IMPROVEMENTS IN OR: ADDITIONS TO SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Paterson, of Staining Lane, in the City of
London, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR:
ADDITIONS TO SEWING MACHINES."
Sealed the 14th August 1866, and dated the 16th February 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Paterson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th February 1866.
I, JOHN PATERSON, of Staining Lane, in the City of London,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for;
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR ADDITIONS TO SEWING MACHINES," to be as follows:
My: Invention consists in apparatus to be fitted to sewing machines,.
when plaits are to be sewn or formed for the purpose of folding over the
plait or fabric. before it is brought under the needle. My apparatus is
coniposed, firstly, of a folder fitted above the work plate of the machine,;
and over the edge of which the fabric is folded or doubled; and, secondly,:
of a guide for guiding the fabric to the folder. My folder and guide are.
arranged by preference as follows:-The folder consists of a thin plate,.

page_text: the folding edge of which is parallel with the line of feed of the fabric,
except that it is cut away at the part where the fabric first arrives, in order
to facilitate the entrance of the fabric. The folder forms the head of one-
half of a strip of metal of U shape; the curved portion of which extends
to the front of the machine, and the other arm terminates in a plate
reaching behind the folder. This plate forms the guide, and is secured to
the work plate by screws which pass througli slots in the guide, so that it
is adjustable together with the folder to regulate the width of plait to be
sewn. Instead of making the guide and folder in one piece of metal as
above described, I sometimes make them separate and secure them to an
additional plate attached to the work plate, so as to be adjustable for the
purpose before explained. In this case the folder extends forward towards
the front of the adjustable plate, where I secure it by screws or otherwise,
the folding edge being free as in the previous case, and the guide may
consist simply of a block or plate secured to the adjustable plate. In some
cases 1 employ an additional guide or pressing plate adjustable upon the
guide plate or upon the adjustable plate. This pressing plate overlaps the
folder and presses down the fold of the fabric. The operation is as
follows: So much of the end of the fabric as is on one side of the plait
to be formed is passed by the attendant under the folder, while the
remainder is brought up between the guide and the folding edge, and
doubled over the folder, the pressing plate when such is employed pressing
upon that portion of the fabric above the folder. The machine is then
set to work, and as the fabric is fed to the needle each successive portion
which reaches the guide and folder is turned over the folding edge. The.
width of the plait produced is equal to the difference of the distance of
the folding edge and that of the row of stitches from the front of the
machine.
My Invention also consists in constructing plaiting or folding apparatus
as follows: To a block or standard, towards the back of the sewing
machine, I secure one end of a strip of metal, the other end of which
extends to above the work plate, where it terminates in a plate which
is turned down and doubled under itself. Between this plate and the
work plate I insert another plate, which rests upon the work plate, and is
turned up and doubled over itself, the doubled over portion entering
between the two portions of the first plate, but leaving sufficient space.
above and below for the passage of the fabric. This second plate is carried.
on the end of a strip of metal, which when in place is attached to the.

page_text: work plate. The end of the portion of the fabric to be folded and sewn
is introduced between the several portions of the doubled plates, so that it
is folded into three thicknesses, through which the needle passes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Paterson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th August 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
PATERSON, of Staining Lane, in the City of London, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said John Paterson, Her special licence that I, the said
John Paterson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Paterson, 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 OR ADDITIONS TO SEWING MACHINES," upon the condi-
tion (amongst others) that the said John Paterson, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or 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 immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Paterson, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
My Invention, consists in apparatus to be fitted to sewing machines,
when plaits are to be sewn or formed, for the purpose of folding over the

page_text: plait or fabric before it is brought under the needle. My apparatus is
composed, firstly, of a folder fitted above the work plate of the machine,
and over the edge of which the fabric is folded or doubled; and, secondly,
of a guide for guiding the fabric to the folder. My folder and guide are
arranged by preference as follows:-The folder consists of a thin plate,
the folding edge of which is parallel with the line of feed of the fabric,
except that it is cut away at the part where the fabric first arrives, in order
to facilitate the entrance of the fabric. The folder forms the head of one
half of a strip or piece of metal of U shape, the curved portion of which
extends to the front of the machine, and the other arm terminates in a
plate reaching behind the folder. This plate forms the guide, and is
secured to the work plate by screws which pass through slots in the guide,
so that it is adjustable together with the folder to regulate the width of
plait to be sewn.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a plan showing my apparatus
for folding over plaits, fitted to the work plate of a sewing machine;
Figure 2 is an edge view of the apparatus as seen from the right-hand
side.
a is the work plate of the sewing machine; b is the folder formed of a
thin plate, the folding edge of which is parallel with the line of feed of the
fabric, except that it is cut away at 6', where the fabric first arrives. The
folder 6 forms the head of one-half or arm of a piece of metal c of U
shape, which extends as shown to the front of the machine, and the other
arm terminates in or is fixed to a plate d behind the folder b. This other
arm is slightly bent up at c¹ to give more room for the fabric. This
plate d is the guide, and is secured to the work plate a by screws e, e,
which pass through slots ff, in the guide d, so that it is adjustable together
with the folder 6 to regulate the width of plait io be sewn. These screws e
may be the ordinary screws which fasten the work plate to the frame of
the machine; g is an additional guide or pressing plate adjustable upon
the plated by means of a slot and screw h to regulate the distance
of one plait from the next. This is accomplished by the operator guiding
the work so that the row of stitches of the previous plait is kept up to
the edge of the plate g; the rows of stitching are thus kept parallel.
This plate overlaps the folder b, as shewn, and presses down the fold of the
fabric; i is the point or aperture through which the needle passes. Instead
of making the guide d and folder 6 in one piece of metal, or fixed to each
other as above described, I sometimes make them separate and secure them

page_text: :
to an additional plate attached to the work plate, so as to be adjustable for
the purpose before explained. The operation is as follows:-So much of
the end of the fabric as is on one side of the plait to be formed is passed
by the attendant under the folder b, while the remainder is brought up
between the guide d and the folding edge, and doubled over the folder 6,
the plate g pressing upon that portion of the fabric above the folder. The
machine is then set to work, and as the fabric is fed to the needle, each
successive portion which reaches the guide d and folder b is turned over
the folding edge. The width of the plait produced is equal to the
difference of the distance of the folding edge and that of the row of
stitches from the front of the machine. :
My Invention also consists in constructing plaiting or folding apparatus
as follows, and as represented in plan in Figure 3, and in side view in
Figure 4. To a block or standard j, towards the back of the sewing
machine, I secure one end of a strip or piece of metal k, the other end of
which extends to above the work plate, where it terminates in a plate,
Between
which is turned down and doubled under itself, as shewn at m.
this plate and the work plate I insert another plate o, which rests upon
the work plate, and is turned up and doubled over itself, as shewn at p,
the doubled over portion p entering between the two portions / and m of
the first plate, but leaving sufficient space above and below for the passage
of the fabric. This second plate o when in place is attached to the work
plate. The end of the portion of the fabric to be folded and sewn is
introduced between the several portions of the doubled plates, as shewn in
red, so that it is folded into three thicknesses, through which. the needle
passes; the dotted line in Figure 4 represents the point at which the needle
passes.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my
Improvements in or Additions to Sewing Machines,"-
"
First, the construction and employment with sewing machines of
apparatus for folding over a plait or fabric before it is brought under the
needle, such apparatus being composed of a folder and of a guide fitted and
acting substantially as herein-before described, and represented in the
accompanying Drawings.
Second,, the particular arrangement of folder and guide, substantially as
herein-before described, and represented in Figures 1 and 2 of the accom-
panying Drawings.

page_text: Third, constructing plaiting or folding apparatus to be fitted to sewing
machines, substantially as herein-before described, with reference to Figures
3 and 4 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Paterson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-six.
JOHN PATERSON. (L.s.)