Improvements in Overhead Sewing Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Overhead Sewing Machines.
I, WILLIAM WEBSTER, of Germania Works, Armley, Leeds, in the County
of York Engineer, 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 overhead sewing machines. According
thereto a curved rotary needle, either of a rectangular or round section, having an
open sided eye at one end, and a point at the other end, has formed in one or both
of its sides curved recesses or notches for the purpose of being driven round in the
needle race formed in the main standard of the machine; in suitable recesses formed
also in the main standard, one above and the other below the said needle race, are
toothed driving wheels, the teeth of which are split or grooved a certain distance
from the tops of such teeth, the inside 'surfaces of these teeth being rounded or
shaped, so as to span the needle and at the same time engage with the curved
recesses formed therein, and, as the wheels revolve, cause the needle to rotate in
the needle race to prevent the needle from flying out of the race when rotating a
cap or plate is fixed in front of such needle race.
The toothed driving wheels are fixed on shafts which revolve in bearings formed
in the main and back standards of the machine, and have fixed in suitable positions
ordinary gear wheels by which they are driven, the gear wheel on the top shaft
receives its motion from another gear wheel taking into it on the back shaft,
revolving in bearings or journals in both standards, such back shaft being driven
by a pulley fixed thereon by a belt from the main shaft, the gear wheel on the
bottom shaft having motion communicated to it from the gear wheel on the top
shaft through the intermediate pinion, which also drives the thread cylinder, by
means of a feather key taking into a keyway in the shaft connected with the thread
cylinder, such shaft being capable of sliding end wise through the said intermediate
pinion.
The thread cylinder used in a machine according to this invention, revolves in a
bearing in the main standard, concentric with the needle race, and the circum-
ferential speed thereof is the same or rather more than the circumferential speed
of the needle.
One end of the said shaft passes through the thread cylinder, and is provided
with a screw thread to facilitate changing the loose ends of the cylinder to
suit various materials to be sewn. The other end of the shaft is connected by an
arm or other means to one end of a traverse rod sliding through bearings in the
main and back standards, so that the traverse rod and thread cylinder will move
end wise together. The other end of the traverse rod carries an adjustable that
bladed spring, the outer end of which presses against the side of the taper end of
the thread cylinder, preventing the looped threads leaving the end of such
cylinder too quickly, and to produce tension on the looped threads whilst leaving
the end of such cylinder, so tightening the stitch in the material.
A series of interchangeable ends are provided for the thread cylinder, adapted
to fit on the outer part thereof, these ends each having a screw thread formed
therein to screw on to the end of the shaft. Some of these interchangeable ends
are made parallel and of the same diameter as the thread cylinder for a portion of
their length, the remaining portion being made taper, conical or conoidal towards
their outer ends.
On the said ends I cut or form a spiral thread of one lead, or spiral threads

page_text: of more than one lead, of any desired form, having a left hand twist, so that the
thread on leaving the cylinder gives an endwise movement thereto. The cylinders
and ends may be made in one piece with the taper ends attached, and have spiral
threads formed thereon as described above, or they may be plain, that is without
such spiral threads.
In order to regulate the endwise movement of the thread cylinder, tension is
applied to the traverse rod connected with the thread cylinder shaft, by placing
a clip hook on the said rod. One end of this hook passes through the main table
and is connected to a lever by a stud. The fulcrum of the lever is attached to
a forked bearing on the underside of the table, on the free end of the lever is a
weight adjustable in position to give the desired tension. Instead of the lever and
weight, tension may be applied by a flat adjustable spring taking against the
traverse rod, or by any other suitable means. In some cases where the stitch or
loop in the material requires to be drawn extra tight, the interchangeable end is
made with a shoulder, or of an O-gee section, the shoulder portion having the
spiral thread formed thereon.
The pressure foot according to this invention is fixed on one end of a flat bar,
connected to a socket bracket, carried in the main standard and free to oscillate
therein, this socket bracket also forms a bush for the back shaft to revolve in, the
other or tail end projects backward from the socket, pressure being applied to the
underside thereof by a spiral spring, carried on a pin secured to the main table of
the machine, the other end of the pin passing through a slot in the tail end of the
said bar, keeping the spring in position.
In order to raise the pressure foot from the work the tail end is connected with
a treadle lever by means of a wire connection or other suitable means so that by
putting pressure on such lever it pulls the tail end down and raises the foot. The
underside of the pressure foot has a groove formed in it for the feed chain to pass
under.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1, Sheet, 1, is an elevation of the machine partly shown in section.
Fig. 2, Sheet, 1, is a full size view showing the needle and means of driving it.
Fig. 3, Sheet, 1, is an elevation of the needle.
Fig. 4, Sheet, 1, shows the point of the needle.
Fig. 5, Sheet, 1, is an elevation of the toothed driving wheels.
Fig. 6, Sheet, 2, is an end view of the machine.
Fig. 7, Sheet, 2, is a plan of the machine.
Fig. 8, Sheet, 2, is a side view of the thread cylinder, showing an interchangeable
end secured thereto.
Fig. 9, Sheet, 2, shows an interchangeable end of an O-gee section.
The same letters are used to denote like parts in all the figures where they
occur.
On the main table a, mounted on the feet 6, is fixed the main standard, c, having
the needle race, d, formed therein, for the curved needle, e, to rotate in, this needle
having curved recesses or notches, formed in both its sides, at one end being the
open sided eye g, and at the other end the point, h, and in order to prevent the
needle e, from flying out of the needle race d, when rotating, the cap i, is fixed in
front of such needle race d. In suitable recesses k, and 7, placed immediately
above and below the needle race d, and in the same plane, are placed the toothed
driving wheels m, and, the teeth of which are split or grooved as at o, the inside
surfaces of such teeth being rounded or shaped as at p, for the purpose of spanning
the said needle e, and at the same time engaging with the curved-hollow recesses or
notches, and as such toothed wheels m, and n, revolve, cause the needle e, to
rotate round the needle race d.
The toothed driving wheels m, and n, are fixed on the respective shafts y and r
which revolve in bearings in the main standard c, at one end, and the back
standards, at the other, on the shafts and r, are fixed the gear wheels t and u,
by which they are driven, the gear wheel t, on the top shaft receives its motion

