USRE6550E - Improvement in sewing-machines - Google Patents

Description

l 4Shee-ts--Sheet2 A. F. JOHNSON.

Sewing-Machine. 1 No, 6,550, Reisseg`1u|y2o.,1875 p4. K x

11, Ue Mo NITED STATES ALBERT nl JOHNSON, on BOSTON, MAssnouUsnTrs, Assionon, BY Mnsnii PATENT OFFICE ASSIGNMENTS, TO SAMUEL T. THOMAS, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN *SEWING-MACHINES.

Y Specioation forming partof Letters Patent No '4f-2,292, dated April 12, i864; reissue No. 6,550, dated Jury 2o, m75; application nud August 12,1814.

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ot' reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The present invention relates partly to improvements in the method of producing a waxthread sea-m for the uniting Oi' heavy fabrics,

likeleather, such as are used for boots and shoes, harness, carriages Ste., although it will apply essentially to the sewingol' other mate rials as well when other 'threads are to be used.

The invention also relates to an'improved mechanism for the operation ofthe awl and needle, consisting in the employment oi' a driving-shaft below the work-supporting plate for the Operation of the needle, and a shaft above the work-supporting plate for the operation of the l`awl, the said shafts being coi nected by uneans of suitable intermedia e mechanism. The advantage of a shaft above the work-supporting plate for the Opeth-tion of the awl, over a rocking lever as formerly used, is, that the whole strain on the awl, when piercing the material, is conducted to the strong goose-neck of the machine, whereas, when a rocking lever is used, such a lever has to bear the whole strain, and, as it is generally hung at a great distance from the awl, it must be `made unnecessarily heavy to prevent, its breaking or bending when the awl enters' the material, and it requires, consequently, more power to vrock. such a heavy and long lever than is required where a shaft is used for the same purpose, as is shown in my present invention. l

Previous to entering into a detailed description of this invention, it may be well-to show what, in the course of many experiments and investigations, have been found to bejthe dicnltes to be overcome and the essential requistitch has been produced, it having been found impossible to form a seam by a doublethread or lool; stitch in such 'heavygoods-with a waxed or tarred thread` although it is evident, and has' long been demonstrated, that this latterstitch is the only one which is sufficiently strong and durable tdi-withstand .the hard usage to which such iiabrics are exposed. But the lock-stitch could not be made with a waxthread in leather and other hard fabrics by the ordinary arrangement of devices heretofore used, for, among others, the following reasons, viz: .v

First, an eye-pointed needle cannot be used, on account oi' the chaiingI of the thread in its eye, which takes place both while pass@ ing through a hard material like leather, and

giving the loop to theishuttle, and again while drawing through the eye of the needle to tighten up the slack loop through which the shuttle has just passed. This chaing ofa wax-thread also would fill theeye of thencedle with gum and lint, and render it inoperative. Y

Again, as an eye-pointed needle is necessarily grooved longitudinally, in Order to permit the thread and needle to pass together through the goods, a waxed or tarred thread would stick inA this groove and prevent the formation of a loop for the passage of the shuttle.' Fur 'thermore, an eye s pointed needle, to pass through very thick goods, such, for instance,

a loop suciently largo to pass around and allowv the free passage of the shuttle, on aecount ot' the great friction that would otherwise b e produced hy the threadgupon ther same, and the iuipossibility of drawing the loop down through the goods by the passage simply ofthe shuttle, as is the case in the use oi' a dry thread. In the use of an eye-pointed needle, also, as it carries down with it a double thread ory loop through the fabric, the loop and needle are liable to be wedgedin the same, and this would be especially the case in sewing leather goods with a waxed thread. It has been attempted to obviate thediculties experienced in the use of an eye-pointed needle by employing an awl for puncturing the leather, in combination with a hooked needle, which pulled the thread ldown through the saine; but this has produced only a singlethread stitch. Moreover, the tighteningrof the stitch was necessarily performed by the hooked needle itself, and during the most of this operation the 'thread was unav'oidably under full tension. Now, `to draw a double waxed thread, under great tension, through such bard and heavy materials by means of the hooked needle will oecasionwsuoh great friction as to prevent,satisfactory results from being` attained in sewing nnyielding materials sach as leather. ln thesejinachineain which an awl and hooked needleare used, .the tightening of the stitch is necessarily performed while the needle is in `the goods, and the hooked needle has to draw lthe waxed thread double, erin a loop form,1 through thesame.

