US11531A - Improvement in sewing-machines - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S.. H. ROPER. SEWING MACHINE.

No. 11,531. Patented Aug. 15, 1854.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. H. ROPER.

" SEWING MAGEINE. No. 11,531. Patented Aug. 15, 1854.

, running stitch.77

-UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICE.

IMPROVEMENTIN SEWING-MACHINES.

Speclicafion forming part ci"` Letters Patent No. AIl,53|' dated August 15, 1851.

To all whom) it may concern.-

Beit known that I', SYLvns'rnR H. Rornn,

. of Worcester. in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and usefulA Improvements inMachinerygfor Sewing Cloth and other Material; and I do hereby dey clare thatthe 'same is fully described and represented'in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, letters, gures, and

` references thereof.

Of the said drawings, Figure l represents a top viewofthe machine containing my invention.4 Fig. 2 isanelevation of one side of it,

or that on which the fly-wheel' is situated. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the other side of it. Fig. 4 is vertical central and.' longitudinal section of it. Fig. 5 is a transverse and vertical section of; it, this. latter section being taken through the. operatinglneedles. Such other figures may be necessary to a complete illustration of my invention will be hereinafterreferred to and described. 4

My improved-machine is calculated to produce either what is generally termed backstitch sewing, or that ordinarily called the By back-stitch sewing I mean that in which a thread, after being carried througha piece of cloth from the front to the rear side of said cloth, is moved backward the length of the stitch, is next again carried through the cloth from the rear to the front side of said cloth, is next carried forward double the length of the stitch or some other suitable distance, and is next passed through the cloth from the front to the rear side of said cloth. Such operations, being successively repeated, form what is termed backstitch sewing. By the ordinary running stitch or stitching I mean that in -which a thread is passed throughthe cloth from the front to the rear side of said cloth, is next moved forward the length of the stitch, is next carried through the cloth from its rear to its front side, is next carried forward the length of a stitch, and is again passed through the cloth from the front to the rear side of the cloth. These operations, being repeated, formwhat is frequently called -the running or basting stitch. My machine is exhibited in the drawings as prepared for sewing'the running stitch. In sewing with this machine I do not make use of a continuous thread in the manner in which those machines do which produce chain-stitch sewing, but I employ short pieces of thread,

such as a person uses when 'sewing by hand with the ordinary sewing-needle. Such short pieces, however, may be successively taken in themanner to be hereinafter described, from one continuous thread wound on a bobbin.

In the drawings above mentioned, A denotes a column or frame for supporting the operative parts of the` machine, such column having a shelf or table, B, extended from it and for the purposeof carrying the endless belt C, on which the cloth or material to be sewed is sustained during the operations of the needles therein, such cloth being moved by said belt 'with an'intermittent motion, such as may be necessary to enable the needles to perform the function of sewing. Y

The two needles used in the machine are exhibited at D and E, D being the superior or upper, and E the inferior or lower, one. A side View of one of these needles is given in Fig. 6, and a longitudinal section of it, together with the closing slide of its hook, represented in Fig. 7, said Figs.i 6 and 7 being drawn on an enlarged scale. Each needle is extended from a movable carriage,| G or H, which slides vertically on a dovetailed guide, as seen at I K. Each` of the carriages G H is connected to a long lever, L or L', by means 'of a short connecting-rod, Mor M', which con necting-rod is so jointed both to the carriage and lever that when the lever is made to move in a vertical plane and turn ou its fulcrum N or N the needle-carriage shall be made to play or move vertically on its dovetailed guide. The arrangement of the two levers L and L', theintwo fulcra N N', their connecting-rods M M, and the two needle-carriages-G H is particularly represented in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

To these two levers two long connecting-rods,

O P, are respectively jointed at their outer ends, such connecting-rods at their inner ends being made to embrace a crank-pin, Q, that projects from the side of a cam-wheel,l R, which is fixed upon the main driving-shaft S, such shaft being caused to carry a fly-wheel, T, and to be putin rotation by means of power applied to crankU or to said shaft in any proper manner. In Fig. 8 I have represented a sectional view taken through the two connectingrods O l? and the crank-pinon which they work, such section being made transversely of the axis of said crank-pin. In Fig. 9 I have exhibited another section of the same, such section being taken longitudinally through the axis of the crank-pin. Fig. 10v represents a y front view of one of the connecting-rods. Each connecting-rod is curved or hollowed out, so asto rest against and straddle the crank-pin, and it has extended from it projections a, which: are curved and made to' rest superficially against the crankepin, the arrangement of these projections being exhibited inthel drawings. Over these two-projections, and so as to inclose them and be concentric with the crankpin, a tube or ferrule, b,'is' placed, it being confined in position by means of a screw, c', screwed into the end of the crank-pin. By so forming the two connecting-rods'O l?, and providing them with projections a a and 'an inclosing-tube, b, such two connecting-rods may be made to play on and be simultaneously moved by one crank-pin. Fach needleis caused to move within a groove or tube, V orv V', which groove or tube I term the threadpassage,77 the object of such'passage being to prevent the threadofthe needle from kinking or snarling vup or injuriously springing back toward the cloth when such thread is released fom the needle, and it performs such a function by reason'of the support which it gives the thread under such circumstances. Each needle is what is termed a hooked needle,- it having a hook or barb, c, and a point, d, as seen'in Figs. 6 and 7. Its shank e is made tubular or hollow, and receives within it a small rod` or closing-slide, f, whose office is to close the opening of the hook while the barb of the needle is being drawn through the cloth. This closing-slide is forced against the barb by a spring, g, arranged on the needle-slide and below the tubular shank of the needle, and made to be supported by an arm, h, projected from the support-piece z' of the needle. The closing-slidef has a projection, k, extended from it, the spring being made to bear against said projection. While a needle is being driven forward into the cloth, and immediately after it has passed fully through the cloth, the proj ection 7c is carried into contact with a stationarystu'd, lor m, situated as seen in Fig. 4, and made to project into the thread passage or groove. This stud serves to arrest the forward movement'of the closing-slide in the needle, the needle continuing to move forward.l Such operationcauses the hook of the needle to be opened for the reception of the thread.. After the thread has lbeen laid in the. opening of the hook of the needle, the needle is drawn ybackward through the cloth, the barb of the needle closing up on the slide f, so as not only to prevent said barb from catching in the cloth, but to insure the draft of the thread through the cloth;

We-neXt come to a description of the mech! anism by which the thread is bent horizontally, laid-into the opening of the needle, and drawn closely into the cloth; and I would here take occasion to remark that such an apparatus or mechanism is applied to operate witheach K needle,-that which belongs to the lower lneedle being arranged above the table B, while that which operates in connection with the upper needle isdisposedunderneath the said table B.

.The two devices used for bending a portion of the thread into a horizontal position orjnto angles with respectto the rrest of the thread are seen at no, a rear view of them on an en-v larged scale and as applied to the bar W, in which the thread-passage is formed, being exhibited in Fig. 11. Fig. 12 is afront view (on an enlarged scale) of vsuch threadbenders and mechanism immediately adj aeent thereto. lFig.. 13 is a top view of thehook-bender a. Fig. 14 isla top view of the eye-bender o. Fig. 15 is is a rear lview of the'hook-bender a, and Fig. '16 is arear view ofthe eye-bender o. These benders are levers, formed as seen inthe drawings, and made to play together on a conrmon sta,-` -tionary fulcrum, p, as do the lblades of a pair of scissors, their two upper arms being connected togetherby a spring, q, whose endsare respectively attached to the arms, such spring operating to draw thetwo arms toward one another, and thereby to move the thread-benders in directions opposite to those in which they are moved by the action of the lever i. The front arm of said lever, an endfview of which is given in Fig. 17, extends between the benders n o and just below their fulcrum p. The fulcrum of the lever is' supported by a post or projection, s, while the rear arm, tl, of the lever is made to extend backward and within the path of a cam, u, fixed on the inner side ofthe cam-Wheel R, (the said cam being.

as represented in Fig. 18, which is a view of the inner side of the cam-.wheel It.) The office of this cam u is to move the lever 1' so as to cause its front arm to move downward' and separate the lower arms of the benders, which, while being so separated, mutually strike against theV thread and bend it, so that the part of the thread extending from one bender to the other shall stand horizontally, or thereabout, or at right angles, or nearly so, withv respect to thepath of the needle. After the cam has performed this function the front arm of the lever r will be moved in an opposite direction by means of a spring, n, and into notches or curved recesses w .fc-made in the benders a o, and so as to cause the lower arms of the benders to approach and cross `one another. The bende 'nf is formed with a small hook, 1, while the bender o has an elongated eye, z, eX- tended from it and forthe purpose of keeping the thread always in a proper -position with respect toA the benders, 'such thread being made to work through such eye. There is also a small projection, lip, or nipper, a2, eX- tended from the lower arm of the bender o, and made tol operate in connection with a spring-nipper, b2, aiixed to the side of the bar NV. During the movement of the bender o toward the thread it carries the nipper a2 against the thread, and so as to force the thread against the part or jaw of the spring-nipper b2, 'such operation being performed somewhat previous to the completion of those movements of the thread-benders necessary `to the completion of the bending of the thread. Now, while the thread is thus held between the' nippers, the

needle catches it, and during its descent draws the thread of the hook y, and the nippers still holding the thread it during the farther Vdescent ofthe needle will be drawn through the nippers, and with friction sufficient to cause the stitch taken to be drawn closely into the cloth or material to be sewed. The thread so held by the bends is next to be moved'b'ack, in order that it may be laid into the hook-opening of the needle, and in order to accomplish'this the benders must'be moved backward, such a movement of them being effected by means of a small cam, c2, aiiixed to the lever r, and made to work against a curved or inclined j surface or part of the bender o, there being a small j spring, g2, so applied to the benders as to move them in an opposite-direction, while the front arm of thelever r is being elevated. Thebend- Y ersbeneath the table are seen at n o. Their operating-lever is exhibited at 1", such lever being actuated or moved in one direction by the cam u and in the opposite one by a spring, lv. The spring-nipper b:i of the lower benders is seen in Fig. 5.

