IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Bastand, of Percival Street, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."
Sealed the 18th January 1878, and dated the 19th July 1877,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Bastand at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th July 1877.
CHARLES BASTAND, of Percival Street, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."
My Invention relates to sewing machines of that class commonly termed shuttle
machines, and consists chiefly in a novel form of take-up device, whereby the
necessity for a pause or return of the needle at the lower part of its stroke is
rendered unnecessary.
The said Invention also consists partly in embroidery mechanism, which forms an
attachment for a sewing machine, and may be affixed thereon and removed at
pleasure.
The machine to which my Invention particularly appertains has the needle bar
attached to the outer extremity of an arm, which instead of the usual vibrating
movement has a vertical sliding movement, its rear or inner end being formed with
bearings, which slide up and down on a fixed guide rod or bar, and being operated
by a crank or excentric on a shaft below the cloth plate.
The aforesaid take-up device is constructed and operates as follows, that is to
say On the needle bar, at or near the upper end of the same, I fix a small metal
piece, which has a boss or socket, whereby it is secured to the needle bar by a small
screw or other suitable means; from this boss projects three parallel vertically
slotted arms. In combination with these slotted arms I arrange, on the part of the
frame or head through which the needle bar slides, two lugs or ears, which project
outward in planes parallel with those occupied by the said arms, and occupy such a
position that the central arm will pass between them and the two outer arms
[Price 6d.]

page_text: outside of them when the needle bar descends. These ears or lugs have eyes or holes
through them. When the machine is properly threaded the upper thread is brought
from the reel through any suitable tension device, and through or under a small
guide pin, and is passed through the said slots and eyes, then through a small spring
guide arranged in front of the lower bearing of the needle bar to the needle. The
said slots have such a length and are so arranged that during the lower portion of
the needle's stroke, that is to say, while the shuttle is passing through the loop, the
thread will be quite slack or free, but as the needle bar rises the thread will be held
down by the said lugs at two points, and there will be a take-up action to the exact
extent required.
The aforesaid spring guide is a small metal bar with a lip or flange on one edge.
A notch is cut in this lip or flange for the passage of the thread, and inside the
said bar is a spring blade or tongue, between which and the bar the thread is
drawn.
The aforesaid embroidery apparatus or attachment is constructed with thin metal
slotted arms, which extend downward from a pin attached to the machine head, and
are fitted to vibrate on the said pin. A pin or stud projects from the needle bar
into the slots of the said arm, and imparts to them the required vibrating motion.
The lower portions of these arms are formed of wire or small metal bars, and pro-
vided at their extremities with eyes, through which the embroidery threads are
passed. In their vibrating movements the extremities of these arms cross each
other, and lay the threads across each other on the cloth or other material, and these
threads are secured by the needle thread. In combination with these arms I some-
times use an arm or bar, which holds one thread at one side and lays it in loops,
which are afterwards cut to form a fringe to the work.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Bastand in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th January
1878.
CHARLES BASTAND, of Percival Street, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."
My Invention relates to sewing machines of that class commonly termed shuttle
machines, and consists chiefly in a novel form of take-up device, whereby the
necessity for a pause or return of the needle at the lower part of its stroke is
rendered unnecessary.
The said Invention also consists partly in embroidery mechanism, which forms
an attachment for a sewing machine, and may be affixed thereon and removed at
pleasure.
The machine to which my Invention particularly appertains has the needle bar
attached to the outer extremity of an arm, which may have the usual vibrating
movement, or instead of such vibrating movement may have a vertical sliding
movement, its rear or inner end being formed with bearings that slide up and down
on a fixed guide rod or bar, and being operated by a crank or excentric on a shaft
below the cloth plate.
My Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which,-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the said improvements;
Figure 2 is a front end elevation of the same; Figure 3 is a plan; Figure 4 is a
rear side view; and Figure 5, an end view of a portion of the said machine
detached.
Figure 6 illustrates the application of my embroidery attachment to the said
machine.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the Drawing.
A is the frame or body of the said machine, comprising the feet a¹, the work
support or cloth plate a', the case or box a², the fixed arm a³, and the head a*; b is
the main or driving shaft, and b' is the belt or cord pulley on the same; c is the
needle bar fitted to slide vertically in the head in the usual manner; d is the presser
bar and d its foot; e is the shuttle carrier; f is the shuttle; g is a bar or rod fixed
by its ends g¹ in the frame, and forming the shuttle guide. The other parts of the
machine are herein-after described.
The aforesaid take-up device is constructed and operates as follows, that is to
say-On the needle bar c, at or near the upper end of the same, I fix a small metal
piece h, which has a boss, socket, or sleeve ', whereby it is attached to the needle
bar c, whereon it is made fast by a small screw h² or other suitable means. From
this boss h¹ project three parallel vertically slotted arms ³. In combination with
these slotted arms h³ I arrange on the part of the head a*, through which the needle
bar slides, two lugs or ears i, which project outward in planes parallel with those
occupied by the said arins h³, and occupy such a position that the central arm of the
three arms h³ will pass between the lugs or ears i, and the two outer arms h³ will
pass outside of the said lugs or ears in the movement of the needle bar c. It will
be seen that these ears or lugs i have holes through them. When the machine is
properly threaded the upper thread j is brought from the reel k through the tension
device 1, or any other suitable tension contrivance, and is passed through the
slots h and the eyes , then through a small spring guide m to the needle. The
said slots h5 have such a length and are so arranged that during the lower portion
of the needle's stroke, that is to say, while the shuttle is passing through the loop,
the thread will be quite slack or free, but as the needle bar c rises the thread will
be held down by the said lugs i at two points, and there will be a take-up action to
the exact extent required.
It will be seen that the aforesaid spring guide is fixed on the front of the lower
bearing or guide of the needle bar, a groove or channel being formed for its recep-

