Improvements in or relating to Sewing Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 19th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 24th Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Sewing Machines.
We, MARSHALL HENRY PEARSON, Engineer, and PEARSON and BENNION
LIMITED, all of the Union Works, Leicester, in the County of Leicester, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention is applicable to most kinds of sewing machines, but being
especially useful with machines employing a waxed thread as in the stitching of
leather or the like, we will now describe it in that connection, it being understood
that we do not restrict the application of our invention to that particular type of
our machine.
The invention deals with the treatment of the thread as to the tension, the taking-
up or tightening of the loop, the locating of the lock in or upon the material being
stitched, and so far as waxed and similar threads are concerned, to the waxing of the
thread. The details of the invention will necessarily vary with the different type of
machine to which the invention is applied notwithstanding that the same features
would be substantially present in all. As applied for example to a machine of the
Thomas type we place upon a suitable part of the frame-work conveniently on top,
a flat table conveniently a part of the frame casting and of suitable dimensions for
the purpose, and over this table or plate the thread before it has been waxed passes.
Over this table is a plate conveniently of steel and upon this again a piece of
indiarubber or other equivalent spring or yielding material or device and upon this
again a second plate. Both plates and the spring device are carried by a bolt
conveniently square to prevent its turning and passing through the table and upper
portion of the casting or framework of the machine; the bolt may be provided
with a head or equivalent adapted to be engaged by any suitable moving part of
the machine by which the bolt and its plates can be drawn downwards and thus
grip the thread firmly between the plates and the table. In the Thomas machine
this may be conveniently arranged by forming a lug or equivalent projection upon
the shuttle lever so that at the proper time it engages with the head or other
suitable part of the bolt pulling it and the plates down; any suitable spring arrange-
ment may be employed to adjust the pressure or take off unnecessary shock or jar
in the operation. When the pressure is relaxed the plates lie upon the thread and
hold it between the lower plate and the table by their own weight, supplemented if
desired by a small spring the pressure of which can be adjusted and which may be
conveniently in the form of a helical spring placed around a small screw passing
through the plates and screwing into the table. It will be understood that the
position of all this mechanism may be altered but the same effect obtained.
After passing the above described tension and nipping device the thread may be
passed through a solution box if liquid wax be used, and from there through a guide
preferably in the form of a staple and then round a pulley or equivalent upon the
needle bar and from there through any suitable tension or guide device to the
needle. The operation of these parts is as follows:-
The needle having made its downward stroke and drawn the thread with it so far
as necessary returns leaving the necessary loop through which the shuttle passes
and then continues its upward journey. În ordinary machines during its upward
movement the eye of the needle slides over the thread scraping the wax off it and
more or less damaging the thread; in the present instance the thread travels up
with the needle while it passes through the work this being accomplished in the
following manner. When the shuttle has entered the loop at the proper moment

page_text: the previously described nipping device comes into play and holds the thread so
that no more can be drawn and the needle bar as it rises has thus to take the thread
up with it and consequently it rises at the same speed as the needle and there is no
movement of the thread through the eye of the needle. To effect this it is desirable
that the point at which the thread is held against upward movement should be as
far as may conveniently be practicable from the needle bar or the pulley over
which it passes; in the present instance this point would be the eye or opening
through which the thread escapes from the solution box. When the needle has
risen so high that it is clear of the work and there is only a small portion of the
loop left to be taken in it is desirable to pull up the thread more quickly through
the work and since the eye of the needle is now clear of the work no damage will
result to the thread if it now slips through the eye; this may be effected by the
before mentioned staple guide the point at which the thread passes over the pulley
on the needle bar having now risen to or above the top of the staple the thread
instead of having the long radius from the solution pot or other fixed point as
previously mentioned has now an extremely short one with the result that as the
thread cannot now accommodate itself to the movement of the needle bar it slips
past the pulley and draws back through the eye of the needle tightening the loop
in the work in a direct pull from the pulley to the work thus pulling in and locking
the shuttle thread. The height of the top of the staple or equivalent guide may be
varied by a set screw or other device and by this means the precise point within
the work at which the locking takes place can be varied so that the operator can
regulate the depth into the work at which the locking takes place.
