Improvements in Sewing Machines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Dec., 1892
Complete "pecification Left, 5th Oct., 1893—Accepted, 11th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sewing Machines.
We, FELIX MAGINN, of 2 Great Clowes Street, Lower Broughton, Engineer,
and JAMES SHOVELTON, of 5 John Dalton Street, Manchester, Estate and
Financial Agent, both in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to sewing machines and consists in ;-(1) An improved
method of and means for communicating motion from the hand wheel or pulley
spindle to the needle bar and to the lock forming device for the lower thread.
(2) The substitution for the reciprocating rotary or oscillating shuttle, of a
stationary spool holder in which an ordinary reel ball spool or bobbin of thread
may be employed. (3) An improved construction and arrangement which enables
the operator to produce either the ordinary lock stitch, a chain stitch, or a lock-
chain stitch, at will. And (4) an improved means for securing the needle in
the needle bar.
1. I fix upon the first motion spindle an excentric upon which is mounted a
Somewhat U-shaped lever, one limb of which extends below the bed plate of the
machine and controls the lower thread and feed motions and the other limb of
which passes through the arm of the machine and controls the motion of the
needle bar. In order to obviate the difficulty of starting on a dead centre, I may
duplicate the U-shaped lever. The lower limb of the U-lever drives a second
motion spindle on the end of which there is fixed a crank or crank disc upon
which is mounted a light bar the forward end of which is produced, curved
towards the needle and terminated with a hook or barbed part. The opposite
end of the bar may be connected with a similar crank or it may be engaged in
a straight curved or circular or other slot which may either be stationary or in
motion according to the result desired. This hook or barbed part will con-
sequently have a rotary motion. The upper arm of the U-lever communicates
reciprocating vertical motion, by suitable means, to the needle bar.
In con-
sequence of the method employed for giving motion to the hook and to the
needle bar, their movements are compelled to be absolutely synchronous, and it
is impossible for them to fall out of time with respect to each other.
2. The lower thread is used direct from the bobbin reel ball or spool (which
I will hereinafter call the spool) which is held within a stationary clutch somewhat
resembling the human hands joined and pivoted at the wrists and with the palms
opposed and the fingers not quite touching. The clutch is fixed on the under side
of the bed plate at a point near which the needle descends, and contains a holder
for the spool. The thread passes from the spool through a hole in an inner part
of the holder and another in the outer part, and by adjusting the relative positions
of these holes, the tension of the thread may be regulated at will. The hook or
barbed part of the curved bar already described and which I will bereinafter call
the hook, passes around the clutch in its motion and engages with the needle thread
near the needle eye, forming a loop which it carries over the spool holder, the
spool holder being provided with a pointed end. When the hook has carried the
loop of the needle thread partly around the spool holder, it releases it, and the loop
is then taken up either by the ascent of the needle or by means of a special taking
up motion. The spool holder is constructed in two parts which may be hinged.
together or separate.
3. For the purpose of enabling a single chain stitch to be produced, I adjust the
clutch in such a manner that the needle loop is detained so long that the needle
descends a second time through the first loop. The second loop is engaged by the

page_text: hook and carried over the clutch, displacing the first loop and permitting it to be
taken up, thus producing the chain stitch. If the direction of rotation of the
machine be reversed for chain stitch work, I may form upon the hook a second
(reverse) barb. No thread is used from the spool holder, the stitch being formed
entirely from the needle thread. For the production of the lock-chain stitch,
I proceed as described for the simple chain stitch, but use a lower thread in the
spool holder.
4. I prefer to arrange the needle bar and the presser bar, not as usual one behind
the other, but with one of them displaced to the right or left, so that a clear view
of the seam may be obtained and so also that the operator may clearly see through
the eye of the needle. The needle is secured to the needle bar in such a manner
that it must come automatically into the correct position, by means of a cap and
non-rotary disc. The lower end of the needle bar is threaded with an external
thread, and the cap is internally threaded with a corresponding thread so that the
cap may be screwed upon the needle bar. The needles to be used with the machine
are enlarged at their upper ends, and have their grooves extending into the
enlarged part, and the cap has a central perforation sufficiently large to admit the
shank of the needle. The shoulder formed by the enlarged part abuts against
the inner end of the perforation in the cap, which, when it is screwed up, thus
brings the needle into its exact vertical position. To secure the exact position of
the eye of the needle, a perforated disc is arranged within the cap. This disc has a
vertical projection fitting into a recess in the bottom end of the needle bar to
prevent its rotation with the cap. It has also a slight projection engaging with
the groove formed in the enlarged part of the needle. Thus, in whatever angular
position the needle may he inserted, it can occupy finally only the correct working
position, and the necessity for using screw drivers and other accessories is avoided.
Dated this 3rd day of December A.D. 1892.
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sewing Machines.
We, FELIX MAGINN of 2 Great Clowes Street, Lower Broughton, Engineer,
and JAMES SHOVELTON, of 5 John Dalton Street, Estate and Financial Agent,
both in Manchester in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement.:-
2. The
This invention relates to sewing machines and consists in:-1. An improved
method of and means for communicating motion from the hand wheel or pulley
spindle to the needle bar and to the loop forming device and feed motion.
substitution for the reciprocating rotary or oscillating shuttle, of a stationary spool
case of greater diameter than length in which a spool reel or bobbin of thread may
be employed. 3. An improved construction and arrangement which will enable
the operator to produce at will, either the lock-stitch with two threads, the locked
chain stitch with two threads, or the single chain stitch with one thread. 4. An
improved means for arranging and securing the needle in the needle bar.
The accompanying drawings are intended to illustrate in what manner our inven-
tion may be carried into practical effect and are hereinafter referred to. In each
of the figures similar parts where they are represented, are indicated by similar
letters of reference.
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a sewing machine constructed to
embody these improvements.
Figure 2 is an inverted plan of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a sectional front elevation.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the thuand 1:64

page_text: Figure 5 is an elevation of the loop forming device.
Figure 6 is an elevation of the spool case and holder in two positions.
Figure 7 is an end elevation of the spool case and its accessories.
Figure 8 is a cross section and Figure 9 a plan of the spool holder.
Figure 10 is a plan of the spool case holder.
Figure 11 is a cross section of the needle adjustment,
Figure 12 is an end view of the needle bar, and
Figure 13 a plan of the needle disc.
A is the machine arm and B the base or table.
Motion is communicated to the first motion spindle C by means of a geared hand
wheel, by a strap and pulley, or by other convenient means in the ordinary manner.
Upon this spindle there is fixed the excentric D, carrying the duplex lever E E¹
the two limbs of which are formed about parallel with each other so as to
approximate to a U-shape. One limb E extends forward beneath the bed-plate B
and actuates through the loose link F¹ and a suitable crank or crank pin F, a
second motion spindle G which drives the loop-forming device and the feed motion.
The other limb E¹ of the lever passes up and along the arm A of the machine and
at its end actuates the needle bar through the cranked spindle L. If thought
desirable to obviate any possibility of difficulty in starting the machine on a dead
centre, the upper limb E of the U-shaped lever may be provided in duplicate, the
two being arranged on separate excentrics at about 90 degrees apart. For con-
venience of construction it will be obvious that the duplex lever E E' may be formed
in one part or in two parts.
The crank or crank pin F and the intermediate loose link F¹ are preferably
arranged upon the end of the spindle G, and at the opposite end, a second crank or
crank pin H on the disc H', which carries and actuates the light bar I, the forward
end of which is turned and extends towards the needle Y, near which it ends in a
hook or barbed part J. The other end of the light bar I may be connected with a
similar crank, but it is preferred to engage it by a suitable pin and friction
bowl in the arc slot K as shewn by Figure 1, where the arc slot is shewn as
being formed in a web cast upon the underside of the bed-plate. The arc slot
may alternatively be formed in an extension from the lever E, but it will be
generally found more convenient to have it fixed as shewn.
The upper limb E' of the lever communicates vertical reciprocating motion to
the needle bar and thread lift by means of the cranked spindle L, which is
caused to rotate by the motion of the lever E. This motion may be communi-
cated by a crank pin L' forming part of the cranked spindle L, which works in
a horizontal slot in the part M₁ of the needle bar. The spindle L also carries
a disc M in the outer face of which a groove O is formed as shewn by dotted
lines in Figure 4. In this groove there engages a pin secured upon the end of
the thread lift Q, the groove or scroll being of such a shape as will secure the
required motions of the thread lift at the proper times as in existing machines in
which a similar thread lift is employed.
The lower thread is used direct from the bobbin reel or spool upon which it is
originally wound for sale, and which will hereinafter be called the "spool." This
spool S' is contained in a cylindrical spool case S, and is of a greater diameter
than length. The spool case is separately illustrated by Figures 8 and 9, and
consists of two concentric parts fitting one within the other. A hole or slit a a' is
formed in each part in such positions that they may be brought by relative move-
ments of the two parts coincident with each other, in which case the thread can
pass straight out of the spool case without tension save such as may arise from the
act of unwinding. If the openings a a¹ be separated by partial rotation of one of
the two parts of the spool case the thread will be caused to pass between the two
parts from a to a¹ and tension will be set up, the amount of which will be measured
by the angular distance between these two points. The outer part of the spool case
has a projecting part R formed upon it, shaped so as to enter the loop and direct it
to the opposite sides of the spool case.

page_text: When the spool case is in use it is held endwise between two opposed concave
or open parts TT' hereinafter called the "holder" one of which is rigidly and the
other adjustably connected with the horizontal arm U, as shewn by Figures 7
aud 10. The movable part Ti permits the spool case to be held end wise and room
be left for the passage of the loop between S and T T¹ freely. The spool case S is
prevented from rotating in the holder by means of a stud or the like b secured
upon one of its ends, which engages in a recess 6' formed in the movable part T¹ of
the holder as indicated by Figures 2, 9, and 10. This arrangement, whilst pre-
venting the rotation of the spool case permits the free passage of the thread loop.
"The end of the horizontal arm U is round and is supported in a round hole bored
through the boss c, formed upon the underside of the bed-plate B, as shewn by
Figures 2 and 3. A spiral spring d is coiled on the arm U between the part T
and the boss c, or an equivalent spring is employed in substitution therefor. On
the outer end of the arm U there is a milled head U¹ having a pin e fixed upon its
inner side and fitting into a corresponding hole formed on the outer side of the
When this pin is engaged in its hole the spool holder is in its exact
working position. In the bed plate B there is formed an opening V, which, when
the machine is in work, is closed by the removable plate V'. If it be desired to
remove examine or adjust the spool case S, the arm U is pulled outwards by its nut
until the pin e is disengaged, and the arm is then rotated so as to bring the holder
up through the recess in the bed plate as shewn by the dotted lines Figure 6.
After the spool case has been refilled or adjusted and fixed in the holder, the
holder is rotated by the head U¹ until the pin e again comes opposite to its hole,
when the spring d comes into action and restores the holder to its working
position.
boss c.
The needle which it is preferred to employ with the machine has an enlarged
upper end, into which the longitudinal groove of the needle extends. The lower
end of the needle bar N is bored vertically with a hole finto which the enlarged
part of the needle will fit, and it is externally chased with a screw thread upon
which the internally screwed cap W can be fitted. The depth of the hole f is such
that when the needle is fully inserted therein it will be at the correct height for
work. Figures 11 and 12. The cap W has a central perforation g for the passage
of the shank of the needle. Between the cap and the lower end of the needle bar
we employ a disc X through the centre of which a passage his formed for the
reception of the enlarged part of the needle Y, this passage through the disc
corresponds with the cross section of the enlarged non-circular part of the needle
so that the needle cannot rotate in it. On the lower end of the needle bar and on
the upper face of the disc X there are formed recesses projections or the like
devices by means of which the disc may be caused to engage with the needle bar
for the purpose of preventing its rotation. The arrangement illustrated by
Figures 12 and 13 consists of a pin in the end of the bar N, locking into a
hole in the disc X. In fixing the needle in the bar, the disc is placed, or
may be secured so as to rotate inside the cap-nut, the needle is then inserted point
first through the holes in the disc and cap nut. The cap nut is then screwed home
during which the dise will have become engaged with the end of the needle bar
and rotation of the needle and dise will be prevented. The means for engaging the
-disc with the end of the needle bar must be in such a position that the further
rotation of the needle prevented when its eye is in the proper direction for use.
