improvements relating to Feed Mechanism for Sewing Machines.”
Year: 1897

page_text: improvements relating to Feed Mechanism for Sewing Machines.”
I WILLIAM BIRCH, of Milton Street Iron Works, Lower Broughton, Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer, Do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to machines for sewing fabrics which are to be passed through
bleaching, dyeing, or like processes, and the objects of this invention are first to
improve the feed of such or similar sewing machines which make very long stitches,
and have therefore to be worked with an intermittent feed, and secondly to ensure
the disengaging of the fabric after sewing from the pointed pins on the feed rings of
such machines, or other machines where pins upon a ring are employed to carry the
fabric under operation through the machine.
Hitherto it has been customary for the operator to guide the fabric to be sewn or
stitched by hand to the pins upon the feed ring, which was very difficult to do
satisfactorily on account of the intermittent plucking or pulling through the fingers
of a length of fabric equivalent to the length of the stitch; and the first part of
my invention consists in combining with and in front of such intermittent feed
motion, a continuous feed motion driven at a suitable speed to supply the required
length of fabric to the intermittent notion, and an intermediate compensating device
for taking up or maintaining a suitable tension on the fabric fed by the continuous
feed motion, and yet allowing it to be readily drawn through the machine by the
intermittent motion.
For this purpose I propose to mount upon a suitable lever or arın, carried by a
conveniently fixed bracket, or bearing, a guide roller so placed us to guide the fabric
which passes beneath it to the pins of the feed ring. The same lever or ar 1 carries,
at a point further from the presser foot of the machine, a second roller which when
the lever or arın above named is in working position rests upon the fabric, which
passes between it and a feed roller carried in a fixed bearing constantly rotated at
the requisite speed by suitable gearing, say by bevel gear driven from the cain shaft
which actuates the interinittent feed motion, or other convenient shaft of the
machine.
This continuously driven feed roller is made long enough to support the fabric, and
immediately in front thereof is a suitable fixed guide to assist the attendant in
passing the fabric through the machine, as desired so as to keep the stitches as uear
as practicable to the edge of the work.
When putting the work into the machine before starting to sew, the lever or arm
and the guide roller and loose feed roller are raised up out of the way, and an arm or
finger moving with or moved by the above named arm raises up the presser foot at
the same time; and a suitable catch preferably pivotted to the arin or lever, and
locking in a notch formed in the bracket or bearing thereof, holds the aforesaid arm
or lever up until released by the attendant.

page_text: Between the guide roller and the continuous feed rollers I mount a compensating
roller, over which the fabric is passed, and this last named roller is carried by a
suitable arm pivotted to a convenient bracket, and has a constant tendency to rise
owing to the action of a spring, or its equivalent, so that as the fabric is fed forwards
by the continuous feed rollers, this compensating roller will rise gradually and take
up the slack part of the fabric; but when the intermittent feed ring carries
forward this slack part of the fabric, the coin ponsating roller is pulled down again,
ready to take up the fabric again as it is fed by te the continuous feed rollers.
The second part of my invention is desigued to ensure the removal of the fabric
when sewn from the pins of the feed ring; and for this purpose I mount the outer
end of the slotted stripper or plate employed for this purpose upon an arm or lever to
which a suitable rocking motion is imparted, to move the outer end of the said
stripper away from the points of the pins, and so to positively remove the fabric there-
from; and I thus prevent the fabric from being drawn along too far by the pins, and
thereby torn or damaged.
I propose to obtain the requisite rocking motion of this lever by a bowl or projection,
carried by the link connecting the intermittent feed lever to its eccentric, the said
bowl or projection acting against the rocking lever or an incline thereon.
I WILLIAM BIRCH, of Milton Street Iron Works, Lower Broughton, Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manuer the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to machines for sewing fabrics which are to be passed through
bleaching, dyeing, or like processes, and the objects of this invention are first to
improve the feed of such or similar sewing machines which make very long stitches
and have therefore to be worked with an intermittent feed, and secondly to ensure
the disengaging of the fabric after sewing from the pointed pins on the feed rings of
such machines or other machines where pins upon a ring are employed to carry the
fabric nuder operation through the machine.
My invention will be readily understood from the following description on reference
to the accompanying drawings of which,
Fig. 1 is an elevation (with part of the frame removed) of one side of a ring feed
sewing machine with iny improvements applied thereto.
Fig. 2 is a view of the other side thereof partly in section shewing the second part
of my invention.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 1.
a is the frame of the machine. b is the feed ring with pins b¹.
Hitherto it has been customary for the operator to guide the fabric to be sewn or
stitched by hand to the pins b upon the feed ring b, which was very difficult to do
Eatisfactorily on account of the intermittent plucking or pulling through the fingers
of a length of fabric equivalent to the length of the stitch; and the first part of my