During the whole of the last described operations the thread has been locked or
nipped but so soon as the needle has reached the highest point of its travel the nip
is relaxed and the thread can again be drawn whether by the needle in its next
downward stroke or to facilitate the removal of the work from the machine. In
moderately thin work the upper thread is actually drawn by the shuttle in
expanding the loop, but in thick work where sufficient thread would not be drawn
in this manner the needle itself will pull some of the thread in its downward move-
ment, the whole arrangement being automatic whichever way it may happen to be
effected. The tightness of the stitching is effected by the tension upon the shuttle
thread itself and this we regulate in a manner which for waxed threads is of con-
siderable importance. The thread from the shuttle passes through a slot upon one
side of the shuttle in the usual way and then through a single hole upon the
opposite side of the shuttle; over this hole is a spring the pressure of which can be
regulated and so arranged to allow of the pull of the thread at either end of the
shuttle with the same amount of teusion upon the thread in all positions. By this
means we avoid passing the thread through a number of holes and thus scraping it
and are able to satisfactorily control the tightness of the work.
For the purpose of supplying the wax to the work without waxing more of the
thread than is necessary a well known device is that set forth in Pearson's Specifi-
cation No. 2548 dated 20th June 1876, where the needle point dips into a cup kept
supplied with melted wax, the cup being supported upon a lever pirotted within a
box and having an adjustment screw to regulate the depth to which the needle
enters the wax and thus to regulate the amount of wax taken up at each stroke.
In the present arrangement we employ a similar device but we pivot the cup lever
outside the box and employ preferably in connection with the adjustment screw a
sliding cam plate so arranged that when moved in one direction it elevates the lever
and the cup to its highest position thus giving the needle its full dip and when
moved in the opposite direction it allows the lever and cup to drop so that the
needle does not dip into the wax. By this means the supply of wax to the needle
can be immediately checked while the regulation by the screw is just as perfect as
before. If preferred, the screw may be entirely dispensed with, the cam plate
being so shaped as to afford the necessary amount of elevation to the lever and cup
more or less according to the position at which the cam plate is placed. Any con-
venient means may be employed to prevent the plate from moving from its appointed

page_text: position by the vibration of the machine as for example a screw or spring tension
device, a rack and pawl or the like.
Dated this 29th day of March 1892
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Sewing Machines.
We, MARSHALL HENRY PEARSON, Engineer, and PEARSON AND BENNION
LIMITED, all of the Union Works, Leicester, in the County of Leicester, 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 is applicable to most kinds of sewing machines, but being
especially useful with machines employing a waxed thread as in the stitching of
leather or the like, we will now describe it in that connection, it being understood
that we do not restrict the application of our invention to that particular type of
our machine.
The invention deals with the treatment of the thread as to the tension, the
taking-up or tightening of the loop, the locating of the lock in or upon the material
being stitched, and so far as waxed and similar threads are concerned, to the waxing
of the thread. The details of the invention will necessarily vary with the different
type of machine to which the invention is applied notwithstanding that the same
features would be substantially present in all, and in the accompanying drawings
we have merely as an example shown our invention as applied to a machine of the
Thomas type.
In these drawings,
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively an elevation and a plan of the upper portion of
a sewing machine provided with our improvements showing the needle thread
nipping device operated by the shuttle lever.
Figures 3 and 4 Sheet 2 are views respectively similar to Figures 1 and 2 showing
alternative mechanism for operating the thread nipping device.
