IMPROVEMENTS IN THREAD-CASES AND UNDER-TENSIONS FOR SEWING-MACHINES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sydney Pitt, of Sutton, in the County of Surrey, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THREAD-CASES AND UNDER-TENSIONS FOR
SEWING-MACHINES."
A communication from abroad by Lebbens Baldwin
Miller and Philip Diehl, both of Elizabeth, in the State of New Jersey,
United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Sydney Pitt at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th July 1880.
"
SYDNEY PITT, of Sutton, in the County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THREAD
CASES AND UNDER TENSIONS FOR SEWING MACHINES." [A communication
from abroad by Lebbens Baldwin Miller and Philip Diehl, both of Elizabeth, in
the State of New Jersey, United States of America.]
The principal object of this Invention is to provide a thread-case and tension
device for the under-thread of a sewing machine which shall be simple, durable,
and convenient in its arrangements for receiving, holding, and securing the thread,
and which shall also be so constructed that the operator can easily obtain a uniform
and elastic tension on the said under-thread and conveniently vary the same as
required, and the Invention relates especially to the construction of such a
thread-case and to the mechanism for obtaining and varying such tension.
In order to show more clearly the operation and effect of the device I have
represented in the accompanying Drawings and will proceed to describe the said
device as applied to a shuttle having a beak and beak-shank to take and hold the
loop of the needle-thread in a sewing machine, carrying a bobbin, and being similar
in its general form and operation to that shown and fully described in Letters
Patent No. 2813, granted to me in 1878, and No. 3079 in 1879; but it is obvious
that the said improvements may be conveniently and advantageously used in
sewing machines having different devices for taking the loop of the needle-thread,
and that the thread-case is equally well adapted to contain thread wound in the
form of a cop, ball, or other suitable shape.
In the Drawings Figure 1 represents a face-view of a shuttle provided with the
improvements in which the thread-case forms the body of the shuttle, and is shown
with the thread in it, and the manner in which such thread is passed through the
tension device to the place of delivery is also shown; Figure 2 is an edge-view of
the same shuttle, showing especially the device for locking the thread-case, and by
Prine G71

page_text: the same mechanism obtaining and regulating the pressure or tension on the thread;
Figure 3 is a view in cross section (through the line b, b, Figure 1), showing the
manner of hinging together the under and upper parts of the thread-case; Figure 4
is a view in cross section (through the line e, e, Figure 1), showing especially the
locking and tension device before referred to; Figure 5 is an inner face view of the
shuttle with the upper part or cover of the thread-case removed; and Figure 6
shows the inner face of the upper part or cover of said thread-case and also the
manner in which the thread rests on it and passes out through the tension device to
the place of delivery.
As will be seen, the thread-case consists of under and upper portions A and B
hinged together, as shown at a, each of which is hollowed out in the centre so that
when brought together they will form a box-like receptacle D for the thread. The
edges or rims where the two portions A and B bear against each other when
brought together are left wide enough to give a sufficient surface for the tension on
that portion of the thread (a) which is passed between them, as hereafter described.
One portion A of said thread case is provided with a spring E, one end of which is
rigidly attached to it, and the other portion B is provided with a screw C, having
an enlarged end d, which projects beyond the inner surface of said portion B, and
is so arranged that when the under and upper portions A and B of said thread-case
are brought together the point of this end d will encounter the free end of the said
spring E. As this end d first increases in circumference from the point towards the
head of said screw C and then (before it reaches the surface of B) decreases, being
in form somewhat similar to two cones placed base to base, its action when the two
portions A and B of the thread-case are pressed together will be first to force the
spring E outward towards its largest circumference and then, after its largest
circumference has passed the spring E, to receive the point of said spring E on the
inclined surface of its inner bevel or cone, and thus by the pressure of said
spring on said inner bevel draw and lock together the two portions A and B of the
thread-case.
