Improvements in Sewing Machines for Attaching Shank Buttons to Fabrics.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 10th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 7th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 11th Mar.. 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sewing Machines for Attaching Shank Buttons
to Fabrics.
I, ALEXANDER ANDERSON, Manager of the Singer Manufacturing Company's
Works, Kilbowie, Dumbartonshire do hereby declare the nature of this invention
(as communicated to me from abroad by Georg Neidlinger of 79 Admiralitätstrasse
Hamburg in the Empire of Germany) to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in sewing on shank buttons to fabrics by
the aid of ordinary sewing machines.
According to my invention the shank of the button to be sewed on is supported
in a horizontal position (or nearly so) to the fabric placed on the needle plate of
the sewing machine, whereupon the latter is caused to form one or more stitches in
such a manner that the needle will pass through the fabric alternately inside and
outside of the eye of the button shank.
For this reason the fabric together with the button to be sewed on may either
be moved to and fro on the needle plate e.g. by a device employed in button hole
sewing machinés in case the needle bar is guided in a stationary race or the fabric
and the button are held firmly on the needle plate when an oscillating or zig zag
needle is employed as in some embroidery machines. In the latter case the usual
presser-foot should be adapted to hold the shank of the button in the desired
position while sewed on the fabric and the needle plate so formed that the button
proper will remain during its sewing on the fabric in its upright position, that is to
say, its circumference at its lowest point will touch the fabric.
To carry my invention into practice according to the last described method
I employ the devices illustrated in the accompanying drawing. In the latter
Figures 1 and 2 are a vertical section and plan respectively of a part of a base plate
of a sewing machine with an oscillating needle provided with the necessary
attachments to carry out this invention; Figures 3-7 illustrate the latter in
detail; Figures 8-10 shew a modification of the said attachment and Figures 11-15
detail views of the same, while Figure 16 represents a button sewed on the
fabric.
In Figures 1 and 2, a is the needle plate of the sewing machine on the upper
face of which a somewhat elevated support for the fabric is provided. This
support is arranged directly above the oblong throat a¹ of the needle plate and in
accordance with the latter is provided with an oblong passage for the oscillating
needle c.
The upper surface of the support b may be inclined and provided with
teeth like the underside of the presser foot d in order to firmly hold the fabric e
in place. The presser foot d, the underside of which inclined at the same angle
as that of the support 6 is besides having a vertical passage for the needle provided
in a horizontal direction with a depression or recess for the reception of the
shank of the button in such a manner that the needle. c with the sewing thread
may pass through the fabric e alternately inside and outside of the eye of the button
shauk.
As the position of the fabric remains unvaried during the sewing on of the button
one or more stitches may be formed by the aid of the usual loop hook or shuttle y
moving beneath the needle plate a as by the step motion of the needle, the needle
thread is laid over the ring of the button shank alternately in one or the other
direction (Figure 16) as in barring the end of a button hole.
