A NEW METHOD OF AND APPARATUS POR COUNTING THE STITCHES MADE BY A SEWING MACHINE
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting
Engineer, for the Invention of "A NEW METHOD OF AND APPARATUS
POR COUNTING THE STITCHES MADE BY A SEWING MACHINE." -A com-
munication from abroad by Gordon M'Kay of Boston, Massachu-
setts. United States of America.
Sealed the 14th December 1869, and dated the 16th June 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 16th June 1869.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office,"
No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW METHOD OF AND
APPARATUS FOR COUNTING THE STITCHES MADE BY A SEWING MACHINE," a com-
munication, to be as follows:-
The said Invention relates to the application of a peculiarly con
structed counting or numbering apparatus to a sewing machine, and in

page_text: designed to afford the means whereby the amount of work performed
in any given number of days or hours by machines in various localities
may be correctly ascertained, without the necessity for incurring the
expence of the continuous supervision of each machine by trustworthy
and competent persons, the said apparatus being moreover entirely
automatic in its action, and therefore free from the liability to errors
which so frequently occur in other methods of numbering and calcu-
lating. The said Invention has more especial reference to the applica-
tion of the said counter to a machine for sewing the soles of boots and
shoes, substantially such as described in the Specification of an Inven-
tion for which Letters Patent have been granted to John William Ford,
bearing date the 16th day April A.D. 1862, No. 1113. The said
counting apparatus is provided with a circular face or dial, whereon are
formed a series of circular figured scales, over each of which is arranged
a pointer or index hand. The said pointers are fixed on the ends of
shafts or spindles which by means of toothed wheels are geared in con-
nection with a central pinion. The latter is made in one piece with
or is otherwise solidly attached to a ratchet plate, so that neither the
said pinion or plate can move independently of the other. The said
ratchet plate has one tooth or notch, and is so formed that a spring
pawl pivotted to the back plate of the apparatus will fall therein,. and
will allow the said plate and pinion to turn only in one direction. In
a line with the central axis of this ratchet plate, and from the back
of the box or case which encloses the wheelwork and other mechanism
of the apparatus, extends a shaft or spindle which by means of a
socket or other suitable connection is coupled with the shaft or spindle
of the sewing machine. When the said apparatus is applied to the
machine described in the former Specification herein-before mentioned
the spindle of the counter is connected to the cam shaft of the said
machine, its end being made flat on one side and inserted in a socket
or hole in the said cam shaft, in which socket it is secured by a key.
The said shaft or spindle as before stated is in a line with the axis of
the central pinion and ratchet plate, and the end of the shaft is bored
or perforated to form a bearing for the axis of the said pinion and
plate, the other bearing for the said axis being made in the front plate
or dial. The axis of the ratchet plate runs loosely in the end of the
shaft, and in order that motion in the desired direction may be imparted
by the shaft to the pinion I provide the ratchet plate with a spring
pawl or detent, and fix or form on the end of the shaft a small ratchet

page_text: plate, which like the first mentioned plate has one tooth or notch
formed on its periphery. The pawl and this tooth or notch are so
formed and arranged that when the shaft rotates in the proper direction
(in which direction it is allowed to turn by the first-mentioned pawl),
it will turn the pinion with it and will thereby communicate motion to
all of the index hands or pointers, but, if the said shaft should be
turned in the contrary direction, the spring pawl which connects the
shaft to the ratchet plate will yield and the shaft will turn alone, while
the ratchet plate and pinion are held immoveable by the other pawl, and
therefore no motion will be imparted to the pointers. I prefer that the
series of circular figured scales should be so arranged that the upper or
first one will indicate single stitches or strokes of the needle of the sewing
machine, while the last scale of the series indicates ten millions; this
arrangement, however, may be varied as may be found convenient or
desirable. The case or box of the apparatus must be cast on or other-
wise securely attached to the machine, and the said case or box should
be securely locked or secured in such a manner as to prevent access
by unauthorized persons to the interior of the apparatus. If these
precautions are taken it will be impossible for any person using the ma
chine to tamper with the apparatus without detection, while on the other
hand any uncertainty as to the amount of work performed will be pre-
vented, as the machine cannot make a single stitch without registering it,
and the numbering being automatically performed there can be no errors
from miscalculations or forgetfulness.
5 SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th December 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, South-
Dampton Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS, Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give

page_text: and grant, unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention of "A
NEW METHOD OF AND APARATUS FOR COUNTING THE STITCHES MADE BY A SEWING
MACHINE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Robert Lake, my executors, or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
The said Invention relates to the application of a peculiarly con-
structed counting or numbering apparatus, to a sewing machine, and
is designed to, afford the means whereby the amount of work performed
in any given number of days or hours by machines in various localities
may be correctly ascertained, without the necessity for incurring the
expence of the continuous supervision of each machine by trust-
worthy and competent persons, the said apparatus being moreover
entirely automatic in its action, and therefore free from the liability to
errors which so frequently occur in other methods of numbering and
calculating. The said Invention has more especial reference to the
application of the said counter to a machine for sewing the soles of
boots and shoes, substantially such as that described in the Specifi-
cation of an Invention for which Letters Patent have been granted to
John William Ford, bearing date the Sixteenth day of April, A. D. 1862,
No. 1113.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents the face of the said counting apparatus. Figure 2
is a transverse section on the line X, X, Figure 1. Figure 3 is a section
on the line y, y, Figure 2. Figure 4 illustrates the manner of applying
the said counting apparatus to the sewing machine herein-before
referred to. Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the
Drawing.
The said counting apparatus is provided with a circular face or dial
plate a,
whereon are formed a series of circles divided and numbered as
shewn in Figure 1, and over each of these figured circles or circular
scales is arranged a pointer or index hand b. The said pointers are
fixed on the ends of shafts or spindles c, which by means of toothed
wheels cand pinions c³ are geared in connection with a central
pinion d. The peripheries of these wheels are indicated by dotted
lines in Figure 3. The effeciency of the apparatus and the perfect
accuracy in counting which is the main object of this Invention,
obviously depend upon maintaining an exact and unalterable relation
between the stitching mechanism to which the apparatus is attached,
and the indexes from whose indications the quantity of work performed
by the machine in a given time is estimated, and this unchangeable
relation between the parts I obtain as follows:-The central pinion d
is made in one piece with or is otherwise solidly attached to a ratchet
plate e, so that neither the said pinion or plate can move independently
of the other. The said ratchet plate has one tooth or notch 1, and is so
formed that a spring pawlf pivotted to the back plate a¹ of the apparatus
falls therein as shown in Figure 3, and therefore prevents the turning
of the said ratchet plate and pinion, except in the direction of the
arrow. In a line with the central axis g of this ratchet plate e, and
from the back of the box or case A which encloses the wheelwork and
other mechanism of the apparatus, extends a shaft or spindle h which
by means of a socket or other suitable connection is coupled with the
shaft or spindle of the sewing machine.
When the apparatus is applied to the machine described in the former
Specification herein-before mentioned, and a portion of which is shewn
in Figure 4, the spindle 4 of the counter is connected to the cam shaft
of the said machine, its end being made flat on one side and inserted in
a socket or hole in the said cam shaft, in which socket it is secured by a

page_text: key, but other means may be adopted for securing the said shafts together
so that one cannot turn without the other. The said shaft or spindle h
ás before stated is in a line with the axis of the central pinion d and
ratchet plate e, and the end of the shaft is bored or perforated as shewn
in Figure 2 to form a bearing for the axis g of the said pinion and plate,
the other bearing for the said axis being made in the front plate or
dial a. The axis g runs loosely in the end of the shaft h, and in order
that motion in the desired direction may be imparted by the shaft / to
the pinion d I provide the ratchet plate e with a spring pawl or detent i,
and fix or form on the end of the shaft h a small ratchet plate j, which
like the first mentioned plate e has one tooth or notch 2 formed on its
periphery. The pawl i and this tooth or notch 2 are so formed and
arranged that when the shaft rotates in the proper direction as indicated
by the arrow (in which direction it is allowed to turn by the pawlf) it.
will turn the pinion d with it and will thereby communicate motion to
all of the index hands or pointers b. It will thus be seen that not a
single stitch can be made by the machine without an indication thereof
being plainly given on the dial. If, however, the said shaft should be
reversed or turned in the backward direction, the spring pawl i which
connects the shaft h to the ratchet plate e will yield and the shaft will
turn backward alone, while the ratchet plate e and pinion d are held
immoveably by the other pawl f, therefore no motion will be imparted
to the pointers which will remain stationary until the shaft h again
rotates in the forward direction, in which direction only will the machine
perform its work. I prefer that the series of circular figured scales
should be so arranged that the upper or first one will indicate single
stitches or strokes of the needle of the sewing machine, while the last
scale of the series indicates ten millions; this arrangement, however,
may be varied as may be found convenient or desirable.
The case or box A of the apparatus must be cast on or otherwise
securely and immoveably attached to the sewing machine, and the said
case or box should be securely locked or otherwise fastened in such a
manner as to prevent access by unauthorized persons to the interior of
the apparatus. If these precautions are taken it will be impossible for
any person using the machine to tamper with the apparatus without
detection, while on the other hand any uncertainty as to the amount of
work performed will be prevented, as the machine cannot make a single
stitch without registering it, and the numbering being automatically per-
formed there can be no errors from miscalculation or forgetfulness.

page_text: Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent and shewn how the same may be con-
veniently and advantageously carried into practice, I claim, the method
of counting or numbering the stitches made by a sewing machine, and
the apparatus therefor, substantially as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)
Witness,
H. J. GEDGE,
Clerk to Messrs. Haseltine Lake, & Co.,
8, Southamption Buildings,
London.