When the thread is placed in one portion of said receptacle D (the case being
held in the position shown by Figure 1) its free end is allowed to hang down to
the left of the locking device (as indicated by the dotted line at a², Figure 1). The
under and upper portions A and B of the thread-case are then pressed together, the
free end of the thread a¹ is drawn to the right around the screw C near its centre
and between the under and upper surfaces of the rims of the portions A and B of
said thread-case in the direction shown by the dotted lines to the place of delivery
at a³. The spring E being rigidly attached to one portion A of said thread-case,
the pressure of its free end on the upper inward bevel of the end d of the screw C
(the other end of said screw being attached to the portion B) will cause the inner
rim surfaces of the two portions A and B to be drawn together and to compress the
thread between them. The elasticity of the spring E will make this an elastic
pressure sufficiently yielding to permit the passage of any inequalities or lumps in
the thread. The screw C works in a hole tapped to receive it in the upper portion B
of said thread-case, and it is evident that by turning said screw C so that the end d
will be drawn toward the said portion B the pressure of its inner bevel on the
spring E, and consequently the pressure on the thread passing between the inner
rim surfaces of the portions A and B of the thread-case, will be increased, while by
turning said screw Ĉ in the opposite direction such pressure will be decreased.
To obtain these results it is not necessary to hollow both portions of said
thread-case, as the cavity may be formed wholly or partly in either, but it is
preferred as shown. I also by preference and in order to increase the thread
containing capacity of said thread-case cut away the centres of the portions
hollowed out to contain the thread, leaving merely a small projection or flange g to
secure the outer edge of the bobbin, cop, or ball placed in the receptacle.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Sydney Pitt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th January
1881.
SYDNEY PITT, of Sutton, in the County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THREAD
CASES AND UNDER TENSIONS FOR SEWING MACHINES." A communication from
abroad by Lebbens Baldwin Miller and Philip Diehl, both of Elizabeth, in the
State of New Jersey, United States of America.
The principal object of this Invention is to provide a thread-case and tension
device for the under-thread of a sewing machine which shall be simple, durable, and
convenient in its arrangements for receiving, holding, and securing the thread, and
which shall also be so constructed that the operator can easily obtain a uniform and
elastic tension on the said under-thread and conveniently vary the same as
required, and the Invention relates especially to the construction of such a
thread-case and to the mechanism for obtaining and varying such tension.
In order to show more clearly the operation and effect of the device I have
represented in the accompanying Drawings and will proceed to describe the said
device as applied to a shuttle having a beak and beak-shank to take and hold the
loop of the needle-thread in a sewing-machine, carrying a bobbin, and being similar
in its general form and operation to that shown and fully described in Letters
Patent No. 2813, granted to me in 1878, and No. 3079 in 1879; but it is obvious
that the said improvements may be conveniently and advantageously used in
sewing machines having different devices for taking the loop of the needlethread,
and that the thread-case is equally well adapted to contain thread wound in the
form of a cop, ball, or other suitable shape.
In the Drawings Figure 1 represents a face view of a shuttle provided with the
improvements in which the thread-case forms the body of the shuttle, and is shown
with the thread in it, and the manner in which such thread is passed through the
tension device to the place of delivery is also shown; Figure 2 is an edge view of
the same shuttle, showing especially the device for locking the thread-case and by
the same mechanism obtaining and regulating the pressure or tension on the thread;
Figure 3 is a view in cross-section (through the line b, b, Figure 1), showing the
manner of binging together the under and upper parts of the thread-case; Figure 4
is a view in cross section (through the line e, e, Figure 1), showing especially the
locking and tension device before referred to; Figure 5 is an inner face-view of the
shuttle with the upper part or cover of the thread case removed; and Figure 6
shows the inner face of the upper part or cover of said thread-case and also the
manner in which the thread rests on it and passes out through the tension device
to the place of delivery.
As will be seen, the thread case consists of under and upper portions A and B
hinged together, as shown at a, each of which is hollowed out in the centre so that
when brought together they will form a box-like receptacle D for the thread. The
edges or rims where the two portions A and B bear against each other when
brought together are left wide enough to give a sufficient surface for the tension on
that portion of the thread (a¹) which is passed between them, as hereafter described.
