US628227A - Trimming mechanism for sewing-machines. - Google Patents

Description

No. 628,227. Patented July-4, was. w. A; NEELY.

TRIMIING IECHANISI FOR SEWING IACHINES. (Application fl led. Aug. 15, laa.

-(M Model.) 2 Sheets--Shast l.

\pg I H 1- If 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. NEELY, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE WVHEELER dc WILSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

TRIMMING MECHANISM FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SIECIFIOATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,227, dated J uly 4, 1899. Application filed August 15, 1893. Serial No. 688,647. (No model.)

'To aZZ whom it Jnay concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. NEELY, of Lynn, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Trimming Mechanism for Sewing-Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and figures on the drawings representing like parts.

In some classes of Work, notably boot and shoe Work, it frequently happens that a folded edge is to be stitched upon material underlying it and the free edge of the underlying material is to be cut off substantially in line with the folded edge. The apparatus 'to be herein described has been especiallyde'vised for doing this class of trimming, and owing to the peculiar construction and location of the parts it is possible to trim the free edge at a point more or less within the line of the folded edge, this being especially desirable in connection with shoe-tops.

In this invention the cutter-carrying bar is arranged to slide in guideways in an angular direction transverse to the line of direction of the seam being stitched or the feed, such location enabling the blade to pass under the folded edge referred to. To cooperate with this folded edge, I have arranged an edge-gage which contacts with the folded edge between the cutter-blade and the operator, the cutting edge of the blade reciprocating in a plane outside of the acting face of the said gage, so that under no circumstances can the cutting edge of the blade meet and mar the folded edge of the material, which is often finished leather. The edge gage is spring-pressed, so that it may bear upon the surface which is to be removed by trimming and may yield to any variation in thickness thereof, and this edge-gage is so pivoted that no amount. of pressure of the folded edge against it will tend to lift or displace the edge-gage. The bar carrying the cutter-blade has connected to it an operating-link which is attached to an elbow-lever driven by a rockshaft which may be slid longitudinally in a suitable bearing, so that a roller or other stud carried thereby and entering a hole in said elbow-lever may be moved to enter a groove in a cam on the main rotating shaft of the machine to thereby reciprocate the said bar, or by a movement of said rock-shaft longitudinally in the opposite direction, which may be done at any moment, the said roller or other stud may be removed from the influence of said cam, and the cutter-bar and its cutter, as well as the edge-gage, may be lifted entirely from the Work, leaving the sewing parts to operate without any interfer ence with either of the same. This provision of withdrawing the knife and gage from 0perative position temporarily is essential in many classes of work being done.

I believe myself to be the first to employa cutter-bar having a blade adapted to be reciprocated in an inclined plane transverse to the direction of feed, and also I believe myself to be the first to so combine with such a cutter-bar and blade an edge-gage which may be put into its inoperative position when the cutter-bar is thrown out of action, and hence this invention is not limited to the exact devices herein shown and described, butI may .employ instead any other usual or equivalent devices having the same method of operation.

Figure 1, in side elevation, represents a sufficient portion of a well-known sewing-machine with my improvements added to enable my invention to be understood, the presserfoot being shown in its elevated position, but with the blade of the cutter and its edge-gage in their operative positions. Fig. 2 is a detail taken from the rear side of Fig. l, chiefly to show the cutter-blade, its carrying-bar and the edge-gage, and means for operating said bar, said figure also showing part of the presser-foot and with material thereunderin position to be sewed and trimmed. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail to the left of the line as, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail showing the elbow-lever and the means for operating it. Fig. 5 shows the rock-shaft, its arm having a stud entering said lever, and a second lever, which is withdrawn from the cam.' Fig. 6 shows the lower end of the bar with its attached blade or cutter and a folded edge lying on, it may be,a shoe-lining which is to be trimmed away simultaneously with the stitching operation. Fig. 7 is adctail of the blade. Fig. 8 is a partial plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 6, it alsoshowing the edgegage in position against an edge of the material, the figure showing the line of stitches and the line in which the underlying material or lining is cut. Fig. 9 is a detail showing part of Fig. 2, but with the blade and gage elevated in their inoperative position above the work-plate. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the throat-plate, and Fig. 11 a sectional detail thereof to show the blade-passage.

The bed-plate A, the overhanging arm A, the needlebar A having an eyepointed needle a, the presser-foot A shown as a roller, it beingcarried by a vertically-movable presser-bar, the take-up A, the tension A the main shaft A in the overhanging arm and deriving its motion from the pulley A fast on the said shaft, and the links A connected with said shaft and extended downwardly to the double cranks of the lower shaft for actuatingthe stitch-forming mechanism located below the bed-plate and completnental to the needle-bar and needle, are and may be all substantially as represented in the wellknown Wheeler & Wilson sewing-machine on the market, so that said parts need not be herein further described.

The upper side of the overhanging arm A supports a stand B, which receives a hollow rock-shaft B, (see Fig. 5,) having fixed to it atone end an elbow-lever B a depending arm of said lever having a hole B (see Fig. 5,) while the other or longer arm of said lever receives a stud-screw B, which is sn rround ed by the upper end of a link E the lower end of which in turn surrounds a pin or projection [5, extended from a collar B fast on the bar 13 to which is attached the blade or cutter B The hollow rock-shaft 13 receives through it a shaft C, having at one end an arm or disk C, provided, as herein shown, with a stop-pin C, it serving to limit the sliding motion of the said rod C in the hollow rockshaft B.

The rod C is reduced in diameter near one end and is thereby left with a shoulder C against which bears one end of a spring C so that said spring normally acts to move the said rod in the. direction of the arrow thereon in Fig. 5.

The outer end of the rod 0 has fixed upon it an arm C, having a stud G which enters the hole B in the short arm of the elbow-lever B and said arm also has at its lower end a roller or other stud G which may enter the cam-groove in the hub 0 attached to the main shaft A, said stud when in said groove causing the arm C to be vibrated and through the stud C in thehole of said elbow-lever vibrating the elbow-lever and reciprocating the blade-carrying bar B to effect the trimming of the work; but whenever it is desired to put the said blade and bar in their inoperative position the attendant has merely to push the rod 0 in the rock-shaft in a direction opposite the arrow thereon, such movement removing the rolleror other stud C out from the groove of the cam, and immediately thereafter a spiral or other spring C acts to move the said arm 0 and elbow-lever to the right into the dotted -line position, Fig. 2, leaving the elbow-lever and the bar and blade at rest. To again start the trimming mechanism into operation, the operator merely presses upon the projection or handpiece D, extended from the disk or arm C, which turns the said rock-shaft in opposition to the spring 0 bringing the roller or other stud C in line with the cam-groove before actuating it, when the spring C immediately acts and causes said roller or other stud to enter said camgroove.

As herein shown, the under side of the arm A has suitably bolted to it a frame D", it being located at one side of the same and extended diagonally toward the line of scam and feed, said frame being provided with suitable bearings D and D, in which is free to slide the bar B before described.

The bar B has a second collar D provided with an extended pin D which enters a slot in the upper end of an elbow-lever D fulcrumed loosely on a screw-stud D", said stud being passed through a slot (1 in said lever, a spring (1, connected to the upper end of said lever and to the bearing D, serving to keep the upper end of the slot in said lever upon the upper side of the stud-screw.

The short arm 2 of the elbow-lever D receives the edge-gage 3, it being held in adjusted position therein by a set-screw 4, and the spring d keeps the acting end of said edge-gage normally 'pressed in a yielding manner upon the surface of the material which is to be trimmed from underneath the folded part. sired that the end of the gage should bear upon the material to be trimmed off then the set-screw 5 (see Fig. 1) may be turned so that its inner end acting against the elbow-lever D will limit the descent of the gage under the spring d.

During the reciprocations of the rod B and the trimming of the material through the devices described the stud D slides up and down in the slot of the elbow-lever, but does not turn the said elbow-lever-upon its fulcrum, the stud-screw D Whenever, however, it is desired to remove the blade of the cutter and the edge-gage from operative position-as, for instance, while some other part of the work is being stitched which it is not necessary to trim-the operator, as hereinbefore described, throws the lever B out of operative position with relation to the cam C, and in such position the said elbow-lever through the link B pulls the bar B upwardly diagonally in its bearings D D", and at the same time the stud D in a slot of the elbowlever acts upon the end of said slot and raises the elbow-lever with its edge-gage, the slot (1 In case, however, it is not de-' in the lower end of said elbow-lever at such time sliding on the fulcrum D The slot dis so shaped that the elbow-lever D carrying the edge-gage, may rise to enable the edge-gage to adapt itself to the thickv ness of the material under it without removing the edge-gage laterally away from the folded edge e of the material lying on the part 6 on or above which the edge-gage rests or travels.

The slot 02 is so shaped that when the lever D is in its operative position and the acting part of the edge-gage bears against the folded edge of the material being stitched to the material e to be trimmed no amount of pressure of the said folded edge against the edge-gage will move it laterally away from the line of seam. The curve in the lower end of the slot at as the lever D is fully elevated gives a quick lateral movement to the lever and to the edge-gage, so that the latter is removed entirely from the path of the needle-bar as the latter continues to operate the stitch. It will be noticed that the needle-bar reciprocates in a vertical plane and that the bar B carrying the blade B reciprocates in an inclined plane at one side the line of seam and in a plane transverse to the direction of the feed and the direction of the seam being sewed, so that said blade is free to work under the edge e, as represented in Fig. 6, and cut off the lining or other material a to which the said edge is being stitched, leaving the said out edge substantially inside of the line of the edge.

To enable the blade B to be reciprocated in its transverse position, it becomes necessary to change the slot in the throatplate through which the blade reciprocates.

Figs. 10 and 11 show the throat-plate al having the needle-hole d, feed-passage 01 and slot in which moves the spring-controlled sliding block (i said block closing one side of the slot in which the blade of the cutter acts. Herein I have beveled the acting edge of said block at that side toward the needlehole and have also beveled the under side of the throat-plate next the acting end of said block, so that I have formed a diagonal or inclined passage in which the said blade may work.

The shank of the blade B has a slot 6 which is entered by suitable set-screws a, threaded into an adjustable knife or blade support 6 said knife-support having at its upper end a block (2, slotted to receive the rather small shank of the set-screw e said set-screw attaching the block and support in an adjustable manner to the lower end of the bar B The inner side of the block 6 has a groove ables the block and the blade to be moved with relation to the bar in order that the pointed end e of the blade and its cutting edge just above it may correctly enter the slot in the throat-plate and not bind therein in any adjustments of the throat-plate for closer or wider trimming, such adjustments being well understood.

The stud 13", extended from the collar B fast on the bar B is extended through a forked guide f, herein shown as secured to the guide-frame D by suitable set-screws f, said stud working in said guideway preventing any rocking motion to the bar in its reciprocation and insuring the proper position of the cutting edge of the blade. The guideways so formed receive through them a suitable clamping-screw f the rotation of which enables any wear to be compensated for. The edge e may be a folded edge.

Having fully described myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a sewing-machine, the following instrumentalities, viz: stitch-forming mechanism, a work-support, feeding mechanism to move said material over said work-support, a reciprocating trimming-blade, means to support said blade in a diagonal position in a vertical planeat one side of and transverse to the line of feed and of stitching, and a throatplate having its under side shaped to cooperate with said inclined blade and form a second member of the trimming mechanism, substantially as described.

2. In a trimming mechanism for sewing-machines, an edge-gage standing above the material to be removed by a trimming-blade, said edge-gage serving to guide the edge of the material from under which projects the edge of other material to be trimmed,a reciprocatingtrimming-blade, means to support said blade in a diagonal position in a vertical plane transverse to the line of feed and of stitching, combined with a thr0at-plate beveled at its under side to receive said inclined blade, to operate, substantially as described.

3. In a trimming mechanism for sewing-machines, a reciprocating trimming-blade, combined with an edge-gage, a lever carrying said edge-gage and presenting its acting end above the material to be trimmed, and means to automatically move said lever when the blade is put into its inoperative position to thereby lift the said edge-gage and at the same time move it laterally away from the line of stitching, substantially as described.

4. In a trim min g mechanism for sewing-machines,a reciprocating trimming-blade,means to support said blade in a diagonal position in a vertical plane at one side of and transverse to the line of feed and of stitching, combined with a throat-plate beveled at its under side to receive said inclined blade, to operate substantially as described.

5. In a trimming mechanism for sewing-machines, a bar having an attached blade, cooperating means against which said blade may act to trim the material, a guide for said bar to keep it in a diagonal position at one side the line of stitching and feed, means to reciprocate said bar in said guide transversely to the line of stitching and of feed, and an edge-gage, a lever upon which it is mounted, and means between said bar and lever to cause said lever and gage to follow said bar into its inoperative position when it is desired to place the cutter-bar and gage out of action, substantially as described.

6. In a trimming mechanism for se\\'i11gmachines, an edge-gage connected with a slotted lever, a fulcrum for said lever, and a spring to keep saidleverseated on said fulcrum, substantially as described.

7. Inatrimmingmechanismforsewingmachines, an edge-gage secured to an elbow-lever provided with a slot, a fulcrum for said lever, a spring to keep said lever seated on said fulcrum, the junction of the gage with the lever being so located that lateral pres sure upon the edge-gage may be resisted by said fulcrum, substantially as described.

8. In a trimming mechanism forsewing-machines, an edge-gage, an elbow-lever to carry it, said elbow-lever having a camslot at its lowerend, afulcrum for said elbow-lever, said fulcrum being extended through said camslot, means to sustain said fulcrum,and means coacting with said elbow-lever to adjust the same to regulate the position of the edge-gage with relation to the material underlying it and to be trimmed away, substantially as described.

9. In a trimming mechanism forsewing-machines, an edge-gage, an elbow-lever having a cam-slot near its lower end, a fulcrum for said elbow-lever, a spring to retain said elbowlever seated on said fulcrum, said elbow-lever having at its upper end a slot, combined with a reciprocating bar carryinga trimmerbar, said bar having a stud entering the slot at the upper end of said elbow-lever, whereby when said bar is elevated into itsinoperative position,.said stud, acting in said slot, will elevate the elbow-lever and its attached edgegage causing the cam-slot at its lower end to travel on said fulcrum and move the edgegage laterally at the same time it is elevated, substantially as described. I

10. In a trimming mechanism for sewingmaehines, a bar, a guide to hold said barin a diagonal plane at one side of the line of scam and direction of feed, a support for the blade, said support being adjustably attached to the lower end of said bar, and a blade adjustably secured to said support, combined with a throat-plate, an edge-gage, and means to reciprocate said bar in a diagonal path transverse to the direction of feed and of the seam being sewed by the stitch-forming mechanism, substantially as described.

11. In a sewing-machine, the combination with a vertically-reciprocating needle, of a trimming-knife which is inclined relatively to the vertical plane and sidewise to the seam, or the direction of the feed of the work, a tliroatplate cooperating with said knife and means for reciprocating the said knife in the direction of its length; whereby the edge of the lower layer of two superposed layers of material being sewed together may be trimmed off within the edge of the upper layer.

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

WILLIAM A. NEELY.

\Vitnesses:

GEO. W. GREGORY, EMMA J. BENNETT.

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