US1026547A - Handkerchief-machine. - Google Patents

Description

M. ADAIR, J. A. CAMERON & F. AINSWORTH.

HANDKBRGHIEF MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1908.

1,026,547. Pa en ed May 14, 1912.

5 SHEETSSHEET l.

J INVENTORS: 5/ J7 WITNESSES: flX Lw W 5 M MM M. ADAIR, J. A. CAMERON & F. AINSWORTH.

Patented May 14, 1912.

5 SHEETSSHEET 2,

FIG. 2.

J W W 65 LM- a3 7% INVENTORS: WITNESSES: I 3 I A, L

M. ADAIR, J. A. CAMERON & F. AINSWORTH.

HANDKERGHIBF MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 25, 1908.

Patented May 14, 1912.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

FIG. 3.

. l 1 I I I I f 1 l l WITNESSES:

M. AD AIR, J. A. OAMBRON & F. AINSWORTH.

HANDKEROHIBF MACHINE. APILIOATION FILED JULY25,1908.

. 1,026,547. Patented May14,1912.

5 SHEETSSHEET 4.

FIG. 4.

FIG. 7.

fie

- INVENTORS: IWM WITNESSESI u ZMMW,

M. ADAIR, J. A. CAMERON & F. AINSWORTH.

HANDKERGHIBF MAOHINE. APPLIOATIIOH FILED JULY 25, 1908.

Patented May 14, 1912.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

("(llllllllllm) WITNESSES:

TU E STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

MonrAGtrE ADAIR, JAMES A. CAMERON, AND FRANKLIN amswomrn; or NEW YORK,

N. Y., ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND M COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK,

if HANDKERCHlEF-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. July 25, 1908. Serial No. 445,398. i i

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that we, MoNTAcUE ADAIR,

' JAMES A. CAMERON, and FRANKLIN Amsavonrn, all citizens of the United States,

and residents of the borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, city'and State of New York, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Handkerchief-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates primarily to machines for making handkerchiefs, although it is applicable to machines for performing other classes of work.

In an application filed March 25, 1908, Serial No. 423,143, by Montague Adair, there is described andclaimed a device for hemstitching or otherwise sewing the edges of a strip of cloth, in the manufacture of handkerchiefs or the like. In the device of this application, two sewing machines for i simultaneously hemstitching (or otherwise sewing) the cloth were provided, together --withan. ziutomatic means whereby when there was a. failure of the thread in either machine, the op osite machine, as well as i that directly a ected, was stopped. The

means adopted for this purpose were mechanical in their character, the particular construction shown utilizing the driving,

force of the machine to throw off the driving connections. Other improvements were also illustrated.

According to the present invention, we aim to provide a machine of this general character in which the principal operations are electrically effected. By this means, we are enabled to simplify considerably the construction of the machine.

The present invention also includes a novel mechanism for governing the relative speeds of the two machines. It will be understood that it is practically impossible to provide two machines which work at precisely the same rate of speed} Hence in stitching the two sides of a single fabric, one machine is apt to travel ahead of the other, with the result that a certain amount of attention is required. According to our present invention, we provide means whereby when one machine tends to run ahead of the other, certain devices come into effect which the error is corrected. Preferly the more rapid machine is either slowed own or stopped momentarily until the lagging machine has reached approximately its proper point, whereupon the more rapid one is again startedi-z This action is performed automatically, preferably b electrical means, although we do not wis to be limited thereto.

.Our-invention also includes certain other features of importance which will be hereinafter more fully described. I

In the drawings wherein we have shown several embodiments of our invention, Figure 1 is a front elevation partly in section, taken approximately on the line 1--1 in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is a detail of one of i PatentetlMay14.1912.

ESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO ADAIR MACHINE A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

the operating handles. Fig. 3 is a plan with the machine heads removed. Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4 1 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the side of one I preferably mounted ,on atable a. Power is taken from a driving" shaft 12 by means of belts 0 c which rotate stepped pulleys d d which are mounted to run idly upon short shafts e e. Mounted upon these same shafts are pulleys f f which are belted to the driving shafts g g of the two machine heads. Mounted on the under side of the table are two three-armed levers k 71. provided with operating pins 2' i by means of which the pulleys d d may be brought into engagement with the pulleys f' f to drive the machine heads. On re verse movements of the levers, braking faces 7' j engage the peripheries of the pulleys f f and stop the latter at the same time that the operating pins i i are moved out of engagement with the pulleys d d.

