An Improved Button-hole Attachment for Sewing-machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 1st June, 1894-Accepted, 21st July, 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Button-hole Attachment for Sewing-machines.
I, CARL AUGUST HAUPT, of 17 Erlenstrasse, Dresden, N., in the German
Empire, Mechanical 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 button-hole making and locking attachment is capable of being attached to
sewing-machines of any suitable construction, without necessitating any alteration
in the arrangement of the machine itself, it simply taking the place of the usual
sewing-machine presser-foot, and being entirely self-contained, i.e., embodying all the
operative parts, so that, whatever the construction of the sewing-machine, the seam
retains its proper position, the material to be provided with button-holes being
laterally shifted backwards and forwards at the same time as it advances under the
foot in the usual way.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing,
in which
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete mechanism, as attached to a
sewing-machine.
Figures 24 to 4° are detail views.
Figures 5, 6 and 9 are three plans showing the attachment or device in three
different operative positions.
Figure 7 is a side elevation.
Figure 8 is a cross section of the attachment on line A, A (Figure 5), and
Figure 10 is a specimen of the button-hole seam or hem produced by the improved
device.
The device mainly consists of two parts, viz.:-
(1.) The part which grips the material to be provided with button-holes, and
(2.) The mechanism whereby the gripping device together with the material it
holds is reciprocated laterally as the machine is set in operation.
The gripping device consists of an elongated frame a (Figures 5, 6, 8), within
which there is hinged a flap or tongue b. is the hinge whercon such tongue b is
arranged to turn whenever the pivotted catch c (Figure 5) is brought to the position
indicated in dotted lines.
When it does so, the said tongue 6 is slightly raised (say to the dotted position
Figure 7), when the material may be inserted between the said tongue b and the
frame or plate a. After thus placing the material in position, the tongue is
brought down upon it again, and the clasp or catch c is turned back, whereby the
material is tightly pressed underneath the shorter end of the said tongue, between a
and b.
The frame a together with the material it holds is caused to advance by the cloth
feeder in the manner usual in sewing machines; but while it does so, for the
purpose of forming the transverse button-hole seams, it has a lateral reciprocating
motion imparted to it and to the cloth it carries, under the action of the following
mechanism.
Into a recess provided in the tongue the foot plate d (see Figures 44, 4B, 40,
7. and 8) of the button-hole making device is fitted in the usual position of the
sewing-machine presser-foot, so that in this case also the material is firmly retained
between the presser and the foot-plate d of the button-hole making device. This
foot-plate d exactly fits the tongue b, so that as it is shifted sideways, the frame or
plate a together with the material it carries, follows its movements.
The foot-plated forms part of the plate e (Figures 4* to 4º). Figure 44 is an

page_text: inverted plan of the plate e. This plate e is provided on its upper surface with a
guide-bridge adapted to slide backwards and forwards within the slot g of the
plate (Figure 2A).
The plates e and are retained in contact with each other by a thin plate i
(Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8) placed over them, and two screws kk, the said plate e being,
however, allowed to shift easily, to a slight extent, under the plate h when required.
The screws also serve for securing the wings m' m² (Figs. 5, 6 and 8) arranged to
turn readily on the said screws or pivots k in the horizontal direction. The
wings m² m² are so connected with each other by a rod or link n (see also
Fig. 9) that each of them is in all cases compelled to follow the movements of
the other.
The operation of the pivoted wings m² m² and the consequent lateral displacement
of the plate e and of the frame a connected therewith are provided for by the
arrangement of a slide o as shown in Figs. 34, 3B, 5, 6, 7 and 9. While the wings
are in the position in which they are represented in Fig. 5, the forward motion of
the slide o, in the direction of the arrow, will cause the wing m' to turn about its
pivot k, and ask is permanently secured to the movable plate e, this plate e, when
in the position indicated in Fig. 5, during the forward movement of the slide o,
must perform a lateral movement in the direction of the arrow B (Fig. 5). The
slide o then moves further along the wing m¹ (see Fig. 9) and thereby retains the
said wing, and with it the plate e and the material operated upon, in this position
(on the right hand side) until its nose or tappet slips off the said wing m³, as the
slide o returns. At that moment the spring p (Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 9) comes into
operation and brings the wings m¹ m² back to their former position, without,
however, displacing the plate e. This plate e is retained in its position by the
catch spring (Figs. 2A, 2B, 5) which engages in a notch e² provided in the plate e
(Figs. 4A 4B) until the slide o brings about another movement thereof in the
opposite direction. When the wings m³ m², after the displacement of the plate e in
the direction of the arrow B (Fig. 5), have returned to their former (intermediate)
position, under the action of the spring p, the relative position of the wings to the
slide o will by that time have changed from that which is illustrated in Fig. 5, by
which change as the slide o performis its next forward stroke, the other wing, m² is
in its turn set in operation (sec Fig. 6). When this wing m² is operated by the
slide o, the plate e is shifted to the left, i.e. in the direction of the arrow C, Fig. 6,
together with the material. When the plate e has arrived at the extreme end of
its stroke, the spring secured to the under side of the plate (Fig. 2B) engages
h
the notch e of the plate e (Figs. 44 and 4B) and retains this plate in the position it
has taken up on the left, until, as the slide performs its next forward movement, the
wing m is again operated.
in
The plate e, and with it the material to be provided with button-holes, is,
however, shifted in the manner stated only during the upward stroke of the
needle.
