IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING · MACHINES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred David Turner, of Dalston, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING
· MACHINES."
Sealed the 6th April 1877, and dated the 10th October 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred David Turner at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th October 1876.
ALFRED DAVID TURNER, of Dalston, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."
The first part of my Invention of improvements in sewing machines relates to the
means of actuating the shuttle. I connect the upper horizontal shaft of the machine
by gearing to a vertical shaft, on the lower end of which is a cam or excentric. This
cam works between projections or flanges on a horizontal bar or lever. The bar is
centred at its rear end on a pin or stud, and its front end is connected to the shuttle
carrier, either directly, if the shuttle guides are curved, or through the intermedia-
tion of a link if the shuttle guides are straight. Thus, as the vertical shaft rotates
in accordance with the movement imparted to it from the horizontal shaft, the cam
acts first upon one and then upon the other of the projections or flanges on the
lever before named, and thereby gives the requisite to-and-fro movement to the
lever and to the shuttle carrier. The shape of the cam is such as to give quicker
movement at the time when the shuttle is passing through the loop of the thread.
In connection with this improved means of actuating the shuttle, I employ im-
proved means of operating the feed. For this purpose I connect to a crank pin on
the cam before mentioned, the rear end of a bar which has a slot near its middle to
work upon a fixed pin or stud. The front end of this bar has an incline upon it,
and takes into a recess cut in a transverse piece which carries the feed. The
connection of the bar to the crank pin, combined with its slotted connection to the
fixed pin, has the effect of giving to it when the cam is rotating a combined to-and-
fro and side-to-side motion; this side-to-side motion gives a corresponding move-
ment to the transverse piece which carries the feed, while the to-and-fro motion
causes the incline before named to alternately raise and lower the said transverse
piece. The feed consequently receives all the requisite movements. The transverse

page_text: piece is provided with the necessary spring or springs, and there is an adjustable
screw at the end of this piece to regulate the length of feed.
Another improved way of actuating the shuttle is as follows:-From a crank on
the upper horizontal shaft of the machine, or from a crank pin on the wheel of the
said upper shaft, I carry a connecting rod to a crank on a lower horizontal shaft.
From another crank on this lower shaft a link is carried to a horizontal lever, to
which it is jointed preferably by a universal joint. The short arm of this lever is
pivoted to the frame of the machine, while the longer arm is connected with the
shuttle carriage. The shuttle carriage is fitted in either straight or curved guides,
as thought best, and when fitted in straight guides the end of the lever is slotted to
receive a projection on the shuttle carriage to allow of the straight motion of the
shuttle. I prefer to make the position of the universal joint, and of the crank to
which it is connected, adjustable within slight limits to allow of the stroke of the
shuttle being adjusted as required.
Another part of my Invention relates to the means of actuating a top "feed."
On the upper horizontal shaft of the machine I form a double cam, which works in
a slot in a vertical bar which carries the combined feed and presser foot. A spring
pressing on the top of this bar tends to keep it down, while a side spring tends to
push it forwards, that is to say, towards the operator. As the upper shaft revolves,
one portion of its cam pushes back the feed so as to move the work the distance of
one stitch, the next portion of the cam then lifts the feed, while the side spring
pushes it forward; the cam then leaves the feed bar free, so that the top spring is
able to push it down into its first position. The length of the feed can be regulated
by an adjustable screw which presses against the feed bar.
Another part of my Invention relates to the "take up," that is to say, to means
of keeping the thread tight until the needle enters the work, and then releasing the
the thread to allow of the shuttle passing freely through the loop produced by the
usual heart motion of the needle bar. For this purpose I cause the thread to pass
between a spring and a stud or projection on the head of the machine, and I form
an extension of this spring so as to embrace the needle bar. The needle bar is made
thinner at one part, so that when the spring extension takes hold of this thin
portion, the spring presses against its stud or projection and holds the thread tight,
but when the thicker portion of the needle bar comes during its downward move-
ment opposite the spring extension, it pushes the same to the right, thereby
withdrawing the spring from its stud and releasing the thread.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred David Turner in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th April
1877.
ALFRED DAVID TURNER, of Dalston, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."
The first part of my Invention of improvements in sewing machines relates to
the means of actuating the shuttle, and is represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the
annexed Drawings; Figure 1, of which is a longitudinal elevation partly in section;
Figure 2, a front view, also partly in section; Figure 3, a plan of the under side
of a sewing machine constructed according to this part of my Invention. I
connect the upper horizontal shaft A of the machine by gearing B, B, to a vertical
shaft C, on the lower end of which is a cam or excentric D. This cam works
between projections or flanges E, E, on a horizontal bar or lever F. The bar is
centred at its rear end on a pin or stud G, and its front end is connected to the
shuttle carrier H either directly, if the shuttle guides are curved, or through the
intermediation of a link I (as seen in the Figures) if the shuttle guides K, K, are
straight. Thus, as the vertical shaft O rotates in accordance with the movement

