Improvements in Sewing Machines.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 5th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 5th Oct., 1889
PROVISIONAL
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sewing Machines.
We, JOHN MORTON, WILLIAM URIE MORTON and JAMES RAEBURN URIE MORTON,
of 11 Bothwell Circus, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Sewing
machine Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows
that is to say :-
Our said Invention relates to sewing machines of the kind having a vertically
moving needle and horizontally reciprocating shuttle, and in which the fabric operated
on is fed by a lateral movement of the needle: and our object is to improve the con-
struction and action of certain parts of such machines.
In a machine made with our improvements the needle bar is moved up and down in
a well known way by a rotating crank pin on a disk the pin acting in a cam-slot in a
cross piece fixed to the needle bar. The crank disk has its edge shaped to act as a
cam for giving the lateral feed movement to the needle-bar guide-frame which is
centered at the top of the arm of the machine. The upper part of this guide frame is
made with its front surface flush with that of the crank disk so as to serve as a guiding
surface for the inner face of the cam-slot cross-piece on the needle bar when in its
highest position and prevent it from turning. The return movement of the needle-
bar guide-frame after each feed is effected by a helical compression spring placed in a
small cylindrical cavity in which a plunger works.
The feeding action of the needle of machines made for sewing some fabrics is assisted
by a vertical bar guided in the needle-bar guide-frame and made with a roughened
foot to bear on the fabric, this assisting feed bar being raised and lowered by means of
a pin in it and a groove in the needle bar; and the feed bar is provided also with a
pin to be acted on by the lever used to raise the presser foot when entering or removing
the fabric.
The spring for acting on the presser foot is arranged to act on a ring which acts on
a collar or pin on the bar of the presser foot, and a lever is arranged to be acted on
by a cam projection on the crank disk so as at the time when the feed takes place to
lift up the ring and take the pressure of the spring off the presser foot.
The shuttle is carried and moved by a lever oscillating horizontally and worked by
a cam acting on its back end. For economy and convenience in manufacture the
centre pin on which the lever oscillates is made in a separate piece which is fixed in
position by a screw entered beneath the base of the machine; and the covering plate
is secured by a screw screwed down into the top of the said centro pin.
Dated this Seventh day of December 1888.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicants' Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sewing Machines.
We, JOHN MORTON, WILLIAM URIE MORTON, and JAMES RAEBURN URIE MORTON,
of 11 Bothwell Circus, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Sewing
machine 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, that is to say :—
Our said Invention relates to sewing machines of the kind having a vertically
moving needle and horizontally reciprocating shuttle, and in which the fabric
n
17

page_text: operated on is fed by a lateral movement of the needle; and our object is to improve
the construction and action of certain parts of such machines.
Our improvements are shown on an accompanying sheet of explanatory drawings,
but only such parts of a well known type of sewing machine are shown as are required
in explaining. the practical application of our improved devices.
.
Figure, 1, on the sheet of drawings is a front elevation as with the front plate of
the needle arm removed; and figure, 2, is a horizontal section corresponding to
figure, 1, and as taken as at about the level A-A in figure, 1. Figures, 3, and 4,
are elevations like figure, 1, but showing parts not shown in figure, 1; and figure, 5,
is a sectional side elevation showing some parts below the table or fabric-supporting
plate of the machine. In these drawings the same. reference numerals are used to
mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
In a machine made with our improvements the needle bar, 6, is moved up and
down in a well known way by a crank pin, 7, on a rotating disk 8, the pin acting in a
cam slot or groove in the inner side of a crosspiece, 9, fixed to the needle bar. The
crank disk, 8, bas its edge shaped to act as a cam for giving the lateral feed movement
to the needle-bar guide frame, 10, which is centered on a pin, 11, at the top of the arm
of the machine, the cam being within the guide frame. The upper part of this guide
frame, 10, is made with its front surface flush with that of the crank disk, 8, so as to
serve for a guiding surface for the inner face of the cam-slot crosspiece, 9, when the
said crosspiece is in its highest position and, to prevent it from turning. And as
additional guides the crosspiece, 9, is made with thin flanges, 12, which work on the
more projecting sides of the guide frame, 10. The return movement of the needle-bar
guide frame, 10, is effected by a belical compression spring, indicated by dotted lines,
placed in a small cylindrical cavity in which a plunger, 13, works. An adjustable
screw stop, 14, limits the return movement caused by the spring, and thereby
determines the size of stitch.
The feeding action of the needle, when the machine is to be used for sewing some
fabrics, is assisted by a vertical bar, 15, figure, 3, guided in the needle-bar guide
frame, 10, and made with a roughened foot to bear on the fabric, this assisting feed
bar, 15, being raised and lowered by means of a pin, 16, in it and a groove in the
needle bar; and the feed bar, 15, is provided also with a pin, 17, to be acted on by
the finger. lever, 18, used to raise the presser foot, 19, when entering or removing the
fabric.
The spring, 20, for acting on the bar of the presser foot, 19, is arranged as shown
in figure, 4, to act on a ring, 21, which acts on a collar, 22, fixed to the presser-foot
bar, and a lever, 23, is arranged to be acted on by a cam projection on the crank
disk, 8, so as at the time when the feed takes place to lift up the ring, 21, and take
the pressure of the spring, 20, off the presser foot, 19.
The shuttle, 24, as in existing machines of the same type, is carried and moved by
a lever, 25, oscillating horizontally and worked by a rotating cam, 26, acting on its
back end. For economy and convenience in manufacture the centre pin, 27, on which
the lever, 25, oscillates is made in a separate piece, which is fixed in position by a
screw, 28, which attaches it to the covering plate, 29. The centre pin, 27, is made
conical with its lower end larger so as to hold up the lever, 25.
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 which feed the fabric by lateral movements of the needle,
constructing, arranging and combining the parts concerned in the movements of the
needle, namely the needle-bar guide frame, 10, the cam-slot crosspiece, 9, and the
return spring with its plunger, 13, substantially in the improved manner hereinbefore
described.
.2. The combination with a needle moving laterally to feed the fabric, of an assisting
feed bar, 15, arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described.

page_text: 3. Fitting the presser-foot bar with a loose ring, 21, on which the spring, 20, acts
and which ring is raised to take off the pressure when the fabric is being fed, by
means of a lever, 23, acted on by cam projection ou the crank disk substantially as
hereinbefore described.
4. Fitting the shuttle lever, 25, on a separate centre pin, 27, substantially as herein-
before described.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicants' Agent.