The height of the support b above the needle plate as well as the inclination of
the face on which the fabric rests depends chiefly upon the diameter of the button
to be served on

page_text: The attachment above described is applicable for sewing on buttons having
shanks of a size corresponding to that of the depression d¹ of the presser foot i.e. as
long as the diameter of the button admits of the reception of the shank by the
presser foot in a horizontal position. For buttons of larger size and such as with
shanks of different width the said attachment needs to be somewhat modified as
shewn in Figures 8-15. In this arrangement the needle plate A which is
thickened is provided with a cavity A2 in which the downward extending portion
of the upright button is received. The fabric e is either folded together and placed
on the needle plate A in such a manner that the so-formed edge reaches to the
middle of the throat A' (see dotted lines Figure 8) or it is spread flatly on the
needle plate and pressed into the cavity A2 as shewn in full lines so that the lower
edge of the button will rest on that position of the fabric which is received within
the said cavity of the needle plate when the button shank is clamped firmly by the
presser foot D in proper position. In this modification the presser foot is
provided with an automatic clamping device consisting of a pair of jaws k k joined
by a pivot which is connected to a horizontal sliding plate D' received within a
dove-tail shaped groove at the underside of the presser foot. The adjoining faces
of the jaws are formed in such a manner that they will admit the passage of the
needle even in the closed position of the clamping device determined by the stops D'
of the sliding plate D' and they are further adapted to accommodate themselves to
the different forms and sizes of the button shanks and for this reason the said
faces may be provided with grooves ¹ for holding the round portion of the eye
ring or shank of the button. The clamping device or clasp consists merely of a
pair of tongs or pincers between the upright bent arms of which a spring i is
provided which tends to automatically close the jaws and to make a fair pinch
after the reception of the button shank. If, however, the presser foot is
withdrawn from the needle plate in the usual manner the upwardly directed
arms of the clamping device will meet the fingers of a bar attached to
the head of the sewing machine. These fingers are in such a position that on the
ascending motion of the presser foot the jaws k k of the clamping device are caused
to open and thereby to release the shank of the button sewed on the fabric in the
manner above described.
By the aid of the heretofore given explanation sewing machines having a
stationary guide for the needle bar but a to and fro moving needle plate may be
easily adapted for carrying out the method forming the subject of the herein
described invention. This may be done either by causing the presser-foot to
perform a vibrating motion together with the button and the fabric or the recipro-
cating needle-plate may be provided with a suitable device to hold the button shank
in the desired position so that the. latter will be moved to and fro in the same
direction as the fabric.
Dated this Ninth day of May 1892.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sewing Machines for Attaching Shank Buttons
to Fabrics.
I, ALEXANDER ANDERSON, Manager of the Singer Manufacturing Company's
Works, Kilbowie, Dumbartonshire, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in sewing on shank-buttons to fabrics by
the aid of ordinary sewing machines.
According to my inveution the shank of the button to be sewed on is supported
in a horizontal position (or nearly so) to the fabric placed on the needle-plate of

page_text: the sewing-machine, whereupon the latter is caused to form one or more stitches in
such a manner that the needle will pass through the fabric alternately inside and
outside of the eye of the button shank.
For this reason the fabric together with the button to be sewed on may either be
moved to and fro on the needle-plate e.g. by a device employed in button hole
sewing machines in case the needle-bar is guided in a stationary race, or the fabric
and the button are held firmly on the needle plate when an oscillating or zig zag
needle is employed as in some embroidery machines. In the latter case the usual
presser foot should be adapted to hold the shank of the button in the desired
position while sewed on the fabric and the needle plate so formed that the button
proper will remain during its sewing on the fabric in its upright position, that is to
say, its circumference at its lowest point will touch the fabric.
To carry my invention into practice according to the last described method I
employ the devices illustrated in the drawing filed with my Provisional Specifi-
cation. In the latter Figures 1 and 2 are a vertical section and plan respectively
of a part of a base plate of a sewing machine with an oscillating needle provided
with the necessary attachments to carry out this invention; Figures 3-7 illustrate
the latter in detail; Figures 8 to 10 show a modification of the said attachment
and Figures 11-15 detail views of the same, while Figure 16 represents a button
sewed on the fabric.
In Figures 1 and a is the needle-plate of the sewing machine on the upper
face of which a somewhat elevated support for the fabric is provided. This
support is arranged directly above the oblong throat a' of the needle plate and in
accordance with the latter is provided with an oblong passage b' for the oscillating
needle c. The upper surface of the support b may be inclined and provided with
teeth like the underside of the presser-foot d in order to firmly hold the fabric e in
place. The presser foot d the underside of which is inclined at the same angle as
that of the support is besides having a vertical passage for the needle provided in
a horizontal direction with a depression or recess for the reception of the
shank of the button in such a manner that the needle c with the sewing thread
may pass through the fabric e alternately inside and outside of the eye of the
button shank.
As the position of the fabric remains unvaried during the sewing on of the
button one or more stitches may be formed by the aid of the usual loop-hook or
shuttle moving beneath the needle plate as by the step motion of the needle
the needle thread is laid over the ring of the button shank f alternately in one or
the other direction (Figure 16) as in barring the end of a button hole.
The height of the support b above the needle plate as well as the inclination
of the face on which the fabric rests depends chiefly upon the diameter of the
button to be sewed on.
The attachment above described is applicable for sewing on buttons having
shanks of a size corresponding to that of the depression of the presser foot i.e.
as long as the diameter of the button admits of the reception of the shank by the
presser foot in a horizontal position. For buttons of larger size and such as with
shanks of different width the said attachment needs to be somewhat modified, as
shown in Figures 8-15. In this arrangement the needle plate A which is
thickened is provided with a cavity A' in which the downward extending portion
of the upright button is received. The fabric e is either folded together and placed
on the needle plate A, in such a manner that the so-formed edge reaches to the
middle of the throat A', (see dotted lines, Figure 8) or it is spread flatly on the
needle plate and pressed into the cavity A' as shown in full lines so that the lower
edge of the button will rest on that portion of the fabric which is received within
the said cavity of the needle plate when the button shank is clamped firmly by the
presser foot D in proper position. In this modification the presser foot is provided
5 with an automatic clamping device consisting of a pair of jaws kk joined by a
pivot which is connected to a horizontal sliding plate D' received within a dove-
tail shaped groove at the underside of the presser foot. The adjoining faces of the

page_text: jaws are formed in such a manner that they will admit the passage of the needle
even in the closed position of the clamping device determined by the stops D³ of
the sliding plate D₁ and they are further adapted to accomodate themselves to the
different forms and sizes of the button shanks and for this reason the said faces
may be provided with grooves k¹ for holding the round portion of the eye-ring or
shank of the button. The clamping device or clasp consists merely of a pair of
tongs or pincers between the upright bent arms of which a spring i is provided
which tends to automatically close the jaws and to make a fair pinch after the
reception of the button shank. If, however, the presser foot is withdrawn from
the needle plate in the usual manner the upwardly directed arms ³ ³ of the
clamping device will meet the fingers of a bar attached to the head of the
sewing machine. These fingers are in such a position that on the ascending
motion of the presser-foot the jaws kk of the clamping device are caused to open
and thereby to release the shank of the button sewed on the fabric in the manner
above described.
By the aid of the heretofore given explanations, sewing machines having a
stationary guide for the needle bar but a to and fro moving needle plate may be
easily adapted for carrying out the method forming the subject of the herein
described invention. This may be done either by causing the presser foot to
perform a vibrating motion together with the button and the fabric, or the recipro-
cating needle plate may be provided with a suitable device to hold the button
shank in the desired position so that the latter will be moved to and fro in the same
direction as the fabric.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of, my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me I
declare that what I claim is :--
1. The method of fastening shank buttons to fabrics by holding the button on
the fabric in such a manner that the shank of the button will occupy a horizontal
or nearly horizontal position while the needle passes through the fabric alternately
inside and outside of the eye of the button shank, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
°
2. In a sewing-machine with an oscillating needle the combination of a presser
foot provided with a lateral depression for the reception of the shank of a button
in a horizontal or nearly horizontal position with an elevated support of the needle
plate having an inclined face substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. In a sewing-machine with an oscillating needle the combination of the
presser foot provided with a clamping device which consists of a pair of spring
operated tongs for grasping the eye ring or shank of the button in a horizontal or
nearly horizontal position with a pair of stationary fingers within the reach of the
spring operated arins of the tongs substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In a sewing machine of the described type a needle-plate having a cavity
or depression for the reception of the button when in upright position while the
shank of the button is held in horizontal or nearly horizontal position substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
5. The combination of parts constituting the improved sewing machine for
attaching shank buttons to fabrics substantially as described.
Dated this Sixth day of February 1893.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.