IMPROVEMENTS IN FEED MOTIONS FOR SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David McConnel Smyth, of Lynn, in the State of
Massachusetts, United States of America, for the Invention of
* IMPROVEMENTS IN FEED MOTIONS FOR SEWING MACHINES”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David McConnel Smyth
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th May 1874.
I, DAVID MCCONNEL SMYTH, of Lynn, in the State of Massachusetts,
United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FEED MOTIONS FOR SEWING MACHINES," to be.
as follows:-
In Letters Patent No. 3166 of 1871, No. 1131 of 1872, and No. 609 of
1873, granted to me in Great Britain for feed motions for sewing
machines, a pattern cam is described for actuating the feed, and the
shape of this cam determines the character of the ornamental stitching.
If in one machine a different character of stitching is required the can

page_text: must be removed and another substituted for producing the desired
pattern.
My present Invention relates to automatic mechanism for producing
ornamental stitching, and said mechanism is of such character that a
machine can easily be changed to produce one pattern or another of
ornamental stitching.
Said Invention also relates to means for locking out of action the
lateral feed at the will of the operator, and also for locking it out at
such a point in the ornamental stitching that the ordinary or straight
line sewing will start in the proper line relative to, said ornamental
stitching. A wheel is employed that is revolved once by a step-by-step
movement every eight, ten, or twelve stitches, more or less, and upon
the periphery and upon one face there are holes at equal distances apart,
and into these screws are inserted at positions adapted to produce the
intended patterns.
The feeding bars or points are moved longitudinally in a frame acted
upon by a continuously revolving cam on the shaft of the machine, and
the screws upon the periphery of aforesaid wheel move this feed
laterally cither one way or the other, and in connection with this longi-
tudinal feed there is a locking mechanism that prevents the feed bar
moving towards its cam, hence arresting the longitudinal feed, and this
locking mechanism is brought into action or thrown out of action by the
screws at the side of the pattern wheel. By this means the pattern
stitched can be varied by changing the position of the screws so as to
make the lateral feed act in either direction, either alone or in conjunc-
tion with the longitudinal feed, and to lock out of action the longitudinal
feed when the lateral feed is operative or not to actuate the lateral feed
while the longitudinal feed is operative.
The pattern wheel may be stopped at the will of the operator to lock
out of action the lateral feed by turning one of the pawls of the step-by-
step movement until it is clear of its ratchet wheel, and in such position
that a spring (that usually presses it to the ratchet wheel) acts to keep
it from the teeth of the said wheel. The same result may be accom-
plished by a swinging or sliding arm provided with a shield at one end,
which is moved, and the shield run in between the pawle and the teeth of
the wheel, so that the pawle moves upon this shield, and does not turn
the ratchet and pattern wheel. A pin is provided upon the swinging

page_text: arm, and a hole in the face of the ratchet wheel, so that the shield can
only be run in under the pawle when the pin is over the hole. By this
means the lateral feed will be stopped at the proper point.
The screws in the periphery of the pattern wheel act against stops to
move the feed points first in one direction and then in the other. One of
these stops may be adjustable so as to widen the space between said stops,
and allow the screws of the pattern wheel to pass without actuating the
lateral feed, and it is preferred at this time to hold the lever that locks
out of action the longitudinal feed, so that it will not operate, which
may be done by connecting it to the cam lever that actuates the movable
stop, or a wedge block may be passed in between a stop upon the frame
that carries the feeding points and said locking out lever to move the
lever so that the screws upon the face of the pattern cam will not
operate it. This shield may be used with the wheel feed shown in afore-
mentioned Letters Patent No. 609 of. 1873 for locking out of action the
lateral feed, but the shield will be at the end of a slide that moves in the
cylinder that surrounds the pattern cam, and the hole for the pin to
enter will be in the pattern cam. The ratchet wheel will be on the side
of the pattern cam next to the feed wheel.
--
With wheel feeds provided with a pattern cam, as in said Patent
No. 609, the pin that enters the groove of the pattern cam may be
connected to a lever and provided with a spring, so that by turning said
lever the pin is moved out of the cam groove and throws out of action
the lateral feed. When the lever is turned back the spring forces the
pin into the cam groove and the lateral feed is again operative.
:
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said David McConnel Smyth in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 15th October 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
0 MCCONNEL SMYTH, of Lynn, in the State of Massachusetts, United States.
of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-

page_text: seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said David McConnel Smyth, Her
special licence that I, the said David McConnel Smyth, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said David
McConnel Smyth, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FEED MOTIONS FOR SEWING MACHINES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that. I, the said David McConnel Smyth,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said David McConnel Smyth, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by 1
the following statement, reference being made to the Drawing hereunto
annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):-
In Letters Patent No. 3166 of 1871, No. 1131 of 1872, and No. 609
of 1873, granted to me in Great Britain for feed motions for sewing 2
machines, a pattern cam is described for actuating the feed, and the
shape of this cam determines the character of the ornamental stitching.
If in one machine a different character of stitching is required the cam
must be removed and another substituted for producing the desired
pattern.
My present Invention relates to automatic mechanism for producing
ornamental stitching, and said mechanism is of such character that a
machine can easily be changed to produce, one pattern or another of
ornamental stitching.
Said Invention also relates to means for locking out of action the 3
lateral feed at the will of the operator, and also for locking it out at
such a point in the ornamental stiching that the ordinary or straight

page_text: line sewing will start in the proper line relative to said ornamental
stitching. A wheel is employed that is revolved once by a step-by-step
movement every eight, ten, or twelve stitches, more or less, and upon
the periphery and upon one face there are holes at equal distances apart,
and into these screws are inserted at positions adapted to produce the
intended pattern.
The feeding bars or points are moved longitudinally in a frame acted.
upon by a continuously revolving cam on the shaft of the machine, and
the screws upon the periphery of aforesaid wheel move the feed laterally
either one way or the other, and in connection with this longitudinal
feed there is a locking mechanism that prevents the feed bar moving.
towards its cam, hence arresting the longitudinal feed; and this locking
mechanism is brought into action or thrown out of action by the screws
at the side of the pattern wheel. By this means the pattern stitched
can be varied by changing the position of the screws so as to make the
lateral feed act in either direction, either alone or in conjunction with
the longitudinal feed, and to lock out of action the longitudinal feed
when the lateral feed is operative or not to actuate the lateral feed
while the longitudinal feed is operative.
The pattern wheel may be stopped at the will of the operator to lock
out of action the lateral feed, by turning one of the pawls of the step-
by-step movement until it is clear of its ratchet wheel and in such
position that a spring (that usually presses it to the ratchet wheel) acts
to keep it from the teeth of said wheel. The same result may be
accomplished by a swinging or sliding arm provided with a shield at
one end, which is moved and the shield run in between the pawl and
the teeth of the wheel, so that the pawl moves upon the shield and does.
not turn the ratchet and pattern wheel. A pin is provided upon the
swinging arm and a hole in the face of the ratchet wheel, so that the
shield can only be run in under the pawl when the pin is over the
hole. By this means the lateral feed will be stopped at the proper
point.
The screws in the periphery of the pattern wheel act against stops to
move the feed points, first in one direction and then in the other. One
of these stops may be adjustable so as to widen the space between said
stops and allow the screws of the pattern wheel to pass without
actuating the lateral feed, and it is preferred at this time to hold the

page_text: In the Drawing Fig. 1 is an elevation of the feeding mechanism.

page_text: forward and back movement to produce the longitudinal feed, such cam.
acting upon the hooked end 3. A second cam e¹ behind e acting below.
the flat end 4 of d gives the up-and-down movement to press the feeding
points c against the fabric or material, or draws the same away. The
spring g keeps the frame d towards its operating cam.
When the lock-out latch that swings upon the fulcrum 5 is allowed.
to catch behind the screw 2 the finger 3 is held away from the cam e so
that the longitudinal feed will not be operative.
The pattern wheel is sustained by a shaft passing through the
hanging brackets 1, and at the end is a ratchet wheel m, and o and p
are pawls for this ratchet wheel, they are upon the pawl plate o¹ that is
moved by the crank pin 8. The pawl o has a projection 9 for the spring,
to act against, so that the pawl can be thrown back out of action by
moving the projection sufficiently to bring it against the other portion of
the incline of the spring, and in this way the rotation of the pattern
wheel can be stopped at the will of the operator. The pawl p can
also be thrown out of action by the swinging arm 10 that carries a
shield 11 to enter between the pawl and ratchet wheel. In the normal
position (Figs. 1 & 2) this arm 10 is held out of the way of the pawl p
by the spring 13, but when the moving end of this spring is thrown on
the other side of the fulcrum of the arm 10 said arm is pressed towards
the ratchet wheel, and when the hole 14 in said wheel m arrives behind.
a pin 15 on said arm 10, then said arm will be moved by the spring 13
and the ratchet p thrown out of action. This hole 14 determines tho
point at which the pattern stitching is stopped, so that straight sewing
may be started from a given point in the pattern sewing.
The position of the pawls is such that the ratchet wheel will be moved
around the extent of half a tooth by one pawl, and the other half tooth
by the other pawl, making sixteen pauses with eight ratchet teeth for
an object hereafter named.
The feed bars c or teeth are in longitudinal slots in the feeding
slide t; and this slide is capable of endwise movement to give the
feeding points motion laterally. Upon the under side of the slide t
are projections u and v. It is preferable that they be attached by
slots and screws so that they may be adjusted. I have shown the
projection u as fitted to move endwise in the slide by the action of a
cam piece or plate w, so that the distance between 1 and v may be

page_text: changed at the will of the operator, and in so doing the length of
lateral movement of the feeding bars or points c will be varied, and
the stitches be larger or smaller.
It will now be evident that the movable screws 18 in the pattern-
wheel acting against the stop u move the feed laterally in one direction,
and the screws 19 acting against the stop v move the feed laterally
in the other direction, and according to the positions of the screws so
the movement will take place at the time the feed points are raised,.
or when they are depressed, the motion in one direction being a return
movement, and in the other direction an operative feed movement.
If this lateral feed operates when the longitudinal feed is operative
the movement of the fabric will be diagonally in either one direction
or the other. If the screws 18 & 19 are omitted in the pattern wheel
for one or more stitches then the longitudinal feed only will be operative;
and if the longitudinal feed is locked out of action by the locking lever h,
then the lateral feed only will operate.
It will be apparent that the screws 20 on the side of the pattern;
wheel keep the spring 21 from throwing the lock lever / back to
take the screw 2, except when the screws are omitted. The screw holes
should be numbered, and the operator can keep a record of the numbers a
of the holes into which screws are to be inserted in producing a given
pattern. By turning the cam plate 20 around sufficiently to open the
space between v and u, and make it wide enough for the screws 18:
and 19 to pass between them without touching, the lateral feed will.
be thrown out of action. I prefer at the same time to hold 'the locking a
lever back out of action by the finger 24 on the plate w that moves.
the lever 25, and link 26, and locking lever. h to the position.shown by
dotted lines in Fig. 4.
When the pawl o is thrown back, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1,
the locking lever h can be held back out of action by the wedge block ha
(see Figs. 5 and 6) turned in between the feed bar d and lever h, thereby
preventing the spring 21 forcing the lever behind the screw 2, and
locking the said feed bar out of action. The wedge block he will take
the place of the lever 25 and link 26, and dispenses with the cam plate w¨
upon the surface of the bed.
In Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10 I have represented the shield. 11 as applied
to a wheel feed similar to that shown in my said Letters Patent, Nò. 609,.
ย

page_text: of 1873, and a reference is hereby made to said Patent for a more full
description of the operation of the feed mechanism. The ratchet wheel 3
is secured to the cam n, as shown in said Patent, but it is at the end of
the cam nearest to the feed wheel a. The pattern cam n is provided
with a slot in its periphery, as at 14, and upon the under side of the
slide 10 is a pin 15, and at the end of said slide next the ratchet wheel 3
is the shield 11, the slide 10 moves in the cylinder 1. When the shield
is not between the pawl n¹ and ratchet 3 the cam n is rotated, the feed
wheel is moved laterally, and ornamental or pattern sewing is produced.
At this time the pin 15 is not in the hole 14 but in front of the pattern
cam.
-
When it is desired to throw out of action the lateral feed to perform
ordinary or straight line sewing, the lever 12 is turned to the position
shown in Figs. 7 and 8; and when in the revolution of the cam n the
hole 14 comes opposite the pin 15, the spring 13 draws forward the
slide 10, and the shield 11 runs under the pawl n¹ and prevents it rotating
the wheel 3 and cam n.
The hole 14 in the pattern cam is so located that the pattern stitching
is stopped at a given point in order that the straight sewing inay start
in the proper line relative to said pattern sewing.
The pin 7, shown in said Patent, No. 609, may be fitted as in Fig. 11,
so that by turning the lever 18 to the position represented by dotted
lines said pin is withdrawn from the cam groove of n, and the lateral
feed thrown out of action. When turned to the position indicated by
full lines in said Figure the cam n is operative to give the lateral feed
to the wheel a.

page_text: Third. The swinging pawl o on the pawl plate o¹ constructed with
a projection for the spring in combination with the ratchet wheel m,
pattern cam or wheel 7, and lateral feeding mechanism, substantially as
set forth, to throw that mechanism out of action by turning. back the
pawl, as set forth.
Fourth. The shield 11 fitted to run in between the pawl and ratchet
and throw out of action the step-by-step movement, substantially as and
for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, -the said David McConnel Smyth, have
¨hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of
September, A.D. 1874.
Witnesses,
DAVID MC. SMYTH. (L.S.) (
CHAS. H. SMITH, 121, Nassau St., New York, N.Y.
HAROLD SERRELL,
"
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