US2446342A - Sewing machine - Google Patents

Description

1943- A. PETERSON ET AL 2,446,342

SEWING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 28, 1946 ul hl INVEN 4L8 TORS. 07 0. PE rsnsaM 008537 19. HA 3/55 Aug. 3, 1948. c PETERSON ET AL 2,446,342

I SEWING MACHINE Filed June 28, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 inn-mun Aug. 3, 1948. A. c. PETERSON ETAL SEWING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 28, 1946 INVENTORS. ALBERT CJETERSON ROBERT/LHAYES aivwi/m Aug. 3, 1948. A. c. PETERSON ET AL SEWING MACHINE e Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 28, 1946 INVENTORS, ALBERT C.PETER-SON RQBERTAJ-IA YES Aug. 3, 1948. A. c. PETERSON ET AL 2,446,342

I SEWING MACHINE Filed June 28, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 AL8ER T C.PE TR50 y B ER'T A. HA YES A T T031315 Patented Aug. 3, 194-8 l eras r FFICE SEWING MACHINE of Illinois Application June 28, 1946, Serial No. 680,146

7 Claims. 1

This invention relatesto new and useful improvements in sewing machines and more particularly to a feeding mechanism for a machine adapted to stitch an inelastic lining strip or the like to an elastic body fabric such as, for example, knit underwear material.

Institching such combinations of material, it is difiicult to cause the elastic material to advance at the same rate as the inelastic material. If, for example, the elastic material is fed into the machine in a superposed relation to the inelastic material, the presser foot of the machine upon the top surface of the elastic material may retard or stretch this material, and similarly handling of the elastic material by the operator may cause this material to lag behind the inelastic material.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple machine of the above character having a feeding member which engages the elastic body fabric and feeds same to the stitching mechanism at the same rate as, or at a slightly faster rate than the inelastic strip is advanced by a feed dog. A feature of the present invention is that a blade-like top feeding member may be provided for feeding the elastic material from above.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, single, rotary driving means for the bladelike top feeding member.

Afurther object is to provide a simple, single, accessible means for adjusting the length of the stroke of the blade-like member. A further object of the invention is to provide a driving mechanism for the blade-like top feedingmemher which is capable of positive simple lubrication.

A still further object is to provide a single rtary high speed driving means capable of causing the feeding edge of the top feeding member to engage the material with a roughly elliptical motion similar to that of a four-motion feeding means.

The above mentioned, as well as other objects, together with the many advantages obtainable by the practice of the present invention, will be readily comprehended by persons skilled in the art by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the annexed drawings which respectively describe and illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention,

and wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a machine embodying in illustrative form this feeding arrangement, certain portions being broken away .for clarity of illustration.

Fig. 2 is an endelevational view of the machine shown in Fig. 1, as seen from the left ofthat figure, partly in section.

Fig. 27A is an enlarged diagrammatic View showing the path of travel .of theloweredge o'f the feeding blade, as viewed in Fig. 2. f

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the base .of the machine, partly in section, and withsome parts omitted.

Fig. 4 isa fragmentary front elevational view of a portion of the sewing machine bed, illustrating the relationship of the needles and the lower folder which controls theinelastic lining strip.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken in the plane 5-5 as shown in Fig 1, illustrating the gear arrangement.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view of the lower feed lifting ,means, as seen-from the end of the machine shown in Fig. 2, certain .parts being omitted for clarity of illustration.

:Fig. '7 isa view partly in longitudinal section and partly in elevation of adjustable eccentric means fordriving .the top blade feeding means Fig. 8 is a plan view .of the rotary shaft appearing to the right in Fig. '7, together witha portion of a stud driven eccentricall y thereby.

Fig.9 is an end view, ,partlyinelevationand partly in section, of the components showndn Fig.8.

Reference is made to Fig. 1. The machine herein illustrated comprises a hollow base Hi and a hollow vertical column or standard l l rising therefrom toward one end of said baseand communicating therewith. Extending from and supported by said standard is a hollow arm 12 which overhangs said base, terminating at its free end in ahollow head l3. Asshown in Fig. 2, mountedin the upper and lower walls of the head l3 are a pair of bushings I4 and 15, .respectively, and journalled in these bushing for generally vertical reciprocation is a needlebar it. As shown in Fig. 4, the needle bar 16 carries at its lower end suitable needle holding means 11, provided-with a pair of needles 18.

Means are provided for reciprocating the needle bar 16. Mounted on this bar, as shown in Fig. 1, is acollar l9 held in place by a pair of screws-20 and provided with a lug 19a to which one end of a link 2| is pivotally attached. Mounted in thefront and back walls of the arm l2 are a pair of bushings 22, andjournalled for rocking therein-is a shaft 23. Mounted on the shaftand adapted for rockin movement is ,a lever 24. This lever isprovided at itslefthand end with a generally longitudinal slot 25 and has a pair of jaws, not shown, at the outer end of said slot. These jaws are clamped by suitable means to a pin extending from and pivotally mounted in the link 2 I The right-hand end of the lever 24 is provided with a ball stud 28 and a pin 29 projecting therefrom. These members may, for convenience in assembly, be part of a separate, attachable portion of the lever 24. The lever 24 is driven by a pitman 30 having attached to its upper end a split, socket-like strap 3| which cooperates with the ball stud, provided with a forked extension 32 which cooperates with the pin 29.

Journalled in the base I is a crank shaft 33 provided with a crank 34. Attached to the lower end of the pitman 30 is a socket-like split strap 35 adapted to engage a ball-like portion of the crank 34. Mounted on the shaft 33 toward its right-hand end outside the base is a hand wheel and belt pulley 36 for driving said shaft. This pulley may be driven by a belt from a conventional transmitter unit, not shown. When the shaft 33 is caused to rotate, it in cooperation with the crank 34, the pitman 30, the lever 24, the link 2|, and the needle bar [6, causes the needles I8 to be reciprocated vertically.

As shown in Fig. 2, mounted in the upperand lower walls of the head 13 are a pair of bushings 3'1 and 38, respectively, and guided for vertical movement in these bushings is a presser bar 39, to the lower end of which a presser foot 40 is attached as by a suitable clamping collar 4!.

Yielding means are provided for urging the presser bar downward. As shown in Fig. 1, threaded into the top wall of the arm I2 is a screw 42 held in place by a lock nut 43. The apparatus includes a, bowed, horizontal leaf spring 44 provided with a lengthwise slot so that it may be fitted over the screw 42. The bar 39 is provided at its upper end with a shoulder 45 and a pin-like portion 46 of reduced diameter. The left-hand end of the spring 44 is provided with a forked portion 41, as shown in Fig. 2, which straddles the pin-like portion 46 of the bar 39. The right-hand end of the spring 44 rests on and is retained by a portion of the standard II which is not shown. The spring 44 is pressed downward in the region of the screw 42 by a smaller auxiliary leaf spring 48, which is held in place and which may be positioned by a thumb nut 49. In this manner the spring 44 exerts a downward pressure on the shoulder 45 of the bar 39, the pressure being adjustable by means of the nut 49.

Means are provided for lifting the presser foot. Pivotally mounted in the rear wall of the arm 12 is a rockable shaft 50. Connected to this shaft and extending therefrom is an arm Mounted on the presser bar 39 is a collar 52. The rear wall of the head I3 is provided with a slot, not shown, and the collar 52 has an arm 52a extending rearwardly through said slot. One end of a link 53 is pivotally connected to the free end of the arm 51, and the other end of said link is pivotally connected to the free end of the arm 52a. The frame is provided with a projection 54, and a spring 55 is connected between this projection and the free end of the arm 5| so as to retain this arm in satisfactory operating position.

Also extending from the shaft 59 is an arm or lever 56. This arm is provided at the end opposite the shaft 50 with an opening 51 for attachment of a chain from some controlling means, such as a treadle, not shown. When the arm 56 is pulled downward, the presser foot will be lifted by linkages described.

Means not completely shown are provided for decreasing the thread tension when the presser foot is lifted. For controlling such means, a shaft 58 is journalled in the walls of the standard II, and extending radially therefrom is a lever 59. A link 60 is pivotally connected to the lever 59 and to the arm 5'6 so that the shaft 58 is actuated whenever the arm 55 is actuated. The rocking of the shaft 58 decreases the thread tension by means not shown. For further details of such tension releasing means, reference may be made to U. S. Patent No. 1,823,817, granted to Norman V. Christensen on Sept. 15, 1931.

The base 19 is provided with various plates, including a supporting plate 5|, a cloth plate 62 and a throat plate 63. As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the presser foot 40 is by the action of the spring 44 pressed toward the throat plate, and the forward end of the foot is upwardly inclined for reception of the material being sewed.

A slidable plate 64 is mounted in the cloth plate 62. Mounted on the slidable plate 64 is a support 64a, on which is mounted an upper folder '65, for guiding the elastic material.

The base Ill and the lower part of the standard H are adapted for serving as an oil reservoir, and oil is provided therein. Mounted on the shaft 33 within the base is a gear 56, and adjacent said gear is an oil distributing disc 61 having a hub portion 58 attached to the shaft. As shown in Fig. 3, mounted on the shaft beyond this point is an eccentric 59, having a strap 19 cooperating therewith.

Journalled in the front and back walls of the base I9 is a shaft H, shown in Fig. 1, which is, by conventional means not shown, driven with a rocking motion by the strap 10. Mounted on this shaft is an arm 12 having an end pivotally attached to one end of a rod '13. The machine is provided with a pair of loopers l4 appropriately mounted and adapted to be oscillated by the motion of the rod 13 in response to the rotation of the shaft 33. For more complete details of typical means for actuating the loopers, reference may be made to U. S. Patents No. 2,011,491 granted to Frank A. Kucera on August 13, 1935, and No. 1,699,262 granted Jan, 15, 1929, to August J. Wohlpart.

The machine is provided with a lower feeding means for advancing the inelastic lining strip, including a feed dog 15 and means for driving same with a four-motion counterclockwise movement as viewed in Fig. 2. The base 10 is provided with upward extensions !9a, and journalled for rocking in these extensions is a shaft 16. Mounted on this shaft and extending upwardly therefrom is a feed rocker ll, toward the upper end of which is pivotally mounted a feed bar 18. The feed dog 15 is carried by the feed bar at its free end, being affixed thereto by suitable means.

Rigidly attached to an extension of the feed rocker is one end of a lever 19, the other end being pivotally attached to one end of a strap-like lever 88. Eccentric means, generally indicated by the numeral 89a, are provided for imparting an eccentric motion to the strap-like lever 89. Such eccentric means are mounted upon a shaft 33a, coupled to and axially aligned with the shaft 33. Means may be provided for varying the cocentricity of the eccentric means a, if desired.

It will be noted that rotation of :theshaft 333a will causea back-and:-forth movement of thefeed dog by: the=cooperation of the linkages :described. Separate means are provided for imparting an up-and-down motiontothe; feed .dog. Mounted .onthe shaftr33a, as showninFig; 6, is an eccentric=8 I, :and cooperating with this eccentric is, a strap :82. The-reed bar H8: is :provided withzan integral extension '-'I8a, .to "which .the strapBZ is; pivotally attached. Rotationrof the shaft 33a produces an 'up-and-qdownwmotion of theqfeed dog, which, -in combination withzthe previously described motion, provides the foure'motion movement :desired. The direction :of rotation of the shaftsztsand -33a,:as viewed from'the end of the machine shown, in;Figs.' 2 811C116, is clockwise, and the direction of,-mov ement1of the feed'dog l5, as shown inthese figures is counterclockwise. Foriurther details of somewhat similar means for :driving a feedgdog, reference may be made to United StatesPatent; 1,817,727; granted August 14, 1931, to August ,J. -Wohlpart.

Attention. is now directedmore particularly to the top bladefeeding-mechanism. Thebase is provided with a-flat plate383,-as. shown inFig. l,

and-risingfrom this .plate is -,a g-enerally vertical hollowstandard '84; having a; generally horizontal hollow "arm;85. The-arm-i85 is provided with journalled supports "86 and "8 1, and "mounted in said'supports and extending horizontally through thearmy85 is-iarotary shaft 88. Mounted on the shaftildisageanafl as shown inFigs. l and 5.

.Journalled in the standard 84 is a stubshaft Eli,

axis of the shaft-8B. .Eorengaging, the stud llz,

the portionBlia of the shaft 88-maybe, provided at its left endwith a generally diametrical slot of -T-shaped'cross-section, the-stud .92 having a portion 92a adapted to be engaged therein. The stud- 92 carries a sleeve.9.3,and-isthreaded at its free end to receive a-nut 9d. When this nut is loosened, the eccentricity of the stud 92 .andthe sleeve Q3 with respect to the axis of the shaftdii may be adjusted by a screw 95 which is threaded into the portion 92a of the stud Q2 and has a circumferential slot 95a engaging an arcuatec01- lar-like member, 96 attached. to the portion 88a of the shaft 88 by a pair of screws 9?. When the screw '95 is turned, the stud 92 is shifted radially Withrespectto theshaft 88. Between the nut 9d and thesleeve 93 isa washer 98. When the nut 94 istightened, the stud '92 and the sleeve 93 are secured in adjusted position with respect to the shaft'tll since the-sleeve is forced by the nut and washer toward the right on the stud 92 so as to press against the end of the portion 88a of the shaft 88.

As shown in "Fig. 2, pivotally attachedto a portion of the head I3 is: one end-of a link 99.

There is provided a feed rocker or:movable support I!!!) having:a sleeve-like portion lillla with internal anti-friction needle bearings IIlI, shown inIF-ig. 7, -pivotally mounted on the sleeve 93.

.The. rocker 1M0 v,alsodoas an upstanding arm pivotally attached at a point I02ito theothersend of the link 99, and a horizontal arm to which a plate W3 is pivotally attached at a-pointlM. A blade I95 is attached to the plate I503 by: screws The blade I and the plate'IB3 may torather be called a .feeder or feeding member. Slots in the blade I05 are provided at the screws N35 for adjustment of theposition of the'blade. The rocker or movable support Hit isprovided with an integral lug portion Iliiib to which a spring I9? is attached by an adjustable stop screw its and a nut I89. The springlll'l tends to urge the blade I lid to rock in a counterclockwise direction about the point IM, as seen in Fig. 2,. and the screw its limits the extent to which it may so rock. The machine is provided with a lower folder lid for guiding the inelastic lining-tape, supported by a bracket III attached to the base it. As a part of the work guiding means, a spring separator blade H2 is provided, mounted on the previously mentioned support 64a. The blade W5 extends toward this separator blade H2 and has a serrated lower edge for engaging the elastic material on the upper surface of the separator blade.

The rotation of the shaft 33 in a clockwise direction as viewed from the end of the machine shown Fig. 2 will, through the gears 66, .9I and 8&3, drive the shaft 88 also in a clockwise direction. When the shaft I38 is rotated, the stud 92 and sleeve Q3 will rotate eccentricallywithin the bearings till of the sleeve-like portion Illi'ia of the rocker me. Since in the present embodiment the link limits to a circular arc the possible position of the point H12 of the rocker; the eccentric driving action of the stud 92 and sleeve 93 on the rocker causes the-point lll ito move in a roughly elliptical, clockwise path.

At certain points inthecycle the lower edge of the blade I95 is raised, and at other points it is lowered. When the blade is lowered to such an extent that its bottom edge is pressed against the material on the separator blade I I2, the tendency of the blade I85 torock about the point Ill l in response to the force from the springllll is no longer limited by the stop. screw I08, but is limited by the separator blade I I2 and themate rial thereon. At certain points of the cycle, however, when the blade m5 is raised, the stop screw Hi8 limits its rocking about the pivot point I'M.

-As a result, the lower edge of the blade I05 moves in a generally clockwise path which is roughly elliptical, but somewhat flattened on the bottom, as illustrated in Fig. 2-A. The motion of the lower edge of the blade I05 is similar to what is usually termed a four-motion movement; that is, there is a back-and-forth movement and also an up-and-down movement. In the present case, since feeding is done from above, the forward or feeding stroke is in the lower portion of the path, while the recovery stroke is in the upper portion of the cycle. During the major portion of the feeding stroke the lower edge of the blade W5 is caused to move parallel to the separator blade H2 as the work, slides along this blade. It is during this time that the blade l I2 and the material thereon serve to limit the pivoting of the blade H15 about the point I04. As a result of the above-described motion of the blade 595, the elastic material isfed in a succession of strokes toward the stitchin mechanism. Itxis observed that this four-motion feeding action is derived from a single rotary actuator or eccentric, as distinguishedfrom the usual typeoffourmotion feeding means, which employs two eccentrics.

The previously described means for adjusting the eccentricity of the stud 92 provides means for adjusting the length of the feeding stroke of the blade I05. The machine can thus be adjusted so that the elastic material is fed at least as rapidly as is the inelastic material.

It is to be understood that instead of using a link such as 99 to limit the possible position of the point I02, other means could be employed. Thus a frame member could be provided with a curved slot, and the rocker Hi could be provided with a block portion at the point I02 adapted to operate in said slot. The shape of the slot would then limit the motion of the point N32 to a predetermined path, which need not necessarily be an arc of a circle. Similarly the rocker or movable support Hill for the feeder could be driven in a predetermined path by means other than the eccentric means described.

Provision is made for positive, simple lubrication of the driving mechanism for the top feed ing member H35. As shOWn in Fig. 7, the sleevelike portion Hllm of the rocker or movable support I00 is provided with an opening H3 through which oil may be supplied manually for lubri cating this driving mechanism.

As shown in various figures, the entire machine is provided with a lubrication system including a number of oil conduits H4. It is also provided with various conventional elements such as thread-guiding means, generally indicated by the numeral H5.

While an illustrative form of the invention has been disclosed in considerable detail, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the general principles and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a sewing machine having a stitching mechanism, a feeding mechanism comprising an eccentric means, a movable support adapted to engage said eccentric means and to be driven bodily thereby, means engaging said support at a point and enabling limited movement of said point but confining said movement to a predetermined path, a feeding member pivotally connected to said support for engaging and advancing the work toward said stitching mechanism, means urging said feeding member to rock about its pivot in such a direction that a portion thereof is pressed toward the work, stop means for limiting the rocking of said member, and means for actuating said eccentric means.

2. In a sewing machine having a frame, a stitching mechanism and a work surface, a feeding mechanism comprising a rotary eccentric means, a movable support adapted to engage said eccentric means and to be driven thereby, a feeder pivotally mounted on said support for en gaging and advancing the work on said work surface in advance of the stitching mechanism, a member pivotally connected to said frame and pivotally connected to said support, means urging said feeder to rock about its pivot in such a direction that a portion thereof is pressed toward the work on said work surface, and stop means for limiting the rocking of said feeder in said direction.

3. In a sewing machine having a frame, a stitching mechanism and a work surface, a feeding mechanism comprising a rotary eccentric means, a movable support connected to said eccentric means and adapted to be driven thereby, means confining a point of said support to a circular arc, a feeder pivotally connected to said support, having a generally blade-like portion extending slantingly toward said work surface in advance of said stitching mechanism, a spring for urging said feeder to rock about its pivot in such a direction that said blade-like portion is urged toward said work surface, and stop means other than said work surface for limiting the extent of rocking of said feeder in said direction during most of the recovery part of the cycle, the extent of said rocking during most of the feeding part of the cycle being limited by engagement of said blade-like portion with the work on said work surface.

4. In a machine for sewing a relatively inelastic material to a relatively elastic material, said machine having a frame, a work surface, a stitching mechanism and means for feeding said inelastic material, apparatus for feeding said elastic material at least as fast as said inelastic material is fed, comprising rotatable eccentric means, a bell crank lever mounted on said eccentric means generally at the junction of the arms of said lever and adapted to be driven by said eccentric, a link pivotally connected to one arm of said bell crank lever and pivotally connected to a part of said frame, a blade-like feeding member pivotally supported on the other arm of said bell crank lever and having a portion extending generally toward said work surface in a direction convergent with same toward said stitching mechanism, yielding means urging said feeding member to rock with respect to said bell crank lever in a direction toward said work surface but away from said stitching mechanism, stop means connected to said bell crank lever adapted to limit the extent of rocking of said feeding member in said direction, and means for rotating said eccentric means so that a portion of said feeding member in the region of said work surface describes a four-motion feeding movement.

5. In a sewing machine, apparatus for imparting a four-motion movement to a member, comprising an eccentric means, a movable support to which said member is pivotally connected, said support being connected to said eccentric means and adapted to be driven thereby, means for limiting the motion of a point on said support to a predetermined arcuate path, means urging said member to rock on its pivot, and means for limiting to different extents at different times in the cycle the rocking of said member.

6. In a sewing machine having a feeding member, apparatus for imparting with a single rotary actuator a four-motion movement to said feeding member, said apparatus comprising a rotary actuator, a movable support connected to said rotary actuator and adapted to be driven thereby, means for limiting the motion of a point on said support to a predetermined arcuate path, said feeding member being pivotally connected to said support, spring means for urging said feeding member to rock on its pivot, a stop connected to said support adapted to engage said feeding member and limit the extent of its rocking during a portion of its cycle of movement, and means having a generally plane part adapted to limit the extent of rocking of said member but to enable a part of said feeding member to 9 move generally parallel to said plane part during another portion of said cycle.

'7. In a sewing machine having a frame, a stitching mechanism and a work surface, feed-- ing mechanism comprising a feeding member for engaging and advancing the work on the work surface in advance of said stitching mechanism, a movable support to which said feeding member is pivotally connected at a first point, means for limiting the possible position of a second point of said support to an arcuate path, a spring urging said feeding member to rock about its pivot in such a direction that a portion thereof is pressed toward the work on said work surface, stop means for limiting the rocking of said feeding member in said direction, eccentric means for moving said support, said last-mentioned means comprising a rotary shaft, a stud adapted for attachment to the end of said shaft in a gen- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS N umber Name Date 875,611 Parkes Dec. 31, 1907

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