US783060A - Buttonhole-sewing machine. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED FEB. 21, 1905.

D. MILLS. BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9.1896.

4 SHBETS-SHBET l.

M ATTORNEYS 5 9 .1V L 2 R E F D E T N E T A S L L T M D 0 6 m 0o 00 .l m N BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9,1896.

WITNESSES: @f/ #MZ M ATTORNEYS,

PATENTED FEB. 21, 1905.

D. MILLS.

BUTTONHOLB SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9,1896.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR W1. ATTORNEYS No. 788,060. PATENTED FEB. 21, 1905.

1). MILLS. BUTTONHOLB SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9,18%.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WITNESSES:

INVENTDR flM f C M 42.2 4 cmr lmfl u- M ATTORNEY$ UNITED STATES Patented February 21, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL MILLS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE STANDARD SEWING MACHINE COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A

CORPORATION OF OHIO.

BUTTONHOLE-SEWING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,060,

dated February 21, 1905.

Application filed November 9, 1896. Serial No. 611,485.

all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, DANIEL MILLs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buttonhole-Sewing Machines, of which the following description, taken in connection with the drawings herewith accompanying, is

I a specification.

This invention relates to buttonhole-sewing machines; and it consists of additional improvements to the construction illustrated and described in my former Letters Patent, No. 408,500, issued to me August 6, 1889.

The improvements in the present instance relate more particularly to the mechanism for communicating a vibrating or to-and-fro movement to the work-carrier in a direction transversely to the length of the buttonhole, whereby the sides of the latter may be stitched as the work-carrier is moved in a direction lengthwise of the buttonhole, and to the further means acting in combination with such vibrating mechanism, whereby the width of the center or cutting space between the sides of the buttonhole and the width or depth of bight of the stitching may each be regulated.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of amachine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a plan View of a portion of the bedplate and the mechanism supported thereon for communicating a longitudinal and vibrating movement to the work-clamp, the latter also being partly broken away. Fig. 3 represents a plan view of a portion of the bedplatein section and a part of the feeding mechanism for communicating the longitudinal movement to the work-carrier. Fig. 4c is a detail view, in side elevation, of certain connected parts to be hereinafter referred to; and Fig. 5 is a planview of the former cams and yoke, also to be hereinafter referred to.

To explain in detail, a represents the arm of a machine; a, the bed-plate;a the needle-bar, and a the needle.

At the front end of the machine and upon the bed-platethereof I have located a plate 6,

plate 7),

- follows: An

work held thereby relative to the stitching mechanism for the sewing of a buttonhole. The work clamp or carrier for the purposes of my present invention may be of any suitable construction to properly hold the work to be operated upon, but which, as herein shown, consists of a lower plate 7/, which is supported to slide upon the plate 6 between the undercut side walls of the latter, as more clearly shown in Fig. l, and an upper plate b ,supported to have a downward pressure upon the so as to clamp the work held between the same. The means for holding the said upper plate 6 against the lower plate 5 of the work-holder are omitted from the drawings as not forming part of my present invention; but the same is clearly illustrated and described in my pending application bearing Serial No.

599,804. The work-holder is adapted to be operated to receive its transverse or to-andfro movementacross the path of the needle and at right angles to the path of movement of the shuttle by its supporting vibrator-plate 7), which latter to be capable of receiving such movement is pivotally secured at one end upon the bed-plate at 72 and at its opposite end is transversely slotted, as at 72*, to receive a headed screw U, by which latter the plate is guided and held from vertical movement.

