Improvements in Ruffling Mechanism for Sewing Machines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 25th July, 1992
Complete Specification Left. 29th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 5th Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ruffling Mechanism for Sewing Machines.
I FREDERICK HARDWICK DODSON, of 13 Charlotte Street, Rugby, Warwick-
shire, Mechanic do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to improvements in the mechanical attachments to sewing
machines by which what is known as "ruffling" is effected, and consists primarily
in the construction and arrangement of two feed actions having variable speeds or
travel, and also in the accessory parts thereto.
The one feed action is arranged for the frill, and the other for the band, or that
to which the frill is sewn.
The feed motion employed for the frill is made to travel farther than the feed
for the band. This is effected as follows:-I will describe this my invention as
applied for instance to what is known as a Wheeler and Wilson machine, although
it may be similarly applied to machines of other make, by modifying the parts to
suit the mechanism of such machines.
Ordinarily to give the usual feed, a feed lever is employed beneath the plate of
the machine, which is jointed at its one end to the stitch regulator stud while its
other end slides or oscillates in a part of the main plate or frame.
This sliding or
oscillating movement is effected by means of a cam upon the main shaft, operating
a cross feed connection slide, which is connected to a lever, which latter acts upon
the aforesaid feed lever and imparts the necessary feed, it being brought back by
meaus of a spring. This feed lever in its turn operates the feed bar and feed point.
In carrying out my invention I make two feed points and also two feed levers, and
two feed bars &c. Both of these sets of feed mechanism may be worked from one
feed driving cam, or they may be severally driven. The feed points (having grip
teeth upon their upper surface) lie somewhat thus :-the short stroke or band feed
is upon the left hand side and behind the longer stroke, or frill feed. Each of the
feed levers may be adjustable in the ordinary manner to give a longer or shorter
feed. Also if desired, one feed may commence or finish a little earlier or later than
the other. By reason of the frill feed point making a longer stroke than the other
yet in practically the same time it travels quicker.
Two separate presser feet may be used, but I prefer to use one only, and to
provide that that portion which presses upon the thinner material, shall stand
forward a little of the part that presses upon the band, in order that the pressure
may be equal upon both thicknesses of material. These two parts of the face of
the presser foot may be made adjustable to each other, as for instance, that portion
which presses upon the frill may be made of a separate piece and wedge shaped, so
that moving it along a little longitudinally, its face may be raised or lowered; or
it may be made in the form of an adjustable foot bracket, attached. to the main
part of the presser.
A suitable guide is secured on the throat plate to guide the
frill material, and also a suitable adjustable band tensional guide is carried upon
the presser foot to guide and control the travel of the band material.
The action of this my invention is somewhat thus :-A piece of frilling material
is introduced to the machine, with its one edge (left hand) just beyond the needle.
Then a piece of band material is introduced and threaded through the tensional
guide and through the presser foot and on to the top of the edge of the frilling
material, both materials being right side uppermost. By now driving the machine
the stitching takes place, but inasmuch as the frill is fed in faster than the band it

page_text: necessarily follows that it is ruffled between the stitches of the machine, while the
band is fed in plain and unruffled.
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CHARLES T. POWELL,
Applicant's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ruffling Mechanism for Sewing Machines.
I FREDERICK HARDWICK DODSON, of 13 Charlotte Street, Rugby, Warwick-
shire, Mechanic 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 relates to improvements in the mechanical attachments to sewing
machines by which what is known as "ruffling" is effected, and consists primarily
in the construction and arrangement of two feed actions having variable speeds or
travel, and also in the accessory parts thereto.
The one feed action is arranged for the frill, and the other for the band, or that
to which the frill is sewn.
The feed motion employed for the frill is made to travel farther than the feed for
the band. This is effected as follows:-I will describe this my invention as applied
for instance to what is known as a Wheeler and Wilson machine, although it may be
similarly applied to machines of other make, by modifying the parts to suit the
mechanism of such machines.
Ordinarily to give the usual feed, a feed lever is employed beneath the plate of
the machine, which is jointed at its one end to the stitch regulator stud while its
other end slides or oscillates in a part of the main plate or frame. This sliding or
oscillating movement is effected by means of a cam upon the main shaft, operating
a cross feed connection slide, which is connected to a lever, which latter acts upon
the aforesaid feed lever and imparts the necessary feed, it being brought back by
means of a spring. This feed lever in its turn operates the feed bar and feed point.
In carrying out my invention I make two feed points and also two feed levers, and
two feed bars &c. Both of these sets of feed mechanism may be worked from one
feed driving cam, or they may be severally driven. The feed points (having
grip teeth upon their upper surface) lie somewhat thus:-The short stroke or band
feed is upon the left hand side and behind the longer stroke, or frill feed. Each of
the feed levers may be adjustable in the ordinary manner to give a longer or shorter
feed. Also if desired, one feed may commence or finish a little earlier or later than
the other. By reason of the frill feed point making a longer stroke than the other
(yet in practically the same time) its speed is correspondingly quicker.
1
Two separate presser feet may be used, but I prefer to use one only, and to
provide that that portion which presses upon the thinner material, shall stand
forward a little of the part that presses upon the band, in order that the pressure
may be equal upon both thicknesses of material. These two parts of the face of
the presser foot may be made adjustable to each other, as for instance that portion
which presses upon the frill may be made of a separate piece and wedge shaped, so
that moving it along a little longitudinally, its face may be raised or lowered; or
it may be made in the form of an adjustable foot bracket, attached to the main
part of the presser. A. suitable guide is secured on the throat plate to guide the
frill material, and also a suitable adjustable band tensional guide is carried upon
the presser foot to guide and control the travel of the band material.
In order to more clearly explain this my invention I have appended hereunto an
illustrative sheet of drawings upon which are figures and numbers of reference,
similar numbers referring throughout the several views to the same thing or part,
Only such parts of a machine are shown as are necessary to explain this my said
invention.

page_text: Fig. 1, is a view in elevation of the lower part of a sewing machine to which the
invention is attached.
Fig. 2, is an inverted plan of the sewing machine base showing various parts.
of my improved mechanism.
Fig. 3, is a front elevation of the lower part of the pressure foot showing the
method of feeding the two materials.
Fig. 4, is an end view and Fig. 5 is a plan view, and Fig. 6, a sectional elevation
upon the line A-B, all of the aforesaid pressure foot.
Fig. 7, is a part sectional view on line C-D, of the machine base, showing more
particularly the feed bars.
Fig. 8, is a plan view of the plate through which the feed points emerge and
engage with the material to be operated upon.
Fig. 9, shows in detailed enlarged elevation and plan the one (frill) feed lever.
Fig. 10, shows similarily the other (band) feed lever.
Fig. 11, shows in detailed enlarged elevation and plan the "band" feed bar and
feed point.
Fig. 12, shows in detailed enlarged clevation and plan, the "frill" feed bar and
feed point.
Fig. 13 is an inverted plan and elevation in detail, of the cross feed connection.
slide and levers.
Fig. 14, is a detailed plan and elevation of the tensional guide.
Fig. 15, is a detached detail side view and plan of the tensional guide adjustable:
fence.
Fig. 16, is a front elevation of the lower part of the pressure foot, showing a
modification in which that part of the foot which presses upon the frill or thinner
part of the work, is made adjustable.
Fig. 17, is an end view of this modification.
1, is the base plate of the machine. 2, is the lower part of the arm or frame
which carries the well known driving mechanism, and also at its front end, the
needle bar 3, needle 4, and the pressure foot 5. By means of the connecting rod or
lever 6, and crank 7, a rotary motion is imparted to the shaft 8, in the ordinary
manner. 9, is the frill feed lever, fulcrumed at 10, whilst its other end engages in
the gap 11, made in the frill feed bar 12, such frill feed bar being held back against
the lever by means of the spring 13, whose rear end is attached to a fixed
bracket 14. This frill feed bar 12, has feed points 15 and 15*, see Figs. 8 & 12.
