Improvements in Machines for Stitching Buttons, Hooks, Eyes, and other Articles onto Made Up Garments or other Textile Materials.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 25th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 11th May, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Stitching Buttons, Hooks, Eyes,
and other Articles onto Made Up Garments or other Textile
Materials.
I, WALTER BEECROFT of the Firm of Thomas Beecroft and Company, of
Swinegate, Leeds, in the County of York, Sewing Machine Makers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to construct machinery, whereby buttons, hooks,
eyes or other articles, (hereafter called buttons), may be stitched onto made up
garments, or other textile materials in a more ready and efficient manner than
heretofore.
According to my invention I provide a slide, situated in the bed of the machine
below the needle bar, and at the back of the said slide I pivot an arm, the front
end of which is fitted with a garment clip and a button holder. To the underside
of the said arm and below the bed of the machine, I attach a connecting rod by
means of a stud, the opposite end of the said connecting rod being adjustably
attached to a pivotted slotted arm, the free end of which arm is actuated by a
suitable cam, geared to the main shaft of the machine.
A double ended rocking lever is fulcrummed on the underside of the machine,
and one end of the said lever is connected by means of a link to the underside of
the slide. The opposite end of the rocking lever, carries a friction roller, which is
kept up to a cam surface by means of a spring attached to the arm, the said cam
surface being actuated through the medium of worm gearing from the main shaft
of the machine.
A stop cam is employed to regulate the amount of motion imparted to the arm
by means of the cam surface.
When it is desired to stitch a button having four holes onto a garment, the
garment and button are placed in their respective clip and holder on the arm beneath
the needle bar; the machine is then set in motion and the needle descends through
the first hole in the button into the cloth, where a stitch is formed. On the needle
rising, the arm carrying the garment and button is rocked a short distance
longitudinally by the connecting rod through the medium of its pivotted slotted
arm and cam arrangement, when the needle descends through the second hole in
the button into the cloth, thus forming a second stitch. In this manner several
stitches may be made alternately through the first and second holes, when the arm
carrying the garment and button is moved a short distance transversely by mean,
The needle
of the double ended rocking lever through the medium of its cam.
now descends through the third hole into the cloth where a stitch is formed, and on
the needle rising, the garment and button are moved longitudinally in a similar
manner to that before described, thus allowing the needle to descend through the
fourth hole. When the required number of stitches have been made alternately
through the third and fourth holes, the slide is again actuated, bringing the work back.
to the first and second holes, and this action of stitching and moving may be
continued until the machine is automatically thrown out of gear by suitable clutch
mechanism.
The movement of the slide may be regulated as desired, by adjusting the stop
cam, and by turning the said stop cam to its fullest extent, the double ended rocking
lever may be thrown out of action.

page_text: The movement of the arm carrying the garment clip and button holder, may also
be regulated, by adjusting the connecting rod on the pivotted slotted arm; and it
will thus be seen that the positions of the stitches may be variously modified, to suit
the buttons which are required to be attached. It will also be seen that by
throwing the double ended rocking lever out of gear, the machine may be employed
for stitching at two points, as is often required when fastening linen or other cloth
buttons onto garments.
By arranging the cams so as to produce the sliding and longitudinal movements
at the same time, the third hole in the button is brought under the needle
immediately after a stitch bas been formed in the first hole, thus bringing the
thread diagonally across the button.
In returning to the second hole, the movement is made from the fourth hole, which
takes the thread across in a diagonal direction a second time, thus forming a perfect
cross similar to that made in hand sewing.
Doted this 20th day of A vruct 1804
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for Applicant.
Improvements in Machines for Stitching Buttons, Hooks, Eyes,
and other Articles onto Made Up Garments or other Textile
Materials.
I, WALTER BEECROFT, of the Firm of Thomas Beecroft and Company of
Swinegate, Leeds, in the County of York, Sewing Machine Makers, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to construct machinery whereby buttons, hooks,
eyes, or other articles (hereafter called buttons) may be stitched onto made up
garments, or other textile materials in a more ready and efficient manner than
heretofore, whilst at the same time buttons sewn on by machinery to be herealter
described have the appearance of hand sewn work.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I will proceed to describe
saine with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters refer to
like parts in all the figures.
Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a machine constructed according to my invention,
and Fig. 2 is an inverted plan of same. Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are detail views.
According to my invention I provide a slide A, situated in the bed B of the
machine below the needle bar C, and to the said slide A. I pivot a box D at D' in
such a manner as to be capable of being rocked or moved from side to side. To
the box DI attach a bar E, and above the bar E and within the box D, I hinge a
block F, through which is passed an arm G, the front end of which is fitted with a
button holder H.
I preferably construct the joint between the arm G and the button holder H as
shown in cross section at Fig. 6. The inside walls H2 of the button holder
are wedge shaped, and the outside faces G' at the front end of the arm G are
also wedge shaped, so that on the screw H3 being tightened, the wedge shaped
sides G' and walls H2 are brought together and clamp each other in a firm and
even manner, which has the effect of preventing any rocking movement taking
place between the two parts. The screw H³ is slipped in a slot G2 in the arm G,
so that the screw need only be loosened, and not removed in order to release the
button holder H from the arm G.

page_text: The arm G is held down toward the bar E by means of the spring J, and the
said bar G is adjustable in the block F, where it is clamped in any desired position
by the screw K.
To the underside of the bar E and below the bed B of the machine I attach a
connecting rod L by means of a stud, the opposite end of the said connecting rod L
being adjustably attached to a pivotted link M, the free end of which link is
actuated by a suitable cam N geared through bevel gearing N₁ to the main shaft P
of the machine. By thus reciprocating the connecting rod L, the bar E, box D,
block F, and arm G are rocked from side to side, having the pivot D¹ as their
fulcrum.
To the underside of the slide A at A' I attach a link A2, which is connected at
its free end to a double ended rocking lever R, which is fulcrumed at R' to the
underside of the machine.
The opposite end of the rocking lever R carries a friction roller R' which is
kept up to a cam S by means of a spring T, the said cam S being actuated through
A stop
the medium of worm gearing U from the main shaft P of the machine.
cam V is employed to regulate the distance of movement imparted to the rocking
lever R by the cam S.
The cam S is provided with projections of such a shape and size as to suit the
required movements to be imparted to the slide A, and the distance of "throw" is
adjusted by turning the cam V, which regulates the depth at which the roller R2
enters between the said projections, and the adjusted cam V can be fixed in position
by any ordinary means. A lever W is fulcrumed on the head of the machine, and
one arm of the said lever is connected by means of a chain arrangement W' to the
arm G. A rod W2 is connected to the opposite arm of the lever W, and by
depressing the said rod W2, the lever W is rocked on its fulcrum, thereby lifting
the arm G, and with it the button holder H.
When it is desired to stitch a button having four holes onto a garment, the
rod W2 is depressed, which raises the button holder arrangement away from
the bar E. The garment is then placed on the bar E, and on releasing the rod W2, the
garment is clipped between the said bar E and button holder H, at the same time
the button His placed in position in the button holder H as shewn at Fig. 3.
The machine is then set in motion, and the needle descends through hole 1
in the button H' and through the cloth, where a stitch is formed. On the needle
rising, the garment and button are moved a short distance longitudinally, through
the medium of the button holder H, arm G, block F, box D, and bar E, which
are rocked on the pivot D', by the forward movement of the connecting rod L,
which movement is obtained by the link M moving from the back portion to the
forward portion of the cam N. The needle now descends through hole 2, and
passing through the cloth, forms a second stitch. The needle again rises, and the
double ended rocking lever R is now actuated by a projection of the cam S coming
in contact therewith, which has the effect of moving the slide A a short distance
forward transversely, and as the backward longitudinal movement of the rod L
takes place at or about the same time, the garment and button have both a
transverse and longitudinal movement imparted to them. This action allows the
needle to descend through hole 3, thus taking the thread diagonally across the
button and forming a third stitch. On the needle rising, the longitudinal forward
movement again takes place, allowing the needle to descend through hole 4 and
forming a fourth stitch; and in the following interval when the needle is in the up
position, the projection of the cam S passes the roller R2, thus releasing and
allowing the double ended lever R to rock on its fulcrum R', which has the
effect of moving the slide A a short distance backward transversely, the rod L
also moving backward longitudinally at or about the same time, thereby bringing
hole again under the needle, when the above described movements are repeated
until the machine is thrown out of gear by suitable clutch mechanism.
