US1200246A - Thread-controller for sewing-machines. - Google Patents

Description

D. S. SEYMOUR.

THREAD CONTROLLER FOR SEWING ,MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 4. 1911.

Patented Oct. 3,1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEETI INVENTOR 5, 5'

A ltomey W/ TNESSES I dud a ERS coy. Pnbmum D. S. SEYMOUR.

THREAD CONTROLLER FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 4. 19]].

v Patented Oct. 3,1916.

5 SHEETSSHEET 2.

CINE

INVENTOR 5'. 5'

Attorneys WITNESSES D. S. SEYMUUR.

THREAD CONTROLLER FOR SEWING MACHINES.

v Rh Pafented 001;. 3,1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3 INVENTOR My...

Attorneys WITNESSES D. S. SEYMOUR.

THREAD CONTROLLER FOR SEWING MACHINES.

Pz xtented Oct. 3,1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4 N M W 1 5. 5 M

1 200, 6. AFPLICATIO man NOV. 4, 1

v WITNQESSESv I D. S SEYMOUR.

THREAD CONTROLLER FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED Nl'jV. 4. l9ll.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

WITNESSES A llorney rm STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DUDLEY S. SEYMOUR, 01? OAK PARIQ ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNION SPECIAL MACHINE COMIPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

THREAD-CONTROLLER FOB, SEWING -MACHI NES;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

To all w ham it may concern Be it known that I, DUDLEY S. SEYMOUR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oak Park, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thread- Controllers for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in thread controllers for sewing machines, and more especially to thread controllers for chain stitch sewing machines adapted to operate upon leather or other heavy materials.

An object of the invention is to provide a machine of this type which is constructed H with an upper rotary shaft, with thread controlling devices which are automatically operated to draw from the supply varying amounts of thread in accordance with the thickness of the material operated upon.

A further object of the invention is to provide a thread controlling mechanism of the above character, wherein a certain amount-of thread according to the thickness of the work, is drawn off and supplied to the needle independently of the main pull off devices, and stitch-setting members.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above type, with a slack thread controller which is operated to take up the slack from the needle on the firstpart of its downward movement, to

again take up the needle thread to assist the needle in drawing up the loops of needle thread of the previous stitch close to the under side of the work.

A further object of the invention, is to provide a thread controlling mechanism. of

' the above character, which includes a slack thread controller, which may be operated to take up the needle thread on the first part of the upward movement of the needle, and to give slack to the needle until the eye of the needle is well above the material, after which, said slack thread controller cooperates with the needle bar or otherthread drawing device in setting the stitch.

These and other objects will in part be obvious, and will in part be hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the inventionz Figure l is a partial vertical section and a partial front view of a machine having my improvements applied thereto; Fig. 2 1s a rear View of the overhanging arm and the thread controlling parts mounted thereon; Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the same; Fig. 4 is an end view of the head of the machine, with the face plate and the end cap for the cylindrical bed removed; Fig. 5 is a sectional View showing the thread clamping device; Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the needle thread controller when the needles are at their extreme upper position; F 7 is a similar view when the point of the needle is entering the material; Fig. 8 is a similar view when the needle is at the lower end of its stroke; Fig. 9 is a similar view when the needles are leaving the material; Fig. 10 is a sectional view through the supporting bracket on the line 1010 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 11 is a sectional view through the bracket on the line 11'1l of Fig. 3.

The invention as herein illustrated, is shown applied to a sewingmachine which consists of a supporting base 1, from which rises a standard 2. A cylindrical bed plate 3 is carried by the standard 2. An overhanging arm 4 projects forwardly from the upper end of the standard over the cylindrical bed plate. The main driving shaft 5 extends through the overhanging arm and is mounted in suitable bearings therein. The needle bar 6 reciprocates in the forward end of the overhanging arm. Said needle bar as herein shown, is provided with a plurality of pairs of needles 7, 7. The needle bar is connected by a link 8 to a crank 9 on the end of the main shaft 5, and as said main shaft is rotated, said needle bar will be reciprocated. (lotiperating with each pair of needles 7, 7, is a looper 10.

These loopers are carried by a looper carrier mounted in the forward end of the cylindrical bed plate, and said loopers are of the thread-carrying type, and move across the line of feed. The construction of the loopers and the means for operating the same, forms no part of the present invention, and will not be further described. The

feeding mechanism consists of the usual feed dog, mounted on a feed bar 11, and

said feed dog is arranged to feed the work across the end. of the cylindrical bed plate.

Said feeding mechanism also forms no part of the present invention, and will not need further description.

Coiiperating with the feed dog is a presser foot 12 which is carried by a presser bar 13. The presser bar 13 is normally held against the material by a spring 14, which is of the usual type. On the upper end of the presser bar is a collar 15 which carries a laterally projecting lug 16. The presser bar may be raised and lowered by the usual hand lever 17, or by a lever 18 which is pivoted at 19 to the overhanging arm, and projects forwardly underneath the lug 16. The other end of the lever is adapted to be connected with a treadle or knee-shift so that when the lever is swung about its pivot the forwardly projecting end will engage underneath the lug, and raise the presser bar. A spring 20 is secured at one end to a suitable lug on the overhanging arm, and said spring normally holds the forward end of the lever depressed away from the lug 16.

An adjustable limiting stop 21 is sup ported by the overhanging arm, and will limit the downward movement of the lever 18. lVhile I have shown a plurality of needles and the thread controlling mechanism for the same is constructed so as to receive and handle a thread for each needle, the operation of the thread controlling mechanism on the plurality of threads is the same as upon each individual thread, and therefore in the description of the thread-controlling mechanism, I will refer merely to a single needle and the thread therefor.

The needle thread is led from the supply through a thread guiding eye 21 mounted on a supporting plate 22 carried by a bracket 23 which is attached to the overhanging arm 4 of the machine. Mounted on said plate is a suitable light tension 24 and also a heavy tension 25. The heavy tension consists of disks which are spring-pressed together by a spring 26. The upper disk is carried by a stud extending through the plate and the spring 26 surrounds said stud, and bears at one end against a nut 27 on the outer end of the stud and at its other end against the supporting plate. It will be understood that there is a tension 24 and a tension 25 for each of the needle threads. The needle thread after leaving the tension is fed between two guiding posts 28. These guiding posts are located centrally of the plate, and serve to collect or bring together the four needle threads and guide the same to the thread controlling members. When the material is to be taken from the machine, it is desirable to remove the heavy tension. In order that this may be accomplished, I have journaled in the bracket 23 a short shaft 29 which is provided with projecting arms carrying a plate 30, which extendsunderneath each of the studs 26 of the tension members 25. The shaft 29 also carries an arm 31 which is adjustably secured upon the shaft and the outer end of the arm 31 lies in the path of a lug 32, carried by the lever 18. When the lever 18 is depressed to lift the presser foot, the lug 32 will engage the arm 31 and depress the same, which will in turn raise the bar 30 and thus engage the studs of the various tensions and relieve the tensions so that the threads may run freely therethrough.

The thread after passing between the posts 28, passes underneath the guiding roller 33, and through an oiling pad 34 which may be of any desired construction. From the oiling. pad the thread, or threads, is led over a roller 35, and thence through guiding fingers at the end of the arm 36. This arm 36 is attached to the supporting plate 22. The thread, after leaving the fingers at the end of the arm 36, passes underneath a roller 37 carried at the outer end of an L-shaped arm 38. The portion 39 of the arm is formed with a collar which is freely journaled on a sleeve 41 projecting from the bracket 41 which is secured to the overhanging arm of the machine. The arm 39 is connected by a link 42 to a rock lever 43. The rock lever 43 is carried by a short shaft 44 on which is mounted a segment 45 adapted to be engaged by a rack 46 carried by the presser bar. IVhen the presser bar is raised and lowered, this rack, through the segment, will swing the rock lever 43, and through the link 42, will shift the position of the thread guiding roller 37. The thread, after leaving the roller 37 passes over a roller 47 which is carried by an arm 48. This arm 48 is formed with a collar 48 which is fixed to a cross shaft 40 mounted in suitable arms 41 and 41 formed integral with the bracket 41. The collar 48 is provided with a second arm 50 which carries a ball stud.

