US1265383A

US1265383A - Work-clamping mechanism.

Info

Publication number: US1265383A
Application number: US12594816A
Authority: US
Inventors: Eugene J Ray
Original assignee: United Shoe Machinery Corp
Current assignee: United Shoe Machinery Corp
Priority date: 1916-10-16
Filing date: 1916-10-16
Publication date: 1918-05-07
Anticipated expiration: 1935-05-07

Description

E. J. HAY.

WORK CLAMPING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 16. I916.

1,265,383. Patented May 7,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

E. J. RAY.

WORK CLAMPING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I6, 1916.

Patented Ma 7, 1918.

*rn snares AENT ennren. 1

EUGENE J. BAY, OF BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATTERSON, NEW JERSEY, A COR- PORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

WORK-CLAMPIN G MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May '3, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE J. RAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beverly, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVork-Clamping Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to mechanism for operating the work holding clamps of buttonhole sewing machines in which the clamp and sewing mechanism are relatively movable to form overseam stitches along the sides and about the end or ends of the buttonhole.

The object of the invention is to provide novel and improved mechanism for operating the two movable clamping members of the'work holder which will automatically equalize the pressure applied thereby to the work.

To this end the invention comprises the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims, the advantages of which will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred form of the invention.

The invention will be readily understood from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of the mechanism illustrated therein.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing so much of a buttonhole sewing machine as is necessary to illustrate the application of the present improvements thereto; Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the work holding clamp; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the clamp operating mechanism; Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation on line 4-4, Fig. 2; and Figs. 5 and 6 are detail front and rear views of the clamp operating rock shaft and parts carried thereby.

The invention is shown as embodied in a buttonhole sewing machine having the general construction and mode of operation of the machine shown and described in Patent No. 1,063,880, June s, 1913.

In this machine the stitch-forming mechanism comprises an upper needle 2 and 00- Fig. 1. The stitch-forming mechanism is rotated during the sewing about the eye and 7 end of the buttonhole as fully explained in said patent.

The work holder comprises the lower clamping blocks 6, carried by the work supporting plates 8, and the cooperating upper clamping jaws 10, pivoted to the ends of the clamp carrying arms 12. The clamp carrying arms are pivotally supported in blocks 14, adjustably secured in the work supporting plates 8, and the arms are forced upward by springs 16. The work supporting plates 8 are pivotally supported upon a clamp carriage which is moved lengthwise of the buttonhole to move the work held between the clamping members from cutting to sewing position at the beginning of a buttonhole, and from sewing to cutting position at the completion of a buttonhole and is also moved longitudinally and laterally to feed the work during the sewing.

At the beginning of the buttonhole making operation the buttonhole slit iscut by a cutter 18 carried on the forward end of a cutter lever 20, the rear end of which is arranged cutting toise'wing position, the work supporting plates 8 are moved laterally or separated to spread thework by a fixed spreading cam, indicated at 26 in Fig. 2.

In the construction shown the mechanism for closing the clamps and equalizing the pressure applied to the work by the two pairs of cooperating clamping members comprises a rock shaft 28, mounted in bearings 30 in the clamp carriage, and carrying arms 32 which bear upon the clamparms 12 and are so connected that theywill equalize the pressure transmitted through the rock shaft to the clamp arms. As shown, the arms 32 are formed on a rock lever 34 which is journaled on the rock shaft to turn about an axis at right angles to the axis of the rock shaft and substantially midway between the clamp arms. The equalizing lever 34 is provided with a journal 36, fitting within a bearing formed in a sleeve 38, which is secured to the rock shaft 28 by a set screw. 40. Th

