IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND MECHANISM FOR, SEWING BUTTONS TO CLOTH OR OTHER MATERIAL
Year: 1882

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LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Haddan, of Kensington, Middlesex, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND MECHANISM FOR,
SEWING BUTTONS TO CLOTH OR OTHER MATERIAL." A communication from
abroad by Joseph Mathison, of the State of Massachusetts, United States
of America.
PROVISIONAL. SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert John Haddan at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st January 1882.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN of Kensington, Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE METHOD OF AND MECHANISM FOR SEWING BUTTONS TO CLOTH OR OTHER
MATERIAL." A communication from abroad by Joseph Mathison of the State of
Massachusetts, United States of America.
This invention consists in the peculiar method of securing buttons to cloth or
other material, and in the peculiar construction as hereinafter described of a
machine for sewing buttons on cloth or leather whereby the buttons are fed in an
improved manner to the needle and their attachment effected by the loop of a
single thread in a locked stitch; also in the mechanisms for operating the
shuttle driver; for feeding the work; for turning the buttons, and releasing them
from the feeder when they are secured to the fabric or leather. The base of the
machine is composed of a hollow arm, and its supporting table, the arm being
extended from the table and directly underneath the gooseneck.
In this arm is
the shuttle race, shuttle driver, and the thread guide. By means of the arm a shoe
upper to have buttons fixed to it can readily be supported, the arm being within
the upper while the latter may be in the act of being sewed. From the driver an
arm, jointed thereto extends rearward and is jointed to the upper end of a lever
fulcrumed to the base, and jointed to a second arm. The said second arm has a
slot, through which the driving shaft extends and is provided with a stud to
extend into the groove of a cam, fixed on the driving shaft arranged in the base.
The needle projects down from a carrier or bar, which slides vertically in a feeder.
From the feeder extend two inclined and parallel tongues, each of which goes

page_text: between a pair of such tongues, arranged in the head of the goose-neck. Between
the two tongues the feeder is recessed the bottom of the recess being flush with
the back of the needle bar. A forked lever arranged in the goose-neck projects
into the recess and receives between its prongs, a stud extending from the needle
bar.
A
The
An arm at its upper end is jointed to the rear arm of the said forked lever.
This arm has in its lower part a slot through which the driving shaft extends.
stud from the arm enters the groove of a cam, fixed on the driving shaft.
revolution of the cam, will impart vertical movements to the needle bar which is
adapted to have a limited vertical movement, independent of said feeder. The
feeder is held in position by friction pads, upon the side plate of the goose-neck.
The cam is adapted to impart two strokes to the needle to each stroke of the
shuttle, one of these strokes being longer than the other. The thread guide is a
hooked arm projected from a horizontal shaft, arranged in the base. At its end
next the driving shaft the horizontal shaft is provided with an arm extending up
from it. A link or rod joined to this arm is also jointed to a lever furnished with
a spring to draw it towards the cam, on whose side is fixed another cam, to work
against a projection of the lever. While the second cam is in movement against
the said projection the thread guide will be raised up so as to force the thread into
the eye of the needle, and to hold it, while the needle may be rising in the work.
The presser extends from a vertical slide bar provided with a spring for forcing it
downward. From the slide bar an ear extends over a cammed lever.
feeder consists of a cylindrical hopper provided with an inclined chute. Out of the
hopper the buttons are discharged into the chute by one or more passages leading
into the chute, each of such passages as well as the chute having in its upper side
a.guide slot to receive the eyes of the buttons. The chute and its guide slot at
their lower parts are curved down so as to cause each of the buttons in passing
out of the lower part of the chute to be turned down into a position for the needle
in descending to pass through the eye of the button. In the front side of the
chute is a port, for the escape of the button. In descending to the bottom of the
chute by the force of gravity the button will be moved against springs, whereby it
will be held by them, so as to have its eye extend out of the chute and into the
path of the needle. When the work is fed forward, the button having been
sewed to it, will be drawn out of the chute, or away from the supporting springs,
the upper of which will yield so as to allow of the escape of the button.
The button

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Herbert John Haddan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th July 1882.
IN
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN of Kensington, Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS
THE METHOD OF AND MECHANISM FOR SEWING BUTTONS TO CLOTH OR OTHER
MATERIAL." A communication from abroad by Joseph Mathison of the State of
Massachusetts, United States of America.
Figure 1. denotes a section of a piece of sheet material and two buttons connected
thereto by sewing as performed by the machine hereinafter described. In such
Figure 1. A. A denotes two buttons, and B. a piece of leather or cloth while C, is
the thread used in connecting such buttons to the said piece. Each button has an
eye a.
In making the button connecting stitch, the thread by the needle is first
drawn in the form of a loop up through the piece B, the loop in the meantime
being passed through the eye of the button A and thence down through the
piece B. Next the thread is carried through the loop or part thereof below the
piece and drawn tightly so as to coufine the button to the piece. Next the thread
is led forward to the position for the next button A'. to receive it the connection
stitch of this second as well as each succeeding button of the set is to be made in
the same manner as that for the first button. From the above it will be seen that
one thread only is used in fastening the buttons to the cloth and that each button
is secured by a loop of such thread carried twice through the cloth and once
through the button eye. Also that the loop is secured in place by the thread passed
through it. The arrows in the drawings represent the course of the thread in
forming the said connection stitch which becomes a "locked stitch." It differs
materally from a 'chain stitch" formed by a series of loops, each of which goes
through that next it.-The machine to be described is adapted on removal of its
button carrier to sewing cloth, in manner as explained. In this machine the sewing
is performed by means of a needle and a shuttle the latter carrying a bobbin on
which the thread used in making the stitch is wound. The needle, a side view of
which is given in Figure 2, has an eye c. open through its side and provided with
two barbs or hooks d, e. arranged as represented. Figure 3 is a top view, and
Figures 4 and 5 opposite side elevations of the machine. Figure 6 is a longitudinal
section showing mechanism within the gooseneck and shuttle race Figure 7 is a
transverse section taken longitudinally through the driving shaft of the machine.
The remaining figures are hereinafter explained. This invention consists in the
peculiar method of securing buttons to cloth or other material and in the peculiar
construction as hereinafter described of a machine for sewing buttons on cloth or
leather whereby the buttons are fed in an improved manner to the needle and their
attachment effected by the loop of a single thread in a locked stitch, also in the
mechanisms for operating the shuttle driver for feeding the work, for guiding and
turning the buttons and releasing them from the feeder when they are secured to the
fabric or leather, all as hereinafter more specifically set forth. In the drawings of the
said machine, A, denotes the base portion and B, the gooseneck of the machine, the
shuttle C, and thread guide D, and their operative mechanisms being within such
base while the needle and presser bars and their actuating devices are arranged
mostly in the gooseneck. The base is composed of a hollow arm a³ and its supporting
table 63. the arm being extended from the table and directly underneath the goose-
neck in manner as represented. In this arm is the shuttle race, shuttle driver, and
the thread guide. By means of the arm a shoe upper to have buttons fixed to it
can readily be supported, the arm being within the upper while the latter may be
in the act of being sewed. The shuttle race is shewn at E and the shuttle driver at F.

page_text: The latter is to move rectilinearly in the race. From the driver F an arm f, jointed
thereto extends rearward and is jointed to the upper end of a lever g fulcrumed
to the base, and jointed to an arm h. The said arm h, has a slot h³, through which
the driving shaft extends, and is provided with a stud to extend into the groove of
a cam i, fixed on the driving shaft G, such shaft being arranged in the base in
manner as represented. Figure 8. is a view of the said described mechanism for
operating the shuttle driver or imparting to it its intermittent reciprocating
motions as may be required to throw the shuttle through each loop in succession.
The needle is shewn at H as projecting down from a carrier or bar I. This
bar slides vertically in a feeder K. Figure 9 is a front view and Figure 11
a rear view of the feeder and the needle bar,-From the feeder two inclined and
parallel tongues h. extend in manner as shown, each of which goes between
a pair of such tongues i. arranged in the head k of the gooseneck in manner
as shewn in Figure 12 which is a view of the interior of the said head.
Between the two tongues h. h. the feeder is recessed as shewn at 1, the bottom of
the recess being flush with the back of the needle bar A, forked lever m, arranged
in the gooseneck and to turn on a fulcrum at n, projects into the recess and receives
between its prongs o. o. a stud p extending from the needle bar. An arm g, at its
upper end is jointed to the rear arm of the lever m. This arm has in its lower
part a slot r through which the driving shaft extends. A stud 8 from the arm
enters the groove of a cam t, fixed on the driving shaft, a rear view of the said arm
and cam being shown in Figure 13. The revolution of the cam t will impart
through the rod q and lever m. vertical movements to the needle bar I-By reason
of the recess, in the feeder k, it will be seen that said needle bar is adapted to
have a limited vertical movement, independent of said feeder. Thus on .the
downward movement of the forward end of the lever m, the needle bar I will be
carried directly downward until the end of said lever strikes the end of the
recess in the feeder k. By this time the needle will have penetrated
the material and the continued downward movement of the end of the lever
will impart a similar movement to the feeder k in which the needle bar
slides, and as said feeder is confined by the tongues 61. and . it must of
necessity move forward as it moves downward, and this forward movement will
be imparted to the needle and thus to the material feeding the same forward. As
the lever m, commences its return or upward movement the feeder k will remain
stationary until the lever has reached the top of the recess 7, when the needle will
have cleared the material and the continued upward movement of said lever will
impart a backward movement to the feeder and the needle bar. The feeder k is
held in position, except as it is moved positively by the lever m, by the friction
pads u, u, upon the side plate v, of the gooseneck (see Figure 14) said pads being
arranged to bear against the side of said feeder. It will be observed that cam t,
is adapted to impart two strokes to the needle to each stroke of the shuttle and
that one of these strokes will be longer than the other, thus when the needle
descends to catch the shuttle thread, it will only penetrate the shuttle race far
enough for this purpose but when it descends the second time it will go down
sufficiently far to permit the shuttle to catch and open the loop of thread carried
by the needle so as to pass through the same. It is obvious that as the length of
feed depends upon the throw of the needle, a short and then a longer feeding
movement will take place. In practice the portion of the cam t which imparts the
longer downward movement to the needle, will be constructed to give the needle
the usual "dip" for the purpose of better forming the loops for the shuttle.
Figure 15 is a transverse section of the base taken through the thread Guide D.
This thread guide is a hooked arm as shewn it being projected from a horizontal
shaft w arranged in the base. At its end next the driving shaft the shaft w is
provided with an arm x that is extended up from it as shown in Figure 16 which
is a rear view of the mechanism for operating the shaft of the thread guide. A
link or rod y joined to this arm x is also jointed to a lever z, furnished with a
spring a to draw it toward the cam t, on whose side is fixed another cam b¹ to

page_text: As
work against a projection c of the lever z. While the cam 6¹ is in movement
against the said projection the thread guides will be raised up, so as to force the
thread into the eye of the needle, and to there hold it from escaping therefrom while
the needle may be rising in the work, after which the thread guide will be turned
down into a horizontal position below the shuttle race in order for the shuttle and
its driver to pass freely over the thread guide without obstruction therefrom.
the shuttle in its forward movement passes through the loop forced downwards
through the cloth by the needle the loop becomes spread by the shuttle and freed
from the needle which next rises clear of the thread. The presser is shewn at M,
as extending from a vertical slide bar c². provided with a spring d. for forcing it
downward. From the bar. c2 an ear e extends over a cammed lever f³. a perspective
view of which is given in Figure 17. The said cammed lever arranged and
supported on a fulcram g¹. has its bent arm h'. extended underneath the lever m.