The mechanism for vibratingthe plate 7), and thereby the supported work-holder, is as elbow-lever c is pivotally supported at 0 upon a suitable fixed stud or hearing on the bed-plate, with one arm thereof having connection with suitable operating mechanism, as will be described, and its other arm, 0 extending in a direction substantially parallel with the vibrator-plate b and having connection therewith through the medium of a connect-ingpitman 0 By this arrangement of parts it will be understood that as the elbow-lever c is operated to vibrate its arm 0 the connected vibrator-plate b will be vibrated therewith through the medium of the pitman 0', and in order that the length of vibrations of said vibrator-plate and supported work-holder may be regulated so as to vary the width or depth of bight of the stitch I have provided the lever-arm c with a curved slot 0 for the adjustable connection therewith of the pitman 0 As herein shown, I have mounted an adjustable stud c in the said curved slot 0', with which the end of the pitman 0 is connected, and have described the radius of said curved slot from the center of the connection of the pitman c with the vibrator-plate I) at 0 In this manner it will be understood that as the stud c is adjusted in the slot 0 a greater or less distance from the pivot of the lever c the movement of vibration of the plate 5 will be increased or diminished accordingly, and thereby enable the operator to produce buttonholes of any desired width of bight. The particular means as shown for securing the adjustable connection between the pitman c" and the lever-arm 0 may be more or less modified without departure from my invention. For instance, the arm 0 in lieu of having the slot 0* therein might be provided with a raised rib thereon and the end of the pitman be adjustably connected with such rib. The second arm, 0 of the lever 0 is provided with two substantially parallel arms 0 a", pivotally connected at one end therewith, as more clearly shown in Fig. 2, which arms are each held in a normal movable position with their inner edges against a fixed stud 0, located upon the arm 0 as more clearly shown in section in Fig. 4:, by means of a spring 0 which connects at its opposite ends with the said pivoted arms to draw the same toward each other and against the said stud o. The lever c is operated, as herein shown, by means of a lever (Z, which is pivotally supported upon the arm of the machine between two lugs (0 a thereon, with one end provided with an elongated slot 61', as shown in Fig. 2, having an adjustable stud 6Z2 secured therein for extending between the pivoted arms 0 0 to engage with the same, and its outer end being provided with a pivotally-connected rod (Z which extends loosely within the tubular end of a second lever d to serve as a connection through which movement is transmitted from the latter to' the lever (Z. This second lever (Z is pivotally supported upon the arm of the machine at a, with one end connecting with the lever (Z, as described, and its other end provided with an antifriction-roll d thereon, which extends and operates within a camgroove (not shown in the drawings) formed in the inner face of a spur-gear (Z which latter is mounted upon the end of the arm a and operated from a second gear (Z which is secured upon the upper driving-shaft of the ma chine, as shown in Fig. 1. By this arrangement of parts, it being understood that the cam-groove in the spur-gear (Z 5 is of the proper form to give the engaging lever (Z a vibrating movement, the vibrator-plate b, with the supported cloth-clamp, is caused to receive its vibrating or to-and-fro movement across the path of the needle from the upper drivingshat't of the machine through the several connections, as described. The particular connection between the lever 65 and the lever 0 through the medium of the yielding arms 0 c, as described, is adapted to provide for the different lengths of vibration of the lever c as regulated by the former-cams in makingbarred buttonholes, as well understood by those skilled in the art and as will be hereinafter referred to.

I will now describe the mechanism by which the position of the work-clamp is changed or adjusted to cause the opposite sides or edges of the buttonhole to be stitched, the end of the buttonhole to be barred, and the width of the center or cutting space between the two lines of over-stitching constituting the sides of the buttonhole to be regulated.

Upon a fixed vertical stud 6, located upon the bed-plate of the machine, is a controller comprising a loose sleeve 0, having mounted thereon two former-cams a" 6 located one above the other with a space between the same, as more clearly shown in Fig. 4:. These former-cams, as in my said prior patent, No. 408,500, are in two concentric diameters, one portion being in one radius, 0 and the other portion in another radius, a, the two portions, as herein shown,each being united by an abrupt step These former-cams are arranged with their larger diameters immediately over each other, as more clearly shown in Fig. 4.

A slotted bar or yoke f, which I will term the former-yoke, has connection at one end with the said fixed stud c" on the elbow-lever 0 in a manner as will be described and adjacent to its opposite end is provided with an elongated slot f therein, so as to embrace the said stud 0 upon the bed-plate of the machine at a point between the two former-cams e e and be capable of a longitudinal sliding movement relative to the stud 6 when operated by its connecting-lever 0. Two stop-fingers f are pivotally secured at one end upon the upper and lower sides, respectively, of the former-yoke f, as more clearly shown in Fig. 4, with their free ends extending in a normal laterally-movable position in a direction in line with each other and across the axis of rotation of the former-cams. When the lever c is operated to vibrate upon its support, as described, the connected formeryoke f is caused thereby to reciprocate in a direction across the axis of rotation of the former-cams, in which direction the pivoted fingers f f thereon extend, as described, and cause the ends of the said fingers to alternately engage with the former-cams to limit the movement of the lever 0, and thereby regulate the length of vibrations of the connected work-clamp, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. The ends of the stop-fingers act upon the two concentric diameters of the rotating former-cams while the sides of the buttonhole are being stitched and until the end of the buttonhole is reached, at which latter time the former-cams have moved from the position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, where the upper and lower fingers are acting upon the larger and smaller diameters of the upper and lower cams, respectively, to a position, as shown in "Fig. 5, where the two fingers Wlll act upon.

the smaller diameters of the cams, so as to give the increased length of vibration to the work-clamp required for barring the end of the buttonhole. This latter operation of barring the buttonhole continues during the time the two jaws are acting upon the smaller diameter of both cams and until the latter have been turned sufiiciently to present the larger diameter of one cam to its engaging jaw f while the other cam continues to present its smaller diameter or radius a to its engaging jaw, which change of the cams causes the work-holder to be shifted to bring the other side of the buttonhole into position to be stitched, as will be understood. In order that the cam-engaging fingers or jaws may yield in case they are in the path of the step e on the former-cams during the rotation of the latter, so as to avoid interfering with the movements of said cams, the fingers are pivotally secured at one end upon the yoke f, as before described, with their free end yieldingly held in a normal position against a stoppin f located on the yoke f, by means of a springf", arranged to act against the same, as shown. By this arrangement of the fingers f the ends of the same will yield in case of the engagement therewith 0f the steps 6 on the former-cams and resume their normal position at the next vibration of the'yokef.

It will be understood that the object of employing the two former-cams is to enable the same to be adjusted for forming buttonholes with either barrel or rounded ends; butIdo not wish to be understood as confining myself to the use of two former-cams, as a single one may be employed, if so desired, without departure from my invention.

The former-yoke f, as herein illustrated, is connected with the stud 0 on the elbow-lever 0 in a manner as follows: As more clearly shownin Fig. l, the said yoke f is provided with an enlarged opening therein having an inner tapering wallf through which opening the stud 0 extends. Upon this stud c and having a screw-threaded connection therewith is a sleeve it, having an outer tapering surface to conform to the wall of the opening in the yoke f and engaged therewith. By this arrangement of parts an adjustable connection is secured between the yoke f and lever 0 whereby upon adjusting the position of the sleeve /t vertically upon the stud 0 more or less lost motion is allowed between the said yoke and lever. The object of securing such lost motion between the yoke f and 6 5- lever c is to adjust the width of cutting-space between the two rows of stitching forming the sides of the buttonholc. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that when buttonholing soft materialsuch as flannel, for instancethe tension has a tendency to draw the thread in the goods, so that the center space between the rows of stitching will be greater than when sewing material of a harder or firmer texture, and it is to provide for such difference in material, so as to prevent raveling of the fabric when the stitches are far apart and leaving a raw edge on each side of the buttonhole, that I have provided such adjustment. Then the sleeve if is turned down to its limit, so as to avoid any lost motion between the yoke f and lever 0, the vibration of the work-clamp is so regulated by the former-cams that just sufficient space is left between the row-s of stitching for the passage of the cutter and is suitable for goods of a firm texture; but when goods of a softer material is to be stitched the sleeve it is then moved upon its stud, as shown in Fig. 4, so as to secure a lost motion between the parts which may be greater or less, according to the texture of the goods. When such lost motion is allowed, the excess length of vibration of the work-clamp is such that the stitches overlap the center line at the descent of the needle a sufiicient distance so that the tension will draw them up to leave only a proper cutting-space. A different construction for a like purpose is also embodied in my said prior patent, No. 408,500.

The different lengths of vibrations of the lever 0 as regulated by the former-cams for stitching the sides of the buttonholes and bar ring the ends of the same is allowed as between the lever 0 and its operating-lever (Z by the pivoted spring-arms 0 0, which forms the connection between said levers, as before described, and allows for the variations in the movements of the same.

The adjusting-sleeve i1, is adapted to be held in a stationary adjusted position relative to the stud 0 by suitable'locking means, which, as herein shown, consists of a screw it, tapped into the end of the stud a and engaging with the end of said sleeve through the medium of an interposed washer b. By tightening the screw b upon the sleeve it it will act upon the latter like a jam-nut to hold the same stationary.

The sleeve 0, upon which the former-cams are secured,may be operated to rotate said cams by any suitable means, the means, as herein shown, being as follows: A gear z' is rigidly secured upon the sleeve 6 and meshes with a second gear i which latter is loosely mounted to rotate upon a stud i projecting from the bed-plate of the machine, and is connected with a ratchet-disk 2, also mounted upon said stud so as to rotate therewith. A lever 2' loosely hinged or pivoted upon the stud 5 as more clearly shown in Fig. 3, and provided with a pawl 1' for engaging with the ratchet t, is provided with a stud 2' projecting its under side in a position to engage with one side of an operating-lever i which latter is pivoted at one end upon the bed-plate at Z" and at its opposite end is provided with a stud 71 projecting downward through an opening in the bed-plate, as more clearly shown in Fig. 1, to a position where it is engaged by a cam j, secured on the lower driving-shaft of the machine. A spring 6 acting upon the lever 7Z holds the same in operative engagement with the lever i and also thereby holds the latter lever in operative engagement with the rotating cam 7'. By this arrangement of parts it will be understood that as the lever i is vibrated by the rotating cam j the lever '11 will also be vibrated thereby and cause its pawl vi to engage the ratchet 71" and give the same a partial rotation and then recede to engage with a preceding tooth of said ratchet. The ratchet '11 being thus rotated communicates a like movement to the sleeve (1 and the cams thereon through the medium of the gears '13 and vi".

The work-clamp for the purpose of my invention, as hereinbefore described, may be operated to slide upon the vibrator b and receive its longitudinal movement in a direction lengthwise of the buttonhole by any suitable means. The means as employed herein and as more clearly shown in Fig. 3 consists of a heart-cam d3, which is rigidly secured upon the same sleeve 0' with the former-cams to be rotated with the latter, and a bar Z;,) shown in dotted outline in Fig. 3,) which is supported to slide on the bed-plate beneath the plate a, secured thereon, and provided with studs F, projecting through elongated openings (0" a in said plate, which studs are provided with antifriction-rolls 70 7c thereon for engaging with the opposite sides of the heart-cam, whereby the slide-bar 7;" will be operated and controlled by said cam to move longitudinally forward, and backward, and thereby give the workclamp its longitudinal movement through the medium of connecting-levers Z5 and 7c. These levers l7 and 7: are pivotally secured upon the bed-plate at Z) and 70 with their outer ends having a slot-and-pin or equivalent connection withthe slide bar K and the lower plate I) of work-clamp, respectively, so as to allow for the their movement in a curved line, as described, from their pivot, and their inner ends are each slotted, as shown in Fig. 2, and connected by an adjustable sliding stud l2. By adjusting the position of this stud 7: in the slot of the lever 7c relative to the pivot of the latterthe throw of said lever will be varied, and thereby adjust the movement of the work-clamp accordingly to make buttonholes of different lengths, as may be desired.

Having thus illustrated and described one practical embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to the particular details of construction and arrangement of parts as set forth, as it will be obvious that various modifications may be made without departure from my invention. What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States,

1. In a buttonhole-sewing machine,the com- ,bination with the work-clamp, of a rotating controller, a reciprocating bar having means for engaging with said controller, means for imparting a vibrating movement to the workclamp, and an adjustable yielding connection between the reciprocating bar and the clamp-.

vibrating means, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a buttonhole-sewing machine,the combination with the work-clamp, of a vibrating lever having an operative connection with said work-clamp and provided with a fixed stud thereon, a rotating controller, a reciprocating yoke having a pivoted stop-finger for engaging with said controller and provided with an opening through which said stud on the vibrating lever extends, and a device supported on said stud in a vertically-adjustable position having a tapering surface for engaging with the yoke, for the purpose set forth.

3. In a buttonhole-sewing machine,the combination with the work-clamp, of a vibrating lever having an operative connection with said work-clamp and provided with a threaded stud thereon, a rotating controller, a reciprocating yoke having a pivoted stop-linger for engaging with said controller and also having an opening provided with a tapering wall through which said threaded stud on the vibrating lever extends, and a sleeve mounted on said stud in a vertically-adjustable position having an outer tapering surface for engaging with the tapering wall of said yoke, for the purpose set forth.

