Improvements in Sewing Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 17th Oct., 1896
Improvements in Sewing Machines.
I, GEORGE S. HILL, of 3 Essex Street, in the City of Haverhill, in the County
of Essex, and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 an improvement in automatic thread-cutting attachments
for sewing machines, and consists in the novel features of construction and arrange-
ment of parts hereinafter fully described in the specification, illustrated in the
drawings and particularly pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of
this application in which like characters indicate like parts wherever they occur.
Fig. 1 is a view of the bottom of a sewing-machine showing a part of my
invention applied thereto.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the bed-plate of a sewing-machine, showing my
invention connected thereto.
Fig. 3 is a front view of a portion of a sewing machine showing a part of my
invention applied thereto.
Figs. 4 and
represent details.
Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention. This view
is taken from the opposite side of the machine from that shown in Fig. 2.
Fig. 7 is a detail of the take-up and its operating cam.
Fig. 8 is a detail of the thread-nipper.
Figs. 9 and 10 are respectively views of the bottom and top of the bed-plate
of the machine showing the mechanism attached thereto for operating the thread-
nipper.
Fig. 11 is a detail showing the wheel that operates the take-up and also the
Deedle-bar.
Fig. 12 is a view of the cam on the take-up wheel, developed.
Fig. 13 is a diagramatic view showing the position of the thread-loop, the
fabric and the nipper-arm when the cut end of the thread is nipped.
Fig. 14 is a detailed view hereinafter described showing the devices connecting
rod 17 to the cloth clamping devices.
My invention is particularly adapted for machines for working button-holes or
for barring and tacking, although it may be applied to any machine without
departing from the scope of my invention, which includes a cutting attachment
made up of a thread-cutter for cutting the needle thread below the work, means for
slackening the needle thread before each stitch, and a thread nipping and pulling
device to hold the end of the needle thread at the beginning of a new button-hole,
or bar, or tack, and pull the same down through the work. I am thus enabled to
automatically complete the bar or button-hole without waste of thread, and with
both ends of the needle thread, to wit, at the beginning and end of the bar or
button-hole on the reverse side of the goods, a set of advantages that will at once
commend themselves to those skilled in the art, without further description.
The overhanging arm a², the horizontal main shaft a', the vertical shaft p¹ driven
by the main shaft, the cam wheels n' and p on said vertical shaft, the work-holder h,
the connections between the same and the cam wheels n' and p, and the general
form and arrangement of the machine are the same as in my former patent, and
are only included here in order to show the connection of my invention therewith.
Referring now to Sheet 1, on the front end of a shaft 6' mounted in suitable

page_text: supports on the under side of the machine, is secured a bell crank lever 6' provided
at the extremity of one of its arms with a thread-cutting knife . A helical spring b²
is mounted on this shaft having one end secured to said shaft and its opposite end
secured in a support or lug 6 projecting from the bed-plate t of the machine. At
its rear end said shaft is provided with a finger or projection 6.
on a
a
A horizontally sliding bolt 20, is mounted in suitable bearings 20' on a frame 25
at the rear of the machine. At one end this bolt is arranged to engage a collar a
vertically moving rode which controls a belt-shipping and, stopping device.³
A. belical spring 21 is mounted upon the bolt 20 in such a manner as to press said
bolt normally outward for engagement with the collar 1. Upon the wheel pare
two wipers a and b that may be integral with said wheel, or secured thereon
adjustably, or otherwise. These wipers are located on the wheel p about 180 degrees
apart, the wheel p rotating in the direction indicated by the arrow.
The wiper
is arranged to strike a projection 34 upon a lever 33 pivoted at one end at 33¹ and
operate said lever just before the wiper bengages the roller 24 on one end of a
lever 22 pivoted between its ends at 22¹ to ears 23 extending from a frame 25,
which is attached to the bed-plate t of the machine-bed, and is provided with
bearings 26 for a shaft 40. The end of the lever 22 adjacent to the bolt 20° is
forked as at 27, and in this fork a pin 28 from the bolt 20 extends, whereby motion
may be communicated to said rod by said lever. In the drawings the wiper a is
shown as attached to the upper face of the wheel p and a shaft 30 and its accessories
is shown as located above said wheel while the wiper is shown as integral with the
periphery of said wheel, and the bolt 20 is shown as located below the said wheel.
