Improvements in Feed Mechanisms of Sewing Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 24th July, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 24th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 24th May, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
'Improvements in Feed Mechanisms of Sewing Machines.
I, JOHN WHITE, Engineer, The Sewing Machine. Syndicate,. Wellingborough
in the County of Northampton, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention for improvements in feed mechanisms of sewing machines has for
its object to provide an improved arrangement of mechanism for varying the
amount of the feed and for enabling the feed movement to be readily reversed for
tying off at the end of a seam.
The backward and forward motion of the feed plate or ring is obtained
from a countershaft actuated from an eccentric on the main shaft, the eccentric
rod being jointed to one end of a lever pivotted to the main frame of the
machine and having a curved roller race in which works a roller mounted on
the end of a link connected to an arm on the countershaft and passing loosely
through a sleeve, the position of which determines the position of the roller
in the curved race and thus the extent of the motion. The sleeve is pivotted
to the head of a screw sliding in a hollow stud screwing into the frame and
a nut screws onto the end of the screw and bears against the end of the stud
and so determines the position of the sleeve. The head of the nut engages
with the end of the stud so as to prevent longitudinal or axial motion or
it is entirely free. In the latter case when pulled outwards the roller is pulled
over to the other side of the fulcrum of the curved race and so reverses the feed
motion. A screw stud determines the new position of the sleeve and thus the
amount of the reverse feed. The feed after being adjusted can be clamped in
position by a set screw or similar arrangement.
Dated this 24th day of July 1894.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Feed Mechanisms of Sewing Machines.
I JOHN WHITE, Engineer, of The Sewing Machine Syndicate, Wellingborough
in the County of Northampton, 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 for improvements in feed mechanisms of sewing machines has
for its object to provide an improved arrangement of mechanism for varying the
amount of the feed and for enabling the feed movement to be readily reversed for
tying off at the end of a seam.
The backward and forward motion of the feed plate is obtained from a counter-
shaft actuated from an eccentric on the main shaft, the eccentric.rod being jointed
to one end of a lever pivoted to the main frame of the machine and having a
curved roller race in which works a roller mounted on the end of a link connected
to an arm on the countershaft and passing loosely through a sleeve, the position of
Do31

page_text: which determines the position of the roller in the curved race and thus the extent
of the motion. The sleeve is pivoted to the head of a screw sliding in a hollow
stud screwing into the frame and a nut screws onto the end of the screw and bears
against the end of the stud and so determines the position of the sleeve. The
head of the nut engages with the end of the stud so as to prevent longitudinal or
axial motion or it is entirely free. In the latter case when pulled outwards the
roller is pulled over to the other side of the fulcrum of the curved race and so
reverses the feed motion. A screw stud determines the new position of the sleeve
and thus the amount of the reverse feed. The feed after being adjusted can be
clamped in position by a set screw or similar arrangement.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings:-Fig. 1 is a part sectional
front end elevation of a sewing machine showing the feed motion constructed
according to this invention, and Fig. 2 is a sectional back end elevation of
the same.
The rising and falling motion of the feed plate is effected from the counter-
shaft d'. The feed plate h is secured on au arm h¹ whose back end is drawn by a
spring 2 on to a roller * mounted on an arm ³ fixed on a shaft / carrying an
arm on the end of which is a roller ³ engaging in the curved race d of a cam d
mounted on the shaft d¹. The race is so formed that the feed plate h is raised just
before the commencement of the feed, is lowered again just after the end of the
feed, and remains lowered whilst the stitch is being made.
The forwards and backwards motion of the feed plate is effected from the
countershaft, i to which a variable reciprocatory motion is imparted from the main
shaft d. The front end of the arm h¹ carrying the feed plate his pivoted to an
arm fixed on the countershaft i so that as the shaft i is vibrated the arm h¹ and
feed plate are moved forwards and backwards horizontally. The eccentric rod
of an eccentric l fixed on the main shaft d is jointed to one end of a lever m pivoted
at its centre m' to the main frame of the machine. The lever m is formed with a
curved roller race in which works a roller n mounted on one end of a link n'
connected to an arm on the countershaft i. A vibratory movement is thus given
to the countershaft and in order to vary the amount of this movement the
distance of the roller n from the fulcrum m¹ of the lever m is adjustable. The
link n' slides freely through a sleeve n² pivoted to the head of a slide n³ sliding in
a hollow stud n' screwed into the frame of the machine. A nut n on the end of
the slide bears against the end of the stud n' and so determines the distance of the
roller n from the fulcrum m' and consequently the length of the feed motion and
of the stitch.
The headed set screw n clamps the feed motion in position and sets the stitch.
In order to reverse the direction of the feed motion to tie off the end of a seam,
the screw n is loosened and the nut n' is pulled out to its furthest extent when the
roller n is drawn in the race to the opposite side of the fulcrum m' and thus its
motion is reversed and consequently that of the feed plate. A small adjustable
set screw n screwing into the frame comes in contact with the head of the slide n³
and determines the new position of the roller and thus the length of the back
stitch. At the end of a seam the nut n' is pulled out and a few stitches made as
the feed plate works in the opposite direction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is:
1. The mechanism for varying the horizontal motion of the feed plate of a
sewing machine, consisting of a lever pivoted to the main frame and provided with
a curved race, a main shaft, mechanism for reciprocating the lever from the main
shaft, a link carrying a roller working in the said race, a sleeve through which the
link passes freely, a slide carrying the said sleeve, a means for indicating the
position of the slide and fixing it in position and mechanism for transmitting
the motion of the link to the feed plate, substantially as described.

page_text: 2. The mechanism for varying the horizontal motion of the feed plate of a
sewing machine consisting of a lever pivoted to the main frame and provided with
a curved race, a main shaft, mechanism for reciprocating the lever from the main
shaft, a link carrying a roller working in the said race, a sleeve through which the
link passes freely, a slide carrying the said sleeve, a means for determining and
adjusting the two limiting positions of the slide and thus the length of the stitch
and the tieing off stitch, and mechanism for transmitting the motion of the link to
the feed plate substantially as described.
3. The adjustable and reversable horizontal feed motion substantially as described
with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 24th day of April 1895.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.