An eccentric 51 mounted on the main shaft 5, coiiperates with an eccentric strap or link 52 which engages the ball stud, and thereby a rock arm 48 is oscillated. The thread after leaving the roller or pin 47 passes underneath a roller or pin 53. The roller or pin 47 as the rock lever 48 oscillates, will be drawn against the thread passing under the rollers 37 and 53, and a certain amount of thread; drawn off. The amount of thread drawn off will vary with the thickness in the material for the reason that the roller 37 is shifted as the thickness of the material varies. The thread after passing the roller 53, is led through a thread clamp 54. This thread clamp as herein shown, consists of a plurality of disks which are normally spring-pressed together by a suitable spring 55. In order that the thread clamp may be released to allow a free running of the thread at the proper time, a stud 56 projects beyond the bracket carrying the clamping-disks and an inward movement of this stud, will release the spring tension on the clamping disks. The shaft 40 which is oscillated by the eccentric 51, carries a cam arm 57, and this cam arm is so disposed as to move against the end of the stud 56 and cause a releasing of the tension. The inner face of the arm 57 is formed With a cam shoulder, and therefore, the upward movement of the arm will release the thread clamps, While a downward movement of the arm will allow the spring to clamp the thread. lVhen the arm 57 is moving down- Ward, the rock lever 48 is moving toward the right, as viewed in Fig. 1, and thread is be ing pulled fromthe supply. It will therefore be seen that the pulling action of the rock lever 48 occurs only when the thread clamps are closed, and when the rock lever is moving in the opposite direction, to give up thread to the needles, the thread clamps are open to allow a free movement of the thread.

The thread after leaving the thread clamps passes underneath a stationary pin 58 and then through thread guides in the outer end of a slack thread controlling arm 59. This slack thread controlling arm is carried by the rock shaft 44, and therefore, the position of the arm will vary with the thickness of the material. lVhen the thickness of the material under the presser foot increases, the arm will be lowered and when the thickness of the material decreases, the arm will be raised. The thread runs from the slack thread controlling arm 59 to thread guides '60 in the upper end of the needle bar. WVhen the needle reaches the upper end of its stroke, the stitch is set and thread is drawn from the supply. The amount of thread drawn from the supply will depend upon the distance that the guides on the needle bar move above the guides on the slack thread controlling arm 59. lVhen the thickness of the material increases, the arm 59 is lowered as abovenoted, and therefore, the guides on the needle bar will move a greater distance above the guides on the thread arm 59, and more thread will be drawn from the supply. On the other hand, when the thickness of the material decreases, the arm 59 is raised and less thread is drawn from the supply. I, therefore, have in this slack thread controlling arm, and the guides at the upper end of the needle bar, automatic means for setting the stitch and pulling thread from the supply, the action of which varies according to the thickness of the material.

The thread after leaving the thread guides at the top of the needle bar, passes between thread guides 61 and 62. These th e d g e 1 and 2 are ar id; y an adjustable plate 63 mounted on the needle controlling lever 64 is pivoted at 65 to the head of the machine, and a link 66 is pivoted at one end to said lever, and at its other end to a block 67 carried by the needle bar. This block 67 is so positioned that the pivotal point 6.8 between the lever 66 and the block 67, will move from the horizontal plane above the pivotal point 69 between the lever 64 and the link 66, to a horizontal plane below the same. The result is that the lever 64 will be oscillated twice for each reciprocation of the needle bar. The upper end of the thread lever 64 is formed with a thread guiding eye 70 which projects through a slot 71 in the face plate of the needle head. This thread eye 70 vibrates from one side of the thread guide 61 to the other side of the thread guide 62. The thread guide 61 is formed of two spaced members and likewise the thread guide 62 is formed of two spaced members, so that as the thread eye 70 passes first to one side and then the other of these guides, thread will be taken up by the thread eye 70, and will be given up as the thread guide moves to a point centrally between these thread guides 61 and 62. The thread is led from the guides 61 and 62 to the needle eyes.

The operation of my device is as follows :The pull-off roller or pin 47 moves into engagement with the needle thread upon the downward movement of the needle bar. The thread clamping devices are timed to grip the thread just as the points of the needles are entering the material, and the pull-off roller or pin 47 continues its movement between the lug 32 and pin 53, after the clamp 54 is closed and a certain amount of thread is pulled off from the supply. The clamping disks 54 grip the thread until the needle reaches the end of its stroke downward and starts to return, and as soon as the needle starts to return, said clamping disks are released. As soon therefore, as the needle starts to rise, the thread is given up by the pull-oft, and is free to be taken up by the thread controlling parts between said pull-ofl and the needle. This auxiliary thread pulled off by the roller or pin 47 is for the purpose of allowing the needle to move so as to place the eye thereof well above the work before the thread is drawn taut to set the stitch. The thread controller 59 is moved by the presser foot under varying thicknesses of the work, and when the thickness increases, said slack thread controller will be moved downward, giving up thread to the needle for the increased thickness, and causing the needle to pull off -a sufficient additional amount,

