Improvements in Sewing Machine Hemmers.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Dec., 1898—Accepted, 1st Apr.,
1899
Communicated from abroad by THE SINGER MANUFACTURING Company, of New
York, United States of America, Sewing Machine Manufacturers
Improvements in Sewing Machine Hemmers.
I, JOHN KING MACDONALD, Manager of the Singer Manufacturing Company,
Kilbowie, Dumbartonshire, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same 15 to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement.-
-
This invention relates to an adjustable sewing machine hemmer by means of
whuch hems of different widths may be formed at the edges of fabrics, the object
of the invention being to provide an adjustable hemmer which will be simple in
construction and convenient in use To this end the improved hemmer comprises
a supporting plate with which 18 connected a guide plate and edge turner, said edge
turner being laterally adjustable so as to provide for forming hems of different
widths, and the said supporting plate being preferably pivoted to a base plate
adapted to be adjustably secured to the work-plate of the machine, so that the
hemmer may be adjusted to different lateral positions and so that it may be swung
aside when not wanted for use
In the accompanying drawings Fig 1 is a plan view of the improved hemmer
and Fig 2 a bottom view thereof Fig 3 is an edge view of the hemmer looking
at the same from the top of Fig 1 (and on a somewhat larger scale than Figs. 1
and 2) with portions of the supporting-plate and base-plate broken away Fig 4
18 an edge view of the hemmer, looking from the bottom of Fig 1 and on the
same scale as Fig 3, and Fig 5 is an enlarged sectional view on line 5-5, Fig 1
A denotes a supporting arm or plate provided with a bridge-piece a, the said
bridge-piece supporting an extended guide plate or tongue B over the inner or
ight hand edge of which the goods to be hemmed may be folded, said tongue on
guide-plate being supported above the work-plate of the sewing machine so that
when applied to the machine the fabric being hemmed may extend beneath the
said tongue or guide-plate To the supporting plate A 18 attached a U-shaped
or doubled plate C within the two aims of which extends the forward narrow end b
of the guide-plate or tongue B D is the edge-tuiner, piopei, adjustably sup-
ported on the bridge-piece a, and consisting of a piece of thin metal folded upon
itself to form the tongue d around which the folded or intuined edge of the goods
will be lapped, as more clearly shown in Fig 5 In the present form of the
invention the edge-tuine D 18 shown as being carried by a sleeve adjustably
secured to the bridge-piece a by a set-screw extending through a slot a¹ with
which said bridge is provided, but it will be understood that any other suitable
or equivalent means may be employed for adjustably securing the edge-turner D
to the bridge a
The supporting plate A is preferably pivoted at a to a base-plate F which is
in turn preferably adapted to be adjustably secured to the work-plate of the
machine, said base-plate being provided with a slot f through which one or more
attaching screws fi extend, and which screws will be tapped in the work-plate
of the machine The base-plate F is provided with a pin or stud f*, the upper

page_text: end of which is threaded for the reception of a thumb nut f³ adapted to register
with said pin or stud when the parts are in the position shown in full lines in
Figs 1 and 2, and will be held in working position by the said thumb-nut f
when the latter is screwed down tight against the said supporting plate When,
however, the hemme is not desired for use said thumb-nut may be loosened
slightly and the hemmel then be swung aside, as indicated in dotted lines in
Fig. 1.
In the use of the improved hemmer the fabric will be laid upon the work-
plate of the machine and the fold thereof will be doubled over the inner or right
hand edge of the guide plate B, and the fabric edge to be hemmed will be brought
against an edge-guide e which is connected with the edge-tuner D so as to be
adjustable laterally therawith This edge guide e is slightly to the left (Figs 1
and 4) of the plane of the outer edge of the edge-tuner so that the goods lying
against said edge-guide will be turned in by said edge-turner, as indicated in
Fig 5, as the fabric is moved forward toward the stitch-forming mechanism of
the machine The front edge of the edge-turner is cut away so as to form a notch
at into which the presso-foot of the machine can extend so that the fabric
will be held by the edge-turner and the other parts of the hemmer until it 18
close to the needle of the machine, thereby ensuring an accurate presentation of
the work to the needle
I am aware that hemmers have heretofore been provided with extended tongues
or guide plates, over which the fabue edges are folded, in combination with suit-
able edge guides, and edge-tuiners and supporting-plates or aims for the same;
I am also aware that adjustable hemmers embodying edge-tuners in combination
with guide-plates or tongues over which the fabric edges were folded, for forming
hems of different widths, are also old, I do not therefore wish to be understood
as claiming these features bioadly
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 The combination with the supporting-plate A provided with the transverse arm
or bridge-piece a, of the guide-plate B extending out in front of the said budge-
piece and provided with the pait b, extending rearwardly beyond the body of said
plate, the double guide C also extending rearwardly beyond the body of said
plate and within the two arms of which the said part b is located, and the laterally
adjustable edge turner D supported by said bridge-piece a
2. The combination with the supporting-plate A provided with the transverse
arm or bridge-piece a, of the guide-plate B extending out in front of the said
bridge-piece and provided with the part & the doubled guide C within the two arms
of which the said part extends, the laterally adjustable edge-turner D supported
by said bridge-piece a, the base-plate F to which the said supporting plate A is
pivotally attached and means for securing said supporting plate to said base-
plate to hold the parts in working position
Dated this 23rd day of December 1898
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant