US527288A - Sewing-machine - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 4 Sheets$heet 1.

J. B. PRICE. SEWING MAGHINB.

No. 527,288. I Patented Oct. 9, 1894.

No Model.) -4 Sheets-Sheet 2. A

- J. B. PRICE.

SEWING MACHINE.

No. 527,288. Patented Oct. 9, 1894.

a mmimnn mum Q lli iii

(No Model.) 4 sheets Sheet; 3. J. B. PRICE.

SEWING MACHINE.

No. 527,288. Patented'Oct. 9, 1894.

nonms warms co PNOY a. WASNINGTUN o c [No Model. 1 t 4 Sh1aets8heet 4. J. B. PRICE. SEWING MACHINE.

No. 527,288. Patented Oct. 9, 1894.

m: Mnnms PETERS co, PNGTOLITNQ. WASHINGYON. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN 13. PRICE, OF WOLLASTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGN OR TO OSCAR ELSAS, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

SEWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 527,288, dated October 9, 1894.

Application filed September 16, 1892. Serial No. 446,079. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN B. PRICE, of Wollaston, county of Norfolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Sewing-Machines, of which the following description, in .connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to simplify and improve that class of sewing machines employed for uniting the ends of piece goods for dyeing, &c. p

In my improved machine, the eye-pointed needle above the cloth, and the complemental stitch-forming mechanism below the cloth derive their step-by-step or feeding movement across the cloth by or from'flexible drivers preferably in the form of sprocket chains connected to the independent carriages, in one of which carriages theneedle bar, and in the other of which the complemental stitchforming mechanism works, both said flexible drivers deriving their movement from a com: mon actuator or shaft. Preferably the actuating mechanism for the flexible drivers will be so constructed as to enable the carriages referred to to be quickly drawn back into their normal or starting position after the completion of each seam. The seam which I prefer to make is of the class known as a 1ap-seam, and to insure parallelism of the edges of the overlapped cloth to be stitched, Ihave devised and combined with the work-support of the machine a novel. cloth'cutting device operating to out the cloth transversely while clamped and before the stitching of the seam has been started. This cloth cutting device comprises ablade, and an arm having a foot and connected to acutter-head, thelatter being provided with an operating rod. The blade works in a longitudinal groove in a bar 10- cated along one edge of the work support and constituting a part of theclamping mechanism and a clamping bar havinga longitudinal slot to guide the cutter-head, co-opcrates with said grooved bar to clamp together two edges of the material to be stitched,

all as Iwill proceed now more particularly to set forth and claim.

I By arranging the cloth cuttingmechanism or device .at one edge of the work support and parallel to the line of stitching to be made, it is possible to put one broad piece of cloth in position on the bed-plate with its selvage edges substantially at right angles to the line of the seam to be made, and then to put the free end of that piece of cloth into the clamp together with the end of the other piece of cloth to be stitched to it, the other piece of cloth lying over the clamping bar. When the two ends are in the position described, they may be-cut oif while the ends of the cloth are in contact, thus leaving two straight and parallel edges, so that when the clamp is again opened, the operator merely takes the end of the piece of cloth hanging in the two pieces uniformly'in the line of operation of the stitch-forming mechanism.

Figure 1, in front elevation partially broken away centrally to shorten. the same, shows a sewing machine embodying my present invention. Fig. 2 is a partial vertical section en larged looking to the right of the line m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa sectional detail showing the gearingfor rotating the needle-bar actuatingshaft. Fig. 4-. is a detail of the clutch to ro tate the actuating shaft intermittingly; Fig.

5, a detail showing one of the two like sprocket 1 wheels about which run the flexible drivers at the left-hand end of the machine, viewing Fig.1; Fig. 6, a detail of the needle-bar-carriage, to show the end of the flexible driver connected to it; Fig. 7, a detail of thecomple mental stitch-forming device shown on a smaller scale in Fig. 1, said figure showing but partof the carriage with the plate attached to it carrying the loop detainer; Fig. 8, a moditied form of complemental stitch-'forming'device; Fig. 9, a detailof the cloth cutting do vice detached; Fig. 10, anunder side view of 7 the loop detainer enlargedtogether with the bar; Fig. 11, atop view of the hook andloop' guard; Fig. 12, a detail of the stop lever and arm '1 Fig. 1 3, shows the roll-controller detached. Fig 14:, shows part of the hub f in section with its spring pin. Fig. 15, shows the two pieces of cloth lapped one on the other to be stitched; Fig. 16 to 18, details of the clamp.

