US1272916A - Drop-head mechanism for sewing-machines. - Google Patents

Description

C. E. COLEGROVE.

DROP HEAD MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14. 1915.

Patented July 16, 1918..

3 SHEEfS-SHEET C. E. COLEGROVE. DROP HEAD MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES. APPLICATION mzo APR. 14. \915.

1,272,916. Patehted July 16, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lll'l Witneso'eo c. E COLEGRO'VE, v DROP HEAD MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14. I915- Patented July 16, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- Ira/er: 1% A UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

CHARLES E. COLEGROVE,'OF EAST CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE WHITE SEWING MACHINE COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

DROP-HEAD MECHANISM FOR SEWING+MACHINES.

Application filed April 14, 1915. Serial No. 21,436.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GHARLns E. Corinenovn, a citizen of theUnited States, resid ing at East Cleveland, in the county of Guya- 5 hoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Drop- Head Mechanism for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates'to the sort of drop leaf sewing machine cabinets which are typified by the construction shown and described in the Grothe Patent No. 7 99,331, dated September 12th, 1905. In fact, the improvements herein shown and described and claimed are the results of efforts made to remedy the defects which have developed during ten years of practical and commercial use of the particular construction shown in said'Grothe patent.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts shown in the drawings and hereinafter described, and pointed out definitely in-the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a sewing machine cabinet which embodies the present invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof when the parts are in the psition they must occupy when the sewing machine is in use; Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation of said cabinet showing the parts in the same position as shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line ll in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an endview of thecabinet showing the parts thereof in the position they will occupy normally, that is to sa when the machine isnot in use Fig. 6 is a side elevation-of the said cabinet with the parts in'an intermediate position.

wardly extended and immovableback member a, a front membera which is hinged along its upper edge to a part a which is rigid with the table. In the top there is a substantially rectangular opening a 1 Brepresents the so-called drop leafwhich is hinged along its front edge to the table top, so that when said drop leafv 1s in the horizontal working position, it will lie within the opening a and this drop'leaf is of suchsize and shape that it will substantially fill said opening. Y

An extension top' C is hinged to the table and serves not only as an extension ofthe table whenthe machine is ini'working posi- Specification. of Letters Patent.

The cabinet hasa top or table A, a down- Patented July 16, 1918.

tion, butalso as the lever by means of which the drop leaf may be raised to working position. A cable H is fixed to this extension leaf, passes over a part of the table and down through it in engagement with suitable guides which may be like the guides shown in Figs. l and 5 of said Grothe patent. The other end of this cable is made fast to an arm D which is adjustably fixed to the under side of the drop leaf near its free edge.

J represents a dust board which is hinged along its rear edge to the rear member a of the cabinet, and it is under the influence of a spring J tending to swing its free end up-- ward. Generically, all of the parts thus far described are or may be like the corresponding parts shown in said prior Grothe patent.

The arm D, asshown, is formed of two parallel sheet metal bars (Z secured together by rivets (i A base plate d is fixed tothe under side of the drop leaf, and it has a downwardly extended arm d whose lower end is notched on its sides to form the T- head (Z which is shown in Fig. l. The rear ends of the bars (Z are notched on their under side,.and they straddle this bar (5 so that their notches lie over and engage the T'- shaped end (Z thereof. A threaded rod E fixed to the plate cl extends downward between the two side bars (Z of this lever; and the nuts ce' on this threaded rod engage respectively with the upper and lower sides of these bars, and thereby the lever D is adjustably fixed in position. A roller cl? lies between these two bars d and is rotatably mounted thereon. i

N represents a link having a pivoted connection with the rear side of the front cabinet member a near the lower edge thereof. This link is curved as shown, and its other end is pivotally connected with an can m which is a part of a bracket plate M. This bracket plate embraces the vertical partcl in which there is a vertical slot 0Z"'; and the screw M which passes through this slot screws into the bracket plate M and thereby the bracket plate may be fixed to said arm (2. This construction is of considerable advantage in the assembling of "the the drop leaf is lowered, this member a is brought to the vertical position, and the bracket plate allowed to take suchpositi'on as it will" on the part d. It is then fixedin' that position by the screw M. An arm n is fixed to the link N in substantially the position shown in Fig. 3., so that as the drop leaf is raised and lowered, a buffer block, which may be of felt, or other soft material, at its end may, engage the. dust board.

In order to lower the drop, leaf from its working horizontal position to, its normal position theextension is swung upward and over onto the table. This slackens, the cable and thereforepermits the drop leaf to swing downward. As. its swings down the buffer a secured to the end, of the arm n Will noiselessly engage the top of the dust board, and will push it down. As the dropleaf continues to descend, the roller d in the end of lever Dv will come into contact with this; dust board, and will act upon. it to push it. down, until it rolls. off of the front edge of: said dust board. The dust board will at this timebe in substantialengagement with the rear edge of;- the drop leaf, as shown in Big. 5, and. it will remain in engagement with it" as, long, as the drop leaf remains down, thereby; serving in aflarge measure to, keepjdust from. the sewing machine head which. is fixed to the drop. leaf.

To lift. the drdpleaf to working position, one. takes; hold of the extension to which at the time was lying upon the tab e covering the hole 'therein'and swings it over to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. As the drop leaf: goes up the roller 01- will engage the 'dust board, andwill allow it to swing slowly' upward under the influence of the spring Jrf As the. drop leaf nears itshorizont'alposition this rol'ler'will leave the dust board. If it were not forv the arm n, this dustfboard: would. swing upward. and slap noisily against the; lower. edge. of the. hinged front member of the. cabinet. Instead=,.ho.w;- ever, it cbmesnoiselessly into contact with the; buffer n, which permits it to gradually rfis'e until without. noise. it comes into contact.wtih:the-.lower edge. of thecabinet member A; and it remains in contact; therewith until the drop. leaf. reaches'its working position, "as. shown in Fig.6.

'It will. be noted'that. the drop leaf is formed: with an unbroken surface from front torear, that istosay, it is not formed in part of a hinged. extension strip extending from one side to the other, as has heretofore been the'coinmon practice. When such an extension strip is used, it is necessary to provide mechanism: or' guides by which this extension-=strip.-is-moved or guided. into the. opening in the table and into horizontal position therein. These guides, or whatever corresponding mechanism are used, are expensive. Likewisdthe extension strip is objectionable for several reasons: In the first place, it presents anunsightly appearance; in the second place, the joint between it and the drop leaf furnishes a lodging place for dirt, and, finally, it prevents the rear edge of the dnop leaf from helping to stop the drop leaf in the horizontal position it shall occupy when the machine is ready for use. Notwithstanding all of these objections and the incidental expense, this extension piece has been used almost universally on. drop leaf sewing machine cabinets of the type specified.

As stated, however, the drop. leaf herein shown is a jointless unbroken piece, from front to rear, except that at the righthand rear corner a small'rectangular piece is cut out. This is necessary because otherwise the rear edge of the drop leaf would strike the fly wheel ll as it swings down; and this would of course stop. this down swinging movement. This cut out corner is of such width and depth merely as is necessary to prevent the fly wheel from engaging the drop. leaf. This cut out corner is closed by a small plate to hinged along. its front edge to the drop leaf; and normally occupying the position in which its top surface is flush with the. top surface ofthe drop, leaf; when the drop, leaf is lowered this platev by engagement with the fly wheel; wil-lbe; swung up, as much as is necessary, but when the drop leaf is being raisedthis little plate will take its. proper position assoon as it passes out of contact with said fi-y wheel. A spring w may be employed to swing this little plate to the position shown, but the action of gravity. will generally. be sufficient.

Cleats Q which are screwed tofthev under side of, the; drop leaf project rearward beyond. its edge, so that when the drop leaf reaches the horizontal working position these cleats will engage, beneath'theltable top and thereby prevent. any further up ward movement of said-drop leafi Having described: my invention, I claim: 1...In, asewing machine cabinet having a table. in which. is an opening, the combinationiof' a front cabinet member which is hinged-along itsupperedge to the table, a drop leaf hinged along; its front edge to the table. and fitted t-o, the said openingtherein, alink pivoted at one, end ofsaid. front cabinet member, a bracket to which the. other end of said link is pivoted, a slotted 'arm fixed to andexteii'din'gv downward from said drop leaf, and a screwfor, connectingsaid bracket to said slotted arm ,7

2. In a sewing.mach'nefcabinethaving a table in which is an. opening, and a rigid hination of a front cabinet member which is hinged along its upper edge to the table, a drop leaf hinged along its front edge to the table and fitted to the said opening therein, a link pivoted at one end to the front mem her and at its other end to the drop leaf, a dust board hinged along its rear edge to the rear cabinet member, a spring acting to swing said dust board upward, and an arm rigidly fixed to said link and extending downwardly therefrom for engagement with said dust board.

3. In a sewing machine cabinet having a table in which is an opening, and a rigid downwardly extended back member, the combination of a front cabinet member which is hinged along its upper edge to the table, a drop leaf hinged along its front edge to the table and fitted to the said opening therein, a link pivoted at one end to the front member and at its other end to the drop leaf, an arm connected to said link and extending downward therefrom for engagement with the dust board, and a dust board hinged along its rear edge to the rear cabinet member, a spring acting to swing said dust board upward, a lever adjustably fixed to the under side of said drop leaf and extending forward therefrom and having at its front end an anti-friction roller, which will engage said dust board as the drop leaf is swinging from one end to the other of its path of movement.

t. In a sewing machine cabinet, the combination of a table in which is a rectangular opening, a rigid drop leaf of such size and shape as to fit said hole, which drop leaf is hinged along its front edge to the table, said drop leaf having its rear corner cut to form a notch which is in the same vertical plane as the fly wheel of the sewing machine, a plate fitted to said notch and hinged along its front edge to said drop leaf whereby it will en age the fly wheel when the drop leaf is lowered, and a spring acting to return said plate to its normal position.

5. In a sewing machine cabinet having a table in which is an opening, the combination of a front cabinet member which is hinged along its upper edge to the table and extends downwardly therefrom, a drop leaf hinged along its front edge to the table and fitted to the opening therein, an arm fixed to the under side of said drop leaf adjacent its rear edge, a link pivoted at one end to said front member, and a bracket to which the other end of said link is pivoted, said bracket being movable upon said arm, and means to fix the bracket to said arm at any desired point in the length thereof.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. COLEGROVE.

Witnesses VVILLrAM GRoTHE, J. O. HUFFMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

- Washington, D. C.

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