By arranging the cams N and S as shewn at Fig. 2, the stitches are forined from
hole 1 to hole 2, and from hole 2 across to hole 3, and from hole 3 to hole 4, and

page_text: from hole 4 back across to hole 1; and these sets of stitches are repeated until the
machine is thrown out of gear, and thus the stitches form a regular cross similar to
that produced by hand sewing.
The distance of movement of the slide A may be regulated as desired, by
adjusting the stop cam V; and by turning the stop cam V to its fullest extent, the
double ended rocking lever R may be thrown out of action entirely. The distance
of the longitudinal movement of the garment and button holders may also be
regulated by adjusting the position of the connecting rod L on the link M ; and it
will thus be seen that the position of the stitches may be variously modified to
suit the buttons which are required to be attached. It will also be seen that by
throwing the double ended rocking lever R out of gear, the machine may be
employed for stitching at two points only, as is often required when fastening shank
or cloth buttons into garments. In such cases it is necessary that the button
should be supported and held edgewise, and that the fabric onto which it is to be
sewn should be held contiguous to the shank; in order to effect this without unduly
increasing the length of the needle I suitably dish or recess the plate as shown at
Figs. 4 and 5, where a shank button X is held in a holder or clip Y. Z is the
dished plate, above which the button is held by the clip Y as aforesaid, while the
fabric is supported contiguous to the shank by the extended bar E as shown or in
any other convenient manner.
Ou starting the machine the rocking or radial movement, in a longitudinal
direction given to the garment and button holder as before described allows the
needle to descend alternately inside and outside the shank as often as required,
until the machine is thrown out of gear.
It will of course be readily understood that machines may be made without
the transverse sliding movements, when they are required simply for two point
stitching.
In Fig. 2 I have shewn a portion of stop mechanism similar to that described in
the Specification of my Patent No. 9168, A.D. 1893, and the said stop mechanism
which is actuated by the projection S¹ will throw the machine out of gear after
sixteen stitches have been formed; whilst at Fig. 7 a similar stop mechanism is shewn
which will throw the machine out of gear after twelve stitches have been made.
It is to be understood that I reserve to myself the right to vary the shapes and
proportions of the various cams, which may be modified to suit the movements
required to be imparted to the work, and still retain the distinctive features of my
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The apparatus for moving a button and garment backwards and forwards
longitudinally, consisting of the button holder H, arm G, box D, and bar E, all
fulcrumed at D', and rocked by the connecting rod L, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination of the slide A, bed B, box D, pivot D', bar E, block F,
arm G, button holder H, spring J, and screw K. substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
3. The parts enumerated in the preceding claim, in combination with the
lever W, chain arrangement W', and rod W2 substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
4. The parts rocked on the fulcrum D', in combination with the connecting
rod L, link M, and cam N substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
5. The combination of the transverse slide A with the parts pivotted upon it
which hold the button and the garment, whereby the required transverse and
longitudinal movements are given, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
6. The combination of the transverse slide A, actuated by the link A, lever R,
roller R2, and cam S, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
7. In machines for stitching buttons and the like onto textile materials, the

page_text: mechanism for carrying the button and fabric, and the means whereby radial
reciprocations in a longitudinal direction are communicated to such carrying
mechanism as hereinbefore described, in combination with the dished bed plate Z,
all arranged and acting substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set
forth.
8. In machines for stitching buttons and the like onto textile materials, the
mechanism for carrying the button and fabric, composed of the slide A, the pivotal
box D, the cloth carrying bar E, the arm G and parts connected therewith, in
combination with a button holder H connected to the arm G, the button holder H
having wedge shaped parts H2, taking onto similarly shaped parts G¹ on the
arm G substantially as described and illustrated with special reference to Figure 6
of the accompanying drawings.
1005
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds.