Improvements in or appertaining to Sole-sewing Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 28th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 4th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to Sole-sewing Machines.
I, HENRY ALFRED OLDERSHAW of Nos. 38 and 40 Highcross Street Leicester, in
the County of Leicester Engineer and Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in or appertaining to sole sewing machines
wherein I employ an improved lifting clutch arrangement for the presser foot, for
lifting the foot while the work is being fed along.
To effect this I make in the side of the lower part of the presser bar a slot into
which I fit a piece of steel about two inches in length and five sixteenths square. which
preferably has a V shaped groove from one end to the other, or I may leave it flat.
Around the presser bar I fit a collar which is about one inch and a half in length
slotted to allow it to slide freely over the before mentioned piece of steel, upon each
side of this slot is a lug having a hole in it through which passes a short piece of shaft
carrying a small eccentric or cam in the slot, such eccentric or cam forces a small
piece of steel of a A section into the V groove on the steel bar, or if the piece of steel
be flat on its outer face, a flat piece of steel or iron is forced against it. At one.or
both ends of the shaft is fitted a short arm to which is connected one end of a rocking
lever by a link, the other free end of which lever is operated upon either by a cam,
tappet screw or its equivalent to give the rocking lever an up and down motion.
To the collar before mentioned which carries the short shaft and eccentric 1 attach
a spring to ensure it resting on a stop provided for it.
The action is as follows: The free end of the lever (the opposite end of which
carries the link) is depressed by either a cam, tappet screw, or its equivalent and by
raising the end with link attached gives a twisting or turning action to the short
shaft and eccentric and forces the A piece or flat piece of steel up to the V groove or
flat piece of steel in the presser bar, causing it to bind the presser bar by friction thus
lifting it up to the height required.
The spring attached to the collar besides ensuring the return of the collar to the
stop prevents also the collar being carried up without gripping the presser bar, thus
making it certain in action.
If the collar with the shaft and eccentric fitted to it did not have the stop mentioned
the result would be that when the operator lifted the presser bar by means of a hand
lifter for the purpose of placing the work under it, it would not return to its place in
consequence of the friction clutch described gripping it, but the stop retarding the
downward motion of the clutch at a predetermined position, the lever actuating the
clutch travelling a short distance further releases it and thus causes the presser bar to
be gripped only at the time of lifting it by means of a lever actuated by the cam,
tappet screw or its equivalent and to also allow it to regulate itself to the varying
thicknesses of sole.
Dated this 26th day of November 1889
WILLIAM BESTWICK MAXFIELD,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to Sole-sewing Machines.
1, HENRY ALFRED OLDERSHAW of Nos. 38 and 40 Highcross Street Leicester in the
County of Leicester Engineer and Machinist 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 improvements in or appertaining to sole sewing machines
wherein I employ an improved lifting clutch arrangement for the presser foot bar, for
lifting it while the work is being fed along.
That this my invention may be well understood reference is made to the drawings
annexed in which
Figure 1, is a cut off view of the machine bed "a," and presser bar B, the angular
piece, receiving the presser foot in the ordinary manner.
Figure 2, is a sectional view through B.
Figure 3, is a front view of the link J, which is connected to the lever I from the
machine.
To carry my invention into effect I make in the side of the presser bar a slot into
which I fit the piece of steel A, projecting from the face of the bar B, about two inches
in length and five sixteenths of an inch square, this preferably has a V shaped groove
from one end to the other, or I may dispense with the groove and leave the surface
flat. Around the presser bar B, 1 fit the collar C, which may be about one inch to an
inch and a half in length slotted to allow it to slide freely over the projecting piece of
steel A, upon each side of this slot is a lug D, having a hole in it through which passes
the short shaft E, carrying the eccentric or cam F, in the said slot; such eccentric or
cam, forcing the small piece of steel of a A section G, into the V groove on the steel
bar "
see Figure 2," or if the piece of steel be flat on its outer projecting face, a flat
piece of steel or iron is forced against it.
At one or both ends of the shaft E, is fitted the short arm H, to which is connected
one end of the rocking lever I, by the link J, the other end of the lever I is operated
upon either by a cam, tappet screw or its equivalent to give to the ends of the said
rocking lever an up and down motion. To the collar C, I attach the spring K, to
ensure it resting on the stop L, the other end being secured to the hand lifter M.
The action of the friction clutch is as follows
As stated the inner end of the rocking lever I, is depressed either by a cam, tappet
screw or its equivalent, and by raising the other end with the link J, attached a twisting
or turning action is given to the short shaft E, and eccentric F, which forces the
A piece, or flat piece of steel up to the V groove or flat piece of steel A in the
bar, causing it to bind the presser bar B, by friction and lifting it up to the height
required.
presser
The spring K, besides ensuring the return of the collar to the stop L, prevents also
the collar being carried up without gripping the presser bar thus it is made certain
in action.
•
If the collar C did not have the stop L, the result would be that when the operator
lifted the presser bar B, by means of the hand lifter M, for placing the work under it,
it would not return to its place in consequence of the friction clutch gripping it, but
the stop L, retarding the downward motion of the clutch at a predetermined position,
the lever I actuating the clutch travelling a short distance further releases it and thus
causes the presser bar to be gripped only at the time of lifting it by means of the said
lever which is actuated upon as previously stated and to also allow it to regulate itself
to the varying thickness of work. The coiled spring on the presser bar is used for
bringing the bar back in the ordinary way after putting the work under.
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 :
1. In a sole sewing machine the employment of a friction clutch of the character

page_text: described for the purpose of gripping and raising the foot bar according to the thickness
of work to be sewn, in the manner specified.
2. In a friction clutch for the purpose described a V groove having a piece of steel
of an A section forced into it by means of a cam or eccentric F, as described.
3. Improvements in or appertaining to sole sewing machines consisting of a presser
bar lifting arrangement, substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 26th day of August 1890.
WILLIAM BESTWICK MAXFIELD,
The "Central" Patent Office, Leicester, Agent for the Applicant.