As shown in Figure 1, the upper or second portion of my improved attachment
is mounted on the plate which is provided with a socket which fits the rod s¹
generally employed for supporting the ordinary presser-foot of the machine, the
rods being held in the socket by means of a screw s.
For imparting recipro-
cating motion to the slide o I provide a levert pivoted at to a bracket /² ou the
plate and formed with a forked end which engages with the needle-holder
screw t. As the needle rises, the parts 2 and 3 (Figure 7) impart a movement to
the slide o and, with it, shift the plate e sideways in either direction, while as the
needle descends, the slide o goes back, while the plate e together with the cloth
retains its position, so that during this period the machine has time to produce the
required stitch. Upon the pivot on the lever t, the lever t is loosely mounted
and adapted to swing backwards and forwards between the tappets o' of the slide o
(Figures 34, 3 and 7).
The levert has a projection t³ carrying two tappets t situated on either side of
the part 2. As the lever t moves up and down, the said part or lever t² comes in

page_text: contact alternately with each of the tappets t* according to the direction in which
the oscillatory movement takes place. These tappets or cams t engage with the
said lever and by so doing displace the slide o in either one or the other direction.
Between the said lever t' and the tappets t there is sufficient space to retain the
slide o for a short time in its end positions, so that it only moves just in time
to operate the wings m³ and m².
In operation, the cloth-gripping or lower portion a of the device together with
the cloth, is placed under the upper portion of the device or attachment, which is
somewhat raised, preferably by means of the rod st, for this purpose, so that the
foot-plate d, when the said upper portion of the device is allowed to descend again,
assumes its position in the tongue b, after which the sewing may be proceeded with.
The left-hand side of the button-hole (see Figure 10 from 2 to 1) is stitched first.
The seam commences at 2. While the material is being fed along in the forward
direction it is at the same time, as before stated, reciprocated sideways, thereby
producing the peculiar button-hole stitch. When the seam has reached the point 1,
the needle remains in the cloth for a time; the upper portion of the device is
slightly raised and the gripper a, together with the cloth is turned about the needle
at an angle of 180°, when the device is lowered again, and the formation of the other
stitch, or the edging of the opposite side of the button-hole (from 1 to 3 Fig. 10)
may be proceeded with. On reaching the point 3 the seam is completed. For
locking," the gripping device is again turned at an angle of 180°, and the button
hole is locked"
or fastened by means of a few final stitches on one side of the
first seam (from 2 to 1).
"
$6
The foot d of the plate e is so arranged, however, that the button-hole seam may
be provided with a suitable filling. For this purpose the said foot is provided at
its front end with a groove d' (Figs. 44, 4B, 4° and 8) reaching down to a point
below the centre of the said foot, in which groove the filling is placed in such
a position that it is compelled to participate in the lateral movements of the foot-
plate and therefore is sewn across or enveloped in the seam, forming the required.
braiding along the button-hole edge (Fig. 4 shows this foot-plate from the under
side).
The foot-plate is, moreover, provided on its lower side with two grooves (d' and d³,
Fig. 4) forming a bridge or raised portion between them. This bridge, in sewing,
takes up its position between the two button-hole edges, thereby preventing any
displacement of the seam in course of formation, and ensuring consequently the
requisite neatness and regularity of the seam.
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. A button-hole making and locking attachment, capable of being used in
connection with existing sewing-machines without structural alterations therein, the
main feature of which attachment is that, while the needle performs its upward
stroke, the cloth to be provided with button-holes, is reciprocated sideways through
the medium of pivoted wings such as m', m², so connected with a movable plate such
as e, with which the cloth is connected, that through their alternate movements,
the said plate and with it the cloth held by a gripping device such as a, b, c, is
shifted in oue or the other direction.
2. The mechanism for operating the pivoted wings, such as m², m², connected by
a rod or link n, which mechanism mainly consists of a lever such as t, t, t, adapted
to be attached to the needle-holder screw t', and to operate a horizontal slide such
as o in such a manner that, as the needle rises, the plate e is displaced together with
the cloth or material to be provided with button-holes.
Dated the 1st day of e
1004
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.