According to'the present invention in its preferred form, the movements of the levers h h are controlled by electro-magnets B B. These magnets are in circuit with controlling devices mounted upon the machine heads, which controlling devices are 5 oration, while nevertheless if a thread for one end of the wires S S adapted to operate the magnets to release the pulleys (Z (1' when a thread fails on either of the machine heads.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, which show in enlarged form one of the heads of the machines A A, it will be seen that the spool thread m passes over the usual tension device n and then under the hook 0 of the weight the thread then passes through the tension device (1 and then to the take-up arm 9, whence it passes to the needle 8 in the usual manner. The weight is provided at its upper end with an inclined surface 2. which is normally engaged by the lower end of a lever u pivoted at Q; to the head of the machine. At the upper part .of the stroke of the takeuip lever 1 the lever u momentarily releases the weight 7), which under normal working conditions is held forwardly atthis time by the tension of the thread m. Vhen the thread becomes broken, however, the weight falls the next time it is released by the lever u. We utilize this, orthe movement of any other part, to control the action of the electro-magnets B B. Any suitable means may be adapted for this purpose, and any suitable electrical system may be adopted for carrying the invention into effect. In the construction shown, the weight moves in a metallic sleeve 7) to which the wire Q is connected. and is formed with a slanting end a. which is adapted to contact with a plate I) held upon a support of insulating material 0 whereby to complete the circuit Q. Q. The opposite head A is provided with similar mechanism.

By reference'to Fig. 7, which shows the diagram of one system of wiring of our invention, it will he noted that the supply of current is preferably furnished by a small dynamo X (which is preferably continuously driven by the shaft 1) or any constantly driven shaft). It will be seen from the diagram that the magnets B B are both connected to' the dynamo X, and to posts I) b in such manner that when one of the weights 7) drops it completes the circuit through both magnets thereby energizing the same and liftin both levers 71 it so as to release the clutc es. Normally the circuit is open so that the mag'nctsiexert no influence to raise the levers. The levers h h are normally held in their lowered or clutching position by springs a 0", which by reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen surround pins d (or d") which are carried on the ends of levers e (or (2) connected with links f (or f) which are pivoted to hand levers g (or 9 rotating in brackets attached to the front of the machine. \Vhen the hand lever g is in the position of Fig. 2 the spring exerts sullicient pressure against the lever h to hold the clutch in opbreaks or fails for any reason the magnet B attracts the lever against the tension of its spring and throws oif the clutch. When the lever p is in the position shown in dotted lines a small pin 71. engages the under side of the lever and moves it upwardly into the position shown in Fig. 1. In this position it is immaterial whether the magnet is working or not, since the clutch is positively held disconnected. The lever g and its connected parts act in the same manner. The purpose of this mechanism is to provide means whereby either 'machine may be thrown out of action by hand and held in such position for repairs, inspection, or the like.

By the means just described, two machine heads may be very accurately controlled automatically so that upon failure of the thread of either machine both machines are stopped very quickly and certainly. It is found in practice that the machines are stopped so quickly that the cloth is fed only a small fraction of an inch after the thread fails. i

A very important feature of our invention consists in the provision of means whereby the feeding of the cloth through the ma hines is so governed that the machines stitch practically the same amount of cloth in a given time. All attempts heretofore to produce a duplex sewing machine in which each of the machines actually travel at the-same rate of speed, so far as the stitching ofthe cloth is concerned, have failed. It has been found practically impossible to so run two machine heads that one will not lag behind the other. This is particularly true in hemstitching machines. wherein it is impossible from the standpoint of practice to accelerate the passage of the cloth by tension from the rear. With a hemstitching machine the cloth can not be forced through the machine any faster than it is actually fed by the feeding mechanism. By reason of inequalities in the cloth or mechanism, no two ,machines, as before stated, can maintain a sufficiently equalized feed to permit the automatic stitching of two sides of a long strip of fabric. Our present invention provides a means for accomplishing this result by the interposition of governing devices vv iich either slow down the machine which is having the higher speed or stop the latter. Of course, an equivalent .means would be to accelerate the lagging machine, but while this is within our invention, we prefer for simplicity to reduce the speed of the faster machine.

