The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-05-27
From Appleton's New American Cyclopoedia, Vol. XIV
Good Sewing Machine
Ravenna, May 25. 1868.

From Appetons New American Cyclopoedia, Vol. XIV.
A Good Sewing Machine
GALL the machines may be included in
three classes based on the stitch they make
The first is the single-thread or chain-stitch
machine, which many have heretofore regard
ed as more appropriate for crocheting or en-
broidering than for fastening seams together
They, however, employ the same appliances
of an eye-pointed needle, ETC., other ma
Chimes and are noao held an great favor by many
persons who use them for the general purpo-
ses of sewing. .a-
'"Of the machines of the class first named,
the most successful is that known as WILCOX
& GIBBS, the principal feature of which was
devised and patented June 2, 1857, by JAMES
E. A GIBBS, of Millpoint, Va
The needle and manner of adjusting it
(and other important improvements are secured
by Patents to JAMES WILCOX. and the ma
chine has the exclusive use of convenient,
! self acting, and noiseless stop, by which re-
verse motion of the ,oheezs is prevented, and also
of guard to protect the dress of the opera
tor from the rubbing of the balance-wheel.-
The apparatus for catching and looping the
thread, as it passed through by the needle,
consists of two arms, making together cross
at the end of a horizontal axis. As this re-
wolves close to the needle under the cloth
plate, one of these arms, shaped like hook,
and rapidly enlarging toward its base, catches
the thread and spreads the loop, which is
then brought against the axis, and next slips
upon the other arm, which gives the loop a
twist and holds it. At the same time the
needle goes up and comes down again through
the cloth, carrying its thread through the
loop already formed, when it is caught by the
hook, and the first loop being released, is
drawn tight by the pulling of the hook in
spreading the second. The tsoiSt qiyen to The
thread IN tornaing the loop has material effect
IN Strengthening the hold of the thread an Mt
10th, and thus producing a Uery strong and d,t-
ra6le seam. Its strength and little liability tc
rip may be readily seen by cutting narrow
strip across the seam of piece of cottor
thus sewed, and comparing it with similar
piece sewed by hard On attempting to pul
or rip the pieces apart at a0iU 6e found that til,
former thus tested as the stronger of the ta0o.-
The tendency to ravel, hitherto the obiec.
tionable feature of machines of this class, j.
in this obviated by the drawing of the end O
the thread through the preceding loop by tht
hook at the last stitch, and thus fastening i
whenever it is broken by design or accident.
The needle, being short and straight, rum
, with perfect exactness and certainty across
seams, and even over several abruptly in
creasing thicknesses of cloth. 1t is conse
) quently well adapted for running at higl
rates of speed, and has thus been kept in ope
ration for three months at time by the Elm
: City Company, at New Haven, making owe
5000 stitches minute. The Company EN-
ploy considerable number of the machine
in their manufacture of tape-trmmings, pa
tent rufaes, etc., and usually run them abou
1000 stitches minute"