IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR MAKING BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1861

page_text: In the Matter of a Patent granted to LUCIUS AURELIUS BIGELOW,
of High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for
the Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR MAKING BOOTS AND
SHOES." A communication from abroad by George Chandler
Prior, of Duxbury, Massachusetts, United States of America.
DISCLAIMER AND MEMORANDUM OF ALTERATION as proposed to
be entered by "The Blake Sole Sewing Machine Company "
(Limited), of No. 1, New City Chambers, Bishopsgate Street, within
the City of London, as Assignees of the said Letters Patent and of
all rights and privileges thereby conferred, pursuant to the Statutes
in that case made and provided.
WHEREAS the applicants are registered in the register of proprietors
in the Great Seal Patent Office as the proprietors not only of the said
Letters Patent, but also of Letters Patent, No. 1111, granted to Lyman
Reed Blake, and dated the 3rd day of May 1859:

page_text: Tatent, NO. 1111:
And whereas the important improvements described in this Specifi-
cation are,
1. The driving the whirl by bevel gear as described.
2. The adjusting the length of the stroke of the needle in such a
manner that the needle may always come down to very nearly the same.
lowest point.
3. The keeping the same relative position of the thread hole in the
whirl to the hook of the needle however the latter may be placed.
4. The feeding instrument and mode of operating the same.
And whereas we have been advised that the Specification may be
construed as claiming some part or parts of the said Invention of Lyman
Reed Blake, described in his said Specification:
And whereas we do not wish to make or retain under this Patent any
such claim, but to disclaim any part which by implication or otherwise
may be construed to claim any part of the Invention of the said Lyman
Reed Blake.
We, therefore, for these reasons desire to disclaim and alter the
Specification, and do hereby disclaim and alter the same by inserting at
page 6 of the Specification, as printed by Her Majesty's Printers, and at
line 10, after the word "channel," the words "no claim is made to the
part of the machine or the mechanism so far described, as it is sub-
stantially similar to that described in the Specification No. 1111, filed
under the said Letters Patent granted to Lyman Reed Blake, but
according to this Invention," and at line 16, after the word " governed,"
the words "as in Blake's machine," and at page 9, at line 3, after the
word "effect," the words "I would have it understood that no claim is
any of the working parts
made to the constructing described or claimed in the said Specifica-
And in order that the
A
with this exception."
tion of the said Lyman Reed Blake, but
A
effect of this Disclaimer may be better understood a copy of the
Specification as it will appear when such Disclaimer and Memorandum
of Alteration have been made as aforesaid is annexed hereto.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of Letters Patent filed
by the said Lucius Aurelius Bigelow, in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 24th August 1861.
Gentleman,
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LUCIUS
AURELIUS BIGELOW, of High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
^
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the
twenty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Lucius Aurelius Bigelow,
Her special license that I, the said Lucius Aurelius Bigelow, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Lucius Aurelius Bigelow, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR MAKING BOOTS AND SHOES,"
a communication from abroad by George Chandler Prior, of Duxbury,
Massachusetts, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Lucius Aurelius Bigelow, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Lucius Aurelius Bigelow, 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, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters patent and figures marked thereon (that
is to say) :-
This Invention of improved machinery for making boots and shoes
relates to a novel or improved arrangement of mechanism for sewing
the soles of boots and shoes to their vamps or upper leathers. This

page_text: operation may be conveniently effected by the formation of a seam,
which may pass entirely round the sole, and having but one beginning
and one ending if desired. This seam is made with a hook or crotchet
needle whereby stitches known as the chain or tambour stitch may be
produced. These stitches pass entirely through the parts united from
the inside of the sole to its outer side, and by the mechanism employed
the various curvatures of the varied forms of soles are equally and well
provided for.
The foundation piece or bed plate of the machine
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn various views of the
improved machinery for making boots and shoes. Figures 1 and 2 are
sectional elevations of the machine. serves to support a projecting
horn or arm A, together with the goose neck and the main shaft. The
horn A projects upward in an inclined direction (as seen in the sectional
elevation, Figures 1 and 2), and contains in its projecting end an instru-
ment a, termed a "whirl," the office of which is to receive the thread
through a small hole which is made to open into its central aperture and
to wind the thread by its rotation around the needle or hook when this is
in the central hole of the whirl, so that when the needle or hook rises it
may carry with it a loop of the thread. In the upper inclined side of this
horn is cut a thread channel, which passes through the horn near its
upper end, so as to come out on the lower side near the lower side of the
whirl. This thread channel is clearly shewn in dotted lines in Figure 5,
which is a partial section of the horn A, and plan view Figure 5*. The
thread is taken from a spool (seen in Figures 1 and 2) with the requisite
substantially similar to that described
pin in the
^
degree of tension, and passes under the horn near its base which
crosses the thread channel substantially--similar--to--that. No claim is
made to the part of the machine or the mechanism so far described,
as it is
in the Specification, No. 1111, filed under the said.
Letters Patent granted to Lyman Reed Blake; but according to this
Invention in the lower side of the horn a shaft b is made to rotate in
suitable bearings, and which is sunken below the outline of the horn.
This shaft has a bevil pinion made upon one end, which fits the bevil
gear formed on the whirl, and upon the other end a spur pinion is made
fast, which is rotated by the reciprocating movement of a rack e, seen at
Figures 1 and 2. The size of the end of the horn and the central
aperture and thread passage in the whirl must be governed, as in Blake's
machine, by the kind of work to be done with reference to the size of

page_text: the thread and needle which are to be used. Upon the main shaft an
excentric H is fixed, the throw of which may be adjusted so as to vary
the stroke of the needle or hook, which is reciprocated up and down by
its rotation through the excentric strap k, rod f, lever beam and con-
nection x. The needle or hook is fitted in a needle bar 1, which is
arranged to slide vertically in a rotating head G, so that the axial lines
of the needle and whirl may correspond. The goose neck supports this
head G with the lever beam and other parts.
set forth
^
As the needle with the feeding mechanism and the whirl are made to
rotate round the axial line of the needle and whirl by a means and for
a purpose herein-after and as it is necessary for the needle to
come to very nearly the same lowest point on its downward reciprocating
motion, no matter what the extent of this motion may be, it becomes
necessary to connect the lever beam with the needle bar by means of
the piece y, Figures 1, 2, and 6, which answers the purpose of a swivel
joint, while by means of the piece x and the set screw in y the needle
and its bar can be set to the required position, when the excentric is in
position to give the lowest possible throw to the needle. The revolving
head G contains the feeding mechanism and that which moves at the
proper times, and also the slide p, whose function is to keep the
previously formed loop from falling into the barb or hook of the needle,
while it is bringing another loop through that which was last formed..
A toothed wheel is made or placed on the upper part of G, the
revolving head into which a smaller wheel gears, as shown in Figure 4.
To the shaft of the small wheel, which is secured to the goose neck in
suitable bearings, a hand wheel is fixed in convenient proximity to the
needle, so that the operative by turning the hand wheel can rotate the
head G in any direction, and with it the feeding instrument, which
always operates in a radial line to and from the axial line of the needle.
It will be obvious that by turning the head G work can be fed upon
the end of the horn in any direction simply by turning the hand wheel.
The rotation of a cam B, fitted upon the main shaft so as to revolve
with it works the lever F, as seen in the partial plan view, Figure 3,
and the end opposite to that which holds the stud which works in the
groove of the cam is slotted, and receives a roll, which is made fast to
the rack.

page_text: It will be obvious that for each rotation of the cam the rack will be
moved forward and back, and that this will cause the rotation of the
whirl first in one direction and then in the other.
It is an object of considerable importance to keep the relative position
of the thread hole in the whirl to the hook of the needle, however the
latter may be placed. To effect this it is necessary to connect the needle
bar and whirl together, so that the rotation of the former will cause a
corresponding angular movement of the latter, though leaving this latter
free to rotate on its own axis for the purpose of throwing the thread
into the hook of the needle. This object is accomplished by the cam,
which makes part of the revolving head G; the rotation of the head G
revolves the needle and needle bar, and works the lever E, which is
pivoted to the goose neck which raises and lowers the rod j. This rod
is connected to one end of a bell crank D, which rocks upon a stud fast
in the bed piece; the other end of the bell crank takes hold of the arm
cam B, which can slide lengthwise upon the main shaft, though made to
rotate with it by means of a feather and spline. It will now be evident
that through the connections named the cam B will be moved length-
wise upon the main shaft by the rotation of the parts which actuate the
needle, and that such movement of the cam B will move the rack e
endwise in one direction or the other, in addition to the endwise move-
ment which it has consequent upon the rotation of the cam B. These
connections may also be so proportioned that the angular movement or
rotation of the needle and the whirl may be identical, and the endwise
movement of the rack obtained by sliding the cam B in nowise affects
the normal movement of the rack obtained from rotation of the
cam B.
The slide p (Figures 6 and 8) is made to perform its functions as
follows The sleeve shaft q is fastened to the rotating head G, and
receives the slide carrier o and a spiral spring shewn by dots, which
always presses the slide and its carrier downward toward the work.
There is a pin in the slide carrier o which projects through a slot in the
sleeve q, and a projection n from the needle bar is so arranged that it
will in the upward movement of the needle bar 7 come into contact with
the pin, and will lift the slide and its carrier o, during which time the
spiral spring will be compressed. There is an annular screw in the top
of the sleeve q, which can be screwed down upon the spiral spring to
increase its tension. The top of the slide carrier o is fashioned into a

page_text: catch, and a spring latch t is arranged, as seen best at Figures 6 and 8,
to allow of the upward movement of the slide carrier o, and to retain it
during a portion of the downward movement of the needle bar until
the piece z, which is secured to the needle bar 7 strikes against t, and
by throwing it back releases the spring latch, and leaves it free to be
thrown toward the work by the action of the spiral spring.
The feeding instrument J fits in a holder k (Figures 6 and 7) which
slides in the piece i which is pivoted or hinged near the top of the
revolving head G, so that it may swing like a pendulum by which the
forward and retreating movements necessary to a feeding instrument are
permitted. The clasp m, seen in detached plan view at Figure 9,
surrounds the needle bar i and piece n, shewn in plan at Figure 10, and
is made fast to the needle bar. An inclined or wedge piece by striking
against the clasp m draws the piece forward toward the needle, and
compresses the holding spring 8, as seen in the sectional plan view,
Figure 7. The vertical movements of the feeding instrument are
obtained by the action of the spiral spring in the piece shewn by dots in
Figure 6, and by the following mechanism:-Within the central cavity
in the revolving head G, and fixed to its lower plate r, is a stud or
standard u (see Figures 6 and 8) to which a lever v is fixed so as to be
capable of movement thereon as in a fulcrum. The piece i is slotted so
that the upper end of the rod k, with a friction roll thereon, can project
through the piece i and rest upon the lever v.
Another piece X, which is made fast to the needle bar, is so arranged
that it strikes against one arm of the lever v, which it raises, and the
above piece X passes the lever v with no other effect than to extend the
small spiral spring which keeps the other end of the lever against the
roll on the bar k. When the needle bar descends the piece X above-
mentioned strikes against the upper side of the lever v, and depresses one
end and raises the other, lifting the feeding instrument, and so relieving
it from constraint that the spring & can operate to place the piece J in
position to make another forward movement, which it does by the means
before-described after the piece X has passed the lever in the downward
movement of the needle, so that the feeding instrument is left free to be
forced into or upon the work by the extension of the spiral spring in i.
Having now described this Invention of improved machinery for

page_text: Commissioners of Patents for Inventions.
I hereby grant my fiat, giving leave to the above-named Lueius-Aurelius
Bigelow Blake Sole Sewing Machine Company, Limited, to file in the
Great Seal Patent Office, with the Specification to which the same relates,
the above-written Disclaimer and Memorandum of Alteration.
J. D. COLERIDGE,
Temple,
Attorney-General.
30th April 1873.

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lucius Aurelius Bigelow, of High Holborn, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
MACHINERY
MAKING BOOTS AND SHOES." A communication from
abroad by George Chandler Prior, of Duxbury, Massachusetts, United
States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Lucius Aurelius Bigelow
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th February 1861.
I, LUCIUS AURELIUS BIGELOW, of High Holborn, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR MAKING BOOTS AND SHOES." to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel or improved arrangement of mechanism
for sewing the soles of boots and shoes to their vamps or upper leathers.
This operation may be conveniently effected by the formation of a seam which
may pass entirely round the sole, and having but one beginning and one
ending if desired. This seam is made with a hook or crochet needle, whereby
stitches known as chain or tambour stitch may be produced; these stitches pass
entirely through the parts united from the inside of the sole to its outer side,
and by the mechanism employed the various curvatures of the varied forms of
soles are equally and well provided for.
The foundation piece or bed plate of the machine serves to support a pro-

page_text: The
jecting horn or arm together with a goose neck and the main shaft.
horn projects upward in an inclined direction, and contains in its projecting
end an instrument termed a whirl, the office of which is to receive the thread
through a small hole which is made to open into its central aperture, and to
wind the thread by its rotation around the needle or hook when this is in the
central hole of the whirl, so that when the needle or hook rises, it may carry
with it a loop of the thread. In the upper inclined side of this horn a thread
channel is cut which passes through the horn near its upper end, so as to
come out on the lower side near the lower side of the whirl. The thread is
taken from a spool, from which it passes with the requisite degree of tension
under the pin in the horn near its base which crosses the thread channel. In
the lower side of the horn a shaft is made to rotate in suitable bearings, and
which is sunken below the outline of the horn. The shaft has a bevil pinion
made upon one end which fits the bevil gear formed on the whirl, and upon
the other end a spur pinion is made fast, which is rotated by the reciprocating
movement of a rack. The size of the end of the horn, the central aperture and
thread passage in the whirl must be governed by the kind of work to be done
with reference to the size of the thread and needle which are to be used.
Upon the main shaft an excentric is fixed, the throw of which may be adjusted
so as to vary the stroke of the needle or hook, which is reciprocated up and
down by its rotation through an excentric strap, a rod lever beam, and con-
nection. The needle or hook is fitted in a needle bar, which is arranged to
slide vertically in a rotating head, so that the axial lines of the needle and
whirl may correspond; the goose neck supports this head, the lever beam, and
other parts. As the needle with the feeding mechanism and the whirl are
made to rotate round the axial line of the needle and whirl by a means, and
for a purpose herein-after set forth, and as it is necessary for the needle to
come to very nearly the same lowest point on its downward reciprocation, no
matter what the length of the reciprocation may be, it becomes necessary to
connect the lever beam with the needle bar by means of a piece which
answers the purpose of a swivel joint, while by means of another piece and a
set screw the needle and its bar can be set to the required position when the
excentric is in position to give the lowest possible throw to the needle. The
revolving head contains the feeding mechanism, and that which moves at the
proper times, and also a slide whose function is to keep the previously formed
loop from falling into the barb or hook of the needle while it is bringing
another loop through that last formed. A toothed wheel is made or placed on
the upper part of the revolving head into which a smaller wheel gears. To
the shaft of the small wheel, which is secured to the goose neck in suitable

page_text: bearings a hand wheel is fixed in convenient proximity to the needle, so
that the operative, by turning the hand wheel, can rotate the head in any
direction, and with it the feeding instrument, which always operates in a radial
line to and from the axial line of the needle. It will be obvious that by
turning, the head work can be fed upon the end of the horn in any direction
simply by turning the hand wheel. The rotation of a cam fitted upon the
main shaft, so as to revolve with it, works a lever, and the end opposite that.
which holds the stud which works in the groove of the cam, is slotted, and
receives a roll which is made fast to the rack. It will be obvious that for
each rotation of the cam the rack will be moved forward and back, and that
this will cause the rotation of the whirl first in one direction and then in
another.
It is an object of considerable importance to keep the relative position of
the thread hole in the whirl to the hook of the needle, however the latter
may be placed. To effect this, it is necessary to connect the needle bar and
whirl together, so that the rotation of the former will cause a corresponding
angular movement of the latter, though leaving this free to rotate on its own
axis for the purpose of throwing the thread into the hook of the needle.
This object is accomplished by the cam, which makes part of the revolving
head, its rotation revolves the needle and needle bar, and works a lever which
is pivoted to the goose neck, which raises and lowers a rod which is connected
to one end of a bell-crank, which rocks upon a stud fast in the bed piece.
The other end of the bell-crank takes hold of the cam, which can slide
lengthwise upon the main shaft, though made to rotate with it by means of a
feather and spline.
It will now be plain that through the connections named the cam will be
moved lengthwise upon the main, shaft by rotation of the parts which rotate
the needle, and that such movement of the cam will move the rack endwise
in one direction or the other in addition to the endwise movement which it
has consequent upon the rotation of the cam. These connections may also be
so proportioned, that the angular movement or rotation of the needle and the
whirl may be identical and the endwise movement of the rack obtained by
sliding the cam in no wise affects the normal movement of the rack obtained
from rotation of the cam.
The slide is made to perform its functions as follows:-A sleeve shaft is
fastened to the rotating head, and receives the slide carrier and a spiral spring,
which always presses the slide and its carrier downward toward the work.
There is a pin in the slide carrier which projects through a slot in the sleeve,
and a projection from the needle bar is so arranged that it will, in the upward

page_text: movement of the needle bar, come into contact with, and will lift the slide
and its carrier, during which time the spiral spring is compressed. There is
an annular screw in the top of the sleeve which can be screwed down upon
the spiral spring to increase its tension. The top of the slide carrier is
fashioned into a catch, and a spring latch is arranged so as to admit the
upward movement of the slide carrier, and retain it during a portion of the
downward movement of the needle bar until a piece which is secured to the
needle bar strikes against the spring latch, and by throwing it back, releases
and leaves it free to be thrown toward the work by the action of the spiral
spring.
The feeding instrument fits in a holder which is arranged to slide in a piece
which is pivoted or hinged near the top of the revolving head, so that it may swing
like a pendulum, by which the forward and retreating movements necessary to
a feeding instrument are permitted. A clasp surrounds the needle bar, and a
piece is made fast to the needle bar. An incline or wedge, by striking against
the clasp, draws a piece forward toward the needle, and compresses the holding
spring. The vertical movements of the feeding instrument are obtained by
the action of the spiral spring, and by the following mechanism:-Within the
central cavity in the revolving head, and fixed to its lower plate, is a stud or
standard to which a lever is fixed so as to be capable of movement there as in
a fulcrum. Another piece, which is made fast to the needle bar, is so
arranged that it strikes against one arm of a lever, which it raises so that the
above piece passes with no other effect than to extend the small spiral spring
which keeps the parts together. When the needle bar descends, the piece
above mentioned strikes against the upper side of another piece which
depresses one end, and raises the other, thereby lifting the feeding instrument,
and so relieving it from constraint that the spring can operate to place the
parts in position to make another forward movement.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Lucius Aurelius Bigelow in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 24th August 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LUCIUS
AURELIUS BIGELOW, of High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of February, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Lucius Aurelius Bigelow, Her special license that I, the said Lucius Aurelius
Bigelow, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Lucius Aurelius Bigelow, my executors, administrators, and 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 "IMPROVED
MACHINERY FOR MAKING BOOTS AND SHOES." a communication from abroad by
George Chandler Prior, of Duxbury, Massachusetts, United States of America,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Lucius Aurelius Bigelow,
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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Lucius Aurelius Bigelow, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say)-
.
for sewing the soles of
This Invention of improved machinery for making boots and shoes relates
to a novel or improved arrangement of mechanism
boots and shoes to their vamps or upper leathers. This operation may be
conveniently effected by the formation of a seam which may pass entirely
round the sole, and having but one beginning and one ending, if desired.
This seam is made with a hook or crochet needle, whereby stitches known
as the chain or tambour stitch may be produced; these stitches pass entirely
through the parts united from the inside of the sole to its outer side, and by
the mechanism employed the various curvatures of the varied forms of soles
are equally and well provided for.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn various views of the improved
machinery for making boots and shoes, Figs. 1 and 2 are sectional elevations
of the machine. The foundation piece or bed plate of the machine serves to
support a projecting horn or arm A, together with the goose neck and the main
shaft. The horn A projects upward in an inclined direction (as seen in the
sectional elevation, Figs. 1 and 2,) and contains in its projecting end an instru:
ment a, termed a "whirl" the office of which is to receive the thread through

page_text: a small hole which is made to open into its central aperture and to wind the
thread by its rotation around the needle or hook, when this is in the central
hole of the whirl so that when the needle or hook rises it may carry with it
a loop of the thread. In the upper inclined side of this horn is cut a thread
channel which passes through the horn near its upper end, so as to come out on
the lower side near the lower side of the whirl. This thread channel is clearly
shewn in dotted lines in Fig. 5 which is a partial section of the horn A, and in
plan view Fig. 5. The thread is taken from a spool (seen in Figs. 1 and. 2,)
with the requisite degree of tension, and passes under the pin in the horn near
its base which crosses the thread channel. In the lower side of the horn a
shaft b, is made to rotate in suitable bearings, and which is sunken below the
outline of the horn. This shaft has a bevil pinion made upon one end which fits
the bevil gear formed on the whirl, and upon the other end a spur pinion is made
fast which is rotated by the reciprocating movement of a rack e, seen at Figs. 1
and 2. The size of the end of the horn and the central aperture and thread
passage in the whirl. must be governed by the kind of work to be done with
reference to the size of the thread and needle which are to be used. Upon
the main shaft an excentric H is fixed, the throw of which may be adjusted so
as to vary the stroke of the needle or hook which is reciprocated up and down
by its rotation through the excentric strap k, rod f, lever beam and connec-
tion x.
The needle or hook is fitted in a needle bar 1, which is arranged to
slide vertically in a rotating head G so that the axial lines of the needle and
whirl may correspond. The goose neck supports this head G with the lever
beam and other parts. As the needle with the feeding mechanism and the
whirl are made to rotate round the axial line of the needle and whirl by a
means and for a purpose herein-after set forth, and as it is necessary for the
needle to come to very nearly the same lowest point on its downward recipro-
cating motion, no matter what the extent of this motion may be, it becomes
necessary to connect the lever beam with the needle bar by means of the
piece y, Figs. 1, 2, and 6, which answers the purpose of a swivel joint, while by
means of the piece x, and the set screw in y, the needle and its bear can be set
to the required position, when the excentric is in position to give the lowest
possible throw to the needle. The revolving head G contains the feeding
mechanism and that which moves at the proper times, and also the slide p, whose
function is to keep the previously formed loop from falling into the barb or
hook of the needle, while it is bringing another loop through that which was
last formed. A toothed wheel is made or placed on the upper part of G, the
revolving head into which a smaller wheel gears as shown in Fig. 4. To the
shaft of the small wheel which is secured to the goose neck in suitable bearings

