IMPROVE-. MENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in
the County of Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street in the City
of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-.
MENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."-A communication from-J. E. A. Gibbs, of
Vicinio Tinited States of & marion
of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-.
MENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."-A communication from-J. E. A. Gibbs, of
Virginia United States of America
Sealed the 15th May 1857, and dated the 26th January 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners; of Patents, with his Petition, on thé
26th January 1857.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47; Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North
Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," a communication from J. E.-A..Gibbs,
of Virginia, United States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
machinery or apparatus for uniting or ornamenting fabrics by. means of the
ordinary one thread or chain stitch, whereby greater simplicity, and cheapness
of construction are obtained.
The improvements consist, firstly, in so constructing and arranging the
machine as to form the chain stitch by the aid of a stationary book, thereby

page_text: dispensing with the whole of the mechanism hitherto employed for actuating
the hook; secondly, in producing the feed motion of the fabric by means of a
hook attached for that purpose to the needle head or carrier; thirdly, in the
application of a peculiar clamp, so constructed that it will hold the fabric
securely down upon the cloth table during the whole operation of forming and
tightening the loop, and relieve it from pressure at the moment the feeding of
the fabric is to be performed; fourthly, in a mode of guiding the needle pro-
perly at the moment it enters the fabric.
The framing of the machinery, which is capable of being clamped down on to
any ordinary table, carries two shafts, placed one above the other, and arranged
as to run parallel in a direction from the front to the back of the machine.
The lower shaft is the first motion shaft, and is driven by a winch handle; it
imparts a rocking motion to the upper shaft by means of a connecting rod and
suitable arms or cranks. The front end of this upper or rocking shaft is fitted
or formed with a lever arm, having a projecting pin or stud at its outer end,
upon which the needle head or carrier is free: to turn slightly. Into this
carrier is fitted the needle, which should be slightly curved and furnished with
an eye near the point. There is also fitted to the needle head a cloth feeding
hook, which, on coming in contact with the cloth, will impel it forward
a certain desired distance, such distance being adjusted by means of a suitable
regulating screw, which regulates the play of the needle head on its stud or
pin. The needle is guided during part of its ascending and descending motion
by suitable cross-bar guides, it being kept in contact with these guides by
means of, a helical or other spring suitably attached to the needle head.
The cloth table is slotted, so as to allow a free passage, and play to the
needle. Below it is fixed the stationary hook, which is so disposed as to catch
the thread from the needle when the latter is guided thereto by a projecting
guide for that purpose. The fabric is held down upon the table by a hinged
spring 'clamp, which is elevated at the time the cloth is to be fed by a cam
or projection on the connecting rod of the actuating winch handle striking a
'pulley on the tail of the clamp. The bobbin is placed in the upper part of
'the machine, and the thread is conducted through suitable guiding eyes before
being passed through the needle. The needle after passing through the cloth
is guided upon an incline on the stationary hook, the cloth forming the pivoting
point' of the needle causing it to oscillate within such limits as it may have
been adjusted for. The loop is formed by the needle passing the thread over
the hook, where it remains until the next descent of the needle through the
loop last formed; which is then drawn off.

page_text: 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
25th July 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN,
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex, and
of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Henry Johnson, Her special. license that I, the, said John
Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or 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," a communication from J.. E. A. Gibbs,.
of Virginia, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others).
that I, the said John Henry Johnson, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, 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..
64
NOW KNOW YE, that, I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:—
The said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
machinery or apparatus for uniting or ornamenting fabrics by means of the
ordinary tambour or chain stitch, whereby a sewing machine of greater.
simplicity and cheapness of construction is obtained..
t
The improvements consist, firstly, in so constructing and arranging the
machine as to form the chain stitch by the aid of .a stationary hook, thereby
dispensing with the whole of the mechanism. hitherto employed for actuating
the hook; secondly, in producing the feed motion of the fabric by means of

