US2304964A - Shoe sewing machine - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 15, 1942.

, F. R. SPEIGHT SHOE SEWING MACHINE I Filed July 13, 1940 Patented Dec. 15, 1942 SHOE SEWING MACHINE Francis R, Speight, Dedham, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemingtcn, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 13, 1940, Serial No. 345,339

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to moccasin type shoe sewing machines and more particularly to improvements in machines of the type disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent to Ashworth No. 1,975,914 of October 9, 1934, for sewing the top piece or tongue and the side piece or vamp of a moccasin type shoe before the shoe is lasted or the sole attached.

In the machine of the patent referred to, there is provided a work support having angularly dlsposed surfaces extending in the direction of feed to support the meeting beveled edges of the top piece and vamp of a moccasin type shoe with the bevel faces along their edges in registration, work penetrating and feeding instruments including a needle and an awl arranged to pass across the apex of the angle formed by the surfaces of the work support, and a presser having surfaces disposed at a corresponding angle for holding the meeting edges of the top piece and vamp on the supporting surfaces of the work support while being sewed. In the prior machine, the tip of the presser is shaped by cutting away a part of the apex of the angle at the meeting edge on the angularly disposed surfaces to form a fiat vertical edge extending nearly the full length of the tip, thus allowing the presser to clamp the parts securely in place without interfering with the passage of the needle and awl. The only portion of the tip, however, which enters fully into the g crease between the parts operated on is an apex at that side of the needle and awl paths in advance of the sewing point. While a presser tip of this shape is effective in holding the parts when composed of leather or other material of ordi- '3 nary characteristics, when relatively thin stiff material is operated upon, there is a tendency for the edges of the parts to become displaced slightly during the penetrating stroke of the awl or when unusually soft thick material is operated upon, the edges of the parts will be so compressed, particularly about the paths of the needle and awl, that rupture may take place, or at least perforation larger than necessary may be made, due to the highly compressed condition of the material.

One object of the present invention is to im prove the construction and mode of operation of a moccasin type shoe sewing machine in a manner to render it capable of operating more effectively than heretofore while inserting a uniform- 1y tight seam in the meeting edges of a moccasin top piece and vamp, whether formed of relatively thin stiff material or of unusually thick soft material. A further object is to provide a presser r tip in a moccasin type shoe sewing machine by the use of which a seam having accurately located stitches intersecting the registering bevel faces inside the shoulder formed by the bevels at the edges of the parts may be inserted without special skill or ability on the part of the operator. A further object is to provide a machine of this type which will sew a secure seam with stitches drawn as tightly as desired, without tending to cut or pull through the material of the parts operated upon.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention relates to the provision of a work holding presser having a notched tip for a moocasin type shoe sewing machine in which a Work support is arranged with work engaging sur faces angularly disposed to receive the bevel edged moccasin topipiece and vamp parts, with the faces of the bevels on the parts in registration and a work penetrating instrument including either the needle or awl substantially at the center of the notch in the presser tip moving in a path through the material at the edges of the parts to permit the material displaced in a direction parallel to the bevel faces by said instru ment during penetrating movement to enter into the notch in the presser tip while holding the parts firmly against excessive expansion and pre venting the expanded material from being cut by the tension of the sewing thread. Preferably, the presser tip has one or more projections arranged to compress the material firmly between the last formed stitch and the path of the work penetrating instrument during each stitch setting pull of the thread. With such an arrangement, each stitch may be set at a uniform location in the work without danger of cutting or tearing the parts even with the softest types of material. As hereinafter described, feeding movement is imparted to the work by the awl which is actuated towards and from the needle path and in the present form of the invention, there are two notches in the presser tip spaced a stitch length apart so that when the awl penetrates the work, one of the notches may receive the material displaced and at the end of the feeding movement, after the awl is actuated along the line of feed into alignment with the needle and the parts clamped by the presser, the second notch will receive the material displaced by the awl, the material being compressed into the same shape by the presser after feeding as before. As the awl withdraws from the work, the needle follows it closely and the material 5 originally displaced by the awl continues to be displaced by the needle until the stitch is completed. With an awl type of feed, three projections ordinarily are provided, the central one of which is longer than the others in order to centralize the gripping pressure at a point about which the moccasin parts may swing in sewing about the curved toe portion of the moccasin seam.

Other features of the invention consist in certain devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed, the advantages of which will be obvious from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation, looking from the right, of a portion of a sewing machine embodying the features of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation on an enlarged scale of parts of the machine illustrated in Fig. l broken away toillustrate the shape of the presser and its operat; ing relationship to the top piece and vamp of a moccasin type shoe; Fig. 3 is a plan view, Partly broken away, of the presser and work support of the machine, indicating the positions of the needle and awl; Fig. 4 is asectional view taken along the line t-A of Fig. 2, illustrating'the form of the bevel face on one of the parts operated upon after the awl has penetrated the work. and before feeding movement of the awl occurs; Fig.

5 is a similar view taken after the feeding movement of the awl has occurred; Fig. 6 is a similar view illustrating the position and shape of the part after the awl has withdrawn and the needle has entered the part; and Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the presser illustrating the shape of the work engaging tip.

, The illustrated machine, in its construction and mode of operation, is similar to that of the Ashworth patent above referred to and has a curved hook needle 2, a curved work feeding awl 4, a horn 6 having a presser secured thereto, a rotary hook 8 which carries loops of needle thread over a locking thread case contained therein, and other stitch forming and thread handling devices of the usual form. The needle and awl are secured to carriers mounted in a bracket l0 forming a part of the machine frame. The needle and awl carriers are actuated to cause the needle to enter the work from above, following the awl closely as it leaves the work at the opposite side- When the aw1 withdraws from the work, it is back fed the length of a stitch and again penetrates the work. Thereafter, the aw1 and work move in the direction of feed to a position with the awl perforation in line with the needle ready for the succeeding work penetrating stroke of the needle.

The top piece and vamp of a moccasin type shoe upper are indicated at II and i2 respectively and are sewed together before the vamp islasted or attached to a sole. To prepare the top piece and vamp for the sewing operation, the inner surfaces along the edges to be sewed together are beveled with faces at an angle approximately 30 to the outside surfaces of the parts. The bevel faces of the parts then receive a coating of adhesive cement to hold them temporarily in registration while sewing. During the sewing operation, the seam is inserted through the registering bevel faces of the parts, the stitches of the seam appearing only at the outer surfaces a short distance from the extreme edges of the parts.

The work support, indicated at 14, carries work engaging surfaces arranged at an angle of slightly more than 60 with each other and the presser,

indicated at l t, has at its tip corresponding angularly disposed surfaces to clamp and hold the parts in operating relationship to the needle and awl. The presser in the machine of the Ashworth patent has at one side of the needle and awl paths an apex fitting accurately within the crease at the inner surfaces of the top piece and vamp when in operating position and is cut away opposite the needle and awl paths with a flat edge extending in the direction of feed at a suitable distance from the needle and awl paths to prevent interference with the passage of the needle and awl at any time. The presser is actuated towards and from the work support in timed relation to the feeding movements of the awl in order to release the work while it is being fed. When relatively stiff thin work is being sewed with a cut-away presser of this shape, the work will not be compressed substantially by the cutaway edge of the presser. As a result, the material operated upon will not fill the space between the apex on the presser and the cut-away edge of the tip so that during the penetrating strokes of the needle and awl, the bevel faces along the edges of the parts operated upon ,may shift slightly with relation to each other, resulting in a faulty appearing seam. If relatively soft thick parts are operated upon, the apex on the presser may compress the material sufliciently to separate the bevel faces of the top piece'and vamp in such a way that the paths of the needle and awl will not intersect the bevel faceswhile in full registration. Consequently, the seamumay be inserted at the rear of the shoulder formed by the bevel faces or in some other way which will cause the extreme edges ,of the parts. to gap when the stitches are pulled tight.

