IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of 166, Fleet Street, in
the City of London, E. C., Editor of the Mechanics' Magazine, and
Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."
- A communication.
Sealed the 10th September 1858, and dated the 15th March 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald Brooman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 15th March 1858.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, E. C., Editor of the Mechanics' Magazine, and Patent Agent, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING
MACHINES," (communicated to me by a foreigner residing abroad,) to be as
follows:-
This Invention of improvements in sewing machines has relation chiefly to
the looping, feeding, and thread tension apparatus, and the improved machine
is intended for sewing with a single thread and to form what is known as the
chain stitch. In this class of machines, as is well known, an instrument of
some character is necessary to work in connection with the eye-pointed needle
to form the loop, to secure the successive stitches taken by the needle. Various
devices have from time to time been invented for this purpose, the great
desideratum being ability to effect the operation with the fewest pieces and

page_text: moving parts, and at the same time to secure certainty of action. In this
machine the operation of catching, holding, and spreading the loop in the path
of the needle is effected by means of a single piece vibrating in a simple manner
upon an axis, the vibrations being timed with the movements of the needle to
produce the several effects named. The main parts of the machine are of well-
known construction, consisting of a stand supporting a bracket overhanging
the table, and carrying the needle bar, crank driver, and other suitable parts as
usual. The looper consists of a hook fixed to the end of a spindle or shank,
and shaped in a particular manner; this is placed beneath the table with its
spindle in an inclined position, the box in which it is held being a long bearing
to keep it firm. The position at the bottom of the table is such that the hook
will, in vibrating, cross the needle's path; this is due to the angular position
of its shank, for if this were parallel with the bottom of the table, the hook
would vibrate along the side of the needle only, and in this position it would
not bring the loop into a proper place for the needle to pass through. The
hook is put in vibration by a lever which is again connected with a suitable
cam upon the main shaft. The distance the hook vibrates is from the under
side of the table to a point parallel with the path of the needle.
The feeding mechanism consists of a vibrating bar, having a curved foot
roughened on the under side. It is supported in a vertical position, and so as
to vibrate upon a pin secured in the head of the bracket before mentioned.
The needle passes through the foot, so that the latter becomes a cloth stripper
as well as a feed. As the curved foot is at one side of the bar the vibrations
of the said bar move the foot excentrically along, whereby its curved part will
descend toward the table while going in the direction intended for the feed
and will rise from it in the opposite direction. Thus the cloth placed beneath
is acted upon to be fed. When the feed takes place, the needle is out of the
cloth, the roughened surface taking hold in consequence of the moving at that
time of another bar, and giving the feed thereby, the needle then entering the
cam which gave the feed motion gets clear, and the roughened surface is
returned by the force of a spring pressing upon the last-named bar, the said
surface slipping over the cloth slightly at first, but afterwards rising clear of it.
The adjustment for different lengths of stitch is accomplished by a set screw,
which limits the extent of throw of the roughened foot.
The tension apparatus and the carrier for the spool are combined together
and attached to the head of the needle bar. It consists of an arm extending
from a post which has a screw cut upon it, and upon which screw the arm can
be turned.
The outer end of the arm has a spindle turned downward to hold the spool,

page_text: the latter being kept on it by a nut. There is also a pinch nut to set the arm
and keep it from moving after the right tension has been obtained.
In the arm first-mentioned there is a branching piece, through which there
is a hole to pass and guide the thread upon the tension post. By this arrange-
ment no take up for the slack is requisite, as the whole moves up and down
with the needle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,. filed
by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 15th September 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, E. C.,
Editor of the Mechanics' Magazine, and Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Iler reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special licence that I, the said Richard
Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, 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 SEWING MACHINES," (communicated to me by
a foreigner residing abroad,) upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, cr one of their hands and seals, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-

