US1124320A - Seam-guide for sewing-machines. - Google Patents

Description

G. E. MOLYNEUX 62 G. S. GATGHELL.

SEAM GUIDE FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20. 1912.

WITIV ES: g Zll/VVENTORS M M LMW. Z 5 Zak 6L- ATTORNEY IE Norm. I'LIERS (20., PHOTO LITHO. .VASHINGI'ON D c 'p'rr GEQRGE E. MOLYNEUX, OF BAYONNE, AND GEORGE S. GATCI-IELL, OF ROSELLE PARK,

NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO THE SINGER. MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A COR- PORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SEAM-GUIDE FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

menace.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 12, 1915.

Application filed July 20, 1912. Serial No. 710,616.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that we, GEORGE E. MoLY- maux and Gnoncn SJGA'roHnLL, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Bayonne, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, and Roselle Park, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seam-Guides for' Sewing- Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention is designed more particularly for use in connection with seam-covering machines comprising a plurality of spaced reciprocating needles arranged in a line transverse to the direction of feed and adapted, in conjunction with suitable l0optaking means, to produce a covering seam embracing the cut edges of two sections of knit goods having their overlapped adjacent marginal portions secured together by overlook or other through-and-through stitches and opened out to receive the covering seam.

The invention has for its object to provide a seam covering machine of this character with means for so handling the work that it may be delivered therefrom with the upper face entirely or approximately flat and free from the ridge which has usually been formed in the operation by reason of the distribution. of the increased thickness of fabric at the seam partially upon the upper face and partially upon the lower face. By maintaining the upper face of the fabric perfectly fiat, or nearly so, throughout the seam-covering operation, the production of an objectionable ridge is avoided.

The invention has for its further ob ect to accurately guide the initial uniting seam midway between the needles of the coveringseam stitch-forming mechanism in order that the covering seam may be laid centrally of the uniting seam.

It has for a further object to adapt the device for effectively handling materials of different thicknesses.

In its preferred embodiment, the present improvement comprises a throat plate formed, with spaced needle-apertures and intermediate rearwardly extending stitchreceiving tongue having in its upper or work-supporting face a longitudinal. seamfoot.

with its operative or work-pressing portion flared upwardly and outwardly from said guide-fin. In order to properly deliver the seam to be covered to the stitch-forming mechanism, the lower edge of the guide-fin is preferably inclined rearwardly and upwardly to a point substantially between the needle-apertures, and the heel portion of the foot is formed with a clearance groove extending backwardly from the needle-apertures of said foot, so as to prevent the distortion of the covered seam as it is delivered from the stitch-forming mechanism under the action of the feeding mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front end view of the tubular work-support of the type represented in the United States Patent to G. E. Molyneux, No. 1,000,836, of August 15, 1911, with the end cap omitted, and Fig. 2 a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan of the same with the needle-bar and presser-foot omitted. Fig. 4: is a bottom plan of the throat-plate detached. elevation of the throat-plate and presser- The tubular longitudinally extending horn or work-support l is provided with theiarched throat plate 2 secured upon a de- Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional Fig. 6 is an end view, in section.

pressed seat in the upper side of the same by means of screws 3, and. has a flat operative portion & extending beyond the extremity of the arm to sustain the work in the stitching operation. As represented in the drawings, the throat-plate is provided with the usual feed-dog apertures 5 and with the spaced needle-apertures 6 from the outer sides of which extend backwardly thread-clearance slits 7 into the central feed-dog aperture so as to form the stitchreceiving tongue 8 extending backwardly from the needle-apertures. Extending from the forward end of the throat-plate partway to the needle-apertures is the central seam-guiding slot 9 in register with which is the seam-guiding groove 10 formed in the upper face of the throat-plate and extending from a pointin advance of the needleapertures intermediate the latter to a point near the rearward 'end of the tongue 8. As represented in Fig. 5, the groove 10 is at its forward end of nearly the depth of the throat-plate, and its bottom is extended upwardly to the rearward end beyond the needle-apertures where it merges in the fiat upper face of the tongue.

Arranged within the seam-guiding slot 9 are the spaced and substantially parallel guide-plates 11 whose adjacent faces afford the effective side walls of the slot. The upper edgesof the. plates 11 are shown flush with the flat top of the throat-plate, and adjacent their lower edges they are provided each with a shank 12 formed with an elongated aperture 13 and secured upon suitable seats 14: formed in the bottom of the throatplate (as represented in dotted lines in Fig. 7) by means of the fastening screw 15. By loosening the screws 15, the guide-plates 11 may be shifted laterally toward and from each other to vary the width and adjust the lateral position of the guide-channel which initially receives the lap-seam to be covered.

To the outer end of the work-support is fitted the usual end cap 16 which is cut out in the upper side to receive the contracted forward portion of the throat-plate, and provided in the top of its forward extremity in advance of the throat-plate with the seamguiding notch 17 in register with the slot 9 of the throat-plate. The notch 17 slot 9 and groove 10 together form a continuous channel for directing the overlapping margins of the fabric with their uniting seam from a point in advance of the needles to a point rearward of the needles. e

As herein represented, the machine is provided with a reciprocating needle-bar 18 carrying the twin-needle clamp 19 in which are secured by means of the fastening screws 20 the shanks of two eye-pointed needles 21. Cooperating with these needles is the threadcarrying looper 22 whose shank 23 is mounted upon thev rocking carrier 24: em-

therein upon the alined fulcrum-screws 30 carried thereby. The block 29 is embraced between the transverse lugs 31 of the pressure plate 32 and is pivotally connected therewith by means of the longitudinal pin 33. The pins 30 and 33 constitute transverse fulcra forming with the tilting block 29 a universal joint connection between the footplate and the shank 27, so as to enable the foot-plate to tilt both sidewise and endwise in accommodating itself to the work. The foot-plate is provided intermediate its ends with needle-holes 34, and its upturned forward ortoe portion is formed with the depending and forwardly extending guide-fin 35 entering the seam-guiding space between the plates 11 and having a lower edge inclined backwardly and upwardly to a point substantially intermediate the needle-apertures and slightly above the forward end of the seam-guiding groove 10 of the throatplate. The forward portion of the footplate is flared upwardly and outwardly from the guide-fin, somewhat like the prow of a boat, sov as to smooth out the material at the adjacent sides of the latter as it passes beneath the presser foot. Extending rearwardly from a point in the bottom of the foot-plate substantially intermediate the needle-holes 34: is a longitudinal clearance groove 36 adapted to receive the portion of the fabric thickened by the seam as it emerges from the guiding groove 10.

The machine is provided with suitable feeding mechanism comprising the feed-dog 3/ which is provided in the machine represented in the drawings with means for imparting thereto work-advancing movements longitudinally of the work-support 1 and the usual rising and falling movements.

In the use of the improvement as thus described, the material m is applied to the work-support with the overlapping margins m, secured together by the uniting seam 8, passed through the guiding notch 17 of the end cover and between the spaced guideplates 11 (Fig. 7) with the guide-fin 35 of the presser-foot inserted in the crease above the uniting seam. The machine being set in motion, the work is advanced beneath the presser-foot and thebody fabric adjacent the uniting seam is ironed out by the flared toe portion of the presser-foot and distended to bring the marginal portions m within the mouth of the throat-plate groove through which it is guided not only to but beyond the needles so as to positively insure the presentation of the initial seam midway between the latterand thereby cause the'covering seam to be laid with precision centrally of the initial uniting seam.

In the production of a chain-stitch covering-seam each stitch is commonly set at the completion of the thrust of the needles for the succeeding stitch, and afterthe action of the feed to advance thework. In order that the upper face of the work may remain flat and free from distortion by this stitch-setting action, the guiding groove 10 is preferably extended rearwardly in the tongue 8 a distance equivalent to the longest stitchlength, so that the margins m of the fabric m will remain housed in such'groove, as represented in Fig. 6, until thestitch is entirely completed, after which the emergence of the margins of the covered seam from the rearward extremity of the groove 10 upon the flat upper face of the throat-plate and the forcing of the upper face of the fabric into the clearance groove 36 of the presserfoot will not cause any appreciable change in the condition of the seam.

