IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING MOTORS FOR SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark of the firm of A. M and
W. Clark of 53 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex Fellow of the
Institute of Patent Agents for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING
MOTORS FOR SEWING MACHINES communicated to him from abroad by Jean
Baptiste Théophile Baudouin, Henri Louis Mathieu and Alfred François
Conchon all of Paris, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th December 1882.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the firm of A. M. and W. Clark of 53 Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents
IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING MOTORS FOR SEWING MACHINES [communicated to
him from abroad by Jean Baptiste Théophile Baudouin, Henri Louis Mathieu
and Alfred François Conchon all of Paris, France.]
This Invention relates to improvements in spring motors applicable to all the
common kinds of sewing machines such as the Howe, Wilcox, Singer, Wheeler and
Wilson &c and consists in an automatic spring motor driving the main shaft
directly without the intervention of a belt the said motor being provided with
means for winding it up, with a break for enabling the speed of the machine to be
varied when running, and with an adjustable fly regulator or governor for rendering
the motion of the machine uniform.
The Invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings
which shew different types of machine furnished with the improvements of this
Invention and detail views hereafter referred to.
The motor consists of a spring barrel B mounted on a vertical axis beneath the
bed plate P between it and another plate P¹ secured thereto by pillars. The barrel
has a bevelled ring of teeth B' which gears with a bevel pinion A on a short
intermediate shaft hung beneath bed plate P and carrying a toothed wheel R
which gears with a pinion D on a shaft D¹ mounted above the bed plate and pro-
vided with another toothed wheel E which gears with a pinion El on the main
shaft of the machine.

page_text: To enable the operator to vary the speed I provide the brake shown separately
in Figure 6. It consists of a flexible steel strip 1 fixed at one end to a stationary.
support and having its free end faced with a pad of soft leather I which is made
to bear more or less against the main shaft by means of a set screw 2 screwing
through another fixed part and bearing with its point against the back of the
strip 1. By this means the speed of the machine may be readily moderated.
The regulator or governor is represented separately in Figure 5 and consists of a
fly A' on a spindle B' mounted in a forked support F1 screwed to the table. The
spindle has coned centres and is readily removable from its bearings by means of
screw V¹. The vanes of the fly are held in sockets so as to be capable of being
turned each on its own axis, and may be set so as to present their edges or their
flat surface to the air or in any intermediate position so that they will encounter
more or less resistance from the air in revolving. The fly is driven by an elastic
cord running in a groove in a fly wheel V on the main shaft of the machine and
the pulley g on the fly spindle B. The winding gear for the spring barrel consists
of a bevel wheel N¹ keyed on the lower end of its spindle, a pinion N in gear
therewith on a shaft J hung in bearings -K beneath plate P¹, and the double acting
nipping levers L L' shown separately in Figure 4. The levers both pivot loose on
shaft J and embrace a V grooved wheel G fast on shaft J and are each provided
with a nipping pawl which engages with the groove of wheel G., Lever L has a
handle M; and lever L is weighted, and the two are connected by a cord passing
round pulley's beneath the table so that both levers are moved together in opposite
.directions, whereby the wheel G is turned at. each oscillation always in the same
direction by the pawl of the levers.Land L pipping. it alternately, lever L being
actuated by hand and lever L' by its weight. R¹ is a grooved wheel fast on the
barrel arbor with which a pawl engages to keep the spring wound up.
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page_text: ".
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville. Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th June 1883.
L
i
ALEXANDER, MELVILLE CLARK of the Firm of A, M, and W, Clark of 53 Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex Fellow of the. Institute of Patent Agents
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING MOTORS FOR, SEWING MACHINES."; A cominunication to
me from abroad by Jean Baptiste Theophile Baudouin, Henri Louis Mathieu, and
Alfred François Conchon, all of Paris, France.
This Invention relates to improvements in spring motors applicable to all the
common kinds of sewing machines such as the Howe, Wilcox, Singer, Wheeler and
Wilson, &c, and consists in an automatic spring motor driving the main shaft
directly without the intervention of a belt, the said motor being provided with
means for winding it up with a brake for enabling the speed of the machine to be
varied when running, and with an adjustable fly regulator or governor for rendering
the motion of the machine uniform.
++
The Invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings,
Figures 1 and 2 of which show perspective views of different types of machine
furnished with the improvements of this Invention. Figure 3 is a vertical section
of the motor, and Figures 4. 5. 6 are detail views hereafter referred to.
The motor consists of a spring barrel B (see. Figure 3) mounted on a vertical
axis beneath the bed plate P between it and another plate P¹ secured thereto by
pillars. The barrel has a bevelled ring of teeth B¹ which gears with a bevel
pinion A on a short intermediate shaft hung beneath bed plate P and carrying a
toothed wheel R which gears with a pinion D on a shaft D¹ mounted above the
bed plate and provided with another toothed wheel E which gears with a pinion E¹
on the main shaft of the machine. A brake is provided alongside of the flywheel V
operated by a lever and cam which allows the brake spring to come in contact or
not with the flywheel for stopping and starting the machine. The arrangement of
this brake would vary according to the kind of machine.
To enable the operator to vary the speed, I provide the brake shown separately
in Figure 6. It consists of a steel spring 1 fixed at one end to a stationary support
and having its free end faced with a pad of soft leather I which is made to bear
more or less against the main shaft by means of a set screw 2 screwing through
another fixed part and bearing with its point against the back of the spring 1.
By this means the speed of the machine may be readily moderated.
The regulator or governor is represented separately in Figure 5 and consists of
a fly A' on a spindle B' mounted in a forked support F' screwed to the table. The
spindle has coned centres and is readily removable from its bearings by slacking
screw V. The vanes of the fly are held in sockets so as to be capable of being
turned each on its own axis, and may be set so as to present their edges or their
flat surface to the air or in any intermediate position so that they will encounter
more or less resistance from the air in revolving. The fly is driven by an elastic
cord running in a groove in a fly wheel V on the main shaft of the machine and
the pulley g on the fly spindle B¹.
The winding gear for the spring barrel consists of a bevel wheel N¹ keyed on
the lower end of its spindle, a pinion N in gear therewith on a shaft J hung in
bearings K beneath plate P', and the double acting nipping levers L L' of which L
is shown separately in Figure 4. The levers both pivot loose on shaft J and
embrace a V grooved wheel G fast on shaft J and are each provided with a nipping
pawl which engages with the groove of wheel G. Lever L has a handle M, and

page_text: lever L' is weighted, and the two are connected by a cord passing round pulleys
beneath the table so that both levers are moved together in opposite directions
whereby the wheel G is turned at each oscillation always in the same direction by
the pawls of the levers L and L' nipping it alternately, lever L being actuated by
hand, and lever L1 by its weight. R¹ is a grooved wheel fast on the barrel arbor 5
with which a pawl engages to keep the spring wound up.
By the foregoing description and the drawings annexed, it will be seen that the
sewing and driving mechanism are combined together so as, to form but a single
machine.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing 1
the same; I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters' Patent is.
1. The combination with a sewing machine of a spring motor constructed
arranged and applied substantially as described and shown in the drawings..
2nd. The particular construction of winding up gear for the spring motor for 1
sewing machines, substantially as specified.
3rd. The combination and arrangement of spring, motor and fly regulator geared
directly with the main shaft of any ordinary sewing machine, substantially as
specified.
i
4th. In combination with a spring motor, the brake applied to the main shaft of 2
a sewing machine, substantially as specified and shown in Figure 6 for the purpose
specified.
In Witness whereof I the said Alexander Melville Clark have hereunto set
my hand and seal this eighth day of June, A.D. 1883.