`This causes so. much friction as to render it nearly or Quite iinpossiblelto use 4ashuttle under auch circumstances, .as :the shuttle could hardly pass through av loop lurulei" ysuchgreat strain while pulling the' threaddown through the goods, especially if they welchen-elastic. After many practical tests the, it beeamede.. sirahle that thev machinery .for producing a double or stitch in leather, or other similar 'fabrics that are to be united with a waxed thread, should he subjeetitothe following conditions: first, a substitute or substitutes for an eye-pointed needle which would be free Afrom its defects, as herein above enumerated',

for puncturing the hole through the fabric and carrying thek thread through the same; sec- By these improvements in sewingmachines the above-named desiderata have been sncoessfnlly accomplished. 4In lieu of an eyepointed needle, a puncturing and an open-eyed hooked needle are employed, and with these is combined a shuttlemfol causing the formation of a loclostitch.

To obviiitc' the iceessity of" allowing the needle torlmaiu in` iie tabric)vrhiletllestitch is is fatal to practical sewing with aA wased thread, an arrangement of devicesor takeup is employed, which operates entirely independent of the movement of the needle, and in such a manner that while the thread is heing' conveyed through the ihbric it shall he slack andfsubject to no tension. n

'In the accompanying plates ci drawings 'these improvementsin sewing machines are represented. A

In Plate l, Figure l is a side view or" this improved sewing-machine. verse vertical section taken through the plane .of the line A B, Fig. 7, ?late 2. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken, through the plane of thelineG D, Fig. 7, Plate 2. Figs. 4, 5, and Q are detail views, which will be hereinafter more particularly referred to. In late 2, Fig. 6 is a central' longitudinal. vertical section. Fig. 7 is a plan or top view, and `llfigs. 8 and 9 detai chine. g

a a in the accompanying drawings repro sent the iframe-work oi'- the machin-e 5 Zi i), the driving-wheel, turning upon. ahorizontal shaft, e, ofthe frame-work a. Attached to the driv ing-wheel b, and revolving with it, is a geac wheel, d, engaging with a similar gear, e, on.

the framework-a, andina projection, h, ofthe same. inga .part ofthe same, is a crank, lte which is connected a rod or ptmamj, the opper end of `the same being secured :to the arm or crank k onone end of the horiaontal shaft l, located in suitable hearings m m. above the worbit-sup.4 porting plateiu thek goesemeoh a ,of the ma chine.

At one end of the horizontal shaft is a crank-dish', o, to one side oi'. which the upper theother end of the sa me being fastened ltothe Vof' the vertical arm r, the awl s being arranged in a vertical position at the lower end of the said bar q, in a manner which will hereinaft'ter j be described.

The above arrangement ci' devices is for operating and moving the awi upand down in a vertical plane for puncturing the fabric to be sew ed, theoperation of which, in connees tion with the other parts of 'the' machine, will he hereafter explained. 4

tt is the shuttle, moving iu a horiaontal groove or way, n, of the platform w, and below its upper surface.

against'thesaine, two projecting arms, v

orarni, c, on the mainshaft f, before referred to. 'The dcviccsthus arranged and connected 'being tightened, which, las hereinbeforo shown,

i i l with tlie driving-wired serve to impart at the Fig. 2 isa transl viewsof the shuttle-oi' the maa. horizon-tal shaft, f, having hearings at .g' iu- Near one end of the shaftf, and formend of a short conneetingrod, p, is secured,l

vertical asvl-bar q, moving in suitable hearings At each. end of the shuttle 't t, and abutting i o, of the horizontal plate X, that is guided by proper `tin'uas'the desired reci iuocating m ove- .mentvto'theshutter, to he presently specified.