In'the drawings, h2 represents a bobbin for carrying the thread, which bobbin is made to rotate on a spindle, 2, projected from the bar W. A friction-washer, m2, andscrew-nut n2 are applied to the spindle i?, and made to operate against the bobbin, in order to prevent too much freedom of rotation. In applying a thread from the bobb'in to the machine it is drawn downward into a notch, p2, formed in the end of a projection or arm, q2, applied to the bar IV. From this notch the thread is extended horizontally by the side of the needle and under and'around thehook y of the bender n, such thread being made to rest against a small shoulder, r2, formed on the bender and under its hook, so that .when the needle is drawn downward the thread will slip into the opening of the hook and be caught in and by the needle. When the needle is drawn through thecloth, it carries the thread with it in a doubled state, andpif the thread drawn through the cloth by the needle is of alength less than the extent of the motion of theneedle the thread will be drawn entirely out of .the needle by the needle, and at a proper. time the benders of the other needle are put in motion, so asto bend the thread and prepare it to be received by the other needle and again drawn through the cloth. Thus the operation of sewing is carried on by the two needles operating alternately, and `as the sewing is carried on the thread which extends from the cloth into the notch p2 will be carried against a 'small knife or cutting-edge, si, aflixed to the cloth-presser t?, andwill'be separated or cut by such knife. The movement of the feeding-belt and cloth carries the said portion of thread against the said knife. Thus it,willbc seen that, although in the operation of sewing by my machine I use short pieces of thread, each of which is taken in the manner above described from a long thread wound on a bobbin, the clothpresser t2 is forced downward by means of a spring, u", arranged on the shank of a lifter, c, and made to bear against a projection, fwl, through which said lifter slides. Said clothpresser carries a small friction-roller, x2, that rests on the upper surface of the cloth, and holds the cloth down to or 'upon the'endless feeding-belt C while the belt is in movement.

The next portion of the machinery to be de.

scribed is that by which the endless feedingbelt Ais operated. The said feeding-belt is supported by two rollers or cylinders, b3 p3, arranged on opposite sides o f the table B, the upper portion of the belt resting on the table. A ratchet-wheel, ci, is fixed on the axle of the roller b3, and receives an impelling-pawl, di, which is arranged underneath the table B, as seen in Fig. 19, which represents an under side View 'of said table. Said impelling-pawl is jointed to one arm of a bent-lever, e3, which plays upon afulcrum, fi, and has its other arm resting against the periphery ofthe cam R, said cam being intended and properly formedfor operating the lever, so as to cause the pawl d to turn theratchet c at such times and to such extent as maybe necessary to give motion to the endless feeding-belt in order to insu-re proper movement of the cloth. The impelling-pawl is drawn backward by the action of a spring, g3, the backward movement of the front 'arm of the lever e3 being regulated by a stop-screw, f 4. By means of a sliderod, i3, provided with abent or inclined surface, as seen at k3, and arranged as seen in the drawings, the impelling-pawl, di may be thrown out of action upon the ratchet-wheel' whenever necessary. This is effected by pressing inward the slide i3 by applying the handto a knob, Z3, (fixed upon its front end,) and pressing said slide inward so asto carry its inclined plane or cam k3 against. the under side of the pawl di.

Fig. 20 is a bottom view, and Fig. 21 aside,

of the hook-bender n. Fig. 22 1s a side view of the eye-bender o, and Fig. 23 is aside view of the endof the lever r, showing the cam c.

Having thus described my improved sewingmachine, what I claim thereinas of my invention is as follows:

l. The groove, tube, or thread-passage-V or V', in combination with a needle made to operate a thread essentially as described, said passage being for the purpose of 'supporting the thread and preventing it from kinking or inj uriously springing .back or toward the cloth immediately after the release of thethread from the needle, as described.

2. I do not claim the invention or employment of a slide or an equivalent contrivance to close down on the barb and over the opening ing-of the hook of a needle; nor do I claim the application of such closing-slide to ahook-needie in such manner that said slide shall play or move Ain a groove made in the side 0f the needle, as the same does in the machine patented Aby William Viekersham on the 19th day of 4 nimma April; of'theyear 11ste; im what I do claimv is my improvedmode of -applying the closingslide to the 'needle-that' is,` the vmaking the shankof the needle tubular and inserting the closing-slide Within the same-whereby such closing-slide is better protected from accident, or ybeing broken by catching in the 010th or thread, or otherwise broken, as it is liable to be when made to' run ina groove formed i n the sideof the needle.

3. 'In combination together and used with a hook-needle, the two thread-)senders n o, as made to operate on the, thread and lay it in the opening of the needle, substantially as speciied, ,and in `vcombination With the thread-benders, the lip or nippel a2 and the spring-nippel` SYLVESTER H. ROPER. Witnesses:

C. HAMILTON, NATHL. PAINE.

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