page_text: imparted to it from the horizontal shaft A, the cam D acts first upon one and then
upon the other of the projections or flanges E, E, on the lever F, and thereby gives
the requisite to-and-fro movement to the lever and to the shuttle carrier H. The
shape of the cam D is such as to give a quicker movement at the time when the
shuttle is passing through the loop of the thread.
In connection with this improved means of actuating the shuttle I employ im-
proved means of operating the feed. For this purpose I connect to a crank pin L
on the cam D the rear end of the bar M, which has a slot N near its middle to work
upon a fixed pin or stud O. The front end of this bar M has an incline P upon it,
and takes into a recess Q cut in a transverse piece R which carries the feed. The
connection of the bar M to the crank pin L, combined with its slotted connection to
the fixed pin O, has the effect of giving to it when the cam is rotating a combined
to-and-fro and side-to-side motion; the side-to-side motion gives a corresponding
movement to the transverse piece R which carries the feed, while the to-and-fro
motion causes the incline P to alternately raise and lower the said transverse piece.
The feed consequently receives all the requisite movements. The transverse piece
R is provided with the necessary spring or springs S, and there is an adjustable
screw Tat the end of this piece to regulate the length of feed.
Another improved way of actuating the shuttle is represented in Figures 4, 5, and
6 (Sheet 2); Figure 4 being a longitudinal elevation partly in section; Figure 5, a
back view with the wheels removed; and Figure 6, a view of the under side of a
sewing machine constructed with the improved arrangement. From a crank B
on the upper horizontal shaft A of the machine, or from a crank pin on the wheel
of the said upper shaft, I carry a connecting rod C to a crank D on a lower
horizontal shaft E. From another crank F on this lower shaft a link G is carried
to a horizontal lever H, to which it is jointed preferably by a universal joint. The
short arm of this lever is pivoted at K to the frame of the machine, while the longer
arm is connected with the shuttle carriage L. The shuttle carriage is fitted in
either straight or curved guides, as thought best, and when fitted in straight guides
M (as shewn) the end of the lever H is slotted, as seen in the Drawings, to receive
a projection N on the shuttle carriage to allow of the straight motion of the shuttle.
I prefer to make the position of the universal joint and of the crank to which it is
connected adjustable within slight limits to allow of the stroke of the shuttle being
adjusted as required.
Another part of my Invention relates to the means of actuating a top "feed."
This part of the Invention is best seen in Figure 7, which is a back view of the
head of the machine, and in Figure 4. On the upper horizontal shaft A of the
machine, I form a double cam O which works in a slot in a vertical bar Q which
carries the combined feed and presser foot R.. A spring S pressing on the top of a
bar tends to keep it down. As the upper shaft A revolves one portion of its cam
O pushes back the feed so as to move the work the distance of one stitch, the next
portion of the cam then lifts the feed, and at the same time pushes it forward; the
cam then leaves the feed bar Q free, so that the top spring S is able to push it
down into its first position. The length of the feed can be regulated by an
adjustable screw U which presses against the feed bar.
Another part of my Invention relates to the "take up," that is to say, to means
of keeping the thread tight until the needle enters the work, and then releasing the
thread to allow of the shuttle passing freely through the loop produced by the usual
heart motion of the needle bar. For this purpose I cause the thread to pass between
a spring V (see the front view of the head of the machine, Figure 8, and sectional plan
as seen from below, Figure 9) and a stud or projection W on the head of the
machine, and I form an extension X of this spring so as to embrace the needle bar
Y. The needle bar is made thinner at one part, as seen at Z, so that when the
spring extension X takes hold of this thin portion, the spring V presses against its
stud or projection W and holds the thread tight, but when the thicker portion of
the needle bar comes during its downward movement opposite the spring extension

page_text: ✗, it pushes the same to the right, thereby withdrawing the spring V from its stud
W and releasing the thread.
A modification of the "take up" just described is represented in Figures 10, 11,
12, and 13 (Sheet 1). Here the thinning of the needle bar Y is at the front instead
of at the back as in the modification previously explained, and the extension X of
the spring V instead of embracing the needle bar simply bears against the front side
thereof, as shewn.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my "Improvements
in Sewing Machines,"
First. The improved arrangement of parts for actuating the shuttle, substantially
as herein-before described with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the annexed
Drawings.
Second. The improved arrrangement of parts for operating the feed, substantially
as herein-before described with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the annexed
Drawings.
Third. The improved arrangement of parts for actuating the shuttle, substantially
as herein-before described with reference to Figures 4, 5, and 6 of the annexed
Drawings.
Fourth. The improved arrangement for actuating a top feed, substantially as
herein-before described and represented in Figures 4 and 7 of the annexed
Drawings.
Fifth. The improved "take up" arranged and acting, substantially as herein-
before described and represented in Figures 4, 7, 8, and 9, and in Figures 10 to 13
of the annexed Drawings.
In witness, whereof, I, the said Alfred David Turner, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Tenth day of April, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-seven.
ALFRED D. TURNER. (L.S.)