IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES AND IN APPARATUS FOR APPLICATION THERETO, TO RENDER THEM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A BUTTON-HOLE STITCH
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles. Powers, of Sheffield, in the County of York, and
George Perkins and Charles Wilson, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES AND IN APPARATUS
FOR APPLICATION THERETO, TO RENDER THEM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A
BUTTON-HOLE STITCH,"
Sealed the 10th January 1879, and dated the 20th July 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Powers, George
Perkins, and Charles Wilson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 20th July 1878.
CHARLES POWERS, of Sheffield, in the County of York, and GEORGE PERKINS
and CHARLES WILSON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SEWING MACHINES AND IN APPARATUS FOR APPLICATION THERETO, TO RENDER
THEM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A BUTTON-HOLE STITCH."
Our Invention relates to apparatus for over-casting or for producing a button-
hole stitch, and adapted to be employed in the formation or finishing of button-holes,
and has for its principal object to render ordinary sewing machines capable of
producing the said stitch. To this end we construct appliances which can be
readily applied to or removed from a sewing machine, and which when applied
renders the machine capable of making the button-hole stitch at the same time that
the machine may be used for ordinary sewing when the appliances are removed.
In or upon a bracket which is suitably formed for convenient attachment to the
lower end of the needle bar a carriage is fitted to slide to and fro in a horizontal
direction within certain limits. To this carriage the needle is secured; ou the said
carriage is fixed or formed a stud or projection, which is acted upon by a shifting
incline to effect the sliding moveinent of the carriage. The said shifting incline is
mounted upon the presser foot or upon a foot which can take the place of the
ordinary presser foot, or upon the presser bar, or upon any suitable part of the
1

page_text: sewing machine, or it may be mounted upon a bracket or part which can be fixed
to the sewing machine head.
The said shifting incline consists of a double-sided incline, which is fixed or
formed upon a plate or part which is free to oscillate upon a fixed centre between
certain limits.
When the double incline is in one position, one of its sides acts upon the
projection on the sliding carriage, and causes the carriage to slide in one direction.
When the incline is moved over into its other position, its other side acts upon
the carriage and moves it back.
The shifting of the said incline is effected by means of a lower double incline,
which is fixed or formed on the same part as the upper incline, and is acted upon
by the said projection.
This
When the needle bar descends for one stroke of the needle, the projection on the
sliding carriage acts upon one side of the lower incline, and thereby moves over the
upper incline, which when the needle bar rises moves the carriage across.
movement of the carriage brings the projection thereon into position to act upon
the other side of the lower incline, whereby the upper incline is shifted back into
its former position.
The sewing machine is provided with a suitable throat plate having two holes to
suit the two positions of the needle, such holes communicating by means of a slot,
and being by preference partly enclosed by a semicircular or curved guide, which
projects from the plate and serves to guide the work and to protect the needle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Powers, George Perkins, and Charles Wilson in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 20th January 1879.
CHARLES POWERS, of Sheffield, in the County of York, and GEORGE PERKINS
and CHARLES WILSON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SEWING MACHINES AND IN APPARATUS FOR APPLICATION THERETO, TO RENDER
THEM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A BUTTON-HOLE STITCH."
Our Invention relates to apparatus for over-casting or for producing a button-hole
stitch, and adapted to be employed in the formation or finishing of button-holes,
and has for its principal object to render ordinary sewing machines capable of
producing the said stitch. To this end we construct an appliance which can be
readily applied to or removed from a sewing machine, and which when applied
renders the machine capable of making the button-hole stitch, at the same time
that the machine may be used for ordinary sewing when the appliance is
removed.
In or upon a bracket which is suitably formed for convenient attachment to the
lower end of the needle bar a carriage is fitted to slide to and fro in a horizontal
direction within certain limits. To this carriage the needle is secured; on the said

