US374145A - John ekhaet - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

vJ. EKHART.

APPA1 M 1JSA POR SEWING GARPBTS.

"mm atout N. versus. Pnawnuwmher, wmngnm u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

TWO-THIRDS TO ALBERT F. CHILDS SAME PLACE.

AND JOSEPH It. EDSON, BOTH OF APPARATUS -FOR SEWING CARPETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 374,145, dated November V29, 1887.

Application filed May f2-l, 1887. Serial No. 239,236.

.To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN EKHART, a citizen of the United States, residing at TfY/'ashingtom in the District of Columbia, have invented eertain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Sewing Carpets; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to 1o make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and gures of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

Heretofore in the art of sewing carpets by machinery it has been impracticable to maintain the edge of an ingrain carpet in a right line when it is suspended above the iloor, owing to the fact that it cannot be put under suf- 'cient tension or strain, as is the case with 2o Brussels and other carpets, without tearing through the selvage edge thereof.

The object of my invention is to provide means whereby the sewing-machine can be readily moved by the operator, either in straight or curved lines, to higher or lower planes, whereby the machine can be easily guided to closely follow the line of the seam, which in ingrain carpets does not lie in aright line, owing to the sagging of the carpet he- 3o tween the points of suspension.

My invention consists in the peculiar conibination of devices and novel construction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out 3 5 in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a machine for sewing carpets embodying my invention, Figure l is an elevation showing a carpet suspended in position for the machine to operate thereon. Figs. 2 and 3 are detached enlarged views of -two forms of the carpet-suspending clamps for the horizontal and vertical edges of the carpet. Fig. 4 is a detached View of the yielding or elastic support from which the sewing-machine is suspended.

Referring to the drawings, in which likeletters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures, A A designate suitable up- (No model.)

rights or posts erected at suitable intervals`5o apart, and B a fixed horizontal track or way arranged between the uprights and supported thereby. This track is preferably in the form ota wire of sufficient strength to support the sewing-machine proper, and one end of the wire is secu red to one upright in any preferred manner, while the opposite end is connected to a hook', B', the shank of which is threaded and passed through a horizontal aperture in the other post. A nut, b, is screwed on this 6o thread ed shank of the hook, so that any slack in the wire can be easily or readily taken up and the wire track thus maintained under the proper degree of tension, and a washer, b', is interposed between the nut and the upright, as shown very clearly in Fig. l.

To the vertical end edges of the carpet, near the upper horizontal edge thereof', are detachably-connected horizontal clamps C C', which are preferably of the form shown in 7o Fig. 3, and have the pivoted jaws c connected at one end by intermediate toggle-levers, c', to which levers at the points where they are pivoted together is connected a cord, c2.

The cord or other equivalent device of one of the horizontal clamps, C, is connected to one of the fixed uprights or posts, and the cord of the other corresponding clamp is wound around a windlass, l), which is journaled in a suitable frame or support, D, that is fixed to 8o the other upright or post, A', in any prefer able manner. This windlass is rotated on its axis to wind up the cord of the clamp C by a suitable crank, D2, and it is prevented from retrograde motion by a pawl-andratchet mech- 8 5 anism, d', of any preferred pattern. By means of these clamps and the windlass the carpet is -stretched until the proper degree of tension `is attained, and to the upper horizontal edge of the carpet is connected two, three, or more 9o vertical clamps, E, which are arranged at intermediate points ofthe length of the carpet,

to prevent it from sagging at the middle and to relieve the end clamps of the entire weight of the carpet. These vert-ical clamps are prefg 5 erably of the pattern shown in Fig. 2, and comprise the elastic expansible jaws e, over which slides a clamping-sleeve, e', which forces the free ends of the jaws upon the carpet. If preferred, one of the jaws of each clamp may have a pin or tooth, which is adapted to take into the carpet and into an opening or aperture formed in the opposite jaw ofthe clamp. These vertical clamps are suspended from the. ceiling of the room or apartment by means of cords E, as shown.

A rigid traveling carriage, G, is supported on the fixed horizontal track B, and free to travel back and forth thereon, and from this carriage is suspended, by an intermediate device, which I will presently describe, a sewingmachine, H.

No novelty is herein claimed for the sewingmachine proper, as it forms no part of my invention, and it may be of any common pattern known to the trade.

The rigid carriage G of my invention preferably comprises vertical brackets g, which depend from the fixed track and are connected at points below the track by a horizontal bar or rod, g', and in the upper ends of these brackets, at points above the track, are journaled grooved rollers or wheels g2, which rest upon the track, and thereby support the carriage thereon. To one end of the traveling carriage, at a point below the track, is connected a suspended yielding or elastic support, I, for the sewing-machine H. The support I shown in the present instance is composed of an elastic strap or webbing, which is doubled or folded one or more times upon itself to insure sufficient strength thereto to support the entire weight of the machine and its yielding support, and as the weight of the machine is borne by the traveling carriage the operator is free to devote his attention exclusively to guiding the machine, and is thus enabled to more closely follow the seam and secure better results, and at much less exertion and effort, it only being necessary to force the machine along, which requires but a minimum effort on his part, as the carriage moves freely and without hinderance on the horizontal fixed track. A limiting-cord, J, is connected at one end to the carriage and at the opposite end to the sewing-machine, to prevent the latter from swinging horizontally when it is drawn forward by the handle It, connected thereto.

One of the outer layers of the iiexible strap or webbing which forms the yielding support I is provided with a buckle, k, by means of which the support is rendered extensible, to suspend the sewing-machine H at different heights, and 'thereby accommodate carpets of different widths.

The operation of my invention will be readily seen from the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings.

The abutting edges of the two strips of carpet to be sewed are placed together and the carpet is connected to the horizontal clamps, the windlass rotated to stretch the carpet to the desired extent, and the vertical clamps are connected to the upper horizontal edge of the carpet at intermediate points of the length of I would state that while I deem the mechauism and devices herein shown and described as best adapted for carrying my invention into effect, still I do not desire to confine myself to the exact details of construction and formand proportion of parts, as I am aware that nu merous changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of my invention.

Freni the foregoing description it will be observed that my invention can be used with equal facility in sewing Brussels as well as ingrain carpets.

I am aware that prior to my invention carpets have been suspended in a stretched taut condition, and that traveling sewing-machines have been run upon the edge of the carpet to sew the same, or upon a fixed track arranged in juxtaposition to the carpet to sew the edge thereof. My invention is distinguished from prior devices of this character where the sewing-machine travels in a horizontal line upon the edge of the carpet or a fixed track, in that itis mounted or carried by a yielding support, which enables the machine to be moved or adjusted in vertical planes any desired distance above or below the horizontal plane in which it is maintained by its support,whereby the machine is placed more completely under the control of the attendant or operator, who is enabled to more closely and perfectly follow the seam without being encumbered by the weight ofthe machine.

It being broadly new to yieldingly support a sewing-machine, to adapt the same to move freely in vertical planes under the guidance of the attendant, I do not desire to confine myself to the particular construction of the yielding elastic suspension device herein shown and described, as I am aware that the same result can be attained, although, perhaps, in an imperfect manner, by providing the traveling carriage with pulleys, over which a cord passes, one end of the cord being weighted and the other end connected to the sewingmachine, as will be readily understood.

No claim is herein made to, first, the combination of the end clamps, means connected to one of the end clamps for drawing the same away from the other clamp, one or more intermediate clamps, a track, a carriage traveling thereon, and a sewing-machine suspended from the carriage;7 nor, second, the combination of the fixed uprights, a support fixed to one of the uprights and having a windlass, the end clamps connected to the windlass and one of ICO the uprights, one or more suspended intermediate clamps, a horizontal track arranged above the end clamps and fixed to the uprights, a carriage traveling upon the track,and a sewingmachine suspended from the carriage,77 nor, third, the combination, with a carriage and a sewing-machine, of a yieiding support for norinally maintaining the sewing-machine at a desired elevation and to eXert an upward force against a downwardpull of the operator as he guides the machine in sewing, nor, fourth, the combination of a traveling carriage supported on a suitable track, a yielding suspending device adapted to carry a sewing-machine, and a device, as J, for limiting the lateral movement ofthe suspending device;77 nor, fifth, the combination of the track B, a traveling carriage, G, and a yieldingv sewing-machine sup port, I, all combined and arranged to operate,77 as the same forms the subject-matter of another application iiledby me October 5, 1887 Serial No. 251,535.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an apparatus for sewing carpets, the combination of a traveling carriage supported on a suitable track, a sewing-machine, ayielding support connected to the carriage and sewing-machine, and devices for supporting the fabric to be operated upon by the sewingmachine, as and for the purpose described.

2. In an apparatus for sewing carpets, the combination of a traveling carriage supported on a suitable track, a sewingmachine, a longitudinally-extensible yielding support connected to the carriage and the sewing machine, and devices for supporting the fabric to be operated upon by said machine, as and for the purpose described.

3. In an apparatus for sewing carpets, the

combination of a fixed horizontal track, a traveling carriage supported thereon, a sewing machine, a support connected to the sewingmachine and carriage, consisting of an elastic strap folded upon itself and having means whereby it can be extended longitudinally, and devices for supporting the fabric to be operated upon by the sewing-machine, as and for the purpose described.

4. In an apparatus for sewing carpets, the combination of a traveling carriage supported on a suitable track, a sewing-machine sus pended from the carriage, a device, as J, con* nected to the carriage and the sewing-machine to prevent the latter from swinging too far forward, and devices for supporting the fabric to be operated upon by the sewingmachine, as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination of a traveling carriage, a yielding support connected thereto, a sewing-machine suspended from the support, a limiting cord intermediate the carriage and sewing-machine, and devices for supporting the fabric which is to be operated upon by said machine, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

6. A carriage having the brackets, the rollers journaled therein, and a horizontal bar connecting the brackets at points below the track, in combination with a track on which the rollers travel, a sewing-machine suspended from the carriage, and devices for supporting the fabric which is to be operated upon by said machine, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses..

JOHN EKHART.

Vitnesses:

H. F. BERNHARD, J os. R. EDsoN.

Images