US1145092A - Thread-drawing machine. - Google Patents

Description

C. R. SWAIN.

THREAD DRAWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. a. 1909.

Patented July 6, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEETI WITNESSES C. R. SWAIN.

THREAD DRAWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. a. 1909.

Patented July 6, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2;

WITNESSES.

C. R. SWAIN.

THREAD DRAWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED ,FEB- 3. 1909 Patented July 6, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3- WITNESSES CHARLES R. SWAIN, 0F RICHMDND HILL, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSTGBL ll/IE'N'IS, T0 FISHEB-THREIAD DRAWING MACHINE CQMEANY, A GUFREGRATIQN WEST VIFGINIA.

nil-races.

THREAD-DEAWING MACHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 3, 19%. Serial Ho. 475,765.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, CHARLES R. SWAIN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Richmond Hill, county of Queens, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Thread-Drawing Machines, of which the following is a description.

This invention relates to mechanism for' curacy; to provide a combination of elements which, in their cooperation, produce drawn workwhich cannot be distinguished from hand-drawn work after the hemstitching and spoke-stitching operations have been completed on the fabric; to provide a combination of thread-deflecting, thread-cutting, feeding and presser-t'oot mechanisms, which, in their cobperation, handle the work with certainty and positiveness and which obviate the necessity of guides or other special devices for guiding the work and controlling it as it passes through the machine; and to provide in the combination just mentioned certain specific features of construction of the several mechanisms which cooperate to 'produce the functions of the machine. 4

With the above objects in view, and 0thers which will be detailed during the course of this description, my invention consists in the elements, features, mechanisms, and combinations of elements and mechanisms as hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I have provided drawings wherein:

Firgure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a topplan view of the mechanism below the clothplate, the latter being broken away to show the parts; Fig. 3 is a plan viewof the workplate at one end of the machine showing in top-plan the presser-foot, ledger-blade and filling plate; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 showing also the rotary cutter and a portion of the feeding mechanism below the work-plate; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing in top-plan the same parts as the latter figure, but with the presserfoot removed, and in consequence, disclosing the teed-dogs; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the rotary cutter and its support; Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of the presser-toot on the line 77 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 8 is a side elevation and cross section of the thread-deflecting blade.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the bed or work-plate of the chine, which supports the top frame com posed of the vertical standard 2 with the overhanging arm 3, having at its outer end the head 4, in which operate the presser-bar 5 and the thread-deflecting or drawing blade-bar 6. The overhanging arm has journaled therein the rotary driving-shaft 7, on one end of which is the drive-pulley and balance wheel 8, and on the other end of which is the actuating-crank 9, pivotally connected to one end of a link 10, which in turn is, at its other end, pivotally connected to a block 11, clamped to the blade-bar 6, which carries at its lower end the thread drawing or thread-deflecting blade 12. This blade is formed into a sharp, penetrating point 13 and on one side is provided with a series of teeth made, see Fig. 8, so as to pro vide a sharp point 14, for picking up or engaging a warp or weft thread, as the case may be, from which point an oblique wall 15 ascends to junction with a vertical wall 16,

thus forming a crotch 17. The points 14: are

Patented July 8, Y

spaced apart laterally, so as to give the blade a taper on that side and to locate them so that they will engage successive, parallel threads toa width corresponding to the lateral distance between the first and last point.

Each point catches one or more threads, which slide up the inclined wall 15 into the crotch 17 and are then carried down through the work-plate and drawn, thus leaving short lengths dangling or depending to be cut off, as presently described- The oblique walls 15 are not sharpened, but are rounded or dulled so as to not break or snap the threads after deflecting the same, instead of cutting said threadsbefore deflecting. The head also supports the resser-bar 5, in the manner usual in sewing machines, which is springcontrolled and capable of being lifted by a hand-lever in precisely the same manner as in the ordinary sewing machine, and as this structure is very common it has been deemed unnecessary to illustrate the same.

