Improvements in or in connection with Sewing-machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 30th May, 1894.
Complete Specification Left, 29th June, 1894-Accepted, 4th Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or in connection with Sewing-machines.
A communication from REINHOLD THEILER, of Lucerne, Switzerland,
Manufacturer.
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of No. 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, in the
County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In many articles of use which are made in large quantities at a time and in the
manufacture of which the sewing-machine is employed to a larger or smaller
extent, there are seams which consist of a definitely fixed number of stitches. In
order to obviate mistakes in the making thereof, the work woman operating the
sewing-machine has hitherto been compelled to give her whole attention to the
production of a seam of this kind, so that she might be able to stop the machine at
the proper moment, either by ceasing to drive it personally or by throwing out of
gear the mechanical driving-mechanism usually employed for such work.
Now, according to this invention, apparatus is constructed which is readily
applicable to sewing-machines used for this kind of work and by means of which
the said careful attention to which reference has been made can be dispensed with
as the apparatus, so to speak counts the stitches and throws the driving-mechanism
out of gear on the completion of the last stitch required. For this purpose the
shaft that operates the needle-bar is connected by a set of toothed wheels with a
disc or other suitable device which is adapted to be rotated by the said shaft and
is so constructed and arranged that when it is in a certain position it throws the
sewing-machine out of operation by disconnecting a clutch. The said set of wheels
is so proportioned as to bring the aforesaid device into the said position after it
has been rotated to an extent corresponding to the execution of a pre-determined
number of stitches. As in the sewing-machines used for this purpose, the article
being sewn is automatically guided, the use of apparatus according to this invention
enables the work woman to give her whole attention to the preparation for sewing
of the unfinished articles whereas she has hitherto had to give all her attention to
the sewing-operation proper and has therefore been compelled to execute the
preparatory work of an article only after the completion of the sewing of the
preceding article. The apparatus thus effects a great saving of time, because by
its means, as soon as a finished article is taken off the machine, the next article to
be sewn, having already been prepared for sewing, can be immediately placed in
the machine, so that the loss of time incurred by the stoppage of the machine can
be reduced to a minimum.
Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings show, by way of example only, a
front elevation and an end elevation respectively of one construction of apparatus
according to this invention, as applied to a sewing-machine of known kind.
The motion of the main shaft a of the sewing-machine, from which the needle-
bar bis operated, is transmitted by means of a small spur-wheel c to a larger
spur-wheel d to which a disc e is concentrically secured. Bearing on the periphery
of this disc by means of a knife-edge f, is a link g, which, in the position shown in
the drawings, serves to keep the driving-mechanism in gear with the sewing-
machine by means of a clutch. This takes place until by rotation of the disc e, a
radial notch made in the disc e and starting from the periphery thereof, comes
underneath the knife-edge f, whereupon the link g being deprived of its support,
is caused by the action of a spring or of a weight to move downward and, in

page_text: consequence of this motion, to throw out of gear the driving-mechanism of the
sewing-machine by disconnecting the aforesaid clutch.
If, now, the relative number of teeth of the two spur-wheels c and d be suitably
arranged, a complete revolution of the wheel d with the disc e, and consequently
also the disconnection or throwing out of gear of the driving-mechanism, will take
place immediately after a predetermined number of revolutions of the shaft a, i.e. after
a predetermined number of stitches, one stitch being made at every revolution of
the shaft a.
The number of teeth of the wheels c and d, or of only one of these wheels, will
consequently vary according to the number of stitches required in the article to
be sewn.
A short axle k, carried at one end by a hanger i, and rendered incapable of
rotating, has mounted on it two pulleys and made in one piece or otherwise
secured together, which are capable of being freely rotated on, and of being shifted
axially along, the axle k and which serve to receive the driving-power from the
motor or engine. The axle k has also mounted on it a loose pulley m which is
adapted, when pressed against by the pulleys and to be carried round by the
latter by means of friction and to rotate, by means of a band, the pulley n fixed on
the shaft a.
The link g is connected to one arm o of a bent lever o o³, which is pivoted at o'.
When the knife-edge ƒ of the link g is situate on the periphery of the disc e, the
arm o of this bent lever presses the pulleys and (through the mediation of a
sleeve or boss 12 extending from the said pulleys) firmly against the pulley m, so
that the latter is carried round by friction, and the sewing-machine is driven thereby.
But when the peripheral notch h in the disc e comes under the knife-edge f of the
link g, a spring p acts to force down the link g and cause the bent lever o o² to turn
on its pivot at o', in consequence of which the pressure of the arm o² on the sleeve
or boss of the pulleys and is relieved, and therefore the friction between the
latter and the pulley m ceases. Simultaneously herewith, a brake-wedge q fixed
to the arm o above the pulley m, is pressed into the peripheral groove of the pulley m
so as to prevent any further motion of the latter. By this means, the stoppage of
the machine is immediate.
The arm o³ extending from the bent lever serves to enable the clutch to be thrown
into gear again by pressing down a pedal or treadle connected by a link or rod
with the said arm.
As shewn in the drawings, the disce is furnished, in addition to the notch h, with
another notch' the object of which will now be described.
When the needle of the sewing-machine has completed the predetermined number
of stitches, i.e. when the article has been sewn to the required extent, it is usual to
allow the needle to make an idle stitch (i.e. a stitch by which no effective work is
done) so as to bring the needle back into the initial position for sewing the next
article, during which idle stitch it has in some special machines to make lateral
movements in addition to its vertical movement. Now the object of the second
notch is to limit the motion of the machine to the extent requisite for allowing
the aforesaid idle stitch to be made by the needle. In order to make this idle stitch
the knife-edge is caused to pass out of the incision h, by merely pressing down
the arm 3; or this may be effected by turning the pulley n by hand, the knife-
edge being then caused to move up out of the notch h by reason of the wedge-
shape of the latter. When the knife-edge f has passed out of the notch h, the
machine is again operated by the motor or engine; and the machine continues to
be so operated until the idle stitch has been completed, that is to say, until the
second notch is brought by rotation underneath the knife-edge, thus completing
the cycle of operations corresponding to the sewing of one article. When the
knife-edge has been released from the notch ', the machine will again be operated
by the motor or engine as before until the notch comes again under the knife-
edge, i.e. until the machine has completed the predetermined number of stitches in
the case of the succeeding article.

page_text: Consequently in arranging the notches and ', the relative number of teeth of
the toothed wheels c and d must be calculated in such a manner that the longer
distance between the two notches h and h¹ will exactly pass under the knife-edge f
whilst the desired or predetermined number of stitches is being made and that a
complete revolution of the disc e must also include the aforesaid idle stitch of the
needle.
The notch h, and if necessary, also the notch ', may be repeated on the periphery
of the disc e, in which case the ratio between the number of teeth of the two.
wheels c and d must be such as to allow the full peripheral arcs of the disc e to pass
along under the knife-edge f during the time required by the machine to make the
predetermined number of stitches.
Although the clutch employed in the construction of apparatus herein before
described and shown in the accompanying drawings is a friction-clutch, it will be
understood that any other suitable clutch may be employed and suitably actuated
from the disc or corresponding device.
ليوم
1004
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.
A communication from REINHOLD THEILER, of Lucerne, Switzerland,
Manufacturer.
1, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of No. 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent, 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:-
In many articles made in large quantities and in the manufacture of which a
sewing-machine is used, there are seams composed of a fixed number of stitches
that is to say the number of stitches in a particular seam in one article is the same
as in the corresponding seam in another article.
Heretofore when sewing such a seam, the operator has been compelled to give
close attention thereto so as to be able to stop the machine at the proper moment,
either by ceasing to drive it personally or by putting the driving mechanism out
of gear if the machine is operated by power.
Now this invention relates to apparatus which can be readily applied to sewing
machines and which on the completion of a seam containing a predetermined
number of stitches, will automatically cause the machine to cease sewing. For
this purpose the shaft that operates the needle-bar is connected by a set of
toothed wheels with a disc or other suitable device (hereinafter called a disc)
adapted to be rotated by the said shaft and so constructed and arranged that
when it is in a certain position it causes a clutch to be disconnected and so
throws the sewing-machine out of operation. The wheels are so proportioned as
to cause the clutch to be disconnected as just mentioned after the disc has been
rotated to an extent corresponding to the execution of a predetermined number of
stitches.
As in sewing-machines used for the purpose referred to the article being sewn
is automatically guided the use of apparatus according to this invention enables
the operator to give her whole attention to the preparation for sewing of unfinished
articles, instead of as heretofore, having to give all her attention to the sewing-
operation proper which has rendered it necessary to defer preparing an article for
sewing until after the completion of the sewing of the preceding article. The

page_text: apparatus thus effects a great saving of time, because as soon as a finished article
is taken off the machine, the next article to be sewn, having already been prepared
for sewing, can be immediately placed in the machine, the loss of time by stoppages
being thus reduced to a minimum.
Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings filed with my Provisional Specification show
respectively, a front elevation and a rear end elevation of a construction of
apparatus according to this invention, applied to a sewing-machine of a known
kind.
The motion of the main shaft a of the sewing-machine, from which the needle-
bar is operated, is transmitted by means of a pinion c to a toothed wheel d to
which a disc e is concentrically secured. Bearing on the periphery of this disc by
means of a knife-elge f, is a rod or link y, which, in the position shown in the
drawings, serves to keep the driving-mechanism in gear with the sewing-machine
by means of a clutch. This remains the case until by rotation of the disc e, a
notch in the periphery of the said disc, comes underneath the knife-edge f
whereupon the rod or link g, is, by the action of a spring or weight, caused to
move downward and throw the driving-mechanism of the sewing-machine out of
gear by disconnecting the aforesaid clutch.
In the arrangement shewn the relative number of teeth of the pinion c and
toothed wheel d are such that practically a complete revolution of the disc e, will
take place while the predetermined number of stitches is being formed and con-
sequently also before the rod or link g, will be allowed to move downwardly and
put the driving mechanism out of gear.
The number of teeth of the pinion c and wheel d or of one of them, will con-
sequently vary according to the number of stitches required in the particular seam
to be sewn. k is a short non-rotatable axle carried at one end by a hanger i and
having mounted on it two pulleys and l' made in one piece or secured together.
These pulleys are capable of freely rotating on, and of being shifted axially along,
the axle and are driven from a suitable motor as will be well understood. The
axle k has also mounted on it a loose pulley m which when the pulleys and are
pressed against it, will be caused by friction with the latter, to be carried round
therewith and to rotate, by means of a band, the pulley n fixed on the shaft a.
The rod or link g is connected to one arm o of a bent lever o, o², which is pivoted
at o'. While the knife-edge f of the link g bears against the periphery of the disc e,
the arm o² of this bent lever, presses the pulleys and (through a sleeve or boss l²
extending from the said pulleys) firmly against the pulley m, so that the latter is
carried round by friction, and the sewing-machine is thereby driven. When
however the notch h in the disc e comes under the knife-edge f, a spring p forces
down the link g and causes the bent lever o, o' to turn on its pivot at o', whereupon
the pressure of the arm o² on the sleeve or boss is relieved, and the friction
between the latter and the pulley m ceases. Simultaneously a brake-wedge
fixed to the arm o is pressed into the peripheral groove of the pulley m so as to
prevent any further motion of that pulley. By this means, the stoppage of the
machine is immediate.
o³ is an arm, extending from the bent lever o, o and whereby the clutch can be
thrown into gear again by pressing down a pedal or treadle connected by a link:
rod or other connection with the said arm.
As shewn in the drawings, the disc e is furnished, in addition to the notch /,
with another notch h¹ the object of which will now be described.
When the needle of the sewing-machine has completed the predetermined number
of stitches, i.e. when the article has been sewn to the required extent, it is usual to
allow the needle to make an idle stitch (i.e. a stitch by which no effective work is
done), so as to bring the needle back into the initial or raised position for sewing
the next article, during which idle stitch it has in some special machines to make
lateral movements in addition to its vertical movement. Now the object of the
second notch ¹ is to limit the motion of the machine to the extent requisite for
allowing the aforesaid idle stitch to be made by the needle. In order to make this

page_text: idle stitch the knife-edge is caused to pass out of the incision, either by pressing
down the arm o³ or by turning the pulley n by hand. The knife-edge f having
thus passed out of the notch h, the machine is again operated by the motor, and
continues to be so operated until the idle stitch has been completed, that is to say,.
until the second notch is brought by rotation of the disc e underneath the knife--
edge, thus completing the cycle of operations corresponding to the sewing of one
seam. When the knife-edge has been released from the notch h', the machine
will be again operated by the motor as before until the notch again comes under
the knife-edge, i.e. until the machine has completed, the predetermined number of
stitches in the case of the succeeding article.
Consequently in arranging the notches and h¹, the relative number of teeth of
the pinion c and toothed wheel d must be calculated in such a manner that the
longer distance between the two notches will exactly pass under the knife-edge f
whilst the desired or predetermined number of stitches is being made, and that a
complete revolution of the disc e must also include the aforesaid idle stitch of
the needle..
As will be obvious there may be more than one notch h, and if necessary, more.
than one notch, on the periphery of a disc e, in which case the ratio between the
number of teeth of the pinion e and toothed wheel d must be such as to allow the
full peripheral arcs of the disc e to pass along under the knife-edge f during
the time required by the machine to make the predetermined number of stitches.
Although the clutch employed in the construction of apparatus herein before.
described and shown in the drawings is a friction-clutch, it will be understood that
any other suitable clutch may be employed and suitably actuated from the rod or-
link g or equivalent device.
It will be evident that the shorter distance between the notches h and may be
such as to allow several idle stitches to be formed instead of one only, if desired..
Also that the pulleys, may be driven from a treadle or treadles instead of from
a motor as hereinbefore referred to.
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. A sewing machine in which there is interposed between the needle operating
shaft and the pulley or equivalent used to drive such shaft, mechanism adapted on
the completion of a predetermined number of stitches to automatically break or
permit to be broken, the driving connection between said shaft and pulley or
equivalent and so cause the needle to cease stitching substantially as herein.
described.
2. For automatically throwing out of gear the driving mechanism of a sewing ·
machine, on the completion of a predetermined number of stitches, a notched
disc e rotated by the needle driving shaft a of the sewing machine and controlling
a clutch, the arrangement being such that when a notch in the said disc reaches a
certain predetermined position, it will release the clutch and permit the driving
mechanism of the machine, to be automatically thrown out of action and the
sewing needle brought to rest substantially as herein described.
3. Forming the disc e referred to in the preceding claim with one or more
notches and with one or more additional notches located, or each located, at
the rear of a notch so as to permit of the formation of an idle stitch substantially
as herein described.
4. The improvements in or in connection with sewing machines herein before-
described and illustrated in the drawings for the purpose specified.
Dated this 29th day of June 1894.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent..