US429206A - willcox - Google Patents

Description

(-No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. H. WILLGOX 8v J. E. A. GIBBS.

SEWING MACHINE.

No. 429,206. Patented June 3, 1890.

1n: "cams mavens co PuuTo-umm, wAsnmuYoN, n. c.

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

C. H. WILLCOX & J. E. A, GIBBS.

SEWING MACHINE.

Patented June 3, 1890.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

O. H. WILLOOX 8; J. E. A. GIBBS.

SEWING MACHINE.

No. 429,206. atented June 3, 1890.

III,

i W 1% y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. W'ILLCOX, OF NEW? YORK, N. Y., AND JAMES E. A. GIBBS, OF RAPHINE, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE IVILLCOX & GIBBS SEIVING MACHINE COMPANY, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

SEWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,206, dated June 3, 1890.

Application filed June 18, 1888- Serial No. 2'77,l53. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CHARLES H. WILL- COX, of New York city, in the county and State of New York, and JAMES E. A. GIBBS, of Raphine, in the county of Rockbridge and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rotary-Hook Lock- Stitch Sewing-Machines, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to lock-stitch sewing- ,machines in which a rotary hook carries the loop of the upper thread around the bobbin or shuttle containing the spool of the lower thread and a take-up draws up this loop so as to tighten and complete the stitch before the next loop is taken by the rotary hook, and is more particularly an improvement upon or modification of the machines of this kind (see our patents, No. 239,998, dated April 12, 1881, and No. 354,589, dated December 21, 1886) wherein the needle-bar and take-u p are operated from a main shaft in the goose-neck or overhanging stationary arm, and the rotary hook mounted on a shaft below the workplate is driven at a higher speed than the main shaft through gearing at the standard of the goose-neck.

In sewing-machines it is of great importance, as we have pointed out in the patents mentioned, to employ, so far as possible, uniform rotary motion, and in order to give such a motion to the rotary hook, and at the same time have it carry the loop of the upper thread over the bobbin of under thread in season for the take-up (with or without the assistance of any cooperating part) to draw in such loop before the next loop is taken by the retary hook, the latter was given more than one revolution to each reciprocation of the needlebar-namely, two revolutions in the machine of our first patent mentioned above and three revolutions in the second patent. This multiple revolution (as the revolution of the rctary hook more than once to each reciprocation of the needle-bar may in general be termed) is necessary because of the large proportion of its own revolution which must be occupied by the rotary hook in carrying the loop of upper thread around the bobbin of under thread, a proportion which, it may be observed, is larger than is occupied in shuttle-machines by the passage of a movable or flying shuttle, whether reciprocatory or retary, through the loop of the upper thread. The necessity for a multiple revolution of the rotary hook is further occasioned by the size of the loop of upper thread which is required to go around the bobbin of under thread, since the larger the loop the longer should be the time allowed the take-up for drawing it up. The triple revolution of the second patent is more advantageous than the double revolution, as it gives a longer time for the operation of the take-up, so that it may finish its operation before the needle again enters the work. As described in our two patents, the main shaft in the goose-neck is driven by a belt running on a pulley on said shaft, and this multiple revolution of the rotary hook is derived therefrom through two intermediate toothed gears or idlers of co mparatively-small diameter, which mesh with each other, and of which the upper one meshes with a toothed gear on the main shaft and the lower one with a toothed pinion on the shaft of the rotary hook. The use of these two intermediate gears or idlers involves not only the friction and wear of two bearings and three points of meshing, but also increased friction and wear, in consequence of the rapidity of the rotation of said intermediate gears or idlers, due to their comparatively-small diameter. It also involves the awkward arrangement of having the main shaft rotate toward the operator L'. 6., the top of the shaft moves in that direction) in case the rotary hook revolves in the opposite direction, as it preferably should, and as it does in the machine illustrated in the aforesaid patents.

According to the present improvement a single intermediate toothed wheel or idler of comparatively-large size is employed to give the multiple revolution to the rotary hook,

such wheel meshing with the gear on the main shaft, and also with the pinion on the shaft of the rotary hook. Its use diminishes the friction and permits the main shaft to revolve in the same direction as the shaft of the rotary hook.

In the patented machines two of the four gears (namely, the upper intermediate and the pinion) are made with teeth of noise-deadening material, like leather, and the other two gears of metal. According to the present improvement the single intermediate is provided with the teeth of leatheror noise-deadening material, and the pinion on the shaft for the rotary hook, as well as the gear on the main shaft, is made with metal teeth. Ky this means not only is the use of one leathertoothed gear avoided, but the gearing'is made stronger, because the teeth of the weaker material are used on the largest gear, and it is a general rule with toothed gearing that on the largest gears the teeth have straightest sides, and consequently the greatest crosssection at their narrowest parts. In the pinion, which is necessarily of quite small diameter, the sides of the teeth must be hollowed out very considerably, in order to accommodate the intermeshing teeth, and if made of metal they are better able to stand the nec essary removal of material. Apart, however, from the character of the material employed, the use of the single large intermediate effects an increase in the minimum cross-section of the teeth, since the larger diameter of the intermediate enables the sides of the pinion-teeth to be more nearly straight.

In the improved machine the take-up, needle-bar, and feed device are operated from the main shaft. It may be through any appropriate mechanism arranged to operate them in due sequence with reference to the multiple revolving rotary hook and to one another when the main shaft is turned in the same direction as the rotary hook; but it is specially intended to employ a take-up fastened to and revolving with the main shaft at a uniform speed, a needle-bar operated from a crank on the main shaft through a pitman, and a feed-bar operated from an eccentric or eccentrics on the main shaft through appropriate vertical and horizontal connections at the standard of the goose-neck and under the work-plate, respectively. This form of takeup is described in our aforesaid patents in connection with the rotary hook having a double or triple revolution. Its use tends to the establishment of uniform rotary motions throughout the machine, and the multiple rotation of the rotary hook is of special advantage in connection therewith, since it carries the loop around the bobbin in due season to allow the said loop to be drawn up before the next loop is taken. If the rotary-hook shaft is revolved in the same direction as in said patents, the take-up is adapted to the new (or reversed) direction of revolution of the main shaft by altering the position of the thread-guides and of the take-up pins. In case the lower thread-guide is connected with the presser-foot and presser-bar, so as to be adjusted automatically thereby, and thus regulate the action of the take-up in correspondence with the thickness of the work under the presser-foot, as described at length in our said patent of December 21, 1986, the operating means are altered so as to adjust it in the opposite direction. 'lo effect this in the most convenient way a bent or bell-crank lever is employed having a horizontal arm connected by a suitable joint or yielding connection with the presser-bar and a vertical arm which carries the adjustable thread-guide at its lower end. The needle-bar operated by a crank on the main shaft through a pitman, as described in ouraforesaid patent,produecs the same result whichever way the shaft is turned and no alteration of theparts is necessary. A feed-bar operated from an eccentric or eccentrics on the main shaft through appropriate vertical and horizontal connections is described in our aforesaid patent of April 12, 1886, and also in our patent, No. 354,590, dated December 21, 1886. The feed movement is adapted to the new (or reversed) revolution of the main shaft by altering the connections, or, if two eccentrics are employed, by shifting their position on the main shaft, or it may be partly in each of these ways. If the direction of revolution of the rotary hook should be changed, that of the main shaft re maining as in the said patents, it would only be necessary to adapt the rotary hook to revolve in the opposite direction. This could be done by the use of known forms of rotary hook. Moreover, the single idler for imparting multiple rotation from the main shaft in the goose-neck to the rotary-hook shaft under the work-plate has a great advantage over the two idlers in respect to the taking of the loops by the rotary hook from the needle, which latter, being driven by a plain crank mechanism, is not delayed at the bottom of its stroke, as in shuttle machines using a heavy cam, but rises at once, and during its rise presents the loop to the rapidly-ad vancing hook. In order that the hook may enter the loop with greater certainty, said hook should be so timed relatively to the needle that in one of its multiple revolutions its point crosses the needlejust above the eye where the bend made by the thread leaving the eye and passing up to the work tends to hold the thread out from the needle. \Vith a hook so timed a very small retardation of the hooks motion will bring the hooks point up to the needle so late that instead of passing above the thread it will strike and probably out the said thread. By the use of the single idler in place of the two idlers the liability to this retardation is very much diminished, since the wear on the teeth of the driving-gears, which manifests itself at once in the retardation of the hook, is so much less with the single idler as very materially to improve the machine in this re spect. Moreover, any deformation in the teeth of the gearing manifests itself in retarding the motion of the rotary hook and tends to make it cross the needle too late in the ascent of the needle to take the loops. The ditference in the liability to deformation between the leather teeth on the large single idler and those on two smaller gears is decided and important, particularly in view of the extreme accuracy in the turning of the rotary hook which we have found to be necessary to the best working of the machine.

The invention extends, generally, to. the combination, with a main shaft turning in bearings of the goose-neck, a needle mechanism, a take-up in the head of the machine, and a feed mechanism, a rotary-hook shaft under the work-plate and a rotary hook mounted thereon, of a gear on said main shaft at the standard of the goose-neck, a pinion on the said rotary-hook shaft, and an intermediate or idler extending from the said gear to the said pinion and meshing with both, the number of teeth on the said gear being a multiple (particularly a multiple of three) of those on the said pinion, so that a multiple and particularly a triple revolution is given the rotary hook, and said needle mechanism, take-up, and feed mechanism being adapted to co-operate with the multiple revolving rotary hook (or vice versa) when the said main shaft and the said rotary hook revolve in the same direction; but it especially covers such combination when a rotary take-up fixed to the main shaft so as to revolve uniformly and in the same direction therewith, as described in our said patents, or otherwise, is employed with or without a needle mechanism comprising a crank and pitman, and with or without a feed mechanism comprising eccentrics (i. 6., one or more eccentrics) on the main shaft at the standard of the goose-neck, and vertical and horizontal connections for conveying the movement therefrom to a feedsurface under the work-plate, as described in our said patents, or otherwise.

The invention further consists in the combination, with the main shaftturning in bearings of the goose-neck, the needle-bar driven therefrom by a plain crank mechanism, and the gear on the said main shaft at the standard of the goose-neck, of the multiple revolving rotary hook and shaft, the pinion on said hook-shaft having a fraction of the number of the teeth on the said gear, and the single idler meshing with both said gear and said pinion and irnpartin g a multiple rotation tothe latter from the former, the use of said single idler in place of two idlers diminishing the liability of the hooks missing the loop or cutting the thread in consequence of the retardation due to wear.

The invention specially covers these combinations when the single intermediate is made with leather or other noise-deadening teeth, and the gear on the main shaft and the pinion on the rotary-hook shaft are both of metal.

The invention lastly covers as a special feature the combination, with the rotary takeup, the thread-guides therefor, and the presser-foot and presser-ba-r, of the bent lever or bell-crank having a horizontal arm connected with said presser-bar and a thread-guide at its lower end, so as to adjust the same when the presser-bar is raised or lowered.

The following is a description of what is considered the best mode of applying the principle of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying d rawin s, which form part of this specification.

Figure I is a front view of a sewing-machine constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. II is a vertical section through the standard of the goose-neck. Fig. 111 is a detail view; and Fig. IV is an end elevation partly in section, looking at the head of the machine.

The main shaft 0 turns in bearings of the goose-neck or overhanging stationary arm B, and is driven by a belt on a fast pulley (or it may be by any suitable means) in the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig. II. The rotary-hook shaft D is supported in journalbearings under the work-plate A, and is driven from the gear 1 on the main shaft 0 through the intermediate toothed wheel or idler 2 and the pinion 3, fast on the rotary-hook shaft D. The intermediate or idler 2 meshes with both the gear 1 and the pinion 3, and revolves with comparative slowness, owing to its large size. The number of teeth on the gear 1 is a multiple of those on the pinion 3, (three times, as shown,) so that a multiple revolution (as compared with the main shaft) is conveyedto the rotary-hook shaft. teeth of leather or other noise-deadening material and the gear 1 and pinion 3 with metal teeth. The rotary hook K, with its bobbin, bobbin-case, and bobbin-holder, is the same as described in our said patent, No. 354,589.

The rotary take-up H is fastened to the outer end of a crank F, which is fixed on the end of the main shaft, as in our last-mentioned patent; but the relative positions of the take-up pins h [t is reversed to conform to the new (or reversed) rotation of the main shaft 0. The upper-thread guide 7L8 also is altered in position, being placed behind instead of in front of the needle-bar F. The lower-thread guide h is made to be shifted or adjusted automatically with the thickness of work under the presser-foot. It is carried by the lower end of the vertical arm of a bent lever or bell-crank N, fulcrumed at 12 011 a stud, which is tapped into the lever and turns in a boss 18 on the head of the machine.

The horizontal arm of the bell-crank N is connected with the presser-bar G, so that when the latter occupies a higher position, in consequence of an increase in the thickness of the work under the presser-foot, the threadguide h" is adjusted toward the back of the machine, so that the take-up pin b strikes the thrcadearlier in its revolution. An auX-' iliary take-up or thread-controller is shown in connection with the rotary take-up H; but

The idler 2 is made with as it is substantially the same, and may be preeiselythe same, as in our said patent, No. 354,589, it need not be described. The needle-bar F is reeiprocated by the crank F on the main shaft through a pitman and crosshead, as in our last-mentioned patent.

The feed-surfaeeis on the four-motion feedbar P below the work-plate A, and is operated from the eccentrics E E on the main shaft G at the standard of the goose-neck through the Vertical connections consisting of the connecting-rods Q Q, and the horizontal connections comprising the rock-shafts R R, which are jonrnaled in bearin gs 34 and 35 under the work-plate A.

The relative position of the feed-advancing eccentric E and feed-lifting eccentric E 011 the main shaft 0 is shown in Fig. III.

The means for giving an adj ustablc stroke to the feedbar P consist of three parts, namely: first, the lever If, fulcrumed at 18 on the machine-frame and provided with a vibratory arm 15; second, the link S, provided with a projection 16 in the path of the arm 15, and at its rear end jointed to the upper end of the arm 17 of the feed-advancing rock-shaft R, and, third, the hand-actuated regulator T, in the form of a crank-disk, which is mounted on a stud 23, screwed into a projection 21 of the machine-frame, and whose crank-pin 25 fits in the groove 26 in the link S, so that by turning said regulator the crankpin raises or lowers the link S, and thus sets the projection 16 farther from or nearer to the axis of vibration of the arm 15, while at the same time it does not interfere with the reciprocation of said link. The adjustment of said projection 16 of course regulates the movement communicated through the link S to the rock-shaft R.

The lower end of the connecting-rod Q is jointed to an arm of the lever U, so that as the shaft C rotates and the eccentric E reciprocates the connecting-rod Q, the latter imparts vibration to the lever U, whose arm 15, acting against the projection 16, moves the link S and feed-advancing rock-shaft R. The motion thus imparted to the rock-shaft R is in one direction only, since it is preferred to return said shaft by means of a spring V, which is set in a hollow boss 21 on the under side of thework-plate, and is interposed between the body of the work-plate and the horizontal arm 22 of the rock-shaft R, so as to press said arm downward.

The fecd bar P (see Fig. IV) is connected with the upright arm 30 of the feed-advancing rock-shaft R through a journal-pin and with the horizontal arm 31 of the feed-lifting rock-shaft R by the upright link 32, and the feed-lifting rock-shaft is vibrated by the connecting-rod Q, whose upper end encircles the eccentric E, and whose lower end is connected by a journal-pin with the arm (see Fig. II) of said feed-lifting rock-shaft R.

In operation the main shaft 0, the gears 1, 2, and 3, and the rotary-hook shaft D are revolved in the direction of the arrows, Fig. II, the needle-bar F is reciprocated by the crank F, the rotary take-up II revolves in the same direction as the rotary hook, and the feedbar P is lifted, advanced, lowered, and returned by the eccentrics E E. The sewing operation is the same as our said patent, No. 354,589, only it is effected with less friction and with reversed motion of the main shaft 0, (or motion away from the operator,) the rotary take-up and feed mechanism being adapted to act in due season with this new (or reversed) revolution of the main shaft C.

The feed mechanism shown embodies certain improvements which form the subject of another application for patent of even date herewith. Itis described herein as an example of a suitable feed mechanism, and not as restricting the invention thereto or to any particular form of said mechanism. The mechanism with two feed-eccentrics shown in our patent, No. 354 500, before mentioned could be used instead, the eccentrics being properly placed on the main shaft.

e claim herein as our invention or discovery- 1. The combination, with the main shaft turning in bearings of the goose-neck, the needle mechanism, the take-up in the head of the machine, and the feed mechanism, the rotary-hook shaft under the work-plate, and the rotary hook mounted on said rotary-hook shaft, of the gear on said main shaft at the standard of the goose-neck, the pinion below it on the rotary-hook shaft, and the intermediate toothed wheel or idler extending from the said gear to the said pinion and meshing with both, the number of teeth on the said gear beinga multiple of those on the said pinion, so that a multiple revolution is given to the said rotary hook through the comparatively large and slowly-revolving intermediate, and the said needle mechanism, takeup,-

and feed mechanism being operated in due relation to the said multiple revolving rotary hook by the said main shaft revolving in the same direction as said rotary hook, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the main shaft turning in bearings of the goose-neck, the needle mechanism driven by said main shaft, the rotary take-u p fixed to and revolving uniformly wit-h said main shaft in the same direction as the feed mechanism driven from said main shaft, the rotary-hook shaft under the work-plate, and the rotaryhook mounted on said rotary-hook shaft, of the gear on said main shaft at the standard of the goose-neck, the pinion below it on the rotary-hook shaft, and the intermediate toothed wheel or idler extending from the said gear to the said pinion and meshing with both, the number of teeth on the said gear being a multiple of those on the said pinion, so that a multiple revolution is given to the rotary hook through a comparatively large and slowly-revolving intermediate, and the said needle mechanism,

rotary take-up, and feed mechanism being volving in the same direction as the said rotary hook, substantially as described.

3.:1he combination, With the main shaft turning in bearings of the goose-neck, the needle mechanism, the take-up, and the feed mechanism, each operated by said main shaft, the rotary-hook shaft under the work-plate, and the rotary hook mounted on said rotaryhook shaft, of the metal gear on the said main shaft at the standard of the goose-neck, the metal pinion below it on the rotary-hook shaft, and the intermediate Wheel or idler with leather or noise deadening teeth eX- tending from the said gear to the said pinion and meshing with both, the number of teeth on the said gear being a multiple of those on the said pinion, so that a multiple revolution is given to the said rotary hook through the comparatively large and slowlyrevolving leather-toothed intermediate, and the said needle mechanism, take-up, and feed mechanism being operated in due relation to the said multiple revolving rotary hook by the said main shaft revolving in the same direction as said rotary hook, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the rotary takeup, and the presser-foot and presser-bar, and the adjustable or shifting thread-guide for said take-up, of the bent lever or bell-crank havmg its horizontal arm connected with the presser-bar and its vertical arm carrying the said thread-guide at the lower end thereof, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the main shaft mounted in bearings of the goose-neck and turning away from the operator, the needle mechanism driven by said main shaft, the rotary take-up fixed to and revolving uniformly with said main shaft in the same direction thereas, the feed mechanism driven from said .main shaft, the rotary-hook shaft under the work-plate, and the rotary hook mounted on said rotary-hook shaft, of the gear on said main shaft at the standard of the goose-neck,

the pinion below it on the rotary-hook shaft, and the intermediate toothed idler extending from the said gear to the said pinion and meshing with both, the number of teeth on the said gear being a multiple of those on the said pinion, so that a multiple revolution is given to the said rotary hook, the main shaft being provided with a driving-pulley and the take-up being provided with eccentric-pins for acting 011 the thread, a lower-thread guide near the needle-bar, and an upper thread guide behind the needle-bar, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the main shaft turning in bearings of the goose-neck, the needle-bar driven from the said shaft by a plain crank mechanism, and the gear on said main shaft at the standard of the goose-neck,

of the multiple revolving rotary hook and hook-shaft, the pinion on said hook-shaft having a fraction of the number of teeth on the said gear, and the single idler meshing with both said gear and said pinion and imparting the multiple rotation to the latter from the former, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the main shaft turning in bearings of the goose-neck, the needle-bar driven from said shaft by a plain crank mechanism, and the metal gear on said main shaft at the standard of the goose-neck, of the multiple revolving rotary hook and hook-shaft, the metal pinion on said hookshaft having a fraction of the number of the teeth on said gear, and the single idler meshing With both said gear and said pinion and imparting the multiple rotation to the latter from the former, substantially as described. In testimony whereof we have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Ol-IAS. H. WILLCOX. JAS. E. A. GIBBS. \Vitnesses to signature of Chas. I-l. \Villcox:

PHILIP .MAURO, O. J. HEDRIOK. Witnesses to signature of Jas. E. A. Gibbs- C. P. BOWMAN, E. ALEXANDER.

Images