page_text: tion. The said spring guide consists of a metal bar m with a longitudinal recess,
in which is fitted a small elastic metal tongue or spring m³, which is secured by a
screw m² in the bar m, and is provided with a small pin or rod m³ arranged to
project below the bearing when the said spring guide is in its place. The said bar m
is secured by a screw m³ at one end, or by other suitable means which will permit
it to be readily removed and replaced.
It will be seen by reference to Figure 5 that the upper edge of the bar m has a
lip or flange. A notch m³ is cut in this lip or flange for the passage of the thread,
which passes through this notch and between the said bar and spring. For the
purpose of causing this spring device m to alternately hold and release the thread,
I form on the needle bar c a flat surface between the points 1 and 2, which works
in contact with the pin or rod m³ in such a manner that while the needle bar is
moving with its flat surface in contact with the pin m³, the spring m¹ pinches or
holds the thread tightly, so that in the descent of the needle bar the thread is so
held that the needle slides down the thread while the latter is held taut; but when
the part of the needle bar above the point I comes against the pin m³, that is to say,
at the moment the shuttle is passing through the loop, the said spring is caused to
release the thread. A similar action takes place in the rise of the needle bar at the
moment when the part below the point 2 comes in contact with the pin m³, thereby
releasing the thread, so that there is no strain on it at the termination of the take-up
action.
In the machine shown in Figures 1 and 2 the arm n, which imparts motion to
the needle bar c, is fitted to slide vertically on the bar o, secured at its ends rigidly
in the box or case a². The said arm n is constructed with two guides n' to work
on the said bar, and is provided with a stud or pin n³, from which a connecting
rod p extends to the crank 6* on the driving shaft b, from which the said bar
receives its vertical to-and-fro motion during the rotation of the said shaft.
When the machine has a vibrating arm instead of a sliding arm for operating the
needle bar, the said vibrating arm has its fulcrum pin fixed in the frame or body of
the machine. Its long arm extends to the needle bar, and its short arm extends
rearward, and is connected by a suitable rod with an excentric on the said driving
shaft, from which it is operated in the usual manner.
"
The aforesaid embroidery apparatus or attachment, as shewn in Figure 6, is con-
structed with thin metal slotted arms q, which extend downward from a pin r
attached to the machine head, and the arms q are fitted to vibrate on the said pin.
A pin or stud s projects from the needle bar c into the slots of the said arms, and
imparts to them the required vibrating motion as the needle bar moves to and fro.
Or instead of providing the said arms with straight slots, as shewn, they may have
slots curved or otherwise formed to produce a "rest" or "pause at certain parts
of the movement of the said arms; or I may employ other suitable means for
obtaining this movement. The lower portions of these arms are formed of wire or
small metal bars and provided at their extremities with eyes q¹, through which the
embroidery threads are passed. In their vibrating movements the extremities of
these arms q cross each other, and lay the embroidery threads across each other on
the cloth or other material, and these threads are secured by the needle thread. In
combination with these embroidery arms I sometimes provide the machine with an
arm or bar t, which projects from the machine head and carries a pin or rod u.
This pin or rod is adjustable on the rod or bar t, and is provided with a pinching
screw u¹ or other means for fixing it in any required position. The said stud or
pin u holds one of the embroidery threads and lays it in loops, which are afterwards
cut to form a fringe to the work. I prefer to provide the machine with two of such
bars and parts, as shewn.
Having thus fully described my said Invention and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First. The improved take-up device or mechanism, consisting of the slotted arms
or plates secured upon the needle bar, and operating in combination with the fixed
ears or lugs on the machine head and with the spring bar or other suitable guide in

page_text: such a manner that the thread, when passed through the said slotted plates or arms,
the lugs and guide to the needle, will be taken up at each stitch or stroke of the
needle, in the manner above set forth.
Second. The spring device or guide, constructed and operating in combination
with the needle bar in such a manner that the thread passing through the said
guide is alternately held or pinched and released at the above specified points or
position of the movement of the said bar, for the purposes set forth.
Third. The improved embroidery apparatus or attachment, arranged in combi-
nation with the needle bar, with or without the device for forming the fringe, and
operating as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Bastand, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Nineteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One thou-
sand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
CHAS. BASTAND. (L.S.)