Improvements in Sewing Machines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Feb., 1892-Accepted, 23rd Feb., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sewing Machines.
We, HARRIET RUTH TRACY Gentlewoman, of New Brighton in the County
of Richmond, State of New York, United States of America, and JEREMIAH
EVARTS TRACY, Counsellor-at-Law, of 52 Wall Street, City of New York,
County of New York and State of New York, United States of America, 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:-
or
The object of this invention is to produce a sewing-machine for making the
ordinary lock-stitch in which both threads can be used directly from a spool, ball
cop, thus saving the time usually required to wind up the shuttle thread upon a
bobbin, and in which the necessary take-up can be accomplished without the
provision of a separate device for the purpose; furthermore, to produce a sewing-
machine for making the ordinary lock-stitch, in which both threads can be used
directly from a spool, ball or cop, and in which the loop-taker is so arranged as to
allow the loops of the needle-thread to pass through by or beyond the shaft of the
loop-taker to enclose the shuttle-thread and in which the loop-taker is so formed as
to serve as a take-up.
With these objects in view, our invention resides in a sewing-machine comprising
a loop-taker, so mounted upon a suitable shaft as to permit the free passage of the
thread between the shaft and the loop-taker, the loop-taker being provided with a
hook or projection for engaging the needle-thread and having a curved arm
extending from it upon which the loop of the needle-thread of one stitch is shifted
and retained until the thread of the loop is taken up to form the loop of the next
succeeding stitch; furthermore, the invention resides in a sewing-machine com-
prising a loop-taker so arranged upon a suitable shaft as to permit the passage of a
thread between the two, the loop-taker having a hook for engaging the needle-
thread, and having a curved arm projecting from the loop taker upon which the
loop of the needle-thread is shifted, and a fender or guard arranged adjacent to
the hook, whereby the formed loops are directed upon the arm to prevent entangle-
ment with the hook at the time the needle thread is to be engaged preparatory to
forming a loop.
One embodiment of our invention is comprised in a machine organized to sew
with a lock-stitch, the loop-taker being in the form of a shuttle.
Figure 1-is an elevation of a sewing-machine, showing our improved loop-taker
arranged in proper operative position;
Figure 2 is a side view of the loop-taker, showing the manner of connecting the
loop-taker to the shaft ;
Figure 3-is a face view, particularly illustrating the hook by which the needle-
thread is engaged and the curved arm or projection upon which the completed loops
are shifted;
Figure 4 is an elevation of one side of the loop-taker showing the interior
thereof and the arrangement of a spool of thread ready for use;
Figure 4 is a section of the loop-taker and of the means for attaching the shaft
thereof, the section being taken in line with the shaft ;
Figure 5-is a perspective view of our improved loop-taker, and a needle
arranged in proper operative position in relation thereto, the needle-thread being
shown in the position which it assumes after having been engaged by the book of
the loop-taker preparatory to forming a loop to engage the shuttle-thread;
Figure 6-is a perspective view taken from an opposite direction to that
illustrated in Figure 5, showing the relative positions of the needle-thread and

page_text: shuttle-thread after the loop-taker has revolved a short distance from the position
illustrated in Figure 5;
Figure 7 is a perspective view, showing the positions of the threads after the
hook of the loop-taker has engaged the needle-thread and made approximately a
quarter of a revolution;
Figure 8-is a perspective view, showing the positions of the threads at the time
when the loop of the needle-thread formed by passing the thread around the loop
taker is about to be shifted to the curved projecting arm, showing the fender or
guard whereby the loop is shifted to prevent entanglement with the hook by which
the needle-thread is engaged; and
Figure 9-is a perspective view of the loop-taker and the needle, and a sectional
view of a piece of cloth upon which work has been done, showing the loop-taker in
position when it is about to release a loop of the needle-thread and to carry up
into the cloth with it the shuttle-thread, and after the hook has engaged the
needle-thread and is taking up the loop previously formed.
In these drawings, A represents the main shaft of a sewing machine in which is
mounted our improved loop-taker. The preferred manner of attaching the loop-
taker to the shaft in such a manner as to insure their turning together and at the
same time to permit the passage of a thread freely between the shaft and the loop-
taker, is by giving the exterior of the sides of the loop-taker some other form than
circular, as, for instance, that of a triangle with rounded angles.
On the ends of the shaft, adjacent to the loop-taker are the arms a, corre-
sponding in number to the number of plane surfaces on the sides of the loop-taker.
These arms are formed to engage the loop-taker and cause it to rotate with the
shaft, and at the same time, to permit passage between shaft and the loop-taker of
the shuttle-thread.
We do not wish to limit ourselves to this specific manner of attaching the loop-
taker to the shaft, as any suitable device may be utilized, the requirement being
only that the loop-taker shall receive positive motion from the shaft through means
permitting the passage between the shaft and the loop-taker of the thread.
The loop-taker is made in two parts, B, B', each of which has an opening of a
size to form a receptacle sufficiently large to receive a spool ball or cop of thread,
when the parts are properly joined. A convenient manner of connecting the two
parts of the loop-taker is clearly illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings, in which
6³ represents a pin rigidly attached to the portion B of the loop-taker and adapted
to enter an opening in the portion B¹. The pin ³ is provided with an indentation
to receive a locking pin whereby the parts are attached. The notch in the pin 63
entered by the pin 6 has rounded edges to permit the parts being put together and
separated by the application of slight pressure.
When the parts of the loop-taker are joined for use, there is a continuous opening
extending entirely around the same to permit free delivery of the shuttle-thread,
which is carried upon a suitable spool, bobbin or the like mounted on the pin 6³.
Attached to or formed with one of the parts of the shell is a hook 6 designed to
engage the loop of the needle-thread as the needle descends, the loop-taker being
arranged and its revolution so timed as to engage the needle-thread as the needle
reaches the limit of each downward movement.
Connected with the shell of the loop-taker at one side, is an arm 6. This arm is
attached to the loop-taker at one side and extends upward diagonally across the
shell of the loop-taker, terminating at a point above the middle of the loop-taker.
The arm is so formed that the distance between it and the loop-taker gradually
increases from the point of its attachment to its free end in order to receive the
loop of the needle-thread after it has passed around the loop-taker and carry it
away from the loop-taker upward toward the cloth being worked upon, and release
it when in close proximity to the cloth.
A fender 62 is connected in any suitable way to one of the arms by which the
loop-taker is attached to the driving-shaft. This fender extends diagonally across
the shell of the loop-taker and is removed a short distance from it. The function

page_text: of the fender is to direct the thread from the hook bat a point when the hook is
about to engage the loop of the needle-thread and when the needle-thread is about
to be shifted to the curved projection b¹.
In the operation of the device, the revolution of the loop-taker being so timed
as to bring the point into position to engage the thread as the needle reaches the
limit of its downward movement, the needle-thread is engaged by the hook band as
the loop-taker continues to revolve, the loop of the needle-thread is lengthened,
and by reason of the form of the hook, is spread out as illustrated in Figure 5.
As the loop-taker continues to revolve the loop of the needle-thread C slides over
the outside of the loop-taker and passes between it and the arms a of the driving-
shaft which are as before described so made as to offer no obstruction to this
passage. As the loop of the needle-thread is passed around the loop-taker, it will
of course inclose the shuttle-thread, which passes from the interior of the loop-taker
up to the cloth being worked upon. When the loop of the needle-thread
comes in contact with the guard or fender 62, it is moved from the center of the
loop-taker to the side carrying the curved projection and in this manner is
shifted to the projection, thus preventing entanglement of the loop with the hook h
which is at this point, about to engage the needle-thread to form another loop.
After a loop of the needle-thread has been carried completely around the loop-
taker and directed by the guard or fender, it slides on the curved projection 61 and
as the thread from the needle is taken again by the hook the thread of the first
loop is drawn through the cloth, thus binding the thread of the first loop firmly to
the cloth and carrying up with it the shuttle-thread D, which has been inclosed by
passing the loop entirely around the shuttle.
From the foregoing it will be clear that no independent mechanism or device is
needed for accomplishing the take-up as this is done by the ordinary operation of
our improved loop-taker.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is ;-
1. A sewing machine of the class in which the loop-takers are so arranged as to
permit the passage of the needle-thread entirely around them comprising a loop-
taker provided with a hook or projection for engaging the needle-thread and with
a curved elongated projection arising from a point approximately opposite the
engaging hook or projection and arranged in a plane which is substantially at right
angles to the axis of revolution of the loop-taker for receiving a loop formed by
engaging the needle-thread by the engaging hook or projection and carrying it
around the loop-taker and for retaining the same until taken up by the short hook
to form the succeeding stitch substantially as described.
2. A sewing machine of the class in which the loop-takers are so arranged as to
permit the passage of the needle-thread entirely around the loop-taker comprising
a loop-taker provided with a short hook or projection for engaging the needle-
thread and with a curved elongated projection arising from a point opposite the
said engaging hook and arranged substantially in a vertical plane which is at right
angles to the axis of revolution of the loop-taker for receiving a loop formed by
engaging the needle-thread by the short hook or projection and carrying it around
the loop-taker and for retaining the same until taken up by the short hook to form
the succeeding stitch the said elongated projection extending beyond the point
diametrically opposite its place of beginning on the loop-taker.
3. A sewing machine of the class in which the loop-takers are so arranged as to
permit the passage of the needle-thread entirely around them comprising a loop-
taker provided with a hook or projection for engaging the needle-thread and with
a curved elongated projection arranged in a plane substantially at right angles to
the axis of revolution of the loop-taker for receiving the loops formed by engaging
the needle-tbread by the hook or projection and for retaining the same until taken
up by the short hook or projection to form the succeeding loop the elongated hook

page_text: or projection being so arranged with relation to the body of the loop taker as to
have an increasing distance between it and the body of the loop-taker from its fixed
to its free end substantially as described.
4. A sewing machine of the class in which the loop-takers are so arranged as to
permit the passage of the needle-thread entirely around the loop-taker comprising
a loop-taker provided with a short hook or projection for engaging the needle-
thread and with a curved elongated projection arranged substantially in a vertical
plane which is at a right angle to the axis of revolution of the loop-taker for
receiving loops formed by engaging the needle-thread by the short hook or
projection and for retaining the same until taken up by the short hook to form the
succeeding loop the elongated hook or projection extending beyond the point
diametrically opposite its place of beginning on the loop-taker and being so
arranged with relation to the body of the loop-taker as to have an increasing
distance between it and the body of the loop-taker from its fixed to its free end.
5. A sewing machine of the class in which the loop-takers are so arranged as to
permit the passage of the needle-thread entirely around them comprising a loop-
taker provided with a hook or projection for engaging the needle-thread with an
elongated projection arranged in a plane substantially at right angles to the axis of
motion of the loop-taker for receiving the loop formed by passing the needle-
thread around the loop-taker and with a guard or fender whereby the thread
is directed away from the hook by which the needle-thread is engaged substantially
as described.
Dated this 22nd day of February 1892.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicants.