Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Feb., 1888
Specification Accepted, 23rd Mar., 1888
[Communicated from abroad by BOSWELL TENNEY SMITH, Manufacturer, of Nushua,
in the County of Hillsborough and State of New Hampshire, United States of
America.]
1, OLIVER IMRAY, of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents, 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 :-
My invention relates to embroidering machines of the type generally known as the
Heilmann, or Swiss machines, wherein the several stitch adjustments are effected by
a pantograph mechanism of which the tracing point is carried over the pattern by the
hand of the operator, who also operates the needle carriages, locks and unlocks the
needles and controls every mechanical function.
My object is to provide an improved automatic mechanism for giving such exact
stitch adjustment to the tambour frame that the character of the work produced may
be of great and a uniform excellence.
My invention also includes means of moving the pattern which I will term the
stencil sheet so as to establish a synchronous relation between the forward movement
of the stencil and the action of the mechanical elements by which the stitch adjust-
ment is effected. As an important feature of the invention, I provide positive means
for initiating the progressive movement of the stencil at the moment when the needle
carriage begins to recedo from the web, in order that the movement of the tamhour
frame may take place during the period when the needles are disengaged from the
fabric.
While my invention also comprises improvements in the construction and com-
bination of the mechanical elements by which the stitch adjustments are made, so
as to secure exactness and prevent simultaneous operation of the actuating levers in
opposite directions. The most important part of the invention consists in the positive
Prins 1e 171

page_text: means whereby the movement of the tambour frame is directed and the extent of its
adjustment controlled, the embroidering mechanism being thus rendered practically
automatic.
I provide also simple and comparatively inexpensive mechanism for effecting the
automatic reversals of the "railway" in embroidering machines, this mechanism
being arranged to operate instantly, and with as great accuracy and uniformity of
thread tension as when electric apparatus is employed as described in the Specification
to an application for a Patent of even date herewith.
In the accompanying drawings
:-
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a mechanism embodying my invention as looked at in a
line parallel to the railway of the embroidering machine.
Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating the action of the device for initiating the progressive
movement of the stencil.
Fig. 2 is an elevation of the right of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a part vertical section on the line - Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is an elevation to an enlarged scale of the upper right hand part of the
mechanism shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is an elevation of the lower right hand part of Fig. 1.
Fig. 6 is a sectional plan on y-y Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 is a perspective of part of the devices for initiating the movement of the stencil.
Fig. 8 is an elevation of the stencil drum.
Fig. 9 is a part plan of a stencil sheet.
Fig. 9 is a detached view of the pantograph apparatus usually employed in
embroidering machines.
Fig. 10 is a longitudinal vertical section of part of an embroidering machine,
those parts of the usual mechanism which are not required being oinitted.
Fig. 11 is a plan of part of Fig 10.
Fig. 12 is a section of the head of the needle carriage, the arm, needle jaws and
needles being shewn in dotted lines.
Fig. 13 is a plan of the bracket and valve shewn in section in Fig. 12.
Fig. 14 is a perspective of the parts shown in Figs. 12 and 13..
Fig. 15 is a part of the plan in Fig. 11.
Fig. 16 is a view of a modified construction.
Fig. 17 is a view partly in vertical section and partly in elevation, illustrating a
modified form of the automatic stitch adjustmont.
Fig. 18 is a transverse vertical section of part of Fig. 17 on the line a a.
Fig. 19 is an enlarged section of part of the pneumatic chest shewn in Fig. 17.
Figs. 20 and 20 represent respectively the manner of preparing the governing stencil..
Mechanism according to the present invention may be connected to any embroidering
machine, but preferably to one in which the reversal of the railway is effected by the
pneumatic apparatus shown in Figs. 10 to 16 inclusive. But as it may be applied to
machines of other kinds without material alteration, I have shown only so much of
the embroidering machine itself as is needed to illustrate the connection between the
operative parts.
Referring to the drawings Figs. 1 to 9, 1 is one side of the railway of the
embroidering machine, along which a needle carriage moves on each side of the web.
One end of one of the carriages is indicated at 2. This carriage is drawn toward the
tambour frame by weights in the usual manner, and is drawn back by a belt 3 which
moves in the slot of a projection 4 on each end of the carriage and has a driving block
fixed on it.
At the middle of the railway is a standard 5 forming part of a rectangular frame
within which the tambour frame is suspended.
These parts are indicated in Fig. 1 by dotted lines as they form no part of the
present invention. The tambour frame is moved to give the required stitch adjust-
ments by a pantograph mechanism of substantially the same construction as that
usually employed as for instance in Swiss machines.
Upon one side of the machine about opposite the supports of the tambour frame

page_text: I erect a standard 6 which carries most of the operative parts of the mechanism
embodying my invention.
From the upper portion of this standard toward the end of the tambour frame
projects a bracket 7 of cruciform shape upon which are arranged a horizontal slide
bar 8 and vertical slide bar 9.
The slide bar 8 works through bearings 10 at the ends of the bracket and the slide
bar 9 through bearings 11 on the cross arm in each case with sufficient friction to
retain the bar in position.
The bearings 11 project forward far enough to bring the vertical slide 9 in
front of the horizontal slide 8 with sufficient intermediate space to admit the parts
carried by the bars as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Upon the horizontal bar 8 is
fixed a vertical cross arm 12 having a slot 13 extending nearly its whole length.
Upon the vertical arm 9 is fixed a horizontal cross arm 14 having a slot 15 as long
as 13. These arms are fixed upon the inner or adjacent faces of the bars 8 and 9, and
when in their norinal position they cross cach other centrally at right angles, as shewn
in Fig. 1. In the space between the adjacent faces of these cross arms is introduced
the extremity 16 of the motor arm of the pantograph, which forms part of the
pantograph frame 16 shewn in Fig. 9" such as is commonly used in the Swiss
embroidering machines. In the arm 16 is a pin 17 projecting on both sides of the
arm into the slots 13 and 15.
This pin corresponds to the tracing point of the pantograph, which is usually moved
by the hand of the operator over the pattern.
Obviously by the movements of the vertical and horizontal slide bars 8 and 9 the
pantograph will be actuated giving movement to the tambour frame, proportional to
that of the slide bars. For example, a vertical movement of the bar 9 and its cross
bar 14 will move the arm 16 vertically its pin 17 moving in the slot 18 and in like
manner a horizontal movement of the bar 8 and its cross bar 12 will move the arm 16
its pin 17 sliding in the slot 15. The vertical and horizontal movements may take
place simultaneously causing the pin 17 to move in some diagonal line the resultant
of the combined vertical and horizontal movements.
On the edges of the slide bars 8 and 9 are formed oppositely toothed racks 18
and 19, of length commensurate with the extent of movement required for the adjust-
ments of the tambour fráme.
Above and below the horizontal slide bar 8 are mounted bell crank levers 20 having
pivotted on their vertical arms pawls 21 and 23 directed in opposite ways and urged
to engage with the racks 18 and 19 by springs 22. Each bell crank 20 is retracted
by a spring 24.
Upon a bracket 25 projecting past the lower end of the vortical arm 9 are mounted
two levers 26 and 28, the latter consisting of two parts 27ª and 27° connected by a
joint 27.
Upon the extremities of these levers are mounted pawls 30 and 29 which are drawn
into engagement with the racks 18 and 19 by springs 31 and the power end of the
levers 26 and 28 are retracted by springs 32.
The ends of these levers project beyond the standard 6 and are curved to bring
them into different vertical planes and a similar construction is applied to the
horizontal arms of the bell crank levers 20. Upon the standard 6 are fixed brackets 33
through which slide five vertical bars, or rods, a short one 34 and four others a¹ a² a³
and a, which extend up to and abutt against the ends of the levers 26, 27 and of the
two bell cranks 20 respectively. The two longer bars a³ and a are guided by an
additional bracket 35. By the repeated reciprocation of the bars at a² a³ at the levers
operating the slide bars 8 and 9 are actuated and thus movements are given to the
motor arin 16 of the pantograph.
At the lower part of each of the five bars is a stud or tooth 36 which rests on the
lowest bracket 33 supporting the bars and upon these studs rests a rod 37 carried by
an arm 38 pivotted upon the standard 6.
The arm 38 is connected by a link 39, to a latch 40, which is lifted when any one of
the five bars rises.

page_text: From the standard 6 projects a bracket 41 upon the end of which is pivotted at 45
a platform 42 that rests upon an eccentric 44 on a shaft 43 by the rotation of which a
reciprocating movement is imparted to the platform 42. Upon the platform 42 are
pivotted five independent selectors 46 arranged respectively beneath the ends of the
bars 34, a¹ a² as a so that when any one of the selectors moves to the right it engages
under one of the bars which is then raised as the platform 42 rises. The selectors 46
are urged towards the right by springs 47, but they have lugs 49 engaged in a yoke 48
fixed to the bracket 33 so that when the platform 42 descends these lugs bear on the
lower limb of the yoke and the selectors are thus all drawn back to the left.
The platform 42 has arms 50 between which is mounted a drum 51 made in two
parts, or sections, separated by a dise 52 having peripheral teeth 53 at suitable intervals.
This disc is keyed on a shaft 54, which is journalled in the arms 50 and supports
the drum sections, as seen in Fig. 6 and has fixed upon it a ratchet 55 beyond which
there is pivotted on it a vibrating arm 56 carrying a pawl 57 urged by a spring 58
into engagement with the ratchet teeth. Upon the arm which carries the pawl 57 is
swivelled a sleeve 59 through which projects a pitman 60, that is caused to reciprocate by
a crank pin on a disc 61 fixed on the shaft 43. Upon the pitman 60 is an adjustable
boss 62 which at each forward stroke of the pitman if the arm 56 is retracted
sufficiently, pushes against the sleeve 59 thus moving the arm 56 so that its pawl 57
turns the ratchet 55 one or more teeth. If, however, the vibrating arm 56 is not
sufficiently retracted the pitman 60 simply reciprocates in the swivelling sleeve 59
without moving the raichet.
The end of the vibrating arm 56 projects beyond the drum 51 and carrios a hori-
zontal pin 63 which projects over the laich 40. Thus when the bar 34 or any of the
bars a¹ a² a³ a rises, the latch 40 is lifted raising the end of the vibrating arm 56 and
so retracting the pawl 57, the pitman 60 will then advance the ratchet 55 thereby
partly turning the shaft 54, and the toothed disc 52. This action will be repeated as
often as any one of the five vertical bars is operated by its selector 46.
Over the drum 51 is carried the stencil sheet 64 by which the action of the motor
bars and consequently the movements of the motor-arm of the pantograph are directed
and controlled. This stencil consists of a narrow sheet of any suitable material, thin
brass being preferable. In this as shewn in Fig. 9 there are central perforations 65
which engage with the teeth 53 of the disc 52. Upon each side of this line are two
separate sets of holes 663 63 and 4 corresponding in position with the selectors 46.
To each of these selectors is jointed a finger 66 guided through a bracket plate 67
fixed on the platform 42.
When the selectors are back the points of the fingers 66 are just clear of the stencil
sheet upon the drum 51, which as shown in Fig. 8 has holes 68 so situated that the
points of the fingers 66 can enter them after passing through the holes ' ' &c. in the
stencil.
"
As the platform 42 rises lifting the lugs 49 of the selectors off the yoke 48 the
selectors rock towards the drum and the finger points 66 are stopped by the stencil
sheet where there is no hole and cannot engage the motor bars above. But when one
of the openings bb &c. presents itself to a finger, the selector advances engaging the
bar above it, and this engagement will be repeated as long as the stencil opening 4
continues to present itself to the finger.
Within one section of the drum 51 is arranged as shown in Fig. 6, a sleeve 69 loose
upon the shaft 54, but pressed by a spring butting against the disc 53 and having an
arm 70 the bent end 71 of which projects through an opening 73 in the drum beyond
the end of the drum. The opening 73 in the drum is of such length as to permit the
end 71 to rise a little, but when in its normal position as shewn in fig. 1, it lies
directly in front of the finger 66 of the selector for the bar 34. The stencil sheet is
arranged so that when it is at rest it presents no holes to the fingers 66 and when the
end 71 is also in its place, none of the selectors can engage with any one of the five
upright bars.
Upon the pivot 45 is fulcrumed a lever 74 one end of which lies just beneath
the projecting end 71. The other end extends to a point near the rail of the

page_text: emoroidering machine, and is perforated to receive a vertical rod 75 which can move
vertically in any suitable guides. On this rod is a nut 76 overlying the end of the
lever 74 and upon the upper end of the rod 75 is an incline 77 which lies beneath a
tripping pin 78 carried by the belt projection 4 of the needle-carriage. The purpose
5 of this arrangement is as follows:-
The stitch adjustments of the tambour frame must necessarily be begun at the
time when the retrogade movement of either needle carriage has wholly withdrawn
the needles from the fabric and this movement should be timed by the needle
carriagos. This is the function of the bar 34 which is actuated by the outermost
of the selectors 46, engaging it when by the recession of the carriage the pin 78
acting on the incline 77 trips the lever 74 and throws the boss 71 upward leaving
an open space which the finger of the outermost selector can enter.
having thus advanced under the bar 34 the upward movement of the platform 42
The selector
raises the arm 38 and the latch 40, so moving the pawl arm 56 refracting the
pawl 57 and then the pitman 60 advancing the pawl causes the feeding disk 52
to be partly turned. This advances the stencil sheet a step, bringing some of the
holes &c. over the holes 68 in the drum. On the next stroke of the platform 42
the finger points 66 of some of the selectors 46 enter the holes allowing these selectors
to engage with their respective motor bars a¹ a³ whereby the stitch adjustment of the
tambour frame is initiated.
The first step movement of the feed disk 52 brings the end 71 back to its
normal position so as to stop the outermost selector and so stop the advance of
the stencil, the successive feed movements of the tambour frame are however
continued by the successive ascents of the motor bar, or bars, resulting from the
holes presented by the stencil. The ratchet racks 18 and 19 are so toothed, and
their actuating pawls have such throw that at each reciprocation of a pawl the tambour
frame is moved the distance of a single stitch or the thickness of the needle making
the stitch. If a single movement only is required for the design, the stencil hole is of
such length as to permit only a single engagement between the selector and the motor
bar. Repeated action of the motor bars is provided for by increased length of the
stencil holes. The direction of the adjustment of the tambour frame to or fro or upor
down depends on the transverse arrangement of the holes.
of the stencil control the downward movements of the pantograph arm; the holes 6ª²
For instance the holes b¹
control the upward movements, and the remaining holes and control the right and
left horizontal movements respectively. After each lift of the selectors, by the
descent of the platform 42 the fingers 66 are all withdrawn from the drum and
stencil so as to permit unimpeded feed movement of the stencil.
In order to permit the action of the pawls 21 and 23 in opposite directions I provide
relief plates 79 upon which the pawls ride as the bell cranks make their back strokes.
In the forward stroke the pawls pass off the plates and engage the ratchet teeth.
These plates may be made adjustable so that the effective throw of the pawl may be
varied.
To provide against the risk of damage should the mechanism be accidentally
started when the stencil is not on the drum, I fix on one of the bell cranks 20, a
curved arm 80, (Fig. 4) having at its end an incline 81.
Should both levers 20 happen to move together the incline 81. acting on a stud 82
on the other pawl lifts it off the rack. This arrangement is applied in like manner to
he levers 26 and 27 that work the vertical slide bar 9.
The stencil sheet may be indefinitely varied in the arrangement and length of its
oles to suit an indefinite variety of designs which may be of the utmost intricacy and
canty. The accuracy of mechanical action as compared with the work of skilled
peratives and especially that of different hands or of the same bands at different
imes, gives great uniformity of appearance to the products of the machine. The
implicity of the mechanism its positive action and the exactness with which it works
ut the designs represented by the stencil, render the machine superior in excellence
f work, as well as in economy, to any machine directed by hand.
The arrangement above described according to which the successive stitches are of

page_text: varying length, and the stencil sheet has successive intervals of rest after each stitch
adjustment is worked out, is suited to machines of the Swiss type.
There are, however, certain embroidering machines in which the stencil has a
continuous or uninterrupted forward movement, the design being executed in stitches
of uniform length, and by properly timing the stitching and the adjusting mechanism,
the stencil effects the successive adjustments between the successive stitches. The
holes in the stencil in this case are all of equal length as shown by fig. 20".
In the stencil, according to my invention, whether it be of the kind shown in fig. 9,
or in fig. 20, it has only four sets of holes by which the vertical and horizontal
All adjustments in lines other than vertical and horizontal
adjustments are directed.
are resultants of these two movements combined.
In preparing the stencil, adjustments in opposite directions must invariably be
effected by holes not in the same transverse line. Any but movements in lines at
right angles to each other may be made simultaneously by holes which are in the
sume transverse line.
This operation of the machine is briefly as follows:-
The web being stretched upon the tambour frame and the latter connected with the
pantograph apparatus in the usual manner the stencil 64 is carried over the drum 51
and stretched, or in any way drawn down upon the drum so that the teeth 53 engage
with the central holes 65 in the stencil. The needles being arranged in the jaws of
one of the carriages and threaded, the mechanism is ready for operation.
By rotation of the shaft 43 continuous up and down reciprocation of the
platform 42 is produced with the parts carried by it. At the same time the needlo
carriages are moved to and fro. One of the carriages having taken the needles after
they have passed through the web begins to recede from the tambour frame;
thereupon the tripping pin 78 pushes down the rod 75 tripping the lever 74 and
raising the end 71. The selector 46 beneath the bar 34 can then rock under and
engage with the bar, its finger 66 entering the recess left open by the withdrawal of 71.
The bar 34 being thus lifted raises the latch 40 and the pawl lever 56 and then the
stencil sheet is moved so that one, or it may be two of the holes ¹³ or present
themselves to the fingers 66 uncovering the corresponding holes 68 in the drum.
Upon the next lift of the platform 42, the finger, or fingers 66 facing the opening or
openings pass into them permitting their selectors 46 to engage under some of the
motor bars a', a² a³ a¹ and move their levers, thus giving a single stitch adjustment to
the tambour frame.
When the platform descends the fingers 66 are being retracted by the yoke 48 and
the pitman 60 advances the stencil sheet 64 a single step after which the platform
again rises. If the hole in the stencil continues to present itself to the same finger as
before the adjustment of the tambour frame is carried a single step further this being
followed, again by an advance of the stencil. This operation continues until a part of
the stencil which has no hole presents itself to the fingers 66. This at once throws all
the selectors out of action, and consequently checks the advance of the stencil. The
end 71 having been restored to its normal position immediately after the first lift
of the bar 34 engagement of the selectors 46 is prevented until the next passage of
the needle carriage trips the lover 74.
The latch 40 as shewn in Fig. 6 is pivotted on a boss 83 projecting from the
standard 6 and the shaft 43 is mounted in a bearing 84 on the same standard.
These minor details of construction may obviously be varied to suit various
constructions of machines.
Referring to figs. 10 to 16 inclusive, 1 is the frame of the embroidering machine
carrying the railway 2. About midway of the railway is erected a frame 3 withi
which the tambour frame is supported and moved. Upon the railway 2 run needl
carriagos 4 each of which is drawn toward the fabric or tambour frame by cords
running over pulleys and carrying weights while the back movement is produced
All these parts are of ordinar
by belts 6 driven by pulleys on a shaft 8.
construction.
Upon each needle carriage 4 is pivotted an axis 9 which carries the movable jaw

page_text: of the needles and has mounted on it arms 10, curving over and in front of the
needle range and carrying at their ends a tension bar 11.
In fig. 14 the arins 10 are shewn carried by a collar 12, confined between two fixed
collars 13, which prevent lateral movement but permit the arms 10 to swing freely up
and down so that the tension bars 11 rest upon the threads 14 as indicated in fig. 12.
A bracket 16 projecting from the carriage has a nipple 17 which receives the end
of a flexible tube 18. Through the nipple 17 is an opening 19 fitted with a valve 20
which is pivotted at 21 and kept normally shut by a spring 22 urging it against a
stop 23.
The end of the valve plate has a notch 24 and is bevelled off as shewn at 25
fig. 13.
An elastic arm 26 fixed to the collar 12 of one of the tension arms 10 loosely
engages with the notch 24. When the tension bar 11 is raised by the tension of the
threads 14 the arm 26 moves the valve 20 far enough to uncover the opening 19, and
then escapes from the notch 24 permitting the valve to be closed by the spring 22.
When the tension bar 11 lescends again the arm 26 slides along the bovil 25 and
engages again in the notch 24.
Upon the shaft 8 are loosely mounted two equal pulleys 27 and 28 connected to the
driving shaft by straight and crossed belts 29 and 30 so that they revolve in opposite
directions. By clutches 31 on each pulley and 32 on the shaft 8 either pulley 27
or 28 can be clutched to the shaft. These clutches are thrown into and out of gear
by clutch levers 33 having forks 34 engaged in channels 35 in the clutches. The
clutch-levers are pivotted on brackets 36 of the frame 1 and their lower ends are
engaged with a reversing bar 37 so that as one clutch is thrown into gear the other is
simultaneously thrown out of gear thus releasing one of the pulleys 27-28, when the
other is locked to the shaft. The reversing bar 37 may be jointed to the ends of the
clutch levers 33 and thus be carried by them.
The longitudinal movement of the bar 37 at proper times is accomplished in the
following manner.
Upon supports 38 are mounted two independent shafts 39, each having fixed on it
a pulley 40 and 41, which are driven at equal speeds by pulleys 42 belted to the power
shaft. Under each of those pulleys is a casing 43 which partly surrounds the
periphery of the pulley with space between to admit an elastic belt 44 clear from the
surface of the pulley. This belt nearly surrounds the pulley, one and of it 44* is
brought up in front of the pulley and from this end a cord or wire 45 runs over a
pulley 46 to a spring 47. The other end of the belt is connected to a spring 48 and
by a pin 51 in a slot 51 to one arm 49 of a bell crank lever pivotted on a bracket 50.
The other arm 50% of the bell crank engages a stud 52" on the reversing bar 37.
A similar connection is made for the corresponding arm 49* of the other bell crank
which is curved to be clear of the fulcrum of the other lever. Belt guides 53 may
be placed on the casings 43.
The effect of this apparatus is that by a moderate frictional contact between the
pulley and the one end 44 of the belt 44 a strong drag is produced at the
other end, which will be continued as long as the belt 44 is pressed upon the
revolving pulley.
At 54 is pivotted an arm 55 carrying a roller 56 a little below the end 44" of the
belt 44. This arm has belt guides 57 and it is normally urged away from the end 44°
of the belt by a spring 58. Against the outer face of the arm 55 bears a piston rod 59
guided at 60 and attached to a piston 61, in a cylinder 62 from which there is an
exit pipe 63 communicating with a bellows or exhauster such as the bellows shewn at
64, which may be worked by a crank. There are holes 65 through the piston 61 so
that an equilibrium of pressure is established on each side of the piston. From the
head of the cylinder 61 the pipe 18 leads to the valve shown in Figs. 12, 13, and 14.
The mechanism last described for pulley 40 is duplicated for the other pulley 41 so
far as the vibrating arm 55 piston rod 59 and air cylinder 61 are concerned and its
operation is as follows:-
As the needle carriage 4 recedes from the web the tension of the threads raises the

page_text: bar 11 opening the valve 20 and admitting air to the tube 18. The preponderating
air pressure on the piston in 61 forces it forwards towards 63 thereby pushing the
roller 56 against the belt 44 the belt being then dragged round by the pulley 40
or 41 moves one of the bell cranks 49 or 49 and the reversing bar 37 so that one
of the pulleys 27 or 28 is locked to the shaft and the other released.
After the reversing bar 37 is thus moved in either direction it tends to remain in
position there being sufficient friction at the fulcrum 36 to hold each lever 33 in
position.
The action of the valve 20 on the needle carriage being practically instantaneous the
roller 56 acts on the belt 44 for a moment only but this time is sufficient to effect the
reversal.
As the valve 20 closes the equilibrium of atmospheric pressure upon both sides of
the piston is restored and the arm 55 is pushed back by the spring 58 releasing the
end 44 of the belt whereupon the spring 47 throws it off the pulley and
suddenly checks the drag on the belt by effecting its complete disengagement
from the pulley. The spring 48 then moves back the bell crank which had been
actuated.
Should the strain upon the belt 44 continue after roaching its maximum the
pulley 40 or 41 can slip between friction discs 41" which are keyed on the shaft 39 and
clasp the faces of the pulley. This slip continues as long as the end 44° of the belt is
in contact with the pulley.
As the carriage 4 approaches the web it is necessary to raise the tension bar 11 and
throw it backward to allow the needles to pass through the fabric. This is accomplished
by a lift 67 fastened on the collar 12 one at each end of the carriage. Channels 70
in these lifts engage with pins 68 carried by bars 69 on the frame 3 and the tension
bar is thus turned entirely out of the way resuming its position as the carriage begins
to recede from the wob.
In order to apply the last described apparatus two exhaust cylinders 61 are necessary
each having a piston rod 59 operating on a separate roller arm 55. I have shown
only one of these cylinders in fig. 11, the other being merely a duplicate.
The friction pulleys 40 and 41 might be dispensed with, the piston rods 59 being
connected directly to the reversing bar 37. The interposition of the friction pulleys
is for the purpose of obtaining power necessary for reversing with a very limited
movement and with moderate dimensions of the parts requiring only an exhaust of
low power and only light thread tension to actuate the valves on the needle-carriages.
In fig. 16 I have shown a modified arrangement by which the friction pulley and
clutching mechanism may be dispensed with. In this case I employ a simple belt
shifter 71 moved to and fro by bell cranks 72. The belt 73 runs over a loose pulley 74
from which it can be shifted to either of two pulleys 75, connected the one by a straight
and the other by a cross belt to the pulleys on the railway shaft.
The levers 72 may
be operated by the piston rods 59 or friction pulleys 40 and 41 may be interposed if
dosired.
I may substitute for the automatic devices shown in figures 1 to 9 a pneumatic
apparatus shown in Figs. 17 to 20" inclusive.
In these figures 1 is a base which supports the adjusting mechanism by brackets 2
having ears 3 in which two ratchet bars 4 at right angles to each other may freely
slide. The bars 4 each have two racks 5 with opposite teeth.
Upon the lower part of each bracket 2 is pivotted a bell crank lever having its
vertical arm extending nearly up to the ratchet teeth and its horizontal arm 8 lying in
the same vertical plane with the toothed bar. The extremities of the horizontal arms
are brought into one horizontal line, as shown in figure 17, for a purpose presently to
be explained.
Each bell crank arm 7 carries a pawl 9 urged by a spring 10 to engage with the
rack teeth 5 of the bar 4 above it so that by the reciprocation of one or the other of
the bell cranks tho bar is adjusted step by step longitudinally to an extent proportioned
to the number of reciprocations.
Between the pawl and the teeth is a relief-plate 11 attached to an arm 12 of the

page_text: bracket 2 and adjusted theroon by means of a set screw 13 passing through a slot 14
in the plate.
The end of this plate is so adjusted between the nose of the pawl and the rack 5
that when the pawl approaches the end of its back stroke it rides up on the plate,
leaving engagement with the rack. As each bell crank pawl is thus arranged, move-
ment in opposite directions is rendered possible. By means of these relief plates, also,
the effective stroke of the pawls can be varied so as to limit the movement of the bar
to the distance of a single tooth.
A pneumatic chest, has an exhaust chamber 16 occupying usually more than half
its space and containing shelves 17, each having an air chamber 18 from which a
passage 19 leads to the outer air, through the solid head 15 of the chest. The mouths
of these passages are all in one line.
Each air chamber 18 is covered by a flexible diaphragm 20, carrying a piston
disc 21 connected to a lever 23, fulcrumed in the end wall of the chest. The
chamber 16 is exhausted by a pump or other apparatus communicating with it by a
pipe 24. Through the diaphragm and piston is a small hole 22.
In the head 15 of the air chest is journalled a shaft 25 carrying a sprocket
wheel 26 with teeth 27 projecting beyond the face of the head. The wheel 26 is
driven intermittently by a pitman 28 working an arm 29 mounted on the end of the
shaft 25 and carrying a pawl 30 which engages with the teeth of a ratchet 31 on the
shaft 25. The pitman 28 is provided with two adjustable nuts 32 and 33 which act
as tappets alternately on the sleeve 34 through which the pitman slides so as to give
movement to the shaft 25 alternating with intervals of rest proportioned to the distance
between the adjustable nuts and the speed of the pitman. A crank pin 35 carried by
a disc 36 gives reciprocation to the pitman the disc 36 being driven by a pulley 87.
Over the end of the head 1.5" of the pneumatic chest is carried a stencil sheet 38
having a set of central holes 39 which engage with the sprocket teeth 27. In the
stencil are formed at intervals holes 40 arranged in different longitudinal rows so as
to pass over the months of the air passages 19. When one of the stencil holes
uncovers one of the orifices 19 the air pressure beneath the diaphragm 20 exceeds
that above it. The diaphragm therefore rises lifting the disc 21.
Any one of the four piston discs is similarly lifted when a hole 40 of the stencil
uncovers the mouths of its air passage 19. Upon each of the levers 23 as shown in
Fig. 18 is mounted a rod 41, which projects upward through the wall of the pneumatic
chest and has its upper end bearing against the horizontal arm of one of tho bell
cranks 7.
To illustrate the variety of automatic action of which the apparatus is capable, I
have shown in Fig. 20" one form of stencil whereby the successive mechanical adjust-
ments required for the pattern in Fig. 20 may be accomplished.
The stencil being graduated in equal spaces each proportioned to one of the squares
of the pattern, the initial movement for the design is diagonally across one of the
squares. Considering this as a stitch to be formed a single movemont to the right and
on equal movement upward will represent such a stitch. Therefore, on the stencil
the holes for stitch 1 are in the "up" and "right" rows.
Stitches Nos. 2 and 3 are similar but the fourth is up and to the left. By tracing
the design further it may be seen that the pattern on the stencil can be arranged to
suit any design. It should be noted that this stencil is cut in such manner as to give
equal adjustments at each advance of the stencil causing the design to be worked in
stitches of equal length. The effective throw of each bell crank 7 may be varied by
set screws, which stop the back stroke.
This same result may be secured by extending the bearings for the pivots of the
bell cranks and forming several holes in any one of which the lever can be pivotted
so that by varying the leverage at which the rod 41 acts, the stroke can be
proportionally varied.
By building up the pneumatic chest in descending series as shewn in Figs. 17
and 18 the pistons 21 can be made of considerable size within the available space in
the chest whilst the rods 41 are still near together.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim'is :-
•
i. In an ombroidery machine of the kind herein referred to in combination with a
pantograph connected to the tambour frame, vertical and horizontal slides moved
step by step by pawls worked by vibrating selectors as determined by the position of a
stencil sheet having four rows of holes timing and controlling respectively the up and
down and right and left movements of the slides, substantially as described.
2. For starting and moving the stencil sheet referred to in the precoding claim
the construction of apparatus, substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1; 1ª,
2, 5, 6, 7 and 8, of the accompanying drawings.
3. In an embroidering machine the construction and use of pneumatic apparatus
for engaging and disengaging the motors of the needle carriages, substantially as
described with reference to Figs. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 of the accompanying
drawings.
4. In an embroidery machine, the construction and use of pneumatic apparatus for
moving the tambour frame as determined by a stencil sheet having four rows of holes,
substantially as described with referonce to Figs. 17, 18, 19, 20, and 20% of the
accompanying drawings.