Improvements in Machinery for Sewing or Stitching Leather or other Materials.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 12th May, 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Sewing or Stitching Leather or
other Materials.
A communication by HORACE FERDINAND NASON, of 41, North Main Street,
Natick, Massachusetts, one of the United States of America, Machinist.
I ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES of 55 & 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent 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 has for its object to improve and simplify the construction of that
class of machine devised more especially for stitching leather, in harness, boot and
shoe, and other work, my improvements making it practicable to sew together a
thick pile of leather.
Most machines employed for stitching leather have an awl to perforate the
leather, and a needle to enter the awl hole and take the thread, but in these
machines the awl is usually located above the material and the needle below the
material, but this arrangement has been reversed, and in either case either the awl
or needle is depended upon as the feeding instrument.
So also in the state of the art a hooked needle and an awl have been used at the
same side of the material, and been moved laterally together in the same direction
during the feeding operation; and so also, an eye-pointed needle and an awl have
been used at the same side of the material, but the needle to get out of the way of
the awl has had to have imparted to it an oscillating motion over and beyond its
usual reciprocating motion.
In my invention, the eye-pointed needle and an awl are arranged above the material,
and a shuttle below the material, and said awl besides having imparted to it vertical
movements for penetrating the material, has also imparted to it lateral movements
to carry it toward and from the elevated needle and leave it parallel with and
distant from the needle substantially equal to the length of the next stitch to be
made, after which the awl and awl-bar descend, the awl penetrates the material and
is then again moved laterally in the same direction to effect the feeding of the
material when the awl is again raised from the material and moved backward to
what is to be the next starting point of the feed motion.
The awl in its feeding movement is always moved forward to a definite point, but
its backward movement is variable, that depending upon the distance over which
the material is to be fed at the next forward movement when the awl is in the
material.
The backward movement of the awl bar is, however, always enough to carry the
awl and that part of the bar to which it is attached laterally out of the vertical
path traversed by the needle for a distance a little more than the shortest stitch to
be made.
In this way the awl is enabled to make a vertical hole to easily and readily
receive the vertical needle.
I have also provided means for lifting the presser foot a definite distance from

page_text: the material whatever may be its thickness, said mechanism including a rock-shaft
having a flanged clutch wheel acted upon at its periphery by a clutch having a
positive movement in one direction to turn the rock shaft to lift the foot, a spring
returning the clutch and moving the same over the wheel as the presser-foot
descends under the action of its usual spring and when the spring carries the clutch
back the wheel is left free, so that the rock-shaft on which it is mounted, may be
turned by a treadle to lift the presser-foot for the removal and insertion of the
work.
Fig. 1 is a left-hand side elevation of a sewing machine embodying my invention.
Fig. 14, a detail shewing the devices for altering the feeding-stroke of the awl-
bar and awl.
Fig. 2 is a front end view thereof, the needle being shown as on its downward
stroke.
Fig. 3 is a detail shewing the connection between the needle bar and its actuating
rock-shaft..
Fig. 4, details shewing the needle-bar in two views.
Fig. 5, details in two views of the devices for controlling the slack in the needle
thread below the point of the needle, one of the views being taken below the dotted
line of the other view.
· Fig. 6, two views of the block or yoke containing the two thread sheaves.
Fig. 7. a vertical section taken through the shuttle race and shuttle and its
contained parts.
Fig. 8 is a partial right hand side elevation of the machine shewn in Fig. 1.
Fig. 9 is a sectional detail in the line a¹, Fig. 8, looking towards the rear of the
machine.
Fig. 10 is a view shewing the side of the cam disc D with the roller stud ₫²º of
arm d².
"Fig. 11 is a detail shewing the clamping tension bar and its actuating head.
The frame-work A is and may be of any usual or suitable shape to sustain the
working parts, it having an overhanging arm A*.
This frame-work contains a main shaft A' adapted to be rotated in any usual
manner and by any usual power, said shaft, as herein shown, carrying four
cams B, C, D, E, the cam E, as will be hereinafter described, having two cam
grooves, one in one and one in its other side.
The cam B has a suitable groove B₁ for the reception of a roller or other stud B'
of a lever B³ pivoted at B on the frame-work, said lever forming part of the
take-up mechanism, being slottel at its upper end as at B, said slot receiving in it
an adjustable stud B provided with a thumb nut 17, said stud being connected with
a link 138, the adjustment of the stud in the said slot enabling the slide-bar B, to
which the link 18 is jointed at B310, to be reciprocated, more. or less, in the guide-
box 13.
The forward end of the slide-bar 13ª has a roller B¹³ about which is passed the
needle thread, said thread being taken from preferably a suitable wax pot or device,
and led about a suitable friction tension device B, thence over a grip or clamping
device B, and over a roll B, shown in the detail Fig. 6, the thread from the said
roll passing over roll B, thence over another roll B7 and down to and through
the eye-pointed needle a, said rolls being in a yoke B2, suitably attached to the
frame-work by the screw studs B, the latter serving as pivots for said
rolls B1, B17.
Going now to the cam disc E, it is provided at its front face with a cam groove a',
shown in Figs. 2 and 9, in which enters a roller or other stud a² carried by an arm a³
loose on a stud a* supported in the frame-work, the opposite end of said arm having
jointed to it a link a³ which is attened to an arm a, shown in full lines in Fig. 9
and dotted lines in Fig. 2, said am being fast to a sleeve-like rock-shaft a' having
at its centre of motion the rock-shaft e to be described.
The sleeve-like rock-shaft a' has a second aim as, see the detail Fig. 3, to which

page_text: is jointed a link a³, said link having a hole at which embraces a stud screw a¹ 10x
see Fig. 8, screwed into the inner side of the needle-bar a³, all as commonly
practiced in sewing machines, said needle-bar being provided at its lower end with
the eye-pointed needle a.
The cam disc E at its inner end is provided with a cam groove e', the shape of
which is best shewn by the dotted lines in Fig. 9, said cam groove receiving a roller
or other stud carried by an arm e² also mounted loosely upon the stud a*, the outer
or free end of said arm having jointed to it a link e³, which at its upper end is
jointed to an arm e fast on the rock-shaft e, said rock-shaft at its opposite end
having a second arm e which, by a link e and stud screw e', is jointed to the awl-
bar es, the lower end of which is off-set, as best shewn in Fig. 2, said off-set
portion having secured to it by a suitable set-screw, or in other usual manner, the
awle which is to make the hole through the material for the passage of the
needle.
The needle-bar reciprocates in suitable bearings in the head of the frame, said
bearings being covered by suitable face plate fattached by suitable screws, the
said face plate covering the bearings for the presser-bar to be described.
The awl-bar has its bearings in a swinging head E', pivoted at E2×, see dotted
lines Fig. 1, said head having a suitable face plate or cover E' attached thereto by
suitable screws, and in said head it is preferred to provide an adjustable gib or
side-wall E³, partially shewn in Fig. 2, it being controlled by suitable screws as e¹4
to compensate for any wear of the awl-bar.
The pivoted head E' has an ear E upon which is pivoted a feed regulating
lever E, said lever at its inner end having a link E connected with a two-part
sliding block E16 on a pin e20, see Fig. 14, one part of the said block entering a
slot 2 at the rear side of the swinging head, the other part entering a groove in the
face of the rocking arm d, fast on the rock shaft d' having a second arm d² extended
downwardly, as best shewn in Fig. 9, and provided at its lower end with a roller or
other stud which enters the cam groove d³, see Fig. 10, at one side of the cam
disc D, said cam groove d³ rocking the shaft d' and arm d and turning the swinging-
head carrying the awl-bar, more or less, about its pivot, according to the position
of the block E controlled by the link and lever E³ with relation to the centre of
oscillation of the rock-shaft d¹.
Viewing Fig. 10, the part of the cam designated 12 is for moving the swinging
head from its elevated backward position toward the elevated needle, so as to place
the awl the distance of the next stitch to be made from the needle, and give the
awl-bar a chance to descend and the awl to enter the material; the part 13 is to
then further move the swinging head, the awl being in the material, to thus feed
the material; the part 14 holds the head while the awl is being retracted from the
material, and then the part 15 acts to move the head into its extreme backward
position or laterally to the left viewing Fig. 2, the part 16 of the cam designating
a rest for the head while the needle descends and the awl-bar is up.
The cam C has at one side a cam groove c see dotted lines Fig. 9, which receives
in it a roller or other stud c¹ of an arm pivoted on a stud, shown by dotted
lines in Fig. 1, and partially by dotted lines in Fig. 9, the outer end of said arm
having jointed to it a rod c which is shewn as extended loosely through a clutch c
suitably shaped or forked at its inner end to embrace the T-shaped Hange of the
clutch wheel or device 6, fast on the rock-shaft c', said clutch embracing the
periphery of said wheel, as best shewn in Figs. 8 and 9.
The rod c above the clutch c is provided with a suitable adjusting nut c³,-one
or more, and has attached to it a spring c³.
The spring e, attached at one end to a fixed part of the machine, acts normally
to keep the clutch in such position that the clutch wheel c may be turned freely
between the forked part of the clutch without any restraint therefrom, but whenever
the rod c is thrown down so as to depress the outer end of the clutch c, then the
forked part thereof bites quickly the Ţ-shaped rim of the wheel c and turns the
same sufficiently to cause the arm co, see Figs. 1 and 2, acting on the stud 122

page_text: extended from the presser bar c¹³, to lift the presser foot c¹ from the work, whatever
may be its thickness, for a definite distance.
In Figs. 8 and 9 I have shewn the rod ct as provided with a collar 101 on which
rests one end of a small spiral spring e, which aids in counterbalancing the weight
of the outer end of the clutch-lever and causes the inner end of an adjustable
stop 102 mounted on said clutch to be borne against a rigid or fixed part of the
frame-work.
The lifting movement of the presser foot is effected during the downward move-
ment of the rod c, and as soon as the said rod starts to rise, owing to the shape of
the cam groove c, the spring c assumes instantaneously the control of the clutch
and leaves the wheel free to turn by or due to the action of a spiral spring c³3
fixed at its upper end to one end of an arm et fast on the rock-shaft c', the other
end of the spring being attached to a stud et secured to the frame-work.
The outer end of the arm chas attached to it a rod cl, partially shown in Figs. 8
and 9, which rod in practice will be extended down to the floor and connected with
a suitable treadle by which to lift the presser foot whenever it is desired to remove
or insert the work.
The cam disc E has a suitable crank 9, which, by a link g³, is jointed to an army²
fixed on a rock-shaft g³, herein shown as mounted upon pivot screws, said rock shaft
having a toothed segment, the teeth of which engage the teeth of a gear g³ fast
on a short shaft g6, which shaft at its forward end is provided with a suitable shuttle
driver g', see the detail Fig. 7, adapted to engage the circular shuttle 98, said shuttle
having an open side adapted to receive a suitable bobbin case g, see detail Fig. 7,
which in turn receives within it a disc bobbin go, said bobbin rotating on a cylin
drical pivot extended therethrough from the bobbin case, the rotation of the bobbin
case being, however, prevented by means of a suitable lug, as 912, engaging a
suitable notch in the holder g13 suitably pivoted to be moved toward and from the
bobbin-case.
The rotating shuttle does not differ particularly from other rotary shuttles used
in dry thread machines, and the bobbin-case and its means for restraining the
rotation of the same during the stitching operation are and may be as usual.
The parts of the machine with which the thread contacts in its passage from
the usual wax pot to the material to be stitched and from the disc bobbin to the
material will be suitably heated to keep the wax, or whatever liquid is upon the
thread, at the proper degree of softness.
The frame-work of the machine supports a suitable race-way plate m chambered
for the reception of the shuttle and to constitute a race-way for the same in its
movements, and the top of the said race-way plate m has attached to it a throat
plate m³, said throat plate being slotted at its forward end in usual manner for
passage through it of the needle and awl.
I have now described all the parts of the machine with the exception of the
slack thread controller and the thread clamping device.
This thread controller consists essentially of a finger suitably attached to a
slotted arm, see Fig. 5, mounted loosely upon a vertical stud / fixed in the head
of the machine, the slot in said arm receiving in it the lower end of a vibrating
lever ³, pivoted at to a part of the head of the overhanging arm and having a
pin which is extended through a slot 88 into a slot at the rear side of the
needle-bar, see Fig. 4, the lower end of said groove, as said needle-bar completes
its ascent, acting upon said vibrating lever and moving the arm h¹ in opposition to
spring to its fullest extent in one direction, viz. ;-to put the finger farthest
towards the front of the machine so as to be out of the way of the awl-bar during
its movements.
After the awl-bar has been elevated and retracted and just as the needle-bar
begins to go down, the spring 7 acts quickly on and moves the vibrating lever, h³
back to the adjustable stop 20 causing said lever to move the arm h¹ and slack
thread controller to quickly cross the path of movement of the needle and act
upon the needle-thread between the throat-plate and the eye of the needle,-which

page_text: is then in its elevated position,-carrying said needle thread aside so that the
needle in its farther descent will not become entangled in its own thread.
Assuming the parts to be in the position shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, the normal
position of the parts when the work is to be inserted or removed, it being, however,
also understood that the presser-foot would be resting upon the material to be
stitched rather than upon the throat-plate, as shown.
Now in the further rotation of the cam-shaft in the direction of the arrow
marked on the cam E, the needle-bar descends and enters the hole previously made
for it by the awl, the needle-bar rises slightly to throw out a loop, the point of
the shuttle enters the loop, expands the same, and casts the loop of the needle-
thread about the bobbin shortly after the point of the needle rises from the work,
the needle-bar then continues to rise and is lifted sufficiently to carry its lower
end above the off-set portion of the awl-bar, when the upward movement of the
needle ceases, and at about this time the take-up commences to act to pull up the
thread about the shuttle and set the stitch, the shuttle, in the meantime, having
moved backwardly to substantially its starting point.
While the needle-bar is in its elevated position, the swinging head carrying the
awl-bar will be moved forward toward the needle until the awl occupies a position.
with relation to the needle equal to the length of the next stitch to be made, when
the awl-bar will commence to descend and the awl will be made to pass vertically
through the leather and will then be moved laterally while in the material to carry
the awl into a position immediately below the then elevated needle.
The material having been carried forward the length of a stitch the awl will
be retracted vertically from the material and the swinging-head will then be rocked
backwardly to bring the off-set part of the awl also out of the path of movement
of the needle-bar, and while the awl-bar is in its backward position the needle-
bar will be thrown down and the needle be made to penetrate the hole just made
in the material by the awl, but just before the awl commenced to descend the
slack thread controller will be thrown forward, so that after the needle starts
down a little the slack thread controller will engage the needle thread between
the work and the eye of the needle, and, as the needle continues to descend, will
carry that part of the needle-thread out of the way of the descending needle.
It will be understood that the presser-foot will be lifted automatically, by the
devices described, from the surface of the material during the time that the awl
then in the material is moving or feeding the latter for the length of a stitch,
the presser-foot descending quickly upon the material as soon as the forward
stroke of the awl has been completed, it resting upon the material during the
ascent of the awl and during the time that the needle remains in the material.
In this machine it will be understood that the point of the shuttle, when
taking the loop of needle-thread, moves in a direction opposite to the direction of
the feed of the material, and as a result of such direction of movement the tension
and draw of the shuttle thread on the needle thread is such as to twist, once
about or around, the shuttle thread.
The clamping tension B1 consists essentially of a rod n having at one end a
head or collar 20, see Figs. 1 and 11, said rod having at its outer end a finger n¹
which is acted upon by a cam n² suitably attached to or forming part of the rocking
sleeve a', the said cam being held in adjusted position on said sleeve by screw n³,
the cam being preferably in the shape of an open loop, so that it may be adjusted in
order to act and effect the clamping of the thread at just the proper period with
relation to the stitching as may be desired.
A spring 33, see Fig. 2, acts normally to keep the clamping tension open, said
spring working in opposition to the cam ², the spring acting at one end on a
suitable projection shewn as the screw n used to hold on the rod n.
By providing the bar B' with more than one roll B¹³, one arranged above the
other, the needle thread being carried about both rolls as well as the rolls B1, B",
a less stroke of the bar B can be made to effect the take-up, and the length of
the lever B³ or of the throw of the cam may be decreased.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A wax thread sewing machine containing the following instrumentalities,
riz. a reciprocating needle-bar provided with an eye-pointed needle; a swinging
head; an awl-bar carried by said swinging head and provided with an awl; a
throat-plate to support the material to be stitched; stitch-forming mechanism
located below the throat-plate and complemental to the needle, and actuating
devices substantially as described for moving the awl-bar laterally and vertically
substantially as set forth, whereby the awl located at the same side of the material
as the needle is caused to move toward the needle while the latter is elevated from
the work, the awl being made to occupy a position at a distance from the needle
substantially equal to the length of a stitch, after which the awl-bar is depressed
to cause the awl to puncture the material and feed the latter, the awl-bar being
then raised to raise the awl from the material and move the awl out of the way
of the needle-bar and needle preparatory to the next descent of the latter,
substantially as set forth.
2. The use in a wax thread sewing machine of the following instrumentalities,
viz. a work-support; a needle-bar provided with a needle and having a vertical
motion with relation to said work-support; a swinging head containing au awl-bar
having an offset at its lower end toward the needle-bar, and provided with an awl,
the needle and awl being located at the same side of the material to be stitched;
devices to move the swinging head away from the needle-bar and needle always for
a distance greater than the length of the stitch next to be made, and to turn the
said swinging head toward the needle-bar and needle while both the said bars are
elevated, to thus place the awl a distance from the needle equal substantially to
the length of the next stitch to be made and keep it there while the awl-bar is
depressed to enter the material and to thereafter further turn the swinging head
toward and into the path of movement of the needle, to thus cause the awl to feed
the material for a stitch, the said swinging head remaining in said position while
the awl is being retracted from the material, the said devices thereafter again
moving the said swinging head away from the needle-bar for a distance in excess
of the next stitch, as and for the purpose set forth.
3. The use in a wax thread sewing machine of the following instrumentalities,
viz. a work-support; a needle-bar provided with a needle and having a vertical
motion with relation to said work-support; a swinging head containing an awl-
bar having an offset at its lower end toward the needle-bar, and provided with an
awl, the needle and awl being located at the same side of the material to be
stitched; devices to move the swinging head away from the needle-bar and needle
always for a distance greater than the length of the stitch next to be made, and
to turn the said swinging head toward the needle-bar and needle while both the
said bars are elevated, to thus place the awl a distance from the needle equal
substantially to the length of the next stitch to be made and keep it there while
the awl-bar is depressed to enter the material and to thereafter further turn the
swinging head toward and into the path of movement of the needle, to thus cause
the awl to feed the material for a stitch, the said swinging head remaining in said
position while the awl is being retracted from the material, the said devices there-
after again moving the said swinging head away from the needle-bar for a distance
in excess of the next stitch; and an underthread carrier, such as a shuttle, and
devices to move the same through a loop of needle thread in a direction opposite
the direction of the feeding movement of the material by the awl, as and for the
purposes set forth.
4. The use in a wax thread sewing machine, of a work-support, a presser-foot,
a rock-shaft having an attached clutch wheel, devices to connect the said shaft and
the bar carrying the presser-foot, a clutch arm or lever to engage said clutch:
wheel frictionally, devices to positively actuate said clutch arm or lever and lift

page_text: the presser-bar and its foot a definite distance from the material preparatory to
and during each feeding movement, substantially as described.
5. The combination or arrangement and use of the parts of sewing or stitching
mechanism adapted to coöperate together substantially as and for the purpose
herein before set forth and shewn by the drawings.
Dated the 29th day of January 1894.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.