IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SEWING OR STITCHING
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Joseph Hughes, of the City of
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Patent Agent, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
SEWING OR STITCHING."
Sealed the 25th March 1854, and dated the 26th October 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Joseph
Hughes at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 26th October 1853.
I, EDWARD JOSEPH HUGHES, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SEWING
OR STITCHING" to be as follows:-
The construction and arrangement of the several parts of this
machine are clearly shewn in the accompanying outline Drawing, in
which represents the frame, to which is fixed the pin or pivot b, upon
which the cam wheel c turns, giving motion to the levers d and e,
which are attached to the two needle frames f and g, into each of

page_text: which is inserted a straight needle, both of them moving diagonally in
a vertical plane. Upon the pivot b is a cam h, acting upon the lever i,
which works the feeding movement. It will be perceived that by this
arrangement the cam h serves also the purpose of a fly wheel, but
seperate cams may be used for the same purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Joseph Hughes in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th April-1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
EDWARD JOSEPH HUGHES, of the City of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said Edward Joseph Hughes, Her
special licence that I, the said Edward Joseph Hughes, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Joseph
Hughes, 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 MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SEWING OR STITCHING,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I; the said Edward Joseph
Hughes, 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 Royal Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Joseph Hughes, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement (that is to say):
This Invention, as communicated to me from abroad, consists of
improvements in the sewing machines for' which I obtained Her
Majesty's Royal Letters Patent, dated the Tenth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One, thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, which
Invention was also communicated to ine from abroad:.
These improvements relate, firstly, to a method of using two straight
needles moving diagonally in needle frames so as to cross each other
at 'every stitch, which improvements are shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, of
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Figs. à represents the
frame, to which is fixed the pin or pivot b, upon which the cam wheel
c. turns, giving motion to the levers d'ande, which are attached to
the two needle frames f and y, into each of which is inserted a straight
needle, both of them moving diagonally in a vertical plane. Upon
the pivot bis a cam h, acting upon the lever i, which works the feeding
movement. It will be perceived that by this arrangement the camı c
also serves for the fly wheel, but separate cams may be used for the
same purpose.
Secondly, of a method of working the said machine or apparatus with
a. vertical needle and a hooked needle or thread guide, either with a long
and short thread, or two long threads, which improvements are shewn in
Figs.. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 18, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22,
23, and 24. Fig. 8, is a view of the said machine with the front-plates
off, shewing the internal parts thereof, with an arrangement for using a
long thread and a short one. Fig. 4, is a plan of the same. Fig. 5, a
front view shewing the feeding apparatus. Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9, are
views shewing the formation of the stitch at progressive portions of the
operation. Figs. 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14, shew another arrangement for
making the same stitch. Fig. 15, a view of the stitch; and Figs. 16,
17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22, shew another mode of making the same.
a, represents the table or stand to which the vertical parts of the
machine are attached; b, a bent arm fastened upon the said stand or
table, in which another bent lever c is made to work, giving a vertical
motion to one of the needle bars d, and the needle e, which it contains,

page_text: P
causing the said needle to move up and down with the necessary motion
for sewing by means of the groove f, in the cam g, acting upon the
stud h, which is fastened to the lever c. is the main shaft upon
which all the cams are placed. The groove; in the cam g gives the
necessary motion to the lever i, which acts upon the hooked needle 1.
The grooved thread guide m receives its requisite motion from the
cam c', through the intermediate crooked lever n, and the segment gear
on the outer end of it which works in the pinion o, on the same shaft as
the said grooved thread guide m. The arm or lever is made to move
in a horizontal direction against the thread e', moving it in such a
position as will cause it to come into the forked point of the thread
guide m. The requisite motion is given to the chain 2, which feeds the
cloth along under the needle e, as it is being sewed (as seen at Fig. 5,)
by the cams, through the lever t, the ratchet gear u, and the pullies v
and w.
a is a cloth holder immediately over the highest part of the
feed chain r, which is pressed down to the cloth or material whilst being
sewed. The said material being placed upon the table, and pressed
upon the teeth in the upper edge of the feed chain 2, by the cloth holder,
the needle e, which has the thread a', which comes from the spool, and
passes through the eye of the needle down through the cloth, carrying
the double of the thread through with it to a short distance below the
cloth, and then ascends a little way, so as to cause the thread to pass
out from the needle e, and form a loop at one side of it. The circular
grooved thread guide m then passes the thread c¹ through the said loop
formed by the thread a', passing the whole circumference through, as
seen in different positions at Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9, until it reaches the
position seen in Fig. 4; then the hook needle 2 is raised up between
two rollers, close to the point, and on the inside of the circular thread
guide m, hooking the thread e', and drawing it down through the said
rollers, as the thread guide m recedes from the loop formed by the
thread a', and also whilst the needle e ascends to its upper position,
drawing both threads tight, forming a knot by the lower thread in the
loop of the upper thread, as seen at Fig. 15, so that any stitch in the
seam, as sewed above described, will be fast by means of the said knot
independently of the other stitches. When the needle e ascends out of

page_text: the cloth or material, as described, the material is moved sufficiently for
one stitch; then the said needle descends through it again, and another
stitch is formed in like manner, and so on successively. In Figs. 10,
11, 12, 13, and 14, the straight thread guide m' perforins a similar
office to the circnlar thread guide m. At Fig. 10, is a slile n', which
receives the proper motion by the cam o'; the guide m¹ is fastened to
a rod p', fixed into the said slide n. A pin fixed into the under side
of the table o, extending into the groove of the rod p', in such a manner
that when the slide n' is moved forward it causes the guide m¹ to
move forwards with a rotary motion, winding the thread e' round it as
it passes the said thread through the loop of the thread a', for the
purpose of producing a knot, when the hooked needle Z draws the thread
el down through between the rollers, as seen in Figs. 11, and 12,
which show an apparatus for pressing the rollers z together by the two
spiral springs, when the thread e' is between them, and also for
carrying the thread round to the correct position for the hook needle
to take hold of it, and draw it down through the loop formed by the
thread guide m', so as to tie the requisite knot, as shewn at Fig. 15.
Figs. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22, (which Figures are accidentally
inverted.) shew another method of making the same stitch with two long
threads, in which the thread guide m" is in the form of a hook drawing
the thread e' through the loop formed by the thread a', as shewn in
Figs. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22. Then the hook q¹ takes it and carries
it entirely round the case, containing a spool on which the thread e¹
is wound, as shown in Fig. 20. Then the needle e, rises and draws the
stitch tight, making the same stitch as the one first described. Fig. 28,
is a mode of taking up the slack of the thread, and can be applied to
all the various machines; it is shewn in its place in Fig. 5. It con-
sists of a tube q', in which is placed a spring supporting a pin ¹, with a
concave or notched head over which the thread passes, the spring rising
and falling in proportion to the pressure of the thread on the top of it.
Fig. 24, supplies the place, when required, of the india-rubber spring
usually applied to the sewing machines for holding the thread; the
knob sis pressed against the small projection t¹ on the lower end of
the needle bar which contains the needle by means of a spring, while

page_text: the thread is between them, thereby holding the said thread and keeping
it tight when the stitch is being formed.
'
.
Thirdly, to a. means or method of performing the operation techni-
cally called closing, which denotes the sewing or joining together any
two pieces of strong material, such as the legs of boots, the upper parts
of shoes, or other similar purposes. These improvements consist of
peculiar formed clamps. The materials to be joined are placed within
the jaws of these clamps, and are moved along under the needle whilst
being sewed by means of a rack and pinion or other similar contri-
vance, and so fitted in a groove in the upper part of the table, and near
the needle, in such a manner that it may have a longitudinal motion.
The teeth of the said rack are made to work in the teeth of a pinion
or similar gear which gives the necessary motion for each stitch.
Motion is given to the pinion from the main shaft by means of a cam,
lever, and ratchet gear. In one end of the rack is a pin or stud, to
which is fitted one end of the lower part of the clamp, so that it will
turn on the stud. A spring is also fastened to it to cause one end to
press upon a small projection extending through the upper part of the
clamp, thus causing the two parts to press forcibly together when the
work or material to be sewed is placed between them. These improve-
ments are shewn in Figs. 25, 26, 27, and 28. a, represents the rack,
made of any suitable length, and so fitted in a groove in the
upper part
of the table, and near the needle, in such a manner that it may have a
longitudinal motion. The teeth of the said rack are made to work in
the teeth of a pinion or gear 6, which gives the necessary motion for
each stitch. Motion is given to the pinion from the main shaft by
nieans of a cam lever aud-ratchet gear or similar contrivance. In one
end of the rack is the pin or stud c, upon which is fitted one end of the
lower part of the clamp d, so that it will turn on the stud. The spring
e is fastened to one end of the lower part of the clamp, which is so
arranged that one end of it will pass upon a small projection, which
extends through the upper part of--the clamp fin such a manner as to
cause the two parts of it to press forcibly together when the work or
material to be sewed is placed between them. Upon the other end of
the lower part of the clamp d on which the spring is placed is a stud g

page_text: firmly fastened, which stud extends up through an elongated hole in the
upper part of the clamp f, upon which stud a screw is cut, having an elon-
gated nut screwed on it so that it may be screwed down upon the upper
side of the upper part of the clamp f, thus forcing the two parts together
when the work is between them, and holding them so when the nut is
placed across the clamp, but when the nut is placed lengthwise of the
clamp it will pass through the elongated hole in the upper part of the same,
and release the work to be taken out at pleasure. These clamps are made
suitable in form to adapt themselves to the kind of materials to be
sewed, so that the seam 'may be sewed close to the edge of the said
clamp from one end to the other, and are guided on one side by a small
projection h, on the top of the table, and close round the hole through
which the needle passes, and against which one edge of the lower part
of the said clamps passes, and on the other side, if required, (as the
clamps. may be pressed against the projection h by the hand whilst
the seam is being sewed,) by a small stud or roller i, against, which,
the other edge or the edge from the needle moves. This stud or
roller may be permanently fixed on the upper part of the table, or in
a spring which shall continually press it against the edge of the
clamp whilst the seam is being sewed. In this way the clamps of
whatever form are moved along by the rack, carrying the work with
them, and causing a seam to be sewed parallel witli the-edge of the
clamp. These clamps, as shewn in the Figures on the Drawings
already stated, are shewn as suitable for the side seams of a boot leg,
but they may be made of any form suitable for other kinds of work.
By this arrangement the operation of sewing, which requires great skill
when done by hand, is rendered very simple, and may be performed.by.
any person not accustomed to such work. These clamps may be made
simply of two curved springs, as seen in Fig. 25, having the convex
sides together with one end of each secured to the other by an adjust-
able screw. The other two ends after the work is placed between them..
are pressed together by the hand and held by a spring catch k.. When,
this form of a clamp is used the work and clamps are.held and guided
by the hand, and the work is fed along by means of the feeding.appa-
ratus first described; or any other suitable feed motion, and they may

page_text: be made straight, and placed far enough from the seam to be out of the
way of the parts of the machine near the needle. The inner sides of the
clamps are grooved, as seen in Fig. 28.
Fourthly, to an improvement on the machine already patented by
me as a communication from abroad, in the Specification of which I
describe the use of a vertical needle working in a slot, and a curvi-
linear or similar shaped needle working horizontally. The improve-
ments upon that machine are shewn in the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, Figs. 29, 30, and 31. Fig. 29, is a sectional view of the
arrangement of this machine working with a straight needle in a
vertical position, and another straight needle working in a horizontal
position, instead of the aforesaid curvilinear needle. The general
arrangements of the machine are the same as those already described.
a, represents the vertical needle obtaining its motion from the cam b,
and lever c. At d, is another cam, which in its revolution causes
a slide e to move alternately forwards and backwards by means of a
stud or pin f. g, the horizontal needle placed in the holder h, con-
nected with the slide e by the screw pin i, in such a manner that the
holder is not fast, but can vibrate on the screw pin as a centre. A slight
vibration is given to the holder h, by means of a cam k, fixed on the
main shaft, which cam in its rotation presses against an arm or lever m,
to which is attached the hooked projection n, which is connected with
the holder h, and adjusted by the set screw o. The reverse motion of
the holder and needle is obtained by means of the spring p. The thread
for the vertical needle is shewn at 9, obtained from the spool or
bobbin r. s, is the thread from the horizontal needle, and is obtained
from the spool or bobbin t.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of the said
improvements, as communicated to me from abroad, I desire it to be
distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to the exact details
hercin set forth, as such may be varied or modified without departing
from the principle thereof. But I claim as new within the realm,
firstly, the use of two straight needles working diagonally; secondly,
the use of a straight needle working vertically with a hooked needle or
guide acting upon the thread or threads horizontally, either using a

page_text: long and short thread, or using two long threads; thirdly, the use of
clamps or apparatus for holding leather or other material whilst being
sewed or closed; fourthly, the use of two straight needles, one work-
ing vertically and the other orizontally, as all such improvements
are herein described and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
In witness whereof I the said Edward Joseph Hughes have
clamps or apparatus for holding leather or other material whilst being
sewed or closed; fourthly, the use of two straight needles, one work-
ing vertically and the other orizontally, as all such improvements
are herein desoribed and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I the said Edward Joseph Hughes, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of April,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Joseph Hughes, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of April,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Edward Joseph Hughes in the
presence of
JOHN BLOODWORTH,
Patent Agent,
E. J. HUGHES. (L.S.)
Manchester.