It will be seen that the shoulder of the needle rests upon the inner face of the cap
nut W. The needle is thus automatically and correctly fixed without the use of a
screw driver or other tool.
The presser-foot bar Z is as usual lifted by the handle k and is by preference
arranged to one side of and not in line with the needle bar N, as shewn by
Figure 1, and to bring the presser foot Z' into its proper position, the shank by
which it is connected to the bar may be cranked. This arrangement permits to the
-operator a clear view of the work already done, and through the eye of the needle
when threading it.

page_text: Upon motion being communicated to the first motion spindle C, the levers E E
transmit it to the second motion spindle G, and the cranked spindle L through
which the loop forming device, the feed motion, the needle bar and the thread lift.
respectively are simultaneously operated. The descending needle carries with it a
loop of the upper thread into which the hook J immediately enters at the position J¹
Figure 5. The motion of the needle and hook being continued, the loop is carried.
by the hook into the position J2, when the point R of the spool holder has entered.
the loop and opened it, so that by its further motion the loop will be compelled to.
pass over the spool case and between it and the parts T T of the holder which
support it. When the hook has arrived at the position J3 or just past the centre
of the spool case, the motion of the light link I in the arc slot K will have caused.
the hook to move into the vertical position indicated, when the upward motion
of the thread lift pulls the loop out of engagement with the hook and forms the
stitch.
If it be desired to produce a single chain stitch instead of the lock stitch, the
light flexible springs which is pivoted upon the upper part T' of the holder, is
turned so as to extend into the path of the loop as shewn by Figure 7. It will be
seen that the loop in its passage round the spool case, whilst detained on one side
by the springs will pass freely round the other end of the spool case.
On the next.
descent of the needle it and its loop will pass through-the part of the previous loop
held by the spring and the production of this second loop will by its tension draw
the first loop from the pliable springs so that the first loop is tightened on the
second which in turn is similarly engaged by the third and so on. The tension of
the upper thread is adjusted by the ordinary regulator i. In this case either the
spool is removed from the spool case or no thread is allowed to issue from it. If
however a locked chain stitch be desired, the lower thread is used and being
incorporated with the upper thread permanently fastens the work and produces an
ornamental twisted loop on the underside of the fabric.
Any ordinary feed motion may be employed with the machine and may be
actuated by the usual means.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a sewing machine a lever or levers mounted upon and actuated by an
excentric or crank and transmitting motion therefrom to the loop forming device,
feed motion, needle bar and thread lift, constructed and arranged substantially as
hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
2. In a sewing machine of the type set forth, a spool case consisting of two
concentric parts fitting one within the other and provided with slits or holes for the
passage of the thread the two parts being relatively adjustable so as to increase or
diminish the angular distance between the holes and consequently to increase or
diminish the tension, constructed substantially as hereinbefore described and as
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
3. The combination and arrangement with the spool case_described in the
preceding claiming clause, of a holder consisting of the parts T T' one of which is
movably secured upon the stud U, substantially as hereinbefore described and as
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
4. The combination and arrangement with the spool case described in the second
claiming clause, of a holder therefor fixed upon the stud U, a head U', a pin e on
the head, a hole for the reception of the pin, and a spring such as d, substantially
as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated.
5. The combination and arrangement with the spool case and holder described
in the second claiming clause, of a light pliable spring such as adjustably
fixed so as to be brought into or removed from the path of the needle loop, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.

page_text: 6. In a sewing machine of the type set forth, the light bar I pivoted upon a
crank pin of the transverse spindle G and having its motion guided by an arc
slot K, in combination with a hook fixed thereon and extending to some distance
from the axis of the crank pin, the bar and hook reciprocating at right angles to
the axis of the spool case in a vertical plane, constructed and arranged substantially
as and for the purpose herein before described and as illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
7. In combination with the needle bar of a sewing machine, a vertical hole
pierced in the lower end of the bar, a perforated cap-nut fitting on the end of the
bar, and a disc in the cap nut adapted to engage with the lower end of the bar and
having a passage through it shaped to fit upon the enlarged non-circular end of the
needle, substantially as herein before described and as illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
8. A sewing machine constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore
described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 4th day of October A.D. 1893.
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicants.