Improvements in Sewing Machines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Mar., 1893-Accepted, 27th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sewing Machines.
I, DANIEL JONES, of 62 Albion Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to an improved construction and arrangement of
mechanism for operating the feed bar of a sewing machine, whereby the feed
can be readily varied in amount and reversed in direction to suit requirement.
The horizontal movement of the feed bar is effected by means of a lever that
may advantageously be placed in the hollow arm of the sewing machine and in a
vertical position. The upper end of this lever is moved vertically by suitable
means, but is prevented from moving horizontally. For this purpose the upper end
of the lever may be formed with a longitudinal slot through which extends a
rotary shaft upon which is fixed a cam, adapted to engage with projections on the
slotted end of the lever, the arrangement being such that when the shaft is rotated,
a reciprocating movement in a vertical direction will be imparted to the lever. To
the lever at or about the centre thereof, is jointed one end of a swing link the
other end of which is jointed to a normally fixed pin, (hereinafter called for
distinction the link pin). By this means when the lever is operated by the cam a
vibrating motion will also be imparted to it by the swing link, the amplitude of
vibration depending upon the position of the axis of the link pin.
This vibrating motion of the lever can be transmitted to the feed bar by any
convenient means such as a link, lever arms and rock shaft in order to cause the
feed bar to move horizontally. To enable this horizontal movement of the feed
bar to be varied and to enable the direction of feed to be reversed, the link pin is
made adjustable so that the axis thereof can be moved to a greater or less extent
above or below a horizontal line passing through the centre of the pin connecting
the swing link with the lever, when such lever is at the centre of its vertical
movement. With this arrangement when the axis of the link pin is on the said
horizontal line, the movement of the lower or free end of the lever will be almost
nil. When however the axis of the said link pin is placed above this line, the feed
bar will move the material or work in one direction, and when the said axis is
placed below the said line the feed bar will move the material in the opposite
direction, the extent of feed in each case depending upon the distance of the axis
of the said link pin from the said horizontal line. To enable the link pin to
be readily adjusted, it may advantageously be carried by a rotary disc or plate, or
by a lever, suitable means such as a binding screw being provided for fixing the
said disc, plate or lever with link pin in its adjusted position.
To enable the direction of feed to be reversed without changing the length of
feed the disc, plate or lever carrying the pin is provided with projections or with a
bifurcated pivoted plate that can be so arranged in relation to an adjustable stop
plate that the axis of the link pin can be readily moved to the same extent to
either side of the horizontal line hereiubefore referred to. One or more index
pointers and graduated scales are or may be provided in order that any desired
length of feed or stitch may be readily set without previous trial.
The vertical movements of the feed bar can be effected by any suitable or
convenient means. A suitable arrangement for this purpose comprises a bell crank
lever pivoted below the centre of the cam herein before mentioned. One end of
this lever is formed with jaws arranged to embrace the said cam so that a vibrating
motion will be imparted to the lever when the cam is rotated. The other end of
the said lever is connected by means of lever arms and a rock shaft in such a

page_text: manner that when the said lever is operated a vibratory motion in a vertical plane
will be at the required times imparted to the feed bar.
The feed bar may be pivoted at one end to the lever arm or arms employed to
move it in a horizontal direction, its other end being bifurcated and arranged to
embrace a pin on the lever arm used to vibrate it in vertical plane.
As will be obvious apparatus according to my invention can be variously
arranged. Thus the vibrating bell crank levers instead of being arranged
vertically may be arranged horizontally.
Dated this 22nd day of June 1892.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sewing Machines.
I, DANIEL JONES of 62 Albion Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Engineer, 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 has reference to an improved construction and arrangement of
mechanism for operating the feed bar of a sewing machine, whereby the feed can
be readily varied in amount and reversed in direction to suit requirement, as
will now proceed to fully explain by reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which,
Fig. 1 shows partly in side elevation with the side cover removed, and partly in
longitudinal section, a sewing machine with feed mechanism constructed according
to this invention;
Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line A B Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is an end view of the feed bar and its connections; and
Fig. 4 is a detail view hereinafter referred to.