page_text: from the gear wheel r, fixed on the back shaft w, taking into it, such back shaft w,
revolving in journals in both standards and, such back shaft receiving its
motion from the main belt acting on the fast pulley a. The gear wheel u, on the
bottom shaft "" receives its motion from the gear wheel t, on shaft q through the
intermediate pinien y, this intermediate pinion y. also drives the thread cylinder :.
by means of a feather key taking into the keyway in the shaft in connection
with the thread cylinder, such shaft being capable of sliding endwise through
the intermediate pinion y. whilst it is revolving.
The thread cylinder revolves in the bearing concentric with the needle
race d. in the main standard e, is of one piece and connected to one end of the
shaft b, is made parallel the greater part of its length, the remaining part forming
the end being conoidal towards such outer end.
The other end of the shaft is connected by the arm d¹, to the end of the
traverse rod e', sliding through bearings in the main and back standards, so that
the traverse rod and thread cylinder move endwise together, the other end of the
traverse rod el, carries the adjustable flat bladed spring, the outer end of which
presses against the taper end of the thread cylinder :.
The endwise movement of thread cylinder being regulated by the clip hook g',
causing tension on the traverse rod el, connected to such thread cylinder, the end
of the clip hook gl passes through the main table a, is connected to the lever h¹,
by stud, the fulerum of such lever working on the stud in the forked bearing l¹
on the underside of the main table a; on the free end of the lever h' is the
adjustable weight m².
Instead of the thread cylinder being made in one piece as described above, it
it made with interchangeable loose ends, in which case the shaft passes through
such thread cylinder, and has a screw thread formed on the end' to facilitate
changing sucli loose ends, each loose end having a screw thread formed therein to
screw on to the end of the shaft .
One form of such interchangeable loose end being shown on the thread cylinder .
the conoidal part ol, having a screw thread formed thereon of a left band twist.
Another form of an interchangeable loose end p', being formed of an O-gee
section, also having a left hand spiral screw thread formed on it.
The pressure foot q', is secured to the flat bar r', connected to the socket
brackets carried and oscillating in the main standard e. the tail end t', of the bar
projecting backwards pressure being applied to such tail end ', by the spiral
spring, carried on pin secured to the main table a, the other end of the pin
passes through the tail end of the flat bar, to keep the spring «', in position.
The tail end of the flat bar is connected by the wire, to the treadle lever w',
so that by applying pressure to such treadle lever w³, it raises the pressure foot
from the work table. On the underside of the pressure foot is the groove y'
for the toothed feed chain to pass under.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The curved rotary needle, having curved recesses or notches formed in one
or both of its sides, substantially as described and shown.
2. The toothed driving wheels, the teeth of which are split or grooved, and
shaped so as to span and drive the needle at the same time, also the manner of
driving by gear wheels, the shafts on which the toothed driving wheels are fixed,
substantially as described and shown.
3. The thread cylinder having a conoidal end either plain or with spiral screw
threads of a left hand twist formed thereon, substantially as described and
shown.
4. The interchangeable loose ends, arranged to fix on the end of the thread
cylinder either plain, or with spiral screw threads of a left hand twist formed
thereon substantially as described and shown.

page_text: 5. The means of regulating the endwise movement of the thread cylinder and
traverse rod, for the purpose of varying the tension on the sewing, by applying
tension to the traverse rod, such tension being obtained by the clip hook, lever and
adjustable weight, substantially as described and shown.
6. The construction and manipulation of the pressure foot, substantially as
described and shown.
7. The combination of any or all of the several parts described above, used
either together or separately, in the construction of an overhead sewing machine,
substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 27th day of December 1893.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.