page_text: a hook attached for that purpose to the needle head or carrier; thirdly,.in. the
application of a peculiar clamp, so constructed that it will hold the fabric
down upon the cloth table during the whole operation of forming and
tightening the loop, and relieve it from pressure at the moment the feeding.
of the fabric is to be performed; fourthly, in a niode of guiding-the needle
properly at the moment it enters the fabric:
.
The framing of the machine, which is capable of being clamped down-on
to any ordinary table, carries two shafts, placed one above the other, and
arranged so as to run parallel in a direction from the front to the back of
the machine. The lower shaft is the first motion shaft, and is driven by a
winch handle; it imparts a rocking motion to the upper shaft by means of
a connecting rod and suitable arms or cranks.
"'
The front end of this:upper or rocking shaft is fitted or formed with a lever
arm, having a projecting pin or stud at its outer end, upon which the needle
head or carrier is free to turn slightly: Into this carrier is fitted the needle,
which should be slightly curved or bent above the eye, which is made near the
point. There is also fitted to the needle head a clotli feeding hook, which on
coming in contact with the cloth will impel it forward a certain desired dis-
tance, according to the length of stitch required, such distance being adjusted
by means of a suitable regulating screw, which controls the play of the needle
head on its stem or pin. The needle is guided during part of its ascending
and descending motion by suitable cross bar guiders, it being kept in contact
with these guiders by means of a helical or other spring suitably attached to
the needle head. The cloth table is slotted, so as to allow a free passage and
play to the needle. Below it is fixed the stationary hook, which is so disposed
as to catch the thread from the needle when the latter is guided thereto, which
is effected by a projecting guider for that purpose. The fabric is held down
upon the table by a hinged spring clamp, which is elevated at the time the
cloth is to be fed by a cam or projection on the connecting rod of the actuating
winch handle striking a pulley on the tail of the clamp. The spool.or bobbin
is placed in the upper part of the machine, and the thread is conducted througli
suitable guiding eyes before being passed through the needle. The needle
liead is free to turn round on its axis, and the needle after passing. through
the cloth is guided upon an inclined plane on the stationary hook, the cloth
forming the fulcrum of the needle, and causing it under the action of the arm
to oscillate within such limits as it may have been adjusted for. The needle
passes the thread over the stationary hook, whereby a loop is formed, which
remains until the next descent of the needle through the loop last formed,
which is then drawn off.

page_text: .
Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings are side views of the whole machine,
shewing the crank, operating the machine, in two different positions. Figure.3
is a front view, and Figure 4 a back view of the same; Figure 5 represents
a detail plan of the adjustable needle guide. A is the frame or body of the
machine, carrying at its sides suitable bearings for the main shafts B and C,
which give the required. motions to the various parts of mechanism: in the
machine. These shafts work: in suitable bearings at c and d, as shewn in
the Drawing. The end of the shaft B, extending beyond the bearing, is bent
to form a small crank which carries the cam F, whence it passes' to 'the
driving handle E, forming such an angle as to cause the cam to strike the
roller G, when the handle is in its descending motion. The cam F is secured
to a rod that forms both the connecting rod with arm H of the shaft C,
and the journal of the pin of the small crank e. The shaft C extends longi-
tudinally throughout the whole length of the upper structure of the framie, and
has two arms formed upon it, the one for connecting it with the connecting
rod at the rear, and the other for connecting it with the needle head: at the
front of the machine.
1
the
The motion given to the crank e, by turning. the handle E in the direction
indicated by the arrows, will impart to the needle a peculiar vibration in con-
nection with the other parts hereafter described. The needle head is constructed
of wood; brass, or any other suitable material, and carries the needle and
the feeder or feeding hook, both of which are securely fastened to its front
side. It has on its under side a longitudinal groove or bore, through which is
passed or fitted loosely the horizontal bent arms of the rocking shafts C, which,
admitting of the proper oscillating motion of the needle head when its needle
is guided during part of its descending and ascending motion against the cross
bars I, Figure 5, the body of the cloth or the table slot, forming the point of
fulcrum on which it oscillates. K is a spiral spring applied to the side of the
needle head for the purpose of keeping the needle head firmly pressed into
the angle of the guiding cross bars, and also of preventing the needle head
from tipping over its.rotating axle, when so inclined, that its centre of gravity
will be thrown out of a perpendicular line through the rocking shaft. On
the other and opposite side of the needle head is a 'stop 1, adjustable by
means of a screw L, for limiting the course of the feeding hook in relation
to the rocking shaft, thus regulating the length of the stitches. The
pedestal of the frame carries in front the cloth table, which is slotted .so as
to allow a free passage to the needle, and its play, and has placed beneath it
or stationary Look M, screwed or otherwise permanently attached in. such a

