Improvements in Sewing and Plaiting Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 1st Apr., 1899
[Communicated from abroad by THE SINGER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, of New
York, in the United States of America, Sewing Machine Manufacturers.]
Improvements in Sewing and Plaiting Machines.
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 is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement; -
The object of my invention is to provide a sewing machine with a comparatively
simple mechanism for producing either right or left hand side or knife plaiting
or single or double box plaiting at the will of the operator and with simple
adjustments or changes, my improved mechanism being of such construction that
in making box-plaiting the folds will always be evenly laid so that the liability
of imperfect work, which sometimes occurs in the use of similar machines hereto-
fore constructed, will be entirely avoided.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a front side view of a Singer single
thread chain stitch machine equipped with my improved plaiting device, and
Fig. 2 is a partial end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a partial plan view of the lower
part of the machine, and Fig. 4 a bottom view, with the feeding mechanism
omitted, to show the plaiting mechanism beneath the work-plate. Figs. 5 and 6
are detail sectional views of the reciprocating carriage and connected parts.
Fig. 7 is a detail view of the cam and ratchet wheels, and Fig. 8 is a similar
view showing a modified form of cam. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the presser-foot,
and Fig. 10 a vertical section thereon on line 10-10 of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a
detail view to show the bevelled contact parts of the pin eo and the lever f, and
Fig. 12 is a detail view showing the means for adjusting the pressure of the
jaw e
The stitch-forming and feeding mechanisms of the sewing machine shown are
of well-known construction and need not therefore be herein described. The
driving shaft B, carrying at its forward end the rotating looper b, is provided
with a bevel gear meshing with a larger bevel gear 62 with which latter is
connected an eccentric e surrounded by the strap of a pitman e¹ one end of which
is adjustably connected to a plaiter-operating lever a pivoted at to a plate a
attached to the frame A of the machine. The lever d, consisting, as shown, of
a single rigid piece of metal with offset parts, is forked at its forward end to
embrace a reduced or neck portion of a slide-block the lower part of which
reciprocates on a fixed guide-rod dª supported beneath the work-plate A', and
the upper part of which works in a slot a¹ in said work-plate.
E is a reciprocating plate or carriage pivotally connected with the upper
part of the lide-black so as to reciprocate therewith and so as to be adapted
to have a slight rocking or tilting motion thereon in making box-plaiting. This
pivotal connection of the plate or carriage E with the said slide-block is effected
by a small bar e screwed or otherwise attached to the underside of said plate or
carriage and provided with a cylindrical portion et fitting in a round hole in said

page_text: slide-block. The carriage E carries the plaiting blades or jaws e, e³, between
which the strip or strips of fabric to be plaited pass. The lower blade or jaw e
is formed integral with or attached to the carriage E, while the upper blade or
jaw is preferably attached to the bar secured to but slightly separated from
the said plate or carriage E to permit the material to pass between them, said
bar having a guide slot for one strip of material, when two strips are being
embodied in the plaiting, the other or main strip being guided by the laterally
adjustable edge-guides carried by the bars e held in any desired position of
adjustment by the set screw e. The upper blade 3, which is of spring metal,
is held in yielding contact with the lower blade & by a small thumb-nute on
a threaded stud e, and which may be turned down more or less to vary the
pressure of the upper blade against the lower one, as is desirable with different
kinds of materials, heavy goods requiring more pressure than light goods.
The carriage E has a tail-piece e provided with a downwardly projecting pin elo
extending through a slot a in the work-plate so as to be engaged, at times, by
a lever pivoted at f¹ and having a rounded projection f held in contact with a
star or cam-wheel g by a spring f. The cam-wheel g is rigidly secured to or
formed integral with a ratchet wheel g' and both of said wheels turn on the shank
of a screw fixed to the work-plate. G is a swinging plate or pawl-carrier
provided with a pawl 3 engaging the ratchet-wheel g², said pawl-carrier being
jointed to the free end of a lever g pivoted at g to the plate a and connected by
a link g and screw g to the pitman c¹. A spring go, bearing against the cam-
wheel, is preferably employed, to hold said wheel stationary at proper times or
to prevent said wheel from over-throwing when rotated by the pawl. The
upper part of the slide-block is recessed for the reception of a coil spring 98
which presses upward against the lower surface of the carriage E forward of
the pivotal connection of the latter with said slide-block, said spring thus serving
to hold the pin elo down in the slot a² so that the lower end of said pin, extending
through said slot, may be engaged by the lever f, at times, to tilt the forward
part of the carriage E, and the plaiting jaws or blades e2, 3, downward in opposi-
tion to the stress of the said spring 8. The cam wheel g is so rotated by its
connected ratchet-wheel that during the time required for one forward and back-
ward movement of the carriage E the projection f2 on the lever f may rest
in a recess between two teeth or arms of the star or cam-wheel g, thus uncovering
the slot so that the pin eo will project down through the same and permit
the carriage to reciprocate with the plaiting blades or jaws e, e, lifted from the
work-plate. At the next forward and backward movement of said carriage
the lever f will be forced outward or to the leit by one of the teeth or arms of
the star or cam-wheel covering the slot and raising the in and thereby
tilting the forward side of the carriage E and the plaiting blades or jaws downward
close to the work-plate in opposition to the stress of the spring one or both
of the contiguous parts of the lever and the pin being properly rounded or
bevelled off to permit the former to slid casily beneath the latter.