l Blaced longitudinally Within and in the center -of the shuttle ttis a spool, d', turningon-a the crank-armo, before referred to, and to a.

connecting-remt?, the otherv end being' secured to the lower portion of. the vertical needleshatt j'. This needlashat't moves in bearings kf, and Within the same is another shaft, l', in the upper end.` of. which, and cccen tric therewith, (see Fig. 9,) the need-le -m is inserted. In the periphery of thc-shaft l isa vertical slot, n', straight tothe point o', but ythen passing' spirally aro und the said shaft for about one-third of its periphery, (see=Fig.^9,) in which groove bears a stud, p', of thez bearings kf k.

By the above; arrangement, the drivingsllaftrevolves, an upland-down movement is giveir'to the needle, audits shalt is also caused t0 partially rotate, for purposes and in a man ner to be hereinafter set forth.

q is. a spool, around `which is wound' the thread 1H, and which turns on a spindle, s', fastened in the standard n. This thread is thenl passed fronrthe said spool to audaround thefguiding-pulleyu of the standard tf; thence through-.the opening o o of the swivel-box V', turning on a shaft, at', and around a `pulley, w', wit-hin said box 11', the shaft X being a prolongation of the vibrating arm y', secured rigidly to the crank o, before referred to, which arm, by its reciprocating' motion, in connection with the box o and pulley w', slaekensand tightens the threads, in forming the stitch, in a peculiar and novel manner, to be hereafter explained. Thenoe, from the pulley w", it is 'passed to and through the openings oreye e of the curved thread-carrier c, with bearings at b l1. This eye z is placed a'little below the horizontal plane ot" the hook c ofthe needle m when at its highest position, (see Fig. 3.,) and is also made to partially' revolve in a hori zontal plane around the needle by means vof the stud d of the aWl-ba'r g, traveling iu the curved slot e in said threadcarrier a.

Having thus in detail specified the'arrange ments of the various parts comprising the niachine and their conuectign with the drivingv wheel, I will now proceed to explain the general mannern which the same operate to forni the stitch. in the fabric to be-sewed.

The fabric to be sewed having been placed in its proper positionon the platform, and the ltwo threads arranged in the manner specified, the driving-wheel then being turned, the awl s, by means of the connecting devices before described, descends, puncturin'g the fabric, and at the same time teedingitaion g, by an arrangement ofdevices to be presently explained, till the aperture thus made isin the proper posi- 'tion for the needle to pass through the same 4tion of the `thread in the apertures t o.

inits upward movement. 1While'the awl is thus deseendino' .the needle yalso descends hv I .ineens of the connecting devicesy before de.- ecribed, and passes doWujthrong-h the aperture made in the fabrlcby the previous descent of the awl, carrying with it the thread Tf, which had been lirst placed around and Within its hoch; c", by means of the thread-carrier c, arranged and operating as specified. This needle continues to descend until it has passed entirely through the .fabrirqgwhcin by means ol the groove a and ythe stud pthe needle is made to revolve-making about a .third of a revolution, for the purpose of bringing the loop fori'ned by its hoek ,and carried through the fabric in the path of the shuttle.

During the downward movements of both lthe awl' and the needle the shuttle t t vtravels in its guiding-Way across'the machine to the position indicated by dotted lines in Fic. 7

Plate y2, when, as the needle and awl commence to'` ascend, it moves forward, passing through the loop el" the thread leit in its path by the hooked needle. This movement of the shut tlc continues until the awl and needle have both reached their uppermost position, the needle having passed upward through the aperture just puncture'd by ,the awl. die and awl their again descend, and the movements above described taltcvplace as before; vbut in order to 'ri ghten the loop carried through the fabric by the hookedy needle, and interlock -1 with it the shuttleithread, Ihave provided the arrangement of devices, as hereiuhefore speci- 'iied, consisting of the vibratory arm y, swivel-hox of, and pulley rv. The operation of these,in connection with the movements of the needle and awl, is as follows: As they are descending .the vibratory'arin moves from its upper position, indicated in black linee in Fig. 2, tothe position indicated in dotted lines in said figure, drawing' the thread from the spool, and feeding it along in a slack condition to the needle 5 but as they ascend the arm travels back to its original position, and 'so on untillthe machine is stopped. By this forward. and backward movement ofthe arm, it will be observedthat during the Whole time occupied by the needle in its descent the arm is drawing the thread from the spool and feediugit to the needle, thereby keeping the thread always slack-While being pulled through the fabric; but thatas the needle ascends the arm then, by traveling back to its starting-point, draws up and tightens the loop in the fabric,

.the importance 'of-both of which in the sewing ot' leather fabrics, like boots, shoes, harness, &c have been `hereinbefcue particularly set for th. To obviate the liability of the thread being detached from the pulley of the vibrating arm as it movesbaclr'and tort-h, I have in closed the same within the box c', which box swivels on its shaft, and thus prevents fric- I gli is a rod hng on a pivot, h", of the awl-bar.

In the lower end of the rod g is the awl s, before referred to. e" :s a spring, which bears against the rod g", and as the awl descends throws it away l'roin the line of' travel of the needle, its length of motion bein g regulated by the set screw m.- n is another adjustable screw, placed iu a lower plane than the screw m, and which bears against the inclined surface o of the rod g as it passes down by the I same. These two screws are so adjusted with regard to each other that while the tirst will allowof the swinging movement of the awlarm y, as described, the other Wille-anse said arm to be gradually brought back to its original position, thereby at the same time feeding along the fabric to the hooked needle, as is evident without further descriptionn swinging movement ofthe awl takes place as it descends, .and it is obvious that the awl can be so operated upon by the properradjustment `of the set-screws` as to vary the length ot' the stitch as may be desired. It is not necessary that'the under thread should be carried by a shuttle. and so passed through the loop ofthe upper thread, but thesame result may be aci colnplished by passing the loop of the upper `"ithread over or around the under thread; but

lI have preferred the former mode for present lpurposes. The same result may be arrived at iby using the hook or-erochet-ueedle as the piercing instrumen-t, and i'eedin g the fabric by that or by 'other feeding devices; but the Y Y,method I have described is better for most, if not for all, purposes, especially when the fabric is stiff and unyielding.

Having thus described the invention, 'I shall state my vclaims as follows:

What is claimed'in this invention, and desired toY be 'secured by Letters Patent, is-

Thisl. The combination of au awl or other device for puncturing the fabric, au open-eyed or hooked needle for seizing and pulling the thread through the' fabric, and a shuttle for interlocking' one thread with another, the

Whole operating together substantially as dei scribed. Y

2. The combination of an awl or perforatiug device, openeye or hook needle, shuttle, and the take-up mechanism, as and for the purpose herein set forth and described.

3. In combination with the rocker-shaft l and Vibrating arm, the guide-pulley u and pulley u, the whole forming 'a takeup, substantially as described.

4. In combination with the aWl-bar, provided 'with a swinging arm for holding the awl, the adjusting-screws m n and their supporting arm, as and forA the purpose herein set forth and described.

5. In combination with a rocker-shaft above l the Work-plate, the awl-bar and thread-guide, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. Ashaft arranged above the work-plate for the operatie" lof the awl, in combination with a shaft lbelow the table for the operation of the. needle, and suitable connecting mechanism, asand for the purpose set forth. K

In testimony thatl claim the `foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand this 3dfday of February, 187 4. 'l

y saMUEL ".r. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

ALBAN ANDRN, GEORGE E. PHELPS.

Images