IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES, AND IN MECHANISM CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haseltine, of the "International Patent
Office," Southampton Buildings, London, Doctor of Laws, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES, AND IN MECHANISM
CONNECTED THEREWITH."-A communication from abroad by John Louis
Coles, and David Hamilton Coles, both of the City and State of New
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Haseltine at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 28th November 1872, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," Southampton Build-
ings, London, Doctor of Laws, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SEWING MACHINES, AND IN MECHANISM CONNECTED THEREWITH," and have
petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, administrators,

page_text: and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made
solemn Declaration that it has been communicated to me from abroad
by John Louis Coles, and David Hamilton Coles, both of the City and
State of New York, United States of America, Gentlemen.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Haseltine, do hereby declare
that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal, fully
describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the accompanying Drawings forming a part of this
Specification.
The said Invention consists in a driving wheel which is mounted on
an eccentric pin fastened in the frame of a sewing machine table in
combination with a friction wheel secured on the main shaft of the
sewing mechanism, and with a cloth plate which supports the said main-
shaft, and is connected to the table on one side by hinges, while its
other side rests upon elastic pads in such a manner that the friction
wheel is held in contact with the driving wheel by the weight of the
sewing machine proper; by adjusting the eccentric pin of the driving
wheel the contact can be regulated, and a smooth and even motion of
the sewing mechanism is obtained.
Also in the combination of a cam slide with the feed bar, so that by
turning the said cam slide the feed bar can be made to act in any
direction of the compass, and by adjusting the cam slide in a longitudinal
direction the length of the stitch can be adjusted.
It further consists in the combination of a cam slide, with a bar or
lever that is free to oscillate and slide on its fulcrum in such a manner
that by turning the cam slide the motion of the bar or lever can be
changed at any moment, and that by connecting said bar or lever to
various mechanisms different effects can be produced.
Also in the arrangement of a ring plate in the inner end of the arm
which carries the feed dog, the said ring plate being provided with a
slot to receive an oblique slide feathered on an arbor, and connected to
the feed lever in such a manner that by the feed lever a reciprocating
motion is imparted to the oblique slide and through it to the feed dog,
while by revolving the feathered arbor the oblique slide together with
the ring plate is caused to turn, and thereby the direction of the fced is
changed.

page_text: Further, in combining with the oblique feed slide a feed lever whose
fulcrum is moveable, while the bifurcated inner end of the said feed lever
engages with a groove in the circular hub of the oblique feed slide in
such a manner that by changing the fulcrum of the feed lever the throw
of the oblique feed slide is varied, and thereby the feed is increased or
decreased without disturbing the action of the oblique slide or the feed
dog.
Also in combining with the feed dog an eccentric button mounted on
a lever which is actuated by an eccentric, and serves to impart to the
feed dog the desired upward movement in such a manner that by
turning the eccentric button the position of the feed dog in relation to
the throat plate of the sewing machine can be adjusted to suit the
material to be sewed.
Further, in combining with the feed lever and its adjustable fulcrum
an index and scale, to shew the variation in the feed and the number of
stitches to the inch.
Also in combining with the oblique feed slide the feed dog and feed
lever, a handle which moves on a dial fastened to the cloth plate or table,
and which is geared with the feathered arbor of the oblique feed slide in
such a manner that by turning the said handle the position of the
oblique feed slide can be governed, and at the same time the direction of
the feed can be observed.
Further, in the arrangement of a pressor foot having the throat or
needle hole in its centre in combination with a feed dog acting on the
work on two or more opposite sides of the needle, and arranged to feed
in different directions.
Also in combining a presser foot having two throats with a feed dog
acting on the work on two or more opposite sides of the needle.
Further, in combining with a universal feed a presser foot which
revolves round the needle slide, the throat in the said presser foot being
situated in line with the axis of its revolution in such a manner that the
presser foot preserves its relation to the feed dog in whatever direction
the feed takes place.
Also in combining with the revolving presser foot a revolving spool
carrier in such a manner that a braid or other article taken from the

