IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SEWING MACHINES." A communication from abroad by Charles H. Willcox, of
New York City, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 27th July 1877, and dated the 19th February 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th February 1877.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES.". A communication from
abroad by Charles H. Willcox, of New York City, in the United States of America.
This Invention relates more particularly to what are known as the Willcox and
Gibbs' sewing machines, but it is also applicable to sewing machines of other descrip-
tions, and it consists of improvements having for their object enabling what is
known as "chaining off" to be effected, that is to say, the continuance of the
operation of producing a locked chain with the thread alone after the work has
passed the presser foot and needle, and also for ensuring a uniform and regular
loose stitch.
In carrying out this Invention it is proposed to employ a presser foot consisting
of three principal parts, vizt., a front or toe, a back or heel, and a spring, and also a
foot thread guide in combination with the foot, all constructed and arranged in the
manner herein-after described.
The front or toe and the back or heel are slotted to fit into each other, and are
hinged or pivotted together so as (by the aid of the spring) to allow a rocking
movement to the front part or toe, during which time the back or heel may be
stationary.
The heel is so arranged as to act upon the rear of the toe portion and cause it to
hold firmly on to any substance underneath it during the time in which a piece of
material may be placed under the front or toe of the presser foot, and its construction
is such as to ensure a firm grip upon the thread chain itself when no material is
being sewn

page_text: The toe is provided on its upper side with a longitudinal projection carrying two
pins, one of which forms the hinge pin for connecting it with the heel whilst the
other pin constitutes a stop for the toe in its movements, and also a connection for
the spring before mentioned. This spring consists of a bent doubled or U shaped
blade slotted for the reception of the longitudinal projection, and engaging at the
extremity of one of its two bent sides with the pin secondly mentioned, whilst the
other bent side bears upon the heel so as to exercise the requisite pressure thereupon
to control the toe in its movements.
By means of the peculiar spring the presser foot presents a horizontal surface in
all the various degrees of pitch and level of the feed surface. It is also proposed to
cut or form on the cloth plate, in proximity to the feed surfaces, a set or sets of teeth
or serrations inclining in the reverse direction to those of the feed surfaces, whereby
the tendency is overcome of the work or chain advancing except when moved by
the action of the feed.
The foot thread guide consists of an adjustable wire spring which is placed in
the front of the presser foot and on the left or grooved side of the needle, the
function of which spring is to place and maintain the sewing thread in the groove
of the needle, the spring being so situate that the thread is guided surely at the
most important point, and is thus more effective than when thread guides are placed
upon the needle bar. By means of this part of the Invention there is produced
with ease and certainty, after the material which has been sewn has passed the
needle, a continuous locked chain made of thread when not sewn in or upon any
material, so that when the sewing machine is being run at full speed by steam the
thread will not be broken, but may continue to make the stitch until another piece
of material is placed under the foot.
It is also proposed to employ for the purpose of ensuring a uniform and regular
loose stitch a looper provided between the ordinary nose and spur with an additional
tail or projection, in order to hold the loop open and more distended until the needle
is on its downward stroke to take the next stitch, the result obtained being an
elastic and open stitch or chain which is required in special branches of manufacture,
such for example as for hosiery purposes.
The cloth plates may be slightly grooved or recessed to admit of the motion of
the tail or projection of the looper.
The details of the various parts may be modified without departing from the
principle of the Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
August 1877.
+
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES." A communication from
abroad by Charles H. Willcox, of New York City, in the United States of America.
The said Invention relates more particularly to what are known as the Willcox and
Gibbs' sewing machines, but it is also applicable to sewing machines of other descrip-
tions, and it consists chiefly of improvements having for their object enabing what is
known as chaining off to be effected, that is to say, the continuance of the operation
of producing a locked chain with the thread alone after the work has passed the
presser foot and needle, and also for ensuring a uniform and regular loose stitch.
