Improvements in Cloth Clamps for Button-hole Sewing Machines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1892-Accepted, 20th Aug., 189
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by THE SINGER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, of
New York, in the United States of America, Sewing Machine Manufacturers.]
Improvements in Cloth Clamps for Button-hole Sewing Machines.
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 (as communicated to me), to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
In the stitching of button holes the material is held in a clamp the jawe of
which are usually from to of an inch apart, and considerable difficulty has
heretofore been occasioned, at the commencement of the stitching of a button hole
at, the narrow end, owing to the fact that the material would stick to the needle
and rise therewith, thus occasioning imperfect work. After two or three stitches
have been made the overedge seam stiffens the material so that the work will then
progress properly, but until this has been done it is desirable to hold the material
down on the throat plate of the machine, or on the guiding button which serves as
a throat plate, and thus prevent it from rising with the needle as the latter
ascends.
My invention has for its object to obviate this existing difficulty, and I
accomplish this object by providing one of the jaws of the clamp with a small
presser pad or finger which will be so arranged as to press upon the work close to
the end of the button-hole slit. This presser pad or finger is preferably made
adjustable upon the clamping jaw to which it is attached so as to be brought into
suitable position with different lengths of button-holes. To adapt these presser
pads or fingers for use with very short or very long button-holes they may be
formed at one end or the other of the adjustable shanks by which they are carried.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a plan view of a button-hole clamp provided with my improved presser
pad or finger.
Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are detail views showing the presser pad or finger applied to one
of the jaws of the clamp, and
Figs. 5 and 6 are detail perspective views, somewhat enlarged, of two slightly
different forms of my invention.
A denotes the base plate of a button-hole clamp of well known construction,
and B denotes the clamping feet therefor. To one of the said clamping feet is
attached my improved presser pad or finger C consisting of a thin piece of steel
formed integral with a shank c attached to one of the jaws B by the set screw d
passing through a slot in the said shank. This slot permits the said shank to be
secured in different positions lengthwise of the button-holes. For very short
button-holes the presser pad or finger is preferably formed on the inner end of the
shank, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, but for use with longer button-holes the said pad
or finger is preferably formed at the outer end of the shank as shown in the other
figures. By reference to Figs. 3 and 4 it will be seen that the presser pad or
finger C extends slightly below the bottom of the clamping jaw B so as to press
upon the work, its spring shank permitting it to yield slightly when the jaw is
forced down in clamping the work.
From the foregoing it will be apparent that my improved presser pads or fingers,
which are adapted to press upon the work close to the end of the button-hole slit,
will prevent the material from rising with the needle and will thus obviate the
difficulty which has heretofore resulted from such cause.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination with a clamping jaw of a button-hole clamp, of a presser
pad or finger attached thereto and thus movable therewith and arranged to press;
upon the material at the end of the button-hole slit between the jaws of the clamp.
2. The combination with a clamping jaw of a button-hole clamp, of a presser
pad or finger attached thereto and provided with a slotted shank by which it is
adapted to be adjusted length-wise of said jaw.
3. A button-hole clamp provided with a presser pad or finger arranged between
the open or separated jaws of the clamp in such position as to press on the material
at or near the end of the button-hole slit, said pad or finger being attached to and
thus movable with one of the jaws of the clamp.
Dated this Eleventh day of July 1892.
5
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.