US274359A - Sewing-machine - Google Patents

Description

4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(Modem L. B. MILLER & P. DIEHL.

SEWING MACHINE. No. 274,359. Patented Mar.20,1883.

w w 1! ii (ModeL) 1 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. L..B. MILLER 86 P. DIEHL.

SEWING 'INZLACHINIE x No. 274,359. Patented Mar.20,1883.

E 5m Zia/M 4; 'W Fwy 10W N. PUEHS Pmwmh nu. Washington a c.

(ModeL) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

L. B. MILLER & P. DIEHL.

SEWING MACHINE.

No. 274.359. Patented Mar. 20, 1883.

N. PEKRs. Phalo-Uiingmphcr. Wnhmgwn. E c.

(MedeL) V 4 Sheets-Sheet 4. L. B. MILLER 82 P. DIEHL.

- SEWING MACHINE.

Patented Mari 0,1883.

u vncna mxmwmm vimm ova UNITED STATns.

PATENT @rricn.

LEBBEUS B. MILLER AND PH-lLlP DIEHL, OF ELIZABETH, N. 5., ASSIGNORS TO THE SINGER MANUFACTURING COMPANY OF NEW JERSEY.

SEWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 274,359, dated March 20, 1883.

Application filed May 27, 1881. ()Ictlel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Belt known that we, LEBBEUS BALDWIN MIL- LER and PHILIP DIEHL, of Elizabeth, in the 7 county of Union and State of New Jersey, have made an invention of certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing- Machines; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description and specification of the same.

Our invention has reference primarily to the feeding and shuttle-driving mechanism, and the presser-bar', shuttle, and tension mechanism of sewing-machines; and it consists of certain constructions and combinations of mechanical devices which are set forth in detail in claims at the close of this specification. All of the said features of invention need not be embodied in the same machine; but, in order that the invention may be fully understood, we have represented in the accompanying drawings, and will proceed to describe some of the principal parts of a sewing-machine embodying all of the said features in the best form in which we have embodied them at the present date.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 represents a side view of such sewing-machine with the side plate of the bracketarm removed. Fig. 2 is a view of the face of the bracket-arm and of portion of the feed and shuttle mechanism, and illustrates more especially the method of driving the feed. Fig. 3 is a view of the under side of the machine, showing the shuttledriving mechanism and feed mechanism from beneath. Fig. 4 is adetached view of the feedv'heel, with the mechanism employed to drive and control it. Figs. 5 to 15, inclusive, show parts of the machine detached from the residue, and Figs. 16 and 17 illustrate a novel feature in the shuttle-driving mechanism.

The general form of the said sewing-machine does not differ materially from many sewing-machines in common use, and is similar to that shown and fully described in Letters Patent of the'United States granted to us under date of October 8, 1878, and numbered 208,838, and also in our Letters Patent of the United States numbered 229,629, and

dated July 6, 1880. It has a bed-plate, A,

sciFigs. 1, 2 and 3, with which the other parts are connected; a bracket-arm, B, Fig. 1, to support the needle and presser bars above that portion of the bed-plate A upon which the material to be sewed will rest; a main driving shaft, 0, extending through the bracket-arm 5 5 B to drive the needle-bar, which is arranged to slide up and down through the head ofsaid bracket-arm, and also, by means of a crankconnection and rock and oscillating shafts, to oscillate the shuttle-driver which carries the shuttle. The general manner of looping the needle and shuttle threads to form the stitch is the same as that fully described in the first patent; and the manner of carrying the shuttle is the same as that described in the second patent above referred to. In both said patents, however, the feed shown and described belongs to theclass commonly known as fourmotion, in which the feeding-surface during its retreating movement is not in operative 0 contact with the goods. Our present invention, being adapted more especially for those kinds of work which require that the feed should remain continuously and firmly in contact with the goods, belongs to the class commonly known as wheel-feed. We give motion to this feed from the main shalt of the machine by means of the same operating mechanism as that shown in our said patent of July 6, 1880, No. 229,629, (except that by pref- So erence we use an eccentric, d, Figs. 1 and 4, in place of the driving-cam formerly used on the main driving-shaft C of the machine,) and we regulate and control the extent of the feed movement in the manner shown and described in said patent. Said eccentric d, operating through the forked connecting-piece J, gives motion, as in said former patent, to the horizontal-feed rock-shaft F through its arm 6; but in our present machine the arms ec at the other end of said feed rock-shaft F, instead of being directly connected with a feed-bar, are pivoted to the link K, Figs. 1, 3 and 4, the other end of which link is hinged to the driving-ring D at the point I), Fig. 4. 5 The feed proper consists of the feed-wheel O, constructed in the form of aring, with serrated teeth on its periphery, arranged to project through a slot in the table, in the usual manner, as shown at Fig. This wheel or 1:0

