409,005. Sewing-machines. BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CO., Ltd., BATES, A., and CHOICE, F. C., Belgrave Road, Leicester. Oct. 21, 1932, No. 29415. [Class 112.] Inseam-sewing machines of the type described in Specification 313,977, [Class 112], for making welted shoes, are modified to increase the efficiency of the gripper device which seizes successive marginal portions of the upper to pull the upper over the insole and for sewing it to the insole whilst under tension. The invention is illustrated in an inseam sewing machine which, except that it has no work-piercing awl, is generally similar to that described in Specification 13873/10, [Class 112]. The machine operates on welted shoes of which the toe and heel end parts have been lasted prior to presentation to the machine, and the upper trimmed away to about the height of the insole lip. The machine comprises a curved hook needle 1, a thread looper 3 for laying the thread on the needle, barb, a thread take up 5 for controlling the tension and the various other chain-stitching members described in Specification 313,977, [Class 112]. The lasting gripper 7 operates in timed relation to the stitching devices to last the side portions of the upper successively before these are sewn to the insole. The updraw lever 9 is shorter than that of the previous Specification and is pivoted at 17 to a sleeve 19 adjustable on a rod 21 carrying a second sleeve 25 with a spring 27 for making the updraw movement yielding. The rear end of the rod 21 is threaded into a coupling member 29 adjustably connected to a lever 31 rocked by the eccentric 35 on the main shaft 37. The connection between the lever 31 and eccentric 35 is such that although the eccentric can rock the lever to impart the desired updraw movement to the gripper the lever can be rocked still further to cause the gripper to rise and be maintained in a higher inoperative position. For this purpose the eccentric strap 39 has a pair of parallel bores 41, 43 in a boss 45. A short rod 47 in the bore 41 enters a bore 49 in a socket 51 pivoted at 53 to the lever 31. A second short rod 55 is threaded into the bore 43 and carries a spring 59 which urges a lug 57 against the boss 45. The adjustable connection between the coupling member 29 and the lever 31 comprises a pin 63 working in a slot 65. The ratchet and eccentric device of Specification 313,977 for automatically lifting the gripper to inoperative positions when sewing round the toe is replaced by a ratchet and cam device. The ratchet wheel 103 is mounted on the shaft 105. When the machine is at rest, the cam roll 141 on the lever 139 is resting on the small hump 133 on a disc 129 secured to the ratchet wheel, the pawl 115 in the lever 107 being, as shown in Fig. 3, out of contact with the teeth of the ratchet. The operator urges a knee push to swing the lever 153 against its spring 152 to withdraw the shielding plate 151 and allow the pawl 121 to swing under the action of the spring 123 and engage the ratchet teeth. The wheel is thus moved one step forwardly as the machine is started to move the plate 137 on which the other pawl 115 is carried to allow this pawl to become operative to move the wheel step by step, the work being presented as soon as the push rod is operated. The starting treadle of the machine is then depressed to commence the sewing. When a predetermined number of stitches have been made, the pawl 121 causes the ratchet wheel to rotate one step to cause the descent of the plate 151 and separate the pawl 121 from the ratchet. This causes the gripper to be held out of action for sewing round the toe. As the sewing round the toe progresses the ratchet is moved step by step, the cam roll 141 falling slowly along the hump 133 till the gripper comes into operation again for sewing and lasting the other side of the shoe. If it is desired to use the machine without the gripper, i.e. to sew the inseam of a lasted shoe, the knee push is not operated. To reset the ratchet at the correct point if the thread breaks, a dial 189 is provided. This is rotated to bring the point of the diagramatic sole at which the thread broke opposite the pointer 185.