IMPROVEMENTS IN SHUTTLE SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1885

page_text: I ARTHUR WILLIAM LOVELL REDDIE of the Office for Patents, 6 Bream's
Buildings, Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent do hereby
declare the nature of the invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHUTTLE SEWING
MACHINES," to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to an improvement on the well-known Singer
sewing machine and has for its object to enable larger bobbins than heretofore
to be employed and to render the movement easier and more silent than hitherto.
This is accomplished by operating the shuttle carriage by a lever or shuttle
driver turning upon a fixed point, and causing it to move in a path having the
form of an arc of a circle.
In the well-known Singer machine the shuttle is mounted in a carriage moving
in straight courses between guide ways. This shuttle motion necessitates frequent
oiling, and it is consequently almost impossible to produce clean and unsoiled work,
which is very necessary for various purposes.-Besides this, the reciprocating travel
of the shuttle carriage and shuttle from their mere weight alone, is prejudicial to
the smooth and quiet working of the machine; and this is especially noticeable
when employing mitre wheels or bevel gear.
These objections according to this invention are removed by the following
means: The shuttle driver consists of a vibrating arm on which a shuttle cradle
is mounted. By this arrangement the weight of the shuttle driver (which has to
be moved backwards and forwards) is considerably reduced and the extent of
crank motion required to operate it, is in consequence of the curvature of the race,
much less than in the other case.
This shorter movement of the crank renders it possible to substitute for the
mitre wheels employed in the Singer machine, a novel combination and arrangement
of parts consisting of a lever oscillating on centres, and operated by a reciprocating
rod carried by a cranked driving shaft, without rendering the construction of the
machine less solid.

page_text: This reciprocating or vertically sliding rod is movable in guide bearings, together
with the lever rocking on centres. Through the rotation of the driving shaft, the
said lever receives a vibrating motion, and transmits its movement to the shuttle
driver by means of a ball and socket joint, bell crank lever, and connecting rod.
The surface to be oiled of the shuttle driver in this arrangement is so much further
removed from the shuttle itself, or the shuttle thread, than in the ordinary
arrangement, that the soiling of the work is rendered impossible.
In order to be able to employ larger thread bobbins without the employment of
a longer needle, the shuttle is provided at that side which lies upon the shuttle
race, with a guide piece or tongue taking into a groove in the race. The shuttle
therefore cannot rise when passing through the loop of thread and the eye of the
needle need not therefore be carried downwards to the under side of the shuttle.
The groove in the shuttle race is cut away at one part to allow the shuttle to be
inserted and taken out.

page_text: Improvements in Shuttle Sewing Machines.
I, ARTHUR WILLIAM LOVELL REDDIE of the Office for Patents, 6 Bream's
Buildings, Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, 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 :—
The present invention relates to improvements on the well-known Singer sewing
machine, and has for its object to enable larger bobbins than heretofore to be
employed, and to render the movement easier and more silent than hitherto.
This is accomplished by operating the shuttle carriage by a lever or shuttle
driver pivotted at a fixed point, which causes the shuttle to move in a path
having the form of an arc of a circle.
This
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing shows the well-known Singer machine in
plan view, as seen from below. The shuttle o is mounted in the cradle b of the
carriage a, and has its travel in straight courses between the guide ways c.
mode of driving, if it is to work easily and noiselessly, necessitates frequent
oiling, and it is consequently almost impossible to produce clean and unsoiled work,
which is very necessary for various purposes. Besides this, the reciprocating
travel of the parts, from their weight alone, is prejudicial to the smooth and quiet
working of the machine; and this is especially noticeable when employing mitre
wheels or bevel gear.
Fig. 2 shews in inverted plan view a sewing machine embodying the improve-
ments.
The shuttle driver consists of a pivotted lever d and a shuttle cradle 61 mounted
thereon. By this arrangement, the weight of the shuttle driver (which has to be
moved backwards and forwards) is considerably reduced, and the extent of crank
motion required to operate it, is, in consequence of the curvature of the race, much
less than in the other case.
This shorter movement of the crank renders it possible to substitute for the
mitre wheels employed in the Singer machine, the arrangement shown in Figs. 3
and 4, without rendering the construction of the machine less solid.
The driving of the shuttle according to the arrangement shown in inverted plan
and side views in these figures, is effected by means of the cranked driving shaft,
which is connected with the vertical sliding rod f.-This sliding rod is movable in
the guide bearings g, together with the double lever h, which rocks upon centres
as shewn.
Through the rotation of the driving shaft, the said lever h receives a vibrating
motion, and transmits its movement to the shuttle driver d b¹ by means of a ball
and socket joint, the bell crank lever k, and the connecting rod l.
As will be seen from Figs. 2 and 3, the surface to be oiled of the shuttle driver,
is so much further removed from the shuttle itself, or the shuttle thread, than in
the arrangement shown at Fig. 1, that the soiling of the work is rendered
impossible.
In order to be able to employ larger thread bobbins without the employment of
a longer needle, the shuttle shown at Figs. 5 and 6 is provided, at that side which

page_text: lies upon the shuttle race, with a guide piece or tongue m taking into a groove in
the race; the shuttle will thereby be prevented from rising when passing through
the loop of thread, and the eye of the needle need not therefore be carried
downwards to the underside of the shuttle.
The groove in the shuttle race is cut away, as shown at Fig. 7, at one part, so
as to allow the shuttle to be inserted and taken out.
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 Correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In shuttle sewing machines in which the shuttle race runs transversely to the
feed, the employment of a shuttle driver consisting of a pivotted lever, such as d,
and a shuttle cradle, such as 6¹, substantially as shewn and described.
2. The means above described with reference to Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing,
for operating the shuttle driver.
3. The means above described with reference to Figs.. 5 and 6 of the drawing,
for preventing the rising of the shuttle while passing through the loop of thread
for the purpose set forth.