' The lower end of the bar 5, carries a presser-foot, see Figs. 3, 4 and 7, the shank 18 of which is fixed to the bar in any suitable way, said shank having the two parallel arms 19, to each of which is connected a foot or pad comprising the flat, clothclamping portion 20 and two, vertical, parallel bars 21, between which one of the arms 19 is inserted and to which latter the pad is loosely connected by. means of pins 22, extending transversely through the arms 19 of the shank and the bars 21 of the foot,

.the latter being provided with vertical, elongated slots 23 in which said pins freely play. The normal, depressed position of the pads on the shank-arms is maintained by means of a leaf-spring '24, which is curved longitudinally and set between the shank-arms and the top surface of the pad 20, between the parallel bars 21 thereof. Hence, when the presser-bar is allowed to descend so'as to bring the pads or feet into cooperation with the feed-dogs of the feeding mechanism, said pads or feet will cooperate yieldingly with said feed-dogs in addition to, and independently of, the yielding pressure imparted to them by means of the usual coiledspring surrounding the presser-bar having the normal tendency, as in sewing machines, to force the presser-foot upon the workplate. The special function of the inserted springs is to enable the feed to yield relatively to the presser-bar or relatively to the arms of the shank, and relatively to each other, so that, when the foot is depressed against the material and the feed-dogs-cooperate therewith, the clamping action of the feet and feed-dogs is yielding while there is an independent, relatively yielding movement between said feet and dogs. is important in connection with fine fabrics,

such as muslins, lawns, and the very fine linens which are usually made into handkerchiefs, and in connectlon with varying thicknesses of work.

Viewing Fig. 3, it will be seen that the right-hand pad or foot is made with a widened inner portion 25in the rear and a narrowed portion 26 in front, making the shoulder 27, and that the left-hand pad ,or foot is provided with the widened inner portion 28 in front and the narrowed portion 29 in the rear, making the opposing shoulder 30, the two shoulders being separated a short distance and leaving between them a small space 31, through which the deflecting-blade 12 reciprocates. Each pad or foot along its outside is formed with the widened portion meepea This 32. By forming the pads or feet in this manner, the fabric is held flat and smooth all around the point of penetration of the blade and, as the blade goes down into the fabric, the latter is prevented from being distorted, and as the blade rises from the fabric the latter is prevented from being drawn up, the adjacent portions of the two pads or feet, around the space or opening 31, operating as a stripper.

The work-plate has set therein two separate throat- plates 33 and 34, the inner edges of which, see Fig. 5, are separated to leave a transverse slot between the two, in which are set the filling-plate 35, and the ledgerblade 36, the latter being beveled from its top to its bottom so as to provide a cutting edge 37, and said plate and blade being arranged in alinement with their adjacent ends separated the same distance as the two shoulders of the presser-feet are separated, for the purpose of continuing saidopening 31 and allowing the free reciprocation of the blade through the work-plate. Each of the throat-plates is provided with a wide outer slot 38 and a narrow inner slot 39, the several slots being arranged in parallelism and extended transversely of the said plates and of the machine These slots receive the several portions of the feed-dogs, which operate therethrough into cooperation with the resser-feet and the intervening portions 40 of each of the throat-plates constitute a bar which supports the workand which enters the slot between the two parts of the feeddog when the latter is projected through the throat-plates for the purpose of feeding the work as presently described. The fillingplate is made adjustable longitudinally on the work-plate by enlarging the end 41 thereof and longitudinally slotting the same at 42 for the passage of a clamping-screw latter being countersunk at 44 to receive said enlarged end 41 and permitit to be adjusted therein,- the filling-plate surface being flush with the work-plate surface. The ledger:

ioo

blade 36 is arranged in the work-plate in'v the countersink 45, and provided with an enlarged end 46, having a slot 47, through which is passed a clamping-screw 48',- tapped into the work-plate, all precisely as the filling-plate. Each throat- plate 33 and 34 is provided with a solid portion 49, next to and paralleling the filling-plate and ledgerblade. By loosening the clamping-screws,

the filling-plate and ledger-blade may be adjusted to proper position so as to make the opening, for the thread-drawing blade between the two, larger or smaller as the case may be, or to maintain the same of a uniform width should the ledger-blade be reduced in len h by sharpening the same to keep an edge t ereon.

The feeding mechanism is, generally inaaoea speaking, of the four-motion type and comprises the rock-shaft 50, journaled at its opposite ends in brackets of the cloth-plate and provided at its forward end with the two crank-arms 51 arranged in parallelism and each carrying a grooved, pivoted shoe 52, receiving a feed-bar 53, the said bars being arranged in parallelism and connected at their opposite ends to and by a pin 54: to a crank-arm 55, carried by a rock-shaft 56, journaled at its opposite ends in brackets of the work-plate. Each of the feed-bars carries a dog, which is fixed thereto in any-suitable way, each dog being provided with a wide bar 57 and a narrow bar 58, the upper surfaces ofwhieh are serrated and which. operate, respectively, through the wide and narrow slots of the throat-plates. The rockshaft 50 is driven by the yoke 59, fixed thereto between its ends and actuated by an eccentric 60, fixed upon the cutter-shaft 61, which is journaled to rotate substantially in the center of the bed of the machine in bearings 62 thereof, there being three bearings for I said shaft, one at the rear end, one substanat the forward end. Said cutter-shaft also carries a pinion 63, fixed by its collar thereto, which meshes with a gear 64, provided in its face with a cam-groove, not shown,in which. runs an anti-friction roll, not shown, carried by a pin 65, set in the crank-arm 66 on one end of a short rock-shaft 67, journaled in a hanger 68, secured to the bottom of the work-plate, a crank-arm 69 on the other end of said rock shaft which is grooved longitudinally for the reception of an anti-friction roll carried by a pin 70 on one end of a link 71, the other end of which. is pivotally connected to a crank 72, carried by the feed rock-shaft 56. This mechanism is of the usual type for imparting the longitudinal reciprocation to the feed-dogs with such variations in the length ,of said reciprocations as may. be produced by adjusting, in vthe ordinary manner, the pin 70 onthe link 71 longitudinally of the vibratory grooved arm 69. The eccentric and yoke-arm 59 give to the shaft 50 a'rock- .1

ing motion, which, through the crank-arms 51, carrying the shoes 52, supporting the feed-bars 53, imparts to the latter the vertical rise and fall, thus securing the usual four motions of the now well-known four-motion feed. Further details of this feed-actuating mechanism have not been illustrated, since my invention does not reside in the details of construction, but in its combination with the other cooperating elements 'of the thread-drawing mechanism. An important feature of my invention resides in the duplex character; of this feeding mechanism and the cotiperating presser-foot mechanism, since, by makin the feed-dogs independent and the feet in ependent, I am enabled to two may have a perfect cooperation.

obtain a relative yielding movement between the two sets of devices for the purposes previously stated; locate the dogs and feet on opposite sides of the path of reciprocation of the thread-drawing blade; separate the dogs to allow space for said blade and for the rotary cutter, presently described, to operate in; provide a work-support and clampingefoot at practically every point around the thread-drawing point; and absolutely insure the stripping of the work from said blade, provide a positive but yielding clamp for the work, prevent the work from being dragged through the work-plate at any point, compel the work to be fed evenly on opposite sides of the thread-drawing line, and insure the production of a straight line of thread-drawing.

The cutter-shaft 61 is caused to rotate through links 73 connected thereto at their lower ends and driven at their upper ends by eccentrics 74 carried by the main-shaft 7 in the usual manner. The forward end of the cutter-shaft has fixed thereto, see Figs. 2 and 6, the cutter-carrier 75 to the outer end of which is pivotally connected the cuttersupport 76, by means of the screw or headed pin 77, the said cutter-support being provided with the opposite lugs'78, through which are tapped adjusting-screws 79, between the inner ends of which is arranged the extension of the cutter-support 76. By manipulating these screws,'the cuttersupport can be adjusted on the carrier to regulate the position of the cutter-blade 81 relatively to the ledger-blade 36, so that the The upper end of the cutter-support is elongated, as shown, and thereto is adjustably fixed the shank of the cutter by means of the clamping-screws 82, which pass through elongated slots 83 in said shank and are tapped into the carrier.

The cutter comprises the shank and the bladeportion 84, arranged at an angle thereto, the forward edge of which is inclined and beveled from its bottom to its I top to provide the cutting-edge 85. A pilot or'horn 86 is carried by the cutter-blade at its forward end and-preferably at one extreme side, the same being formed integral therewith and being given a longitudinal perfect shearing action as said cutter-blade ispassing under and in contact with the ledger-blade. Primarily, the outer-blade can be adjusted on its .carrier, by screws 82, so as to place the same in substantially the correct cooperative relation with the ledgerblade and, after this first adjustment has been made, or if at any time the proper adjustment should be lost, the cutter-blade can be adjusted into proper cooperative relation with the ledger-blade by simply manipulating the two adjusting-screws 79, cooperating with the short end 80 of the supporting-lever. The rotary cutter operates in the space between the two feedbars and below the slot between the two throat-plates, and directly under the fillingplate and ledger-blade, and, consequently, between the two feed-dogs, this making a simple and compact arrangement producing a perfect balance of the mechanisms and accurate handling of the work, since the latter is engaged by the yielding feet and the positively actuated feed-dogs on opposite sides of the point or line of penetration of the thread-deflecting blade and engaged with equal pressure all around said point of penetration, thus avoidingany possibility of distorting or dragging the work; and when the rotary cutter cooperates with its ledger-blade, itv engages the dangling threads which have been deflected or drawn downwardly by the blade, so that, if the cutter should become dulled in operation, the drag on the work would be against an equal pressure all around the cutting point or point of cooperation of the two blades. The disposition of the parts shown is also such that there is a perfect feeding cooperation between the presser'feet and the feeddogs resulting in feeding the work properly in a perfectly straight line across the workplate, thus maintaining a straight line of thread-drawing during the operation of the machine without the aid of guides or other auxiliary devices, and rendering it easy and simple for the most inexperienced operative to handle the fabric and present it to the machine for the thread-drawing op erations.

