Year: 1886

page_text: I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent, Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention consists partly of a sewing machine having a continuous feed, the
needle being adapted to yield as it is carried along by the fabric or material, the
motion of the latter thus being uninterrupted.
It further partly consists of means for preventing the cloth or fabric from being.
carried around by the feed-wheel...
It further partly consists of a preaser-foot adapted to be adjusted in relation to
the cloth-plate and feed, so as to operate properly without coming in contact with
said feed.
It also partly consists of a novel guide, between which pieces of fabric or
material to be sewed are passed and directed closely to the needle, and by means of
which curls in the same are taken out or curling is prevented.
In the accompanying drawing:
Figures 1 and. 2. represent elevations of opposite sides of a sewing machine
embodying the said invention.
Figure 3 represents an underside view thereof, partly in horizontal section. :
Figure 4 represents a vertical section on the line x, x, Figure 2.
Figure 5 represents a horizontal section on the line y, y, Figure 2.
Figure 6 represents a top view of a portion detached.
Figure 7 represents a section on the line z, z, Figure 5.
Figure 8 represents a section on the line ¹, z¹ Figure 3.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
A represents the cloth-plate of a sewing machine, B the driving shaft, C the
needle, D the vibrating needle-arm, and E the goose neck or support of said; arm..
The needle is lengthened and connected at its upper end with the arm D by
means of an oscillating block D¹ and screw D³, said needle passing through a
guide F which is secured to the lower end of the front portion of the support E,

page_text: and has its slot or opening F1 lengthened in the direction of the proposed path of
travel of the fabric while being sewed, so that the needle may yield or play in
gaid direction.
G represents a feed-wheel whose shaft H is mounted on a hanger J; said shaft
also carrying a pinion K, with which meshes a pinion L whose shaft M is mounted
on a hanger N and has secured to it a bevel-wheel P with which meshes a bevel-
wheel Q, the latter being secured to a shaft R which is mounted on a hanger S.
The hangers J, N, S are cast with or secured to the cloth-plate, the hangers J, S
being slotted to receive the respective shafts, whereby the latter with their
connected parts may be adjusted or removed as desired.
To the shaft R is secured a worm-wheel T, which engages with a worm U on the
driving shaft B.
It will be seen that when power is communicated to the shaft B, the gearing
herein before mentioned is rotated, and the feed-wheel G is operated, the rotation of
said wheel being continuous, thus causing a continuous advance of the fabric or
material to be sewed to the needle. It is evident that, owing to the continuous
motion of the fabric, the needle is carried along with the same from the instant it
pierces the fabric until it leaves the same. This is permitted by the slot or
opening F, which, being extended in the direction of the cloth while being sewed,
admits of the play of the needle; it being noticed that while the needle is held
sufficiently firm at its upper end the lower portion has a slight play in the direction
of the extension of the slot F¹ so as to be permitted to yield as it is pressed forward
by the fabric or material into which it is inserted.
When the needle emerges from the fabric or material it is returned by a
spring D³ to its normal position, the limit thereof being a stop F in the slot of the
guide F, the same consisting, in the present case, of a pin or bar secured to the
guide and projecting into or across the slot thereof.
The spring D³ is secured to the lower end of the vertical part of the support E
and bears against, or in the direction of the needle.
The presser-foot E¹ is fitted between the vertical part of the support E and
a stationary plate E, and carries a pin E³ which enters a vertical slot E' in said
plate. Pivotted to the plate is a scroll or cam E³ against which the pin Es bears
when the presser foot is lowered; it is evident that by rotating the cam, the pin
and consequently the presser-foot may be controlled in its descent, by which
provision the presser-foot may be adjusted in relation to the cloth-plate and feed-
wheel G, and so set that it may be prevented from coming in contact with, and bo
rubbed or ground by, said feed-wheel, without however affecting its usual rising.
and falling motions.
Connected with the cloth-plate are fingers G¹, which extend horizontally over
the feed-wheel G and enter the grooves thereof, parallel with the cloth-plate.
By this provision, the sewed material is directed upon the fingers G and thus
conveyed across the cloth-plate without liability of being carried around by the
feed-wheel.
V represents a guide for the fabric or material to be sewed, the same consisting
of a plate V¹ fixed to the cloth-plate and of yielding plates V above the same, said
plates V* being adapted to separate so as to receive the fabric or material between
them; the extent of separation being regulated or adjusted by means of a
nut W which is fitted on a screw W₁; the latter rising from the plate V1 and
passing freely through the plates V², and having a spring W' which is interposed
between the nut and top plate and serves to force the plates towards each other
and press the fabric or material between them.
Rising from the bottom plate V₁ are pins ✗, which pass freely through the
plates V and are located in a right line in the transverse direction of the machine.
in proximity to the needle, so as to guide the fabric or material true to the same
and cause the sewing to be close to the edge of the fabric or material.
↓
The guide V is set at an angle to the path of the sewing, so that the plates V¹, V³
receive between them more fabric or material than is left at the edge of them while

page_text: under the needle. This causes the edges of the fabric or material to be smoothed
before leaving the guide, and curling of the same prevented, a feature of importance
where the fabric or material sewed is hosiery or knitted fabric.
It will be seen that when the edges or pieces of fabric or material are inserted
between the plates V1, V2, the pins X guide the same true to the needle, the
guiding being further assisted by a stationary guide Y which is secured to the
cloth-plate and occupies a recess Z in the guide V, so that the pins X and said
guide Y form, as it were, a continuity.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated
to me by my foreign Correspondent I declare that what I claim is
First. A sewing machine having the driving shaft B with worm gearing U
thereon, a counter shaft R having a worm wheel T meshing with said worm U, and
a bevel wheel meshing with the bevel wheel P mounted on a shaft M, the said
shaft M having a pinion L and the shaft H a pinion K and feed-wheel G, the said
pinion K meshing with said pinion L, all of said parts operating so as to impart a
continuous rotary motion to said wheel G, substantially as described.
Second. The feed-wheel G, and means substantially as described for imparting a
continuous rotary motion thereto, in combination with a yielding needle and a
guide having a slot, substantially as described.
Third. A sewing machine having a feed-wheel with means substantially as
described for imparting a continuous rotary motion thereto, a yielding needle, and
a spring adapted to control said needle in one direction, substantially as, and for
the purpose, set forth.
Fourth. A yielding needle C, in combination with the guide F having slot F¹,
spring D³, and wheel G having means substantially as described for imparting
a continuous rotary motion thereto, substantially as described.
Fifth. The presser-foot of a sewing machine made vertically adjustable, for the
purpose set forth.
Sixth. A feed-wheel provided with a guard, whereby cloth or fabric is prevented
from being carried around by said wheel, as stated.
Seventh. A presser-foot provided with a pin or projection which is engaged by a
cam, whereby said presser-foot may be vertically adjusted in relation to the cloth-
plate or feed device, or both, substantially as described.
Eighth. A sewing machine having a continuous feed, and a lengthened needle,
said needle yielding and being connected with the operating arm by means of an
oscillating block, substantially as described.
Ninth. A sewing machine having a guide formed of serrated plates and guiding
pins which are passed freely through said plates substantially as described.
Tenth. The guide V formed of the clamping plates V1, V2, the pins X, nut W,
screw W, and spring W³, substantially as described.
Dated this and day of Fabory 1886