The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-12-02
SEWING MACHINES STORY.
rO vgOw ~ rHg 'RrDU " '"S
JNIENTION mr.


Bu.,se.. Abnu, Msde " success
r,ore hs. boen considerable discussion ~
lat. ,h,u, candidates fnt tho Hal ~ Fame
Among names prominently mentioned has h"'n
,,a' ~ one ~ the earlier inventors ~ living
machines Wnl'er Y Hunt objects 4" IN" '"'cc-
,,or NJ tho nsmo NJ Flias Hovc. jr and insists
thei his father. Walter Hunt, IL entitled 10 IN"
dls,Inc'ion. II anv sowing mnchin" inventor Is
10 have II A. the writer ~ this nr'icl" vas n
contemporary ~ the persons who's" nAmos
have been associated with the earlier types ~
80 wing machines. was personally acquainted
With nearly all Of them. and was intimately
assooiated With several Of thcm Al an interesting
osnod ~ tho history of tho art. II has seemed
timely 10 write n short account ~ the men and
their work and thus show 10 whom credit Is
due for tho various machines used among them.
Elias Howe, Jr. Of Cambridge. Mass, in
vented and patented tSept. ~, is6. No +7Sm
the sewing machine which Is the earliest upon
the record. II wasa crude. clumsy contrivance
The device o nsisted Of n wooden frame about
four feet long, upon which was mounted a Slid
ing carriage Of the same length. This carriage
was also made Of wood The whole machine
vasabout four feet high. Upon the upper front
OF the wooden carriage there was fastened n
thin plate Of steel, which was of the same length
as the carriage, At intervals Of about three
inches there were solidly inserted steel pins Of
ANAL diameter. suitable 10 stick into the cloth.
These pins were sharpencd like needles NJ their
outer ends. There were something like a dozen
of them. This plate was called n baster plato
and Is made the subject Of the fifth and last
claim In his patent.
In the operation Of tho machine the pieces Of
cloth which were 10 be stitched were hung uTOn
the needle-like pins and pushed along until the
fabric came 10 the face OF the steel plate, with
80 4. -, .-N fAR A-Z,,vI
above the baster plate To- allow a horizontal
needle, with the eye near tho point, 10 pass for
ward and backward through the fabric without
colliding with the plates. The eve of the needle
carried a thread. Just a sewing machine needles
have mostly done ever since. The thread was
run of from n spool. such as thread used for
hand sewing is wound upon, but tho needle
moved back ward and forward horizontally.
In this respect IL was unlike all other machines.
wherein the needle moves up and down. 4
small shuttle carving a bobbin upon which n
ANAL quantity of thread was wound played
horizontally across the needle just behind the
baster plate. This shuttle carried the second
thread. pa ssing through the loop. which was
formed BY q slight bach motion OF the
needles and thus completed the stitch. lust as
Is done by the shuttle machines of the present
day. only the operators now put their work
upon n horizontal table instead of hanging II
no on pins to be stitched and afterWard remov-
Ing IL from the pins when the carriage has
moved as far as IL could travel on the frame.
That was about all there was TO the machine.
Such a machine could only sew straight seams.
Curved pieces could not he properly secured 10
the haster plate.
The sewing machine needle was an old in
~vention. II was used in the lac" making ma
chimes in Nottinghamshire. England, and
l..-,lal aaI il,,gtrotaI in h,,l nm laIa
making at an earlier date. While many reo-
pie ascribe this needle to Howe. he never pre-
ten ded TO have invented il in his patent or
elsewhere.
After trying in vain to introduce tho ma
chine in this country. he went To England with
II. He met with no better success there than
at home. He had become completely I'm
poverished. He had only a worthless ma
chine. which nobody would buy or use. He
had great diffculty in raising enough money
to pay his passage home.
Meanwhile. Allen b. Wilson Of Pittsheld,
Mass, had taken up the subject and invented
and patented CNov. IL. 1850, No. 100 a really
practical sewing machine. He has been called
among experts the father of the sewing ma
chine" Among other devices. he combined
the table upon which the fabric is placed, the
presser foot. which holds the fabric Ia the
sahs upon which the operator can readily
m~ve the work about: the feed. coming up
through the table under the presser foot, which
moves the fal rio a. required for the length
Of the stitch. and the needle. passing through
a hole in IN" table. He had also a shuttle
moving under the table. a. l. customary in
sl rsrttIn machines. The first four of these
sSau.n- .r- irdi~pcrea able 10 any practical
sewing machine, and, un'l they were invented
nv wilson ticr" VI. ', hing 10 commend
,,..,tr,. tnr tluf w. l., uuNhp1V- Wilson
allowed a set ot patent right sharpers To sell
INT the terri Dry iu STATE and county rights
all over the country, They brought him
nothing OF any Consequence. He had not
even claimed or patented the essential iea-
ures Of his invention. being 80 tickled with
his feed and some other devices that he en-
tirely forgot 10 claim il: although it was clearly
set forth in his application. The recipro-
eating. or fnur-motion feed. was "A most in
genious device. No wonder that he was 40
proud Of il that h" forgot the eth more i'm
portant part OF his invention.
Wilson next moved to WATERFOWL. Conn,
where he invented and patented Nov. Il.
1851. No, s?as, tho well-known Wheeler h
Wilson machine, which has the rotary hook
and circular bobbin instead OF the shuttle.
Nathaniel Wheeler Of WATERFOWL saw the
value Of the sewing machine and turned his
little factory. situated on a mill stream. into a
se~wing-machine works. He associated with
himself and Wilson. Austin Durham. Lawson
and Chauncey Ives OF Hartford. wool merchants.
In the formation OF the Wheeler Il Wilson Manu-
featuring Company. and began manufacturing
machines. Hard luck. however. continued
TO follow Wilson. His associates found that
he was too much inclined TO gossip about the
affairs Of the company. so Wheeler gave him a
house and lot in WATERFOWL. value $500. for his
shares In the company. and he was again out
Of the business. The associates soon after
ward found it advisable TO change their Local
ton. They went down to Bridgeport, in the
sane State. and bought the plant Of the failed
JsTme Clock Company for $4,000. II had
Sst $4,000. They moved the special clock
making outfit into the upper story and stored
II, only keeping in their works such parts as
were applicable To their own business. They
sold out the other stun. biz by biz, 10 clock
manufacturers who came and picked out what
they needed. until they realized the entire
Sl&.on which the estate had cost them. They
went on adding building after building. and
machinery also. until they had created a great
establishments which made. zach of tho four