Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-02-01
THE STORY OF THE SEWING MACHINE.
It's InVentIOn-ImproVe
Industrial, and Commercial Import

world many new lnVehuOns OF great pIACtiSel
importance TO mankind. Prominent among
these are the Electric Telegraph, the Reaper
and Mower, and the Sewing Machine. What the
telegraph is TO the commercial world, the reaper
to the agricultural, the sewing machine is to the
domestic.
The application of machinery to the purposes
of sewing is Of recent date, yet 1t has quietly
worked its way into position Of great import
anee, not only in the relief that it brings to
thousands Of needlewomen, but In a commercial
view. True, its progress has not been marked
with the noise and tumult characteristic Of the
application Of steam to machinery, nor so fire.
quently been made the theme for eloquence with
statesmen and orators, as the steamship, the iron
horse, and the steam printing press, yet It has
quietly stitched its way onward as an agent OF
domestic economy, until it now claims q place
side by side with the most important Of labor
saving inventions.
No one invention has brought with it so great
q relief for our mothers and daughters as these
iron needle-women. Indeed it is the only inven-
ton that can be claimed chiefly for woman's ben
eft. The inventive genius Of man, ever alert to
furnish the world with machinery for saving la
Dor and eheapening the cost of manufactures,
seemed to regard man as the only laborer, prior
to the invention of the sewing machine. The
carpenter, with his planning, matching, and other
machinery was relieved from the drudgery Of
his trade, but on returning home at night found
no abor-saving machinery to relieve his wife in
her toll with the needle. The farmer, with his
reaper and threshing machine, gathers his har-
vest and prepares his grain for market with ten
times the rapidity and ease that he could before
these were invented; but his companion and
helpmeet found no machinery to speed her labor
and ease her toll until the advent Of the sewing
machine. For long time has machinery been
employed in the different walks OF life to eman-
cipste man from e1haustipg toll, to quicken the
wheels Of commerce over land and sea; and IN
stead of depriYing the labOrer of work, it has
opened new fields of enterprise and led thous-
aDds into the road to wealth.
The frat record in the Patent Office Reports Of
the invention Of sewing machines is under the
date of February, le42, This patent was grant
ed for making what is termed the "shoemaker's 5
stitch in leather" The material to be sewed
was placed in clamps, provided with feeding ap-
paratus. II used needle, pointed at each end,
with an eve in the middle, and pincers to alter
nately draw the needle back and forth. This
crude machine was sGGrcely heard of outside the
Patent Office, and we presumF the inventor new
eF received in return for it dollar OF the nor
ey which he expended to secure the patent
However, improbable as it was to him, and un-
promising for the purposes Intended, it suggest
ed TO other minds the further application OF ma
chinery to sewing.
A Nttle more than year after the first sewing
machine patent was granted, Mr.. Bean, of New
York, obtained a patent for using the common
sewing needls with machinery. This invention
employed small geaFsd wheels to cOrrugate the
cloth, and through the folds thgs produced It
thrust long needle. This machipe, llk2 the
former, proved to be useless for manufacturing
clothing, but it is isemployed In making small 9ags
for grOeers An Improvement on this machine
was made for sewing umbrellas, but it has never
been successfully introduced. Still, as these
served to suggest new ideas on this subject, 1t
was q step forward toward the Development Of
this class of machinery. Numerous experiments
succeeded this invention, but they failed TO pro,
duca anything practical until the Autumn OF
lS46 InSeptember of that year, Elias Howe, jr.
to whom, in the language Of the courts, sis alone
due the honor of giving to the world practical
sewing machine, obtained patent "tor forming
a seam by q combination of the eye-pOinted nee
die and shuttle, in connection with baster
plate for feeding, also a elipping-piece for gov
erning the delivery of thread from the shuttle"
Elias Howe, Jr., is q native of Spencer, Mass,
but was residing at Cambridge, Mass, when he
projected and patented his sewing machina-a
nucleus around which has grown up an exten-
sive and lucrative business. For years he strug-
gled with his invention, spending large sums OF
money in improving it, and In trying to convince
the public of its utility. Like other new inven-
tiOps its introduction into use by the people was
q matter of great difficulty. The incredulOus
public were slow to understand and appreciate
its merits. Some tried to use it while in its
crude state, but seon abandoned it as worthless.