page_text: a hand wheel is fixed in convenient proximity to the needle so that the operative
by turning the hand wheel can rotate the head G in any direction, and with
it the feeding instrument which always operates in a radial line to and from the
axial line of the needle. It will be obvious that by turning the head G, work
can be fed upon the end of the horn in any direction simply by turning the hand
wheel. The rotation of a cam B, fitted upon the main shaft 'so as to revolve
with it works the lever F, as seen in the partial plan view, Fig. 3, and the end
opposite to that which holds the stud which works in the groove of the cam
is slotted and receives a roll which is made fast to the rack. It will be
obvious that for each rotation of the cam the rack will be moved forward and
back, and that this will cause the rotation of the whirl first in one direction
and then in the other.
It is an object of considerable importance to keep the relative position of
the thread hole in the whirl to the hook of the needle, however the latter
may be placed. To effect this it is necessary to connect the needle bar and
whirl together so that the rotation of the former will cause a corresponding
angular movement of the latter though leaving this latter free to rotate on its
own axis for the purpose of throwing the thread into the hook of the needle.
This object is accomplished by the cam which makes part of the revolving
head G, the rotation of the head G revolves the needle and needle bar and
works the lever E, which is pivoted to the goose neck which raises and lowers
the rod j.
This rod is connected to one end of a bell crank D, which rocks upon a
stud fast in the bed piece, the other end of the bell crank takes hold of the
cam B, which can slide lengthwise upon the main shaft, though made to rotate
with it by means of a feather and spline. It will now be evident that through
the connections named the cam B will be moved lengthwise upon the main
shaft by the rotation of the parts which actuate the needle and that such move-
ment of the cam B will move the rack e, endwise in one direction or the other
in addition to. the endwise movement which it has consequent upon the
rotation of the cam B. These connections may also be so proportioned that
the angular movement or rotation of the needle and the whirl may be identical,
and the endwise movement of the rack obtained by sliding the cam B, in
nowise affects the normal movement of the rack obtained from rotation of
the cam B.
The slide p (Figs. 6 and 8,) is made to perform its functions as follows:-
The sleeve shaft q, is fastened to the rotating head G and receives the slide
carrier o, and a spiral spring shewn by dots which always presses the slide
and its carrier downward toward the work. There is a pin in the slide

page_text: carrier o, which projects through a slot in the sleeve q, and a projection n, from
the needle bar is so arranged that it will in the upward movement of the
needle bar come into contact with the pin, and will lift the slide and its
carrier o, during which time the spiral spring will be compressed. There is an
annular screw in the top of the sleeve q, which can be screwed down upon the
spiral spring to increase its tension. The top of the slide carrier o is fashioned
into a catch, and a spring latch t is arranged as seen best at Figs. 6 and 8,
to allow of the upward movement of the slide carrier o, and to retain it during a
portion of the downward movement of the needle bar 1, until the piece z, which
is secured to the needle bar 1 strikes against t, and by throwing it back releases
the spring latch and leaves it free to be thrown toward the work by the action
of the spiral spring.
The feeding instrument J, fits in a holder k, (Figs. 6 and 7,) which slides
in the piece i, which is pivoted or hinged near the top of the revolving head G
so that it may swing like a pendulum by which the forward and retreating
movements necessary to a feeding instrument are permitted. The clasp m,
seen in detached plan view at Fig. 9 surrounds the needle bar i, and piece n,
shewn in plan at Fig. 10, and is made fast to the needle bar. An inclined or
wedge piece by striking against the clasp m, draws the picce i, forward toward
the needle and compresses the holding spring s, as seen in the sectional plan
view Fig. 7. The vertical movements of the feeding instrument are obtained
by the action of the spiral spring in the piece shewn by dots in Fig. 6 and by
the following mechanism: Within the central cavity in the revolving head G,
and fixed to its lower plate r, is a stud or standard u (see Figs. 6 and 8,) to
which a lever v, is fixed so as be capable of movement thercon as in a fulcrum.
The piece i is slotted so that the upper end of the rod h, with a friction roll
thereon can project through the piece i, and rest upon the lever v.
Another piece X, which is made fast to the needle bar is so arranged that
it strikes against one arm of the lever v, which it raises, and the above piece
X passes the lever v, with no other effect than to extend the small spiral spring
which keeps the other end of the lever v against the roll on the bar k. When
the needle bar descends, the piece X, above mentioned strikes against the upper
side of the lever v. and depresses one end and raises the other, lifting the feeding
instrument and so relieving it from constraint that the spring s can operate to
place the piece J in position to make another forward movement which it
does by the means before described after the piece X, has passed the lever v,
in the downward movement of the needle, so that the feeding instrument
is left free to be forced into or upon the work by the extension of the spiral
spring in i.

page_text: Having now described this Invention of improved machinery for making boots
and shoes as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and explained
the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured
to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid the mode herein set forth of construct-
ting, arranging, and operating the various working parts of the machine.
In witness whereof, I, the said Lucius Aurelius Bigelow, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-second day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
L. A. BIGELOW. (L.S.)