It will be observed that the two spaced rectilinearly reciprocating needles and the single looper cooperating therewith and adapted to lay a lower covering thread connecting the needle-thread loops thrust through the fabric by the needles constitutes a species of overseaming stitch-forming mechanism, and it is evident that the present improvement is equally adapted for employment with other types of overseaming mechanism designed to lay a covering threador threads upon one or both faces of the fabric, as, for instance, in machines employ.- ing a laterally jogging needle, of a plurality of needles with one or more cooperating loop-takers and a vibratory thread-carrier for laying a thread between the needles transversely of the direction of seam. In any case the tongue 8 between the-spaced needle apertures would be shaped in a manner well known to shed the stitches if formed over the same, as by employment of a laterally jogging needle.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what we claim herein is 1. In a sewing machine, the combination with overseaming stitch-forming mechanism, and feeding mechanism, of a throatplate provided with spaced needle-apertures and an intermediate tongue extending therefrom in the direction of feed and having in its upper face a seam-guiding groove.

2. In a sewing machine, the combination with overseaming stitchforming mecha- 5 nism, and feeding mechanism, of a throatplate provided with spaced needle-apertures and an intermediate tongue extending therefrom in the direction of feed and having in its upper face a seam-guiding groove terminating a distance greater than a stitchlength rearward of said needle-apertures,

3. In a sewing machine, the combination with overseaming stitchforming mechanism," and feeding mechanism, of a throatplate provided with spaced needle-apertures and with a seam-guiding slot in advance thereof and having also extending between and rearward of" said needle-apertures a tongue containing in its upperface a seamguiding groove forming a continuation of said slot and extending between and rearward of said needle-apertures.

4. In a sewing machine, the combination with overseaming stitchforming mechanism, and feeding mechanism, of a throatplate provided with spaced needle-apertures and with a seam-guiding slot in advance thereof and having also extending between and rearward of said needle-apertures a tongue containing in its upper face a seamguiding groove forming a continuation of said slot and extending between and rear ward of said needle-apertures, and a presserfoot formed in its toe-portion with a depending guide-fin entering said slot and extending to a point above said seam-guiding groove.

5. In a sewing machine, the combination with overseaming stitch-forming mechanism, and feeding mechanism, of a throatplate provided with spaced needle-apertures and with a seam-guiding slot in advance thereof and having also extending between and rearward of said needle-apertures a tongue containing in its upper face a seamguiding groove forming a continuation of said slot and extending between and rearward of said needleapertures, and c a presser-foot formed in its toe-portion with a depending guide-fin entering said slot and terminating above said seam-guiding groove and formed in its under side with a longitudinal clearance groove extending rearward of said groove of the throat-plate.

6. In a sewing machine, the combination with overseaming stitch-forming mechanism, and feeding mechanism, of a throatplate provided with spaced needle-apertures and formed in advance thereof with a seamguiding slot below its face whose walls are relatively adjustable to vary the effective width of said slot.

7. In a sewing machine, the combination with overseaming stitch forming mechanism, and feeding mechanism, of a throatplate provided with spaced needle-apertures and formed in advance thereof with a seamguiding slot, spaced parallel guide-plates disposed within and affording separate facings for said slot and formed with shanks resting upon seats therefor formed in the bottom of the throat-plate, and means for adjustably securing said shanks in position.

8. In a sewing machine, the combination with overseaming stitch-forming mechanism, and feeding mechanism, of a throatguiding grooveextending between and rearward of said needle-apertures.

10. A sewing machine throat-plate constructed with spaced needle-apertures and with a seam-guiding slot in advance thereof with reciprocally adjustable side-walls and having a tongue extending rearwardly from said needle-apertures and formed in its up per face with a seam-guiding groove con tinuous with said slot.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE E. MOLYNEUX. GEORGE S. GATCHELL.

\Vitnesses HENRY J. MILLER, HENRY A. KORNEMANN, J r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C."

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