certainty as to the future fate of his invention
Through all his trials though often despending
vet never despairing he tOiled on. Hoping TO
meet with better success in his enterprise, he
went TO Europe, for the purpose of securing its
patent there and of eplisting capitalists in its
manufacture. While endeaT0Hng to procure
public recognition Of his invention in England,
be discovered harpies ready TO seize and appro-
pirate the fruits Of his labo After two years
Of struggle, disappointment and failure, he deci-
ded to return to his native country. Having ex-
hausted his means, he embarked as steerage
passenger, and paid for his passage by acting as
cook during the voyage. Thus, with his inven-
ton by bis side, he found his way home again,
without money 10 extend his experiments, or to
defend himself against the infringements upon
his patent which had been developed during his
absence Full of that hope for the future and
confidence in his ultimate success, which only
those who have bestowed great inventions upon
the world fully understand, he sought employ
ment in one of the New England machine shops,
and there remained until he had earned enough
to commsnce suit against those who had hiring
ed upon his rights. His own means not proving
sufficient to carry through bis suits, his father
mortgaged his farm and obtained money to as
sist him. By this means and the cid of friends,
he was enabled to establish his claim so complete
ly that since that time, all who manufacture sew
ing machines using the eye-pointed needle and
two threads, are obliged to pay him a tributes
The patent OF kuas Howe Jr., covers Ile InOQe
of making the stitch termed the ''lock-stitch," !"
used in the various sewing machines, and the pse
of the eye-pointed needle. The several machipes
now manufactured use the principle secured to
Mr. Howe, by permission and the payment of q
specified fee, but in addition 10 this each has
distinct patent upon some improvement, or mi
nor part These minor patents consist chiefly OF
different modes of holding and feeding the cloth,
alterations in the shuttle and the mode Of moving
IL new methods for holding the spOOls, and sim
liar notifications. About three hundred Of these
patents on selORg machines hare been issued slhce
Mr. H0lUe secured has. Law suits have been null
tiplied. and vast sums of money expended in con-
testing and defending the various machines, yet
the courts have uniformly decided that the mode
of making the stitch in the different MACHINES
does not contain any new principle, but ls simply
a different application of that secured to Mr..
Howe, SO that all the other patents would be
worthless without permission to use his.
Howes machine had but little resemblance to
either of the sewing machines made at the pres
ent time. In his, the needle worked horizontally
instead of vertically, as it does with all machines
now made. The cloth to be sewed was suspend
ed upoa pins projecting from "baster-plate. y
In font of the cloth the "pad-plate" pressed the
fabric upon the "baster-plate" while passing be-
tween them. The first real improvement made
upon this msehipe was TO change the needle from
A horizontal to q vertical aptipn, abandon the
"baster-plate," /" and place the fabric to be seRsd
horizontally upon splate beneath the needle, and
move it along with pins and other projections
which penetTsted the cloth. This mode Of feed
inc the material was exceedingly Objectionable,
because it prevented the free movement in the
fabric 80 essential in forming curved seam
Many expedients were devised and tried for OBJ
waiting this difficulty, so as to allow the cloth to
be readily turned in any direction while forming
the seam; this object was finally accomplished by
Mr.. A. B. Wilson, in the year 1850.
To attempt an enumeration Of the various in
ventions that have been patented TO improve the
sewing machine. most Of which have scarcely
been heard Of since the pstent was granted, would
require more time and space than we can devote
TO It, SO we win content ourselves with referring
to the most prominent ones now before the pub
lie.
machines, used the shuttle in forming the stitch