1 is the feed bar to which horizontal and vertical movements are imparted so as
to produce what is well known as a four motion feed.
The horizontal movements are produced according to this invention by means of
a lever 2 that may advantageously be placed in a vertical position in the hollow
arm 3 of the sewing machine. The upper end of this lever is moved vertically by
suitable means, but is prevented from moving horizontally. For this purpose the
upper end of the lever in the example illustrated is formed with a longitudinal
slot 4 through which extends a rotary shaft 5 which may be the driving shaft as
shewn upon which is fixed a suitable shaped cam 6 adapted to engage with pro-
jections 7, 7 formed on the slotted end of the lever, the arrangement being such
that when the shaft 5 is rotated, a reciprocating movement in a vertical direction
will be imparted to the lever. To the lever at or about the centre thereof, is
jointed one end of a swing link 8 the other end of which is jointed to a norinally
fixed pin 9. By this means when the lever is reciprocated by the cam 6 a
vibrating motion about the axis of the shaft 5 will also be imparted to it by the
swing link, the amplitude of vibration depending upon the position of the axis of
the pin 9.
This vibrating motion of the lever can be transmitted to the feed bar 1 by any
convenient means in order to cause the feed bar to move in a horizontal direction.
Convenient means for this purpose comprise a link 10 jointed to a lever arm 11
fixed to one end of a shaft 12 to the other end of which is fixed another lever
arm 13 between the forked end portions 13" of which the feed bar may be pivoted
as shown.
The vertical movements of the feed bar 1 can be effected by any suitable or

page_text: convenient means. A suitable arrangement for this purpose is shewn in the drawings
and comprises a bell crank lever 14 pivoted at 14ª. The upper end of this lever
is formed with jaws 14° arranged to embrace the cam 6 so that a vibrating motion
will be imparted to the lever when the cam is rotated. The lower end of the said
lever is connected with the feed bar 1 by means of a lever arm 15, a rock shaft 16
and a lever arm 17 carrying a pin 18 that extends through a slot 1 in the adjacent
end of the feed bar, the arrangement being such that when the lever 14 is operated
by the cam 6, a vibrating motion in a vertical plane will be imparted to the
feed bar.
The cam 6 is formed with two surfaces 6° 6° that are concentric with the axis
of the shaft 5 on which it is fixed so that each of the levers 2 and 14 will be caused
to dwell twice during each revolution of the cam. As will be seen the positions of
these concentric surfaces are such that each lever will be held stationary in turn
whilst the other is being operated so that the feed bar will be first lifted at one
end, then moved horizontally in one direction, then lowered, then moved horizontally
in the opposite direction and then raised again, these operations being repeated
for each complete movement of the feed bar.
The boss 6° of the cam is formed with an annular groove 6 that serves as a
guide for the slotted upper end of the lever 2 the side portions of which work in
such groove.
To enable the horizontal movement of the feed bar to be varied, and to enable
the direction of feed to be reversed, the pin 9 is made adjustable so that the axis
thereof can be moved to a greater or less extent above or below a horizontal line
passing through the centre of the pin 8 connecting the swing link with the lever,
when such lever is at the centre of its vertical movement. With this arrangement
when the axis of the pin 9 is on the said horizontal line, the movement of the lower
or free end of the lever 2 will be almost nil. When however the axis of the said
pin is placed above this line, the feed bar 1 will move the material or work in a
forward direction that is to say in the direction of the arrow a (Fig. 3), and when
the said axis is placed below the said line, the feed bar will move the material in the
opposite direction, the extent of feed in each case depending upon the distance of the
axis of the pin 9 from the said horizontal line. By this means a length of work can
be run through the machine in the ordinary way, and then by reversing the feed,
the work can be sewn in the opposite way and returned, thereby saving the trouble
of breaking the thread or turning the work round. To enable the link pin 9 to
be readily adjusted the arrangement illustrated in detail in Figs.
and 4 may
advantageously be employed.
In this arrangement the pin 9 is carried by a disc or plate 19 (or it may be by a
lever arm) capable of being turned about the centre 19ª, suitable means, such as a
binding screw 20 being provided for fixing the said disc with link pin in the
adjusted position.
To enable the direction of feed to be readily reversed without changing the
length of feed, the disc 19 or equivalent has fixed to it a bifurcated plate 21 the
bifurcated portions 21ª of which serve as stops for the disc and are so arranged in
relation to an adjustable stop plate 22 that the axis of the pin 9 can be readily
moved by the disc to the same extent to either side of the horizontal line herein-
before referred to.
The adjustable stop plate 22, shewn in Fig. 4, is formed with two slots 22ª 22"
through which project tightening screws 22, 21 respectively, the arrangement
being such that the said plate can be moved in a horizontal direction and fixed in
its adjusted position with its face or edge 22° at all times vertical. When it is
desired to reverse the feed without altering the length of feed, the stop plate 22 is
fixed in contact with the nearest projecting portion 21 of the plate 21 by means of
the binding screw 22d and the disc 19 then rotated until the other projecting
portion 21 of the said plate comes in contact with the vertical face or edge 22 of
the stop plate 22 in which position it is then fixed by tightening the binding
screw 22.

page_text: Instead of a plate 21 with bifurcated ends 21ª, the disc 19 may be provided with
corresponding but separate projections.
In order that any desired length of feed or stitch may be readily set without
previous trial, the disc 19 may be provided with one or more index pointers arranged
to work in connection with a suitable scale indicating number of stitches in a given
length, say in an inch or in a centimetre. In the example shown the outer end of
the plate 21 is made to serve as an index. For this purpose this plate is extended
to the periphery of the ring shaped plate 23 which serves to hold the disc 19 in
place, and on the periphery of this plate is provided a suitable scale 24 one on each
side of a central zero mark opposite which a notch 21 in outer end of the plate 21
comes when the pin 9 is so moved that its axis is brought into the horizontal plane
passing through the axis of the pin 8 when the lever 2 is at the centre of its vertical
movement.
As will be obvious apparatus according to my invention can be variously arranged.
Thus the levers 2 and 14 instead of being arranged to work in vertical planes might
be arranged to work in horizontal planes if desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a sewing machine, feeding mechanism wherein the feed bar or equivalent
device is actuated in a horizontal direction from a lever adapted to be reciprocated
in the direction of its length or approximately so, from one end and connected by a
swing link to a stationary pin, the arrangement being such that when the one end
of the lever is reciprocated, a combined reciprocating and vibrating motion will be
imparted to the other end of the lever, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. A sewing machine feeding mechanism of the kind referred to in the preceding
claim but wherein the pin to which one end of the swing link is connected, is
made adjustable so that its axis can be moved to a greater or lesser extent above
or below a horizontal plane passing through the centre of the pin connecting the
other end of the link with the lever when such lever is at the centre of its
endways or longitudinal movement, substantially as herein described for the purpose
specified.
3. In a sewing machine, feeding mechanism comprising a feed bar or equivalent
device, a lever pivoted at one end and connected at the other end with the said feed
bar or equivalent device, means for imparting a reciprocating movement to one end
of the lever, a swing link jointed to the said lever and to a pin fixed to an
adjustable carrier provided with stops, means such as a binding screw for fixing the
carrier in place, and an adjustable stop plate for use in conjunction with the
stops on the adjustable carrier substantially as herein described for the purposes
specified.
4. The combination with feeding mechanism of the kind referred to in the preceding
claim, of one or more index pointers and graduated scales whereby the adjustment
of the carrier for any desired length of feed or stitch can be readily determined
substantially as herein described.
5. In a sewing machine, feeding mechanism constructed arranged and operating
substantially as described and shewn in the accompanying drawings, whether with
or without the adjustable carrier of the pin 9, and whether with or without the
stitch indicating index and scales.
Dated this 92nd day of March 1893
W. Lloyd Wise,
DANIEL JONES.
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.