IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George William Elliott, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Engineer, for the Invention of “IMPROVEMENTS
IN SEWING MACHINES."
Sealed the 6th November 1874, and dated the 8th May 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George William Elliott
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 8th May 1874.
I, GEORGE WILLIAM ELLIOTT, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
According to the first part of my improvements, for the purpose of
giving the necessary motion to the shuttle in lock-stitch machines
I use a lever with a long straight slot in it, and in which a block or a
The lever is
crank pin slides up and down as the crank revolves.
attached to the body of the machine at one end by a stud, on which it
is free to oscillate as the crank pin revolyes, and giving a reciprocating

page_text: motion to the lever, increasing in velocity as the crank pin approaches
the fast end of the lever. To this lever the shuttle carrier is attached
by a pin which forms a hinge, so as to allow it to swing back from the
shuttle face, either horizontally or vertically, when required to put in
or take out the shuttle, the carrier being secured in its place by a latch
or spring.
In order to obtain the necessary feed motions, according to my
improvements the feed lever is made in one piece with a hole in one
end and the roughened surface or foot at the other; the hole is made
to fit on an eccentric on the main revolving shaft. About midway in
the lever there is a slot or long hole, in which is fitted a moveable
fulcrum for the lever to work on, and by moving which the length of
stitch is altered.
The hole for the eccentric may be next the foot and the adjustable
fulcrum near the opposite end, so as to better adapt it to machines
arranged with the revolving shaft near the under side of the table; but
in either case the lever may be made of one straight piece of metal
with the roughened surface or foot at one end, either attached or solid
with the lever, and to work without a spring.
Another mode of obtaining the feed motion in accordance with my
improvements is as follows:-The feed lever is made of one piece, at
one end of which is the roughened surface or foot, and at the other end
two plain surfaces at right angles to cach other, one horizontal and the
other vertical. The horizontal surface bears upon a cam on the main
revolving shaft, which gives the upward motion to the foot, and the
vertical surface bears against another cam on the main revolving shaft,
which gives the forward motion to the foot.
The feed lever is kept up
to the cams by a spring. About midway in the lever the fulcrum is
placed on which the lever works. The length of stitch is regulated
either by making the fulcrum moveable or by an adjustable stop in the
usual way. :
.
3. Another part of my Invention relates to improvements in the method
of winding the reels or spools of lock-stitch machines. In order to
wind the reels or spools of lock-stitch machines, the reel or spool is held
between a spring formed of a flat piece of steel and a cup at the end
of a pin held in a bearing at one end of the winder and free to revolve,
and having at the other end an india-rubber ring sprung on to form a

page_text: friction roller in the usual way. The part of the winder forming the
body and bearing for the revolving pin is made flat at the bottom, and
is secured to the machine by a stud in the middle, which also forms a
fulcrum for the winder to turn upon, and secures the spring. The
opposite end of the winder to the bearing is made forked, and between
these forks is fitted a cam attached to the machine by a stud, on which
it is free to turn. The top part of the cam is made broader than
between the forks of the winder, and rests thereon, forming a flange to
keep the winder steady. By turning the cam the winder is made to
turn on its fulcrum, and thus bring the india-rubber friction roller
to bear against or keep from the main cam or pulley of the machine.
In order to arrange the motions or apparatus previously described, so
as to make a cheap and good machine in accordance with my improve-
ments, the body of the machine is made and arranged as follows:-
The face on which the shuttle slides is arranged facing towards the
outside of the machine, the opening in the shuttle being towards the
back of the machine. The top part of this face is straight and level
with the under side of the cloth plate and the bottom is struck from a
centre of the lever carrying the shuttle. Standing back from this face
about half an inch is another face, against which the boss of the shuttle
lever and the feed levers bear, and between these faces there is an
opening formed to allow the feed lever to pass up behind the shuttle
face in a straight line from the feed cam. The main revolving shaft
comes through the bottom face as far as the shuttle lever, and carries
the feed cam and crank disc; the latter forming a cam also when the
four-way feed motion is applied.