page_text: position as to catch the thread from the needle when the latter is guided
thereto by the projecting guide N, for the purpose of forming the loop in the
manner herein-after described..
The contrivance for holding and feeding the cloth upon the table consists of
a clamp pivoted at O, and pressed down on the table by a spiral spring or its
equivalent, which is inserted between the clamp and the upper part of the
frame. The clamp is elevated by exerting a pressure upon the tail piece and
roller G of the clamp, so as to overcome the action of the spring, and this is
effected by the cam F attached to the main crank at the moment the feeding
is, required, as shewn in Figure 1.
:
:. The description of the machine is completed by mentioning the arm carry-
ing the bobbin, which arm has a spiral spring wound around it, and a nut for
the purpose of regulating the amount of friction which the bobbin must offer
for the proper working of the machine; finally, by mentioning the thread
carrier P, near the extremity of the rocking shaft and the eye R in the needle
head, for conducting the thread in a suitable manner to the needle. The cloth
being placed upon the table, and held there securely by the clamp, the needle
properly adjusted in the cross' bar guides the stop 1, regulated so as to limit
the oscillation of the needle up to a certain determined point, the thread con-
ducted through the carrier and, the eye. R to the needle; and finally, the whole
machine, being clamped to the edge of a table or otherwise secured so that the
crank handle may have free motion, it will be ready for use; the operation
taking place in the following manner:-The handle E, on being turned in
the direction of the arrows (Figures 3 and 4), imparts to the rocking shaft
and the needle head a vibrating motion, so that the needle head will ascend
laterally when the handle is turned in an upward direction, and will descend
laterally when the handle is turned in a downward direction.
The needle is guided first by the cross bars, which are set, before beginning
.to work, by adjusting screws in such a manner as. to present the angle. they
.form, and into which the needle glides in a proper position in relation to the
slot in the table. The needle after passing through the cloth is guided upon
an inclined plane on the stationary hook, the cloth forming the pivoting: point
of the needle. The needle passes the thread over the hook and thereby
forms a loop which remains upon the hook until the needle in its next down-
ward motion passes through the loop and draws it off the hook.. The per-
formance of this part. of the work is ensured by giving to the needle a slight
curve, the thread forming the chord of the arc. The loop being thus formed,
the handle will now bring its cam in contact into the roller G, and cause

page_text: the clamp to be elevated in front. During the time the clamp is raised. from
the cloth table, the feeding hook propels the cloth a single step, which move-
ment is imparted to it by the rocking shaft before resuming its upward
motion. By this arrangement it will be seen that the needle does not propel
the cloth, consequently, the stitches are more regular, and the needle is not
so liable to be broken. The upward motion of. the needle head will have the
effect of tightening the thread and drawing up the loop, and the operation
of forming a stitch will be repeated, by causing the crank to perform another
řevolution.
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 I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion
to describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of the said Invention; but 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,―
First, the general construction, arrangement, and combination of mechanism
for uniting or ornamenting fabrics, as herein-before described.
Second, the making of the ordinary chain or tambour stitch by means of
a vibrating needle in combination with a stationary hook, as herein-before
described.
Third, the system or mode of feeding the fabric upon the table by means
of a hook attached to a vibrating needle head, and worked in the manner
herein-before described.
Fourth, the use of a crook or bend above the needle eye for the purpose of
ensuring the passage of the loop over the stationary hook, as herein-before
described.
Fifth, the combination of the spring K, and adjustable stop 1, with the
vibrating needle bead, and the arm of the rocking shaft carrying the same
for the purpose of regulating the motion of the needle, as herein-before
described.
Sixth, the application and use to and in sewing machines of the cross-bar
guide I, for directing or guiding the needle into the fabric, as herein-before
described.
Seventh, the application and use of a trip clamp which is so arranged as to
free the fabric from.pressure at the moment of feeding the same, as herein-
before described.

page_text: Eighth, the application and. use of the guide plate or bar N for directing.
the needle to the stationary hook or looper, and preventing it from passing
behind the same, as herein-before described...:
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto
set: my hand and seal; the Twenty-fifth day of July,, One thousand
hundred and-fifty-seven.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)