In Figs. 2. 3 and 4 wherein we have shown one form of this apparatus, two levers E E are employed. which levers are pivoted on blocks of insulating material j j", the pivots of which levers form binding posts As the cloth Y is fed through the guide mechanism to be described, the levers E E rest lightly upon its upturned edge and are normally held in ahorizontal position so that the circuits S S and S S are maintained open. hen one of the machines lags behind the other, however, the tension of the cloth on the side of that machine is slackened. Assuming this to be on the side of the machine on which the lever E is mounted, such lever will make contact with the screw is, thus completing the circuit S S.

From the diagram of Fig. 7, it will be seen that when this circuit is completed the current will flow through the magnet B on the opposite side of the machine, thereby throwing oif the clutch and causing the opposite machine A to slow down or stop. -On

the other hand, the action of the lever E has no effect upon the magnet B so that the machine on the same side as said lever continues to operate. As soon as the feed of this machine has taken up the slack in the cloth the lever E is raised, which releases the lever it again starting up the opposite machine. The same action takes place upon lagging of the opposite machine, except that the "lever E is brought into action and the machine A is either stopped or retarded. lVe do not wish to be limited in any way to the device shown for accomplishing this result. As before stated, our invention includes any automatic adjustl'nent of the machines which will give the results set forth.

Our invention also includes certain improvements in means for feeding the goods to the two machine heads A A. Great difliculty has heretofore been encountered in so feeding the goods that. the strip will automatically feed into the machine, without attention. There exist minor variations in the width of the cloth which somewhat complicate the problem. as well as the tendency of the cloth to feed unevenly. In the construction shown, the cloth is mounted upon a roll m and then is led over rollers 11! 0 p thence downwardly under a floating roller 9 whence it passes under hemmer tongues r 'r (see Fig. 4). An important feature is the provision of guides a s which are mounted in inclined positions so that the edge of the cloth is carried inwardly beyond the hemmer tongues 1' "r By these means the edges of the cloth are turned upwardly, as best shown in Fig. 4, before they pass to the hemmers. Bet-ween the guides e a is an elongated rod t which serves to lift the cloth at its center. The result of this construction is that the cloth passes accurately into the hemmers. We have. found it to be of great advantage to so mount and adjust the guide 5 s that a greater amount of cloth will be turned up at the edge than is required by the hemmer. After turning up this excess of cloth, we reduce it to approximately the proper amount by gages 2' a. By properly. setting the gages upon the rods a very close adjustment of the cloth is obtained and'the hemmers practically take only theiprecise quantity which is required machine, the cloth passes over a guide a which has a forwardly turned portion a and a guided, whereupon the cloth passes over a. roll 5 (which is preferably stationary) which is preferably covered with felt or rubber or any suitable friction material so as to place a tension upon the cloth. From the roll b the cloth passes under a rod and then up to a take-up roll d (Fig. 2). The roll (i is driven by a belt 6 connected to a pulley mounted on a common shaftwith a pulley g driven by a belt from the shaft 1) or otherwise. To assist in feeding the cloth properly, we provide. two

horizontally as shown, or which may be inclined so that the inner ends of the guides are uppermost. These guides assist in crowding the cloth toward the center so that any excess is taken up at the center and the feed of the side edges remain sub stantially constant.

