US31203A - Improvement in sewing-machines - Google Patents

Description

UNTTED STATES PATENT @Trina FRANCIS D. BALLOU, OF ABINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T() HIM- SELF AND J. L.`NASH.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEWING-MACHINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS D. BALLOU,

`'of Abington, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machines for Sewing on Boots and Shoes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specilication, in which- Figure l represents a side elevation of that portion of the sewing-machine constituting my invention, showing in red lines a portion ofthe upper, outer sole, and welt in the position to be operated vupon by the awl and needle when the shoe is inverted or the sole is uppermost in the machine. Fig. 2 is a front view of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a top view of Figs. l and 2 with the parts in the same relative position with each other as in the preceding figures. Fig. 4t represents` an ordinary boot or shoe. Fig. 5 is a view of the pressure-bar of Figs. 1, 2, and 3, opener, and revolving disk, showing their relative position when the sole of the shoe is down or in an opposite position to that' in Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures above referred to.

The drawings do not represent the needle nor the awl nor any of the devices for formin g the stitch, as these several parts to be claimed may be used with any suitable sewing mechanism for carrying waxed thread. This invention does not refer to the devices for forming any particular stitch, but to devices for presenting the work to the awl and needlein a proper manner for stitching the welt to the outer sole.

This invention is also closely connected with my present patent of January 10, 1860, for making sewed boots and shoes, where the welt is stitched to the upper previously to'putting on the outer sole, then the outer sole is stitched to the welt from the outside of the shoe or boot by my present improvements, and it is for the purpose of perfecting the operation of making stitched boots and shoes by machinery.

The object of my improvements in making stitched boots or shoes by sewing mechanism is to hold the work down on the table or bedplate of the machine as near the awl and needle as possible, and to keep the channel formed on the outside of the outer sole open, so that the seam will follow closely in this channel, that the raised lip of the channel may be pressed down after the shoe is iinished and present aneat appearance, as if the stitching had been done by hand. It further provides for stitching the shanks of the boot or shoe, in which operation the work can be presented to the awl and needle with great facility; and it provides for keeping the upper back from the needles, and for guiding the channel to receive the same through the machine, and for sewing light and heavy, large or small work, all as will be hereinafter described and represented.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully understand my invention, l will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

1n the drawings, A represents the bed-plate or table of the machine, the front end of which is curved out, as represented by the drawings, Fig. 3, for the purpose of bringing the work up close under the needle and awl,(which latter parts are not shown,) for stitching the Shanks of the boot or shoe from the points a to b of Fig. 4. On therounded end ot' table A is secured a curved plate,B,with a lip, c, projectin g up from it a suitable distance, against which lip is placed the edge of the upper during the operation of sewing in Fig. 1. rlhis lip serves to press back the upper to prevent the awl or needle from coming in contact with it. The curved plate or guard B is bent a short distanceoutfrom the curvededgeofthetable, forniing a throat for the purpose of allowing the awl'and needle to pass freely down between this plate and table. By changing the plate B and using others of different thickness it is intended to use them as gages for determining the space required between the upperleather and the row of stitching that is made through the welt and outer sole when the work is presented to the machine with the sole uppermost. Above this curved plate B, and held in suitable guides, is a vertical rod, I), which may be acted upon by a spring, if necessary, l diately precede the awl, so that the awl will carrying ou its lower end two adjustable footpieces, C G', the inner one, Gf, being straight and parallel with the rod D, and the outer one, C, is slightly bent inward or toward that lettered G. rllhese shoes are both bent forward, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and have their lower edges parallel with the surface of table A. The shoe G is placed directly over the lip c oi' plate B, while the shoe C is directly over the outer edge of a revolving disk, E, as shown by Fig. l. These two shoes C C are intended to hold the work down tirmly upon the movable disk E and lip c of plate B,- so that in the upward motion of the awl and needle they will not carry the work with them. They rest on each side ofthe seam and press upon the welt and edge of the outer sole, that projects out from the upper of the shoe. The outer shoeplate,tC, serves a twofold purpose, and besides holding the work down it is intended to gage the work, so that the awl and needle will follow in thechannel previously eut near the edge of the outer sole. It thus serves to determine the space required between the upper-leather and the row of stitching made through the welt and outer sole when the shoe is presented to the machine with the sole down. These foot-pieces are made adjustable for the purpose of adapting the ends that rest on the work to the differ ence caused by the size of the welt, there being-much difference in the ,size of the welt used, and by loosening the screw d the pieces may be adjusted to suit any kind of work.

