Improvements in Button-hole Attachments for Sewing Machines.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 5th May, 1887
Complete Left, 4th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 9th Mar., 1888
Improvements in Button-hole Attachments for Sewing Machines.
I, ALEXANDER ANDERSON, Manager of The Singer Manufacturing Company's
Works, Kilbowie, Dumbartonshire, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a
communication to me from abroad by The Singer Manufacturing Company, of New
York, in the United States of America, Sewing Machine Manufacturers) to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to that class of button hole attachments for sewing machine
described in the Specifications of Letters Patent, granted to me Nos. 15523 of 1885
and 1589 of 1886 in which the longitudinal or feeding movements of the work clamp
are effected by a double screw intermittingly rotated from an arm or lever operated
by the needle-bar of the machine, and in which the vibrating or lateral movements of
the said clamp are produced by a three pointed cam rotating coincidently with the
said feeding screw, the object of the present invention being to simplify the construc-
tion and to render more certain and positive the operation of certain features of the
device to which the patents aforesaid relate.
On the base-plate of the attachment, are two upwardly turned or vertical portions
forming standards to support the operating mechanism for the feed plate the forward
end of which forms the lower jaw of the work clamp, the upper jaw of the said clamp
being carried by a spring lifted lever pivotted to the base plate and forced against the
work in clamping by a cam-lever. The fulcrum pin on which the feed plate swings
laterally to produce the necessary side movements for effecting the over-edge stitching
of the button holes is carried by a plate adjustably secured to the base plate, said pin
projecting through a central slot in the feed plate and into a slot in the base plate in
which latter slot the said pin is adjustable for the purpose of varying the lateral
movements of the cloth clamp to change the "bight" of the button-hole stitches.
To the rear end of a double screw, which is journalled in arms or projections of one
of the standards formed on the base plate, is attached a three pointed cam working in
a laterally sliding yoke having steadying lugs or projections extending through both
standards and connected with the feed plate, as will be hereafter described, so as to
impart lateral movements thereto from the said cam. To the forward end of the
screw is attached a ratchet wheel having six teeth, said wheel being operated by a

page_text: spring-pressed pawl pivotted to a yoke turning loosely on the shaft. of the double screw
and having teeth meshing with teeth on an operating lever pivotted at its rear end to
one of the standards and adapted at its forward end for engagement with a screw or
other projection on the needle-bar of the machine.
The parts of the device thus far described are, or may be, essentially the same as in
the attachments described in the Specifications hereinbefore referred to, and I will now
describe the parts to which the present improvements relate.
To the feed-plate is attached a small plate or arm having an upwardly projecting
portion provided with a slot, into which enters a downwardly extending lug or tail of
a yoke surrounding the double screw and rigidly attached by its shank to a sliding bar
or shaft supported by the arms of the standard on the base plate. This bar or shaft
is provided with two curved arms one of which is adjustably secured to said shaft by
a set screw. The bar or shaft is preferably provided with a series of holes or recesses
the distances between the centres of which is the same as the distances between the
centres of the threads on the double screw, and the set screw is preferably pointed, so
that it will readily centre itself to any one of the said recesses to which it may be
adjusted. The three pointed cam is provided with a pin or projection and the ratchet
wheel also has a similar pin or projection. The central opening in the yoke is some-
what larger than the diameter of the double screw so that only one side of said yoke
need be in engagement with said screw and the sliding bar or shaft to which the said
yoke is attached is rocked slightly at intervals to bring one side or the other of said
yoke into engagement with either the upper or lower side of said screw, for the purpose
of reversing the movement of the feed plate and the work clamp carried thereby, by
means of the engagement of one or the other of the curved arms with the pins or
projections on the cam and ratchet wheel, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.
The yoke is provided with a lug or projection which is engaged by a spring attached
to one of the standards by the pivot screw, for the operating lever, said spring having
a forked right angular portion at its forward end to embrace the shaft of the double
screw and thus prevent the spring from moving vertically when the lug or projection
on the yoke is being moved from one side to the other of a ledge pressing against
said lug. The office of this spring, operating in connection with the lug, is to hold
the yoke in either of the positions into which it may be forced by the action of the
pins on the arms of the sliding bar or shaft.
The lateral movements of the sliding yoke are communicated to the feed plate (to
vibrate the latter in the formation of the overedge stitches) through a shipper lever
and a screw pin which engages the said plate by a slot therein, the said lever being
normally held rigid with the said yoke so that the lateral reciprocating movements
thereof are imparted to the said plate, to vibrate the same on its fulcrum pin through
the said screw pin. The shipper lever is provided with a slot to admit of the variation
of the position of the said screw pin to increase or diminish the distance between the
said pin and the fulcrum pin by which the said lever is pivotally attached to the sliding
yoke and by virtue of this construction the ship-over movements of the work clamp
may be varied to change the distance between the rows of stitches on opposite sides
of the button-holes.
The shipper lever is provided with a lug, engaging an arm on a sliding plate having
arms embracing the sliding bar which supports the said plate, the latter being provided
with a spring or spring arm the free end of which is adapted to engage notches in the
top of one of the standards on the base plate. The said sliding plate is also provided
with an arm in the vertical inner portion of which is pivotted a switch engaging a
short section of the double screw which latter is mutilated by the omission of one or
more threads for the purpose of separating the said short section from the main
portion of the screw by which the yoke is operated. Sufficient space is left on both
sides of the short screw section so that when the switch is on either side thereof it
will be out of engagement with the threads of the said section until the sliding plate
is moved slightly in one direction or the other by the engagement of one of the arms
of the bar which causes the yoke, with one of the arms of the sliding plate to bring
the switch into engagement with one side or the other of the screw section and the
3:13

page_text: latter will then slowly shift the plate the distance determined by the length of the
said screw section. This movement of the plate causes the shipper lever to turn on its
fulcrum pin and by its screw pin shift the feed plate to bring the second side of the
button hole beneath the needle after the first side of the hole has been completed. As
the ship-over movement consumes the time required to form several stitches the button
hole will be properly barred at both ends and the barring stitches will be so spread out
and disposed as to make a neat finish. During the ship-over movement the shipper
lever (although turning slowly on its fulcrum pin) is still practically rigid with the
yoke, so that the vibratory movements of the feed plate (due to the lateral reciproca-
tions of the said yoke and lever) still continue, although the position of the said feed-
plate is gradually changed to shift the work and thus cause the bar to be formed while
the unworked side of the button-hole is being brought over beneath the needle.
When the device is set in operation with the work in the cloth clamp and the
operating lever in engagement with the needle bar of the machine the vibrating
movements of said lever will impart an intermittent rotary movement to the double
screw through the pawl and ratchet, mechanism above described and the three-pointed
cam, rotating with said screw, will reciprocate the sliding yoke and, through the shipper
lever, cause the feed plate and the cloth clamp carried thereby to be vibrated to give the
proper movements to the work necessary for the formation of the overedge or button-
hole stitches. The rotation of the double screw causes the yoke engaged therewith to
move lengthwise of said screw and the said yoke being connected with the feed plate,
as above described, the latter is caused to travel lengthwise until one or the other of the
arms, secured to the bar or shaft which travels with the yoke comes into position to be
engaged by one of the pins or projections when the said bar or shaft is rocked slightly
and the yoke is caused to engage the side of said double screw opposite to that which
was previously in engagement so that the movement of the yoke and of the feed plate
operated thereby is reversed. Just prior to this reversal of the feeding movement one
of the arms of the sliding plate will be engaged by one of the arms of the sliding
bar and the ship-over movement of the cloth clamp is effected in the manner above
described. The said plate is retained in either of its stationary positions by the
engagement of the end of the spring in the notches of the standard on the base
plate.
Dated this Thind d... SM 1007
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Button Hole Attachments for Sewing Machines.
I, ALEXANDER ANDERSON Manager of The Singer Manufacturing Company's
Works Kilbowie, Dumbartonshire, 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 that class of button hole attachments for sewing machines
described in the Specifications of Letters Patent granted to me Nos. 15523 of 1885
and 1589 of 1886 in which the longitudinal or feeding movements of the work clamp
are effected by a double screw intermittingly rotated from an arm or lever operated
by the needle-bar of the machine, and in which the vibrating or lateral movements of
the said clamp are produced by a three-pointed cam rotating coincidently with the
said feeding screw, the object of the present invention being to simplify the con-
struction and to render more certain and positive the operation of certain features of
the device to which my patents aforesaid relate.
In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved attachment. Fig. 2 is
a similar view with some of the parts removed. Fig. 3 is a side view of my device.
Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional end views thereof. Fig. 6 is a cross section on
line 6 6, Figure 1. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the sliding bar and
its arm and yoke. Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional detail of the sliding bar and its
adjustable arm. Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of the sliding plate and fig. 10 a
similar view of the retaining spring for the yoke surrounding the double screw.
A, denotes the base-plate of the attachment, said plate having two upwardly-turned
or vertical portions a and a¹ forming standards to support the operating mechanism
for the feed-plate B, the forward end b, of which forms the lower jaw of the work-
clamp the upper jaw b¹ of the said clamp being carried by a spring-lifted lever 62
pivotted to the plate A, and forced against the work in clamping by a cam lever b³.
The fulcrum pin c on which the feed plate B, swings laterally to produce the necessary
side movements for effecting the over-edge stitching of the button holes, is carried by
a plate C, adjustably secured to the plate A, said pin projecting through a central slot
in the plate B, and into a slot in the plate A, in which latter slot the said pin is
adjustable, for the purpose of varying the lateral movements of the cloth clamp to
change the "bight of the button-hole stitches.
D, is a double screw journalled in arms or projections a² of the standard a¹. To
the rear end of the said screw is attached the three-pointed cam E, working in a
laterally-sliding yoke e, having steadying lugs or projections el extending through
the standards a and a¹ and connected with the feed-plate B, as will be hereinafter
described, so as to impart lateral movements thereto from the cam E. To the forward
end of the screw D is attached the ratchet wheel F, having six teeth said wheel being
operated by the spring-pressed pawl g, pivotted to the yoke G, turning loosely on the
shaft of the screw D, and having teeth g' meshing with similar teeth h, on the
operating-lever H, pivotted at its rear end to the standard a and adapted at its

page_text: forward end for engagement with a screw or other projection on the needle-bar of the
machine.
The parts of my device thus far described are or may be essentially the same as in
the attachments described in my Patents hereinhefore referred to, and I will now
describe the parts to which the present improvements relate.
To the feed plate B is attached a small plate or arm 6, having an upwardly-
projecting portion provided with a slot 6 into which enters a downwardly-extending
lug or tail i, of a yoke I, surrounding the double screw D and rigidly attached by its
shank to a sliding bar or shaft J, supported by the arms a² of the standard a'. The
bar or shaft J is provided with two curved arms K, K', the latter of which is
adjustably secured to said shaft by a set-screw k. The bar or shaft J is preferably
provided with a series of holes or recesses j, the distances between the centres of
which are the same as the distances between the centres of the threads on the double
screw D and the screw k is preferably pointed, as shown in fig. 8, so that it will
readily centre itself to any one of the said recesses to which it may be adjusted. The
cam E is provided with a pin or projection and the ratchet wheel F, also has a
similar pin or projection. The central opening in the yoke I is somewhat larger
than the diameter of the double screw D, so that only one side of said yoke need be
in engagement with said screw, and the sliding bar or shaft J, to which the said yoke
is attached, is rocked slightly at intervals to bring one side or the other of said yoke
into engagement with either the upper or lower side of said screw, for the
of
purpose
reversing the movement of the feed-plate and the work-clamp carried thereby by
means of the engagement of one or the other of the arms K and K¹ with the pins or
projections and e³, as will he hereinafter more fully described.
The yoke I is provided with a lug or projection which is engaged by a spring L,
attached to the standard a by the pivot screw a for the operating lever H, said spring
having a forked right angular portion L¹, at its forward end to embrace the shaft of
the double screw D, and thus prevent the spring from moving vertically when the
lug is being moved from one side to the other of the ledge L', pressing against said
lug. The office of the spring L, operating in connection with the lug is to hold
the yoke I in either of the positions into which it may be forced by the action of the
pins and on the arms K and K' of the sliding bar or shaft J.
The lateral movements of the sliding yoke e are communicated to the feed plate B
(to vibrate the latter in the formation of the overedge stitches) through the shipper
lever M and screw pin m which latter engages the said plate by the slot 6° therein,
the said lever being normally held rigid with the said yoke, so that the lateral reci-
procating movements thereof are imparted to the said plate to vibrate the same on its
fulcrum pin c through the said screw-pin m.
The lever M is provided with a slot m¹ to admit of the variation of the position of
the said screw pin to increase or diminish the distance between the said pin and the
fulcrum pin m², by which the said lever is pivotally attached to the sliding yoke e,
and by virtue of this construction the ship-over movements of the work-clamp may be
varied to change the distance between the rows of stitches on opposite sides of the
button holes. The shipper-lever M is provided with a lug m³ engaging an arm n on a
sliding plate N, having arms n¹, embracing the sliding bar J, which supports the said
plate, the latter being provided with a spring or spring arm n' the free end of which
is adapted to engage notches a in the top of the standard a¹. The plate N, is also
provided with an arm n', in the vertical inner portion of which is pivotted a switch O,
engaging a short section d of the double screw D, which latter is mutilated by the
omission of one or more threads for the purpose of separating the said short section d
from the main portion of the screw by which the yoke I is operated. Sufficient space
is left on both sides of the short screw-section d, so that when the switch O is on
either side thereof it will be out of engagement with the threads of the said section
until the sliding plate N is moved slightly in one direction or the other by the
engagement of one of the arms K or K¹ of the bar J with one of the arms n¹ of
the plate N, to bring the switch into engagement with one side or the other of the
screw-section d, and the latter will then slowly shift the plate N the distance

page_text: determined by the length of the said screw-section. This movement of the plate N
causes the shipper-lever M to turn on its fulcrum pin mand by its pin m shift the feed-
plate to bring the second side of the button-hole beneath the needle after the first side
of the hole has been completed. As the ship-over movement consumes the time
required to form several stitches, the button hole will be properly barred at both ends
and the barring stitches will be so spread out and disposed as to make a neat finish.
During the ship-over movement the lever M (although turning slowly on its fulcrum-
pin m² is still practically rigid with the yoke e, so that the vibratory movements of
the feed plate B, (due to the lateral reciprocations of the said yoke and lever) still
continue, although the position of the said feed-plate is gradually changed to shift
the work and thus cause the bar to be formed while the unworked side of the button-
hole is being brought over beneath the needle.
When the device is set in operation with the work in the cloth-clamp and the
operating lever in engagement with the needle-bar of the machine, the vibrating
movements of said lever will impart an intermittent rotary movement to the double
screw D, through the pawl and ratchet mechanism above described, and the three
pointed cam E, rotating with said screw, will reciprocate the sliding yoke e and
through the shipper lever M, cause the feed plate and the cloth clamp carried thereby
to be vibrated to give the proper movements to the work necessary for the formation
of the over-edge or button-hole stitches. The rotation of the screw D causes the
yoke I engaged therewith, to move lengthwise of said screw, and the said yoke being
connected with the feed plate as above described, the latter is caused to travel length-
wise until one or the other of the arms K, K¹, secured to the bar or shaft J, which
travels with the yoke I, comes into position to be engaged by one of the pins or pro-
jections for e; when the said bar or shaft is rocked slightly, and the yoke I is
caused to engage the side of said double screw opposite to that which was previously
in engagement, so that the movement of the yoke and of the feed plate operated
thereby is reversed. Just prior to this reversal of the feeding movement one of the
arms of the sliding plate N, will be engaged by one of the arms K or K¹ of the
bar J, and the ship-over movement of the cloth-clamp is effected in the manner above
described. The plate N, is retained in either of its stationary positions by the
engagement of the end of the spring n' in the notches a' of the standard a¹.
To rock the shaft J, as above described, the arms K and K¹ are moved by the
pins and e² from the position indicated by full lines to the positions shown by
dotted lines in figs. 4 and 5.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, (as communicated to me)
I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a button-hole attachment, the combination, with a laterally-vibrating feed-
plate and the work-clamp carried thereby, of an intermittingly-rotating double screw,
a sliding bar or shaft having arms, a yoke connected with said bar or shaft and feed-
plate and embracing said screw, and devices, as pins fe³, operatively connected with
said screw and adapted to engage said arms to change the position of said yoke,
substantially as set forth.
2. The combination, with the laterally vibrating feed-plate and its work-clamp, of
an intermittingly-rotating double screw, a yoke connected with said feed-plate and
loosely embracing said screw, and a sliding bar or shaft by which the said yoke is
carried and which adapted to be rocked slightly to bring the said yoke into engage-
ment with the opposite sides of said screw to move the said feed-plate in opposite
directions substantially as set forth.
3. The combination, with the feed plate and work-clamp, of a sliding bar or shaft
having two arms, one of which is adjustable, a double screw, a yoke connected with
said bar or shaft and feed plate, and pins or projections turning with the said screw
and adapted to engage said arms to rock the said sliding bar or shaft slightly and
thus change the position of said yoke to reverse the movement of the said feed-plate,
substantially as set forth.

page_text: 4. The combination, with the feed plate and work clamp of the intermittingly-
rotating double screw, the sliding bar or shaft having a series of holes or notches, the
distances between the centres of which are equal to the distance between the centres
of the threads of said screw, a yoke carried by said bar or shaft, fixed and adjustable
arms attached to the latter and a screw for securing said adjustable arm in any desired
position substantially as set forth.
5. The combination, with the feed plate, work clamp, and the sliding bar or shaft
and its arms of the yoke connected with said bar or shaft and feed plate, the inter-
mittingly-rotating double screw, the cam E, provided with the pin or projection e³,
and the ratchet-wheel F having the pin or projection f substantially as set forth.
6. The combination, with the feed-plate, work clamp, and double screw, of the
sliding bar or shaft and its arms, the yoke connected with said bar or shaft and feed
plate the shipper lever and a sliding plate, N, connected with said shipper lever and
adapted to be engaged by the arms of the said sliding bar or shaft to change its
positions substantially as set forth.
7. The combination, with the feed plate, work clamp, and the double screw
mutilated to form a short section d, of the shipper lever M and the sliding plate N
connected with the shipper lever, and the switch O, carried by the said sliding plate
substantially as set forth.
8 The combination, with the feed plate, work clamp, and the double screw D,
mutilated to form the short section d, of the shipper lever M, the sliding plate N
connected with the said shipper lever and provided with the retaining spring or spring
arm n2, the notched standard a¹ with which the said spring arm engages, and the
switch O carried by the said sliding plate substantially as set forth.
9. The combination, with the feed plate, work-clamp, and the double screw provided
with the cam E of the sliding yoke e operated by said cam the shipper lever M
pivoted to said yoke and connected with said feed plate the sliding bar N having an
arm n engaging the said shipper lever, and devices for shifting the position of the said
sliding plate to operate said shipper lever and thereby effect the ship over movement
of the feed plate and work clamp substantially as set forth.
10. The combination, with the double screw, of the yoke I loosely embracing said
screw the sliding bar or shaft J by which the said yoke is carried and means by which
the said shaft is rocked slightly to bring the said yoke into engagement with the
opposite sides of the said screw, and a spring for retaining said yoke in its different
positions, substantially as set forth.
11. The combination, with the double screw, the sliding and rocking bar or shaft J,
and the yoke I carried by the latter and having the lug or projection ³, of the
spring L, having the ledge L' substantially as set forth.
Dated this Third day of February 1888.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agents.