One portion A of said thread case is provided with a spring E, one end of which is
rigidly attached to it, and the other portion B is provided with a screw C having
an enlarged end d which projects beyond the inner surface of said portion B, and is
so arranged that when the under and upper portions A and B of said thread case
are brought together the point of this end d will encounter the free end of the said
spring E. As this end d first increases in circumference from the point towards the

page_text: head of said screw C and then (before it reaches the surface of B) decreases, being
in form somewhat similar to two cones placed base to base, its action when the
two portions A and B of the thread-case are pressed together will be first to force
the spring E outward towards its largest circumference and then, after its largest
circumference has passed the spring E, to receive the point of said spring E on the
inclined surface of its inner bevel or cone, and thus by the pressure of said spring
on said inner bevel draw and lock together the two portions A and B of the
thread-case.
When the thread is placed in one portion of said receptacle D (the case being
held in the position shown by Figure 1) its free end is allowed to hang down to
the left of the locking device (as indicated by the dotted line at a³, Figure 1).
The under and upper portions A and B of the thread-case are then pressed together,
the free end of the thread a' is drawn to the right around the screw C near its
centre and between the under and upper surfaces of the rims of the portions A
and B of said thread-case in the direction shown by the dotted lines to the place of
delivery at a³. The spring E being rigidly attached to one portion A of said
thread-case the pressure of its free end on the upper inward bevel of the end d of
the screw c (the other end of said screw being attached to the portion B) will cause
the inner rim surfaces of the two portions A and B to be drawn together and to
compress the thread between them. The elasticity of the spring E will make this
an elastic pressure sufficiently yielding to permit the passage of any inequalities or
lumps in the thread. The screw C works in a hole tapped to receive it in the upper
portion B of said thread-case, and it is evident that by turning said screw C so
that the end & will be drawn toward the said portion B, the pressure of its inner
bevel on the spring E, and consequently the pressure on the thread passing between
the inner rim surfaces of the portions A and B of the thread-case, will be
increased, while by turning said screw C in the opposite direction such pressure
will be decreased.
To obtain these results it is not necessary to hollow both portions of said
thread-case, as the cavity may be formed wholly or partly in either, but I prefer it
as shown. I also by preference and in order to increase the thread containing
capacity of said thread-case cut away the centres of the portions hollowed out to
contain the thread, leaving merely a small projection or flange g to secure the outer
edge of the bobbin, cop, or ball, placed in the receptacle.
I claim,-
First. A thread case for a sewing machine consisting of two portions so
constructed as to form together a box or receptacle for the thread, provided with
an elastic locking or latching device, which, when the said case is closed, causes
the inner rim or edge surfaces of these two portions to press towards each other so
that a steady but elastic pressure or tension will be exerted on the thread as it is
drawn out between them.
Second. In a thread containing case for a sewing machine constructed of two
portions hinged together, the elastic locking or latching and tension device consisting
of the enlarged end d or its equivalent attached to and projecting from one portion
of such case, and the spring E or its equivalent attached to the other portion, both
formed and arranged to act together substantially in the manner and for the
purposes described.
Third. In a thread containing case for a sewing machine constructed of two
portions hinged together and fastened when closed by an elastic locking device, the
adjusting screw C or its equivalent when attached to one portion of such case and
arranged to act in conjunction with the enlarged end d and spring E or their
equivalents for the purpose of varying the pressure or tension on the thread.
Fourth. In a thread containing case for a sewing-machine the combination of its
under portion A provided with the spring E and its upper portion B provided
with the adjusting screw C and enlarged projecting end d or their equivalents for
the purpose of receiving, holding, and securing the thread, and also of obtaining

page_text: an elastic pressure or tension on it as it is drawn out and supplied to the
machines and of varying such tension when desired, substantially as shown and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Sydney Pitt, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty fourth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-one.
SYDNEY PITT. (LS.)