A spring fixed to the gooseneck presses the said arm h¹ upward. As the forward
arm of the lever m, may descend it will move the cammed lever f¹ so as to cause
the presser to rise, in order for the work to be fed along by the needle. The
spring serves to move the cammed lever back to place while the forward arm of
the lever m, may be rising upward. The next part of the machine to be
described is the button feeder N. It consists of a cylindrical hopper /¹
provided with an inclined chute l'. Figure 18 is an end view. Figure 19 a top
view. Figure 20 a front view of the lower part of the chute. Out of
the hopper the Buttons are discharged into the chute by one ог more
passages leading into the chute each of such passages as well as the chute having
in its upper slide a guide slot n¹ to receive the eyes of the buttons. The chute and
its guide slot at their lower parts are curved down so as to cause each of the
buttons in passing out of the lower part of the chute to be turned down into a
position for the needle in descending to pass through the eye of the button-In
the front side of the chute is a port o' for the escape of the button.-In descending
to the bottom of the chute by the force of gravity the button will be moved
against springs p¹ q¹. arranged as represented whereby it will be held by them so
as to have its eye extend out of the chute and into the path of the needle. When
the work is fed forward the button having been sewed to it will be drawn out of
the chute, or away from the supporting springs the upper of which will yield so
as to allow of the escape of the button.-In effecting the fixation or attaching of
the buttons to a piece of work or cloth the needle first passes down through the
eye of a button and into and through the work and is next moved forward a short
distance so as to feed or move the work along a like distance. At the same time
the button feeder is moved in a like direction a like distance. While the needle is
down the thread guide presses the thread into the open eye of the needle, and
keeps it there until during the next rise of the needle the thread may have been
drawn up to the work. The needle after taking the thread rises and draws the
thread in the form of a loop up through the cloth and the eye of the button. Next
the needle is moved or fed back beyond the eye of the button and is made to
descend into the cloth and to force the loop down through the cloth.-In thus
descending into the cloth the needle is also again moved or fed forward and feeds
the cloth forward a distance for it to receive the next button. The button feeder
is simultaneously moved forward a like distance with the needle. Next the needle
rises a short distance to open the loop in order to allow the shuttle to pass through
it. The shuttle is next driven backward through the loop, the needle rising in the
meantime and clearing itself from the loop and the cloth or work. The shuttle in
going back draws the thread closely into the work and button, the latter by the
draft on the thread being extracted from the chute. The needle having risen out
of the work is fed or moved back to its original position, the button feeder being
also simultaneously moved back to its original positions, in which case another
button will be presented to the work for being sewed to it. The button feeder is
never in the plane of the vertical path of the needle and hence never obstructs its
movements. Within the hopper of the button feeder is a reciprocating rotary

page_text: agitator O which consists of a spindle i¹, and sundry masses 8². of bristles radiating
from it as represented. A short arm t¹ projecting from the spindle is connected by
a link u¹ with the upper part of a lever v¹ whose fulcrum is a stationary pin w¹.
The upper arm of the said lever extends between two ears x¹². y. which are
projected from a standard z¹ upon whose top the button feeder is fixed. This
standard has a dovetailed tongue a² projecting from it between parallel guides 6² 62
extending from one side of the gooseneck. The lower arm of the lever v¹ has a
stud projecting from it into the groove e³ of a cam da fixed on the driving shaft.
This cam in revolving imparts to the lever the movements necessary to effect by
its action against the ears x², y', the aforedescribed movements of the button feeder
and also a reciprocating rotary movement of the agitator. This movement of the
agitator stirs the buttons in the hopper and facilitates their passage into the chute.
I do not claim any form of stitch as a means of uniting fabrics of any kind, nor
do I claim the particular stitch used in this process independently of the mode in
which it is formed and applied in this machine for the purpose of uniting buttons
to leather or other goods as hereinbefore set forth but What I claim is as
follows. 1. The method of securing buttons to cloth or other material which
consists essentially in automatically feeding the buttons from a receptacle to a
material then drawing a loop of thread up through the material and the eye of the
button next forcing the loop down through the material outside the eye of the
button And then passing the thread through said loop and tightening the stitch
by drawing upon the thread passed through said loop and withdrawing the button
from the feeding device simultaneously with the operation of tightening the stitch
substantially as set forth.-2. The mechanism for operating the shuttle driver the
same consisting of the combination with the driver F of the arm f. lever g. slotted
arm h. provided with a stud the cam i and driving shaft G all constructed arranged
and operating as set forth. 3. The work feeding device consisting of the combination
of the vibrating lever m, the needle H, needle bar, I feeder K. tongues h, head k
tongues and friction pads u, u, all constructed, arranged and operating substan-
tially as described 4 In combination with the stitch forming mechanism of a
sewing machine the chute N provided with a slotted race turned at its lower end
as described and shewn into a position to present the eye of the button directly
under and in the path of the needle in the manner specified 5. The combination
of the button feeder N standard z¹. tongue a² guides 62. 62 lever v. link u'. arm t¹.
spindler, and bristles 81. all constructed and operating as and for the purpose set
forth. 6. The combination substantially as described for automatically delivering
buttons to and sewing them to a piece of work or material in manner as explained
such consisting of the button feeder the needle presser, thread guide and shuttle
and their operative mechanisms essentially as set forth. 7. The combination of the
springs pl. q. with the button feeding chute provided with the discharge part o¹,
and the button eye guide slot u¹ all being arranged as explained.
In witness whereof I the said Herbert John Haddan have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Nineteenth day of July A.D. one thousand eight hundred
and eighty two.