From the foregoing detailed description, the mode of operation will be readily understood from the following: Motion being imparted in any suitable way to the driving-shaft through the medium of the pulley, the blade-bar 6 is caused to vertically reciprocate. The fabric having been placed on the work-plate in proper position under the presser-foot and the latter lowered into clamping contact, the feeding mechanism will operate in the usual manner to feed the fabric from front to rear or transversely of the machine during the reciprocations of the blade. The blade-point will penetrate niaaoea the work and, as it descends, its teeth or points will catch the warp or weft threads,

as the case may be, and the latter will be carried into the crotch of each tooth of the blade and then downwardly deflected and drawn through the work. The blade then ascends and, as it leaves the cloth-plate, the rotary cutter sweeps around and engages the dangling threads extending between its cutting-edge and the edge of the ledgerblade and cuts the same off close to the bottom surface of the work with a smooth shearing action. The feed then takes place by the dogs rising through the slots in the throat-plates and clamping the work against the bottom of the presser-feet, and then moving forward, carrying the work with them for the adjusted distance, whereupon said dogs will descend below the throatplates followed by the presser-feet, which will clamp the work firmly against the solid parts of the throat-plate surrounding the point of penetration of the drawing-blade, the said feed-dogs then moving toward the front of the machine preparatory to rising again for their gripping and feeding action.

Having thus described my invention, what I claimand desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A thread-drawing machine having, in combination, thread-deflecting means; and feeding and presser-foot mechanisms cooperating to advance the work to and from the deflecting means; the presser-foot mechanism comprising a plurality of independent, substantially L-shaped, movable feet disposed so as to produce a centrally-Located opening, and to substantially inclose the area, within which the deflecting means operates, whereby the "fabric is held firmly against stress of said deflecting means; and means for severing the deflected threads.

2. A thread-drawing machine having, in combination, thread-deflecting means; feeding and presser-foot mechanisms cooperating to advance the work to and from the deflecting means; the presser-foot mechanism comprising a bar having a shank pro vided with parallel arms, a foot mounted on each arm so as to have vertical movement thereon, and a spring interposed between each of said feet and its supporting-arm to yieldingly depress the same into engagement with the work; and means for severing the deflected threads.

3. In a machine of the class described, and in combination, means for deflecting the threads from the body of the fabric; means for feeding the fabric; a presser-foot having a plurality of independently movable members of substantially L-shape arranged in overlapped or interlocked relation so as to substantially inclose the area of operation of the thread-deflecting means and prevent intense movement of the fabric; and means for severing the deflected threads.

4. In a machine of the class described, and in combination, a ledger-blade; a fillingplate opposed to said ledger-blade and forming therewith .an open throat; thread-deflecting means operating in said throat; means for feeding the fabric; a presserfoot; and means coiiperating with said ledger-blade to sever the deflected threads.

5. Ina machine of the ciass described, and in combination, means for deflecting thethreads from the body of the fabric; means for feeding the fabric; a ledger-blade; .a filiingplate opposed to said ledger-blade and providing a threat for the thread-defleeting means between the two; means for securing a relative adjustment between said ledger-blade and said filling-plate; a presser-foot; and means coiiperating with said ledger-blade to sever the deflected threads.

' filling-plate 6. in a machine of the class described, and

in combination, means for deflecting the threads from the body of the fabric; means for feeding the fabric; a ledger-blade; a means for adjusting said ledger-blade; means for adjusting said filling-plate to form a threat for the threaddefiecting means between the two; 'a presserfoot; and rotary means cotiperating with said ledger-blade to sever the deflected threads.

therewith to sever the deflected threads.

8. A thread-drawing machine having, in combination, a vertically-reciprocating thread-deflect ng device; a feeding mechanism; a presser-foot mechanism; a divided throat-plate having slots through which the feed-dogs of the feeding mechanism operoperates; a cutter coiiperating with said ledger-blade; and means for actuating the cutter.

9. In a thread-drawing machine, and in combination, thread-deflecting means; fabric-feeding and presser-foot mechanism cooperating to advance the work; thread-cut ting mechanism embodying a rotary cutter; and means for adjusting said cutter diametrically with respect to its axis of rotation. a

10. In a thread-drawing machine, and in combination, thread defiecting means; fabric-feeding andpresser-foot mechanism (30- operating to advance the work; thread-cutting mechanism embodying a rotary cutter;

. and means for adjusting said cutter to and from its axis of rotation.

11. A thread-drawing machine having, in combination, thread-deflecting means; feeding and presser-foot mechanism coiiperating to advance the work relatively to the defleeting means; thread-cutting mechanism comprising a rotary thread-cutter; and a pilot carried by said cutter for maintaining it in its proper operative path.

' 12. A thread-drawing machine having, in

combination, thread-deflecting means; feeding and presser-foot mechanism cooperating to advance the work relativeiy to the deflecting means; thread-cutting mechanism comprising a rotary thread-cutter; a ledgerblade coiiperating therewith; and a curved extension carried at the forward end of said thread-cutter for cooperating with said ledger-blade to compel the proper cotiperative action of the two. i

13. A thread-drawing machine having, in combination, thread-deflecting means; feeding and presser-foot mechanism cotiperating to advance'the worlr relatively to the defiecting -means; thread cutting mechanism comprising a rotary thread-cutter; a ledgerblade cooperating therewith; and means for adjusting said ledger-blade relatively to the path of movement of said cutter.

14. In a machine of the class described,

' and in combination, means -for deflecting threads from the body of the fabric; means.

for feeding the fabric; suitable Presser-foot mechanism cotiperating with said feedingmeans; a rotary cutter to sever the deflected threads; and means for adjusting said cutter angulariy.

15. In a machine of the class described, and in combination, means for deflecting threads from the body of the fabric; means for feeding the fabric; suitable .presscnfoot mechanism coiiperating with said feeding means; a rotary cutter to sever the deflected threads; a pivotal support for said rotary cutter; and means for adjusting said cutter angularly about said support.

16. In a machine of the class described, and in combination, means for deflecting threads from the body of the fabr c; means for feeding the fabric; suitable presser-foot mechanism coiiperating with said feeding means; and a rotary cutter to sever said de- 'flected threads, said-cutter comprising a rotary carrier, a bladesupport pivotally mounted on said carrier, and means for adju'sting said blade-support angularly about its pivotal support; I

' 17. In a machine of the class described, and in combination, means fordeflecting thre'ads from the body of the fabric; means for feeding the fabric; suitable presser-foot mechanism cooperating with said feeding .means; and a rotary cutter to sever the deflected threads comprising a rotary carrier, a blade-support pivotally mounted on said carrier, and a pair of adjustable screws to hold the said blade-support in a predetermined posi tion and, provide for its angular adjustment.

18. In a machine of the class described, and in combination, means for deflecting threads from the body of the fabric; means for feeding the fabric; suitable presser-foot mechanism coiiperating with said feeding means; a rotary cutter to sever the deflected threads comprising a rotary carrier, a blades'upport pivotally mountedon said carrier, and a pair of adjustable screws to hold said blade-support in a predetermined position and provide for its angular adjustment; and a blade adjustable on said support. I

19. A thread-drawing machine having, in combination, thread-deflecting means; feeding and presser-foot mechanism cooperating to advance the work relatively to the -defleeting means; thread cutting mechanism therefor, and means engaging the carrier for controlling its initial operative position.

20. In combination with mechanism for deflecting threads of the body fabric, a cutting mechanism for cutting the deflected threads, a feeding mechanism for advancing the work to the deflecting mechanism, and a presser foot mechanism for holding the work against the drag of the thread-deflecting mechanism, said presser-foot mechanism comprising a yieldingly-depressed bar having independent means for yieldingly en gaging the work around the path of. movement of the thread-deflecting mechanism. 21. In combination mechanism for removing body threads from fabric to produce 22. A thread-drawing machine having, in.

combination, thread-deflecting means, feeding and presser-foot mechanisms cooperating to advance the work relatively to the deflecting means, thread-cutting mechanism comprising a thread-cutter, a ledger-blade coiiperating therewith, and means for adjusting said ledger blade relatively to the path of movement of said cutter.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in'the presence of two subscribing witnesses. comprislng a rotary thread-cutter; a carrler V CHARLES R. SWAIN. Witnesses:

(Isms. MOO. CHAPMAN, Marcus B. APPEL,

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