Figure 5 is a face view and Figure 6 a plan of the shuttle, and
Figures 7 and 8 are respectively a front elevation and a plan of the needle-thread
waxing device.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
In applying our invention to a machine of say the Thomas type as illustrated in
the accompanying drawings we place upon a suitable part of the frame-work A
conveniently on top, a flat table A' conveniently a part of the frame casting and of
suitable dimensions for the purpose, and over this table or plate the needle-thread B
before it has been waxed passes. Over this table A¹ is a plate C conveniently of
steel and upon this again a piece or plate of indiarubber or other equivalent spring
or yielding material or device and upon this again a second preferably steel
plate C. Both plates C C² and the spring device between them are penetrated
by a bolt C³ conveniently square as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2 to prevent
its turning and passing through the table A¹ and other desired portion of the
casting or frame-work A of the machine; the bolt C³ may be provided with a head
or equivalent C adapted to be engaged by any suitable moving part of the machine
by which the bolt C and its plates C C¹ C² can be drawn downwards and thus grip
the thread firmly between the plate C and the table A'. In the Thomas machine
this may be conveniently arranged by forming a lug or equivalent projection D¹
upon the shuttle lever D so that at the proper time it engages with the head C' or
other suitable part of the bolt C* pulling it and the plates C C¹ C³ down; any

page_text: suitable spring arrangement may be employed to adjust the pressure or take off
unnecessary shock or jar in the operation. When the pressure is relaxed the
plates C C C lie upon the thread B and hold it between the lower plate C and the
table A by their own weight, supplemented if desired by a small spring C°
the pressure of which can be adjusted and which may be conveniently.in the form
of a helical spring as shown placed around a small screw C' passing through the
plates C C C and screwing into the table A¹ the pressure of the spring C* in this
arrangement being adjusted by screwing C' more or less into A¹.
The alternative mechanism for operating the needle-thread nipping device, shown
in Figures 3 and 4 consists of a lever D₁ pivotted at D2 to the frame-work A. and
at D³ to the bolt C³, and near its opposite or free end, provided with an anti-friction
roller D drawn by a spring E against a cam F on the cam shaft F
said cam effecting the raising of the lever D₁ bolt C³ plates C C' C' and
the spring E drawing these parts downwards whenever the cam F is turned into the
position allowing of their descent. It will be understood that the position of all
the before-described mechanism may be altered but the same effect obtained.
After passing the above described tension and nipping device the thread B may
be passed through a solution box G if liquid wax be used, and from there through
a guide H preferably in the form of a staple as shown and then round a pulley or
equivalent 1 upon the needle bar I¹ and from there through a suitable tension or
guide device J to the needle K. The guide H may be formed in any desired
manner whether of stamped metal; wire or other material so long as it is provided
with an opening in which the thread can traverse when carried backwards and
forwards by the needle bar, this feature being provided for by what is herein
designated an elongated" thread guide.
66
The operation of these parts is as follows:-
--
The needle K having under the influence of the needle bar I and needle bar
lever L pivotted at L¹ to 11 made its downward stroke and drawn the thread B
with it so far as necessary, returns, leaving the necessary loop through which the
shuttle passes and then continues its upward journey. In ordinary machines during
its upward movement the eye of the needle K slides over the thread B scraping the
wax off it and more or less damaging the thread; in the present instance the
thread B travels up with the needle K while it passes through the work this being
accomplished in the following manner. When the shuttle has entered the needle
thread loop at the proper moment the previously described nipping device A' C C¹
C² C³ comes into play and holds the thread B so that no more can be drawn
and the needle bar 11 as it rises has thus to take the thread B up with it and
consequently it rises at the same speed as the needle K and there is no movement
of the thread through the eye of the needle. To effect this it is desirable that the
point at which the thread is held against upward movement should be as far as may
conveniently be practicable from the needle bar I or the pulley I over which it
passes; in the present instance this point would be the eye or opening G¹ through
which the thread B escapes from the solution box G. When the needle has risen
so high that it is clear of the work and there is only a small portion of the
thread left to be pulled in, it is desirable to pull up the thread more quickly through
the work, and since the eye of the needle K is now clear of the work no damage
will result to the thread if it now slips through the eye; this may be effected by the
before mentioned staple guide H the point at which the thread passes over the
pulley I on the needle bar I' having now risen to or above the top of the staple H
the thread instead of having the long radius from the solution box G or other fixed
point G¹ as previously mentioned has now an extremely short one with the result
that as the thread B cannot now accommodate itself to the movement of the needle
bar Iits slips past the pulley I and draws back through the eye of the needle K
tightening the loop in the work in a direct pull from the pulley I to the work thus
pulling in and locking the shuttle thread. The height of the top of the staple or
equivalent guide H may be varied after loosening a set screw or other device H
and by this means the precise point within the work at which the locking of the two

page_text: threads takes place can be varied so that the operator can regulate the depth into
the work at which the locking takes place.
During the whole of the last described operations the thread B has been locked
or nipped but so soon as the needle K has reached the highest point of its travel
the nip is relaxed and the thread can again be drawn whether by the needle K in
its next downward stroke or to facilitate the removal of the work from the
machine. In moderately thin work the upper or needle thread B is actually drawn
by the shuttle in expanding the loup, but in thick work where sufficient thread
would not be drawn in this manner the needle itself will pull some of the thread
in its downward movement, the whole arrangement being automatic whichever way
it may happen to be effected. The tightness of the stitching is effected by the
tension upon the shuttle thread itself and this we regulate in a manner which, for
waxed threads, is of considerable importance. The thread. N from the shuttle O
Figures 5 and 6 passes through a slot O¹ upon one side of the shuttle in the usual
way and then through a single hole O2 upon the opposite side of the shuttle; over
this hole is a spring O³ the pressure of which can be regulated and so arranged to
allow of the pull of the thread N at either end of the shuttle O with the same
amount of tension upon the thread in all positions; the edge of the shuttle closing
in one side of the slot O' is deflected inwards as shown in Figure 5. By this
means we avoid passing the thread N through a number of holes and thus scraping
it and are able to satisfactorily control the tightness of the work.
For the purpose of supplying the wax to the work without waxing more of the
thread than is necessary a well known device is that set forth in Pearson's Speci-
fication No. 2548, dated 20th June 1876, where the needle point dips into a cup
kept supplied with melted wax, the cup being supported upon a lever or arm
pivotted within a box and having an adjustment screw to regulate the depth to
which the needle enters the wax and thus to regulate the amount of wax taken up
at each stroke. In the present arrangement we employ a similar device but we
pivot the cup lever or arm P outside the box Q and employ preferably in
connection with the adjustment screw P¹ a sliding cam plate R so arranged that
when moved in one direction it elevates the lever P and the cup P2 to the highest
position thus giving the needle K its full.dip and when moved in the opposite
direction it allows the arm and cup to drop so that the needle does not dip into
the wax.
By this means the supply of wax to the needle can be immediately
checked while the regulation by the screw P¹ is just as perfect as before.
preferred, the screw P¹ may be entirely dispensed with, the cam plate R being so
shaped as to afford the necessary amount of elevation to the arm P and cup P2
more or less according to the position at which the cam plate R is placed. Any
convenient means may be employed to render the plate R movable and prevent it
from moving from its appointed position by the vibration of the machine for
example it may be connected by clips R' to the adjacent wall of the box Q
and be retained in position by a screw, spring tension device, rack and pawl or
the like.
If
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The combination with a sewing machine of a thread nipping or tension device
comprising a fixed table two metal plates C C² with a spring plate such as C¹
between them a bolt such as C³ and with or without a spring and pressure adjusting
screw substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a sewing machine the combination with the needle bar and a thread
nipping device of a slotted or elongated thread guide or staple such as H sub-
stantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
3. In a sewing machine the combination with the needle bar a thread guiding
eye or pulley carried thereby and a fixed guiding eye or opening such as G' of a

page_text: '
slotted or "elongated" thread guide or staple such as H and thread locking device
such as C C1 C2 C3 substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
4. In a sewing machine the combination with a thread or needle-waxing device
comprising a box such as Q and a cup arm such as P P of an adjustable cam
plate such as R substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete adjustable
waxing device substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 of the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 15th day of January 1894
MARSHALL HENRY PEARSON.
CHARLES BENNION,
For the Company.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicants.
MARSHALL HENRY PEARSON.
CHARLES BENNION,
For the Company.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicants.