US1191232A - Sewing-machine. - Google Patents

Description

F. H. RICHARDS.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED lAN124, 1901. RENEWED FEB. 14.19I6.

1,191,232. Patented July 18, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET jizz with:

F. H. RICHARDS.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN-24.1901. RENEWED FEB. 14.1916.

1,191,232. I Patented July 18, 1916.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

SEWING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedJuly 18, 1916.

Application filed January 24, 1901, Serial No. 44,547. Renewed February 14', 1916. Serial No. 78,327.

tion, as well as the insertion, adjustment and removal of the fabric. I show an improved organization, whereby the necessity of stopping the machine when it is desired to stop the stitch-forming and fabric-feeding operations, is avoided. In this instance, the needle upon being thrown off preferably continues to reciprocate, but does not descend far enough to cooperate with the looper; and its stroke when thrown off is preferably shorter than when operative.

According to my present improvements, a needle slide is operated by a link motion, the position and effective relation of whose several members may be varied at will, so that the power-shaft of the machine may communicate through said link motion to the needle either a full, low working stroke or a short high idle stroke, as desired. Preferably the presser foot is also thrown off by the same finger piece that throws the needle out of.

operation, thereby stopping both' the stitchforming and fabric-feeding operation while the machine is running.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sewing machine embodying one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the sewing machine head and its appurtenances, a portion of the cover plate thereof being broken away, and the needle and presser being shown in" their operative or eifective positions. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the bb of Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is a perspective of a vertical presser bar, which also serves as a guide for a needle slide.

Similar characters designate like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

The sewing machine may consist generally of a bed plate B, an upright and arm A, carrymg a head H, a shuttle or looper S, a needle N, and actuating mechanism D. Preferably the needle is formed integral with a large thin sheet-metal slide 10, guided at 1ts edges in ways 11 and 12 formed in a vertical presser bar 13. The latter is provided with guiding ribs 14, working in grooves '15 formed in the machine head, which is hollow or box-like and preferably provided with a lid 16 depending from a hinge 17 and closed by a thumb screw 16. Said lid retains in their seats both the presser and the needle slide, whose outer faces are flush with the edge of the rim of the box-like head. A foot 13 is secured to a lug 13 upon said presser 13 by means of a screw 13.

Through the. arm A of the machine frame extends a horizontal needle-actuating rockshaft D suitably connected to the lower driving shaft of the machine: said rock shaft carrying within the machine head H a crank 18, the latter being connected by a linkage or link-system or train with the needle slide 10. Said linkage consists of an upper link 19 and a lower link 20, the upper link being articulated at its upper end to the crank 18, and the lower end of the lower link having a stud 21 fitting in a socket in the needle slide, and said links being joined at 19' during the full operation of the machine, said connected or toggle- links 19 and 20 act somewhat in the manner of a single link, to transmit the movement of the crank 1 8to the needle slide, thereby reciprocating the, latter in its ways. The presser is recssed or grooved at 22 to afford a clearance for the lower portion of the link 20..

The device for throwing the needle out of operation which may be called a throw off device includes a horizontal spindle 24 mounted in a boss 23 on the machine head and havin upon its inner end a crank 25, the latter leeing connected by a transverse link 26 to the needle-driving train 19, 20 so as to control the latter. The link 26 is preferably articulated to the pivot 19 in said train. Whenjhe crank 25 is swung, the train or toggle is caused to buckle, thereby altering the relation of the driving crank 18 to the needle slide 10, as at Fig. 3. Said throw-oil crank 25 is also connnected by a. downwardly extending link 27 to a .lug 25 on the presser bar, the upper end of this link having a slot 29 engaging a shoulder-screw or pin 30 upon said crank, thereby making a loose connection between the crank and presser, so that when the latter is lifted by the fabric it may not affect the crank and cause it to interfere with or vary the move ments of the needle-drivers. From the lug 28 also depends a rod 31, extending through horizontal walls or flanges 32 and 33 of the machine head; and upon the lower end of the rod may be threaded an adjustment sleeve 34, against which may bear the lower end of a compression spring 35, the latter coiling about said rod and hearing at its upper end against the flange 32, and pressing the foot 13 upon the cloth plate or the fabric thereon.

The crank spindle 24: is intended for manual adjustment, and for this purpose may be provided with a lever or knurled head 36; and the range of movement of the crank may be determined by stops 37 and 38 fixed upon the machine head.

lVhen the mechanism is set in the position shown at Fig. 2, the links 19 and 20 are nearly in line during the entire needle movement, thereby imparting a full stroke to the needle, carrying it down sufficiently to enable it to cooperate with the shuttle, as shown in full lines, the position of the parts at the top of the needle stroke being shownin dotted lines. The upper end of the slot 29 in the presser bar link 27 preferably just contacts with the pin 30, the slight upward movement of the presser foot due to the rising of the feed-dog not producing any effect upon the needle-controlling devices.

In order to stop the stitching and feeding operations while the machine is running, the finger piece 36 is turned so as to swing the crank 25 upwardly and forwardly until it contacts with the stop 38. The crank is held yieldingly in this position by the spring 35, which is compressed at the said adjustment of the crank,- acting through the presser link 27, which passes over the dead center of the axis 24 as the crank swings forward. During said movement of the crank, the link 26 is thrust forwardly, buckling the toggle 19, 20 so that movement is no longer communicated in a direct line from the crank 18 to the needle, but instead the upper link 19 is brought nearly at right angles to the lower link 20, so that the vibrations of the crank arm effect through the former idle vibrations of the latter and slight vertical movements of the needle slide 10, as indicated by full and dotted lines at Fig. 3. One effect of the described throwo'ff movement, arising from the buckling of the toggle 19, 20, is to draw up the needle slide 10, so that it works above its normal range of action; and so long as this result is effected, it is not essential in all cases that the stroke of the needle when thrown off be shorter than when it is in full operation. It will be seen that by this means the stitchforming and work-feeding operations may lie stopped and subsequently resumed while the machine is running.

It will be seen that the withdrawal of the needle from the work with the presser-foot makes it possible to stop the stitching and feeding operations of the machine while the driving mechanism continues in operation without any danger of tangling the thread, and the shortening of the needle stroke permits the construction of the parts with a minimum projection of the needle beyond its guides, thereby reducing the lateral variation in the position of the needle which would be caused by any given amount of play in the fitting of the parts.

As a convenient means for operating the needle-actuating rockersshaft D, and for properly operating the reciprocating shuttle in proper timing with the needle, I have illustrated a driving mechanism, hereinbefore designated in a general way by D, and. which, in the form herein shown, comprises a driving-shaft 39 mounted in bearings 40 and 41 formed on or secured to the frame work of the machine, which shaft 39 carries an eccentric 42 connecting through a rod 43 with an arm 44 of saidneedle-act'uating shaft D. Said primary drivingshaft 39 is also shown provided with a cam 45 that connects with the short end 46 of a shuttle actuating-lever 47, said lever being shown pivoted to the frame work of the machine at 48. It will, however, be understood that other suitable mechanism may be employed in connection with my present improvements in the machine herein illustrated.

It will be observed that the vibratory link-controlling arm 26 is pivoted upon the throw-off arm 25, whereby it may be shifted bodily, as from the position at Fig. 2 to that at Fig. 3, so as to vary the needle stroke, or throw the needle into or out of operation; that the actuator 18 is connected by a link 19 to the train of devices 26, 20, preferably to the latter; that the link motion which controls the needle comprises the members 18, 19, 20, 25 and 26; that the arm 26 extends transversely of the link 20, so that said arm may vibrate while the needle is operated by said link, and also so that said arm may by a longitudinal movement thrust said link out of effective position, as at Fig. 3; that the members 19 and 20 may be regarded as a toggle, whose effective stroke upon the needle slide is controlled by the arm 26; and that the spring 35 holds the I arm or crank 25 against the stop 38 when the presser is lifted, as at Fig. 3, thereby yieldingly detaining the links 19, 20 in their altered relation.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of my invention; and portions of my improvements may be used without others.

'Certain features herein illustrated. are set forth in my simultaneously filed applications Nos. 44,546 and 44,549, and in my other pending applications Nos. 715,282, 33,679, 33,680, and 86,673.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A stitch forming mechanism comprising the combination with a presser, a needle slide and a rock arm, of a series of pivoted links connecting the said rock arm and needle slide operatively reciprocating the needle slide when in a comparatively straight line, and'a throw off device connected to said series of links and to the presser for bending the line of the links and raising the presser.

2. In a sewing machine mechanism, the combination with a reciprocatory needle and a presser, of a rock-arm, a needle slide, a pair of links pivoted together and to said arm and slide respectively and efi'ective when said arm is at the limit of its stroke and the links are substantially in alinement for ad-- vancing the slide to the limit of its stroke, means for rendering the presser inefi'ectual, and means controlled thereby for deflecting the alinement of the links so that when the arm is at the said limit of its stroke the needle slide will be in a position short of its limit of stroke.

3. In a sewing machine mechanism, the combination with a reciprocatory needle and a presser, of a rock arm, a needle slide carrying the needle, a pair of links connecting said slide and arm and of suflicient length when occupying a position substantially'in alinement to advance the slide to its lowest position when the arm is at its lowest position, means connected with the presser for shifting the sameto an inoperative position, and means controlled by the shifting means for adjusting the links out of alinement for shortening the throw of the arm and con-' trolling the limit of the down stroke. 7

4. The combination with a needle and means for actuating the same and comprising a movable member and a system of links connecting the two, of a presser, means for shifting the presser to an inoperative position and connected to said system of links for. rendering the needle inoperative.

5. The combination with a driver, of areciprocatory needle, a link pivoted to the driver, and a link pivotally connected to the needle, said links being pivoted together, a shifting device connected to said links adjacent to their interpivotal point, a presser,

and means for moving the presser and opera.- tively connected to said shifting device.

6. A stitch forming mechanism comprising the combination with a presser, a needle and a driver, of links connecting the driver and needle, a throw off device including a crank portion, a link pivoted to said crank and to the presser, the latter link having a slot-an'd-pin connection with one of its coacting elements.

8. The combination with a needle slide of a rock arm, a pair of links pivoted to said arm andslide and pivoted together and when in a substantially straight line capable of advancing said slide to its lowest position upon the arm arriving at its lowest position, a presser foot, a rock arm for raising the said presser foot and a link connecting said rock arm and said pair of links for deflecting these from a straight line upon the raising of the presser foot.

9. A stitch-forming mechanism comprising the combination, with a slide, of a presser-foot carried thereby; a'needle moving upon the slide; means for actuating said needle; a connection between the actuating means and needle; and a shifting device joined by links to said connection and to the presser.

10. In a sewing machine having a presser, a stitch-forming mechanism including a needle slide of a link motion consisting of five elements, namely: a link, as 20, attached to the needle slide, for driving the latter endwise; a controlling arm or link, as 26, attached to said link whereby when the presser is raised to an inoperative position the needle is rendered inoperative on the work; an adjustable arm, as 25, to which said controlling arm is pivoted; an actuating links are placed out of alinement, a presser,

means for controlling the presser, and means connected therewith for shifting the links into and out of alinement so as to alter the limits of the path of the stroke of the needle.

12. A stitch-forming mechanism of a sewing machine, including a 'needleand presser-mechanism which comprises a stitch-' forming mechanism including the combina-- tion with a needle device of a link connected thereto; a vibratory controlling arm to which the other end of said link is connected; means for shifting said controlling arm bodily; an actuator connected by a link to one of said: link and controlling arm elements; and a presser connected to said shlfting means whereby when the presser 1s raised to aninoperative position the needle is rendered inoperative on the work.

13. A stitch-forming mechanism of a sewing machine, including a needleand presser-mechanism which comprises a stitchforming mechanism including the combination of a needle slide; a link attached there.- to; a controlling arm connected to said link; a throw-0ff arm upon which .said controlling arm is pivoted; an actuator connected to one of said controlling-arm and link elements; a presser; and a link connecting said presser to said throw-ofi' arm whereby when the presser is raised to an inoperative position the needle is rendered inoperative on the work.

14. A stitch-forming mechanism of a sewing machine, including a needle-andpresser-mechanism Y which comprises the combination'with a needle device of a link, as 20, attached to said needle device; an arm, as 26, attached'to-said link and eX-. tending transversely thereof; means'for supporting said arm and moving it longitudinally; an actuator, as 18, connected to one of said arm and link elements; a presser; and a connection between said presser and said arm-supporting and moving means whereby when the presser is raised to an inoperative position the needle is rendered inoperative on the work.

15. A stitch-forming mechanism of a sewing machine, including a needleandpresser-mechanism which comprises the combination with a needle slide of a link, as 20, attached to the needle slide; a con trolling arm or link, as 26;-an adjustable arm, as 25, to which said controlling arm is pivoted; an actuating arm or crank, as 18; a link, as 19; for driving said controlling arm, said link 20, and said needle slide; said link 19 being connected to said crank 18; and a presser connected by a link to one of said elements 25 and 26 wherebya driving arm or crank, is journaled in the framework, and another member whereof, consisting of an adjustable arm or crank, is also pivoted upon the framework and provided with a finger-piece; said link motion being so organized that by a movement of said finger-piece the stroke transmitted through said link motion to said needle slide may be altered; stops for said adjustable arm or crank; a presser; a spring for said presser; and means connecting said presser to said adjustable arm or crank; said spring holding the latter against one of said stops when the presser is lifted.

17'. In a sewing machine mechanism, the

\combination with a presser foot slide having a slideway, aneedle slide mounted in saidslideway, a system of linkage for reciprocating the needle slide, means for raising the presser foot slide and adjusting the throw of the linkage, and a connection between the presser'foot slide and said means whereby the motion of the presser foot due to the rise and fall of the feed dog will be ineffective upon the linkage. I

18. A stitch-forming mechanism of a sewing machine, including a needle-andpresser-mechanism which comprises the combination with a needle device and means for actuating-the same, of a Variable connector between said needle device and said actuating means; an arm or crank, as 25, connected to said variable connector; a stop, as 38, for said arm 25; a presser connected tovsaid arm 25; and a spring, as 35, for said presser; said. spring operating, when the presser is thrown up, to hold said arm against said stop.

19. A stitch-forming mechanism of a sewing machine, including a needleandpresser-mechanism which comprises the combination with a needle device and means for actuating the same, of a variable connector between said needle device and said actuating means; an arm or crank controlling vsaid variable connector; stops, as 37 and 38, for said arm or crank; a link, as 27, connected to said arm or crank; a presser connected to said link; and a spring for said presser; the movement of said arm raising said presser and compressing said spring, and the link swinging over the dead center at its point of connection to said arm, so that said spring detains said arm in thethrow-off position and againstsaid stop 38.

20. In a sewing machine mechanism, the combination with a presser foot slide having a guideway, a needle slide mounted in said guideway, a rock arm, a pair of links pivoted together and pivoted to said rock arm and needle slide and effective when in a substantially straight position and the rock arm in its lowest position, a rock arm,

a link connecting said rock arm and the ent motion 6f the resser foot incident t said pair of links for llilolding them eitier 1iln the rise and fall of the feed dog. a substantial y straig t ine 01' out 0 t e same for regulating the throw of said FRANCIS RICHARDS needle slide, a linkage connecting said slide Witnesses:

and said latter rock arm and having free- FRED J. DOLE,

dom of movement for-permitting independ- C. E. Voss.

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