US1443724A - Outsole-stitching machine - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 80, 1928. 1,443,724.

c. c BLAKE.

OUTSOLE STI TCHING MACHINE.

FILED JUNE 8,1917. 5 SHEETS -SHEET1- Fig 1 m4 X5 m W C. C. BLAKE.

' OUTSOLE STITCHING MACHINE.

Jan. 30, 1923.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FILED JUNE 8. I917.

512: Tm? H mm lllllll IHI :IIIIIIIII Jan. 30, 1923.

C. C. BLAKE.

OUTSOLE smcume MACHINE.

HLED JUNE 8. 1917.

Fig 3 5 SHEETS SHEET 3- Jan. 30,1923. 1,443,724.

' C- C- BLAKE- OUTSQLE STITCHING MACHNE.

FILED JUNE 8,1917- 5 SHEETS-SHEET 4- Jan. 30, 1923; 1,443,724.

C. C. BLAKE.

OUTSOLE STITCHING MACHINE. I

FILED JUNE 8,-1917. 5'SHEETSSHEET Fig 9 Patented Jan. 30, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

CHARLES C. BLAKE, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO C. C. BLAKE,

INCORPORATED, OF BOSTON,

MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

OUTSOLE-STITCHING MACHINE.

Application filed June 3,

Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and State of Masachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in outsole-Stitching Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

his invention relates to sewing machines and is particularly concerned with the class of sewing machines used in the manufacture of boots and shoes to secure the outsole to the Welt and known in this trade as outsole 'stitchers.

The crease between the welt and upper of a modern welt shoe is very narrow at certain parts of the shoe, particularly in the shank, 'which usually is deeply cut in along the illsid e.- The fact that this crease is so narrow places very serious limitations on the dimensions of the sewing instrumentalities that must operate in this space, and for this reason the use of curved awls and needles has 7 been regarded as absolutely essential in any 7 practical form of outsole stitching machine, since a curved awl or needle obviously can pierce the welt at a point closer to the upper in a narrow crease, without danger of damaging the upper, than can a, straight awl or needle. At the same time the disadvantages of curved awls and needles, such, for instance, asthe increased cost in manufacture and the greater liability to bend or spring during operation, are well understood .by those skilled in this art. But no feasible way of avoiding their use and still producing the results required in modern shoe making has heretofore been found, so far as I am aware. To solve this problem and to produce a straight needle outsole stitching machine, which will operate satisfactorily to stitch the outsole to the welt of. a modern shoe, constitutes the chief object of the pres ent invention.

To the accomplishment of this object and other objects which will hereinafter appear, the invention involves particularly a novel organization of sewing machine, a throat piece and looper construction of novel form designed to work in the narrow-welt crease of a shoe, and it also includes features which, while of particular general 1917. Serial No. 173,488.

value in a straight needle type of sewing machine, may'also be used to advantage in sewing machines of other types.

The various features of the present invention will be best understood from an inspection of the accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment of the invention, in which, 1

Fig. 1 is a left side elevation of an outsole stitching machine constructed in accordance with this invention," I

Fig. 2 is a View in right side the stitching machine head;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view on the line a-a, Fig. 2; Fig. 3 is a view in machine head;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation showing certain details of constructionof the needle and awl operating mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a right side elevation of the looper and thread finger and the operating elevation of front elevation of the mechanisms for them;

Fig. 6 is a plan view, partly in horizontal cross section, showing thelooper and thread finger;

Figs. 7 and 8 are views in right side elevation showing different steps in the stitch forming operation;

. Fig. 9 is a View similar to Fig. 6 showing the looper and thread finger in different poiitions from those in which they appear in Fig. 10 is an angular view of the looper and thread finger;

Fig. 11 is an angular view showing the manner in which the loop thrower ta-kes'a loop of needle thread from the needle; and ig. 12 is a vertical cross sectional view through the throat piece.

The machine shown comprises a throat piece or work table 2, an awl 3 and a needle 4. Thethroat piece, as clearly'shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is very thin and has a flat upper face designed to support the welt of a shoe in it invertedposition and an inclined lower face which extends backwardly at an acute angle to the upper face, so that the throat piece can enter a relatively narrow crease between the welt and upper of a shoe. A hole or passage for the awl 3 and, the needle 4 is formed in the upper wall of the throat piece 2 and this member is made hollow to form a guard designed to protect the upper of-the shoe from contact with the needle and awl and also from engagement with a looper 5 which presents the thread to the needle.