' which will accommodate the increased thickness in the material. When the thickness n m te i l decreas s th slack hr ad @011- troller 59 will be raisedand take up a cer-.

tain portion of the thread so that the needle will form a tight stitch on the decreased thickness of the material, and then said slack thread controller will cause the needle to continue to pull off a less amount of thread for the decreased thickness of the material. The thread guide 60 at the upper end of the needle bar, operates to give up thread to the needles on the down stroke thereof, and to take up thread as the needle moves up, and to set the stitch and draw thread from the supply. The thread eye on the forward end of the machine, moves first between the thread guides 62 and then the thread guides 61. As the needle starts downward, the thread arm 64: is at the extreme right and thread has been taken up and is being held by said arm. This thread is at once given up to the needle as it moves downward, so that the needle thread is removed from all strain. The guide 60 at the top of the needle bar also gives up further thread to the needle. Before the needle eye reaches the material, the eye 70 moves between the thread guides 61 at the left and takes up the thread as the thread is given up by the guide 60 which prevents the thread from buckling in front of the needle. In other words, the needle thread as the needle bar moves downward, is held substantially taut so that the needle eye gradually slides down the thread and the thread does not kink or buckle in front of the point of the needle. As soon as the needle eye reaches the material, the thread is clamped by the clamping disks 54, and as the needle thread is being doubled upon itself by the formation of the needle loop, the eye 70 is moved again to the right, and gives up thread to the needle. passes across the center line and carries the thread against the guides 62 just prior to the needle reaching the lower end of its stroke. As the needle approaches the lower end of its stroke, the previously formed needle loop, which is around the looper, is shed, and it is desirable at this time to draw up this previously formed needle loop close to the under side of the material so that said loop is not liable to be engaged by the looper as it again moves forward and furthermore, so that the needle bar in setting the stitch has less thread to draw up.

The arm 64 moving to the right, carries the needle thread against the thread guides 62 just about at the time the previous needle loop is shed from the looper, and said arm 64 will take up the needle thread, and aid the needle in pulling up the previous needle loop close to the under side of the work. During this operation, the clamping disks 54 are closed, and no thread can be drawn from the supply. rise, the thread clamps are opened. The

This eye 70, however,-

As the needle starts to.

arm 64 at once gives slack to the needle thread. At this time, thread may also be taken from the auxiliary pull-off, that is, the roller or pin 47, as the thread clamps are opened, and the auxiliary pull-off so timed that it is at the rear end of its stroke. After the looper is well into the needle loop, it is desirable to pull said loop up against the looper. The thread arm 64 again carries the needle thread against the thread guides 61, as it moves to the left, and takes up the needle thread slightly ust at the time the loopers are well into the needle loops. This movement of the arm 64 also pulls through the guides the thread taken from the supply by the auxiliary pull-off. The arm 6d again gives up thread to the needle as it continues to rise, so that the setting of the stitch is delayed until the needle is well toward the upward end of its stroke. This allows the eye of the needle to clear the material before the thread is pulled up to set the stitch. I

As the needle bar reaches the upper end of its stroke, the thread arm is again moved to the right, carrying the thread against the guides 62, and the pulling of the eye 70 on the thread, together with the pulling of the guide 60 on the needle bar, will set the stitch and draw thread from the supply for thenext stitch. It will therefore, be noted that the thread arm 64: takes up thread and gives up thread four times for each complete stroke of the needle bar. It takes up the thread to prevent buckling in front of the needle on its downward stroke; it takes up thread at the end of the downward stroke to assist the needle in drawing up the previously shed needle loop; it takes up thread on the first part of the upward movement of the needle to draw the needle loop well up around the looper; and it takes up thread at the upper end of the stroke of the needle bar, to assist the needle bar in setting the stitch and pulling thread from the supply.

The I clamping disks clamp the needle thread only at the time when the previously shed needle loop is being drawn up by the downward movement of the needle, and of the thread pulling arm 6%. At the time the thread is clamped, the auxiliary pull-off or roller 47 operates to pull a slight amount of thread from the supply, which is given to the needle on its upward movement so that the eye of the needle may move well above the work before the thread is drawn to set the stitch.

It will be apparent therefore, that I have provided a thread controlling mechanism which includes two independently operating pull-off devices, both of which are controlled by the varying thicknesses of the material, and these thread pull-off devices operate in succession. The thread pull-off roller or pin A7 operates on a'down stroke of the needle lie when the thread is clamped to pull off a small amount of thread which is given to the needles to allow the eyes thereof to clear the material when the stitch settting operation occurs, while the pull-off at the upper end of the needle bar operates upon the up- Ward stroke of the needles and pulls off the more, by the above described mechanism,

wherein the needle and the thread controlling mechanism are operated from an upper rotary shaft, there is little or no false Vibration in the parts of the machine, even though the needles are caused to penetrate heavy material and I am thereby able to avoid the skipping of stitches or the making of loose or imperfectly controlled stitches.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction may be made, with-' out departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended. claims.

Having thus particularly described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A sewing machine including in combination, an overhanging arm, a rotary shaft mounted therein, a needle reciprocated by said shaft, thread controlling mechanism for the needle thread including thread clamping means, a pull-off between the thread clamping means and the supply means for positively operating said pull-off from said rotary shaft, said pull-off being timed so as to pull thread from the supply while said clamping means is closed, and to give thread to the needle to allow the eye thereof to move above the material before the thread is drawn taut to set the stitch.

2. A sewing machine including in combination, an overhanging arm, a rotary shaft mounted therein, a needle reciproc'ated by said shaft, thread controlling mechanism for the needle thread including thread clamping means, a pull-off between the thread clamping means and the supply means for positively operating said pull-01f from said rotary shaft, said pull-off being timed so'as to pull thread from the supply while said clamping means is closed, and to give thread to the needle to allow the eye thereof to move above the material before the thread is drawn taut to set the stitch, and means whereby the amount of thread pulled oif may be varied according to the thickness of the material.

3. A sewing machine including in combithe needle from said shaft, a pull-off for the needle thread, a clamping device between the pull-off and the needle, common means actuated by said shaft for operating said pull-off and said clamping device, said common means being so timed as to pull thread from the supply on the down stroke of the needle, and to give thread to the needle to allow the eye thereof to move above the material before the setting of the stitch occurs.

4. A sewing machine including in combination, an overhanging arm, a rotary shaft therein, a needle, means for reciprocating the needle from said shaft, a pull-ofl' for the needle thread, a clamping device between the pull-01f and the needle, common means actuated by said shaft for operating said pull-off and said clamping device, said common means including devices so timed as to close the clamp prior to the thread drawing stroke of the pull-off, and said common means being so timed as to pull thread from the supply on the down stroke of the needle and to give thread to the needle to allow the eye thereof to move above the material before the setting of the stitch occurs.

' 5. A sewing machine including in combination, an overhanging arm, a rotary shaft therein, a needle, means for reciprocating the needle from said shaft, a pull-off for the needle thread, a clamping device between the pull-01f and the needle, common means actuated by said shaft for operating said pull-off and said clamping device, said common means including devices so timed as to close the clamp prior to the thread drawing stroke of the 'pull-oif, means whereby the amount of thread pulled off may be varied according to the thickness of the material, said common means being so timed as to pull thread from the supply on the down stroke of the needle, and to give thread to the needle to allow the eye thereof to move above the materialbefore the setting of the stitch occurs.

6. A sewing machine including in combination, an overhanging arm, a rotary shaft therein, a needle bar, a needle carried thereby, means for reciprocating the needle bar from said shaft, and thread controlling devices for the needle including a pullofi' lever, a bracket located on said overhanging arm on which said pull-01f lever is mounted, thread guides cooperating with the pulloff lever, an eccentric carried by the rotating shaft, and means for connecting the eccentric to the pull-off lever.

' 7. A sewing machine including in combination, an'overhanging arm, a rotary shaft therein, a needle bar, a needle carried thereby, means for reciprocating the needle bar from said shaft, and thread controlling devices for the needle including a pull-off lever, a bracket located on said overhanging arm on which said pull-off lever is mounted, thread guides cooperating with the pull-0E lever, an eccentric carried by the rotating shaft, means for connecting the eccentric to the pull-0E lever, and means whereby one of the guides cooperating with the pulloff lever may be automatically shifted by the "arying thicknesses of the material.