lever is retained within the bearing by a screw 42, the head of which engages the rear end of the bearing. The equalizing'lever is held yieldingly in mid position by a spring tobe engaged by a lug 52 on the cutter lever when the lever is rocked to cut the buttonhole slit. A heavy spring 54 is interposed between a nut 56 on the screw and an arm 58which projects upward from the sleeve 38 and is recessed to receive and house the spring. The spring 54 normally holds the lever 48 against a lug 60 on the arm 58, which projects back of the lever so that the lever, sleeve 38 and rock shaft 28 will rock in unison when the lever 48 is operated by its engagement with the cutter lever, until movement of the clamp arms is arrested by the engagement of the clamps with the work, after which the lever 48 may have a slight independent forward movement to compress the spring 54 and through it to apply the proper pressure to the work. Should the work be somewhat thicker on one side of the buttonhole than on the other, the equalizing lever may rock to accommodate itself to the unequal downward movement of the clamp arms and to apply an equal pressure to both arms, whatever their vertical positions. The pressure applied to the work by each pair of clamping members will be measured by the spring 54 which may be adjusted in accordance with the character of the work being done, The work will, therefore, be uniformly and properly clamped, and in case the clamping members are separated to spread the work, the two pairs. of clamping members will exert the same spreading strain.

When the lever 48 is operative to close the clamp it is. locked in clamp closing position by a latch 62, arrangedto engage the upper c-ndlofthe lever and provided with an arm 64, arranged to engage a dog 66' on the machine. frame. The dog 66 is so supported on the-frame that it will swing out of the path of, the. arm 64 during the forward movement of the clamp carriage but will depress the arm and raise; the latch 62 to release and open the: clamp as the clamp/carriage completesits rearward movement after the buttonh-ole has been completed. A coiled spring .68 acts on the latch 62 and on the lever 48 to; force the latch into latching position and to-forcethelever in a direction to open the clamps when thelatchis disengaged from the le er- While it is preferred tov employ the specific construction and arrangement of parts clamp.

shown and described, especially in embodying the invention in the machine of the patent above referred to, it will be understood that this construction and arrangement is not essential to the broader features of the invention but may be varied or modified as found desirable or best suited to the construction, and arrangement of thecooperatingparts and mechanisms of the machine in which it is to be embodied.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention, and specifically described one form of mechanism in which it may be embodied, what is claimed is:

l. A buttonhole sewing machine, having, in combination, stitch-forming mechanism, a work clamp comprising two clamping members, mechanism for automatically closing the clamping members and equalizing the pressure applied thereby to the work atthe beginning of a buttonhole, and mechanism for automatically opening the clamping members at the completion of the buttonhole.

2. A buttonhole sewing machine, having, in combination, stitch-forming mechanism, a work clamp comprising two vertically movable clamp arms, two arms engaging the clamp arms and connected to equalize the pressure of the clamps on the work, and

mechanism for automatically operating the,

equalizing arms to cause the closing and opening of the clamp.

3. A buttonhole sewing machine, having, in combination, stitch-forming mechanism, a work clamp comprising two work'supporting plates laterally movable to spread the work, two cooperating clamp arms mounted to move with the corresponding plates, two arms engaging the clamp arms and connected to equalize the pressure of the clamps on the work, and mechanism for operating the equalizing arms to close the 4. A buttonhole sewing machine, having, in combination, stitch-forming mechanism, a work clamp comprising two pairs of work clamping members laterally movable to spread the work, and mechanism for automatically closing the clamping members and equalizing the pressure applied thereby to the work.

5. A buttonhole sewingmachine, having, in combination, stitch-forming, mechanism, a work clamp comprising two clamp arms, a rock shaft, an equalizing lever mounted on the rock shaft and provided with arms engaging the clamp arms, and operating mechanism for the rock shaft including a spring through which pressure, is transmitted to the rock shaft. 7

6. A buttonhole sewing machine, having, in combination, stitch-forming mechanism, a work clamp comprising two. 0121,1111) arms, a rock shaft, an equalizing lever journaled a rock shaft, an equalizing lever journaled upon the rock shaft between the clamp arms 1 and provided with arms engaging the clamp arms, a lever for operating the rock shaft, and a spring between the lever and rock shaft through Which pressure is applied to the clamp.

EUGENE J. RAY.

on the rock shaft to turn about an axis at right angles thereto and provided with arms engaging the clamp arms, and mechanism for operating the rock shaft to cause the opening and closing of the clamps.

7. A buttonhole sewing machine, having, in combination, stitch-forming mechanism, a WOIk clamp comprising tWo clamp arms,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.