An important feature of the present inping the machines when-a bobbin thread fails. This may be accomplished in various ways. In Fig. 6, the presser foot 2' is shown as divided. Between the two portions of the foot is mounted'a knife j the upper edge of which is sharpened. When a bobbin thread either breaks or the spool becomes exhausted, the spool threadis no longer caught on the under side of the fabric, and after the machine has progressed a few stitches the spool thread being carried by the work to the needle as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5. As the needle reciprocates the thread is carried up over the cutting edge of the knife j"'' and upon the next downward movement of the needle the spool thread is cut by the knife with the result that the weight falls, thus stopping the two machines. ii the use of duplex Inachines of the kind set forth, it is possible to run one machine backward, with the result that the thread instead of inclining to the rear, as shown in Fi 5, when a bobbin thread fails, is carrie to the front of the foot by the feed. \Vhen a machine is so mounted the spool thread can be cut in substantially the same way as that just described by mounting a short knife Z (Fi 8) in the rear of the presser foot which Is reversed, that is to say. a short distance backward in the line of feed.

\Vhile the use of a knife or other means i for severing the spool thread when the bobguides a u, Fig. 4) which may be arranged a? a which are adjustably mounted on rods" for the hem. After passing through the vention is the provision of means for stopneedle assumes an inclined position from the bin thread fails is of importance, we have found in practice that such knife may be i :in many cases omitted, provided the controlling mechanism 1s so organized as to erly constructed for this purpose a so by mechanical means and stopped by thetions merely cient slack is produced in the thread m between the tension devices at and 9 when the bobbin thread fails to permit the weights to move slightly downward and thus complete the circuit Q Q and throw off the clutches. A

While we have shown in detail one form of our invention, it will be understood that we do not wish to be limited in any way to such form, as many changes can be made therein without departing from the invention. For instance, the electrical system employed iscapable of wide variation; instead of the controlling weights a lever or other mechanism can be used.

Our invention in its broadest form includes an electrical means for stopping one machine when the thread of the other fails. We have used the term electrical to mean any mechanism'in which the electric current enters to perform a function in connection with the stoppage or operation of the machines. It is immaterial whether the machines are normally held inoperation energizing of the magnets or vlce versa. WVith the electrical system illustrated, we prefer to introduce in a shunt circuit around the generator a red light or other signal.

which will indicate if there is a failure of the currentso that the machines ma be thrown off by hand if necessary. We have also used'an electrical system in which upon the failure of the current all of the machines would stop. This' has involved the use of either relay magnets or circuit breaking means at the controlling weights or levers which are operated upon the failure of the thread or lagging of a machine. For simplicity, we prefer the electrical system outlined herein and refer to such modificaas equivalents of the illustrated system.

In the construction described we have illustrated means for entirely stopping the feeding mechanism for the cloth, the stitching mechanism and the sewing operation, it being preferred to bring the entire machine to a state of rest. The principal. feature, however, of the-invention from this standpoint is the stop-ping of the sewing operation. In this connection we have used the word stop to .indicate an absolute stoppage or the substantially equivalent exeration of such machines to run one ma-' chine for a short distance under the manual control of the operator while the other machine is at rest. This desirability or necessity for independent control is greatly increased by the addition of the governing devices provided by the present invention. These devices, as before stated, change the relative speeds of the machines which requires that the device be so constructed that such changesare possible. 1

What we claim is 1. The combination of a plurality of independently operable sewing mechanisms for making seams in a fabric, and electrically-operated means for automatically stopping the making of the seam on. one mechanism when a thread of another mechanism fails. I

2. The combination of a plurality of independently operable sewing mechanisms for making seams in a fabric, means for manually controlling the independent operation of said mechanisms, and electrically-operated means for automatically-stopping the making of the seam on one mechanism when a thread of another mechanism fails. 3. The combination of two independently operable sewing mechanisms for making seams in a fabric, and electrically-operated means for stopping one mechanism when a thread of the opposite mechanism fails.

4. The combination of two independently operable sewing mechanisms for making seams, in a fabric, clutches for saidmechanisms. adapted to be independently operated,

andelectrically-operated means for operating the clutch of one mechanism to stop it when a thread of the .opposite mechanism fails. v

5. The combination of two independently operable sewing mechanisms for making dependently operable sewing mechanisms for making seams in a fabric, means for manually controlling, the independent operation of said mechanisms, and electricallyoperated means for automatically stoppin the making of each seam when a thread o one mechanism fails.

, when a thread of'either machine fails.