According to the principal features. of the present invention, the tip of the presser I6 is so shaped that these results are unlikely to occur and the machine may be operated and adjusted without the exercise of special skill or ability. The tip of the presser IQ of the present machine is formed with angularly disposed work engaging surfaces l! and i8 respectively, extending in the direction of work feed (Fig. '7) and instead of having an apex at one side of the .needle and awl paths, the forward edge onthe presser tip is intersected by two transverse notches 29 and 22 spaced apart the distance between successive stitches, the notch 28 being. centered about the awl path when the awl is in back fed position and the notch 22 being centered about the needle path. At the sides of the notches are a series of three projections 24, 25 and28 disposed sufficiently close to the needle and awl paths to compress the material of the parts operated upon between the needle and aw1 paths and at opposite sides thereof. The projection 23 is so located with respect to the needle path that it compresses firmly the material between the last formed stitch and the needle path in order to resist the pull of the sewing thread while each stitch is being set.. By thus compressing the material, particularly when soft thick work is being sewed, there is less likelihood of the stitches being pulled through the material or injuring the material in any way. The notches 20 and 22, being centered about the needle and aw1 paths respectively, provide space into Which the material of the top piece and .vamp may become displaced during passage of the work penetrating instruments. ,7 V

The action of the presser on the work is illustrated more clearly in Figs. 4 to 6 inclusive.

Starting with Fig. 6, the presser is indicated as being forced into the crease formed by the top piece II and vamp l2, indenting and compressing the parts slightly and causing a small empty space 30 to be formed within the notch 28 opposite the work penetrating path of the awl. When the awl enters the work, the empty space 30 will be filled by the action of the awl displacing the material of the parts operated upon, as indicated in Fig.4. After the awl has reached the end of its work penetrating stroke, the presser is retracted, freeing the parts operated upon for feeding movement into the position of Fig. 5. The needle then follows the awl as the awl withdraws from the work, the displaced material being received in the notch 22 and the stitch completedin the usual way.

By shaping the tip of the presser in the manner described, a more uniform seam may be inserted throughout the length of moccasin parts having varying characteristics without any change'or adjustment. To facilitate sewing about the curved portions of a moccasin scam, the central projection 26 of the presser tip is made longer than the two side projections 24 and 28, thus causing the material ofthe parts between the needle and awl paths to be subject to a heavier compression than at the opposite sides of these paths. Thus the central projection acts as a turning point which is closer to the location where the stitches are actually inserted than with the use of an apex at the same side of both the needle and awl paths. As a result, the work may be turned in sewing along the curved parts of a moccasin seam without any tendency to disturb the uniformity of the seam line.

In order to enable the machine to operate to advantage with work of greater than usual thickness, one of the Work engaging surfaces on the Work support is formed on a separate block 32 secured by means of screws 34 to the support I4. Between the block 32 and the Work support H! are a number of replaceable spacing plates 35. When the screws 34 are removed, any number or size of plates may be inserted,

The nature and scope of the invention having been indicated and a construction embodying the several features of the invention having been specifically described, what is claimed is:

1. In a sewing machine for uniting the bevel edged top piece and vamp of a moccasin type shoe upper, the combination with a work support having work engaging surfaces angularly disposed with relation to each other and extending in the direction of feed to support the edges of the top piece and vamp with the faces of the bevels in registration, stitch forming devices including a needle and an awl moving in paths intersecting the material along the edges of the top piece and vamp, and a presser, of a tip on "if the presser formed with angularly disposed work engaging surfaces extending in the direction of work feed to enter the crease between the top piece and vamp and provided with a forward edge having a transverse notch centered about one of said paths to receive the material of the top piece and vamp displaced during passage of the instrument operating in said path while holding the material at either side of the notch compressed.

2. In a sewing machine for uniting the bevel edged top piece and vamp of a moccasin type shoe upper, the combination with a work support having work engaging surfaces angularly disposed with relation to each other and extending in the direction of feed to support the edges of the top piece and vamp with the faces of the bevels in registration, stitch forming devices including a needle moving in a path intersecting the material along the edges of the top piece and vamp, and a presser, of a tip on the presser formed with angularly disposed work engaging surfaces extending in the direction of work feed to enter the crease between the top piece and vamp and provided with a forward edge having a transverse notch centered about the needle path to receive the material of the top piece and vamp displaced during passage of the needle while holding the material at either side of the notch compressed.

3. In a sewing machine for uniting the bevel edged top piece and vamp of a moccasin type shoe upper, the combination with a work support having work engaging surfaces angularly disposed with relation to each other and extending in the direction of feed to support the edges of the top piece and vamp with the faces of the bevels in registration, stitch forming devices including a needle and an awl moving in paths intersecting the material along the edges of the top piece and vamp, and a presser, of a tip on the presser shaped to enter the crease between the top piece and vamp and provided with a forward edge having a transverse notch centered about the awl path into which the material of the top piece and vamp displaced during passage of the awl is received while the material at either side of the notch is held compressed.

4. In a sewing machine for uniting the bevel edged top piece and vamp of a moccasin type shoe upper, the combination with a work support having work engaging surfaces angularly disposed with relation to each other and extending in the direction of feed to support the edges of the top piece and vamp with the faces of the bevels in registration, stitch forming devices including a needle moving in a path intersecting the material along the edges of the top piece and vamp, and a presser actuable towards and from the work support to permit feeding movement of the top piece and vamp, of a tip on the presser shaped to enter the crease between the top piece and vamp and provided with work indenting projections along its forward edge at opposite sides of the needle path forming a notch of sufficient depth to receive the material of the top piece and vamp displaced during passage of the needle, one of said projections being sufficiently close to the needle path to compress the material of the parts firmly between the last formed stitch and the needle path during each stitch setting pull of the sewing thread.

5. In a sewing machine for uniting the bevel edged top piece and vamp of a moccasin type shoe upper, the combination with a work support having work engaging surfaces angularly disposed with relation to each other and extending in the direction of feed to support the edges of the top piece and vamp with the faces of the bevels in registration, stitch forming devices including a needle and an awl moving in a path intersecting the material along the bevel edges of the top piece and vamp, said awl being movable towards and from the needle path to feed the top piece and vamp a stitch length, and a presser actuable towards and from the work support to permit feeding movement of the top piece and vamp, of a tip on the presser shaped to enter the crease between the top piece and vamp and provided with a forward edge having notches spaced a stitch length apart opposite the needle and awl paths, respectively, to receive the material of the top piece and vamp displaced during passage of the needle and awl and to compress the material between the needle and awl paths.

6. In a sewing machine for uniting the bevel edged top piece and vamp of a moccasin type shoe upper, the combination with a work support having work engaging surfaces angularly disposed with relation to each other and extending in the direction of feed to support the edges of the top piece and vamp with the faces of the bevels in registration, stitch forming devices ineluding a needle and an awl moving in a path intersecting the material along the bevel edges of the top piece and vamp, said awl being movable towards and from the needle path to feed the top piece and vamp a stitch length, and a presser actuable towards and from the work support to permit feeding movement of the top piece and vamp, of a tip on the presser shaped to enter the crease between the top piece and vamp and provided with a forward edge having three projections, the central one of which is longer than the others to compress the material of the top piece and vamp between the needle and awl paths while receiving the material displaced during passage of the needle and awl.

7. In a sewing machine for uniting the bevel edged top piece and vamp of a moccasin type shoe upper, the combination with a work sup port having work engaging surfaces angularly disposed with relation to each other and extending in the direction of feed to support the edges of the top piece and vamp with the faces of the bevels in registration, work penetrating instruments including a needle and an awl moving in a path intersecting the material along the bevel edges of the top piece and vamp within the registering bevel faces of the top piece and vamp, one of said work penetrating instruments being movable relatively to the work support to feed the top piece and vamp a stitch length, and a presser actuable towards and from the work support to permit feeding movement of the top piece and vamp, of a tip on the presser shaped to enter the crease between the top piece and vamp and provided with a forward edge having notches opposite the positions of the work penetrating and feeding instrument when in fed and back fed positions toreceive the material of the top piece and vamp displaced during passage of the said work penetrating and feeding instrument and to compress the material between the fed and back fed positions of said instrument.

FRANCIS R. SPEIGHT.

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