Improvements in Machines for sewing Straw Plait and like Material.
Year: 1893

page_text: NOTE. The Amendments shown in erased and italic type are in accordance with the
decision of the 9th February, 1895, with the exception of the cancellation of
Claim 2 and the renumbering of Claims 3, 4, and 5, which are in accordance
with the decision of the 17th January, 1900.
Complete Specification Left, 28th May, 1894-Accepted, 26th July, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for sewing Straw Plait and like
Material.
I, GEORGE HUMPHREY, of 22, St. Peters Street, St. Albans, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in machines for sewing straw plait and like
material of the kind in which two parallel needles, one eye pointed and the other
having a hook forın, work together and co-operate with looping devices to form a
stitch in which only a very small portion of the thread is visible on the outside of the
work.
The object of the invention is to provide a machine of this description which will be
simpler and more effective than those in use at present, various parts of the machine,
mainly in connection with the feeding arrangements and thread, being modified and
constructed in an improved manner for that purpose.
In order that the thread may be supplied in an even manner without throwing undue
strain on it in drawing it through the work, a device is provided which lifts the thread
towards the needles in an automatic manner at each stitch. Two discs are employed
as in ordinary tension devices, mounted on a rocking or pivotted arm inside the case,
a slot being formed to allow of the discs being placed on the outside. On the main
shaft of the machine, a cam is furnished, which as the shaft is revolved reciprocates
At the same
the rocking arm moving the discs alternately backwards and forwards.
time a second cam on the shaft operates the arm in a direction at right angles, so that
at one part of the path of arm the two discs are caused to separate slightly and
release the thread placed between them. The cams are so relatively arranged that
at the forward movement of the arm the thread is gripped and carried forward so that
On the return movement
it hangs loosely below the needles, ready to be drawn up.
the thread is released for the first part of its movement, allowing it to be gripped again
at another point. The thread is gripped and released twice at each complete stitch,
so that the device not only feeds the thread forward, but acts as a tension on its return
movement.
With this arrangement the strain on the thread in pulling by the needles is reduced
to a minimum, and the device also acts as a take up for the time that the needles are
passing up through the material to make the next stitch.
The feeder is carried by a feed dog inside the case and resting on a rod, to which
is given an oscillating motion by means of an eccentric on the main shaft, imparting
a rising and falling movement motion to the feeder along with the horizontal recipro-
cating motion.
The latter can be varied as hereinafter described, thus adjusting the
An arm is connected to the rear
length of the stitches to any required amount.
of the feed dog and mounted on a rocking shaft, to which movement is imparted by
an eccentric, the throw of which can be varied.

page_text: To allow of this adjustment, the eccentric is mounted, not on the main shaft, but
on another disc secured thereto, a slot being formed in the eccentric for the passage
of the main shaft, to allow of the eccentric being moved relatively to the said shaft.
A set screw with slots and pins engaging in the slots are employed, which allow the
eccentric to be moved up or down on the said fixed disc, receding from or approaching
to the centre, thus increasing or decreasing the length of oscillation of the rocking
arm.
The feeder itself is recessed and the needles work in the recess, so that the work is
caught and fed on both sides of the needles, the action being thus more efficient.
66
The presser foot bar moves vertically on the outside of the case, with spring and
handle for raising, constructed much in the same manner as the bar in ordinary sewing
machines. An extension projects' inside the case and bears upon the top of the feed
dog, so that at every upward movement of the feed dog, the presser bar is raised
slightly, releasing the work and allowing the feed to operate freely. The presser foot
is attached to a fixed plate on the bar by means of two pins, or studs on one plate
taking into holes in the, other, and a screw passing through the presser plate and
screwing into a tapped hole in a lower plate. On this lower plate is formed a guide and
a "separator," the guide consisting of a vertical piece at the edge of the plate, and the
separator" of an horizontal extension on the end of the said guide. To adjust the
guide to the required position, the fixed plate and the pressure plate are both formed
with a slot, through which the screw passes, so that the lower plate can be moved
relatively to the others, and allow for varying widths of plait. On the middle or
presser plate may be formed grooves, one at the edge and the other further in, so that
in cases where the plait is deep there will be no danger of the top being crushed, it
lying in the grooves so formed. The threader, that is the oscillating hook commonly
employed moving between the two needles is operated quite independently of the.
presser foot, instead of being connected to it, as in former cases, and is mounted on a
shaft oscillated by levers actuated by a cam on the main shaft. It is also made in a
novel form, the end being bent downwards, allowing the hooker to be placed closer
to the needles than would otherwise be the case, the hooker being cut away or bent
at the end to allow of its passing the threader. The looper and threader oscillate at
right angles to each other.
Dated this 26th day of July 1803
GEO. H. RAYNER,
A. E. ELLEN,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in Machines for sewing Straw Plait and like
Material.
I, GEORGE HUMPHREY, of \32, St. Peters Street, St. Albans, Engineer, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in machines for sewing straw plait and
like material of the kind in which two parallel needles, one eye pointed and the
other having a hook form, work together and co-operate with looping devices to form
a stitch in which only a very small portion of the thread is visible on the outside
of the work. The manner in which the stitch is formed in these machines is well known,
that is to say, as the eye needle charged with thread moves up through the plait which is
being sewn the hooked needle moves up empty alongside of the same, and when the eye needle
has arrived at the top of its course the hooker takes up the cotton from the said needle

page_text: to form a loop which is then seized by the threader and passed on to the "hooked needle
which now descends therewith in order to form a loop underneath the 'plait through
which loop the eye needle passes on its subsequent ascending motion "this forming the
chain stitch.
1100 200M
Sushan
The object of the invention is to provide a machine of this description which
will be simpler and more effective than those in use at present, various parts of the
machine mainly in connection with the feeding arrangements and thread, being
modified and constructed in an improved manner for that purpose.
In order that the thread may be supplied in an even manner without throwing
undue strain on it in drawing it through the work, a device is provided which lifts
the thread towards the needles in an automatic manner at each stitch. Two dises
are employed as in ordinary tension devices, mounted on a rocking or pivoted arm
inside the case, a slot being formed to allow of the discs being placed on the outside.
On the main shaft of the machine, a cam is furnished, which as the shaft is revolved
reciprocates the rocking arm moving the discs alternately backwards and forwards.
At the same time a second cam on the shaft operates the arm in a direction at
right augles, so that at one part of the path of the arm the two dises are caused to
separate slightly and release the thread placed between them. The cams are so
relatively arranged that at the forward movement of the arm the thread is gripped
and carried forward so that it bangs loosely below the needles, ready to be drawn
up. On
the return movement the thread is released for the first part of its
movement, allowing it to be gripped again at another point. The thread is gripped
and released twice at each complete stitch, so that the device not only feeds the
thread forward, but acts as a tension on its return movement.
With this arrangement the strain on the thread in pulling by the needles is
reduced to a minimum, and the device also acts as a take up for the time that the
needles are passing up through the material to make the next stitch.
The feeder is carried by a feed dog inside the case and resting on a rod, to which
is given an oscillating motion by means of an e. centric on the main shaft, imparting
a rising and falling movement to the feeder along with the horizontal reciprocating
motion. The latter can be varied as hereinafter described, thus adjusting the length
of the stitches to any required amount. An arm is connected to the rear of the
feed dog and mounted on a rocking shaft, to which movement is imparted by
an eccentric, the throw of which can be varied.
To allow of this adjustment, the eccentric is mounted, not on the main shaft, but
on another disc secured thereto, a slot being formed in the eccentric for the passage
of the main shaft, to allow of the eccentric being moved relatively to the said shaft.
A set screw with slots and pins engaging in the slots are employed, which allow the
eccentric to be moved up or down on the said fixed disc, receding from or approaching
to the centre, thus increasing or decreasing the length of oscillation of the rocking
arm.
The feeder itself is recessed and the needles work in the recess, so that the
work is caught and fed on both sides of the needles, the action being thus more
efficient.
The presser foot bar moves vertically on the outside of the case, with spring and
handle for raising, constructed much in the same manner as the bar in ordinary
sewing machines. An extension projects inside the case and bears upon the top of
the feed dog, so that at every upward movement of the feed dog, the presser bar is
raised slightly, releasing the work and allowing the feed to operate freely. The
presser foot is attached to a fixed plate on the bar by means of two pins, or studs on
one plate taking into holes in the other, and a screw passing through the presser
plate and screwing into a tapped hole in a lower plate. On this lower plate is
formed a guide and a "separator" the guide consisting of a vertical piece at the edge
of the plate and the "separator," of an horizontal extension on the end of the said
guide. To adjust the guide to the required position, the fixed plate and the presser
plate are both formed with a slot, through which the screw passes, so that the lower
plate can be moved relatively to the others, and allow for varying widths of plait. On

page_text: the middle or presser plate may be formed grooves, one at the edge and the oner
further in, so that in cases where the plait is deep there will be no danger of the top
being crushed, it lying in the grooves so formed. The threader, that is the
oscillating hook commonly employed moving between the two needles, is operated
quite independently of the presser foot, instead of being connected to it, as in former
cases, and is mounted on a shaft oscillated by levers actuated by a cam on the main
shaft. It is also made in a novel form, the end being bent downwards, allowing
the hooker to be placed closer to the needles than would otherwise be the
case, the hooker being cut away or bent at the end to allow of its passing
the threader. The hooker and threader oscillate at right angles to each
other.
In order that the invention may be more clearly understood reference is had to
the accompanying sheet of drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation Fig. 2 a
vertical section, Fig. 3 a plan and Fig. 4 an end elevation of the complete machine,
and Figs. 5 to 11 are detail views.
A is the case of the machine of rectangular form with lid a and removable part a¹
at the front to which a part of the mechanism is fitted. B is the main shaft
extending the whole length of the case, and carrying the driving wheel C at one
end.
The two needles D are carried by the vertical bar d at the end of the case, sliding
in suitable guides and reciprocated by the armne on the shaft E. This is operated
from the main shaft by the eccentric E' and rod e¹, one complete reciprocation of the
needles being given for each revolution of the main shaft. The threader F is of
peculiar form, the end of being bent downwards to economise space.
It is fitted on the end of the shaft F1, carried in bearings on the end of the case
and fitted with the arm f¹ by which it is oscillated. This is done through a lever G
and link g the lever being furnished with a pin and friction roller g¹ projecting into
a cam slot in the face of the cam disc H on the shaft B. The hooker J oscillates
at right angles to the threader F, and is cut away at its inner side to allow of it
passing as close to the needles as possible. The hooker is carried on the longitudinal
shaft oscillated by the lever arrangement j' from the cam disc J¹ on the shaft B
as in machines heretofore used.
The feeder K which is recessed at allowing the needles to pass through, is
carried by the feed dog oscillated by the arın or frame on the shaft L.
The frame is actuated from the main shaft by an eccentric M and eccentric
sleeve and rod l¹.
The eccentric can be adjusted by means of the disc m turned with it. This disc is
fitted to the disc N fixed on the shaft A, and is adjusted by thumbscrew n moving
the eccentric to or fron the centre, the eccentric being slotted to allow for the
passage of the shaft A.
Pins Fig. 6 are fitted to the disc N and pass through
slots n guiding the eccentric and ensuring its adjustment in the proper direction.
Screws fix the discs together after adjustment.
The feed dog is oscillated vertically at the same time as it receives its horizontal
motion. This is done by means of the arm O turning on the shaft L, carrying
a rode formed with a slot in the end. The feed dog rests on this rod the end
of which projects into a recess k³. The rod is oscillated by an eccentric o¹ on the
shaft B, Fig. 5.
A thread feeding device Fig. 8 is employed consisting of two discs P, PI mounted
on a pin p carried by the rocking arm Q. This arm can rock in two directions and is
furnished with the pins and rollers q and q¹. The pin 9 projects into a cam slot in
the periphery of the disc R causing the arin to rock longitudinally, so that the discs
are moved backward and forward a short distance. A slot in the case allows of this
motion. The second roller q' bears against a cam S on the shaft B which causes it
to reciprocate transversly. A small spring is inserted in the pin p which is hollow,
causing the two dises P and P¹ to be pressed together, gripping the thread between
When the arm Q is pressed outwards by the cam S the discs are separated,
and the thread is released,
them.

page_text: The cam S has two cam surfaces as shown in Fig. 8 so that the tension and thread
feeding device is operated twice at each revolution of the shaft. The presser foot is
carried by a bar T with an extension projecting over the edge of the case to such a
point that as the feed dog is raised it will abut against the extension and raise the
presser foot a short distance, reducing the pressure on the work, allowing the plait to
be fed forward more freely and preventing any injury to delicate work. The handle
or hand cam t¹ serves to raise the presser foot from the work when desired.
The presser foot is constructed as shown in the detail views Figs. 9, 10, and 11, and is
fitted to a plate T¹ on the end of the bar T. The presser plate U is formed with
grooves u along its edge into which the plaits project, thus preventing any danger of
crushing the top, and with a hole ¹ allowing the needles to pass through. This plate
is carried on a lower plate V which is furnished with a guide v leading the plait to the
needles and a separator" v formed on the guide keeping the plaits being stitched
together in proper relative position.
"
These plates are fitted to the fixed plate T¹ by means of the thumb screw W and
the studs u² on the plate U projecting into holes in T¹. The plates T" and U are
formed with slots 12 and us respectively, through which the thumbscrew passes
screwing into the guide plate V. The three plates are thus firmly fixed together,
the presser plate always being fitted in the same position ou T¹, but the guide
plate being capable of adjustment, according to the width of plait to be stitched. A
hinged cover X is furnished covering the needle and feeder mechanism.
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
(1) In-a-plait-sewing machine,-n-thread-feeding and tension-device consisting of
two-dises-between which the-thread-can-be gripped, carried by-a-roeking-arm; moved
towards-and-from-the-needles by-n-eam and transversely by a second cam, the latter
enusing-the-thread-to-be-alternately released-and-gripped, substantially-as-and-for
the-purposes-specified.
1 (2) In a plait sewing machines, the a thread feeding and tension mechanism
device, consisting of two-dises between-which-the thread-enn be gripped,-mounted on
comprising a rocking arin actuated to-which-two-motions-are-given, one, longitudinal,
feeding-the-thread-forward-and-withdrawing-it-for-tension-purposes, and the other
transverse, alternately releasing-and-gripping the thread by separating the-dises-nt
intervals, the-motions being given by two cams in order to impart thereto on-the
mainshaft, the one giving-the-transverse a longitudinal to and fro motion for the feed
and a similar transverse motion for the tension having two-cam-surfaces; opening-the
dises-twice for every horizontal oscillation, substantially as herein described and shown
and for-the-purposes specified.
(3) In plait sewing machines of the kind-described--a feeding mechanism
comprising device-consisting of a feeder carried by a feed dog connected to the feed
plate and simultaneously oscillated in two directions longitudinally by an adjustable
eccentric mounted on the main shaft and vertically by a second eccentric oscillated-in
two--directions;--an-eccentric fitted-adjustably to-n dise-on-the--main-shaft,-and
adjusted-in-position by a-set-serew-to-give-the-desired-eccentricity;-reciproenting
the feed dog horizontally-through-suitable-links and levers, and a-second-eccentric
oscillating the feed dog simultaneously in-a-vertical-direction substantially as
herein described and shown described and for the purposes-specified.
23 (4) na plait sewing machines of the kind described a-feeding-mechanism
comprising-device-consisting of a feeder carried by-a-feed-dog-connected-to-the-feed
plate-and-simultaneously-oscillated-in-two directions-longitudinally by an adjustable
eccentric-mounted on the main shaft-and-vertically-by-n-second eccentric oscillated in
two-directions, an eccentric fitted adjustably to a dise on-the-main-shaft, and
adjusted-in-position by a set screw to give the desired eccentricity, reciproenting
the feed-dog horizontally-through-suitable links and levers, and a second-cecentrie

page_text: oscillating-the--feed-dog-simultaneously in a vertient--direction--substantially--as
herein-described &-shown-deseribed and for-the-purposes-specified.
23 (4) In --straw plait sewing machines the means -device for altering the
eccentricity (i.e.) the length giving a horizontal-reciproenting-motion-to-the-feed-dog
consisting of of the stitches comprising an eccentric and an eccentric disc connected to a
fixed disc mounted on the main shaft the relative position of which discs is altered by
means of a thumb screw acting on the said eccentric fitted-to-n-dise-on-the-main-shaft,
and adjusted to give any required-motion, by means of-a-set-screw at the-edge-of-the
dises, pins-on-one-dise-passing-through-slots in the other, and screws fixing-the
dises-together, the-eccentric-being-connected-to--the feed-dog-by-suitable-levers-and
Hake substantially as herein described and shown and-for the purposes-specified.
(5)-in-a-straw plait sewing machine,-the-combination with-a-means-for-recipro
eating-the-feed-dog-horizontally consisting of an adjustable--eccentric, and connect-
ing-levers-and-links; of-a-device for simultaneously oscillating-it-vertically-consisting
of-an-eeeentrie-on-the-main-shaft, working in a hole-in-the-end of-a-rod-eapable-of
moving-horizontally, the latter projecting-into-a-slot in the feed dog-holding-the
latter in proper position while transmitting-the-required motion, substantially-as
described and shown-and-for the-purposes specified.
:
34 (6) In plait sewing machines un-apparatus of the kind-described the com-
bination with the a feeding mechanism deg given-n-horizontal and vertical-oscillating
motion, of a presser foot actuated by operated-from the latter and provided with an
feed-dog-by an extension on the presser bar bearing on the said extension bearing
upon and lifted by the feed dog and-raised by it, the presser foot being formed-by
three plates one fixed on the bar, and the others fitted to it by a set screw, the lower
serving-as-a-guide-plate,-adjustable-recording to the width of the plait for the purpose
of relieving the pressure on fine work this presser foot comprising three plates, a fixed
plate, an adjustable pressure plate, and a guide plate, and the means for connecting the
three plutes together substantially as herein described and for--the purposes specified
shown.
(7) In-an-apparatus--of-the-kind described a--presser foot with-three-plates-the
upper-one-fixed-to-the-presser bar, the central one-forming the presser plate and-fur-
nished-with-a-groove-to receive-the-plait-and the third forming-a-guide--plate-with
separator, the-three-plates-being fixed-together by a-set-screw-passing through slots
in the two-upper plates-and-serewing into the lower, and pins on the-presser-plate
taking into holes-in-the-fixed-plate,-substantially as described and-shown-and-for the
purposes-specified.
4() The improved straw plait sewing machine arranged constructed and
operating substantially as herein described and shown. in the manner described-and
illustrated-in-the-necompanying drawings;-and-for-the-purposes-specified.
Dated this 28th day of May 1804
GEO. H. RAYNER,
37, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicant.