US1936372A

US1936372A - Lubricating device for sewing machines

Info

Publication number: US1936372A
Application number: US622623A
Authority: US
Inventors: Max L Waterman
Original assignee: Singer Co
Current assignee: Singer Co
Priority date: 1932-07-15
Filing date: 1932-07-15
Publication date: 1933-11-21
Anticipated expiration: 1950-11-21

Description

NOV. 21, 1933. M, L, WATERMAN 1,936,372

LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES Nov. 21, 1933. M..1 WATERMAN LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed July l5, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A i m"\ Km, NW ,wa

Patented Nov. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LBRICATING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES Application July 15, 1932. Serial No. 622,623

7 Claims.

This invention relates to lubricating systems for sewing machines and has for its object to provide simple and effective means for automatically supplying lubricant to the bearings of sewing machines.

The invention consists in the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 represents a front side elevation, partly in section, of a sewing machine containing a preferred embodiment of the improved lubricating device. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of a portion of the machine, with the lubricant collecting plate removed. Fig. 3 is a vertical section substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a perspective view, partly in section, of the lubricant-pump bracket. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the auxiliary reservoir, substantially on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse section of the auxiliary reservoir substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

The present improvement has been embodied in a sewing machine having a bedor cloth-plate 1 from which rises the tubular standard 2 of an overhanging bracket-arm 3 terminating in a head 4. Rotatably journaled in the bracket-arm 3 is a main actuating shaft 5 carrying at one end a combined balance-wheel and belt-pulley 6 ad- 30 jacent one of the bearings 7 of said shaft. At

its opposite end, the shaft 5 isoperatively connected in any usual or suitable manner with a vertically reciprocatory needle-bar 8 carrying at its lower end a needle 9.

Suitably secured upon the main shaft 5 is a bevel-gear 10 in driving engagement with a bevel-gear 11 carried by the upper end of a vertically disposed, intermediate shaft 12 rotatably journaled in

bearing bushings

13 and 14 fixed 40 in suitame bearing-Mgg within the bracket-arm standard 2. In the present case, the ratio of the gears l0 and 11 is such that the shaft 12 rotates twice for each rotation of the shaft 5. The shaft 12 extends downwardly through an opening 15 in 45 the bed-mate 1, and xed upon said shaft direcuy below the lower bearing bushing 14 is a bevelgear 16 in mesh with a bevel-gear 17 upon one end of a horizontally disposed loop-taker actuating shaft 18. The shaft 18 is rotatably jour- 50 naled in bearing bushings 19 and 2O suitably fixed in bearing lugs 21 and 22 depending from the bed-plate 1, said shaft 18 carrying or actuating any usual or preferred type of loop-taker (not shown) for cooperation with the needle 9 in the formation of stitches.

Journaled 'for oscillation in suitable bearings provided at the rear under side of the bed-plate 1 are the adjacent feed' and feed-lift rock-

shafts

23 and 24 actuated by the eccentric-driven pitmen 25 and 26 in any usual or suitable manner, 60 the specic stitch-forming and work-feeding mechanism employed being immaterial to the present invention.

The vertically disposed intermediate shaft 12 extends downwardly below the bevel-gear 16 thereupon and its lower end is provided with peripheral spiral -grooves 27 terminating at their upper ends at a point spaced from and below the bevel-gear 16. Closely embracing the shaft extension, including adjacent grooved and ungrooved portions thereof, is a shaft casing comprising the wall of a vertical aperture 28 provided in a depending boss 29 of a lubricant-pump bracket 30 secured by screws 31 upon the under side of the bed-plate 1. At its lower end, the bracket-boss aperture 28 preferably has a counter bore 32 to provide a lubricant entrance space between the wall of said aperture and the grooved portion of the shaft 12, which latter preferably protrudes slightly below the bracket-boss 29 or may be otherwise formed to pick up lubricant. The boss-aperture 28 is also counter bored at its upper end and threaded to receive a packing gland 33 spaced slightly above the upper ends of the spiral grooves 27 of the shaft and below the bevelgear 16. Suitably attached to the lower end of the bracket-boss 29 is a lubricant filter screen 34 which, together with the lower end of the shaft 12, extends into a lubricant-well 35 provided by a cap 36 threaded into a lubricant-collecting and guard-plate 37 draining toward said well 35, said plate 37 being suitably secured to the under side of the bed-plate 1 to enclose the operating mechanism beneath the bed-plate.

Threaded into the bracket-boss 29 to open into a recess or chamber 42 provided in the wall of the aperture 28 at the upper ends of the spiral grooves 27 is a nipple 38 entered by the lower end of a lubricant-conduit or bent pipe 39 which extends upwardly through the bed-plate opening 15 and has its upper end entering an aperture in the bottom Wall 40 of a lubricant-reservoir 4l. 'I'he reservoir 41, in the present case, is integral with the bracket-arm 3 and` is closed at the top by a cover-plate 44, the rear wall of said reservoir terminating at its upper end in a forwardly extending lip which overhangs the bottom wall of the reservoir and serves to minimize the danger of lubricant escaping at the cover-plate joint when. the machine is tilted backwardly.

Connected with the reservoir 41 are different lubricant-conducting pipes, such as the pipes 46 directing lubricant to the bearing surfaces of the upper ends of the pitmen 25 and 26; the pipe 47 leading to the shaft bearing 7; the pipe 48 leading to the front bearing for the shaft 5; the pipe 49 extending downwardly within the bracket-arm standard 3 to'an auxiliary reservoir 50; and a drain pipe 51 of which the lower end is supported in an aperture 52 provided in the bracket-boss 29 in position to return excess lubricant from the reservoir 41 to the lubricant-well 35. 'Ihe drainpipe 51 preferably extends slightly above the reservoir bottom wall to insure an adequate supply of lubricant to the several lubricant-conducting pipes connected with said bottom wall 40.

The auxiliary reservoir is fastened by screws 53 to the under side of the bed-plate 1 and has a longitudinal bore 54 into one end of which is threaded a nipple 55 connecting the pipe 49 with said bore. Opening into the bore 54 of the auxiliary reservoir are the reduced upper ends 56 of a plurality of threaded apertures transverse to said bore 54, and adjustably threaded into said apertures are plugs 57 having pointed ends constituting in effect needle-valves for controlling the flow of lubricant through the apertures 56. Connected with the apertures 56 are

nipples

59, 60, 61 and 62 threaded into the auxiliary reservoir and entered by one of the ends of lubricant-conducting

pipes

63, 64, 65 and 66 leading to different bearing surfaces of the mechanism beneath the bed-plate 1. Any excess lubricant supplied to the bearings will be drained by the guard-plate 37 into the well 35.

Upon operation of the machine, the spiral grooves 27 of the vertical shaft 12 feed the filtered lubricant upwardly within the bracket-boss aperture 28 into the chamber 42. As the packing gland 33 limits upward movement of the lubricant to a zone within the length of the shaft 12, the lubricant is forced from the chamber 42 into the conduit 39 connected therewith, and through said conduit into the reservoir 41 from which the lubricant is distributed to the several bearings, as described. The provision of the drain pipe 51 prevents building up excess pressure in the reservoir 41 and serves to practically empty said reservoir when the machine remains idle for any considerable period. While the compression chamber 42 is herein described as formed by recessing the bracket-boss 29, it is obvious that said chamber might be otherwise provided, as for instance, by recessing the shaft 12 adjacent the upper ends of the spiral grooves 27.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:-

1. In a sewing machine having a frame provide'd with a lubricant-well, stitch-forming mechanism having bearings in said frame and including a rotary shaft having a spirally grooved portion extending into said lubricant-well, a shaft casing embracing the spirally grooved portion of said shaft, means limiting the extent of feed of lubricant by the spiral groove of said shaft to a zone within the length of the shaft, and means including a lubricant-conduit connected with the interior of said casing at said zone for distributing to one or more of said bearings lubricant supplied from said well upon rotation of said shaft.

2. In a sewing machine having a frame provided with a lubricant-well, stitch-forming mechanism having .bearings in said frame and including a rotary shaft having a spirally grooved portion extending into said lubricant-well, a stationary shaft-casing embracing the spirally grooved portion of said shaft, a gland carried by said casing acting to limit the extent of feed of lubricant by the spiral groove of said shaft to a zone within the length of the shaft, and means including a lubricant-conduit connected with the interior of the casing adjacent to said gland for distributing to one or more of said bearings lubricant supplied from said well upon rotation of said shaft.

3. Inra sewing machine having a frame provided with a lubricant-well and a lubricantreservoir, stitch-forming mechanism having bearings in said frame and including a rotary shaft having a spirally grooved portion extending into said lubricant-well, a shaft casing embracing the spirally grooved portion of said shaft and provided with means limiting the extent of feed of lubricant lengthwise of said shaft, a lubricantconduit connecting the interior of said shaft casing with said lubricant-reservoir, and means connected with said reservoir for distributing lubricant to one or more of said bearings.

4. In a sewing machine having a frame comprising a cloth-plate and a bracket-arm including an upright standard rising from said clothplate, a lubricant-well and a lubricant-reservoir supported by said frame, stitch-forming mechanism having bearings in said frame, a rotary shaft disposed vertically in said standard having a spirally grooved portion of its length extending into said lubricant-well, a. shaft casing embracing the spirally grooved portion of said shaft, a lubricant-conduit connecting the interior of said casing with said lubricant-reservoir, and means connected with said reservoir for distributing lubricant to one or more of said bearings.

5. In a sewing machine having a frame comprising a cloth-plate and a bracket-arm including an upright standard rising from said clothplate, a lubricant-well and a lubricant-reservoir supported by said frame, stitch-forming mechanism having bearings in said frame, including a rotary needle-reciprocating shaft journaled in said bracket-arm, a rotary loop-taker actuating shaft journaled beneath said cloth-plate, a vertically disposed intermediate shaft journaled in the bracket-arm standard and connecting the needle-reciprocating and loop-taker actuating shafts, said intermediate shaft having a spirally grooved portion extending into said lubricantwell, a stationary shaft-casing embracing said spirally grooved portion of the intermediate shaft, a lubricant conduit connecting the interior of said shaft casing with said lubricant-reservoir, and means connected with said reservoir for distributing lubricant from said reservoir to one or more of said bearings.

6. In a sewing machine having a frame comprising a cloth-plate and a bracket-arm including an upright standard rising from said clothplate, a lubricant-well beneath said cloth-plate, a lubricant-reservoir upon said bracket-arm, stitch-forming mechanism having bearings in said frame, including a rotary needle-reciprocating shaft journaled in said bracket-arm, a rotary loop-taker actuating shaft journaled beneath said cloth-plate, a vertically disposed intermediate shaft journaled in the bracket-arm standard and connecting the needle-reciprocating and loop-taker actuating shafts, said intermediate shaft having a spirally grooved portion extending below the cloth-plate into said lubricantwell, a shaft casing embracing said spirally grooved portion of the intermediate shaft, a lubricant-conduit connecting the interior of said shaft casing with said lubricant-reservoir, iubricant-conducting means connected with said reservoir for distributing lubricant to one or Y more of said bearings, and a lubricant-collecting plate beneath said cloth-plate acting to drain excess lubricant into said lubricant-weil.

7. In a sewing machine having a frame provided with a lubricant-well and a lubricantreservoir, stitch-forming mechanism having bearings in said frame, a rotary shaft having a