Fig. 19, is a detail showing part of the car being set upon suitable legs or stands A This frame-work is of peculiar shape, as will be described, and has guide-ways A A see- Fig. 2, to receive respectively the sliding carriages 0,, b, the former carrying the needle-bar a, and the latter, the complemental stitch- 2 5 will be adjustably secured to the carriages by screws, as b 6 best shown in Figs. 1 and 8,

the contacting faces of the gibs and carriages being made wedge shaped or beveled as in Fig. 8, so that by turning the screws b in one hereinafter described and after opening the frame-work has suitable bearings for a main or power shaft B, provided with a suitable fast and loose pulley B, B and for suitably 1 rotated shafts B B The main shaft has fast upon it a gear 13 which engages respectively the gears B and 13 fast respectively on the shafts B and B", the latter shafts being rotated from the .gear Bi the shaft'B see Fig. 1, having, however, attached to it by a suitable set screw 07 a collar w said collar said shaft during the reciprocation of the carriage b. The shaft B has a like collar @0 to i prevent it from sliding longitudinally.

The shaft 13 is grooved longitudinally, as

at a to receive a spline a", see Fig. 3, connected, to a toothed gear a surrounding said part of the carriage a, so that as thesaid carriage is moved longitudinally, as will be described, the said geara. is slid upon the shaft The gear 1 a? meshes with and rotates a gear a4, fast,

B1 and is rotated in unison with it.

upon a. .needle-bar-actnating shaft a, said riage a, and having at its front end suitable or usual cams, links, or devices, to reeipro- 1 cate vertically a needle-bar a, having atits 1' forming mechanism to be described which 00- operates with the needle to form a stitch. These carriages a and b'will in practice have at one edge a'gib b of a shape to fit the guidef ways referred to, and preferably these gibs or the other direction, as may be necessary, the gib may be adjusted longitudinally with rela-- tion to the carriage with which it co-operates to take upany lost motion or wear between the carriages and the grooves in the frame-work in which they slide in operation, withdrawal 1 of the gib after withdrawing the shaft as preventing longitudinal, movement of the lower end. an eye-pointed needle or, provided with a thread or. acted upon by a suitable tension device a and taken from a suitable spool a on a suitable stand a.

The carriage b has suitable bearings to surround the shaft B and between portions of the carriage, but feather-keyed to said shaft B, is a cam b which while it is rotated by the shaft B is free to slide longitudinally thereon, said cam receiving in its groove a suitable roller or other stud 2 connected toa lever 12 pivoted at its lower end upon the said carriage. n W l The lever 19 actuates the stitch-forming mechanism complemental to and cooperating with the needle 01. to form a stitch.

The under stitch-forming mechanism or complemental stitch-forming mechanism may moving and co operating with it a loop-guard 0', also fastenedto said lever, said guard having a projection to enter a slot in the lever, the guard being soldered to one part of the lever. This hook enters the loop of needle thread when moved to the right viewing Figs. 1 and '2', and holds said loop while the needle rises, the said hook being suitably shaped at its under side to carry the loop of needle thread entered by it to the left when the hook is moved in that direction to retire from the loop, the movement of the hook to the left,'viewing Figs. 1 and 7, aiding in spreadchain by the right and left hand nut 43 enabling a carriage to be readily removed. The a ing the loop for the entrance into it of the needle at its next descent through the material. The guard c has a projection 0 which, as the free end of the hook c retires from the loop of needle thread, enters said loop and in. the further movement of the hook to the left carries the loose loop along with it and leaves the said loop at the front end of the loop detainer i, see Fig. 10, said 100p detainer being ICO a narrow plate located at one side of the needle hole 15 in the plate a portion, as t, of the said detainer crossing the said needlehole. The detainer shown in Fig. 10 is adapted for use in a machine having two needles carried by the same needle bar, one of the arms projecting forwardfrom the portion 25 co'operating with the loop of needle thread taken from one. needle. The needle i descends close to the edge of 15 said edge shaft loosely, said gear being embraced by a serving to arrest the new loop of needle thread as the hook in its movement to the right, ente-rsand spreads said loop. This loop .detainer also serves the purpose usually served by the throat plate, but herein said detainer is fixed to and so as to move with the; carriage b during the stitching operation, shaft. being mounted in bearings in the carsaid detainer traveling belov. the slot between the work supporting plates 9 and g senses In Fig.8, the carriage b has attached to it by screws 6, a shuttle race-plate 6 adapted to receivea suitable shuttle carrier 6 in which rests a shuttle a provided with thread, and the under stitch-forming mechanism, shown in Fig. 8, may be quickly substituted for the under stitch-forming mechanism shown in Figs 1 and 7, as a single or a double thread stitch is desired, that depending upon the particular work to be done. To effect this change, I first withdraw the screw w to loosen the eollarw on the shaft B, then take out the screws 6, remove the screw forming the pivot for the lever b and draw the shaft 13 laterally out from the cam b such movement of the shaft permitting the saidcam to be removed from the carriage. This done, I supply to the carriage a cam 201 and a lever 200 to be actuated by it, and put the shaft back through the said cam and fasten the collar. These two carriages a, b, are independent each of the other and each slides upon its own guides or tracks, but to sew properly these independent carriages must be moved in unison across the cloth, their movement being greater or less according to the length of the stitch to be made.

The carriage a, has connected to it in suitable manner the opposite ends of a flexible driver f, while the carriage b has in like manner connected to it the opposite ends of a flexible driverf, these drivers, for the best results, being preferably in the form of sprocket chains deriving their movement from sprocket wheels f f respectively on an upright shaft f sustained in suitable bearings in the part A of the frame, said flexible drivers passing around like sprocket wheels f only one of which is shown in Fig. 5,. suitably mounted on suitable studs supported by the frame-work at or near, in this instance, the left-hand end of the machine. In order that the step-by-step or feeding movement of these carriages may be measured to a nicety according to the length of stitch desired, I have provided a feed device to co-operate with the upright shaft f and this feed device is preferably of the variety known as a friction clutch feed, which I will now describe. The shaft f has fast upon it a suitable hub f shown best in Fig. 4 cut away at suitable intervals to form pockets f for the reception of suitable rolls or balls f each preferably acted upon by a pusher f shown as a rod,

acted upon by a suitable spring f The pockets are of varying depth and the hub f is surrounded by a ring f having an earf which is connected operatively with a slidebar f having a frame f inside of which rotates the cam f fast on the driving shaft B, the rotation of the said shaft and cam reciprocating the frame f 15 and rod f to cause the ring f to be moved in one and then in the opposite direction, the movement of the said ring in thedirection of the arrowin Fig.

4, causing the said rolls f to be carried into the smaller portions of the pockets f", the

springs f keeping the said rolls in contact with the hub and the ring, so that the rolls forced into the pockets serve to grasp frictionally the hub f and effect the rotation of the upright'shaft f 4 and its attached sprocket wheels, the sprocket chains moving the carriages carrying the st-itch-formin g mechanism.

By the employment of a friction clutch feed in connection with the sprocket wheel shaped to actuate the flexible drivers, I may effect just the proper length of, feed and may accomplish much better work than though a screw were used to efiect the relative change of position of the stitch-forming mechanism and the work-supporting plates g, g.

'The machine has'been provided with a stop rod 7' jointed at one end to an arm r of a rock shaft r extended horizontally to the rear of the frame and provided, see Figs. 2 and 12, with a second crank arm r secured thereto by a pin 7*, said arm being bifurcated at its outer end for the reception of the lower end of the stop lever r pivoted thereto at'r, the upper end of said lever having an open notch, see Fig. 12, to embrace a feed-regulating de vice '1' shown as a screw turned into the bar f said screw being also passed loosely through the ear f, the rotation of said screw to withdraw it increasing the distance between the outer or free end of the bar f and the washer r on the said screw. The greater this distance the less the length of stitch, this being due to the lost motion, for it will be obvious that the washer r, the farther it is distant from the end of the bar f, the less distance it will move the ring in thedireetion opposite the arrow in Fig. 4. The stop lever during the stitching operation is moved with the bar f a spring r surrounding the said bar acting to keep the ear f against the upper end of said lever. The rod 7" has clamped upon it, see Figs. 1 and 19, a collar r shown as split and as having a screw r by which to tighten it in place on said rod. As the carriage b completes its movementin the direction of the length of the seam, or to the left viewing Fig. 1, it strikes the said collar and moves the rod 0" longitudinally, causing it, acting on armr of. rock-shaft 0' to turn said rock-shaft and with it the slotted stop lever T the latter being moved laterally away from the rod f connected to the reciprocating frame J said rod being passed through the ear f of the clutch ring f of the clutch feed. After the removal of the stop lever r away from the rod f, all further movement of the ring will be stopped, and consequently the feeding movement of the carriages carrying the stitch forming mechanism will be arrested. This withdrawal of the lever creates so much lost. motion as to suspend or stop the rotation of the shaft f and consequently the feeding movement of the carriages a and b. A spring 36 acts normally to throw the stop lever toward the feedregulating device. The seam having been completed, it is desired to draw the carriages a and 19 back quickly to their starting point. To do this I have provided a roll controller 8, see Figs. 2 and 13, said roll-controller consisting'of a ring-like plate surrounding thenpper squared or slabbed end of said shaft,

' this rotation of said shaft in its backward direction enabling the sprocket wheels thereon through the sprocket chains toquickl-y draw back the carriages a and b without actuating the stitch-forming mechanism to form stitches. The hub f of theclutch has two spring supported pins 31, one only shown, see Fig. 14, and theunder side of the roll-controller has four conntersinks as 32,. see Fig. 13, made in pairs, and these two pinsenter one or theother' of the countersinks of each pair according tothe position in which the operator leaves: the-roll-controller.

The stop lever has at its-lower end a pos itioning screw 33, the inner side of the: head of the said screw being kept in contact with the arm r by a spring 34 when. the said stop lever is disengaged from the feed-regulating device This screw and spring act to keep the stop lever in proper upright position, so that when the rod '1" is to be moved to efiect there-engagement of the stoplever with the feed regulating device a the carriages having been returned into their normal positions, the re-engagementmaybe effected accurately.

The cloth to be stitched together rests on the work supports g, g, parallel plates, with a space, see Fig. 2, between them for the needle tomove in,the plate g being attached to abar 9 in practice connected at each end to suitable ears of the frame-work by set.

screws 9 The outer face of the bar 9 is shown as provided with a longitudinal groove for the passage of a blade h, see Fig. 9, and an arm it having a foot h said arm being connected to a cutter-head h attached to a *rod h said cutter-head being guided in a slot h in a clamping bar h having arms 72/ attached to-a rock-shaft h mountedin suitable bearings in the frame, sai l rock-shaft having other arms h connected by links h with :arms h of a second rock-shaft it having a handle-h, the turning of which enables the clamp frame tobe moved toward or from the outer side. of the bar 9 as when theends of the cloth are to be. clamped to be cut trans. versely by the knife, or to be opened to remove. the trimmed cloth. and overlap their ends t0. be stitched, as represented inthe detai-l Fig. 15, the ends previously trimmed straight, being substantially parallel.

In the modification Fig.8, the-shuttle faceplate has a throat plate n.

The carriageahas a suitable presser-bar n and attached foot n The needle thread will and may in practice have co-operating with it any usual tension device or slack thread-controller or take-up.

The arm A at its left-hand end is shown as steadied by a strut n pivoted at n on a part of the frame-work below the arm A When the strut is turned down as in dotted lines Fig. 1,. the cloth with its ends stitched together may be removed from the machine.

. In preparing the cloth for sewing, the end der thevarm A from the rear side of the machine, and laid down over the outer edge of the bar 9 theclamp bar h being'then away from it.

The end of the other pieceof cloth will be led from the front of the-machineover the clamp bar h and the clamp closed on the two ends, the cutter-head being in place in thesloth with the knife h at the left of the bar h viewing Fig. 1. The operator will grasp the rod h and draw thecutter-head to of one piece will be led intothe machine un- J from the rear, and both pieces are moved slightly to the rear to bring the parts to be stitched together, in correct position under I the needle.

It is preferred to hold the cloth. stretched in about the lineot' seam during the stitching operation, and to effect this,.I haveprovided two clamps 10,10, each composed of jaws acted upon by a suitable spring 37' to keep pins, at the ends of the jaws, inthe cloth,vthe said pins entering suitable holesas 38, in the plates 9, g, as shown in the detail Fig. 16.

The jaws referred to are jointed to blocks IEO 39 suitably grooved at their sides toembrace the edges of and slide in the space between theplates g, g.

For connecting the chains to thecarriages,

I prefer, as shown in Fig. 6, to provide each carriage with adjustable screw studs 40, one shown in Fig. 6, to which the end of the chain will be secured by a screw or rivet 4-1 when the stud has been properly adjusted. .To

enable the chains to bekeptta-utl prefer to provide each chain near the middleof. its length with a right and left-hand threaded nut 43 to engage screw studs as 44, 45,join.ted to thechain sections. See Fig. 20.

This invention is not limited to the exact form of clutch device to rotate the shaft f intermittently, as instead I might employ any other usual or suitable devices to impart to the said shaft'a step-by-step movement.

The loop detainer t, the shape of which is best shown in Figs. 1, 7 and 10, is attached to the under side of a short plate I? mounted upon ears t 15 of a block i secured to the upper end of the carriage b, said ears being shown but partially in Fig. 7, the main body of the carriage and block being broken away to save space on the drawings. The plate 25 is of a width to substantially fillthe space between the edges of the plates g, g and serve as a support for the under side of the material on which rests the presser-foot. The plate t is provided with a needle hole, but said needle hole is elongated, this being necessary owing to the fact that the stitch-forming mechanism and said plate travel across the goods, the loop detainer t in this my invention detaining the loop as required and letting the thread play in the long slot if in the throat-plate, this plan obviating the needle puckering the goods when a chain stitch is being made.

I desire it to be understood that the needlebar may carry one or more needles if desired, and the hook be duplicated so as to make simultaneously one or more rows of stitches.

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

1. In a sewing machine for sewing together the ends of pieces of cloth, it containing the following instrumentalities, viz:a stationary Work-support, clamps connected therewith to engage two pieces of material near the selvage edges thereof, and hold the same in place while the ends of the material are be ing stitched together, two parallel rotating shafts B B gearing to connect the same, a needle bar having a needle, a carriage in which said needle bar is mounted, a rotating shaftin said carriage and connected with and 1 adapted to reciprocate the needle bar, a second carriage located below the work-support, a device therein to engage the loop of needle thread in the formation of a stitch, a cam carried by said carriage movable therewith and adapted to be rotated by the shaft B independent guide-ways for said carriages, a flexible driver for each of said carriages, a driven shaft with which said drivers are connected,and from which they derive motion, a main shaft, and adjustable connections between the said main shaft and driven shaft whereby the motion of such driven shaft may be varied to aifect the length of stitch, substantially as described.

2. In a sewing machine, a work support; clamps to hold in place on said support the material, the ends of which are to be stitched together; a carriage provided with a needle bar; a needle therein a carriage provided with stitch-forming mechanism complemental to the needle; guide-ways for said carriages; and two flexible drivers, one connected with each of said carriages, combined with a shaft havsaid drivers, and a friction clutch device applied directly to and adapted to rotate said sprocket wheel shaft, substantially as described.

t 8. In a sewing machine, thecombination of a carriage adapted tosupport and move part of the stitch-forming mechanism, guid e-ways in which said carriage travels and means to take up wear between said carriage and its gulde-ways consisting of a beveled portion of the carriage next adjacent one of such guideways and an adjustable gib interposed between the said beveled portion and the guide- ,way next adjacent thereto, substantially as described.

4. In a sewing machine, a work-support, a-

carriage provided with a needle-bar, a needle there1n,a needle-bar actuating-shaft mounted in bearin gs in said carriage, a shaft 13 groovedlongitudinally, a movable toothed gear splined to said shaft, connections between said carriage and gear whereby the latter moves with the former, a toothed gear on the needle-baractuating-shaft in mesh with the movable toothed gear, a carriage provided withstitchforming mechanism complemental to the needle, guide-ways for said carriages, and two flexible drivers, one connectedwith each of said carriages, combined with a shaft having sprocket wheels to engage and actuate said drivers, a clutch applied directly to said sprocket Wheel shaft, and means for actuating said clutch and thereby rotating said shaft, substantially as described.

- t 5. In a sewing machine, a work-support, a

I carriage provided with a needle-bar, a needle therein, a needle-bar actuating-shaft mounted in bearings in said carriage, a shaft B grooved ing sprocket wheels to engage and actuate longitudinally, a movable toothed gear splined to said shaft, connections between said carriage and gear whereby the latter moves with the former, a toothed gear on the needle-bar actuating-shaft in mesh with the movable toothed gear, a carriage provided with stitchforming mechanism com plemental to the needle, and including a lever mounted on said carriage, a cam to actuate said lever, a rotating shaft on which said cam is splined loosely and capable of longitudinal movement, guideways for said carriages, and two flexible drivers, one connected with each of said carriages, combined with a shaft having sprocket wheels to engage and actuate said drivers, and a clutch applied directly to said sprocket wheel shaft, and means for actuating said clutch and thereby rotating said shaft, substantially as described.

6. In a sewing machine, the following instrumentalities, viz:a work-support; clamps to hold in place on said support the material to be stitched; a carriage provided with a needle bar; a needle in said bar; a carriage provided with stitch-forming mechanism complemental to the needle; guide-ways for said carriages; two flexible drivers, one connected with each of said carriages, an upright shaft, as f provided with two sprocket;

wheels to impart motion to said flexible drivclutch, and a stop lever, combined with devices actuated by one of said carriages to effect the release of said stop lever and thereby ar- 7 rest the movement of the clutch, substantially stitch-forming mechanisms, of the work-holdas described.

.7. In a sewing machine, the stitch-forming mechanisms, and slidable carriages upon which they are mounted, drivers for such carriages, the shaft f and means to connect the said shaft and drivers, the hub f onsaid shaft, a surrounding ring, a series of rolls between the ring andhub, a bar, as f, provided with a feed-regulating device, and devices to reciprocate said bar, combined with a I a stop-lever normally in operative position with relation to the said feed-regulating device during the sliding operation of the car riage, and means for moving the stop lever out of operative connection with the feed regulating device,substantial1y as described.

8. .The combination, in a sewing machine, of a work-support having a longitudinal space for the operation of the stitch-forming mechanism, cloth-cutting mechanism consisting essentially of a bar located along one edge of a the work-support and parallel to the line of stitching, and provided with a groove for the passage of the cutting blade, a clamping bar adapted to cooperate with said grooved bar to clamp together transversely the two ends 1 of two pieces of material to be stitched, and I having a slot to guide the cutter-head,;a cutiter-head, a blade thereon and a connected foot, the blade being adapted tocut the cloth' transversely while held in the clamp to thus insure uniform overlapping of the material ,to be stitched preparatory to the stitching operation, substantially as described.

9. In a sewing machine, the combination with the upper and lower complementaling plates separated from one another in the plane of movement of the stitch-forming mechanisms and having holes along their parallel edges, combined with the cloth clamping and stretching devices consisting of spring-jaws supported upon blocks movable in the space between the plates and supported by such plates and having pins to engage the holes in such plates, substantially ,asdescribed.

10. In a sewingmachine, the stitch-forming mechanisms and slidable carriages upon which they are mounted, drivers for such carriages and the driving shaft'ffi'and its cooperating clutch actuating devices, said de- 'vices including a feed regulating device made as a screw, combined with a stop-lever, an :arm onwhich it is pivoted, and a positioning screw and spring, as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN B. PRICE.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. GREGORY, M. J. SHERIDAN.

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