IMPROVE- MENTS IN STITCHING AND SEWING MACHINES, AND IN MACHINES FOR SECURING PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Julian Bernard, of Club Chambers, Regent Street,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STITCHING AND SEWING MACHINES, AND IN MACHINES FOR SECURING
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Julian Bernard at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th
June 1854.
I, JULIAN BERNARD, of Club Chambers, Regent Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STITCHING AND SEWING MACHINES, AND IN MACHINES FOR
SECURING AND ORNAMENTING PARTS OF GARMENTS AND OTHER MATERIALS," to be as
follows:-
The first part of my improvements relate to a novel mode of passing one
thread over another, in the form of a loop, and which I do by enlarging the
loop sufficiently to pass over the reel, bobbin, or holder containing or holding
another thread, and which I perform by holding the said reel or bobbin holder
between two fingers or levers, which are made to release their hold of the
"fingers"
bobbin alternately, by means of a cam; that is, one of the levers or
is caused to disengage itself entirely from the bobbin, while it is suspended or
supported by the other, until a loop of another thread is partially passed over
its end, the loop being thus passed and made to enclose or surround the

page_text: bobbin; the disengaged "finger" or lever is again brought in contact with the
bobbin or its holder, and made to sustain or hold it, while at the same time
the other "finger" or lever is disengaged in its turn, and the loop entirely
passed over the bobbin, and consequently its thread, its other end being
secured in the material. It will thus appear evident that one thread is passed
over or through the other in the form of a loop; and this arrangement may be
applied to a machine patented by me on the 6th day of December 1853, and
the second or blue thread, there described, passed over the bobbin, herein
referred to, in the form of a loop, instead of travelling or passing the bobbin
through the loop, as therein referred to; or, instead of employing three threads
or filaments two may be employed, and a loop of the primary thread, or that
passed through the material or needle above, may be passed over the said
bobbin, and a two-thread stitch obtained. For the purpose of opening or
forming a loop of the primary thread, I employ a wedged or inclined instru-
ment, with a pin projecting from it, so as to carry the loop with it as it is being
travelled or forced forward; during which operation the loop is expanded and
passed over the reel by means of a suitable instrument or instruments, and
which opener and expanding instruments may be actuated in a similar manner
to that described in reference to the expander and opener described in said
Letters Patent. The bobbin is free to revolve upon the pressing or contact
points of the changeable levers or fingers herein-before referred to.
Another part of my improvements relates to and consists of certain modifi-
cations and adaptations of a machine, patented by me on the said 6th day of
December 1853, for making or securing the edges of button holes, and my
improvements consist, first, of adapting said machine to sewing or passing the
thread over the edge of the material, without the thread being passed behind
the needle, or made to form the particular kind of stitch therein described,
and which is that employed by tailors in forming button holes; and the manner
I perform this kind of stitch, generally called the "over-cast stitch," is as
follows I actuate the needle in the same manner as described in relation
to the machine herein-before referred to, but the operation performed by
the fingers 1 and 2 is slightly different, which difference chiefly consists in
changing the direction of the second finger in its travel, so that, instead of
taking or bringing the thread on the side of the needle, which would form the
well-known button-hole stitch, it is brought ou the opposite side, and merely
passing through and overlapping the edge of the material alternately. And
when stitching is to be performed in this manner, the material may be travelled
or fed by any well-known arrangement, while the lateral travel may be com-
municated as described in the aforesaid Specification.

page_text: Another part of my improvements, and which relate to the last-mentioned
machine, consists in making the cams on said machines grooved, and furnish-
ing the ends of the levers with small rollers, and also two small arms, the
ends of which may be furnished with rollers. The purpose of these arms is to
make the thread assume an irregular curve as the said fingers travel, thereby
taking up the greater quantity of thread in a given space or travel. I also
employ an instrument for insuring the better regulating of the stitch employed
in making button holes. This instrument is a kind of small forked lever,
actuated at the proper time by means of a suitable cam, and is for the
purpose of adjusting the thread or stitch before receiving its final tightening
action.
Another improvement on said machine consists of the addition of two
pointed pins, suspended from any convenient part of the machine, for the
purpose of keeping or retaining the long stitches which are inserted around
and about the button hole before its edges are further secured.
Another part of my improvements relate to furnishing the detent for im-
parting motion to the ratchet connected with the length travel cam, described
in said machine, and which consists of disengaging said detent from said
ratchet during the operation of making some lateral stitches at each end of
some description of button holes, and during which time the travelling motion
is suspended.
And, lastly, my improvements relate to and consist in travelling the needle
and other instruments, and some of the parts employed in producing the
stitches, for securing the edges of and making button holes during such
operation, while the material itself is fixed or placed upon a stationary part of
the bed plate, and which travelling motion may be obtained by connecting
such parts with suitable slides or other suitable mechanical arrangements in
or on the bed plate or frame of the machine, and the said slide or slides may
be moved by cams, ratchets, or other suitable contrivances. Instead, however,
of giving the lateral and length travel to the needle or parts referred to,
I propose to give such parts one motion, and the other motion to the
material.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Julian Bernard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th
December 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JULIAN
BERNARD, of Club Chambers, Regent Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Julian Bernard, Her special license that I, the said Julian Bernard,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Julian Bernard, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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
STITCHING AND SEWING MACHINES, AND IN. MACHINES FOR-SECURING AND. - ORNA-
MENTING PARTS OF GARMENTS AND OTHER MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Julian Bernard, 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 Offico within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Julian Bernard, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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:-
My said Invention consists of and relates to, first, a novel arrangement for
taking up the "slack;" secondly, to a novel arrangement for insuring a perfect
stitch; thirdly, to discontinuing the travelling action of the material at pleasure;
fourthly, to travelling the needle and parts connected with it, and in machines
for making button holes while the material is held stationary. And my said
improvements have reference to and are upon a machine for making or
securing the edges of button-holes, and which machine is secured to me by
Her Majesty's Royal Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of December,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.

page_text: Fig. 1, on the Sheet of Drawings, shews a partial side elevation of said
machine, and Fig. 2 a front view of parts thereof; and Figs. 3, 4, and 5, details
of the same. A, at Fig. 2, marks an arm or rod, secured into a part of the
upper framing of the machine, on the end of which is placed a small roller B,
and which roller is for the purpose of holding a thread, moved or carried by
the arm in a curved state, which said arm travels in the direction of the arrow,
as fully described in the herein-before mentioned Royal Letters Patent; a
similar arm with a roller is secured to or on the opposite side. The effect of
this arrangement is, that a longer thread can be employed in the arm and
that the thread is not pulled or tightened at a higher elevation than the
position of said roller.
The spring lever A, and the slotted guide B, shew the means I employ for
effecting with great accuracy a perfect stitch, and their application to the
button-hole machine. The spring A is forked or slotted at the end next to
the needle, and is composed of steel. The arm B serves as a guide for A; the
end of said lever having a tapered slott therein, which slott is for the purpose
of closing the fork lever when pressed down in it by the cam X, when.
required. The form of the lever and guide will be clearly understood by
referring to the details, Figs. 4 and 5. The action of the spring is as follows:-
The natural tendency of the spring lever is to be slightly parted, it being
properly formed for that purpose. Through these parted ends the needle and
thread are made to pass; but when the stitch is about to be tightened it is
caused to descend towards the material by its cam X, and as it descends in
the guide the forked part comes together, or nearly so, the slotted guide being.
made taper for that purpose. When the forked lever is down, the part of the
thread which is to form the stitch is brought to, and held in its exact position ;.
(the spring lever is now shewn down); and in this manner and by these
means I guide the thread and insure a more perfect stitch.
The third part of my improvements consists of discontinuing the travelling
motion of the material at pleasure, when such material is to be moved in a
different direction, or operated upon in a stationary one. This arrangement
will be readily understood by referring to Fig. 8, which exhibits part of the
arrangements and means I employ for travelling the material on the herein-
beforo mentioned button-hole machine, together with the additional parts 1, 2,
and 3, and which are the means I employ for discontinuing the motion, as
herein-before referred to, and of which this part of my Invention consists.
The fourth part of my Invention consists in imparting motion to the
needle and its mechanism, and causing it to travel along the edge or edges of
button holes, instead of travelling or moving the material, which is stationary,

page_text: while such parts are made to move. This arrangement is illustrated at Fig. 1,
where A marks a framing on which the machine is caused to move or slide,
while the material is placed upon the stationary framing, as shewn. The hole
is presented to or placed underneath the needle lengthwise, in the direction of
the travel of the machine, and when one side of the holo is completed it is
adjusted laterally, and the operation continued. The required travelling motion
is imparted to the machine by the cam B acting upon the pin C, which is
effected by means of the pin D in the fly wheel acting upon the lever E, which
lever is placed upon a centre at F. The other end of the lever has a paill
attached thereto, which acts upon the ratchet G, which together with the cam
B are placed loose upon a stud, as shewn. The spring I is secured to the pin
K, which is secured in the machine or its moveable part, while the other end
of the spring is secured to the part L of the stationary framing. It will
thus appear evident that the travel of the machine is regulated by means of
the cam B and the pin C.
I would remark that I do not limit or confine myself to the particular
arrangement exhibited, as I consider this last part of my Invention to consist
of travelling the needle and the parts connected therewith while the material
is stationary, or partially travelling the needle and said parts while the
material is stationary, or motion imparted to it one direction only, in making
or securing the edges of button holes.
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 my said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Julian Bernard, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Ninth day of December, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-four.
JULIAN BERNARD. (L.S.)