Improvements in Button-hole Sewing Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 17th June, 1893-Accepted, 7th Apr., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION. -
Improvements in Button-hole Sewing Machines.
I, JULIUS GUTMANN, of No. 5 Meyerbeerstrasse, Berlin in the Empire of
Germany, Machine Manufacturer, 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 :-
This invention relates to button-hole sewing machines.
Hitherto there has been no apparatus in existence whereby button, or similar
holes could be made without difficulty in any desired shape or form, and be finished
without presenting any defect. Moreover such apparatus, to be perfect, should be
equally adapted to make button holes provided with terminal eyes, or plain button
holes without such eyes, of any desired size or shape.
The apparatus or mechanism which forms the subject of the present invention is
constructed upon the following principle: A needle capable of moving laterally while
performing its vertical reciprocating motion, is combined with a device adapted to
retain in position the fabric or material in which the button-holes are to be made,
and to move it in the direction corresponding to the shape or outline of the button
hole in course of formation.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a plan of a sewing machine plate fitted with all the mechanism
necessary for moving along or feeding the material.
Figure 1 is an underside plan partly in section of the machine plate drawn to a
reduced scale and showing the eccentric which operates the machine.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal or side elevation of the guide frame, and the clamp
retaining the material.
Figure 3 is an inverted plan of the parts employed to produce both the rotary
motion and the drawing motion of the clamp;
Figure 4 is a front view of the frame and of the presser bar;
Figure 5 is an inverted plan of the clamp and guide frame;
Figure 6 is a cross-section of the clamp and guide frame;
Figures 7, 8 and 9 are detail views of the needle-holder case; and
Figures 10 and 11 illustrate two different types of button-holes, one having an
eye at one end, and the other being plain and without such eye.
In making a button hole with an eye as in Figure 10 the stitching is proceeded
with in the following order: First the edge u us, then the arc or bent portion u³ u
and lastly, the opposite edge . The movements to be performed, therefore,
are also of a double description; viz.,-straight and rotary. These movements
must take place separately, and one after the other and as the device is to operate
mechanically it must be the duty of the machine itself to alternately throw the
mechanism into gear so as to produce longitudinal or rotary motion as the case may
be. All the movements are controlled by a bar n (Figure 1) adapted to be moved
by an eccentric.
The first part of the following description will deal with the mechanism for
producing the straight longitudinal movement during which the edge u² u is sewn.
A plate B (Figures 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6) is movably arranged in a frame consisting
of longitudinal bars a and transverse bars b in the grooves of which the said plate
Underneath this
is adapted to slide in the direction of the arrows V and VI.
plate B is secured a rack with which engages a small toothed-wheel i. This
wheel i is keyed on to a shaft attached to the sewing machine plate, and carrying
at its lower part a ratchet wheel D. With this ratchet wheel D engages a pawl C

page_text: pivotted to a lever H and constantly pressed against the ratchet wheel D by a
spring D'. Supposing, now that the lever H is swung round its pivot 13; the
result will be that the pawl C will turn the ratchet wheel D, and through it the
toothed wheel i, which in its turn will impart motion to the rack and through it
to the plate B, which will accordingly shift in its frame along with its attachments,
or accessory parts.
The swinging motion of the lever H is derived from the oscillating barn (this
bar being the main operating arm of the whole machine) through the medium of
the arm or link G..
It is necessary that the material should be turned round for the
of enabling
purpose
the eye 3 to be bordered by the needle. To accomplish this object there is
provided in the plate B a circular opening in which a plate p (Figures 1 and 6) is
adapted to turn within a sliding groove. This plate p is provided on its lower side
with a ratchet wheel (see also Figure 5) only a little more than half of the
periphery of which is toothed; the pawl K (Figure 1) serving to turn this ratchet
wheel d. This pawl is pivotted to a pin 14, attached to the rod F and round which
is wound a spring E (see also Figure 3) which has a tendency to press the said
pawl K into gear with the ratchet wheel d. This engagement, however is
prevented by a hook, 20, secured to the frame a, b, while the plate B is performing
its rectilinear movement.
The pivot pin 14, just mentioned connects the pawl K with a double armed lever F
pivotted at 12, to the table of the machine said lever F being supported by means
of a pin 22 working in a slot provided in the oscillating bar n.
Owing to the
engagement of the said pin with the slot, the said lever F, when the bar n oscillates
will oscillate with it, and cause the pawl K also to perform a similar movement,
which pawl, when the hook 20 is removed, engages with the ratchet wheel d, and
turns the plate p connected with the said ratchet wheel and arranged to slide as
stated, with the plate B.
The whole of this rotating mechanism must be out of operation during the
performance of the rectilinear motion which serves to enable the edge u u³ of the
button hole (Figure 10) to be sewn or bordered, but the said rotating mechanism
should be thrown into gear and set in motion automatically the moment the needle
arrives at u³. At that moment the mechanism for producing rectilinear motion
should be instantaneously thrown out of gear; but it will have to resume its
operation as soon as the eye u³ u of the button-hole is completed, and the point is
reached from which the sewing of the other straight edge ut u³ of the button
hole should commence.
