IMPROVE- MENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1884

page_text: COMTELE
DIEVIFICATION.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Instituto of
Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SEWING MACHINES" (a communication to me from abroad by Benjamin
Franklin Landis of St Joseph in the County of Buchanan, and State of Missouri
United States of America, Harness Maker) and in what manner the same is to be.
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of this invention is to adapt a sewing machine to do very heavy work
and more especially that class of work in which leather is the material to be
sewed. To this end the invention consists in improvements in the construction of
a sewing machine in certain parts to wit: First. In a channeling device for
cutting grooves or channels in leather in which the stitches shall be embedded to
any desired depth in sewing.
Second. In a feeding device a clamp onto the work from above and below to
move the work firmly onto the channeling blades or to feed either the upper or
lower side of the work faster than the other to curve the work out of plane.
Third. In steadying and guiding the needle body so that it may not be accidentally
or carelessly misguided to strike upon the plate and be thereby broken.
Fourth. To take up the loop formed in the upper thread for the passage of the
shuttle before the needle is withdrawn and to hold the thread taut during the
withdrawal of the needle so that the thread may not by doubling on itself resist
the withdrawal of the needle.
Fifth. To provide means whereby a large quantity of thread may be wound
upon the bobbin and carried in the shuttle of the sewing machine in such a manner
as to pass more directly to the shuttle delivery than it has heretofore done in order
that irregular tension may be avoided and more even work be produced and—
Sixth. To maintain such a degree of heat in the shuttle race and wax rosorvoirs"
as to keep the wax fluid and the thread pliable without weakening the thread by
over heating and without so moistening the adjacent parts of the machine as to
produce rust,

page_text: '
To this end the invention consists in the construction and combination of parts
hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying
drawings in which :-
Figure 1, is a perspective drawing of a sewing machine showing this invention
and-
Figure 2. shows the obverse side of the same machine in olevation.
Figure 3. is a rear end view of the same.
Figure 4 is a front end view of a portion of the machine showing the feeding
and channeling device.
Figures 5 and 6 are front and end elevations of the head of the machine, showing
the needle guide and needle carrying arm and channel cutter.
Figures 7 and 8 are elevations part in section showing the thread take up device
at different stages of operation.
Figures 9 and 10 are elevations of the shuttle with the cap removed showing the
bobbin at different stages of discharge.
Figure 11 shows a modification of the bobbin.
Figure 12 is a longitudinal vertical section of the waxing device at 2. z. of
Figure 13.
Figure 13 is a horizontal section of the waxing device at ww of figure 15.
Figure 14 is a transverse section at y. y. figure 13 and-
Figure 15 is a transverse vertical section at x. x figure 13.
A represents the bed of a sewing machine, A¹ the arm fixed thereto or cast as a
part thereof at its outer end a head A" in which the needle A reciprocates
vertically as usual. B represents the channel cutter consisting of a blade fixed to
project through a slot in the feeder directly in the path of the stitches ahead of the
needle so as to cut a channel for the stitches to be buried in. I secure the blade B,
to the body of the machine by means of clamping screws B¹¹, see figure 5, so that
the blade may be adjusted to project any required distance into the leather. C is
the presser foot actuated by springs b¹ 611 which are attached to a yoke d¹ bearing
on top of the foot bar, to hold the work down and this foot is also actuated to
operate as the upper feeder to pass this work to the needle. D is a lower feeder
acting in conjunction with the feeder C, to firmly grasp the work and carry it
forward. To this end each feeder is given the usual movement known as the four
motion feed. Each is actuated by mechanism independent of the other so that
either may advance more or less than the other, or to the same amount, yet the
two are so related that they advance together after having firmly clamped the
work. This is necessary in order that the work may be forced upon the channel
cutter, and in order that either the upper or lower portion may feed faster than the
other in sewing curved work such as breeching, collars, etc. I herowith show one
set of mechanism whereby the above stated movements may be accomplished.
The springs b' 11 cause the down movement of the upper feeder C, when the latter
is released by the descent of the lifting arm R. The vertical bar of the feeder
foot C. is provided with trunnions C³ which enter vertical grooves in the head A¹¹
to serve as vertical guides to the bar or foot C and as pivots on which the foot
may vibrate in the act of, feeding the work to the needle. E is a link connecting
the feeder C with one arm F of the rock shaft G which has another arm & engaged
by astud C adjustably fixed on a sliding rod L. This rod is provided with a
roller C engaging a cam Y! on the driving pulley Y. This causes the second or
advancing movement of the feeder. The third and fourth or return and rising
movements of the feeder C are produced by the lever R being connected with the
feeder at the point U" by means of the rod U₁ and the adjusting block T. The
rod U' hanging at an angle rearward, see dotted lines figure 4, swings the feeder
to the rear in raising it. The lever R is actuated to rise and fall by a cam O on
the main shaft N. of the machine working in a yoke P¹. connected with the lever R
by a rod P.