ring is supported in a frame, N, which frame is hinged at the point E to the table of the machine, and is provided with lugs n it, through which the adjusting-screw a and the screw n are passed. As this frame is hinged only at E to the bed of the machine, its natural tendency would be to drop downward away from the said bed; but it is prevented from doing this and sustained in its proper position by the bearing of the point of the adjusting-screw it against the flange of the bed-plate at a. The hinge at E is thus made to serve asa fulcrum-point, and by turning the said screw-n one way or the other the frame can be raised or lowered, carrying with it the feed-surface, and the elevation of the said operative portion of said surface above the level of the bedplate can thus be regulated at will. The function of the screw M, which can be adjusted to correspond with each adjustment of the screw it, is simply by bearing against the otherflange of the bed-plate to keep the frame solid and steady and prevent vibration. The necessary intermittent rotating motion is communicated to the feedring or wheel 0 in the following manner: The link K, receiving through the arms a e of the feed rock-shaft F a regular reciprocating motion, is hinged at b to the driving-ring D, which, consequently, slides in the frame with a nearly circular reciprocating'motion of correspondent extent. The face of this driving-ring D is provided with two lugs, b 11, arranged to project one on either side of (or, in other words, straddle) a flange, 0, which projects from the inside face ot the feed-wheel O. Said driving-ring D is also supported and guided by the screw 11*, acting in the slot 12 and is also acted upon by the spring I), one end of which is attached to the frame N. This said ring D with its guiding-screw and spring are so adjusted in relation tothe feed-wheel that during one movement of the arms 0 c of the feed rock-shaft,

(as shown in Fig. 2 this movementis from left to right,) when the stitch is being formed and the feed should rest, the said driving-link K and the spring I), acting in the same direction, will cause said driving-ring to move and be guided in a line so nearly corresponding with the line of the flange 0 that its lugs b b will not grip said flange, and its motion will not be communicated to the feed wheel 0; but on the return movement of the arms a 0, when the feed should move, the link K acts in a direction against the said spring I), and this ring is forced by such action of the link and spring to change its line of motion and move in a line that will be slightly eccentric to the line of said flange, thereby bringing both said lugs into firm contact with said flange, cramping and holding it between them, and communicating a circular motion to said wheel. As the time and extent of this motion will depend on and be governed by said movements of the feed rock-shaft the forward movement of the feed and the extent to which the goods are to be carried between each stitch can therefore be adjusted and controlled in the manner described in said patent tons of July 6, 1880, numbered 229,629.

