewing machine, of a lap-seam feller consisting of a plate, as F, adapted for
attachment to the work-plate of the machine and provided with a rigid guide
block, as f, having a concaved and inclined guiding edge, as g, and provided with
a spring plate, as h, overhanging the said guiding edge, and a rigid guiding
block, asi, supported above the work-plate of the machine and having a con-
caved guiding edge, as k, and a rigid overhanging lip, as m, said block being
provided at its under side with a spring plate, as n, projecting inward beyond
the said concaved guiding edge k.
4. A sewing machine lap seam feller consisting of two separate and indepen-
dent guiding blocks or parts, one of which is provided with means whereby it
may be attached to the work-plate of the sewing machine, and the other of which
is constructed to be supported from above the said work plate, said blocks being
pivotally connected with the parts by which they are supported, and having
concave, guiding edges facing each other, combined with springs to yieldingly
hold the forward portions of the said blocks in working positions.
5. A sewing machine lap seam feller, consisting of two separate and independent
guiding blocks or parts, one of which is provided with means whereby it may be
attached to the work-plate of the machine, and the other of which is constructed
to be supported from above the said work plate, said blocks being pivotally con-
nected with the parts by which they are supported, and having concave guiding
edges facing each other, combined with springs to yieldingly hold the forward
portions of the said blocks in working positions, the said guiding block or part
which is to be supported by the work-plate of the machine being provided at
its upper side with a spring plate overhanging its concave guiding edge, and
the said block or part which is to be supported from above the work-plate being
provided at its lower side with a spring plate which extends inward beyond its
concave guiding edges.
6. The combination with the base plate A, of the guiding block B, pivotally
attached at or near one of its ends to said base plate, and having the concave
guiding edge b, the springe for yieldingly holding the free end of said block in
working position, the block G, the arm F pivotally supported thereby, the guide
block E pivotally connected with the said arm F and provided with a concave
guiding edge, and the spring for yieldingly holding the free end of the
said guiding block E in working position.

page_text: 7. A sewing machine lap seam feller consisting of two independent parts one
of which is adapted to be attached to the work plate of the machine and the
other of which is adapted to be supported from above said work plate, said parts
having concaved guiding edges arranged opposite to and facing each other.
Dated this 4th day of July 1898
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents, 62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agent for the Applicant.