The lower feeder D is actuated as follows Z' figure 3 is a roller pivoted on one
face of the wheel Y to act at each revolution of the main shaft upon a projecting

page_text: plate X1 of the lever X, to depress the latter, thereby raising the feeder D; to meet
the feeder C and pressing the work between the two feeders. At this time a cam Z
secured to the main shaft acts against the edge of lever X which is vertically and
borizontally pivoted at X" to draw the feeder D, forward. b is a set screw
against which lever X is thrown by a spring at X" as soon as cam Z disengages the
lever, which occurs immediately after roller Z' disengages plate X', leaving lever X
free to be raised at its rear end by a spring 7. Tho set screw b controls the
amount of throw of lever X thereby regulating the length of the lower feed motion.
The roller C¹ being adjustable on rod L regulates the amount of the upper feed.
Thus the upper and lower feeds are each independent and complete without the
other, yet they act in conjunction for one common result. I provide both feeders
with spurs UU, figure 4, to engage the work in the needle holes to assist the
feeders to hold the work and to shape the appearance of the stitches.
E is the needle guide consisting of a plate a having a vertical hole through it
large enough to permit the needle A" and the thread carried thereby to pass freely
through it, yet not large enough to permit any unnecessary sideways play to the
needle and a shank e¹ of any suitable form to reciprocate vertically in ways d
adapted to keep it from twisting in order that the plate hole may be sustained in
the path of the needle. e is a stud rigidly fixed in the shank e' in the path of the
needle carrying arm D₁ at such a distanco above the plate a as will raise the plate
nearly to the lower face of the head A" when the arm D¹ is at its extreme height.
F is a spring connecting the stud e with a stud f which is fixed in one of the
stationary ways d. G¹ is a stop block secured upon the shank e¹ by a set screw
whereby the descent of the guide may be arrested at any point desired. This will
usually be just above the work. When the arm D' descends carrying the needle
into the work the spring F" causes the guide e¹ to descend therewith, thus
guarding the needle until it enters the work, and remaining just above the work
to prevent the needle from being pulled sideways until the needle rises out of
the work when the arm D³ raises the guide as before described. Any other
mechanism that will maintain the guide in the relation to the needle above
described may be substituted for that shown.
d
-
The guides & may be provided with adjusting screws h whereby the guide may
be set to bear against one side of the needle to hold it up to work in which the
stitching is so near the edge as not to support the needle on that side. The
guides & may be slotted to pass the binding screws h. H is the take up lover
pivoted to the machine at g a little above and to the rear of the pivot o of the
needle arm D¹. d" is a stud projecting from the face of the lever H, across the
path of the arm D¹ to be engaged by a knob e¹¹ thereon. I is a strong spring
connecting the rear end of lever H with a rear portion of the arın D¹ acting to
draw the two together and tending to hold the forward end of the lever H
constantly raised. J is a lug adjustably secured to the body of the machine by
means of a slot and set screw f¹ to be raised or lowered as may be required to stop
the action of the lever H at any desired point. K is the spool of upper thread.
Lis a tension device. Mis a thread guide on the arm D³. N₁ is a thread guide
and tension device on the body A¹ and O is a thread guide and tension device on
the lever H. The thread P passes through those guides to the needle A¹ as
shown in figure 2, in which the needle has arrived on its way down at that point
where the thread for forming the loop should begin to be let off. Now this needle
is nearly down and the knob e" has come in contact with the stud d¹ and as the
needle descends it will cause the thread guide O to descend more rapidly until it
overtakes and rests on the arm D' at the lower end of the needle stroke, see dotted
lines n', thus giving down the thread required for the loop through which the
shuttle passes.
When the needle arm rises it at first raises the guide O of the take up lever but
directly the cam e frees the stud d¹ the spring I quickly draws up all the slack
thread of the loop and holds it taut until the stitch is formed. Then the needle
arm is nearly at the top of its sween and the guide lever H is struck thereby

page_text: giving at the last end of its stroke a sudden jerk, similar to that of hand sewing,
to bury the stitch. The needle bas no direct action to draw the stitch, that being
done by the take up. By this means the strain upon the needle is greatly reduced
assisting a much smaller needle to carry a thread of given size so that the thread
fills the needle holes more closely and better work is produced.
As before stated this machine is especially designed for heavy work using a
coarse thread, therefore a shuttle and bobbin which will carry this coarse thread
in a reasonably large quantity, are desirable, and I have devised the following.
J' figures 9 and 10 is a shuttle having a central side delivery " for the thread i
and having bearings ill for the spindle j on which one or more spools k¹ are fitted
to revolve. The spools are each less than one half the length of the chamber in
the shuttle J. The spools, the spindle and thread wound thereon constitute a
bobbin which I wind as follows:-
k
First wind enough thread i on one end of the spindle to fasten it, then place
a spool on the spindle j, pass the thread onto the spool and fill the latter. Now
place another spool on the other end of the spindle, wind the thread quickly
across the spindle between and onto spool k¹ and fill the latter. Thon run the
thread onto the spindle between the spools and fill the space, and the bobbin is
complete, ready for use, or to be sold to the trade.
The result is as follows:-
The thread will first be used from the space between the spools which being
centrally opposite the delivery i¹ in the shuttle, the thread will have comparatively
little sideways draft. Second, the thread drawing upon the spool will slip it
along the spindle in front of tho delivery whero it will reciprocate to and fro,
dividing the sideways strain with the angle of deflection of the thread so as to
produce the least possible friction Lastly the thread being unwound from spool k¹
and from the spindle will draw spool in front of the delivery displacing spool kl
and the before described operation will be repeated By this means a shuttle may
be chambered from end to end and filled with thread on a bobbin, while the anglo
of deflection of the thread and consequent irregular tension will be equal on an
average to that with a bobbin of less than one third the capacity of this one, the
quality of the work will be improved, and time will be saved in changing
bobbins.
On heavy leather working machines, waxed thread is used and in order to keep
the thread pliable, artificial heat is necessary both in the wax reservoir and in the
shuttle race.
Heretofore steam has been injected into the shuttle race but while
this accomplishes the desired object the dampness injures the work and rusts the
machine, causing serious damage. Dry heat has also been used but it is attended
with serious difficulty in maintaining the right degree of heat. If too cool the
thread won't run and breaks either itself or the needle. If too hot the thread is
weakened, sometimes to brittleness. I aim to establish a mean between these
extremes, which may always be relied upon by the following described mechanism
attached as a part of the machine, and separately represented in figures 12 to 15
of the drawings.
m is an open bottomed box of sheet metal firmly secured to the body A of the
mechanism. This box has four vertical walls n and a floor o which is some distance
from the lower edge of the walls forming therewith the combustion chamber p in
which heat is generated by any usual method such as the perforated gas pipe g.
is a water tank or boiler to which water is supplied at intervals when required
8 is a flue up which a portion of the heat or products of combustion may pass into
the hot air chamber t. u is a pipe for delivering hot air from chamber to the
shuttle race v. This pipe is shown as extending around to enter the shuttle race
from its outer end but the connection may be made at any point desired along the
shuttle race.
w represents the wax bowl into which the needle dips at each stitch,
carrying the thread in its eye into the wax which is kept melted in said bowl by
heat received through a pipe n¹ coming directly from the hot air chamber t or from
the pipe t' represents the wax reservoir. having the water chamber interposed

page_text: between it and the combustion chamber p and adjoining the hot air chamber t, at
one side. The wax may be delivered to the wax bowl w by any usual method
such as the pump r¹ and the pipe a¹. 111 is an overflow to return surplus wax
from the bowl w to the wax reservoir t'. By interposing a water chamber between.
the flame and the hot air chamber, and by forcing the hot air to pass in a narrow
flue through the water chamber, I cause the extreme or dangerous degree of heat
to be diffused in the water and to be given out therefrom in a reduced degree to
the wax and to the hot air chamber, and by interposing the hot air chamber thus
limited in heat by the action of the water chamber between the flame and the
shuttle race I prevent the introduction to the latter of any air which is dangerously
hot, at the same time I insure a supply of perfectly dry air at a degree of hent
sufficient to accomplish the desired result.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The combination with an upper and a lower feeder and means for clamping
them intermittently upon tho work, of a cutting blade fixed in the path of the
stitches, substantially as described, whereby a channel will be cut for the stitches
to bury in.
2. The combination with the feed foot C. having trunnions C³ on its sides, of the
head A" having a vertical slot for the body of the feeder C, and vertical side slots
for the trunnions C³ to reciprocate in and means, substantially as described, for
reciprocating said feed foot both vertically and horizontally as shown and described,
whereby the foot may swing upon its trunnion in said slots and give the same
amount of feed at any height to which it may be raised.
3. The combination with the vertically slotted head A" and the foot C having
trunnions C³ to engage said slot, of the yoke d' engaging said feed foot, the springs
61 and 6 secured at one end to the head A" and at the other end to said yoke a',
and the adjusting screw E. El substantially as shown and described.
4. The combination with the feel foot C having trunnions C³ the slotted head A"
and a yoke d¹ and the springs b' 6" and the set screws E' E, of the rock shaft ;-
having arms F. M, the connecting rod E, the slide bar L, the stud and block Cu,
and the roller and adjustable block C, the wheel Y. having the cam Y¹, and the
shaft N, as and for the purpose specified.
5. The combination of the feed foot C having trunuions C³, the slotted head A¹,
and the means described for depre-sing and horizontally reciprocating said feed
foot, of the lever R, connecting rod U, the rod P provided with yoke P¹³, and the
cam O on shaft N, as shown and described.
6. The combination with the feed foot C. the head A", the lever R and the
means described for operating said feed foot and said lover, of the rod U¹ connecting
said feed foot and said lever and the block T and set screw U substantially as
described, whereby the feed foot may be adjusted to any given height and then
go through all its movements to their full extent, for the purpose as shown and
described.
7. The combination with the base piece A, and the lower feeder D, of the lever X,
provided with both horizontal and vertical pivots at X, the pivot D' and the
plate X, the wheel Y on the shaft N, the roller Z', the cam Z, spring at X" and
set screw b, as shown and described.
8. The combination with a sewing machine having a needle and an arm for
reciprocating the same, of a plate having a hole for the needle to play through as
a guido and provided with a shank fitted to slide in a guide way and guides
therefor with transverse slots and binding screws as described.
9. The combination with a sewing machine having a needle carrying arm pivoted
to the fixed frame thereof and means for vibrating said arm, of a take up lover
pivoted to the said frame, the arm having a knob, and the lover having a stud to
engage each other, and a spring connecting the lever with the arm, substantially as
described.
--

page_text: 10. The combination with the arm D', having a knob ell, and carrying a
needle A pivoted to the frame A, at c, and means, substantially as described, for
vibrating the said arm, of the lever Fl, pivoted to the frame at g, the thread guide O,
thereon, the spring I, connecting the arm D', and lever H; and the adjustable lug J,
as and for the purpose described.
11. As an article of manufacture, a bobbin, consisting of a spindle, a spool
thereon, and a continuous thread wound partly on the spool and partly on the
spindle, substantially as described.
12. The combination with a shuttle having a bobbin chamber within it and
bearings at each end thereof to receive a spindle and a thread delivery at one side
of the shuttle near its contre longitudinally, of a spindle fitted to the said bearings
and a spool fitted loosely on the spindle, the spool being about one half the
length of the shuttle chamber substantially as described, whereby this spool may
reciprocate longitudinally upon the spindle to permit the thread to be drawn
directly from any point on the length of the spool to the thread delivery in the
shuttle, as shown and described. .
13. The combination with a shuttle having a central thread delivery and spindle
bearings, of a spindle constructed to rotate in said bearings and two spools upon
said spindle cach shorter than one half the length of the spindle and free to
reciprocate longitudinally thereon.
14. The combination with the stitch forming devicos of a sewing machine
a combustion chamber and an air passage leading therefrom to the shuttle race,
of a water chamber interposed between the combustion chamber and the shuttlo
race, substantially as described.
15. The combination with the stitch forming devices of a sewing machine-
a combustion chamber an air passago leading therefrom to the sewing machine
shuttle race and a water chamber interposed between the combustion chamber and
shuttle race, of a hot air chamber communicating with said air passage between
the water chamber and a shuttle race, substantially as described.
16. The combination with the stitch forming devices of a sewing machine and
an open bottomed combustion chamber, of a water chamber covering the top
thereof a hot air chamber above the water chamber, a flue connecting the com-
bustion chamber with the air chamber, and an air passage arranged to connect
said air chamber with the shuttle race of the sewing machine.
17. The combination with the stitch forming device of a sewing machino
a combustion chamber and a water chamber covering it, of an air chamber on
top of a portion of the water chamber, a flue connecting said air chamber with
a combustion chamber, a wax chamber on top of the remaining portion of the
water chamber beside the air chamber, and means for delivering wax from said
chamber to the sewing machine, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 30th day of September 1884