Supposing that the needle, having travelled along the edge u² ², has arrived at
the point unmediately preceding
At this instant the interchange of
mechanisms just described should take place and it does so in the following manner.
Upon the plate B (Figures 1 and 5) a bolt is adjustably arranged at right
angles to the direction of motion of the plate B. This bolt is forced inwardly
by the springs and the said bolt carries a pin 7 which, before the needle arrives
at u, strikes a projection or stop 6 provided on the arm 21. The arm 21 is
integral with the bar or ruler h (Figures 1, 2 and 5) which is movable along the
outside of the longitudinal bar a of the frame within suitable slots, and carries a
catch 8 (Figure 1). When the pin 7 strikes the stop 6, and the plate B is moved
further forward in the direction of the arrow V, the said arm 21 will carry along
with it the bar or ruler h. The catch 8 upon this ruler is thus eventually caused
to engage an incline formed on the lever 9. This lever 9 is pivotted to the frame
by means of the pin 24, and at the end of one of its arms carries a pin 10 (see also
Figure 3), which bears on the pawl C. The catch 8, when the ruler h is shifted,
causes the lever 9 to swing outwards, so that by means of the pin 10, it disengages
the pawl C from the teeth of the wheel D; whereby the straight-lined movement
is stopped.
An arm 3 secured to the plate B (Figure 1) participates in the displacement of
this plate, so that the small roller 4, with which it is provided, comes in contact

page_text: with the curved surface of the eccentric -L, whereby the whole of the guide
frame pivotted at C to the main or supporting arm of the machine is
turned in the direction of the arrow IV. Owing to this movement, the hook 20
which previously retained the pawl K out of engagement with the ratchet wheel d,
releases the said pawl, the said hook being secured to the frame a, b, while the
pawl K is independent of the said frame a, b. The pawl K which up to this point has
turned without exercising any action upon the ratchet wheel d now engages with
the same through the action of a spring E, and carries it round, thereby imparting
the required rotary movement to the plate B. During this rotary movement the
bolt with its pin 7 continues in contact with the projecting piece 6 of the arm 21.
Directly the rotary movement is completed, the mechanism by which it has been
brought about must be thrown out of operation, while the mechanism for producing
longitudinal or rectilinear motion is thrown into gear instead.
The attachment of the fabric or material to the plate p is effected as follows ;
The plate p (Figure 5) which takes part in all the movements whether rectilinear
or rotary, is provided with a slot corresponding to the shape of the button hole
and carries (as shown in Figures 1 and 4) an arme. To this arm is secured a
clamp f. To the arme is also pivotted a lever 9 (Figures and 4) which, when
the clamp is pressed down, exercises such pressure upon the material placed on
the plate p, that the said material is compelled to participate in all the move-
ments which the plate p performs. During the rectilinear motion, the rotary
plate should be kept stationary in the plate B.
r
For this purpose a spring or
gripper m (Figure 1) secured to the plate p, is arranged to spring into a slot mi
provided in the plate B, from which slot it may however be disengaged when
required, by using an adequate amount of power.
The parts for throwing the mechanism which produce the rotary and the
rectilinear movements respectively, into or out of gear, are as follows:-The
When, therefore
lever (Figure 1) is provided on the right with a finger 2.
the plate p is turned in the direction of the arrow III it carries with it the lever e
secured to it, and, through the medium of this lever, moves also the said finger 2.
The bolt. constantly forced inwards by the springs and which is provided with
the pin 7 which, during the rotation of the plate p, constantly bears on the
projection 6, carries a small pin y passing through the plate B, and which as the
said bolt is moved outwardly travels within a slot provided in the plate B. This
pin y is engaged by the finger 2 when the sewing of the eye of the button hole is
nearly completed, thus driving the bolt outward and disengaging the pin 7 from
the projection 6.
It follows that the plate B in its further movement in the direction
of the arrow V will meet with no further resistance, as the pin 7 can freely pass
over the arm 21, which has been sufficiently lowered for this purpose.
At this moment, however, the mechanism for producing the rectilinear move-
ment may not come into operation, as the catch 8 still retains the lever 9 in its
outward position thus preventing the pawl C from engaging with the ratchet
wheel D. To allow of the re-engagement of the ratchet mechanism directly the
pin 7 and projection 6 have been thrown out of engagement, a spring a* is arranged
to press the ruler h in the direction of the arrow X. The catch 8 is thus drawn
off the inclined part of the lever 9, whereby the pawl C under the action of its
spring D engages with the wheel D, and thus causes the plate B to perform a
rectilinear movement, whereupon the second straight edge uus of the button-hole
is stitched since the plate p after having been turned through about 180° remains
in this altered position and, as the plate B continues to move in the same direction
as before (ie. in that indicated by arrow V), guides the material in the required
direction for the needle to complete the stitching of the other edge u*u* of the
button hole.
The rotary motion itself would in any case stop of its own accord when the
needle reaches the point ut as the ratchet-wheel d carries only as many teeth as
correspond to the arc or periphery of the eye of the button-hole; to ensure the
proper operation of the mechanism at a subsequent stage, this rotation is also

page_text: :
specially arrested by means of the small roller 4 provided on the plate B
(Figure 1); which roller, at the moment when the rotary movement commences,
'is situated at the extreme point on the left of the eccentric L in moving to which
point it displaced the frame also to the left and thus enabled the pawl K to engage
with the ratchet wheel d. Now, however, as the plate proceeds further, it slides
down the other side under the action of the spring s', whereby the frame together
with the plate B is swung back to such an extent that it comes in contact with the
eccentric z. By this return movement of the frame, the pawl K is again with-
drawn by the hook 20, when the plate B is moved back and the plate, p, is turned
to the position hereinafter described.
When one button hole is completed, the material may be lifted from the plate
by raising the presser g. To commence the stitching of the next button hole, the
plate B should be moved back, and the plate p turned through slightly more than
180°, along with the fabric-retaining clamp, to their initial position.
To accomplish the former object the eccentric z on the army' is turned in the
direction of the arrow I until the hook y* draws the whole of the frame a, b, some-
what to the right by means of the pin y¹. The consequence is that the pin 11 will
move the pawl C out of engagement with the wheel D, so that this wheel under
the action of a crank handle k (Figures 2 and 3) secured to it may move back the
plate B to its initial position through the medium of the toothed wheel i, and
rack 2.
The eccentric L in consequence of the movement performed by the
eccentric 2, and under the intermediate action of the coupling rod or link R is
turned downwards, and now permits the roller 4 to slide past without effecting any
displacement of the frame. The rotary plate p is turned back by hand until the
catch or clasp m springs into the slot provided for the purpose in the plate B.
The swinging rod n receives its oscillating motion from the eccentric, E³, (see
Figure 1) and the size of the stitches may be adjusted in the well known manner
by correspondingly displacing the slide m². The pivot m' of the rod n is connected
to the slide m³. If this be moved backwards or forwards, the end of the rod n
which is connected with the lever F effects an oscillation of larger or smaller
degree according to the manner in which the pivot m' is moved to the right or to
the left; thereby the levers F and H make a movement of greater or smaller
degree and with them the pawls K and C, fastened to F and H respectively,
whereby the fabric, supposing the number of stitches to be the same, is moved
faster or slower. The consequence of this is that the stitches come nearer together
or farther apart. The adjustment of the slide m² is effected by the rod l, which
may be fixed in any position by the screw S³.
The needle bearing case (Figures 7 to 9) on its front side carries two rods or
rails u and t. The rail u is secured by screws 20, to the rail t and this is adjustable
vertically in a slot. To the rod t is screwed an intermediate piece t', which carries
a button-hole regulator M. This regulator is provided with a cylindrical projec-
tion 24*, for the reception of the eye of the button hole. To prevent the rail t
from sliding downward except when it is required to do so it is retained by a
spring in the raised position, and does not descend unless this spring is pressed.
The material placed under the clamp is firmly pressed by this clamp upon the
plate p.
The rail t may then be lowered. The regulator M and projection 24*,
separate the opposite button hole edges from each other and are then raised.
The needle reciprocating both vertically and laterally now stitches the edge u³, u³
then the eye u, u and lastly the other edge u¹u³ of the button hole, the respective
mechanisms for producing rectilinear or rotary motion as the case may be, being
thrown into and out of gear in the manner above described.
When it is desired to stitch a button hole without an eye (Figure 11) by this
device, one edge of the button hole uu' is first stitched as before; then the
material holding plate p is turned by hand while the machine is arrested, where-
upon the rectilinear motion necessary for sewing the other edge 8 of the button
is automatically brought about. The length of the button hole slit may be
adjusted at will by determining beforehand the initial position of the plate B.

page_text: 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. A button-hole sewing machine with a needle adapted to reciprocate laterally;
in which machine the fabric or material is rotated for the purpose of stitching the
edges of the button hole by the arrangement of the fabric holding clamp upon a
plate p of circular shape revoluble within a sliding plate B, in conjunction with
which while the straight longitudinal edges of the button hole are being stitched
the said plate moves within the frame a under the action of the ratchet and
pawl mechanism and rack and pinion while, for the stitching of the circular
portion or eye of the button-hole, the plate is caused to turn in said sliding plate
by means of another ratchet and pawl.
2. A button-hole stitching machine such as referred to in the first claim in
which the hereinbefore described ratchet and pawl mechanism is thrown into and
out of gear by such an arrangement of the frame (a b) carrying the slide or plate (B)
that, through the medium of eccentrics (=, L.) adjustable by hand and acted upon
by the said slide, and of a bolt a adjustable by means of the material holding
plate (p) the said plate receives either a rotary or a longitudinal movement as the
case may be; such movements resulting respectively, in the throwing of either
pawls (C or K) out of or into gear.
3. A button-hole stitching machine such as is referred to in the first claim in
which the exact adjustment of the button-hole and the separation of its edges are
effected by a small adjustable plate (M) corresponding to the shape of the button
hole, which plate is provided with a bolt or latch which is held against the needle
bearing case by a ratchet mechanism, all substantially as described, and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 17th dox of June 1893
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.