Sails, Carpets, and for other like Purposes.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Apr., 188"
Complete Left, 17th June, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 19th July, 1887
Sails, Carpets, and for other like Purposes.
I, WILLIAM WEBSTER, of Park Mills, Leeds, in the County of York, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in sewing machines of the kind in
respect of which Patents were granted to me respectively No. 3725, dated
13th September 1880, and No. 3637, dated 20th August, 1881.
According to my present invention such a machine is constructed with a fixed
headstock in which is the needle race.
The curved needle is propelled by driving arms that have projections at their outer
ends which engage with suitably formed parts of the needle, and these are formed
with or mounted upon axles carried in a rotatory carriage; these axles have other
arms or levers (which may be provided with bowls or runners) that engage with a
cam secured to the beforementioned fixed headstock. This cam serves to disengage
each driving arm successively from the needle as it approaches the material that is
being stitched, and to cause re-engagement of the driving arm with the needle after
the material has been passed.
The arrangement is such that at all times one or other of the driving arms will be
in engagement with the needle and during a considerable portion of the needle's
revolution both or (when more than two are used) all the said arms will be in
connection with the needle so as to continue its rotation.
The needle as I prefer to make it is without external notches and has suitable
radial holes or recesses at its inner circumference which may either pass partially or
entirely through it, and the driving arms have corresponding projections to take into
the radial holes of the needle.
The rotatory carriage in which are mounted the axles of the driving arms is caused
to rotate within the beforementioned fixed headstock and is in connection with the
driving pulley of the machine.
The cylinder for taking up and carrying the thread has an intermittent retiring
motion and also has an accelerated rotatory motion, so that the surface speed of its

page_text: periphery somewhat exceeds that of the needle in order to obviate any unnecessary
drag upon the thread during stitching.
The intermittent retiring motion may either occur at every stitch or otherwise, and
is effected by an adjustable crank stud (caused to rotate at the same speed as the
needle or otherwise), a link, lever, pawl and ratchet wheel.
This wheel has a sleeve with an internal feather and is caused to rotate in a bearing
in the framework; through it passes a bar having a groove that receives the said
feather by which and the ratchet motion above referred to, the bar is caused to rotate
intermittently.
The bar is provided at one part with a screw-thread with which engages a nut
segment that is not capable of end wise motion, though it is removable from the screw-
thread at pleasure; by this arrangement there is given to the bar an intermittent
endwise motion. In order that the shaft on which is mounted the cylinder for taking
up and carrying the thread may be caused to partake of this endwise motion the
following device is adopted.
Between collars at one end of the bar a connector is so mounted on the bar that
the latter can rotate within the eye of the arm; the shaft carrying the thread cylinder
passes in like manner through a second eye or hole in the connector and is provided
with collars so that when the bar moves this connector, the latter imparts longitudinal
movement to the thread cylinder shaft.-A device I will call a travelling guide rest is
provided in that part of the table near where the stitches are cast from the thread
cylinder and are lightened, this rest has one part of its upper surface on the same
level as the table and supports the work, and at its inner and upper edge has a
rounded projection which serves (as the work advances) to roll or turn up the edge of
the seam.
This guide rest is caused to travel backwards intermittently at the same times and
speed as the thread cylinder and therefore always occupies the same position relative
thereto ready for supporting and rolling or turning up the edges of the material
during the stitching and stitch tightening operations, thus performing a function
which so far as I know, has not heretofore been accomplished.
In order to operate the guide rest in unison with the thread cylinder, the following
means are or may be adopted. On the beforementioned screwed bar and between
collars is mounted an arm, in an eye of which the said bar is free to rotate (but
without end play between the collars) and to this arm the guide rest is attached.
On the exhaustion of the thread or the completion of the stitching of a seam, or
the complete retirement of the thread cylinder, the nut-segment previously referred
to, is withdrawn from the screw-thread on the beforementioned bar, when by the
action of a spring the said bar, the thread cylinder and the guide rest are caused to
move forward; the needle is then re-threaded ready for another stitching operation.
Dated this 15th day of April 1887.

page_text: Saus, Carpets, and for other like urposes.
I, WILLIAM WEBSTER, of Park Mills, Leeds, in the County of York, Engineer, do
hereby declare, the nature of my said 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 has reference to "Improvements in sewing machines for stitching
sacks, bags, ships' sails, carpets and for other like purposes" in which is used a curved
needle revolving in a race in a fixed headstock, and which is propelled by driving
arms having projections at their outer ends which engage with suitably formed parts
of the needle. These driving arms are formed with or mounted upon axles carried in
a rotatory carriage; these axles have other arms or levers (which may be provided
with bowls or runners) that engage with a cam secured to the beforementioned fixed
headstock. This cam serves to disengage each driving arm successively from the
needle as it approaches the material that is being stitched, and to cause re-engagement
of the driving arm with the needle after the material has been passed by that part of
the needle into which the arm takes. The arrangement is such that at all times one or
other of the driving arms will be in engagement with the needle, and during a
considerable portion of the needle's revolution both, or (when more than two are used)
all the said arms will be in connection with the needle so as to continue its rotation.
The needle as I prefer to make it, is without external projecting driving parts, and
has a smooth surface, and has suitable radial holes or recesses at its inner circum-
ference, which may either pass partially or entirely through it, and the driving arms
have corresponding projections to take into the radial holes of the needle.
The rotatory carriage in which are mounted the axles of the driving arms is caused
to rotate within the beforementioned fixed headstock, and is in connection with the
driving pulley of the machine.
The cylinder for taking up and carrying the thread, has an intermittent retiring
motion, and also has an accelerated rotatory motion, so that the surface speed of its.
periphery somewhat exceeds that of the needle in order to obviate any unnecessary
drag upon the thread during stitching. The intermittent retiring motion may either
occur at every stitch or otherwise, and is effected by an adjustable crank stud (caused
to rotate at the same speed as the needle or otherwise), a link, lever, pawl and ratchet
wheel. This wheel has a sleeve with an internal feather and is caused to rotate in a
bearing in the framework; through it passes a bar having a groove that receives the
said feather by which and the ratchet motion above referred to; the bar is caused to
rotate intermittently. I would here observe that it is not essential that the above
described retiring motion of the thread cylinder should be intermittent, but may be
arranged to be uniform. The bar is provided at one part with a screw thread with
which engages a nut-segment that is not capable of endwise motion, though it is
removable from the screw-thread at pleasure; by this arrangement, there is given an
intermittent endwise motion. In order that the shaft on which is mounted the
cylinder for taking up and carrying the thread may be caused to partake of this
endwise motion, the following device is adopted :-Between collars at one end of the
bar a connector is so mounted on the bar that the latter can rotate within the eye of

page_text: the arm, the shaft carrying the thread cylinder passes in like manner through a second
eye or hole in the connector and is provided with collars so that when the bar moves
this connector, the latter imparts longitudinal movement to the thread cylinder shaft.
A device which I call a travelling guide rest, is provided in that part of the tablo
near where the stitches are cast from the thread cylinder and are tightened, this rest
has one part of its upper surface on the same level as the table and assists in supporting
the work, and at its inner and upper edge has a projection which (as the work
advances) serves to slightly turn up the edge of the seam. This guide rest is caused
to travel backwards intermittently or otherwise as the case may be, at the same times
and speeds as the thread cylinder and therefore always occupies the same position
relative thereto ready for supporting and turning up the edges of the material during
the stitching and stitch tightening operations, thus performing functions which so far
as I know have not heretofore been accomplished. In order to operate the guide rest
in unison with the thread cylinder, the following means are or may be adopted :-On
the beforementioned screwed bar and between collars is mounted an arm, in an eye of
which the said bar is free to rotate (but without end play between the collars) and to
this arm the guide rest is attached.
"
The feeding of the material is intermittent and is effected as follows:-
In connection with the driving pulley is a sideway acting cam or
"drunken worm
that takes into a worm wheel and imparts thereto when the needle has passed through
the material, such part of a revolution as is suitable for the pitch of the stitches, but
during the remaining part of the needle's course the feed is at rest. On the same axis
as that on which the worin wheel is fixed, is a chain wheel that takes into and drives
an endless serrated pitch chain, this passes from the said chain wheel to a groove or
chase in the upper side of the table that supports the work, and then downward over
the end of the table back to the chain wheel.
The serrations of the chain project sufficiently above the table to seize the material
under treatment between them and a pressure foot and to carry it forward inter-
mittently as the stitching proceeds.-On the exhaustion of the thread or the completion
of the stitching of a seam, or the complete retirement of the thread cylinder, the nut-
segment previously referred to is withdrawn from the screw-thread on the before-
mentioned bar, the thread cylinder and the guide-rest are caused to move forward, the
needle is then re-threaded ready for another stitching operation.
In the annexed drawings like letters represent like parts wherever they occur.
Fig. 1. sheet 1. is a front elevation of a sewing machine according to my invention.
Fig. sheet 2. is a plan partly in section.
Fig. 3. sheet 3. is an elevation of the feeding end of the machine, to an enlarged scale.