Thus in making box-plaiting the material is folded alternately up and down
by the alternately raised and lowered plaiting blades or jaws, the movements of
the parts being preferably so timed that the change of the plaiting blades or
jaws from their raised to their lowered position, or vice versa, occurs during the
time when the said blades or jaws are performing their backward movements,
so as to fold the material over or under properly.
To change the machine from box plaiting to plain or knife plaiting in which
all of the folds of the material are laid one way it is only necessary to remove
the screw which connects the link g with the pitman c¹, and the operation of
the pawl and ratchet mechanism and consequently the rotation of the star or
cam-wheel will then be suspended with the plaiting blades or jaws either in a
raised or lowered position, according as it may be desired to make the folds of
the material upward or downward in making either right hand or left hand
knife or plain plaiting.

page_text: The throw of the carriage E and of the plaiting blades or jaws, to make plaits
of different widths is varied by changing the point of connection of the pitman c
with the plaiter-operating lever d by means of the curved slot do in said lever and
in which the end of the said pitman is secured in any desired position of adjust-
ment by means of a swivel block, threaded pin and set butt of ordinary construc-
tion. Owing to the curvature of the slot do the plaiting blades or jaws in
making throws of different lengths, will always move forward to the same point,
up close to the needle, the backward movements only, in making wider plaits,
being increased.
The presser-foot I is provided with a wide upwardly-curved toe portion i adjust-
ably secured to said presser-foot by means of a false foot extending beneath
the foot I and having a rib fitting in a slot in the bottom of the said foot I.
A set screw passing through the slot and tapped in the rib 2 holds the
foot in any desired position of adjustment, the said foot being provided with
a needle slot of a length equal to the length of its adjustment. Thus when the
plaiting blades or jaws have a long throw, in forming wide plaits, the toe i
will be adjusted forward towards the said blades or jaws so that the latter will
meet said toe earlier in their plaiting movement than they otherwise would,
to properly fold the material, but in making narrow plaits or folds the said toe
will be adjusted to a position nearer to the needle.
When the plaiting blades move forward in their lowered position they have a
tendency to shove the entire material forward rather than to fold the material
held in their grasp smoothly under the material in advance, so that imperfect
work frequently results owing to the fact that the material is not properly held
up so that the plaiting blades in making the lower folds will always pass beneath
the material in advance, but will sometimes shove the material forward more or
less and thus fail to make a perfect fold or to make any fold at all. To obviate
this difficulty, and thereby absolutely insure perfect work, either in making box-
plaiting or in making plain or knife plaiting by folding the material under by
reciprocating the plaiting blades in a lowered position, I have provided a yielding
work-lifter or lower presser which is located in front of the needle and in the
line of movement of the plaiting blades and which will thus hold the work up
in front of said blades so that as the latter move forward in their lowered position
they will fold the new material, which they are carrying forward, beneath the
material in advance, and thus ensure an even and smooth fold.
This yielding work-lifter, in the form of my invention herein shown consists
of a pivoted dog sustained by a support beneath the work-plate and extending
up through a slot as in said plate, said dog or work-lifter being forced yieldingly
upward by a small coil spring placed beneath it on said support, the latter
being provided with a slotted arm by means of which and a set screw said
support is adjustably secured to the said work-plate. The said work-lifter may
thus be secured in different positions of adjustment, as is desirable in making
plaits of different widths, said work-lifter being preferably so adjusted as to be
but a slight distance in front of the blades when the latter are in their extreme
backward position.
In the operation of the machine the strip of material to be plaited is led
forward between the edge guides e6, beneath the bar and between the plaiting
blades or jaws e, e, to the needle. If a second or differently coloured strip is to
be employed it is led through the guide slote and between the plaiting blades,
with the first strip, to the needle, and both strips are plaited or folded together,
In making box-plaiting the plaiting blades perform their alternate reciprocations
in raised and lowered positions the work being held up by the yielding work-
lifter in front of the plaiting blades when said blades are moving forward
in a lowered position and as said blades continue their forward movement they
depress said work-lifter out of the way, and the fold is closely and evenly laid.
Thus the said lifter offers no impediment to the proper operation of the blades
as the latter complete the fold.

page_text: In the machine herein shown the gears 61, 62, are so proportioned that the
plaiting blades perform one reciprocation while the needle is making two stitches,
but these relative movements of the needle and plaiting blades may be varie:
as may be desired, and the character of the work may also be changed by rotating,
the cam-wheel g faster or slower than has been described or by changing the shape
thereof. Thus by substituting the cam-wheel ³, having three projections, for the
cam-wheel y, what is known as double box plaiting will be produced.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In a sewing and plaiting machine, the combination with stitch-forming
and feeding mechanisms, of a pair of plaiting jaws or blades, means for recipr
cating said jaws or blades, and a normally stationary but yielding work-lifter
supported by the work-plate below the said jaws or blades and in the line of their
movement.
2. In a
sewing and plaiting machine, the combination with stitch-forming
and feeding mechanisms, of a pair of plaiting blades or jaws, means for recipro-
cating and for raising and lowering said blades or jaws, a yielding work-lifter
arranged below said blades or jaws and in the line of their movement, and means
for varying the throw of said blades or jaws and also for changing the position of
adjustment of said work-lifter.
3. In a sewing and plaiting machine, the combination with stitch-forming
and feeding mechanisms, of a pair of plaiting blades or jaws, means for recipro-
cating the same and for varying their throw, a normally stationary but yielding
work-lifter below said blades, and a presser foot provided with a false foot or sole
portion which is adjustable in the line of the movement of the said blades or
Jaws.
4. In a sewing and plaiting machine, the combination with stitch-forming
and feeding mechanisms, of a pair of reciprocating blades or jaws, a carriage
on which said blades or jaws are mounted, a slide block for operating said carriage
and to which slide block said carriage is pivotally attached, so that said carriage
may rock or tilt, a rotary eccentric, and a lever operatively connected with said
eccentric and serving to reciprocate said slide-block and carriage.
5. In a sewing and plaiting machine, the combination with stitch-forming
and feeding mechanisms, of a pair of reciprocating plaiting blades or jaws, a
carriage on which said blades or jaws are mounted, a slide block to
which said carriage is pivotally attached o that said carriage is free
to rock or tilt, a rotating cecentric, and a lever operatively connected
with said cccentric and serving to reciprocate said slide-block and
carriage, said lever having an arm provided with al curved slot and
to which slotted arm the operating connection is adjustably attached.
6. In a sewing and plaiting machine, the combination with stitch-forming
and feeding mechanisms, of a reciprocating carriage E provided with a pair of
plaiting blades, a slide-block on which said carriage is pivotally mounted, the
leverd for reci rocating said slide-block, the eccentric geared to the driving
shaft of the machine, and the pitman c¹ connecting said eccentric with said
lever.
7. In a sewing and plaiting machine, the combination with stitch-forming
and feeding mechanisms, of a pair of reciprocating blades or jaws in yielding
contact with each other, a carriage to which said blades or jaws are attached,
a slide-block on which said carriage is pivotally mounted, a guide-rod, as d,
for said slide block, the lever d engaging a reduced portion of said slide-block,
the rotating eccentric c, and the pitman connecting said eccentric with said
lever.
8. In a sewing and plaiting machine, the combination with stitch-forming

page_text: and feeding mechanisms, of the reciprocating carriage E provided with a pair
of plaiting blades, a slide-block on which said carriage is pivotally mounted,
the lever d for reciprocating said slide-block, the eccentric c geared to the driving
shaft of the machine and the pitman c¹ connecting said eccentric with said lever,
the latter having a slotted arm to enable the connection of said pitman to be
varied to change the throw of said plaiting blades.
9. In a sewing and plaiting machine, the combination with a pair of recipro-
cating and pivotally mounted plaiting blades adapted to rock or tilt and to be
moved back and forth, of a lever, as d, for reciprocating said blades a tilting
device, as lever f, for rocking or oscillating said blades, an eccentric, as c,
operatively connected with said operating lever and with said blade-tilting device,
and means for disconnecting the tilting mechanism from said eccentric when plain
or knife plaiting is to be done.
10. In a sewing and plaiting machine, the combination with the pivoted carriage
E provided with the pin eo and carrying a pair of plaiting blades, a slide-block
for reciprocating said carriage, the lever d for operating said slide-block, the
eccentric e geared to the driving shaft of the machine, the pitman c¹ connecting
said eccentric with said lever, the spring-pressed lever f arranged to engage the
said pin el, a cam-wheel, as g, for operating said lever f, a ratchet-wheel to rotate
said cam-wheel, a pawl-carrier and pawl to operate said ratchet-wheel, the lever g
and the link g and screw g connecting said lever g with the said pitman, and
a spring for tilting the pivoted carriage in opposition to the movements imparted
thereto by the said lever f acting on the said pin e¹0.
Dated this 20th dow of December 1808
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents, 62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow.
Agent for the Applicant.