IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES to be as follows:-
Year: 1884

page_text: I, CHARLES FREDERIC GARDNER, of Worship Street, Finsbury, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SEWING MACHINES, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND
SHOES to be as follows:-
"
This invention relates to sewing machines, chiefly designed for the manufacture
of boots and shoes.
One object of the said invention is to enable such machines to make lock-
stitches without the use of a shuttle. For this purpose I employ a stationary
bobbin or cop contained in a suitable case and means for disengaging the loop of
the thread from the barb of the needle and passing the said loop over the said
bobbin-case at each stroke of the needle, as hereinafter described.
Another object of the said invention is to avoid the wear of the .needle-thread
usual in machines of this class as heretofore constructed by reason of the to-and-
fro movement of the said thread in the barb of the needle while sewing. For this
purpose I form or fold the loop into two parts and provide means for permitting or
causing the said two parts of the loop to follow the movement of the needle in
its up-stroke, so that the part of the thread engaged by the barb of the needle will
remain stationary relatively to the barb during such movement of the needle, as
hereinafter set forth.
In carrying my said invention into practice I provide a casing or shell for
enclosing what I term the bobbin, which consists of a cop of thread inserted
loosely in the case and which I employ in place of the ordinary shuttle. This
bobbin-case is supported by a projection on an arm or bracket fixed to the frame
of the machine, and is held in place by two pairs of jaws or fingers one pair of
which is fixed whilst the other pair is adjustable to permit the bobbin-case to be
removed and another one substituted therefor when necessary.
The adjustable pair of jaws or fingers forms the short arm of a lever, the long
arm of which is acted upon by a spring fixed at one end to the said bracket..
}

page_text: In combination with this bobbin-case I arrange a sliding hook in such a manner
that it will remove the loop of the thread from the barb of the needle, at the
desired moment and will bring the said loop into position to be passed over the
said bobbin-case. This sliding hook is made with a curved slot which fits over a
pin or stud fixed to the aforesaid bracket so that, as the said hook is moved
The
to and fro, the necessary up-and-down motion will be imparted to the same.
to-and-fro movement of the said hook is effected by a lever movable horizontally
upon a pivot fixed to the frame. One end of this lever fits into a vertical slot in
the said sliding hook and the other end fits into a circumferential groove in a cam
fixed to the main shaft. I also provide a projection upon the said bracket, which
projection enters a slot at or near the extremity of the hook, at the desired
moment, and pushes the thread out of engagement therewith. I prefer to make
the bobbin-case of brass-and-to cast it in one piece, which is provided with a cover
or lid at its lower end. This cover or lid is made with two or more holes to permit
the tension of the thread to be regulated as desired.
In order to avoid the rubbing of the thread in the barb of the needle, I provide
the following take-up mechanism, that is to say:-A rod or bar is arranged to slide
to and fro in bearings at or near the centre of the frame at right angles to the main
shaft. This rod carries a pulley at its forward end. The needle-thread from the
spool carrying the same, is first passed through a hole in a bracket fixed to the
front of the frame. The said thread is then passed around the said pulley and
through a hole in the lower part of the looper, which is made with a notch or slot
for the needle to enter. The thread is then passed over the upper part of the
looper and around a hook or projection pivotted to a block arranged to slide
to and fro in a slotted bracket fixed to the frame.
The said rod is caused to move to and fro in suitable guides or bearings by
means of a lever, one end of which is slotted or forked to receive a pin or stud on
the said rod and the other end of which enters a groove in a cam fixed to the main
shaft. And reciprocating movement is imparted to the aforesaid sliding block by
another lever pivotted to the frame and also actuated by a cam on the main shaft.
This lever is connected to the said block by a rod or link. The said hook, being
pivotted to the block, will descend during the latter part of the forward movement
of the block, the slot in the bracket being curved downward for this purpose, so
that the hook can engage with the thread and raise one part of the loop thereof
above the looper. The looper is pivotted to the top of the slotted bracket and is
capable of a slight lateral reciprocal movement so that it will pass the thread over
the barb of the needle, when the needle is down. This reciprocal movement of the
looper is effected in one direction by a cam-face on the awl-stock and in the other
direction by a spring.
When the needle has seized the thread and is ascending therewith the said rod
and hook move forward simultaneously so as to permit the needle to pull forward
the two parts of the loop at equal velocities. The thread, therefore, does not rub
on the barb of the needle but is stationary relatively thereto.
The thread is disengaged from the needle by the aforesaid sliding hook as
herein before described and is passed over the bobbin-case by the take-up, so that
the thread from the bobbin is enclosed in the loop of the needle-thread. During
the downward movement of the needle, the sliding rod of the take-up first moves
backward and then the hook moves upward and backward taking with it one part
of the loop of the needle-thread and passing the same over the looper ready to be
again taken therefrom by the needle in its subsequent up-stroke.
It is obvious that I may employ mechanism other than that above described for
taking up and giving out the thread as required. For example, I sometimes
employ two jaws pivotted upon a pin or stud so that they can be moved to and
from each other, each of which jaws is made with a hook around which is passed
one part of the loop of the thread. In this case I provide a double armed lever
fixed on a crank shaft and actuated by means of a rod coupled at one end to the
crank pin and at the other end to a lever pivotted to the frame of the machine and

