IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE- WITH
Year: 1863

page_text: I, SAMUEL BEACH COCHRAN, of 9, Catherina Terrace, Lansdowne Road
Clapham Road, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention.
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE-
WITH," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the apparatus or instruments known as binders,
occasionally used in connection with sewing machines, and also to certain of the
details and working parts of sewing machines. So far as relates to binders for
sewing machines the present improvements consist in the adaptation thereto of
a steady and adjusting pin, which fits into a hole in the bed or cloth plate of
the machine, whereby the current position of the binder and the adjustment of
the position of the hooks thereof with regard to the needle is at once deter-,
mined and effected. Or, in lieu of the pin above referred to, a slide or clasp.
may be employed fitting on to the presser foot, and connected also to the.
upper hook, so that by connecting together the upper and under hooks of the.
binder they may both be adjusted simultaneously relatively to the needle.
So far as regards the details and working parts of sewing machines, this.
Invention consists in making the shank or upper end of sewing machine.
needles flat upon one side, so that it will form a guide when in connection.
with the spring or hinge piece herein-after referred to, and is perfectly even.
on the opposite side. By this means whatever sized needle is used it will,

page_text: always be in the same relation with the hook, shuttle looper, or other sub-
ordinate instrument employed in forming the stitches. The needle is held
and guided in the following manner :-A hole is drilled in the needle bar of
a size in accordance with that of the shank of the needle, and in order to
ensure the proper position of the needle a piece of wire of the size of the
needle shank is inserted into this hole, so as to fill or partly fill the space
not required by the needle. This piece of wire is held in position by a set
screw passing through the side of the needle bar. On one side of that part
of the needle bar which holds the needle a groove is cut, and into this groove
is inserted a spring or binge piece, and round the needle bar a thread is cut,
upon which a nut works. When this nut is at the top of the spring or
hinged piece the needle can be placed in position or removed; and when the
nut is screwed down towards the lower end of the needle bar the spring or
hinged piece becomes jammed against the needle, holding it firmly in its
place.
It is further proposed to make and arrange the feed mechanism of sewing
machines in such a manner as to dispense with any vertical motion in the
feeding plate, whereby a feed as effective as, but more simple than, the well
known four-motion feed is obtained. In carrying out this part of the Inven-
tion it is proposed to combine with a feeding plate having a horizontal
reciprocating motion only, a lifting plate or plates having a vertical recipro-
cating motion only, whereby the material or cloth is lifted from off the feeding
plate when the feeder is making its return stroke, and allowed to descend upon
it to be carried along just before the forward stroke of the feeder. This feeding
bar may be made to feed at the will of the operator in two opposite directions
by fitting a spring to each end thereof, one or other of the two springs being
in action at one time only, according to the direction of feed desired. A slide
or other simple contrivance is adopted for throwing these springs, which give
the back motion only of the feeding bar, in or out of action. The tension
apparatus may be of any well-known construction, but is set or arranged per-
manently so that it cannot be altered, being at the same time adjusted with
such nicety that the finest thread will not be broken when drawn through.
In combination with this permanently adjusted tension a "lever take off" is
employed, actuated by any movable part of the machine, and so arranged that
it will draw from off the reel or bobbin about the proper amount of thread
used for each stitch. The end of this lever opposite the tension is connected
to the needle bar, arm, or slide, and a spring is attached to or near its centre,
and lies along the lever above referred to when drawing the thread from the
reel or bobbin; but when that end of the lever which is connected to the

page_text: needle bar descends, the spring is free and acts as a "take up," which holds
the surplus thread until required to form the stitch. Or in lieu of using this
spring, another set tension may be employed.
By the arrangement above described all manipulation of the tension on
the part of the operator is obviated, the tension adapting itself to all kinds
and thicknesses of material.
It is also proposed to make the joints in the several working parts of
sewing machines in such a manner that they can be readily adjusted, and the
wear of the parts compensated; thus causing the several moving parts to work
always in their proper relation to each other. These joints consist of two
sockets and two balls or centre points, made or fitted respectively in the parts
to be jointed together, as for example, in the needle lever and the connecting
rod which actuates it, one or both of the balls or points being made adjust-
able to compensate for wear. To allow for any wear in the journals or
bearings of the shaft I make those parts of the shaft conical, or apply adjust-
able conical collars thereto, which work in the bearings. By setting up such
conical parts or collars the shaft can always be made to work accurately in
its bearings without shaking. The connection between the needle lever or
arm and the bar or slide is made by means of a flat-headed screw, with a
rounded part fitting into and working freely in the bar, and held in its place
by a screw and nut on the end. The flat head works in a slot cut in the end
of the arm, and through this end of the arm a screw is passed transversely to
the slot, so that the wear of the parts can be taken up or compensated.