Improvements in Sewing Machines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Oct., 1890-Accepted 15th Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sewing Machines.
I, NATHANIEL WHEELER of Bridgeport, Fairfield County, Connecticut, United
States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to sewing machines and has for its object to provide means
whereby the tension on the needle thread may be released and restored at will both
by means independent of the presser bar or of the driving mechanism of the machine,
the construction of the parts being such as to enable the tension to be released either
while the machine is in motion or at rest.
The train of mechanism for moving the tension device to release the tension is
extended to or below the bed plate where it is adapted to be acted upon and to be
moved by the foot or knee or by a part of the boy of the operator other than the
hand, thereby leaving the hands of the operator free to manipulate the work.
The presser bar of the machine is utilized as a guide for a vertically movable block
or yoke having two holes in line with each other and a beak, and two arms. A spring
acting upon the yoke normally keeps one of the arms against a presser bar lifting
lever of any suitable construction located in the head of the machine. The other arm
of the yoke is extended over a pin projecting from a lever pivoted upon one side of
the overhanging arm of the machine. The said lever is engaged at its rear end by
a second lever to which is connected a rod which extends down below the bed plate
at which point it may be acted upon by the knee or foot or part of the body of the
operator other than the hand, when it is desired to lift the yoke and cause the beak
thereof to act upon a lever or plate which at its opposite end bears upon a spring
pressed pin forming part of the tension device.
The upward movement of the yoke referred to causes such a movement of the
spring controlled tension device of usual construction that the said device is opened
to release the needle thread and leave it free to be drawn through the eye of the
needle while the needle thread is attached to the work.
Dated this 15th at At 1840
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sewing Machines.
1, NATHANIEL WHEELER, of Bridgeport, Fairfield County, Connecticut, United
States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said 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 has for its object to provide a sewing machine with means whereby
the tension on the needle thread may be released and restored at will by means
independent both of the presser-bar and of the driving mechanism of the machine,
the construction of the parts being such as to enable the tension to be released either
while the machine is in motion or at rest.
The train of mechanism for moving the tension device to release the tension is
extended to or below the bed plate where it is adapted to be acted upon and to be
moved by the foot or knee or by a part of the body of the operator other than the
hands, thereby leaving the hands free to manipulate the work.
The presser-bar of the machine is utilized as a guide for a vertically movable
block or yoke having two holes in line with each other, and a beak, and two arms

page_text: A spring acting upon the yoke normally keeps one of the arms against any usual
presser-bar lifting lever located in the head of the machine.
The other arm of the yoke is extended over a pin extended from a lever pivoted
upon one side of the overhanging arm of the machine. The said lever.is engaged at
its rear end by a second lever to which is connected a rod which is extended down
below the bed plate at which point it may be acted upon by the knee, or foot, or
by a part of the body of the operator other than the bands when it is desired to lift
the yoke and cause the beak thereof to act upon a lever or plate which at its opposite
end bears upon a spring pressed pin forming part of the tension device.
The upward movement of the yoke referred to causes such a movement of the
spring controlled tension device, of usual construction, that the said device is opened
to release the needle thread and leave it free to be drawn through the eye of the
needle while the needle thread is attached to the work.
My invention consists in a sewing machine containing the following instru-
mentalities, namely:-Stitch-forming devices a spring-pressed tension device to
produce tension on the needle thread; a bed-plate; a slide pin to overcome the
effective pressuro of the spring of the said tension device, a vertically movable block
or yoke having a beak, means to guide the yoke in its vertical movements; actuating
mechanism for the block or yoke extended bolow the bed-plate and adapted to be
actuated by power applied thereto below the bed-plate; and a pin moving device
intermediate of the said yoke and the said sliding pin whereby when the said yoke is
lifted the tension device is moved to release the tension on the needle thread, and
when lowered the tension device is made to again exert a tension on the needle
thread, as will be described.
Also in a sewing machine, a presser-bar, a block or yoke mounted loosely thereon
and having a beak or projection, and an arm, means to move the said block or yoke
vertically and a spring-pressed teusion device, a spring lifting washer and a sliding
pin, combined with a plate acted upon at one end by the said pin which pin is kept
against the said plate by the said spring; a stop to limit the movement of the plate
through the action of the pin; and a lever to lift the said block and cause the said
beak to slide along on the said plate and push back the said pin, substantially as
hereinafter described.
Also in a sewing machine, a presser-bar; a block or yoke mounted loosely thereon
and having a beak or projection and an arm; means to move the said block or yoke
vertically; a spring-pressed tension device, and a spring lifting washer, and sliding
pin connected with said tension device, combined with a plate acted upon by the said
pin a stop to limit the movement of the plate through the action of the pin, the said
beak or projection acting upon the said plato to move the pin and actuating
mechanism for the yoke extended below the bed-plate and adapted to be operated by
power applied thereto below the bed-plate, substantially as will be described.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sewing machine embodying my present invention
showing the head partially broken away.
Figure 2 is a partial end elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a section in the linear of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the vortically movable yoke, drawn to an enlarged
scale.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the two-armed collar attached to the presser-bar,
also drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figure 6 shows the hollow stud on which the tension device is placed, and
Figure 7 shows the spring lifting washer detached.
Several letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures of the
drawings.
A represents the bed-plate; A', the overhanging arm; A2, the needle bar; A³, the
eye-pointed need le; A', the presser-bar; A³, the foot; A, the take-up; and A', the
presser-bar lifting lever.
These parts as well as the under or shuttle thread carrier or loop-taker to

page_text: co-operate with the eye-pointed needle to form a stitch, are and may be all as usual
in the Wheeler & Wilson system of machine.
The face-plate covering the head of the overhanging arm has a boss e provided
with a hole in which is fixed a hollow spindle or stud split or bifurcated at its
outer end and screw-threaded.
This spindle is arranged to carry two similar tension discs or plates between
which the needle thread passes on its way to the needle, the thread between the
said discs being subjected to more or less pressure or tension, as desired by means of
a spring which pressure can be regulated by a nut h¹.
Between the spring and the outermost tension dise or plate f I have applied to
the spindle a spring lifting washer 9 Figure 7 cut away at $ so as to leave a cross-
bar 10, to enter the slot in the spindle or stud when applied thereto and cross the
central hole therein.
The spindle or stud e is provided with a sliding pin m the inner end of which
normally protrudes through the inner end of the spindle e as shown in Figure 3.
The overhanging arm has pivoted upon it at B2 a lever B₁ having at its end
nearest the head, a horizontally extended stud a³.
The rear end of the lever B is joinied as shown at a to a lever B³ pivoted at aº,
the opposite end of the lever B3 being attached to a rod B passing through a
guide a in the frame work and below the bed-plate where it rests on a button of
a rod connected to a lever 62 so located or arranged as to be moved or lifted by
the leg or knee of the operator whenever during the running of the machine it is
desired to release the tension of the needle thread, and again restore it, as will be
hereinafter described.
These two levers B and B and the rod form what I denominate the actuating
mechanism for the yoke to be hereinafter described but it is not intended to limit
this invention to the exact form of actuating mechanism shown, the gist of this
invention so far as the said actuating mechanism is concerned, being that it is
adapted to be moved by the operator independently of any of the usual parts of the
machine so that while the machine continues to run the operator may release the
tension on the needle thread.
The presser-bar in this form of my invention is utilized as a guide for the
vertically movable block or yoke n shaped as shown in Figure 4, having two
holes 20, 21, to embrace the presser-bar, and a beak 22 and two arms 23, 24 the
arm 23 falling in line with bnt below the arm 25 of a collar 26 attached by a
screw 27 to the presser-bar above the yoke n, the said collar having a second arm 27
which projects therefrom above the arm 24 of the yoke.
A spring 28 connected at one end, as at 29, to the yoke, has its other end 30
extended up above the yoke and so as, to act against the collar 26 and normally
keep the arm 23 of the said yoke pressed down on the usual presser-bar lifting-
lever A7, as in Figure 2.
The pin or stud a² is extended under the arm 24 of the yoke so that when the
inner end of the lever B is lifted by the leg or knee of the operator, the said pin a³
acts on the arm 24 and lifts the yoke causing its beak 22 to act against and slide
along in contact with the rear side of a plate or lever p mounted loosely on a stop p¹,
shown as a screw, against which the said plate is normally pressed by the pin m
acted upon by the spring h, the beak causing the upper end of the said lever to
move the said pin m and cause it, acting on the cross piece 10 of the washer g to
push back the spring and release the tension on the needle thread, the tension
being restored as soon as the yoke is permitted to descend.
It will be observed that the lever B in its movement derived from the con-
nection B and parts below the bed-plate acts to release the tension on the needle
thread without necessarily lifting the presser-foot or its bar, so that the presser-foot
may remain on the material when the tension is released from the needle thread.
Any excessive or continued upward movement of the yoke by the lever B' after
releasing the tension enables the presser-bar and foot to be lifted.
When the usual lever A' is turned to lock or hold the presser-bar lifted, the said

page_text: lever first acts on the arm 23 to lift the yoke n and release the tension on the needie
thread, and then in the further movement of the yoke the arın 23 contacts with the
arm 25 of the collar 26 and lifts the presser-bar and foot.
I do not claim lifting a pressor-foot from devices located below the bed-plate and
against which the leg or knee may work, nor do I broadly claim means for
automatically releasing the tension on the needle thread.
In my invention the action of the treadle to stop the machine has no effect whatever
on the tension device.
By my improvements it is possible to release the tension and yet keep the presser-
foot just touching the work while the operator slightly changes the position of the
material, or turns the same at some very difficult point in the stitching and so also
by disconnecting the yoke from the presser-bar the latter may rise due to the
thickness of the stock without effecting the tension, yet the operator at any part
of the work such as at a seam, may release the tension more or less for one or several
stitches.
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 :
First. A sewing machine containing the following instrumentalities, viz. :-Stitch-
forming devices; a spring pressed tension device to produce tension on the needle
thread a bed-plate, a slide pin to overcome the effective pressure of the spring of the
said tension device; a vertically movable block or yoke having a beak; means to
guide the yoke in its vertical movements, actuating mechanism for the block or yoke
extended below the bed-plate and adapted to be actuated by power applied thereto
below the bed-plate; and a pin moving device intermediate of the said yoke and
the said sliding pin whereby when the said yoke is lifted the tension device is moved
to release the tension on the needle thread, and when lowered the tension device
is made to again put tension on the needle thread, substantially as described.
Second. The presser-bar the block or yoke mounted loosely thereon and having a
beak or projection, and an arm 28, means to move the said block or yoke vertically
and the spring-pressed tension device, the spring lifting washer, and the sliding pin,
combined with the plate p acted upon at one end by the said pin, which pin is kept
against the said plate by the said spring; a stop to limit the movement of the plate
through the action of the pin; and the lever A to lift the said block and cause the
said beak to slide along on the said plate and push back the said pin, substantially as
described.
Third. The presser-bar the block or yoke mounted loosely thereon and having a
beak or projection and an arm 23 means to move the said block or yoke vertically
the spring pressed tension device, and the spring lifting washer, and sliding pin
connected with said tension device, combined with the plate p acted upon by the said
pin, a stop to limit the movement of the plate through the action of the pin the
said beak or projection acting upon the said plate to move the pin and actuating
mechanism for the yoke extended below the bed-plate and adapted to be operated
by power applied thereto below the bed-plate, substantially as and for the purpose
.described.
Dated this and day at Ostalo 1900
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.