One part of the said Invention has reference to the presser foot, and it consists
first in constructing the foot in two parts hinged or jointed together, the one part
being rigidly secured to the presser rod or bar so as not to be capable of any
motion independently thereof, whereas the other which is hinged or jointed to the
said fixed part, whilst it partakes of the rising and falling movements of such fixed

page_text: part, with the presser rod or bar also moveable relatively to the said fixed part,
being free to turn on its hinge or joint, so as to cause its front end to be elevated
and its rear end depressed, and again to resume its normal parallel position as and
when required.
This compound presser foot operates in the following manner:-When a piece or
two or more pieces of material are being sewn the compound presser foot rests upon
the work in a similar manner to an ordinary presser foot. When also the material
which has been sewn has passed the needle and presser foot and the formation of a
locked chain with the thread alone is commencing, the compound presser foot
descends bodily (the moveable part being horizontal) upon the chain of thread under
the impulsion of the ordinary spring of the presser, and the feeding is continued in
the usual manner. If now a fresh piece or pieces of material be placed beneath the
front end of the moveable part this part will necessarily turn upon its hinge or
joint, whereby its rear end will be depressed and caused to grip the locked chain,
the pressure being continued until the sewing of the material has recommenced on
the complete entrance of the material, the moveable part gradually resuming its
horizontal position and also relaxing its grip of the locked chain when the pressure
thereon is no longer required, in lieu of the chain being allowed to escape without
any restraint exercised upon it by the presser foot, and the consequent risk being
incurred of breaking the thread, as in the ordinary. apparatus, in which the presser
foot is bodily raised horizontally by the act of inserting a fresh piece or pieces of
material. The compound foot also facilitates the entrance of seams or irregularities
in the course of the work, the rear end constantly retaining its hold of the work
when the front end is elevated, whereby the uniform advance of the work is
ensured.
A blade spring of a U or other suitable form, or a spring of any other suitable
description adapted for the purpose, may also be employed as an auxiliary for main-
taining the moveable part of the presser foot in its horizontal position when the
machine is at rest, and a stop or stops may be provided for limiting the range of
motion of the moveable part upon its hinge or joint.
With this improved presser foot may also be employed a spring so arranged as to
act upon the grooved side of the needle and maintain the sewing thread in the
groove when no material is being sewn, the spring exercising a similar function to
the work in the ordinary operation of sewing, the tendency of which is to retain
the thread in the groove rather than to produce a contrary effect.
Another part of the said Invention relates to revolving or rotary-hooks or loopers,
such for example as the revolving hook or looper employed in what is known as the
Willcox and Gibbs' sewing machine, and it has for its object partly facilitating the
process of "chaining off" and also obtaining a uniform and regular loose stitch, which
is required in special branches of manufacture, such for example as for hosiery or
embroidery purposes.
In carrying out this part of the said Invention the revolving hook or looper is
provided with a tail or projection in order to hold the loop which is in process
of being cast off open and distended until the drawing up action has practically
ceased.
In the Specification to Letters Patent No. 29580 granted to James Willcox, dated
the twenty-fifth November, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, there is
described the application to a hook or looper of an attachment or extension for
retaining the loop which is in process of being cast off until the same is drawn up
tight against the cloth (or nearly so), so as to obviate the tendency to the twisting
and kinking of the loop, or of the said loop becoming entangled with the hook or
looper by the rapid action of the latter, and the consequent liability in either case
to the breaking of the thread. The present Invention however differs entirely from
the arrangement described in the said former Specification both in its nature and
functions. The attachment or extension before mentioned which was thus intended
for the gradual letting off of the loop consisted simply of a swell on the back of the
hook or looper, whilst according to the present Invention there is added to the

page_text: swell a tail of sufficient length to retain the loop until the drawing up action has
practically ceased, so that when the loop is finally released it cannot be further
tightened, whereby a uniform and regular loose stitch is obtained.
The improved hook or looper also facilitates "chaining off," by obviating the
tendency to draw the last formed stitch past the needle hole, and on top of the
cloth plate, thereby producing an undue friction upon the drawing up of the next
koop.
Another part of the said Invention consists in providing in proximity to the feed
surfaces a stationary set or sets of teeth or serrations, inclining in the reverse
direction to those of the feed surfaces, whereby the tendency is overcome of the
work advancing, except when moved by the normal action of the feed; as, for
example, of its being forcibly expelled from the machine as the end of the material
is passing the rear end of the pressure foot..
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings each represent a front sectional
elevation of so much of a Willcox and Gibbs' Sewing Machine as is sufficient to
illustrate the said Invention; the former Figure representing material in the course
of being sewn, and the latter Figure representing the sewn material leaving the
machine, and fresh material entering, and the process of forming an intermediate
locked chain with the thread alone. Figure 2a is a sectional detail drawn to a
larger scale, illustrating the action of the compound presser foot upon the chain
when the feed surfaces have receded.
Figure 3 represents a plan of the compound presser foot detached. Figures 4, 5,
and 6 are respectively detail views of the parts of the same, Figures 4 and 5
representing respectively the fixed and moveable parts of the compound presser
foot, and Figure 6, its auxiliary spring; Figure 7 represents a section of the cloth
plate;
and Figure 8 represents a plan of a portion of the cloth plate, together with
the feed surfaces.
A is the presser rod or bar; B, the fixed part of the compound presser foot,
rigidly secured to the presser rod or bar; A and C, the moveable part of such
presser foot, attached by means of a hinge or joint pin a to the fixed part B, so
as to be capable of turning on such pin from the horizontal position shewn in
Figure 1, to an inclined position, such, for example, as those shewn in Figures 2 and
2º, or vice versa, the part B being slotted at b, and the part C provided with a web
c (or the converse arrangement may be adopted) so as to admit of the two parts
being securely and conveniently fitted together, whilst allowing to the moveable
part C the requisite independent motion. This compound foot, during the normal
action of the machine when material is being sewn, as shewn at D, Figure 1, also
during "chaining off," until fresh material is inserted, maintains a horizontal
position as represented in Figure 1, and acts in a similar manner to an ordinary
presser foot. It is only when fresh material is being inserted that the peculiar
function of the compound presser foot comes into play. The nature of this
function will be readily understood on reference to Figures 2 and 2ª. D is the
material which has already been sewn, and which has passed the needle E, and the
rear end c¹ of the part C of the presser foot d is a locked chain, which is being
formed with the thread alone, and D₁ is a fresh piece or pieces of material about to
be introduced into the machine.
It will be observed that as the front end of the material D¹ enters beneath the
front extremity of the part C, the said part C is turned upon its centre a,
whereby its rear end c¹ is depressed and caused to press the locked chain d against
the feed surfaces f, as shewn in Figure 2, and thus ensure the uniform advance of
the chain d, and also press the chain & against the portion of the cloth plate I on
the retreat of the feed surfaces, as shewn in Figure 2ª, such action being continued
until the material D₁ has fairly entered the machine, when the parts will have

page_text: resumed the position indicated in Figure 1. In the arrangement shewn in the
Drawings the rear end c¹ of the part C is grooved on its under side, as shewn at e,
Figure 5, so as to facilitate this action of the presser foot, by causing the parts e, e,
to straddle the bars u, u, with which the cloth plate in this peculiar construction is
formed.
By means of the arrangement, herein-before described, as the feeding is continued
uniformly, the locked chain with the thread alone is produced from the time when
the sewn material D passes the presser foot until the fresh material D¹ is inserted,
and all liability to the breaking of the thread is entirely obviated. The compound
foot also greatly facilitates the passage of seams or inequalities in the course
of the work, as when the front end c³ of the moveable part C is rising to admit the
increased thickness, the hinge a being situate about midway of such moveable part,
the rear end c¹ retains its hold of the work and causes it to be uniformly advanced.
The leverage obtained by this relative position of the hinge or fulcrum also assists in
overcoming the resistance of the spring of the presser rod or bar to the necessary
rising of the foot for the admission of such increased thickness. With this
compound foot may also be used the auxiliary spring F, shewn separately in Figure
6, and applied to the foot in Figures 1, 2, 2, and 3. This spring consists of a
> shaped blade slotted at h to pass over the web c of the moveable part C of the
presser foot, and having the extremity of its upper limb curved, as shewn at i, to
hook under a pin k carried by the web c, whilst its lower limb rests upon the fixed
part B of the presser foot. The function of this spring is to maintain the moveable
part C of the presser foot in its horizontal position when the machine is at rest and
no material is beneath the foot, and the pin k, to which the spring is hooked, also
serves as a stop for limiting the range of notion of the moveable part C upon its
centre a. In some cases a coiled spring G may be employed attached at m to the
presser foot, and pressing by its end n upon the needle E at the side where the
groove is situate, the said spring producing a similar effect where no material is being
sewn to that of the work during the ordinary operation of sewing, by causing the
thread to remain in the groove. during the reciprocating vertical motions of the
needle.
The improvement in the revolving or rotary hook or looper is illustrated in
Figures 1, 2, and 2ª of the Drawings, Figure 1 representing it as employed in
sewing material with a loose and open stitch, and the Figures 2 and 2ª illustrating
its application in the formation of a continuous locked chain of thread alone with
loops of a loose and open character. H is the revolving hook or looper; o, its nose,
which takes the loop from the needle; p, the spur or "cast off;" and 9, the swell or
attachment on the back of the hook or looper forming a gradual "let off," as
described in the said former Specification. According to the present Invention
there is added to the swell or attachment q a tail or prolongation r concentric or
nearly so with the axis of revolution of the looper, and for the greater portion of its
length of uniform size, which tail or prolongation retains the loop in process of being
cast off, as shewn at 8, Figures 1 and 2, until the drawing up action of the machine
has practically ceased. The loop 8 is then released by the continued revolution of
the hook or looper H, causing its tail or prolongation to pass out of the loop, and
since no further drawing up can take place, the loop cannot be further tightened,
consequently it retains its loose and open character, and as each succeeding loop is
also in its turn held by the tail or prolongation until the drawing up action in
each case has practically ceased, a uniform and regular loose stitch is obtained
which is required in special branches of manufacture, such, for example, as for
hosiery or embroidery purposes. The tail or prolongation of the hook or looper
H; when employed in combination with the compound presser foot B, C, also
facilitates chaining off by ensuring the normal advance of the chain of thread when
no material is being sewn, the tendency being obviated of the last formed stitch
being drawn under the action of the feed past the needle hole e*, and on top of the
cloth plate I, and thus producing undue friction upon the drawing up of the
succeeding loop.

page_text: ? The cloth plate I may be slightly grooved on its under side, so as to admit of the
motion of the tail or prolongation r close to the work.
I
The last part of the said Invention is illustrated in Figures 7 and 8. It consists
in forming on the cloth plate I, at a point situate beneath the rear end c¹ of the
presser foot teeth, or serrations u inclining in the opposite direction to those of the
feed surfaces f, for the purpose of obviating the tendency to the forcible expulsion
of the material which has been sewn, as its extremity is leaving the rear end c¹ of the
presser foot, by causing it to advance only at the speed at which it is moved by the
normal action of the feed.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. Constructing a presser foot in two parts, hinged or jointed together in such a
manner as to admit of one part turning on its centre, so as to cause its front
extremity to be elevated, and its rear extremity to be depressed, substantially
as and for the purposes herein-before described.
2ndly. Constructing a rotary hook or looper with a tail or prolongation for
retaining the loop in the process of being cast off until the drawing up action has
practically ceased, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before described.
3rdly. The combination in a sewing machine of a presser foot constructed in two
parts, hinged or jointed together, with a rotary hook or looper having a tail or
'prolongation, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described.
4thly. The employment in a sewing machine, in proximity to the feeding
surfaces, of a stationary set or sets of teeth or serrations inclining in the reverse
direction to those of such feed surfaces, substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this my Speci-.
fication set my hand and seal, the Seventh day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-seven.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)