page_text: upon the circumference of the driving wheel E, to which a revolving
motion can be imparted by foot or any other power. This wheel is
mounted on an eccentric stud or axis c, which is secured in the frame of
the table and can be turned so as to raise or lower the driving wheel.
The loose edge of the cloth plate A bears down upon elastic pads d
fastened on the table (see Figure 7), and these pads partly support the
weight of the cloth plate and of the parts attached thereto, and thereby
the pressure holding the frictional wheel D in contact with the driving
wheel is reduced, but the frictional contact between these two wheels is
finally regulated by adjusting the eccentric axis of the driving wheel,
and by these means the motion of the sewing mechanism can be rendered
smooth and even. If the frictional contact between the two wheels
exceeds the proper limit and a quick motion is imparted to the driving
wheel, the motion of the sewing mechanism is trembling and unsteady,
and if the frictional contact between the two wheels is below the
required limit the sewing mechanism is liable to stop.
From the cloth plate A rises the arm or standard F, on the outer end
of which is secured a plate G that forms the guide for the needle bar,
and for the presser bar I. On the main shaft C are mounted a cam J
(see Figure 1) which imparts motion to the needle bar, and a crank K
which imparts motion to the shuttle driver L. In the cloth plate A is
secured the throat plate M, and in this throat plate is an aperture e
through which works the feed dog N (see Figures 3 and 8). This feed
dog is so formed that it acts on the work on two or more opposite sides
of the needle, and in fact it is by preference made circular, as shewn, the
aperture e in the throat plate being made round, while the throat f which
is situated in the centre of the said aperture is supported by four radial
arms g (see Figure 3), the aperture e being of larger diameter than the
feed dog so as to permit the latter to move in either direction a
sufficient distance to impart to the work the required feed motion, while
the surface of the feed dog is provided with recesses to make room for
the radial arms g of the aperture e.
The feed dog N is supported by a shank i which is hinged to an arm j
(see Figure 8), and on which acts a spring k (Figures 1 and 2), that
serves to depress the said shank upon a button / secured to a lever m.
This lever bears down upon an eccentric or cam n mounted on the main
shaft, and as this shaft revolves a rising and falling motion is imparted

page_text: to the feed dog. The button is eccentric, and by turning it on its pivot
the feed dog can be made to project more or less above the surface of the
cloth plate, and its position can thus be regulated to suit the nature of
the work. A detached view of the button and lever m is shown in
Figure 1. The button is by preference made hexagonal, but it may bo
made round or of any other desirable shape suitable for the purpose; it
is fastened to its lever by a set screw so that it can be readily adjusted in
the desired position.
The arm j is made with an oblong slot n* (Figure 2 and 8), into
which is fitted a square block o that is held in position by a screw P,
being free however to turn on the said screw. The inner end of this
arm forms a circular socket, into which is fitted a ring plate q (best
seen in Figure 8), and through this ring plate extends an oblique cam r,
which is feathered on an arbor 8, so that it can slide thereon, but is
compelled to turn with the said arbor. The cam r is flat and square so
that it slides through the ring plate with facility, and if it is turned the
ring plate will be turned with it. A staple jo supports the arm j near
the oblique cam.
น.
The arbors is connected by gear wheels best seen in Figure 2, with
an arbor
whereon is mounted a handle o, see Figures 1 and 3 which
moves over a dial plate w secured in the cloth plate, so that by turning
the handle the arbor & and the cam r are revolved. In the dial is a
series of holes a¹, Figure 3, and the handle is hinged to the arbor and
subjected to the action of a spring which depresses the tail end thereof.
In this tail end is secured a pin which can be made to engage with one
of the holes a¹ to prevent the arbors from turning spontaneously. In
order to disengage the said pin the front end of the handle must. be
depressed.
*The oblique cam r is provided with a circular hub 61, Figures 1, 2, and
9, and this hub is furnished with an annular grove to engage with the
tops of screws c¹, which are fastened in. the bifurcated end of the feed
lever O. By this arrangement the oblique cam can be turned freely in
either direction without getting disengaged from' the feed lever. This
lever is provided with an oblong slot d', into which is fitted a square
block e¹ that is secured to a slide f¹ by means of a screw g', so that the
said block can turn freely on the screw and can also be moved in the slot
d. The slide f¹ is fitted in a guide slot (sec Figure 1**), in a bracket h¹,