9. The combination of two independently operable sewing mechanisms for making seams in a fabric, clutches for said mechanisms adapted to be independently operated,

and electrically-operatedmeans for, operat- 1 ing the clutches ofboth mechanisms when a thread of either mechanism fails.

10. The combination of two independently operable sewing mechanisms for making; seams in a fabric, and electrlcallybperated means for automatically stopping the making of both seams when the spool thread of either mechanism fails.

feed two sides of a strip of fabric, means for independently controllin the operation 1 d of each such means, stitchorming mechanism cooperating with one of said means,

and electrically-operated mechanism for stopping the other of said means when a thread of said stitch-forming mechanism fails.

12. The combination with two hemstitching machines of an electrically operated controlllng member for each machine, and

throw-oft devices for both machines, said controlling-members being each adapted to f actuate both saidthrow off devices. 7

13. The combination with two hemstitching machines of an electrically operated controlling member for each machine adapted to be operated by failure in the tension of the thread, and throw-oil devices for both machines, said controlling members being adapted to actuate said throw-oft devices.

when either of said members is operated.-

14. The combination with two sewing machines of electrical means for stopping said machines when a thread in either machine fails, and separate hand operated means for also stopping each of said machines independently of the other.

15. The combination with two sewing machinesof means for automatically altering the relative speed of such machines.

16. The combination with two sewing machines of automatic means for electrically altering'the relative speed of such machines.

17. The combination with two sewing machines of means for automatically altering the relative speed of such machines, such.

means being operated by the edge of the fabric.

18. The combinationwith two sewing machines of electrical means for automatically altering the relative speed of such machines.

19. The combination with two sewing machines of electrical means for automatically altering the relative speed of such machines,

"such means being operated by the edge of the fabric. 1

20. The combination with two sewing machines of means for automatically decreasing the speed of one machine when the other machine lags.

21. The combination with two sewing machines of electrical means for decreasing the speed of one machine when the other ma- I simultaneously sewing two seams in a fab- 11. The combination of means adapted to ent mechanisms for simultaneously sewing two seams in a fabric, and means for automatically adjusting the normal relative sewing speeds of such mechanisms whereby to cause the fabric to travel substantially evenly through said mechanisms.

25. The combination-of two sewing machines and means controlled by the fabric in one machine for automatically altering the speed of the other machine.

26. The combination of two sewing machines and means engaging the fabric of one machine and operated by the tension of such fabric to automatically control the movements of the other machine.

27. The combination with two sewing mechanisms of means for operatin each of said sewing mechanisms indepenc ently of the other, and electrically operated means for stopping the sewing operation of both machines when a bobbin thread of either machine fails. 1

28. The combination of two s'ewingmechanisms of means for operating each machine independently of the other, and means for automatically governing the relative speeds of said machines.

29. The combination of two sewing mechanisms of means for operating each machine independently of the other, and means for' automatically governing'the relative speeds of said machines, said means being controlled by the fabric.

30. The combination of two independently operable sewing machines of means for turning up the edges of the fabric operated upon by said machines, and means controlled by the tip-turned edges of the fabric for governing the relative speeds of said machines.

31. The combination of two independently operable sewing machines of means for turning up the edges of the fabric operated upon by said machines, means controlled by the rip-turned edges of the fabric for overning the relative speeds of said machines, said means comprising fingers resting upon said up-turned edges, and means in connection with said fingers for stopping or. slowing each of said machines.

32. The combination with two sewing machines of two clutches, one for each machine,

means for releasing said clutches when a thread of either machine fails, and governing devices connected with said clutches,- said governing devices being adapted to release the clutch of one machine when the other machine travels at a relatively slower speed.

chines of a clutch for each machine, a magnet for each machine, said magnets operating said clutches, and means for operating both of said magnets when a thread of either machine fails.

34. The combination with two sewing machines of a clutch for each machine, a magnet for each machine, said magnets operating said clutches, means for operating both of said magnets when a thread of either machine fails, and governing means for each machine each reducing the speed of the opposite machine when the speed of its lnvn machine decreases.

In witness whereof, We have hereunto signed our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses- Witnesses:

EUGENE T. MYERS, FRED WHITE.

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