Manifestly, this arrangement could be reversed or variously modified without
departing from the scope of my invention. The shaft 30 is suitably supported
below the bed of the machine and above the wheel p, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This
shaft is driven by any suitable means, not shown, connecting the same through the
head of the machine with the main driving shaft a². The particular gear connection
between the shaft a' and the shaft is shown to be a worm and worm wheel.
Upon this shaft 13 a sleeve 31 constructed and arranged to rotate with said shaft
but to have a sliding movement thereon. The sleeve 31 is so positioned on the
shaft 30 that its finger 32 will engage the finger & as soon as the sleeve is slid by
the wiper a.
This sleeve is formed with a finger 32 at one end and with a grooved
flange 35 at the other end which loosely fits the forked end 36 of the lever 33.
Upon the shaft 30 and between the sleeve 31 and the lug 66 which forms a bearing
for the shafts and 30, is arranged a helical spring 37 which yieldingly presses
the sleeve 31 to the right in Fig. 1 in a direction away from the needle end of the
machine. The arrangements of parts is such that the fingers 65 and 32 are normally
out of engagement by reason of the spring 37, but when the sleeve 31 is forced
against the tension of the spring 37 toward the needle end of the machine the
finger 32 will engage the finger and turn the shaft .
Rigidly mounted upon the shaft 40 is a sleeve 41 having two integral arms 41'
and 42, the latter serving as a means to which a treadle, not shown, or other means
for operating the arm 42 can be attached. The arm 41' is provided with a slot 43
into which extends a pin at on the lug whereby motion may be imparted to the
rod by means of the arm 41. Upon the end of the shaft 40 opposite the location
of the iod 20 is rigidly secured a boss 10 having an arm 11 provided with a pin 12.
A lever 13 pivoted intermediate its ends at 14 is provided with a slot 15 into which
the pin 12 projects. By this arrangement the end 16 of the lever 13 can be raised
and lowered by turning the shaft 40. The end 16 of the lever 13 is secured to a
vertically movable rod 17 connected to the arm of the work-holder h. This
work-holder is composed of the bottom member or base h¹ and a top member h²
pivoted between the ears on the bottom member. An arm ³ connected to the
member ² extends between the ears hand over a portion of the member /', and
preferably in a recess in the latter, and is connected to the end of a rod 17 so that
the member may be moved up and down by a like movement of the rod 17
to respectively unclamp and clamp the goods. Mounted in suitable bearings and

page_text: parallel with the shaft b' and between said shaft and the end 16 of the arm 13 is a
shaft 18 having mounted thereon a bell-crank lever 5 one arm 4 of which is
arranged to rest upon the end 16 of the arm 13, while the other arm 6 of said lever
is formed with a hook 7 arranged to be engaged by a projection 610 on the arm 6°
of the lever b. A spring 19 is connected to the lever 5 in such a way as to
press the hook 7 into engagement with the projection 610. The operation is
as follows. When the machine is idle the wipers a and b are immediately past
the ends of the levers 22 and 33, and the knife 6 to the right of the position
shown in Fig. 3 and clear of the needle thread t. By pulling down upon the
arm 42 to start the machine, the shaft 40 will be rocked, pulling down the rod
and permitting the end of the bolt 20 to engage the upper edge of the lug x¹.
This motion of the shaft 40 lowers the end 16 of the lever 13 and the rod 17, thus
bringing the member h of the work-holder upon the goods and the hook 7 into
position to be engaged by the projection 610 when the lever b' is operated. The
wheel p is timed to make one revolution during the working of a button-hole or a
bar, etc. When the last stitch is being made and while the loop is over the
shuttle b, the wiper a strikes the projection 34 and crowds the sleeve 31 toward the
needle end of the machine. This motion is sufficient to bring the fingers 32
and into engagement which throws the knife 6 into the loop, as shown in
Fig. 3, where it is held by the projection 610 on the arm 69, being forced down over
and under the hook 7 of the arm 6. Immediately the wiper 6 strikes the roller 24
upon the lever 22, withdrawing the end of the bolt 20 from the lug ¹, permitting
the rod a to be forced upward by the spring a to stop the machine. This movement
of the rod a turns the shaft 40 which in turn operates the lever 13 forcing the
end 16 thereof upward to unclamp the goods by means of the rod 17 the arm ³ and
the member h2, and at the same time raising the arm 4 of the lever 5
ing the
arm 6 and hook 7 out of engagement with the projection 610, wby means the
spring 6, the lever b¹ will be turned upon the shaft
the knife draw
suddenly through the loop of the needle thread, which Is time is tightly drawn
about the shank of said knife, thereby cutting the needle thread and leaving the
end of the thread below the work.
Referring now to Sheets 2 and 3, and particularly to Figs. 6, 7, 11 and 12, e is
a take-up pivoted in the casing as is usual, and provided at one end with a thread-
eye e² and at its opposite end with a roller e³ which is arranged to run in a cam-
groove d² of a wheel d that operates both the needle bar d¹ and the take-up. It
is desirable to have the thread slackened when the thread is cut to prevent
breaking the needle and to prevent the thread from flying out of the needle after
being cut. The take-up rises and falls with the needle, the thread being cut
when the needle is at its highest point, and in order to slack the thread at this
time I form the cam-groove d² with a projection d' on one side and a corresponding
depression d on the opposite side, the projection d being on the side of the wheel d
next the needle bar. By this construction the end of the take-up is dropped
suddenly for a short distance, and then is held stationary while the thread is being
cut by means of a straight part d³ of the groove d that immediately follows the
projection d. By this arrangement it will be seen that the thread is automati-
cally slackened before the thread is cut, and by having this slackening done by
means of the formation of the cam-groove d' in the wheel d, the slackening of the
.thread can be timed to the movements of the needle bar without intermediate or
complicated mechanism. Moreover, by having the thread slackened at each
rotation of the wheel d I am enabled to arrange the wipers a and b to cut any
particular stitch.
Referring to Figs. 8, 9, and 10, adjustably secured on the wheel p by means of
a screw c¹ and a slot r is a wiper c. A lever pivoted upon a stud c³ secured to
the bed-plate t of the machine has the end of one of its arms arranged to be
engaged by the wiper c while the end of the other arm is loosely mounted upon a
rod connected to the thread-nipping bar c mounted to slide in a suitable support r
secured to the bed-plate of the machine just in the rear of the throat plate. Any

page_text: ⋅
suitable means may be employed to support and guide the bar c³. This bar chas
a movement transverse to the bed of the machine and is provided on the side
opposite the rod with a finger c' that extends across a space immediately in the
rear of the space in which the needle n plays. This finger has a notch r to engage
the needle thread and pull the cut end down through the work upon the beginning
of a bar or button-hole. The path of movement of the finger c is between two
stops and c. A helical spring f is mounted upon the rod ct between the end
of the lever c² and a shoulder ƒ on said rod, a spring ell (Fig. 9) serves to return
the finger toward the stop c. The thread-nipper is designed to nip and hold
the cut end of the needle thread while the loop of the first stitch is spread, to
hold said end for one or more stitches and then in returning to its normal or idle
.position, to draw the cut end of the needle thread that would ordinarily remain
on the upper or finished side of the work down through the work, thus forming
a bar automatically with the end of the needle thread at the beginning and end
of the bar or button-hole on the reverse side of the work.
The operation of the nipping part of the thread-cutting attachment is as follows.