In order to permit the point of the shuttle we use to enter and hold the loop of the nee tile-thread until the eye of the needle rises above the fabric, and afterward to draw down,

use the same form of crank on the main driving-shaft and a similar connection, 0, pivoted to the arm of the rock-shaft S; but instead of the slotted arm receiving the crank-roller of the oscillating shaft we use an arm, 3, to the outer end of which is pivoted the link V, and we pivot the other end of said link V to the outer end of the crank t on the end of the shuttle-oscillating shaft T. By the revolution of the crank on the main shaft a regular reeiprocatingorrockingmotioniscommunicated,

by means of the connection 0, tothe arm 8 of i the rock-shafts, and consequently to the arm 8 on the said rock-shaft. The oscillating shaft '1 being parallel to said rock-shalt S, and its crank it being positively connected by the link 12 to the arm 8, by varying the relative lengths of the arm 8 and crank t the extent of the oscillating motion communicated to the shaft T can be increased or diminished. In the present instance we desire to communicate to the shaft T an oscillating motion of greater extent than that communicated to the rockshaft S and to make its oscillating movement more than a half-circle, and we therefore make the arm 8 relatively longer than the distance between the centers of the shafts S and T, and

IIO

the arm t shorter-than the arm .9. By this means from a comparatively small rocking motion of the shaft S we impart to the shaft T the desired oscillating motion in excess of a v half-circle.

The shuttle oscillates in a race in a manner similar to that described in our said United States patent of October 8, 1878, No. 208,838; but, as experience has shown, ifthe free end of ing to sew, it may be carried into the race in the path of the shuttle and cause the shuttle to become wedged or jammed in such race. In order to avoid this danger, instead of making the ring Q, which forms the body of the race,

solid, we now make a spring-back, g, which we fasten to the lower part of the ring Q, by the two screws 9 g, leaving the top portion of said ring free to yield to any extraordinary 7 the thread is not properly placed in commencpressure, although firm enough to keep the shuttle in position under ordinary circumstances.

in a machine especially adaptedfor manufacturing work, and which must frequently be driven at a high speed by steam-power,it is desirable to construct and arrange a bobbin and shuttle so that the motion of such shuttle will uotinterfere with the proper control of the bobbin-thread. iVith this object we have constructed a shuttle, Figs. 12 to 15, having the body, bea k-shank, and long beak adapted to our machine, but adapted to receive a form of bobbin, Z, in which the planes of the circles described by the thread on the bobbin as it lies in the shuttle areatright angles, or nearly so, to the plane of motion of the shuttle. Thus the thread is drawn off and the bobbin revolves as it is unwound in a direction at right angles to that in which it receives mo iion through the rapid movements of the shutlle, and cannot therefore be effected by them. This shuttle is also constructed in two portions hinged together and forming a box to contain the thread, as described in United States patent granted to us October 26, 1880, No. 233,7 89; but in our present machine such portions are held together and the tension on the shuttlethread obtained by the following devices: To the larger portion of the shuttle, which we distinguish by the letter X, is' rigidly attached, at a point nearly opposite and farthest from the hinge, a spring, so, the free end of which bears and presses on a lug pro 5 ject-ing from the smaller portion, 00, at a point back of the hinge-pivot. The hinge-pivot is thus made a fulcrum-point, and the pressure beyond it forces the opposite sides of the larger and smaller portions together, closing and securing the box and also giving an elastic tension upon the free end of the thread, which is drawn out, as shown in Figs. 14 and 15, between the rim or edge surfaces of the two portions of said shuttle. We make this spring ac strong enough to give the greatest amount of tension required in practice. In order to decrease the amount of tension and regulate it as required, the portion a: of the shuttle is provided with a set-screw, y, fitting in a hole tapped to receive it. When the twofportions are brought together the lower end of this screw enters a hole in the other portion, X, of the shuttle, in which hole is placed a small spring or some elastic substance. By turning this screw to the right a counter-pressure of limited extent is exerted, tending to force the adjacent surfaces of the portions apart sufficiently to relieve the pressure on the free end of the thread to the desired extent, although they are still held in position to keep the bobbin securely in the shuttle by the action of the spring :0.

As our said machine is constructed to use what is generally known as a positive thread take-up, it is necessary, in order to produce the best results,

that the needle-thread should become slack when the eye of the needle in its descent reaches the'surface of the goods to be sewed, and not before. We accomplish this by the device shown, which is an adjustable slackthread controller.

On the front of the face-plate, Fig.2, we form a barrel or receptacle, 20, around the tension-stud, and this barrel has part of its circumference cut away, leaving an opening. Within this receptacle is a collar, w", which has an opening corresponding in size to that in the receptacle. This collar turns freely within the receptacle. A set-screw, w, passes through a slot in the receptacle and is tapped into the collar. Within the collar is a coilspriug, W, the inner end of which spring is permanently attached to the tension-stud or central post, while its outerend, looped to receive the thread, projects through the openings in the collar and the receptacle. When the openings of the collar and receptacle are precisely opposite, the outer end of the spring is free to move to the full extent of such opening's; but as the collar is turned so that its opening passes that in the receptacle the space through which the outer end of the spring can move is correspondingly limited. As the takeup ascends itdraws up by the thread the free end of this spring, and when the take-up descends the reaction of this spring takes up. slack until it reaches the limit of motion permitted by the opening, after which the thread is free to become slack. The time or point at which the thread shall become slack, can consequently be determined by shifting the collar and increasing or decreasing the space through which the free end of the spring can move.

It is especially desirable that the presser or foot bar should be held firmly and securely in itspositiou during the operation of the machine, should yield only in a vertical direction, and should not twist or turn in its bearings; and inputting on different attachments it is also desirable to have said bar vertically adjustable. We attain these objects and at the same time secure a uniform and easily-reguiatiedvertical spring-pressure on said bar by the following construction and arrangement: To Qhe said foot-bar R we secure, by a setscrew, 11, the bracket 1?, composed of a ring or collar encircling the bar and made deep enough to give a long surface-hearing on such bar when drawn up against it by the action of the screw 19, and also provided with a projection or arm, the upper surface of which is grooved to receive the free end of the presser-bar spring 19. The free end of such spring fits closely in this groove, and, asits other end is attached to the arm of the machine so that it cannot move laterally, and as the spring is made to yield only in a. vertical direction, the bar is thus held firmly against turning or twisting, while it can be readily adjusted vertically by loosening the set-screw p, sliding the bar up or down through the ring, and resetting the IlIO screw. The amount of verticalspring-pressure on said bar is regulated by the thumbscrew p tapped into the arm of the machine and pressing on said spring between the point where it is secured to the arm and the point Where it rests on said bracket P. The arm or projection of this bracket P is formed, as shown in Figs. 2, 8, and 9, so as to bear and rest on the cam end of an ordinary lifter, t, pivoted to the face-plate of the machine, by which lifter said bracket, and with it the foot-bar R, are

raised or lowered at will.

\Ve claim as our invention 1. A frame for supporting and carrying the feed-wheel ofa sewing-machine, provided with a lug, through which it is attached to said machine beneath the bed-plate by means of a hinge-pivot, and also provided with a set-screw passing through the outer end of said lug and adapted to raise or lower said frame and support it in the required operative position by pressing against the bed of such machine ata pointoutside said hinge-pivot.

2. A shuttle-race for an oscillating shuttle, provided with an elastic side or flange, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. A sewing'machine shuttle constructed in two portions hinged together, one of said portions having a spring rigidly attached to it at a point opposite the hinge, the free end of which spring is adapted to bear on and press against aprojection of the other portion at a point behind said hinge, thereby holding the two portions together with an elastic pressure, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination, in a sewing-machine shuttle, constructed of two portions hinged together, of the said portions, one being provided with a clasp-spring adapted to bear on a projcction of the other at a point beyond the hinge, 40

and thereby to clasp and hold the two portions together with an elastic pressure, with an adjusting-screw tapped into one portion and adapted to press against a spring or elastic substance attached toor resting in arecess of the other, and thereby relieving to any desired extent the pressure on the thread caused by the clasp-spring, substantially as described. 5. The adjustable slack-thread controller hereinbefore described, consisting substan- 5o tially of the receptacle, coil-spring, movable collar, and set-screw, all combined and arranged substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. A presser-bar bracket comprising a 001-

Images