4:. In a buttonhole-sewing machine, the combination with the work-clamp, of a vibrating lever having an operative connection with said work-clamp and provided with a threaded stud thereon, a rotating controller, a reciprocating yoke having a pivoted stop-finger for engaging with said controller and provided with an opening therein through which said threaded stud extends, a sleeve having a screw-threaded connection with said stud and provided with an outer tapering surface for engaging with the yoke, and .means for holding said sleeve in a stationary adjusted position.

5. In abuttonhole-sewing machine,the combination with the work-clamp, of a vibrating lever having an operative connection with said work clamp, a rotating controller, and a reciprocating yoke having connection with said vibrating lever to be operated thereby and being provided with two stop-fingers for engaging with said controller to regulate the movements of the yoke.

6. In a buttonhole-sewing machine, the combination with the work-clamp, of a vibrating lever having an operative connection with said work-clamp, a rotating controller, and a reciprocating yoke having connection with said vibrating lever to be operated thereby and being provided with two pivotally-supported stop-fingers thereon for engaging with said controller to regulate the movements of the yoke.

7. In a buttonhole-lsewing machine,the combination with the work-clamp, of a vibrating lever having an operative connection with said work-clamp, a rotating controller, and a reciprocating yoke having connection with said vibrating lever and being provided with two pivoted spring-controlled stop-fingers for engaging with said controller, for the purpose set forth.

8. In a buttonhole-sewing machine, the combination with the work-clamp, of a rotating controller, a pivoted elbow-lever having one arm thereof operatively connected with said work-clamp, and a reciprocating yoke connected with the second arm of said lever and being provided with two pivoted stop-fingers for engaging with said controller, stop-pins for said pivoted fingers, and springs for movably holding the latter in a normal position against said stop-pins, for the purpose set forth. I

9. In a buttonhole-sewing machine, the combination with the work-clamp, of a controller comprising two rotating former-cams mounted one above the other with a space between the same, a vibrating lever having an operative connection with said work-clamp, a reciprocating yoke connecting with said vibrating lever and operating in a plane between the planes of the said former-cams, the said yoke being provided with a pivoted stop-finger upon its upper and lower sides for engaging with the former-cams, for the purpose set forth.

10. In a buttonhole-sewing machine, the combination of a vibrator-plate carrying the work-clamp, an elbow-lever pivotally secured upon a fixed supporting-stud with one arm thereof operatively connected with said vibrator-plate and its other arm provided with two spring-arms, means for operating said elbowlever through the medium of said spring-arms,

a rotating controller, and a reciprocating device connecting said controller and the said elbow-lever to regulate the movements of the latter, for the purpose set forth.

11. In a buttonhole-sewing machine, the combination of a vibrator-plate carrying the work-clamp, an elbow-lever pivotally mounted upon a fixed supporting-stud and having one arm thereof provided with a curved slot, a pitman having an adjustable connection at one end with said arm in the curved slot therein and having its opposite end connected with said vibratorp1ate,two spring-controlled arms secured upon the second arm of said elbowlever, means for operating said lever through the medium of said spring-controlled arms, and means for regulating the movements of said elbow-lever and the connected clamp vibrator-plate, for the purpose set forth.

12. In a buttonhole-sewing machine, the combination with the work-clamp, of a rotating controller, a reciprocating yoke having pivotally-supported stop-fingers for engaging with said controller and regulating the movements of the yoke, and means for imparting a vibrating movement to said workclamp and having connection with said reciprocating yoke to be controlled thereby, for the purpose set forth.

13. In a buttonhole-sewing machine, the combination with the work-clamp, of a pivoted elbow-lever having one arm operatively connected with said work-clamp through the medium of a connecting-pitman, a rotating controller, a reciprocating yoke connected with the second arm of said elbow-lever to be movable therewith and having a movement inadirection across the axis of rotation of said controller and provided with means for engaging with the latter, means for securing an adjustable connection between said yoke and elbowlever whereby more or less lost motion is secured between the same, and means for operating said elbow-lever.

DANL. MILLS.

WVitnesses:

CHAs. F. DANE, A. L. HAYES.

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