16, is the band "feed lever, which is fulcrumed in the ordinary manner at 17
to the stitch regulator 18, whilst its other end engages with the "band" feed bar 19
in the gap 20. The fore end of this bar is carried upon the cam 21 (see Fig. 7)..
At the extreme end of this bar is placed the compressive spring 22, whose
It will be seen
tendency is to push back the said bar against the feed lever 16.
that when in their working position that portion of the frill bar 12 shown at 23,
rests and slides upon and is carried, by the band feed bar at 24. The springs 13
and 22 have a somewhat downward pull upon the bars 12 and 19 in their rear
motion while the cam 21, raises the bar 19, and with it of course the bar 12 in their
forward or feeding motion.
Motion is imparted to the feed levers 9 and 16 as follows:-Fulcrumed upon the
machine base at 25 are the two feed connection levers 26 and 27, see Figs. 1, 2
& 13, to which are further attached the feed connection slide 28, at whose outer
end is the projection 29. This projection 29 is operated upon by the cam 30 (see
Fig. 2) in order to give it the required motion in the direction of the arrow 31, its
return motion being effected by the springs 13 and 22. It will now be seen that
by reason of the swell 32, upon the frill feed lever being at a greater distance from
the fulcrum 25 of the lever 27, than the distance of the swell 33, from the fulcrum 25
of the lever 26, that a longer stroke is thus given to the frill feed lever 9, feed
bar 12 and feed points 15 and 15, than to the band feed lever 16, feed bar 19 and
points 34, and that thus the frill is fed in at a greater stroke than the band to
which it is sewn.

page_text: To the pressure foot 5, is now attached the tensional guide bracket 35, having
the tensional bars 36, 37 & 38 and also the adjustable fence 39, which may be
adjusted to suit the width of the band 40.
Upon the base plate 1, is now secured the frill guide 41 under which passes the
frill 42.
The action of this my invention may now be understood as follows:-
-The piece
of frilling 42 is introduced under the guide 41, with its left hand edge just beyond
the needle (see Figs. 1 and 6). Then the "band" 40 is threaded through the
bars 36, 37 & 38, and also down through the hole 43, in the pressure foot as seen
in Fig. 6, it there resting on the top of the edge of the frilling, both materials
being right side uppermost. By now driving the machine the needle 4, descends
through the hole 44, and the stitching takes place, and inasmuch as a greater length
of frilling is fed per stroke than of band, it necessarily follows that it is ruffled
between the stitches, while the band is fed in plain and unruffled.
In order to accommodate. the unequal thickness of the work as it is passing
through the machine, the underside of the pressure foot is made a little lower
at 45, so as to press upon the one thickness of the frilling, while the part 46 presses
upon the two parts_consisting of band and frilling.
In some cases, I may make the said unequal surface by forming the deeper
portion, of an independent piece and adjustable, as seen in Figs. 16 and 17, in
which the adjustable bracket 47 affords such accommodation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :
-
1. The employment of a double feed mechanism by which the band and the frill
are simultaneously fed beneath the needle, constructed and operating substantially
as described and illustrated.
2. The combination with the rotating shaft 8, and the other motive parts of the
machine, and the cam 30, and the feed connection slide 28, of the levers 26 and 27,
and the feed levers 9 and 16, and feed bars 12 and 19, with feed points 15, 15*,
and 34 all substantially as set forth and for the purposes specified.
3. The combination with the band feed bar 19 of a second feed bar 12, having a
greater stroke, for the frill feed.
4. The combination with the pressure foot 5, of the tensional guide bracket 35,
having the bars 36, 37 & 38 and thea djustable fence 39, constructed and operating
substantially as described and illustrated.
5. Adjusting the unequal surface of the pressure foot 5, by means of a moveable
piece such as 47, or other similar means.
Dated this 27th day of September 1892.
CHARLES T. POWELL,
12, Cherry Street, Birmingham, Applicant's Agent.