Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 13th May, 1887
Complete Left, 13th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 11th May, 1888.
1, CHARLES WALTER VOSPER, of 3, St. Pauls Churchyard, Barnstaple, Devonshire,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to certain details of appliances to be used with single,
duplicate, or triplicate needles, also to arrangements of needles for loop or chain stitch
sewing machines, and notably for producing a plain or ornamental stitch on fabrics,
such as the backs of gloves, table covers, and the like.
According to the first part of my invention for making ornamental stitching with a
chain stitch sewing machine, 1 employ two or more needles in the same needle bar,
but preferably three, one having an eye nearer the point than either of the other two
and slightly longer so as to enter the fabric first, so that the looper which has a
forward motion in the arc of a comparatively large circle from a vibrating bar, shall
first pass into the loops of the two shorter needles and then by a drooping motion of
its point, by a movement in a smaller segment produced by means of a lever and
cam (said looper being mounted on a pin attached to the vibrating bar) so that
it enters the loop of the longer needle and draws the three loops (or it may be two if
two needles only be used) well on to the looper and into a recess formed near the
heel thereof so that the loops are held by the looper until the looper returns on the
smaller segmental travel and the needles have descended well through the loops, when
a further backward motion of the looper moving over the arc of the larger circle
throws the loops off on to the work, the looping and formation of the stitch being
effected by the looper. The stitch thus made, (if three needles be used) has a solid
central line of stitching in combination with the two angled threads, the length
of which are determined by the distance the needles are set apart, this being
regulated by the class of work to be produced.
The needles (if three be used) are arranged in obtuse triangular fashion, so that
all the loops are taken up by the looper, and the stitch is made on said looper, the
loops being spread from the rear needle around the two front needles.
I am aware that three needles have been employed in triangular order, and that the
threads have been taken therefrom by a single looper, but in this case, the loops were

page_text: thrown on to the front needle for the formation of the stitch. This working left the
centre of the stitching bare and without a solid centre, the angled portion of the
stitching being alone complete. This kind of stitching also exhibited a weakness or
imperfection in the finish, because, if the fabric was stretched to open the meshes, a
plain centre was exposed, whereas, by my invention i.e. making the stitches on or by
the looper itself, a central thread stitch appears upon the surface which gives solidity
to the stitching. Again if two needles only be employed with my double motioned
looper a stitch is formed by one thread in the line of the feed, and the other at
an angle thereto, according to the position in which the second needle is placed out
of the line of feed, each loop giving a solid appearance with the other.
The two needles may be arranged in the line of feed for producing double or two
thread stitching without angled loops.
My improved double motioned looper preferably takes the thread when moving
away from the operator, and, from its formation, the loops of the threads are opened
out to admit of the two needles in the next descending movement passing one on each
side of said looper and on the inner side of their loops, so that a centre rib of stitches
or seam is produced as in an ordinary one needle chain stitch machine, the lever
which causes the second motion of the looper only comes into action after the looper
has been moved a fixed distance by the vibrating bar, the lever being on the arm of
a spindle and controlled by a cam on the under shaft.
According to another part of my invention, I make a curved throat in the work
plate, and by a presser I cause the fabric under operation to enter said curved throat
and I use one needle in the needle bar to pass down through the fabric and one needle
to work horizontally under or within the work plate this passes through two portions
of the fabric so that the looper takes the loops from both needles and produces a fancy
stitch, the stitch being very even and uniform, the stitching being similar to that
produced by three needles.
"
Another mode of making a fancy stitch is by one needle working from a needle bar
and a needle under the work plate moving horizontally across the line of the feed and
with a hook arranged to work in a direction opposite to that previously described will
catch the loop formed by the ascent of the upper needle the looper continuing
its motion to pass through the loop formed by the horizontal needle in its receding
motion, the loops being held while the horizontal needle retires and returns and the
upper or perpendicular needle has completed its ascent and is again descending when
by the curvilinear travel of the looper the threads are transferrred across the
horizontal needle the looper receding to its original position to repeat its action.
I have referred to a double motioned looper for taking the loops from the one, the
two, or the three needles as the case may be, but a continuous rotary hook or looper
may be employed for taking the threads as above set forth for producing the stitch
upon the hook or looper in a similar manner as that described with the vibrating
looper. It will be understood that if a single needle be used plain stitching is
produced but where additional threads are employed the fancy stitch is produced.
With ordinary rotating hooks the hollow part of the hook where the thread has
to be held, a notch or a bulge is formed at the centre of the hollow but for the
purpose of my invention I arrange the notch a little out of the centre which improves
the appearance of the stitch when a single needle is used and enables more than one
- needle-to-be employed for making fancy stitching.

page_text: I CHARLES WALTER VOSPER of 3 St. Pauls Churchyard, Barnstaple Devonshire,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said 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 certain details of appliances to be used with single,
duplicate or triplicate needles, also to arrangements of needles for loop or chain
stitch sewing machines, and notably for producing a plain or ornamental stitch on
fabrics, such as the backs of gloves, table covers, and the like.
According to the first part of my invention for making ornamental stitching with
a chain stitch sewing machine I employ two or more needles in the saine needle bar,
but preferably three, one having an eye nearer the point than either of the other two
and slightly longer so as to enter the fabric first, that the looper, which has a forward
motion in the arc of a comparatively large circle from a vibrating bar, shall first pass
into the loops of the two shorter needles and then by a drooping motion of its point
by a movement in a smaller segment produced by means of lever and cam (said looper
being mounted on a pin attached to the vibrating bar) so that it enters the loop of the
longer needle and draws the three loops (or it may bo two, if two needles only he used)
well on to the looper and into a recess formed near the heel thereof so that the loops
are held by the looper until the looper returns on the smaller segmental travel and
the needles have descended well through the loops when a further backward motion
of the looper moving over the arc of the larger circle throws the loops off on to the
work, the looping and formation of the stitch being effected by the looper.
The stitch thus made (if three needles be used) has a solid central line of stitching
in combination with the two angled threads, the length of which are determined by
the distance the needles are set apart, this being regulated by the class of work to be
produced.
The needles (if three be used) are arranged in obtuse triangular fashion so that all
the loops are taken up by the looper and the stitch is made on said looper, the loops
being spread from the rear needle around the two front needles.
I am aware that three needles have been employed in triangular order, and that the
thread's have been taken therefrom by a single looper but in this case the loops were
thrown on to the front needle for the formation of the stitch. This working left the
centre of the stitching bare and without a solid centre, the angled portion of the
stitching being alone complete. This kind of stitching also exhibited a weakness or
imperfection in the finish, because, if the fabric was stretched to open the meshes, a
plain centre was exposed, whereas, by my invention i.e., making the stitches on or
by the looper itself, a central thread stitch appears upon the surface which gives
solidity to the stitching. Again if two needles only be employed with my doubled
motioned looper a stitch is formed by one thread in the line of the feed, and the other
at an angle thereto, according to the position in which the second needle is placed out
of the line of feed each loop giving a solid appearance with the other.

page_text: The two needles may be arranged in the line of feed for producing double or two
thread stitching without angled loops.
My improved double motioned fooper preferably takes the thread when moving
away from the operator and from its formation, the loops of the threads are opened
out to admit of the two needles in the next descending movement passing one on each
side of said looper and on the inner side of their loops so that a centre rib of stitches
or seam is produced as in an ordinary one needle chain stitch machine, the lever
which causes the second motion of the looper only comes into action after the looper
has been moved a fixed distance by the vibrating bar, the lever being on the arm of
a spindle and controlled by a cam on the under shaft.
According to another part of my invention I make a curved throat in the work
plate and by a presser I cause the fabric under operation to enter said curved throat
and I use one needle in the needle bar to pass down through the fabric and one needle
to work horizontally under or within the workplate this passes through two portions
of the fabric so that the looper takes the loops from both needles and produces a fancy
stitch the stitch being very even and uniform. The stitching is similar to that
produced by three needles.
Another mode of making a fancy stitch is by one needle working from a needle
bar and a needle under the work plate moving horizontally across the line of the feed
and with a hook arranged to work in a direction opposite to that previously described
will catch the loop formed by the ascent of the upper needle the looper continuing
its motion to pass through the loop formed by the horizontal needle in its receding
motion, the loop being held while the horizontal needle retires and returns and the
upper or perpendicular needle has completed its ascent and is again descending
when by the curvilinear travel of the looper the threads are transferred across the
horizontal needle to the looper receding to its original position to repeat its action.
My invention will be understood by reference to the annexed drawings in which
at Figure 1 I show an elevation of an ordinary chain stitch sewing machine composed
of a base plate A and overhanging arm B, head C, workplate D beneath which the
main driving shaft is situate operated from the pulley F or by hand in the usual
manner.
The needle bar G is worked up and down in the head C by a lever H from an upper
shaft I through connecting rod and eccentric on the main shaft E.
Figure 2 is a front elevation and Figure 3 is a view looking on the inside of the
front upright or bearer K.
The inain shaft E has at its front end a disc L having a pin M projecting therefrom
for engaging in a curved slot of a vibrating bar or plate N, which moves the looper
over a large are, this bar N being centred at P. The upper part of the bar or plate N
has attached loosely to it by the pin Q, the upper end of the looper R, the lower end
of which is loosely fitted by the pin S to a vibrating bar or lever T, the opposite end
of which is loosely connected to a lever U this having a rocking motion from the
stud V.
This stud V passes to the rear of the front bearing K and has a lever W connected and
to which a rocking motion is imparted by a pin X on the disc Y, also carried by the
main shaft E.
By this combination of appliances two motions are obtained. First. The bar or
plate N receives a reciprocating motion from the pin P produced. by the circular
motion of the pin M in its curved slot, said motion of the bar or plate N also
producing a reciprocating circular travel of the pin Q and also of the looper R.
The second motion is produced through the pin X of the back disc Y bearing upon
the end of the lever this being depressed during a part of the rotation of the pin X
and returned by the spring Z during the other part of the travel of the disc Y.
This up and down motion of the lever Ŵ causes the looper R through the
levers U, T, to have an independent vibratory movement in conjunction with its
motion by the bar or plate N for taking the loops in succession from the needle or
needles and holding said loop for interlacing and forming the chain stitch.
Thus far supposing the looper point to be of ordinary construction the invention

page_text: consists of a novel arrangement of parts composing the looping mechanism for
producing chain stitch from a single needle but when I place two needles in the
same needle bar I arrange them one behind the other in the same line so that the
looper which 1 vary in shape may enter the two loops of separate threads.
If the two needles are arranged at a distance apart transversely to the line of
sewing for producing a fancy stitch such as I show at Figure 4 I make my looper
of the shape shown at Figure 5 that is to say, broadened out at the heel part for
spreading the loops which have been taken by the point so that the two needles in
their next descent will pass through the loops and form an interlace when the former
loops are thrown off the looper; but, when I employ three needles on the same
needle bar I arrange two of the needles as last described and the third at an obtuse
angle and about equal distance to the rear so that the point of the looper shown at
Figure 5 may take the three loops from the three needles at each forward motion
and widen the loops out for interlacing at the next backward motion whereby I
produce a stitch represented at Figure 6.
The looper R. Figure 5 is formed with a recess R' near the heel in which the loops
are held until the looper has returned on the smaller segmental travel and the
needles have descended well through the loops so that by the further backward
motion of the looper over the arc of the larger circle, enables the loop to leave the
recess R¹ and be thrown off the looper on to the work. By this means the stitch
is made by the looper and is very solid in the central line of stitching, that is to say,
by stretching the fabric between the thumb and fingers so as to open out the two
outer points of the stitch, the central stitch will be a solid one instead of a space
being shown as with other three needle machines.
Figure 7 represents the workplate with the needle holes.
Figure 8 represents an edge view of a machine in which a chain stitch is produced
from two threads and two needles the looper as last described being connected direct
to the disc L of the main shaft E, the independent motion of the looper by the
levers T. U. V W and pin X as before described.
Figure 9 is a longitudinal elevation, Figure 10 an under plan, and Figure 11 a
front end view of a machine in which two needles are employed one working
vertically from the needle head and the other horizontally, fore and aft beneath the
workplate. Both needles penetrate the work at the same time but one is a short
distance from the other when in the work, the horizontal needle being somewhat in
the front of the path of the other (see Figure 11).
The peculiarity of this arrangement is the horizontal needle passes through a
folded portion of the material to be sewn as the material passes under the presser
foot of the machine, and the vertical needle passes between the folds.
On the needles terminating their stroke they are again withdrawn and when
passing back they each form a loop as in other sewing machines.
The looper R shown at Figures 10 and 11 passes into the loops and holds them
until the needles are returning. This looper has a vibratory curvilinear motion
through its connection with the lever N and lever W acted upon by the cam disc Y,
this getting its rotation by the spindle E¹ geared to operate from the main shaft E
which in this arrangement is the upper shaft.
The disc Y gives motion to the horizontal needle and the loops are so placed
on the face of the folded materials that the horizontal needle passes under both,
the looper then recedes to its original position to receive the next stitch.
In order to make a fold in the material to be embroidered I make the needle
plate with a V-shaped groove having its upper edge on a level with the cloth plate
and its under edges a little below the line of the horizontal needle as shown at
Figure 9; a presser foot is also made V shaped to fit the said needle plate and
the feeding arrangement which carries the work along will be similarly fitted, in
all other respects the machine resembles an ordinary sewing machine.
I do not broadly claim two or three needles as herein described except
when working in connection with the loopers and other parts as hereinbefore
described.

page_text: Having now particularly described the nature of my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
1. The looper controller W or its equivalent whether said controller be used in a
machine working with one, two or three needles as set forth with reference to
Figures 1. 2. 3. and 5 of the drawings.
2. The particular construction of looper R (Figure 5) and its method of
operation from the plate N, disc L or otherwise through the motion of the
controller W as and for the purpose described.
3. The employment of a vertical needle and a horizontal needle in connection
with a looper so that the loops formed by the vertical needle are passed around
the stem of the horizontal needle for making fancy stitches, the same or nearly the
same as shown at Figure 6 and previously described.
The 12th day of Fahmany 1000