8. A sewing machine including in combination, an overhanging arm, a rotary shaft therein, a needle reciprocated by said shaft,

and thread controlling mechanism for said needle including a pull-ofl" lever, a bracket on which said pull-off lever is mounted, an eccentric on said shaft, means for oscillating the pull-off lever from said eccentric, thread clamping devices between said pull-off lever and the needle, and means operated from said eccentric for controlling said clamping devices.

9. A sewing machine including in combination, an overhanging arm, a rotary shaft therein, a needle reciprocated by said shaft, and thread controlling mechanism for said needle, including a pull-0E lever, a bracket on which said pull-off lever is mounted, an eccentric on said shaft, means for oscillating the pull-off lever from said eccentric, thread clamping devices between said pulloff lever and the needle, means operated from said eccentric for controlling said clamping devices, said pull-off lever operating means being timed relative to the thread-clamping means, so that the thread is clamped while the pull-off lever is drawing thread from the supply.

10. A sewing machine including in combination, an overhanging arm, a needle bar reciprocating therein, a needle carried by the needle bar, a pull-off for pulling thread from the supply and giving the same to the needle on the upward-stroke thereof, a thread clamp between the pull-off and the needle, thread guides carried at the upper end of the needle bar, and devices for engaging the needle thread and taking up the same on the first part of the downward movement of the needle to prevent the buckling of the thread in front of the eye of the needle.

11. A sewing machine including in com- I bination, an overhanging arm, a needle bar reciprocating therein, a needle carried by the needle bar, a pull-off for pulling thread from the supply and giving the same to the needle on the upward stroke thereof, a thread clamp between the pull-0E and the needle, thread guides carried at the upper end of the needle bar, and devices for engaging the needle thread between the guides on the needle bar and the needle eye for taking up the needle thread when the previous needle loop is shed from the looper, to assist the needle in drawing up said shed needle loop close to the under surface of the work.

12. A sewing machine including in combination, an overhanging arm, a needle bar reciprocating therein, a needle carried by the needle bar, a pull-off for pulling thread from the supply and giving the same to the needle on the upward stroke thereof, a thread clamp between the pull-off and the needle, thread guides carried at the upper end of the needle bar, and devices for engaging the needle thread between the guides on the needle bar and the eye of the needle for taking up the needle thread to assist the needle in setting the stitch, and drawing thread from the supply.

13. A sewing machine including in combination, an overhanging arm, a needle bar reciprocating therein, a needle carried by the needle bar, a pull-off for pulling thread from the supply and giving the same to the needle on the upward stroke thereof, a thread clamp between the pull-off and the needle, thread guides carried at the upper end of the needle bar, and devices for engaging the needle thread for taking up the needle thread on the first part of the upward stroke of the needles, giving slack to the needle while the eye is passing through the material, and taking up the needle thread at the lower part of the stroke of the needle, to assist the needle in drawing the needle loop shed from the looper.

14. A sewing machine including in combination, an overhanging arm, a needle bar reciprocating therein, a needle carried by the needle bar, a pull-off for pulling thread from the supply and giving the same to the needle on the upward stroke thereof, a thread clampbetween the pull-off and the needle, thread guides carried at the upper end of the needle bar, and devices for engaging the needle thread for taking up the same on the first part of the downward movement of the needle, for giving slack to the needle as the eye is passing through the material, taking up the needle thread to assist the needle in drawing up the needle loop'shed from the looper, for taking up the needle thread on the first part of the upward movement of the needle, and giving slack thereto to allow the eye to move above the material before the thread is drawn to set the stitch.

15. A sewing machine including in combination, an overhanging arm, a needle bar end of the'needle bar, and devices for engaging the needle thread for taking up the slack on the first part of the downward movement of the needle, for giving slack to the needle as the eye is passing through the material, taking up the needle thread to assist the needle in drawing up the needle loop shed from the looper, for taking up the needle thread on the first part of the upward movement of the needle, and giving the slack thereto to allow the eye to move above the material before the thread is drawn to Copies of this patent may be obtained for five eents each, by addressing the set the stitch, and for taking up the needle thread when the needle bar reaches the upper end of its stroke to assist the needle bar in setting the stitch; e

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

DUDLEY S. SEYMOUR. Witnesses:

C. L. STURTEVANT, C. MCNEIL.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G.

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