Fig 4. sheet 4. an elevation at the delivery end, also to an enlarged scale.
n,
a is the bed of the machine, a 1, the table, b, the fixed headstock in which is the
needle race c, and wherein also rotates the carriage d. In this carriage are mounted
the axles e, e, with the needle driving arms ff, and levers g.g, controlled by the cam 1,
secured to the said fixed headstock, i, is the driving pulley, and j, a sleeve
connecting the said pulley to the rotating carriage d. On the said sleeve j, is fixed
the wheel k, the first of the train for accelerating the speed of the take up or thread
cylinder s. the other wheels of the train are 1. m. (these are joined together,) and
the
latter having a sleeve passing through a bearing o, on the outer end of the sleeve is
the pinion p, driving the crank wheel q. The sleeve of the wheel n has an internal
feather taking into a groove on the shaft r, of the thread cylinder s, and by this means
it drives it. From the stud t, in the crank wheel 9, motion is imparted through the
link u, lever v, and pawl w, to the ratchet wheel x, for giving an intermittent rotating
motion to the bar y, the screw y 3, thereon being engaged with a nut segment y 4.
(incapable of endwise motion, but capable of being disengaged from the screw y 3, at
pleasure by the handle y 5) thus causing an intermittent end wise motion to the bar y,
which motion is imparted through the arm or connector y 1. to the shaft r. of the thread
cylinder s. and the travelling guide rest z. by the arm y 2,-y 6, is a spring for
bringing back to its normal or forward position the bar y, together with the thread
cylinder s, and guide rest z, on the removal from the screw y 3, of the nut segment y 4,

page_text: it acts against the bearing y 7, and the collar y 8, on the bar; y 9, is a stop for
determining the extent of such return movement. When the retiring motion of the
thread cylinder s, is arranged to be uniform, the gearing for imparting motion to the
bar y,
modified as shewn in end elevation in Fig. 7. sheet 5, and in part plan Fig. 8 :
sheet 5.-in lieu of the wheel p. on the sleeve of the wheel n, I place a worm z 2. thereon,
this takes into and drives a tangent wheel z 3. (which is changeable) on the shaft z 4,
on which is a bevil wheel z 5. taking into and driving the bevil wheel z 6, on the bar y.
by which it is driven uniformly and through which it has an endwise motion, as is the
case when it passes through the sleeve of the ratchet wheel a, of the previously
described intermittent motion.-A rim of bristles s 1, and a rim of leather s 2, serrated
on the edge, with bristles beneath it, attached to the thread cylinder s. form the tension
apparatus for tightening the stitches as they are cast from the said cylinder during its
rotation, 61. is the sideway acting cam or "drunken worm
from which the feed
motion is derived as previously referred to. c 1, a worm wheel on the shaft d 1. acted
upon by it, e 1 is the chain wheel for driving the serrated endless pitch chain f 1. for
feeding the material; g 1. and h 1, are guide pulleys (or an adjustable non-rotating
guide may be used) for the chain on its return to the chain wheel e 1.- 1, is the
projection at the upper and inner edge of the guide rest 2. Fig. 5, sheet 4, shews the
curved needle a 4. in side view, and Fig. 6. shews the developed inner circumference
thereof with the perforations a 5, by which it is propelled. a 2, is the pressure
foot, and a 3, the handle for raising the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what is claimed in a
sewing machine is
1. Propelling the needle by means of driving arms carried on axles, and caused
to engage
with and disengage from the said needle by means of a stationary cam,
substantially as described.
2. Imparting a retiring motion to a rotating thread cylinder for taking up and
carrying the thread substantially as described.
3. The combination with a fixed headstock, of a retiring rotating thread cylinder,
substantially as described.
4. The rotating cylinder s, in combination with the train of wheels k. l, m. n, the
end wise retiring bar y, and the connector y 1. all substantially as described for the
purpose specified.
5. A travelling guide rest for assisting to support, and to turn up the edges of the
material, and travelling backward intermittently or uniformly at the same times and
speeds as the thread cylinder substantially as described.
6. The combination of the travelling guide rest z, the endwise moving bar y, and the
connector y 2 substantially as described and shewn."
7. A curved needle having the perforations by which it is propelled so arranged
that they do not break the continuity of its surface by external notches, substantially
as described.
8. The combination of a fixed headstock provided with a needle race, within which
a carriage moves, with a rotating thread carrier having an intermittent or uniform
retiring motion and a travelling guide rest substantially as described and shewn.
9. The improved sewing machine for stitching sacks, bags, ships' sails, carpets and
for other like purposes, substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
1004
Dated this hot day of one OOT
Witness
THOS. E. CRAVEN, C.E., Fel. Inst. Patent Agents,
24, Victoria Chambers, Leeds.
WILLIAM WEBSTER.