page_text: invention consists in combining with and in front of such intermittent feed notion
a continuous feed motion driven at a suitable speed to supply the required length of
fabric to the intermittent motion, aild au intermediate compensating device
for taking up or maintaining a suitable tension on the fabric fed by the continuous
feed notion and yet allowing it to be readily drawn in through the machine by the
intermittent motion.
For this purpose I propose to mount upon a suitable lever or arm c, carried by a
conveniently fixed bracket or bearing c', a guide roller d so placed as to guide the
fabric which passes beneath it to the pins b' of the feed ring b. The roller dis
preferably provided with a grooved into which the pins pass, thus compelling the
pins 6' to penetrate the cloth, and ensuring their hold thereon. Or a boss of felt
or a revolving brush may be provided at * instead of the groove for this purpose.
The same lever or arm o carries, at a point further from the sewing needle f of the
machine, a second roller d' which when the lever or arm c is in working position
(see Fig. 1) rests upon the fabric 6 which passes between it and a feed roller g carried
in a fixed bearing g and constantly rotated at the requisite speed by suitable gearing,
say by bevel gear g' g driven from the cam shaft g³ which actuates the intermittent
feed motion, or other couvenient shaft of the machine.
This continuously driven feed roller g is made long enough to support the fabric,
and immediately in front thereof is a suitable guide adjustable on a suitable
fixture h* to assist the attendant in passing the fabric through the machine, us
desired so as to keep the stitches as near as practicable to the edge of the work.
Whon putting the work into the machine before starting to sew, the lever or arm o
and the guide roller d and loose feed roller d' are raised up out of the way, and
(where a pressure foot is used) an arin or finger i moving with or moved by the above
named arin o raises np the presser foot at the same time (see Fig. 1); and a
suitable catch c¹ preferably pivoted to the arin or lever c and locking in a notch
formed in the bracket or bearing of thereof, holds the aforesaid arm or lever c up
as shewn detached at Fig. 4, until released by the attendant by pressing down the
trigger or tail end cx of the catch c*.
•
Between the guide roller d and the continuous feed rollers d and g I mount a
compensating roller k, over which the fabric e is passed, and this last
named roller is carried by a suitable arm m pivoted at n to the frame of
the machine or to a convenient fixed bracket, and has a constaut tendency to rise
owing to the action of a spring o, or its equivalent, so that as the fabric e is fed
forwards by the continuous feed rollers d, g, this compensating roller will rise
gradually and take up the slack part of the fabric; but when the intermittent feed
ring & carries forward this slack part of the fabric, the compensating roller is
pulled down again, ready to take up the fabric again as it is fed by the continuous
feed rollers.
The second part of my invention is designed to ensure the removal of the fabric e
when sewn from the pins 6 of the feed ring b, and for this purpose I mount the lower
end of the slotted stripper or plate p employed for this purpose, (see Fig. 2) upon an
arm or lever q to which a suitable rocking motiou is imparted, to move the outer end
of the said stripper p away from the points of the pins, and so to positively remove
the fabric e therefrom; and I thus prevent the fabric from being drawn along too far
by the pins b' and thereby torn or damaged.
I propose to obtain the requisite rocking motion of this lever by a bowl r or
projection, carried by the link 8 connecting the intermittent feed levert to its
eccentric u, the said bowl or projection acting against the rocking lever ፃ and
preferably also against an incline q* thereon, which ensures a quick return inwards of
the stripper.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what I
Glin is:-
1. The combination with the intermittent ring feed inotion of a continuous feed

page_text: motion and intermediate compensating device substantially as hereiubefore
described and illustrated by the annexed drawings.
2. The combination with the feed ring of a stripper mounted on a lever to which
a rocking motion is imparted to move the outer end of the stripper further away from
the points of the pins on the said feed ring substantially as and for the purpose
herein before described and illustrated by the annexed drawings.
AT
CUTS 1BL, Day or
TOUT
GEO DAVIES & SON
Agents for the Applicant, 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.