page_text: operated by a cam fixed on the main shaft. A spring acts upon each of the said
jaws so as to tend to keep them closed. When the double armed lever is moved in
one direction, the jaws act as a take-up and when the said lever is moved in the
reverse direction, the jaws are brought together by the said springs and permit the
needle in its upward movement to pull the two parts of the loop after it with equal
velocities, thereby avoiding any rubbing of the thread upon the barb of the needle.
Dated this 15th day of February 1884.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.
I, CHARLES FREDERIC GARDNER, of Worship Street, Finsbury, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SEWING-MACHINES, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND
SHOES "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 sewing-machines, chiefly designed for the manufacture
of boots and shoes.
is
One object of the said invention, is to construct such machines to make lock-
stitches without the use of a moving shuttle. For this purpose, I employ, above
the work, a bobbin or cop for supplying the locking-thread, which bobbin or cop
carried by a fixed or stationary support; and I provide means whereby, in the
formation of each stitch, the loop of the needle-thread will be disengaged from the
barb of the needle and drawn over the bobbin or cop so as to enclose the locking-
thread, as hereinafter set forth.
Another object of the said invention is to avoid the wear of the needle-thread,
usual in sewing-machines heretofore constructed for the manufacture of boots and
shoes, by reason of the to-and-fro movement of the thread in the barb of the
needle while sewing. For this purpose, I form or fold the loop into two parts and
provide means for holding the said parts and permitting or causing the loop to
follow the movement of the needle in its up-stroke, so that the part of the thread
which is held in the barb of the needle will remain stationary relatively to the
barb during the up-stroke of the needle, as hereinafter set forth.
My said invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a front elevation, shewing my improvements applied to what is known
as a "lock-stitch fair-stitch machine."
Figure 2 is a left-hand side elevation of the said machine, the main shaft being
shewn in section on the line x, a, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a front elevation of a part of the said machine.
=
Figure 4 is a vertical central section of a case containing the bobbin or cop, the
latter being shown in elevation,

page_text: "
Figure 5 is a plan, shewing part of the mechanism for drawing the loop of the
needle-thread over the cop-case.
Figure 6 is a right-hand side elevation, partly in section, shewing the take-up
mechanism.
Figure 7 is a plan of part of the same, and
. Figure 8 is a right-hand side elevation of a modification of my improved take-up
mechanism.
Figures 3 to 8 inclusive are drawn to an enlarged scale.
A is the frame of the machine; B is the main shaft, which is carried in suitable
bearings in the said frame, and upon which is mounted a cam C for actuating
various moving parts of the machine.
a-is-a-stationary case or shell; b is the cop or bobbin, which is inserted loosely
therein, and which I employ, instead of a moving shuttle, for supplying the
locking-thread. The cop-case a is supported upon a projecting arm c carried by
the bracket d, which is firmly secured to the frame of the machine. The said case
is held in position by two pairs of jaws or fingers e, f. The jaws e are firmly
secured to the bracket d, whilst the jaws fare movable or adjustable to permit.
the removal of the cop-case when empty, and the substitution therefor of a case
containing another cop. I provide for this adjustment by employing a lever g,
which is pivotted at g₁ to the bracket d and the short arm of which is forked to
form the jaws or fingers f. The long arm of this lever is acted upon by a spring h
secured at one end to the said lever and at the other end to the bracket d, which
spring tends to raise the said arm and press the jaws f down upon the cop-case.
i is a sliding bar formed with a hook and so arranged, in combination with
the other parts of the mechanism, that it will disengage or remove the loop of the
'needle-thread from the barb of the needle, at the proper time, and will bring the
said loop into position to be drawn down over the cop-case a by the mechanism
hereinafter described. This position of the said loop is shewn in full lines in
Figures 3 and 5. The position of the sliding bar i and its hook i¹, when the latter
has entered the loop held by the barb of the needle, is shewn in Figure 1, and by
dotted lines in Figure 3.
The sliding bar i is made with a curved slot j, into which projects a pin or stud k
fixed in the bracket d. The said bar is arranged to be moved to and fro by a
lever pivotted to the frame A at and working horizontally. One end of this
lever enters a vertical slot in the bar i, and the other end enters the circum-
ferential groove m in the cam C. The bar is, moreover, provided with a
guide-rod i fitted to slide in a stud d', which is free to rotate in the bracket d.
The hook ¹ is formed with a slot 3, so that, when the bar i reaches the position
shewn in full lines in Figure 3, a projection n on the bracket & enters the said slot
and pushes the needle-thread out of engagement with the hook i', and thus permits
the said thread to be drawn down over the cop-case as hereinafter explained.
* is a pin or projection fixed on the bar i to serve as a guide for the thread.
It is evident that, as the bar i is moved to and fro by the means above described,
the necessary up and down movements will be imparted thereto by the pin or
stud k which projects into the slot j.
I prefer to make the cop-case a of brass, and to cast the same in one piece and
provide it with a cover or lid a¹ at its lower end. This cover or lid is made with
two or more holes to permit the tension of the locking-thread to be regulated as
desired.
My improved take-up mechanism is constructed as follows, that is to say :-o is
a rod or bar arranged to slide to and fro at right angles to the main shaft, in
bearings formed in the frame at, or near, the centre thereof. This rod or bar carries
a pulley p at its forward end. The needle-thread q, from the spool carrying the
same, is first passed over the tension-roller q and through the centre of the
frame A; it is then passed around the lower part of a bracket or arm r firmly
attached to the front of the frame A, and back through an aperture in the said