For diiferent-sized shoes or boots, and when the stitching varies in its distance from the edge of the sole or from the upper, a shoeplate C of a different width, must be used. The curve shown by Fig. lis given to this plate C, so that its lower edge may be brought as close to the upper as possible, so that the seam may have a strong hold on the welt and outer sole.

In front of the shoe-plates C C', and projecting up a suitable distance above the disk E,upon which the outer sole rests, is a pointed bar, G. In Figs. l, 2, and 3 this. point is shown turned down; but in Fig. 5 it is shown in operation, the point of which serves to open the channel that is previously cut round the outside and near the edge of the outer sole. This point is kept in such a channel, and as the'work is fed up to the awl and needle the channel is opened and kept open by the said point, so that both the awl and needlelwill pierce the leather through this channel, and the stitches will be sunk or drawn tightly into the channel, so that when the shoe is finally stitched the lip or raised portion of the leather of the channel can be fitted down in a neat and perfect manner, as in the case of handstitched work. It will be seen that this opener G will further serve to guide the work up to the sewing devices. The opener should im medescend and pierce the hole through the bottom of the channel, and not to one side and then another. This opener G is used when the welt is uppermost in the machine, and when the foot-plate G is against the upper to hold it back from the awl and needle; but when the shoe is turned over or inverted and the sole is uppermost an opener, G', similar to G and serving the same purpose, is used. The opener G is then turned down out of the way or removed from the machine. The lip c of plate B then serves to hold the upper out of the way of the awl and needle, Fig. l, and the foot bar or rod .D holds the work down on the table while the awl and needle perform their work, both of which work between the foot-plates O and C. f The circular plate or revolving disk Eserves, in its relation to the above-mentioned parts, to allow the work to pass freely from the awl and needle, for, as the work must be held down hard upon the table on account of its peculiar character, a fixed surface for it to pass over would cause the work to draw and twist, and it would be very difficult to control the correct line for receiving the stitch; but this revolving surface, in connection with the guides and opener and presser foot or plates, will greatly facilitate the movement of the work up to and from the awl and needle. By using these devices with the ordinary awlfeed wax-thread sewingmachine, in which a belaying double-loop stitch77 is formed, the work must be reversed in some cases, so that the single thread will be in the channel of the outer sole and the double thread or stitch on the welt. This is done for light work.

The operation of myinvention may be brieiy described as follows: In the operation, Fig. 5, the upper of the boot or shoe is held (commencing at the point a, Fig. 4) against the foot O, the outer sole resting on the lip c, and the circular disk E, with the opener G, placed in the channel previously cut in the outer sole. The foot-plates are adjusted by screws, so as to rest on the welt. The welt and outer sole are their stitchedtogether in the usual man ner of sewing with the awl-feed wax-thread sewing-machine.

In operation, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the upper leather of the -boot or shoe is held (commencing at the heel at a) against the lip @,with the Welt resting on the top of this lip and the circular plate E. The ends of the foot-plates C C are adjusted as required, restingon the outer sole of the shoe. The opener G is placed in the channel, as described for G', and the welt and outer solo are then stitched together in the usual manner of operating the awt-feed sewing-machines.

Having thus described my invention and improvement in sewing-machines for carrying wax-ed thread,whatl claim, and. desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

- in shown and described.

V foot-pieces C C, arranged as and serving for `the purposes set forth 1. The construction of the presser D with justable foot-plates@ C with the curved plaie separately-adjustable foot-plates C Cf, as here- B, openers G Gf, and disk E, in the manner herein shown and described. 2. The Curved bearinmplate B with its lip T i e, in combination with tube presser-bar D and FRABQIS- D' BALLOU' Witnesses:

FREEMAN l?. HOWLAND, ISAAC C. HOWLAND.

3. The arrangement of the separately-ad-

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