IMPROVE-. MENTS IN SEWING MACHINERY
Year: 1886

page_text: We HORACE WEBSTER HADLEY and WILLIAM LEWIS GROUT both of Orange in
the County of Franklin and State of Massachusetts one of the United States of
America, Machinists, do hereby declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVE-.
MENTS IN SEWING MACHINERY, 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 that class of sewing machines using two threads and
forming a shuttle or lock stitch.
:
Our invention has for its object to improve and simplify the construction of the
shuttle or under thread carrying mechanism, and also the feeding mechanism.
The shuttle is of that class which is made to oscillate in a circular race.
The invention consists in a shuttle, composed of an elongated elliptical shell
having an elongated central opening provided at or near one end with a pocket, an
elongated cylindrical bobbin-case provided at one end with a projection and notched
at one side, the said bobbin-case entering the said central opening, the shell being
provided with a latch to engage the notch of the said bobbin-case and hold it in
the shell.
,
Also in a shuttle composed of a shell having an elongated central opening
provided with a pocket and with a notch, the said central opening receiving a
bobbin-case provided at one end with a projection to enter the said pocket and at
its other end with a shoulder and having a tension spring, the said bobbin-case
enclosing a bobbin, one journal of which enters the notch in the shuttle-shell while'
the other journal of the bobbin is supported in and by the shuttle-shell.
Also in a shuttle composed of an elliptical hook pointed shell provided with an
elongated central opening having a pocket at one end and a notched bobbin-case
placed therein and provided at one end with a projection and at its other end with
a shoulder, the said case also having a radially extended slotted bracket provided
with a curved edge, the shell having a latch pivoted upon it to engage the notch of
and hold the bobbin-case in the said shell.
Also in a shuttle composed of an elliptical shell having an elongated central
opening for the reception of the bobbin-case and provided with a guard at its rear
side to extend about the rear side of the said race-way and serve to keep the
needle thread away from the said race-way and edge of the shuttle to thereby
avoid soiling the thread.

page_text: essentially of a rotating shaft located in the overhanging arm of the machine, a
connecting-rod having a roller-stud, a rocking-shaft having a cam, a lever, provided
with a cam-guide, a link, a pivoted lever, a rod jointed to it, a movable fulcrum for
the said rod, a feed-rocker, and a sleeve suspended from the feed-rocker, the said
sleeve having an attached feeding-bar and also a forked arm or extension to embrace
the cam on the said rocking-shaft.
Fig. 1 in side elevation represents a sewing machine embodying the invention to
be herein claimed.
Fig. 2 an under side view thereof.
Fig. 2 a detail showing the back connection at one end of the pivoted rod.
Fig. 3 is a front or left hand end view of Fig. 1 with the face plate removed.
Fig. 4 is a section of Fig. 1, in the line X-X looking toward the left.
Fig. 5 is a front elevation on an enlarged scale of only the shuttle-race and
shuttle.
Fig. 6 a longitudinal section of the shuttle shell, shuttle-case and bobbin.
Fig. 7 a left hand elevation of the shuttle-shell, shuttle-case and bobbin, assuming
them to be in the position Fig. 6.
Fig. 8 a top or plan view of the bobbin-case removed.
Fig. 9 an under side view of Fig. 8.
Fig. 10 a front elevation of the shell alone.
Fig. 11 is a section of Fig. 6 on the dotted line X'-X¹, the bobbin case being
removed, and
Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the rear side of the shuttle shell, the bobbin-
case being removed.
The bed-plate A, the upright arm A¹, connected overhanging arm A², and
rotating shaft A³ therein to move the needle-bar 10, the feed adjusting slide B,
provided with a lug B¹, the bearing B₁ pivoted thereon, and the feed regulating
stud B attached to the slide B and extended up through the slot in the bed-plate,
where it can be engaged and moved by hand to alter the length of feed are all of a
construction common in sewing machines.
The feed-bar a is attached by suitable screws a¹ to the short sleeve a³ having its
fulcrum upon a pin a* extended into sockets a³ of arms depending from the feed-
rocker a supported upon point screws a³, the said pin being fixed in one of the
brackets a by a set screw a¹.
The short sleeve a² has an arm at which is forked at one end to embrace a cam
or eccentric as on the oscillating shaft C, which in practice will actuate the shuttle
to be described.
The cam or eccentric a³ acting upon the arm a will operate the sleeve a³ to place
the toothed portion ale see Fig. 3 of the feeding-bar a against the material, and
then to lower it away from the said material.
The bearing B', pivoted in the lug B¹, of the slide B, receives through it a rod D
the front end of which in practice is made of ball-shape see Fig. 2ª to enter a ball-
shaped recess in the socket a³ of the feed-rocker next to it the said socket being
split and having ears to receive an adjusting screw 6' by which to compensate for
wear between the said ball-shaped end and the said socket.
The rear end of the rod D is loosely jointed by a screw D¹ with a lever D'
having its fulcrum on the screw stud D³, the rear end of the said lever D' in
practice being made of ball-shape, and being embraced by the open or socketed
end of the link e jointed by a screw el to the lower end of the lever E having its
fulcrum upon a horizontally placed stud E¹ in the upright arm A¹
The upper end of the lever E is provided with a cam shaped slot, as shown best
in Fig. 4, which receives a roller es mounted upon a stud es extending laterally
from the connecting-rod F which at its upper end is made to embrace the bent or
crank like part of the rotating shaft A³. The lower end of the connecting-rod F
has a pin with which is connected the short arm of the rocking lever G secured
to the long journal g, provided at its ends with sockets to receive the points of

page_text: pointed screwsy, the Screws Serving as pivots upon with four y mwy
rock.
The longer arm of the said rocking-lever G is provided with a pin g³, shown in
dotted lines Fig. 4, over which is placed one end of a link g', which, at its opposite
end, embraces a pin or stud g³ of the crank g secured to the shaft C, by the set
screw a 15
The movement of the connecting-rod F by the rotation of the main shaft A³ to
operate the needle-bar and take-up, as will be described vibrates the lever G, and
it, by the link g', oscillates the shaft C to not only oscillate the shuttle but also to
raise and lower the feeding-bar.
During the reciprocation of the connecting-rod F, the roller-stud thereon acting
in the cam-slot of the lever E vibrates it, and the latter, by the link e, and lever D²,
causes the rod D to be vibrated, the pivoted fulcrum B2 at such time turning upon
the lug B¹ of the slide B, the extent of vibration of the rod D being more or less
according to the distance of the fulcrum block B2 from the ball like end of the
said rod D.
The extent of vibration of the rod D governs the extent of the feed and the
length of the stitch made.
The take-up herein shown is composed essentially of a slotted arm or lever h,
and an arm 4, the said arm h being split at one end to embrace a pin or stud h¹,
the split end of the arm being clamped about the said pin or stud by a screw h³.
The arm his bent outward toward the front of the machine, and in practice is
extended through a slot in the face plate, as shown best in Fig. 1, the outer end of
the arm being provided with the eye 2 to receive the needle thread.
The stud his fixed to the head of the machine at one side the centre of rotation
of the main shaft A³.
The main shaft A³ at its front end has secured to it a disc he provided in usual
manner with a crank-pin h', and this crank-pin receives upon it the link h³, which,
at its opposite end, is pivoted upon a stud of the collar hº attached by a screw to
the needle-bar h¹o provided at its lower end with the eye-pointed needle h¹².
The crank-pin h referred to, is of sufficient length to extend through a hole in
the link h³ and enter the slot in the arm or lever h forming part of the take-up,
that part of the said crank-pin which passes through the said arm, or lever being,
in practice, provided with an antifriction roll.
As the crank-pin he alternately approaches and then recedes from the stud h¹
constituting the fulcrum for the take-up arm or lever h, the latter is moved first at
a fast and then at a slow speed as is necessary to actuate the take-up in the proper
order of time to give up, and then pull back the needle thread as required in the
formation of a loop for the passage of the shuttle and thereafter tighten the stitch.
The machine herein shown is provided with a slack thread controlling lever m,
pivoted at m¹, the lower end of the lever being bent outward, as in Fig. 3, to
receive against it the needle thread.
This slack thread controlling lever m is provided with a slot, as at m², which
receives the screw stud m³ attached to the needle-bar, the said stud moving the
slack thread controlling lever in such manner as to prevent the loop of needle
thread getting under the point of the needle, the slack thread controller giving up
the slack in the needle thread as fast as needed.
In some classes of work the lever m may be dispensed with, but when stitching
thin goods it is especially desirable.
The oscillating shaft C, at its front end, is provided with a shuttle carrier n,
upon which rests the shuttle shell n³, to be described, the said shuttle shell being
composed of a substantially flat plate shaped as shown and made to oscillate in a
circular race-way composed essentially of a ring-like block n², attached by screws n³
to ears or lugs n* depending from the under side of the bed-plate.
The shuttle-shell is retained within the shuttle race block n² by a ring-like
cap n³ held in place by screws nº.

page_text: The shuttle shell is shaped substantially as shown in the drawing, that is to say,
it has a heel o and a point o¹, and at its rear side the shell is provided with a guard
or back-plate o².
'
The shell n¹ has an elongated central opening see Figs. 10 and 12, and near one
end of this opening is a notch or pocket 3 see Fig. 6, for the reception of the
projection or lip p of the bobbin-case p¹, the shell at the opposite end of the said
opening having a notch or slot 4 for the reception of one of the journals of the
spool or bobbin p², the opposite end of which is supported in the said bobbin case,
as shown clearly in Fig. 6 at the right.
The bobbin-case p¹ is provided with a thread controlling bracket r, having a
slot, preferably curved, and located substantially in line with the centre of
oscillation of the shaft C and the shuttle shell, the said bracket being extended
radially from the bobbin-case in the direction of its length.
The bobbin-case is provided with a notch p' to be engaged by the prong 5, see
Fig. 10, of a latch s pivoted to the shell n¹, at 6, one end of the said latch being
extended out beyond the face of the shell, as shown in Figs. 5 and 12, to form a
thumb-piece by which to turn the said latch whenever it is desired to remove the
bobbin-case p¹ from the shuttle-shell n¹ without removing the shuttle-shell n¹, the
spring 8, see Figs. 5 and 10, normally acting to keep the prong 5 pressed toward
the centre of the shell and in engagement with the notch p*.
The bobbin-case has a shoulder p6 which strikes against the shell n¹ to limit its
backward position therein.
The bobbin-case p¹ is slotted diagonally from its rear towards its front end, as
shown at 12 Figs. 6 and 9, to enable the thread coming from the spool or bobbin p²
in the said case, to be drawn under the tension spring 14, see Fig. 9, attached to
the case by a screw 15, the case preferably having shoulders between which the
said spring is located, the shoulders preventing the turning of the spring to
one side.
To insert into the shuttle-shell the bobbin-case containing a bobbin, the pro-
jection or lip p of the case p¹ is first inserted into the pocket 3 of the shuttle
shell n¹ and then the other end of the bobbin-case is pushed or swung back into
the elongated central opening 26 of the shuttle-shell until the shoulder p of the
said case meets the said shell and the recess p is caught by the prong 5 of the
latch s it entering the said notch p*.
Turning the bobbin-case back in this way while its lip p is held in the said
pocket 3 strains the parts sufficiently to serve the purpose of a spring so that as
soon as the latch s is moved to release its prong 5 from the notch p* of the bobbin-
case p¹ the shouldered rear end of the latter is started outward from the shell n¹
thus making it easy for the operator to grasp and remove the bobbin-case p¹ and
supply a proper bobbin.
The guard o prevents the loop of needle thread from coming against the
race-way block n³ near the edge of the shuttle, the said thread so held away
from the race-way block by the guard o² not being liable to be soiled by oil used
between the shuttle-shell and race block.
The shuttle thread after leaving the tension device is led through the slot 2 of
the bracket r, the curved outer edge of the latter aiding in spreading the loop of
needle thread.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. A sewing machine shuttle consisting of an elongated elliptical shell having an
elongated central opening provided at or near one end with a pocket, an elongated
cylindrical bobbin-case provided at one end with a projection and notched at one
side, the said bobbin-case entering the said central opening, the shell being pro-
vided with a latch to engage the notch of the said bobbin-case and hold it in the
shell, substantially as described.
f

page_text: 2. A sewing machine shuttle consisting of a shell having an elongated central
opening provided with a pocket and with a notch, the said central opening
receiving a bobbin-case provided at one end with a projection to enter the said
pocket and at its other end with a shoulder and having a tension spring, the said
bobbin-case enclosing a bobbin, one journal of which enters the notch in the
shuttle-shell while the other journal of the bobbin is supported in and by the
shuttle-shell, substantially as described.
3. A sewing machine shuttle consisting of an elliptical hook pointed shell
provided with an elongated central opening having a pocket at one end and a
notched bobbin-case placed therein and provided at one end with a projection and
at its other end with a shoulder, the said case also having a radially extended
slotted bracket provided with a curved edge, the shell having a latch pivoted upon
it to engage the notch of and hold the bobbin-case in the said shell, substantially
as described.
4. A sewing machine shuttle consisting of an elliptical shell having an elongated
central opening for the reception of the bobbin-case and provided with a guard at
its rear side to extend about the rear side of the said race-way and serve to keep
the needle thread away from the said race-way and edge of the shuttle to thereby
avoid soiling the thread, substantially as described.
5. A feeding mechanism consisting of a rotating shaft located in the overhanging
arm of the machine, a connecting-rod having a roller-stud, a rocking-shaft having a
cam, a lever provided with a cam-guide, a link, a pivoted lever, a rod jointed to it,
a moveable fulcrum for the said rod, a feed-rocker, and a sleeve suspended from
the feed-rocker, the said sleeve having an attached feeding-bar and also a forked
arm or extension to embrace the cam on the said rocking-shaft, substantially as
described.