IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I HARRY GAMWELL, at the Office for Patents, 6 Lord Street Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
In sewing machines with circular oscillating shuttle as at present generally
constructed the shuttle cannot be removed by the operator without some difficulty
and delay. The wear of the shuttle carrier or of the shuttle allows the latter to
fall from its face and "miss stitches" result in consequence. It is to obviate these
and other defects that my present improvements are designed and are intended to
be used more particularly in connection with machines made according to my
invention described in the Specification of Letters Patent No 4711 of 1883 in the
drawings annexed to which these improvements will be shown.
The shuttle carrier I make of forked or crescent shape and attach same at right
angles to a spindle from which it receives notion. The spindle is carried in a
bearing in a circular plate against which the shuttle carrier abuts or nearly 8ɔ.
The ends of the carrier are bevelled inwards and in or against the bevelled ends of
the carrier the shuttle rests its face being held thereby against the circular plate.
A corresponding bevel is provided on the shuttle and as wear occurs the tendency
of the bevelled seat is to maintain the shuttle in the desired position. To
the bottom of the circular plate is hinged or pivoted or attached in other suitable
Inanner a ring the outside diameter of which corresponds to the diameter of the
circular plate, and the inner diameter sufficient to allow fres motion of the shuttle
therein and at the same time prevent its leaving its proper position. By simply
moving the ring away at its upper edge from the circular plate the shuttle can be
casily lifted out. The shuttle itself I prefer to make-(seen in elevation) of
elongated pear shape coming to a sharp point at the narrower end and slightly
elongated and pointed at the other end. A pin or stud in the centre of the broad
part of the shuttle carries the bobbin forming an axis on which it can revolve.
The required tension for the thread is obtained by passing it between two thin
plates beld in position by a screw and pressed together by a small spiral spring
preferably acting on the bottom one. A small bar is hinged at the front or narrow
end of the shuttle which when closed down and held in position by a spring catch
keeps the bobbin in its place the thread after leaving the tension plates passes
through a hole or eye in this bar. The top of the shuttle is made curved or of
suitable shape and the underside towards the points at either end are bevelled to
correspond with the bevel on the points of the shuttle carrier against which it
rests.

page_text: I, HARRY GAMWELL, 37 Wavertree Road Liverpool in the County of Lancaster
do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING
MACHINES and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
"
In sewing machines with vertical circular oscillating shuttle as at present f
generally constructed the shuttle cannot be removed by the operator without
some difficulty and delay. The wear of the shuttle carrier or of the shuttle allows
the latter to fall from its face, and "miss stitches" result in consequence. It is to
obviate these and other defects that my present improvements are designed, and
aro intended to be used more particularly in connection with machines made 1
according to my invention, described in the Specification of Letters Patent No 4711
of 1883 in the drawings forming part of the Specification of which these improve-
ments have been shown.
Referring to the drawings annexed hereto.
Figure 1. is an elevation showing shuttle carrier, shuttle race and shuttle made 1
in accordance with my invention.
Figure 2, side elevation of same partly in section.
Figure 3, front elevation of shuttle.
Figure 4 section of shuttle on line x-y shewing bevel at d.
The shuttle carrier A is made of forked or crescent shape and attached at right 2
angles in a vertical position to the spindle B from which it receives motion. At
its outer end the spindle B is carried in a bearing in a circular plate C against
which the shuttle carrier A abuts or nearly so. The plate C is placed vertically
and forms the shuttle race in which the shuttle moves when at work. The ends a
of the carrier A are bevelled inwards towards the plate C, and in or against the
bevelled ends of the carrier, the shuttle D rests, its face being held thereby against
the circular plate C. A corresponding bevel is provided on the shuttle at d and
as wear occurs the tendency of the bevelled seat is to maintain the shuttle in the
desired position. The circular plate is cut away as shewn at the top so as to form a
flat surface over which the feed motion works. This circular plate is provided
with a flange E running round it, and immediately inside this flange is fitted a
ring F the extreme diameter of which is equal to the internal diameter of the
flange E, and the internal diameter of the ring is such as to allow of the free move-
ment of the shuttle to and fro, without leaving its position in the arms of the
carrier forming a top bearing for it. The shuttle D is placed in the forked
carrier A, its top abutting against the bearing formed by the inner surface of the
ring F. The ring F is binged or pivotted at f to the flange E of the circular plate
at or near its bottom, so that by turning the ring on its pivote and removing its
upper edge from the circular plate, that is by moving the top bearing the shuttle
can be easily taken out. A top bearing for the shuttle hinged or moving on a pivot
in the manner described renders it an easy matter for the operator to remove and
insert the shuttle having both hands at liberty, the bearing requiring no adjustment
but merely to be turned to its original position.
It will be obvious to the skilful mechanic, that where the shuttle oscillates to and
fro and does not complete a revolution, the plate C and the ring F do not requiro to
be made a full circle, but may be cut off a little below the spindle B and pivoted
at each side to the flange E, or the ring F may be formed in two parts and each
hinged or pivoted on vertical axes, and thus provide a movable top bearing for the
shuttle, such as I have described.

page_text: The shuttle DI prefer to make (see Figure 3) of elongated pear shape coming to
a sharp point at the narrower end and slightly elongated and pointed at the other
end. A pin or stud G in the centre of the broad part of the shuttle carries the
bobbin forming an axis on which it can revolvo. The required tension for the
thread is obtained by passing it between two thin plates held in position by a
scrow, and pressed together by a small spiral spring, preferably acting on the
bottom one.
A small bar His hinged at one end of the shuttle, which when closed
down, and held in position by a spring catch keeps the bobbin in its place, the
thread after leaving the tension plates passes through a hole or eye in this bar.
The top of the shuttle is preferably made curved to suit the contour of its bearing,
and the underside towards the points at either end at d are bevelled to correspond
with the bevel on the points a of the shuttle carrier A against or on which the
shuttle rests.
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
1st. In a sewing machine with vertical circular oscillating shuttle, a top bearing
for the shuttle hinged or pivoted so as to be easily removed from or returned to
position, substantially as described.
2nd. A carrier for a vertical circular oscillating shuttle, having a bevelled or
inclined face against or on which the shuttle rests, substantially as and for the
purposes described.
3rd. The improvement in vertical circular oscillating shuttles for sewing machines
consisting in a bevilled or inclined under side (as shewn at d) substantially as and
for the purposes described.
Dated this 20th d... D
L1004