page_text: which extends from the under surface of the cloth plate, and the screw g¹
connects by means of a rod ♬ with a screw j; the latter is tapped in the
end of said rod and journalled in the rim of the cloth plate, see Figure 2,
so that by turning the said screw the slide f¹ is moved towards and from
the oblique cam, and by thus changing the distance of the fulcrum from
the oblique cam the stroke of said cam and consequently the length of
the stitches are changed as will be presently more fully explained. From
the end of the rod extends an index K' through a slot in the cloth-
plate; as the screw is turned this index moves over a scale ♬, marked
on the base of the standard or arm F (see Figure 1), said scale being so
arranged that it indicates the number of stitches to the inch. The outer
end of the feed lever is connected by a pivot * to a slide m³, which
moves in a guide slot n' in the bracket h', and from which extends a
roller stud that engages with a grooved cam o¹ mounted on the main-
shaft C.
When the main shaft is revolved therefore an oscillating motion. is
imparted to the feed lever and the oblique. cam assumes a reciprocating
motion on its arbor. By this reciprocating motion of the oblique cam,
a reciprocating or oscillating motion is imparted to the arm j, and this
motion is transmitted to the feed dog, so that the same feeds the work
in a direction which depends upon the position of the oblique cam, at
the same time when the feed dog moves forward it is raised by the cam
n so that it acts on the work. But when the feed dog recedes it is de-
pressed by its own weight and assissted by the spring k so that it releases
the work. From this description it will be readily understood that the
amount of the feed depends upon the stroke, of the oblique cam which is
regulated by the position of the fulcrum of the feed lever, and further-
more by turning the oblique cam, the work can be fed in any desired
direction. The direction in which the work is fed therefore is entirely
under the control of the operator, and by turning the handle the direc-
tion of the feed can be changed at any moment. It will also be readily
understood, that the operation of the said universal feed depends chiefly
upon the combination of the oblique cam slide with the arm or lever j,
and this combination is also applicable for changing the motion of any
other mechanism besides that of the feed dog of a sewing machine,
simply by connecting the arm or lever j to the mechanism, the motion
of which is to be changed.
T

page_text: made circular (see Figure 4), to correspond to the circular shape of the
feed dog and of the aperture e in the throat plate. This presser foot has
its throat or needle hole in the centre, and it is made circular so that it
bears on the work on both sides of the needle whatever the direction of
the feed. For certain classes of work however a presser foot p° is used,
see Figures 5, 6, and 6*, which is provided with two throats q°, q°. This
presser foot is secured to the presser bar I by means of a set screw n°,
and it is secured to its shank as shewn in Figure 6*, so that it can be re-
versed and brought in either of the positions shewn in Figures 5 and 6,
the bottom surface of the shank of the presser foot being inclined to
throw the working end of the foot down and the tail end up. On the
shank of the foot is a button 8° which serves to lock the said foot in the
required position.
By refering to Figures 5 and 6 it will be seen that the presser foot
bears on the work on opposite sides of its throat and consequently on
opposite sides of the needle, and thereby such operations as for instance
that of sewing a millinery fold upon the skirt of a dress will be materi-
ally facilitated. This will be readily understood by referring to Figure
5*. If the fold to is brought under the presser foot such as shewn, one
edge thereof can be sowed on, while the main body of the foot bears upon
the fold, but if the skirt is moved out to bring the other edge of the fold
under the needle the presser foot bears upon the fold only close to its
edge, and the operation of sewing is rendered difficult, and with an
ordinary presser foot the fold can be sewed on succesively only by rever-
sing the skirt which takes time, and sometimes is difficult to perform.
But by reversing the presser foot to the position shewn in Figure 6 the
second edge of the fold can be sewed on without reversing the skirt:
Instead of making the presser foot reversible, as shewn in Figures 5, 6,
and 6*, it may be provided with two throats on its opposite edges, and in
this case it is fitted to its shank so that it can be moved from one side to
the other to bring either one or the other throat under the needle. In
this case also the form of the double throated presser foot will be as
shewn in Figure 7*. In order to use this double throated presser foot
with success it is necessary that the feed dog shall act on the work on
two or more opposite sides of the needles.
If it is desirable to expose the work close to the points where it is
pierced by the needle a presser foot q¹ may be used in combination with
the universal feed, as shewn in Figure 11. This presser foot is secured

page_text: to the rim of the gear wheel 21, which is fitted to the lower rounded.
portion of the front plate G so that it can turn freely on the same.
For this purpose a disc s¹ is secured to the front plate by means of a
screw which passes through a lug a rising from said disc.
The lower
part of the disc is reduced in diameter, so as to form a shoulder against
which is placed the rim of the gear wheel r¹ and a plate o¹, which is
secured to the lower surface of the disc s¹ by means of screws, keeps the
gear wheel from dropping off. The wheel 7 is geared with the arbor &
of the oblique cam by a series of wheels clearly shewn in Figure 11,
so that by revolving the said arbor the presser foot q¹ is turned round
and caused to preserve its position in relation to the direction in which
the feed dog acts. The shank of the presser foot q' is fitted into a
tubular guide w¹ which is fastened to the rim of the gear wheel, and
which is provided with a slot a³, through which extends a pin ³ that
is secured in the shank of the presser foot and exposed to the action of
a cam lever c², while a spring acting on the upper end of the shank of
the presser foot has a tendency to depress the same. By turning the
cam lever the presser foot is raised in the same manner as the presser
feet of an ordinary sewing machine.
To the gear wheel ¹ is also secured a spool carrier d², by preference
in a position diametrically opposite to the presser foot q'. In this spool
carrier is placed a spool containing braid, and in this case the presser.
foot is provided with a braid guide e² (see Figure 12), so that the braid
after being passed through the said braid guide comes under the point
of the needle. By connecting the spool carrier and the presser foot to
the wheel both parts preserve their relation to the direction in which
the feed dog acts, and as the direction of the feed can be changed at will
and at any moment, a braid or other article of a similar nature can be
sewed on a garment or other article in any desired direction, or to suit a
drawing or pattern of any description.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, as communicated to me by my foreign corrc-
spondents, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First. The combination of a driving wheel mounted on an eccentric
pin with a friction wheel mounted on the main shaft of an organised
sewing mechanism, and with a cloth plate which supports the main.
shaft and is connected to the table of the machine on one side by hinges,

page_text: wine its other side bears down upon elastic pads, in the manner and for
the purpose herein described.
Second. The combination of an oblique cam slide with the feed bar of
a sewing machine, as and for the purpose set forth.
Third. The combination of an oblique cam slide with a bar or lever
which is free to oscillate and slide on its fulcrum, and which connects
with any mechanism whose motion is to be changed, as and for the
purpose described.
Fourth. The arrangement of a ring plate in the inner end of the
arm which carries the feed dog, the said ring plate being provided with
a slot to receive an oblique' cam feathered on a rotary arbor, and con-
nected to the follower, all constructed and operating as and for the
purpose berein set forth.
Fifth. In combination with the oblique cam slide a feed lever whose
fulcrum is movable, while its bifurcated inner end engages with a
groove in a circular hub of the oblique feed slide, as and for the purpose
described.
Sixth. The combination with the feed dog of an eccentric button
mounted on a lever which is actuated by an eccentric, and imparts to
the feed dog the desired upward movement, the said button serving to
adjust the feed dog in relation to the surface of the throat plate, sub-
stantially as set forth.
Seventh. The combination with the feed lever and its adjustable
fulcrum of an index and scale to show the variations in the feed, sub-
stantially as described.
Eighth. In combination with the oblique feed slide the feed dog
and feed lever, a handle which moves on a suitable dial and is mounted
on a shaft that is geared with the feathered arbor of the oblique feed
slide, as and for the purpose set forth.
Ninth. The arrangement of a presser foot having the throat or needle a
hole in its centre, in combination with a feed dog acting on the work on
two or more opposite sides of the needles and arranged to feed in
different directions, as described.
•
Tenth. The combination of a presser foot having two throats with a
feed dog acting on the work on two or more opposite sides of the needle, a
as set forth

page_text: Eleventh. In combination with a universal feed a presser foot which
revolves around the needle slide, the throat in the presser foot being
situated in line with the axis of its revolution, as and for the purpose
described.
Twelfth. The combination of a revolving spool carrier with a revolving
presser foot and with organized sewing mechanism, as and for the
purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Haseltine, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
Witness,
W. ROBT. LAKE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
GEORGE HASELTINE. (L.S.)