IMPROVEMENTS IN STITCHING MACHINES " AND SHOES." CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Day of Stafford in the County of Stafford Boot
and Shoe Manufacturer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STITCHING
MACHINES
"
AND SHOES."
CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Day at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd January 1882.
JAMES DAY of Stafford in the County of Stafford Boot and Shoe Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STITCHING MACHINES CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR USE IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES.'
My Invention relates to machines whose chief uso is for stitching the soles to
the welts in the manufacture of boots and shoes. In some machines for this
purpose the needle is fixed on the end of an arm which, in addition to its
vibrating or up and down motion, imparts to the needle a lateral motion to cause
it to feed, or assist in feeding, the work along stitch by stitch. In these machines
it has been found that the strain of feeding the work necessitates the employment
of a very stout or thick needle which makes excessively large holes in the leather,
that is to say, holes much larger than are required for the thread used in stitching
and such unnecessarily large holes are very disadvantageous for reasons well known
to boot and shoe manufacturers.
I have therefore devised the improvements herein specified whereby I obviate
the necessity for using an excessively large needle.
The said improvements consist chiefly in combining with the needle an awl or
feeding point to assist the same in feeding the work so that not having to bear
the severe strain which has heretofore been borne by the needle in feeding, a
needle of comparatively small size may be used. I fix this awl or feeding point
upon, or in the end of, the needle arm or carrier by the side of the needle but at
such a distance from it that the needle shall, as the work is fed along stitch by
stitch, descend into the holes made by the said awl or point.
My improvements also partly consist in devices for varying the distance of the
said awl or point from the needle so that it may be regulated to suit any length of

page_text: stitch desired. For this purpose I prefer to provide the end or head of the needle
arm or carrier with two clamping plates or caps secured to the head by screws;
the needle and the awl or point aro secured between the said head and the caps
preferably in vertical grooves formed in the latter. The screws pass through slots
in the caps into tapped holes in the head and the said clamping plates or caps may,
when the screws are slackened, be adjusted laterally to set the needle and awl
nearer to, or farther from, each other according to the desired length of the stitches,
and may be secured in the required position by tightening the said screws.
It is obvious that this clamping device may be varied or modified, for instance I
may place between the needle and awl a block or piece of the proper thickness to
keep them the required distance apart and secure them in place by a pinching
screw passed through the head and the said block. And when the length of the
stitches has to be varied I remove the said block and insert one of greater or less
thickness as may be required.

page_text: "
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent and of
an Order of the Lord Chancellor filed by the said James Day in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 19th August 1882.
JAMES DAY, of Stafford, in the County of Stafford, Boot and Shoe Manufacturer,
IMPROVEMENTS IN STITCHING MACHINES, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR USE IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES."
My Invention relates to machines whose chief use is for stitching the soles to
the welts in the manufacture of boots and shoes. In some machines for this
purpose the needle is fixed in the end of a lever or arm which, in addition to its
oscillating or up and down motion, imparts to the needle a lateral motion to cause
it to feed, or assist in feeding, the work along stitch by stitch. In these machines
it has been found that the strain of feeding the work necessitates the employment
of a very stout or thick needle which makes excessively large holes in the leather,
that is to say, holes much larger than are required for the thread used in stitching,
and such unnecessarily large holes are very disadvantageous for reasons well known
to boot and shoe manufacturers.
I have therefore devised the improvements herein specified whereby I obviate
the necessity for using an excessively large needle.
The said improvements consist chiefly in combining, with the needle-lever and
the curved needle, an adjustable awl or point which is designed, while one stitch is
being made, to pierce a hole in the leather for the needle to enter in making the
next or a succeeding stitch, and to assist the said needle in feeding the work, so
that, not having to bear the severe strain which has heretofore been borne by the
needle in feeding, a needle of comparatively small size may be used. I prefer to
fix this awl or feeding point adjustably upon, or in the end of, the needle-lever or
carrier at one side of the needle, so that it may be adjusted to such a distance from
the needle as will suit the length of stitch desired, and so that the needle shall, as
the work is fed along stitch by stitch, descend into the holes made by the said
awl or point; but, if desired, the needle, or both the needle, and the awl, may be
made adjustable.
My improvements also partly consist in devices for varying the distance between
the said awl or point and the needle, so that such distance may be regulated
without the necessity for removing any of the parts.
My Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing in which,
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the needle-lever of a machine, with my
improvements applied thereto.
Figuro 2 is a plan or top view and,
Figure 3 a front elevation of the same.
Figure 4 represents a side elevation of the clamping plate b detached.
Figure 5 represents a section on the line x, x, Figure 1.
Figure 6 represents a section on the line y, y, Figure 1.
Figure 7 represents a side elevation of the clamping plate b showing a modified
device for adjusting the awl and
Figure 8 represents a plan or top view of the same and part of the needle-
lever.
Figure 9 represents another modification.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
In carrying my said Invention into practice I provide the end or head of the
needle-lever or carrier a with a clamping plate b secured to the head by a screw
bolt c and nut c'; the needle d and the awl or point e are secured between the

page_text: said head and the clamping plate bas hereinafter described. The screw-bolt c
passes through a hole in the clamping plate b and a hole in the head of the needle-
lever and the said clamping plate can, when the screw-bolt is slackened, be adjusted
laterally to set the awl e nearer to, or farther from, the needle & according to the
desired length of the stitches, and inay be secured in the required position by
tightening the said screw-bolt. The said clamping plate is fixed either on one side
or the other of the needle-lover, but I prefer to fix it as shown in Figure 6; it
is fitted upon a steadying ping so that it may be moved thereon to and from
the needle-lever.
I provide the following means for varying the distance between the needle and
the awl, that is to say. I fix the needle d to the needle-lever a by means of the
clamping plate f which fits over the steadying ping and is firmly secured to the
needle-lever by the bolt (whose head is made flush with the surface of the said
clamping plate) and the nut h. The plate f is inclined as shown in Figure 5.
The awl or point e is made with a flattened head e¹ and is secured to the clamping
plate b by incans of the screws i. On the top of the clamping plate b is secured a
bracket; through a hole in this bracket passes the adjusting screw which is
provided with a fixed collar m so that it is retained in the said bracket, but is
free to rotate therein. The screw Z enters a screw-threaded aperture in the wedge-
shaped block n, which fits between the clamping plate band the inclined face of
the clamping plate f, and has a slot to allow it to slide over the heads of the
screws 8.
To adjust the awl by means of this device it is only necessary to slacken the nut
on the bolt c and then turn the screw Z in one direction or the other to the required
extent, after which the said nut is again tightened. By these means the distance
between the needle and the awl may be adjusted with great precision and without
removing any of the parts.
In Figures 7 and S is represented a modified device for adjusting the awl. The
clamping plate fis made parallel instead of inclined, and the clamping plate bis
fixed close against the same. The clamping plate b is made with a recess in
which the head e¹ of the awl fits, and is capable of lateral movement. The awl
is adjusted and held in any desired position by means of the set screws q and the
central screw 2.
It is obvious that either of the devices above described, for adjusting the awl in
relation to the needle, may be employed to adjust the needle in relation to the awl,
with the same result, but I prefer to have the needle fixed.
I sometimes arrange for the adjustment of the awl and needle by placing
between the same, a block or plate s (Figure 7) of proper thickness to keep them
the required distance apart, and I secure them in place by a pinching screw t
passed through the head and the said block. And when the length of the stitches
has to be varied I remove the said block and insert one of greater or less thickness
as may be required. The needle and awl are in some cases made with a flattened
part for the said block or piece to bear against and press them into recesses in the
needle-lever and the clamping plate.
Having thus fully described my said Invention and the manner of performing
the same I wish it understood that I do not claim broadly or generally in a
sewing machine, the combination of a needle and awl adjustable relatively to cach
other, as I am aware that sewing machines have been constructed in which an awl
and needle have been mounted in a vertically reciprocating needle-bar, and in some.
instances provision has been made for adjusting the awl and needle relatively to
each other by the use of plates which are arranged with the said awl and needle
between them and which by means of screws can be caused to press laterally on
the said awl and needle to hold them in place, and can be slackened to release
them and permit them to be moved nearer to or farther from each other as desired;
but it is obvious that this method of securing the awl and needle by the friction of
the surfaces of the plates upon their sides and without other means for keeping
them in place is very insecure and leaves them always liable to displacement under

page_text: severe strains, especially in those machines where the needle has to exert lateral
pressure for feeding. Moreover, I am aware that in some instances provision has
been made for such adjustment by the use of a series of pairs of plates provided
with two grooves to receive the needle and awl, the different pairs having these
grooves at different distances apart so that by removing one pair and inserting
another pair of such plates the distance between the awl and needle will be changed.
But one great disadvantage of this device in addition to that of having to remove
and replace the plates, is that the adjustment can only be to such distances as are
determined by the grooves, and any intermediate length of stitch cannot be produced,
whereas by my Invention I obtain a thoroughly secure fixing of the needle and
awl, great facility of adjustment and the capability of varying the stitches to the
exact length required, and I claim :-
First. In a stitching machine in which the needle is carried by a vibrating arm
or lover, the combination, with the said arm or lever and a curved needle, of an
awl secured in or upon the said needle lever, in such a manner that the needle or
the awl or both the needle and the awl are adjustable to suit the length of the
stitches, substantially as above set forth, and for the purpose specified.
Second. The means or devices, substantially as above described and as shown in
Figures 1 to 6 and in Figure 7 and 8 of the accompanying Drawing, whereby the
distance between the needle and the awl may be varied according to the length
of the stitches and securely held when adjusted without the use of grooves or
other contrivances which restrict the adjustment to fixed or determined distancos,
and without the removal of any of the parts of such devices.
Third. The modification of my Invention whereby I provide for adjusting the
needle and awl in relation to each other by the use of blocks of different thickness
which are inserted between the needle and awl and secured in place by a pinching
screw, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof I the said James Day have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Eighteenth day of August in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two