A clearly shown in thejdrawings, astraight awl and a straight hook needle are employed. These devices are mounted to reciprocate in parallel paths toward and from the throat piece 2 and for this purpose they are supported, respectively, by an awl bar 6 and a needle bar 7. These bars are lidably mounted side by side in a yokelike frame 8 (Figs. 1 to 4) which is mounted to swing on a horizontal rock shaft 9 supported in suitable bearings formed in the frame 10 of the machine. The awl bar is reciprocated by connections with the forward end of an arm 12 (Fig. 2) fast on a rock shaft 13 to which also is fixed another arm 11 carrying a roll 14 (Fig. 2) running in acam path 15 formed in the end face of a cam 16 (Fig. 1) mounted fast on a cam shaft 17. The connections between the forward arm of the lever 12 and the awl bar 6 include a pin 18 (Fig. 2) carried by the lever arm and a block 19 which rocks freely on the pin 18 and works in a short slot formed transversely in the awl bar 6, so that it takes up idly the short transverse component of movement of the lever 12 and also permits the awl bar to swing lightly forward or backward. The needle bar 7 is similarly operated by connections with a cam 20 Fig. 3) on the shaft 17, these connections including an arm 21 (Fig. 2) carrying a roll 23 which runs in a cam path 24 formedin the end face of the cam-20, this am being fixed to a rock shaft 13 which is coaxial with the shaft 13. This shaft 13 ha an arm 22 fixed thereto and projecting forward therefrom to which the needle bar is connected.

It will be seen from an inspection of Figs. 2 and 4 that the awl is mounted directly in front of the needle. It, therefore, is necessary to effect shifting movements of the awl and needle toward and from the front of the machine in order to bring the awl or needle,

as desired, into alignment with the needle hole in the throat plate; and it is for this purpose that the yoke-shaped frame 8 is mounted to swing on the axis 9, as above described. For the purpose of producing this shifting movement at the proper point in the cycle of operations of the machine, the awl bar 6 carries on its left hand side, as seen from the front of the machine, a cam roll 26 (Fig. 4) which runs in a stationary cam path 27 formedin a part of the machine frame 10. The parts are shown in Fig. 2 with the aWl 3 in alinement with the needle hole in the throat plate, but it will be evident that, as soon as the awl bar 6 is moved upwardly, the roll 26 travelling in the cam path 27 will swing the frame 8 about the axis 9 in a clockwise direction far enough to move the needle 4 into and the awl 3 out of alinement with the needle hole in the throat plate.

In the machine hown, the feeding movement of the work is not effected by the awl, as it is in most stitchers, but the shoe is supported on a jack .and a power driven mechanism is provided which operates through the jack to give the shoe tep by step feeding movements past the sewing instrumentalities from right to left, when viewed from a position in front of, the machine. The awl and needle shifting movements therefore take place in a direction transverse to the direction of the feeding movements of the work. Since these shifting movements are produced by the movement of the frame 8, in which the awl and needle bars are slidably mounted, they do not affect the connec tions between the awl and needle and their operating mechanisms.

It will be clear from an inspection of Fig. 2 that the needle and awl in-this machine do not operate at the usual angle to the welt supporting face of the throat plate but that they are tipped forward with reference to a line perpendicular to the welt-engaging face of the throat piece towards a position parallel with the lower face of the throat piece, so that when they are operating on a shoe' they form an acute angle with the main part of the tread face of the shoe sole. This angular relationship is of particular advantage in a machine of this type since it brings the needle into a position nearly parallel withthe part of the upper adjacent to the point of operation of the needle on the shoe, and thus enables the machine to sew closer tothe bottom of the welt crease than it could otherwise and materially facilitates the operation of a straight needle machine in the shank portion of a shoe.

The thread is presented to the needle 4 by a looper 5, constructed as best shown in Fig. 10 and mounted to move to and fro toward and from a position close to the end of the throat piece 2. A guideway for the looper 5 is formed in the throat piece and for this purpose the throat piece is made in two parts, as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6, the upper part A. being secured by a screw 28 to a part of the frame and the lower part B being secured to the part A by screws 29. The needle hole C is formed in the upper member A of the throat piece and the guideway for the looper is formed in the lower face of the member A. This looper consists of a very thinflat strip of metal projecting from or secured to a slide 30 mounted in suitable ways and having a pin 31 projecting laterally from the one side thereof and entering a slot formed in the lower end of one arm of a bell crank lever 32, Fig. 5. The other arm of this lever carries a roll 33 running in a cam path 34 formed in one end of the cam 16.

pot or 0th I thread measuring device,

The needle thread T is led from the wax er source of supply through a indicated "in general at 35 and which may be of any suitable form, over a stationary guide roll 36 and a take up roll 37 into the guideway formed in the throat piece, passing along beside the looper 5 to the needle hole C. Means are provided to stretch the needle thread across the guideway in front of the looper while the looper is at the rearward part of its stroke so that when the looper moves forward it will form a loop or bight in the needle thread and carry this-bi ht of thread forward to the needle hole C. For this purpose, a thread finger, which consists of a pin 38, is mounted-on an oscillating arm 39 and projects through a slot 39 formed in the upper wall A of the throat piece concentrically with the axis of oscillation of the arm. The arm 39 is mounted fast on the lower end of an upright shaft {10 Fig. 2 which carries at its upper end a pinion 41 meshing with a rack formed in a cam follower 42 which is arrangedto reciprocate on suitable guides and carries a roll 43 runnin in a cam. path formed in the end face of the cam 20.- When this mechanism swings the thread finger 39 from the position in which it appears in Fig. 6 to that in which it is shown in Fig. 9, it carries the needle thread across the forward end of the looper 5. The thread finger pauses when it has completed this operation while the looper moves forward. As above stated, the looper is very thin, preferably only slightly greater in thickness than the diameter of the needle thread, and it fits snugly between the upper and lower walls-of the guideway in which it moves. Consequently, it pushes the thread ahead of it, without any danger of pinch-ing or binding the thread, until it arrives at the needle hole C. The forward end of the looper is notched to straddle the path of movement of the needle 4 and itis grooved transversely, as clearly shown in Fig. 10, to enable it better to engage the thread. the hole C, it grasps the bight of thread positioned in this manner by the looper. Figs. 9 and 10 show the looper at this time. It will be noted from inspection of these figures that the engagement of the thread finger 38 with the needle thread while the looper moves forward causes the thread finger to form a loop of needle thread between the work and the point of engagement of the needle with the thread. This loop or bight of thread is of suflicient length to form one leg of the loop of thread that the needle will pull through the work and which is later thrown over the shuttle. The formation of this loop between the. work and the point of engagement of the needle with the thread prevents the thread from rendering through When the needle 4 descends into the hook of the needle while the stitch is being formed.

It is necessary to have the thread finger release the loop which it has thus formed immediately after the thread is grasped by the needle, and for this purpose the shaft 40, the arm 39 and the thread finger 38 are all lifted far enough to raise the lower end of the thread finger out of engagement with the thread. This operation is performed by a bell crank lever 44, one arm of which has a pivotal connection with the shaft 40 near its lower end, and the other arm of which carries a roll 45 running in a cam path formed in one end of the cam 16. The timing of the. means'that effect the lifting and swinging movements of the thread finger 38 preferably is such that the arm is swung back to the position in which it appears in Fig. 6 while it is raised and the thread finger 'is out ofthe guideway in which the looper works. The thread finger is then dropped into its normal or operative position so that it will sweep through the guideway uponits next forward stroke.

The throat and looper construction is regarded as an especially important'feature of this invention. It will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 12, which shows this construction on a large scale, that the arrangement above described reduces the dimensions of the throat piece in the region of the needle hole to a minimum. This construction requires a single upper Wall of metal, which may be relatively thin, a guideway which need be only approximately equal in the diameter of the thread, anda lower wall B which need be only thick enough to form a--shieldfor-the" looper and needle. Preferably this lower part B is thickness to provide a remade of sufficient cess init to receive the point of the needle below the hook, as clearly shown in Fig. 12, although this recess may extend entirely through the part B if desired. In the thinnest of the looper proposed to accomplish this object. it has been considered essential to employ an eye at the forward end of the looper to guide the thread, which made it necessary to have two additional thicknesses of metal, one above and another below the thread. The construction above described avoids the necessity for these two additional thicknesses of metal. In other words the parts that deliver the thread to the hook of the needle occupy a space the dimensions of which in the direction of the width of the welt crease at the point of delivery are only about equal to the diameter of the needle thread and consequently the dimensions of the part of the throat piece that must enter the welt crease are so reduced that the machine can operate satisfactorily in very narrow creases.

The angle at which the needle enters the 1 1 0 constructions heretofore throat piece also is regarded as important.

It will be evident from an inspection of- Figs. 7 and 12 that if the upper end of the needle were swung backwardly into a position at'substantially right angles to the the welt crease as the machine does in the construction shown, a throat piece of somewhat greater thickness in the region of the needle hole would be required in order to protect the shoe upper from engagement with the point of the needle.

When the needle 4 has grasped the loop of needle thread presented to it by the looper 5, it pulls this loop through the work into substantially the position shown in full lines in Fig. 8, and a loop thrower 50 then takes the loop from the needle and throws it over a stationary shuttle 51 travelling from the position in which it appears in full lines in Fig. 8 to that in which it is shown in dotted lines in said figure. Fig. 11 shows the loop thrower in the act of taking the loop from the needle. This loop thrower comprises an arm shaped at itsforward end to catch the loop of needle thread and it is mounted on a short shaft to which is fixed a pinion 52 (Fig. 2) that meshes with a segment formed on an arm 53 fast on a rock shaft to which is fixed another arm 54 carrying a roll 55 which runs in a cam path formed in the outer end face of the cam 68. The loop thrower swings somewhat more than half way over the shuttle so that the take up mechanism, which operates on the thread immediately after the action of the loop thrower, completes the pulling of the loop around the shuttle.

A shuttle brake 57 (Fig. 2) is provided which consists of a bell crank lever 58 one arm of which carries the brake 57 and the other arm of which is toothed to engage a segment 59 that is secured to the rocking frame 8. These connections operate, when the frame 8 is swung forward to move the needle 4 into line with the needle hole, in the throat plate, to release the brake 57 and leave the shuttle free, and to set the brake and lock the shuttle again when the needle has swung back and the awl has moved into alignment with the needle hole.

The shuttle 51 is held in its operative position by a removable plate 56 (Figs. 7 and 8) this plate being provided with lugs that bear against one side of the shuttle. Similar lugs, one of which is shown at 56 (Figs. 2 and 4) bear against the opposite side of the shuttle. the shuttle rather loosely so as to allow a loop of needle thread to slip over it freely,

These lugs, of course, hold but when the brake 57 is swung downwardly against the upper edge of the shuttle it pushes the shuttle back away from the lugs and locks the shuttle against the limited movement which it can have at other times. The brake therefore performs both the functionof holding the shuttle locked against movement while the stitch is being set and also that of preventing the shuttle from becoming wedged between the lugs which-action, if it occurred. would interfere with the throwing of the. loop of the needle thread over the shuttle. That is, the moving of the shuttle backwardly by the brake between successive stitch setting operations frees the shuttle from contact with the lugs.

The take up mechanism comprises a bell crank leverfulcrumed at 60 (Fig. 2) and having an arm 61, on the end of which the take u roll 37 is mounted, and another arm 62 which is connected by a link 63 with one arm 64 of another bell crank lever fulcrumed at 65 and carrying a roll 66 which runs in a cam path 67 formed in the inner end of a cam 68 fast on the shaft 17. The bell crank lever arm 64 and the link 63 constitute a toggle, and the cam path 67 is so designed that in'producing the take up motion it straightens the toggle quickly, and

thus produces the quick backward movement of the roll 37 which is desired for the purpose of taking up the slack thread, and it then breaks the toggle slightly in a reverse direction from that in. which it was broken for the pur ose of giving the take up roll 37 its forwar movement, and thus releases slightly the tension of the roll 37 on the thread. This take up mechanism thus gives the thread the quick snap necessary to'oompletely take up the slack and set the stitch firmly, and the slight breaking of the tog-. gle thereafter releases the tension on the thread while the work feeding movement takes place. Theneedle hole in the throat piece is made as small as practicable so that it will support the welt close to the needle hole made in the work, and will prevent the thread-from pulling sidewise on the welt during the take up action. If it were not for the support thus given to the welt by the throat piece and the fact that it guides the thread during the take up action directly along the line of the needle hole formed in the work, the thread would tend to 'cut the welt and make a. larger hole in it.

It is, of course, desirable to clamp the work firmly against the throat piece 2 while the stitch is being formed and for this purpose a presser foot is employed which consists of a roll 70 rotatably supported on a slide 71 mounted to move up and down in a guide way formed for it in the stationary frame 10. A spring 72 acts on the slide 71 to depress it and hold the roll 7 0 yieldingly in engagement with the work; and a bell crank lever 73, pivoted on the upper part of forms the subject matter of pending applithe frame 10, is arranged to engage a collar cation Serial N 0. 171,343, filed May 28, 1917, 7 4 adjustably secured on the rod 71 for the (reference to which is made by permission). purpose of raising the roll entirely clear In operating the machine the shoe is of the work. The spring 72 is strong placed on the jack of the work support and 70 enough to cause the roll 70 to follow varlathe jack is rought into co-operative relations in the thickness of the work but does tions'hip to the work feeding mechanism in not maintain the pressure on the presser the manner fully described in my co-pendfoot which is required to lock it while the ing application No. 113,722, above desigstitch is being made. For the purpose of nated. The treadle 92 is depressedto bring 75 producing the latter result, a short shaft 76 the surface of the welt that normally is Figs. 1 and 2) is mounted adjacent to the uppermost, but which during this operation forward edge of the slide 71 and has fixed to is in an inverted position, into engagement it a clamping bar 77 which bears against the with the upper face of the throat piece 2 front face of the slide. An arm 78 fixed to and the lever 73 is swung by hand out of 80 the rock shaft 76 carries a roll 79 which runs engagement with the collar 74, thus allowin contact with a cam face formed on the ing the spring 72 to depress the presser foot periphery of the cam '16. This cam is de- 70. This device operates thereafter to hold signed to swing the roll 79 in a contra- .the shoe against the throat piece 2. After clockwise direction about the axis of the the parts have been properly positioned for .85 rock shaft 7 Sand thus to crowd the member the initiation of the stitching operation, the 77 hard against the slide 71 and lock the treadle 83 is operated to start the machine. presser foot against upward movement Normally the awl 3 is in alinement with while the stitch is being made. the needle hole in the throat plate 2 and The machine may be operated by any the take up roll 37 and the looper 5 are in convenient source of power but, as shown, it their rearward positions. The awl 3 first is equipped with a motor 82 (Fig. 1) and a descends to the lower limit of'its stroke, thus starting and stopping mechanism of the piercing the work. It is next raised to the character disclosed in my co-pending appliupper limit of its stroke and during this cation Serial N 0. 113,722, filed Aug. 8, 1916, movement the roll 26, operating in the cam controlled by the treadle 83. Power is path 27 shifts the frame 8 forward thus transmitted through this mechanismto the bringing the needle 4 into alinement with vertical driving shaft 84. The upper end of the needle hole. During this movement also this shaft carries a spiral gear meshing with the thread finger 38 moves forward across another spiral gear fast on the shaft 17, the path of movement of the looper, and the both of these gears being housed in a caslooper 5 and the take up roll 37 both start ing 85. Speed changing gears, mounted in forward. Fig. 7 shows substantially the relthe housing 86 and controlled by the lever ative positions of the parts at this time. 87,'are driven from the shaft 84 and drive The needle 4 and the looper 5 next advance the shaft 88 through the mechanical movesimultaneously toward the needle hole in the ment described in my co-pending applicathroat plece and during the advancing tion Serial-No. 786,909, filed Aug. 27, 1913, movement of the looper the thread finger 38 which operates the work supporting and holds the needle thread in position to be feeding mechanism indicated in general at ngag d and carried fo ward y the nd 90. This mechanism is of the character of the looper. The looper arrives at the shown and described in my co-pending apforward limit of its stroke slightly before plication No. 113,722. above designated and the needle reaches the downward limit of its it operates to feed a shoe longitudinally movement, so that when the needle advances past the awl and needle and to swing the into the notch in the end of the looper, the shoe relatively to the awl and needle to looper is holdingthe needle thread stretched maintain the curved edge of the work in the across the path of movement of the needle. line of feed. Connections between the work The needle grasps the thread, as shown in support and a treadle 92 enable the work- Figs. 10 and 12 and then rises quickly, man to present the shoe at the proper elevacarrying a loop of thread through the work tion for the operation of the stitching instruand into substantially the position in which mentalities. t appears in full lines in Fig. 8. The The machine shown also is equipped with loop thrower 50 is next swung upwardly and a thread measuring mechanism which is enters the loop held by the needle, as clearly constructed and arranged to draw from the shown in Fig. 11, and removes this loop thread supply at each cycle of operations of from the needle and carries it over the shutthe machine the quantity of thread required tle 51, moving substantially to the position for the next stltoh, this quantity being in which it is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8. measured automatically in accordance with The take up lever 61 is then immediately variation in the thickness of the work and swung backward, thus completing the operathe length of the stitch. This mechanism tion of pulling the loop around the shuttle 51 and also acting to take up the slack thread and set the stitch. The loop thrower 5O retires quickly and the awl bar is immediately depressed far enough to shift the yoke 8 backwardly andthus acts through the segments 59 and 58 and the shuttle brake 57 to lock the shuttle before the setting of the stitch is completed,

As above indicated, the presser foot is locked in its depressed position by means of the cam 16 and the parts 79. 78 and 77 while the stitch is being formed. As soon,

however, as the stitch has been completed, the presser foot is released and the workfeeding mechanism 90 then operates to advance the work one step, and pauses, leaving the shoe in position for the formation of the next stitch. This cycle of operations is repeated until the stitching of the shoe has been completed and the machine is stopped by the workman.

In case the thread is broken behind the throat plate it can be very conveniently threaded by inserting the thread in the slot in which the looper works and running it forward beside the looper to the needle hole C, or the hook may be lnserted through the hole 94, Fig. 6, and engaged with the thread to pull the thread through this hole. In either event the movement of the thread finger 38 will carry the thread into position to be engaged by' the looper and carried forward and presented to the needle so that the machine will automatically complete the threading operation.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in connection with a straight needle stitching machine it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many features of the invention are applicable to other types of sewing machines. It will also be evident that the timing and construction of certain of the parts and mechanisms may be variously modified without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventon; for in stance. the relative movements of the looper and needlemay be so timed that the needle will reach the downward limit of its movement before the looper arives at the forward limit of its stroke. so that the looper will press the bight of thread against the shank of the needle immediately abor e the hook while the hook is at its lowermost position and thus cause the hook to engage the bight of thread immediately after the needle begins its upward stroke.

It will be clear to those skilled in this class of machines, and with the general object of the present invention in view. that the particular form of stitching mechanism employed is not essential and that changes may be made in the details of construction, the described and illustrated embodiment thereof being intended as an exploitation of its underlying essentials, the features whereof are definitely stated in their true scope in the claims herewith appended.

What is claimed as new, is: p x

1. In an outsole stitching machine, the combination of a throat piece provided with a needle passage and having a guideway leading backward from said passage and across which the needle thread is guided, a hook needle mounted to move into and out of said passage, and a device mounted for movement backward and forward in said guideway and operative to push a bight of said needle thread forward to said passage and position it for the engagement therewith of said needle.

2. In an outsole stitching machine, the combination with a throat piece provide with aneedle passage and having a guideway leading backwardly from said passage, of a looper movable backwardand forward in said guideway, said looper having a forward thread engaging portion substantially equal in thickness to the diameter of the needle thread and fitting snugly between the upper and lower walls of said passage, and means for guiding a thread across the path of movement of said looper in the guideway whereby the looper is operative to form a bight in said thread at the rearward part of its stroke and to carry said bight of thread forward to said needle passage.

3. In an outsole stitching machine, the combination with a throat piece provided with a needle passage and having a guideway leading backwardly from said passage, of a looper movable backward and forward in said guideway, from a rearward thread receiving position to a forward thread delivering position, and thread guiding means co-operating with said looper to position the needle thread for the engagement therewith of said looper, said throat piece and looper being constructed and arranged to maintain the portion of the thread delivered by the looper in substantially the same plane during the entire thread delivering movement of the looper. I

4. In an outsole stitching machine, the combination with a throat piece shaped to enter the crease between the welt and upper of a shoe, said throat piece being provided with a needle passage. of a hook needle mounted to reciprocate into and out of said passage, and means for presenting the needle thread to the hook of the needle while it is in said passage, said means being construct-= ed and arranged to maintain the thread adjacent to the initial point of engagement therewith of said needle between planes separated only by substantially the diameter of the thread and extending approximately parallel to the direction of the feeding movement of the work past the needle.

- 5. An outsole stitching machine, having, in combination, a needle, and means for de- .movement of said looper and transversely across said notc livering a bight of thread to the needle operating .to maintain thelegs of the bight in a plane )arallel to and below the plane of the exposed face of the Welt.

n outsole stitching machine, having, in combination, a needle and means for forming two bights in the thread and delivering one bight to the needle. said means being operated to maintain the legs of said bights approximately in a plane extending substantially in the direction of the feeding movement of the work past the needle.

7. An outsole stitching machine, having, in combination, a needle, means for receiving the thread and drawing the thread out into a bight and delivering the .bight to the needle, and means for maintaining the legs of the bight extended from the receiving point to the delivery point substantially in a plane extendingapproximately parallel to h the direction of the feeding movement of the work pastthe needle.

8. In an outsole stitching machine, the combination with a throat piece constructed to enter the crease between the welt and upper of a shoe and having a needle passage formed in the welt supporting part of saidthroat piece, of a hook needle mounted to reciprocate into and out of said passage, a looper mounted to move to and fro in said throat piece toward and from said passage, the forward end of said looper being notched to straddle the path of movement of the needle and being grooved transversely to hold a thread stretched across said notch, a thread finger movable across the path of operative to guide the thread into the grooved end of the looper, and operating mechanism for said needle, looper and thread finger.

9. In an outsole stitching machine, the combination with a throat piece constructed to .enter the crease between the welt and upper of a shoe and having a needle passa e formed in the welt supporting part of said throat piece, of a hook needle mounted to reciprocate into and out of said passage, a relatively thin looper mounted to reciprocate in said throat piece toward and from said passage, the forward end of said looper being notched to straddle the needle passage and having a thread receiving roove formed ed end, said throat piece being constructed to guide the needle thread into a position beside said looper, a thread finger operative to move said thread across the path of movement of the looper to position it in said groove, and operating mechanism for said needle, looper and thread finger.

10. In an outsole stitching machine, a throat piece shaped to enter the crease be tween the welt and upper of a shoe and having a welt engaging face and an upper engaging face, said welt engaging part having a needle hole formed therein near its forward end, a guideway formed in. said throat piece between said faces, and a looper mounted to reciprocate in said guldeway and having its forward end shaped to present a thread across said needle passage, said forward end portion of the looper being of a thickness substantially equal to the diameter of the thread.

11. In an outsole stitching machine, the combination of a throat to enter the welt crease of a shoe and having a needle passage formed therein near its forward end, a straight hook needle mounted to move into and out of said passage in a path inclined toward a position parallel to the part of the upper of a shoe adjacent to of said'needle, a guideway' formed in said t roat piece and extending backwardly from said needle to and fro in said to present a loop needle. 12. An outsole stitching machine, having, in combination, a throat plate constructed to enter the welt crease of a shoe, a straight hook needle mounted to reciprocate through. said plate, a looper movable to and fro at guideway and operative of needle thread to said the opposite side of said plate from the needle and operative to present a'loop of thread for the engagement therewith of "said needle, a stationary shuttle on thesame side of said plate .as the needle, an oscillating loop. thrower arranged to take a loop of thread from said needle and throw it over said shuttle, and'operating means for'sa'id needle, looper and loop thrower.

13.'An outsole stitching machine, in combination, a throat plate constructed to enter the welt crease of a shoe, a straight hook needle mounted to reciprocate through said plate, a looper movable to and fro at having,

the opposite side of said plate from theneedle and operative to present a 'loop of thread for the engagement therewith of said needle, a stationary shuttle on the same side piece constructed 4 assa e and a loo er movablev p h the point of operation thereon of said plate as the needle,', an oscillating loop thrower arranged "to take a loop of thread from said needle and throw it over said shuttle, a straight awl mounted on the same side of said plate as the needle, and operating means for said needle, awl, loop er and loop thrower.

l4. An'outsole stitching machine, having,

in combination, a throat plate, a straight hook needle mounted to reciprocate through said plate, a looper movable to and fro at the opposite side of said plate from the needle and operatlve to present a loop of thread for the engagement therewith of said needle, a stationary shuttle on the same side of said plate as the needle, an oscilllating loop thrower arranged to take a loop of thread from said needle and throw &

over it, and operating means for said needle,

looper and loop thrower.

15. An outsole stitching machine, having, in. combination, a throat plate constructed to enter the welt crease of a shoe, a straight hook needle mounted to reciprocate through said-plate, a looper movable to and fro at the opposite side of said plate from the needle and operative to present a loop of thread for the engagement therewith of said needle, a stationary shuttle on the same side of said plate as the needle, a loop throwing arm mounted for movement about an axis and constructed to take a loop of thread from said needle and throw it over said shuttle, and operating means for said needle, looper and loop thrower.

16. A stitching machine, having, in combination, an awl and a needle both-mounted on the same side of the work for movement into and out of the work, and means for moving said awl and needle substantially in a common plane into and out of the same path of movement.

17. A stitching machine, having, in combination, an awl and a needle both mounted on the same side of the work for movement into and out of the work, mechanism for reciprocating said awl and needle and means for relatively moving said awl and needle in a plane extending transversely of the direction of feed of the work to causexthe needle to enter the hole formed in the work by the awl.

. 18. A stitching machine, having, in combination. a throat plate having a needle hole formed therein, an awl and a needle'both mounted on the same side of the work for movement into and out of the work, and means for moving said awl and needle additionally in a plane extending transversely of the direction of feed of the work into and out of line with the needle hole in said throat plate.

19. A stitching machine, having, in combination, a throat plate having a needle hole formed therein, a frame movable transversely of the direction of feed of the work past said plate, awl and needle bars mounted 'in said frame for movement toward and from said plate in parallel paths lying in the plane of said transverse movement, and means for moving said frame to bring said paths alternately into line with said needle hole.

20. A stitching machine, having, in com bination, a throat plate having a needle hole formed therein, a frame movable transversely of the direction of feed of the work past said plate, awl and needle bars mounted in said frame for movement toward and from said plate in parallel paths lying in the plane of said transverse movement. mechanism for reciprocating said awl and needle in said paths, and means for utilizing said reciprocating movement to move said frame to bring said paths alternately into line with said needle hole.

21. A stitching machine, having, in combination, an awl and a needle both mounted on the same side of the work and movable into and out of the work, mechanism independent of said awl and needle for feeding the work step by step, and means for shifting said awl and needle in a plane transverse to the direction of feed of the work between each step of said feeding movements.

22. A stitching machine, having, in combination, an awl and a needle both mounted on the same side of the work and movable into and out of the work, operating mechanism for said awl and needle, and means for shifting. said awl and needle transversely to the direction of feed of the work while maintaining undisturbed the operative relationship of said awl and needle to their operating mechanism.

23. In an outsole stitching machine, the combination with an 'angularthroat piece having a needle hole therein and having an upper face designed to support the welt of a shoe and a lower face extending backwardly at an acute angle to the upper face, of a straight hook needle mounted to reciprocate through said needle hole in a path tipped with reference to a line perpendicw lar to said upper face in a direction toward a position parallel with said lower face.

24:. In an outsole stitching machine, the combination with a throat piece shaped to enter the crease between the upper and welt of a shoe, said throat piece having a needle hole therein and having an upper face designed to support the welt of a shoe, of a straight hook needle mounted to reciprocate through said needle hole in a path tipped with reference to a line perpendicular to said upper face in a direction toward a position parallel to the part of the upper of a shoe adjacent to the point of operation thereon of said needle, and mechanism including a shuttle mounted upon the same side of the work as said needle and cooperating with the needle to form a lock stitch in the work.