page_text: Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said George William Elliott, Her special
license that I, the said George William Elliott, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George William
Elliott, 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 for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George William Elliott, 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 monthis next and immediately after the date.
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George William Elliott, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
According to the first part of my improvements for the purpose of
giving the necessary motion to the shuttle in lock-stitch machines,
I use a lever A (as clearly shown in Figures 4 and 5 of the Drawings
hereunto annexed), with a long straight slot in it, and in which a block
on a crank pin B slides up and down as the crank revolves. The lever A
is attached to the body of the machine at one end by a stud C, on
which it is free to oscillate as the crank pin B revolves, and giving a
reciprocating motion to the lever A, increasing in velocity as the crank
pin approaches the fast end of the lever. To this lever the shuttle
carrier A is attached by a pin D, which forms a hinge, so as to allow
it to swing back from the shuttle face, cither horizontally or vertically,
when required, to put in or take out, the shuttle carrier being secured
in its place by a latch or spring.
In order to obtain the necessary feed motions, according to my
11
P ..
TA

page_text: opening in one end and the roughened surface or foot at the other; the
hole or opening is made to fit on an eccentric on the main revolving
shaft E. About midway in the lever F there is a slot or long hole in
which is fitted a moveable fulcrum F¹ for the lever to work on, and by
moving which the length of stitch is altered.
The hole for the eccentric may be next the foot, as shown in Figures
6 and 7, and the adjustable fulcrum F' near the opposite end, so as to
better adapt it to machines arranged with the revolving shaft.E near
the under side of the table; but in cither case the lever F may be made.
of one straight piece of metal with the roughened surface or foot at
one end, either attracted or solid with the lever, and to work without a
spring.
Another mode of obtaining the feed motion, in accordance with my
improvements, is as represented in Figures 8 and 9. The feed lever F
is made of one piece, at one end of which is the roughened surface or
foot, and at the other end two plain arms or surfaces at right angles
to each other, one horizontal and the other vertical. The horizontal
surface bears upon a cam G on the main revolving shaft, which gives
the upward motion to the foot, and the vertical surface bears against
another cam G¹ on the main revolving shaft, which gives the forward
motion to the foot. The feed lever F is kept up to the cams by a
spring. About midway in the feed lever F the fulcrum F¹ is placed,
on which the lever L works. The length of stitch is regulated either
by making the fulcrum moveable, or by an adjustable stop in the usual
way.
"
Another part of my Invention relates to improvements in the method
of winding the reels or spools of lock-stitch machines: In order to
wind the reels or spools of lock-stitch machines, the reel or spool is held
between a spring J (as shown in Figures 1 and 10), formed of a flat
piece of steel, and a cup at the end of a pin K held in a bearing at one
end of the winder and free to revolve, and having at the other end an
india-rubber ring K' sprung on to form a friction roller in the usual
way. The part of the winder forming the body M and bearing for the
revolving pin is made flat at the bottom, and is secured to the machine
by a stud N in the middle, which also forms a fulcrum for the winder
to turn upon, and secures the spring J. The opposite end of the winder
to the bearing is made forked, and between these forks is fitted
a cam O

page_text: attached to the machine by a stud P, on which it is free to turn; the
top part of the cam is made broader than. between the forks of the
winder, and rests thercon, forming a flange to keep the winder steady.
By turning the cam the winder is made to turn on its fulcrum and thus
bring the india-rubber friction roller to bear against or keep from the
the main cam or pulley of the machine.
In order to arrange the motions or apparatus previously described, so
as to make a cheap and good machine, in accordance with my improve-
ments, the body of the machine is made and arranged as follows:-
The face Q on which the shuttle slides is arranged facing towards the
outside of the machine, the opening in the shuttle being towards the
back of the machine. The top part of this face is straight and level
with the under side of the cloth plate, and the bottom is struck from a
centre of the lever A. carrying the shuttle. Standing back from this
face about half an inch is another face, against which the boss of the
shuttle lever A and the feed levers F bear, and between these faces
there is an opening formed to allow the feed lever F to pass up behind
the shuttle face in a straight line from the feed cam. The main
working shaft E comes through the bottom face as far as the shuttle
lever, and carries the feed cam and crank disk; the latter forming a
cam also when the four-way feed motion is applied.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing or carrying the same into practice, I would have it.
understood that I do not confine myself to the exact details herein
described, so long as the particular features of my Invention are retained,
but what I claim is,―
First. The improved arrangement and combination of the lever A. in
lock-stitch sewing machines with the shuttle carrier A', substantially
in the manner and for the purposes herein-before described and shown
in the Drawing hereto annexed.
Secondly. I claim the arrangements of mechanism for effecting and
governing the feed motions of sewing machines, substantially in the
manner herein-before described and shown in the Drawings hereto
annexed.
Thirdly. I claim the improved arrangement and combination of parts
for winding the spools or bobbins of sewing machines, substantially in

page_text: GEORGE WILLIAM ELLIOTT. (L.S.)