page_text: This Invention of improvements in sewing machines has relation chiefly
to the looping, feeding, and thread tension apparatus, and the improved
machine is intended for sewing with a single thread, and to form what is
known as the chain stitch. In this class of machines, as is well known, an
instrument of some character is necessary to work in connection with the eye-
pointed needle to form the loop to secure the successive stitches taken by the
needle. Various devices have from time to time been invented for this purpose,
the great desideratum being ability to effect the operation with the fewest
pieces and moving parts, and at the same time to secure certainty of action.
In this machine the operations of catching, holding and spreading the loop in
the path of the needle are effected by means of a single piece vibrating in a
simple manner upon an axis, the vibrations being timed with the movements
of the needle to produce the several effects named.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed according to this Inven-
tion. The main parts of themachine are of well-known construction, consisting
of a stand supporting a bracket B, overhanging the table and carrying the
needle bar, crank, driver, and other suitable parts as usual. The looper consists
of a hook fixed to the end of a spindle or shank and shaped as seen at a in
Figure 1, and in the detached Figures 2, 3, and 4. This is placed beneath the
table with its spindle b, in an inclined position, the box in which it is held being
a long bearing to keep it firm The position at the bottom of the table is such
that the hook will, in vibrating, cross the needle's path. This is due to the
angular position of its shank b, for if this were parallel with the bottom of the
table, the hook would vibrate along the side of the needle only, and in this
position it would not bring the loop into a proper place for the needle to pass
through. The hook is put in vibration by a lever c, which is again connected
with a suitable cam upon the main shaft C (not shewn in the Figure). The
distance the hook vibrates is from the under side of the table to a joint parallel
with the path of the needle, or as seen in the two positions of Figure 2.
The feeding mechanism consists of a vibrating bar, having a curved foot
roughened on the under side, as shewn at d, Figure 2. It is supported in a
vertical position, and, so as to vibrate upon a pin secured in the head of the
bracket B. The needle passes through the foot, so that the latter becomes a
cloth stripper as well as a feed. As the curved foot is at at one side of the bar
the vibrations of the said bar move the foot excentrically along, whereby its
curved part will descend toward the table while going in the direction intended
for the feed, and will rise from it in the opposite direction. Thus the cloth
placed beneath is acted upon to be fed. When the feed
ncedle is out of the cloth, the roughened surface taking hold in consequence
takes place the

page_text: of the moving at that time of the bar d', and giving the feed thereby. The
needle then entering the cam which gave the feed motion gets clear, and the
roughened surface is returned by the force of a spring pressing upon d, the
said surface slipping over the cloth slightly at first, but afterward rising clear
of it. The adjustment for different lengths of stitch is accomplished by a set
screw e, which limits the extent of throw of the roughened foot.
The tension apparatus and the carrier for the spool, are combined together,
and attached to the head of the needle bar D. It consists of an arm f, ex-
tending from a post g, which has a screw cut upon it, and upon which screw
the arm can be turned. The outer end of the arm has a spindle turned
downward to hold the spool, the latter being kept on it by a nut f¹. At
g is also a thumbscrew to set the arm and keep it from moving after the
right tension has been obtained. In the arm f there is a branching piece
through which there is a hole i, to pass and guide the thread upon the
tension post. By this arrangement no take up for the slack is requisite, as
the whole moves up and down with the needle.
The operation will be as follows: The needle is propelled up and down by a
crank C' on the end of C connected to the head of the needle bar by a link.
A part of this crank forms a cam as at o, Figures 1 and 2. This is to operate
the feed bar d', which it does by striking upon the end of a lever o¹ (shown
in dotted lines) at every revolution, and as shown in the said Figures.
The thread passes from the spool through the eye i, thence through the
hole in the head of the needle bar, and down its front part of the way,
thence through it in a slanting direction, and thence the needle is
threaded from the inner side, when the bar D is at its upper stroke. The
vibrations of the shank 6 and hook a are so timed by the cam on C (not
shown) as to perform certain motions while the needle is in several different
positions. At starting the end of the hook a must be turned up so as to
touch the under side of the table, as seen in Figures 2, 3, and 4. The
work is represented as having gone on Figure 4, shewing the last loop
drawn up close to the end; a feed of cloth then takes place, and the loop
is drawn along by the cloth, but is still held on the end of a; by this
means it is stretched along flatwise; the needle now descends, and its point
will be forced to pass through the loop thus held, and so soon as this
takes place, the hook begins to retreat, and casts off its loop which now slides
up the shank of the needle and is finally drawn up to the cloth. The needle
having descended to its full distance, commences to return, and in doing so,
when the thread is slackened a loop bows out as seen in Figure 1. At this
moment the hook starts in rapid motion, passes through the bow, catches and

page_text: holds the bow by its end striking against the table. The needle now retreating
above the table, the slack is all taken up, the loop slipping along the hook to
its point, as seen in Figures 2, 3, and 4, another feed takes place, and another
stitch is formed as at first, and so on. In order that each loop shall be fully
drawn up to the cloth and make a tight seam, the thumbscrew g¹ is to be
loosened, then by turning the arm f' about.g the thread will be wound around.
the screw, and the tension thereby increased or diminished according to the
number of turns.
In case the shank of the hook a is placed parallel with the bed plate, it will
require to have an endwise motion given to it to bring the loop directly over
the hole while the needle comes through. This motion can be produced by a
suitable cam placed in the shank, so that when rotated a certain distance it
will come into action to give the endwise motion as described.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the aforesaid im-
provements in sewing machines, whereby the operations of catching, holding,
and spreading the loop in the path of the needle are effected by means of a
single piece vibrating upon an axis in the manner and for the purposes herein-.
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of September, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.