25. In an outsole stitching machine, the combination with an angular throat piece having a needle hole therein and having an upper face designed to support the welt of a shoe and a lower face extending backwardly at an acute angle to the upper face, of a straight hook needle mounted to reciprocate through said needle hole in a path tipped with reference to a line perpendicustraight hook needle relation of said plate throwing the a position parallel to the lar to said upper face in a direction toward of a shoe adjacent to the thereon of said needle, and a straight awl mounted on the same side of the throat piece as said needle to reciprocate into and out of 'dl said needle hole. i o

26. In an outsole stitching machine,- the combination with a throat piece shaped to enter the crease between the upper and welt of a shoe,-saidthroat piece havmg a needle surface designed to support the welt of a shoe, of a straight hook needle mounted to reciprocate through said nee le, holegreater than a right-angle with relation to the portion of the welt enga'ging face of' said throat piece lying immediately back of said needle hole.-

27. In an outsole stitching machine, the combination with a throat piece havin a needle hole therein and having a su ace designed to support the welt of a shoe, of a mounted to reciprocate through said needlehole at-an angle substantially to the face of saidth back of said needlehole, and .arranged to I said needle whileit is in said needle hole, a stationary shuttle mounted on the same side as said needle, and means for loop of needle-thread over said portion of the welt-engaging a looper constructed shuttle.

28. A stitchin machine, having, in combination, stitchorming devices including a substantially stationary shuttle, and means for locking and releasing the shuttle during each cycle of operation of said stitch-forming devices.

29. A stitchin machine, having, incoinbination, stitchorming devices including a crease between the needle While it is 1n substantially stationary shuttle mounted for limited freedom of movement,-a take-up, and means for locking the shuttle against movement during the stitch-setting movement of the take-up and releasing the shut-' tle again at a subsequent point in each cycle of operations of said stitch formin devices.

30. In an outsole stitchingmac ine, the combination of a throat piece having a relativelythin forward end shaped to enter the welt and upper of a shoe, said throat piece being provided with a needle passage near its needle mounted to reciprocate into and out of said passage, and means for delivering a bight of needle thread to the hook of said said'passage, said means being constructed and arranged to occupy, at said point of delivery, dimensions in the direction of width of the welt crease of only substantially the diameter of the needle thread.

part of the upper, point of operation at an angle substantially greater than a right angle with roat piece lying immediately present a loop of thread to forward end, a hook 31. In an outsole stitching machine, the combination of a throat piece having a relatively thin forward end shaped to enter the crease between the welt and epper of a shoe,

said throat piece being provi e passage near its forward end, a .hook needle mounted to reciprocate into andout of said passage, and means-for delivering f bight of needle thread to the hook of the needle while it is in said pasage, said means comprising a looper movable in formed in sai backwardly from forward end of said looper havi sions in the direction-- of the widt ed with aneea ideway throat pieceand e iiiendingj said needle passage, the *dime'nof they 'welt crease of only substantially the diamend and having a guidewayextending backwardly from said needle passage, and a looper mounted to move backward and forward in said guideway, said looper and ,throat piece being constructed; to provide a space in said guldeway at one side of the looper through which the needle thread may be passed to thread the machine.

33. In an outsole stitching machine, the combination of a throat piece, havin a needle passage formed therein near its Y or-. ward end and having aguideway extending backwardly from said needle passage, and a looper mounted to move backward and forward in said ideway', said throat piece having an opening extending across said guideway through thread may be passed to thread the mac me. 1

34. In an outsole stitching machine, the

combination of a throat piece constructed to enter the crease between the welt and upper of a shoe, said throat vided with a needle passage near its forhaving a guideway leading passage, a hook needle mounted to reciprocate into and out of said passage, a looper movable forward and backward in said guideway and operative to push a bight of needle thread forward to said passage and position'it for ment therewith of said needle, a' thread guiding finger, and mechanism for moving said finger across the path of movement of said looper to cause it to position the thread for engagement therewith by said looper, said mechanism being operative to move the finger backward in a path clear of the path of movement of said looper.

35. In an outsole stitching machine, the

piece being pro the engage combination of a throat piece constructed to enter the crease between the welt and Y upper of a shoe, said throat piece being pro-.

vided with a needle passage near its forward end and having a guideway leading ing said thread finger in timed relationship.

to the movements of said looper to cause the thread finger to position the thread for the engagement therewith of said looper and then to move out of engagement with said thread and to return to its initial position along a path clearing said thread.

36. An outsole stitching machine, having, in combination, a throat piece shaped to enter the crease between the welt and upper of a shoe and having a surface to support the welt, saidthroat piece beingprovided with a needle passage, a hook needle-mounted to reciprocateiinto and out of said passage, and means for delivering a bight of needle thread to said needle while it is in said passage, said means being constructed and arranged to maintain the portion of said bight of thread underlying the welt of the shoe being stitched substantially in a in and out of the V on the same 37. A stitching machine having, in com-- bination, an awl and needle both mounted on the same side of the work for movement work, and means for giving said awl and needle an additional movement in unison in a direction transverse to the direction of feed of the-work to enable the needle to enter the hole formed in the work by the awl.

38. A stitching machine having, in combination, a throat plate having a needle hole therein, an awl and needle both mounted side of the work for reciprocating movement into and out of the work, awl and needle bars carrying said awl and needle, respectively, means for reciprocating said bars, and means for giving said bars an additional movement in a direction transverse to the direction of feed of the work to carry the awl and needle into and out 0 line with the needle I hole in said throat plate.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES C. BLAKE.

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