The wiper c is set to engage the end 2 of the lever c² at the beginning of the bar
or button-hole, and force the finger c which normally rests against the stop c
against the stop c8 after the needle has made the first puncture in the goods and
while the loop of the needle thread is spread over the shuttle, as shown in Fig. 13,
where represents the needle, t³ the needle thread, the loop, c' the finger of the
bar c, the fabric or goods and to the cut end of the needle thread that remains
on the upper or finished side of the fabric when the needle makes its first puncture
in the goods. It will be observed that as the finger is moved towards and against
the stop it will catch and nip the right or inside or cut end of the needle
thread and hold it against said stop (see Fig. 8). Now as the loop is cast off
from the shuttle and the thread drawn up by the take-up, it draws the left-hand
or outside part of the loop (see Fig. 13) in the notch r on the side of the finger c²
opposite to that where the end t is held. The wiper c is provided with a surface
sufficiently extended to operate the lever and hold the thread during one or more
stitches. As the wheel p continues to rotate, the end 2 leaves the wiper and is
drawn suddenly inward toward the shaft p¹ by a spring c" attached to the arm 10
of said lever and to some stationary part of the machine. As the finger e returns
to its inoperative position against the stop c', it draws the end of the needle-
thread to down through the work since the regular thread 3 is intact and formed
in a stitch or stitches and cannot yield. The spring f on the rod c¹ allows the
arm 10 to hold the finger c' yieldingly against the stop cs, and thus prevent cutting
the thread or any liability of breaking the several parts of the attachment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
1. In a sewing machine, in combination, a shuttle, a needle and complemental
stitch-forming mechanism, and a thread cutting attachment comprising a needle
thread-cutting device, a thread-nipping device, both located below the work, and a
thread-slackening device, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In a sewing machine, in combination, a needle, a shuttle and complemental
stitch-forming mechanism, and a thread nipping device arranged below the work,
and means for automatically operating said device to nip the end of the needle
thread, and to hold the same during one or more stitches, and then to automatically
draw said end down through the work, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
3. In a sewing machine, in combination, a needle, a shuttle and complemental
stitch-forming mechanism, and a take-up mechanism arranged to slack the thread
at the beginning of each stitch in advance of the descent of the needle, substan-
tially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In a sewing machine, in combination, a main shaft a', a needle, a shuttle, a take-up,

page_text: a cam-wheel on said shaft a¹ arranged to operate said needle and take-up and to
drop the take-up suddenly a short distance and then hold it stationary a brief length
of time in advance of each descent of the needle, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
5. In a sewing machine, in combination, a thread-nipping bar provided with a
thread-nipping finger and a rod, a pivoted lever having one end yieldingly mounted
upon said rod, and means for operating the other end of said lever a predeter-
mined distance at a predetermined time, substantially as and for the purpose set.
forth.
6. In a sewing machine, in combination, a sliding bar arranged below the work,.
a thread-nipping finger and a rod upon said bar, a pivoted lever having one end
yieldingly mounted upon said rod, a rotary wheel, a wiper on said wheel having a
predetermined actuating surface, and means for yieldingly holding the end 2
of said lever in engagement with said wiper, substantially as and for the purpose.
set forth.
7. In a sewing machine, in combination, a sliding bar arranged below the
work, a finger cupon.said bar having a notch r, a rod c upon said bar, a pivoted
lever having one end loosely mounted upon said rod, a spring interposed between
the end of said lever and a shoulder on said rod, a rotary wheel having a wiper-
for engagement with the other end of said lever for operating said lever in one-
direction and a spring for operating said lever in the opposite direction, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
8. In a sewing machine, in combination, a thread-cutting knife arranged below
the work, a wheel provided with a wiper a, connections between said wiper and
knife for operating said knife in one direction, retaining means for holding the
knife in said operated position, a wiper b upon said wheel, and connections between
said wiper and said retaining means for operating the latter to release the knife,.
and a spring for returning said knife to its norinal position, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
9. In a sewing machine, in combination, a shaft 6' operated in oue direction by
a spring 62, a lever mounted upon one end of said shaft having a knife at one end
and a projection 610 at the other, a wheel p provided with wipers a and b, con-
nections between said wiper a and the shaft 67 for setting said knife in the loop of
a stitch, a latching means for retaining said knife in its operated position, and
connections between said wiper b and said latching means for operating the latter,.
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
10. In a sewing machine, in combination, a thread-cutting knife-lever actuated
by a spring in one direction, a catch for said lever, a wheel provided with wipers a.
and b, connections including the lever 33 and the sleeve 31 between the wiper a:
and said knife lever for engaging the latter with said catch, and connections
including the lever 22 and the bolt 20 between said wiper band said catch for
releasing the latter, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
11. A work-holder, comprising in its construction a bottom member. or base h¹,.
a top member h² pivoted thereto, a rod extending up through the bed of the
machine, and connections between the member h² and said rod whereby said
member may be operated from below the bed of the machine to clamp and unclamp
the goods, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
12. In a sewing machine, in combination, a needle and complemental stitch
forming mechanism, and means for severing the thread below the work, said means
comprising a device for entering the loop of the last stitch before the same is.
drawn taut, and a cutting part on said device to sever the thread after the same is.
tightened.
Dated this First day of October 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.