page_text: carriage is fixed or formed a stud or projection, which is acted upon by a shifting
double incline to effect the sliding movement of the carriage.
When the double incline is in one position, one of its sides acts upon the
projection on the sliding carriage, and causes the carriage to slide in one direction..
When the incline is. moved over into its other position, its other side acts upon
the carriage and moves it back.
This
The shifting of the said incline is effected by means of a lower double incline.
When the needle bar descends for one stroke of the needle, the projection on the
sliding carriage acts upon one side of the lower incline, and thereby moves over the
upper incline, which when the needle bar rises moves the carriage across.
movement of the carriage brings the projection thereon into position to act upon
the other side of the lower incline, whereby the upper incline is shifted back into
its former position.
The sewing machine is provided with a suitable throat plate, which is perforated
to suit the two positions of the needle, the perforation being by preference partly
enclosed by a semicircular or curved guide which projects from the plate, and serves
to guide the work and to protect the needle.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood, we have appended
hereunto a Sheet of Drawings made about three times the full size, and marked with
letters of reference, corresponding marks indicating the same parts in the various
Figures.
Referring to the said Drawings, Fig. 1 represents a front view, and Fig. 2-a side
view of the attachment, Fig. 3 being a plan of the same; Figs. 4, 5, and 6 corre-
spond to Fig. 1, but represent the parts in various positions.
In the said Figs. a is the lower end of the needle bar of a sewing machine of any
ordinary or suitable construction; b is the presser foot, and c is the throat plate.
To the said needle bar is attached a bracket d, which is formed with vee slides, as
seen in Fig. 2. On this bracket a small carriage e is fitted to slide to and fro in
a direction parallel with the direction of movement of the shuttle. To this carriage
the needle is secured by means of a screw g, or by any suitable means. The said
carriage is caused to slide to and fro so that the needle descends alternately in one
and the other of the two positions indicated in Figs. 5 and 6. This shifting of the
said carriage is effected by means of the double shifting incline h. This incline is
formed on or fixed to an oscillating plate i, which is provided with a stud or
trunnion k, which is fitted to rock in a bearing formed in the presser foot. The
plate i is arranged to oscillate upon the axis of this trunnion, but its movements
are limited by means of a slot l, into which enters a stud or pin fixed to the said
plate. Upon the lower end of the said plate is formed or fixed a second double
incline m. Upon the back of the needle carriage an oval-shaped projection n is
formed or fixed. This projection is represented in full in Fig. 2, and by dotted lines
in the other Figs. Each time that the needle descends, this projection strikes the
one side or the other of the incline m, and thereby shifts the incline h over from
one to the other of the two positions indicated in Figs. 5 and 0.
When the incline h is in the position indicated in Fig. 5, the projection n passes
to the left of the point of the said incline when the needle is approaching the
end of its upward stroke, and by running up the left side of the incline, causes
the carriage e to slide towards the left into the position indicated in Fig. 6. At
the next descent of the needle, the said projection strikes the left side of the
incline m, as seen in Fig. 6, and by acting on the said incline moves the incline h
over into the position represented in Fig. 6. The effect of this movement is, that
at the next up-stroke of the needle, the projection n will pass to the right of the
incline h, and will therefore be acted upon by the right-hand side of the said
incline, whereby the carriage e will be moved towards the right into the position
indicated in Fig. 5.
At the next descent of the needle, the said projection strikes the right-hand
side of the incline m, as indicated in Fig. 5, whereby the incline is again shifted.
It will thus be seen that at each descent of the needle the incline is shifted

page_text: into position to move the carriage e in one direction or the other. The throat
plate c is provided with a semicircular guide o, which projects above the said plate,
and the said plate is suitably perforated for the passage of the needle, as, for
example, it is slotted or is formed with two perforations made suitable to the two
positions of descent of the needle, and connected by a slot for the passage of the
thread. At one stroke of the needle it descends within this guide, and at the
next without it. The work is placed in position with the said guide projecting
through the button-hole which is to be stitched.
When the machine is at work, the needle alternately penetrates the material at
the margin of the button-hole, and passes through the button-hole, whereby the
required stitching of the said margin is effected, the button-hole being moved along
and around the guide c as the work proceeds. A spiral spring upon the stud k is
employed to prevent the rebound of the plate i.
The movements of the carriage e are limited by means of studs, as indicated by
the dotted circles.
We do not confine ourselves to the precise forms and arrangements of the parts,
nor to the mounting of the plate i upon the presser foot, as it may be carried by a
special bracket, or be mounted on the presser bar, nor do we confine ourselves to
the form of the guide o, nor to the employment of such guide if not considered to
be necessary. The bracket d can be detached when the button-hole attachment is
not required.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of our said Invention and
the manner in which we carry the same into practical effect, we would have it to
be understood that we claim,-
First. The sewing machine attachment, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth and indicated herein-before, and in and by the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The sliding needle carriage e acted upon by a shifting incline h,
substantially as set forth and indicated.
And, Lastly. The oscillating part i provided with two double inclines, and acting
in concert with a projection on the sliding needle carriage, substantially as and for
the purposes set forth and indicated.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Perkins and Charles Wilson, for our-
selves and on behalf of the said Charles Powers, have hereunto set our hands
and seals, this Eighteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
Signed and sealed by the said
George Perkins and Charles
Wilson in the presence of
HUGH GRANT,
Clerk to Edward K. Dutton,
Agent to the Patentees,
St. Ann's Churchyard,
GEORGE PERKINS.
CHARLES WILSON.
Manchester.
(L.S.)
(L.S.)