Improvements in Multiple Needle Sewing Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Oct., 1894
Complete Specification Left. 30th July, 1895-Accepted, 5th Oct., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Multiple Needle Sewing Machines.
We JOHN CHAPPELL and THOMAS ROBERT ROSSITER both of the Firm of
Chappell Allen & Co. of 24 Basinghall Street, in the City of London, Corset
Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to multiple needle-lock stitch sewing machines for sewing
two or more lines of stitches simultaneously and has for its object to provide means
whereby the distance apart of the lines of stitching may be varied without altering
or affecting the feed mechanism.
According to this invention the shuttles which carry the under or locking
threads are driven by means of a spur wheel gearing with pinions on the axes of
the several shuttle drivers or boxes the said spur wheel being mounted on a hollow
shaft or spindle through which passes the feed which may be operated from below
by any suitable means. This hollow shaft may be driven by means of bevel wheels
from the driving shaft and is capable is being adjusted axially together with the
shuttle drivers so as to vary the distance apart of the lines of stitches to be
produced without interfering with the feed mechanism.
Dated this 30th day of October 1894.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
We, JOHN CHAPPELL and THOMAS ROBERT ROSSITER both of the Firm of
Chappell Allen & Co. of 24 Basinghall Street, in the City of London, Corset
Manufacturers, 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 multiple needle sewing machines for sewing two or
more lines of stitches simultaneously and has for its object to provide means
whereby the distance apart of the lines of stitching may be varied without altering
or affecting the feed mechanism.
According to this invention the shuttles in the case of lock stitch machines which
carry the under or locking threads or the loopers in the case of single thread
machines are driven by means of a spur wheel gearing with pinions on the axes of
the several shuttle drivers or loopers the said spur wheel being mounted on a
hollow shaft stud or spindle through which passes the feed which may be operated
from below by any suitable means. The spur wheel on the hollow shaft stud or
spindle may be driven by means of bevel wheels from the driving shaft and is
capable of being adjusted axially together with the shuttle drivers or the like so as
to suit various distances apart of the lines of stitches to be produced without
interfering with the feed mechanism.

page_text: And in order that our invention may be fully understood we shall now proceed
to describe the same as applied to a lock stitch sewing macbine from which its
application to other kinds of machines will be readily understood reference being
made to the several figures on the annexed sheets of drawings the same letters of
reference indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of so much of a sewing machine as is necessary to
illustrate the application of this invention thereto.
Figure 2 is an end view partly in section,
Figure 3 is a view of the underside shewing the driving gear, and
Figure 4 is a plan of the cloth plate and needle plate.
Figure 5 represents diagrammatically the different distances apart of the rows
of stitching which the machine illustrated is adapted to produce.
The machine illustrated is constructed to make four rows of stitching but it will
be understood that it can be made to make two or a greater number of rows of
stitching by providing the corresponding number of parts as hereinafter described
with reference to this machine for sewing four rows of stitching.
The shuttle carriers A are mounted in recesses in a circular box A² with the
needle plate B at top and with covers for the recesses, which covers form part of
the cloth plate. The shuttle carriers are each formed or provided with a stem
which passes through the bottom of the recess and carries a pinion C gearing with
a pinion D mounted on a hollow shaft stud or spindle E depending from the centre
of the box A2. Cast in one with or connected to the pinion D is a bevel wheel F
with which gears a corresponding wheel G fast on a sleeve G¹ mounted on the
main driving shaft H the shuttle carriers being rotated in their circular recesses by
means of the said bevel wheels and the pinions C and D. The cloth feed I passes
through the hollow sleeve E and may be operated in the usual way. To alter the
distance between the rows of stitching to be made four adjustments are necessary,
namely, 1st The needle bar must be turned axially in the head of the machine to
bring the needles into the position to make the rows of stitching at the required
distances apart. 2nd The box A must be moved through a partial rotation to
bring the holes in the needle plate into position to correspond to the altered
position of the needles. 3rd The shuttle carriers must be turned in their recesses
so as to properly time the shuttles with reference to the position of the needles,
and 4th The presser foot having holes therein corresponding to the position of the
needles must be fitted to the machine. In the machine illustrated provision is
made for making four variations in the distances between the rows of stitching as
shewn for example in Figure 5 but if desired provision may be made for a greater
number of variations. For adjusting the position of the needles and holding them
in their adjusted position the needle bar K is capable of being turned axially in
the head L of the machine and is provided at its upper end with a spring bolt M
which can be inserted into any one of four slots or openings 1, 2, 3, 4, in a plate M²,
secured to the head L, so as to retain the needles in the position to which they are
adjusted, the said bolt sliding up and down in the said slot or opening with the
movements of the needle bar when the machine is at work. The box A carrying
the shuttles turns in an opening in the base or bed plate of the machine it being
provided with a rim a resting in a recess formed round the opening in which it turns
and is prevented from rising out of the opening by plates or buttons a². Attached to
the box A is a spring plate N by means of which the said box can be turned the
said spring plate being provided with a stud to engage one or other of a series of
holes provided in the base or bed plate and numbered 1, 2, 3, 4 corresponding to
the slots in which the spring bolt on the needle bar slides. The holes in the bed
plate are so situated that when the stud on the spring plate is inserted in one of the
said holes the position of the box A will be correct with reference to the position
of the needles providing the spring bolt on the needle bar be inserted in the slot
having the number corresponding to the number into which the stud on the spring
plate N is inserted. By partially rotating the box A the shuttle carriers by reason
of the pinions C being in gear with the pinion D will receive a partial rotation in

page_text: their recesses and consequently are put out of time with the movements of the
needles and require to be properly timed, for which purpose the sleeve G¹ on which
the bevel wheel G is mounted is provided with an arm O carrying a spring bolt P
which may be made to engage in one or other of a series of holes provided in a
segmental arm Q fast on the driving shaft H so as to cause the sleeve to rotate
with the said shaft. The holes in the segmental arm are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4
corresponding to the holes in the bed plate into which the stud on the spring plate
is inserted and also to the slots in which the bolt on the needle bar slides so that by
turning the sleeve G¹and inserting the bolt P in a hole in the segmental arm
having a number corresponding to that of the hole into which the stud on the
spring plate is inserted the shuttles will be turned into position to be correctly
timed to work with the adjusted position of the needles. A presser foot having
holes therein corresponding to the adjusted position of the needles is then fixed in
position on the bar R and the machine is ready for work. The diagram Figure 5
shews the four different positions which the needles in the machine illustrated are
arranged to occupy and are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4 corresponding to the points of
adjustment of the box or support A2 and the shuttle carriers A. The parts which
we have not described are or may be like or similar to the corresponding parts in
ordinary sewing machines.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
1. In sewing machines for sewing two or more rows of stitching, the combination
of a support or holder for the shuttle carriers or loopers mounted so that it and
the shuttles or the like can by a partial rotation be adjusted to suit different
distances apart of the rows of stitching to be made; a hollow stud shaft or spindle
depending from the said support or holder through which hollow stud the cloth feed
passes a pinion on the said hollow stud shaft or spindle gearing with pinions on the
shuttle carriers or loopers and means for driving from the main driving shaft of the
machine the pinion carried on the hollow stud shaft or spindle substantially as
hereinbefore described.
2. In sewing machines for simultaneously sewing two or more rows of stitching
the combination with the gearing for driving the shuttles or loopers of the arrange-
ment of parts constituting means for varying the distances apart of the rows of
titching to be made substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 30th day of July 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.