page_text: arm. It is then passed around the pulley p, and through an aperture at 8¹ in the
lower part of the looper 8. The said looper is made with a notch or slot s through
which the needle works. The thread is passed across this notch and over the top
of the horizontal arm of the looper. It is then carried back and passed around a
hooked arm t and through an aperture in the work-support u
The arm t is pivotted upon a pin or stud t' fixed in one end of a bar 12, the
other end of which is coupled to the long arm of a lever t. This lever is pivotted
at to the frame A and its short arm carries an antifriction roller which runs in a
groove in the cam C. The long arm of the lever' t is made in two parts, which
are united by means of a bolt to passing through a slot t' in one part and firmly
fixed in the other part. By these means the throw or stroke of the lever can be
regulated or adjusted.
A pin or stud t is passed through a slot in the bracket vand is screwed into
the arm t. The slot v is inclined downward at its front end so that the proper
motion will be imparted to the said arm to cause its book to pass down in front of
the looper and engage with the thread, while the needle is up out of the work, and
draw the said thread across the notch 83 of the looper 8 ready to be again placed in
the barb of the needle.
The rod or bar o is moved to and fro by means of a lever w, one end of which is
slotted as shewn at w' to receive a pin or stud o¹ fixed in the said rod. The other
end of this lever carries an antifriction roller which runs in a groove w² in the
cam C. The looper 8 is pivotted at 8³ to the top of the bracket v and is arranged
to have a slight lateral reciprocal movement in order to pass the thread over the
barb of the needle, when the needle is down. This reciprocal movement of the
looper & is effected in one direction by a cam-face y¹ on the awl-stock y, and in the
other direction by a spring y³.
When the needle has seized the thread and is ascending therewith, the rod o and
hooked arm t are moved forward simultaneously, and thus permit the needle to pull
forward the two parts or sides of the loop at equal velocities. Any abrasion or
attrition due to the rubbing of the thread on the barb of the needle is thus
avoided, that part of the thread held by the needle remaining stationary relatively
thereto.
The loop of the needle-thread is disengaged from the needle by the hook as
herein before described, and is passed or drawn down over the cop-case a by the
rearward movement of the rod o and hooked arm t, so that the locking-thread from
the bobbin or cop is enclosed in the loop of the needle-thread. During the
downward movement of the needle, the rod o first moves backward, and then the
booked arm t moves upward and backward, taking with it the needle-thread and
drawing the same over the looper 8 ready to be again passed over the barb of the
needle in the subsequent up-stroke thereof.
I sometimes modify my improved take-up mechanism in the following manner,
that is to say-I employ two jaws D pivotted upon a pin or stud E so that they
can be moved to and from each other. Each of these jaws is made with a hook D¹,
around which is passed one part of the loop of the thread as shewn. In this case
I provide a double-armed lever F fixed on a crank-shaft G and actuated by means
of a rod H coupled at one end to the crank-pin G' and at the other end to a lever
pivotted to the frame of the machine and operated by a cam fixed on the main
shaft. Springs I are arranged to act upon the jaws D and tend to keep them
closed. When the double-armed lever F is moved in one direction, the jaws D take
up the slack of the thread; and, when the said lever is moved in the reverse
direction, the jaws D are brought together by the springs I and permit the needle,
in its upward movement, to pull the two parts or sides of the loop after it with
equal velocities, thereby avoiding abrasion or attrition of the thread, as above
explained.
I wish it understood that I make no claim to a stationary cop-case when applied
to that class of sewing-machines wherein a straight needle is employed, as I am
aware that such cop-cases have been thus applied.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is:-
First. In a lock-stitch sewing-machine provided with a curved needle and means
for passing or drawing the needle-thread over or around the hook or barb of the
needle at each descent thereof, the employment, above the work, of a bobbin or cop,
or its equivalent, for supplying the locking-thread.
Second. In the said machine, the combination of the bobbin or cop contained in
the stationary case, and means, substantially as described, for disengaging the loop
of the needle-thread from the barb of the curved needle and passing the said loop
over the said case, as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Third. In the said machine, the above described improved take-up mechanism
constructed and arranged substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 7,
or Figure 8, and operating in such a manner that it permits or causes the needle-
thread to follow the movements of the needle in its up-stroke and thus avoids
abrasion or attrition of the thread, as above set forth.
Fourth. The improved lock-stitch sewing-machine consisting of the parts
constructed and combined substantially as shewn in the accompanying drawing
and operating for the purpose specified.
· Dated this 15th day of November 1884.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.