IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Louis Silverman, of Westminster, in the County of
Middlesex, Draughtsman, and Joseph Richard Cumming, of Ilford, in the
County of Essex; Foreman Tailor, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SEWING MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Louis Silverman and Joseph
Richard Cumming at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
14th April 1881.
LOUIS SILVERMAN, of Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, Draughtsman,
and JOSEPH RICHARD CUMMING, of Ilford, in the County of Essex, Foreman Tailor,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."
Our Invention relates, firstly, to certain arrangements whereby a second needle
may be attached to and be operated by the needle bar of the machine, so as to be
easily adjusted to work at any required distance from the ordinary needle, the
shuttle and shuttle carrier, looper, or other parts for locking the thread of the
extra needle being in like manner adjustable so as to suit the position of the latter;
secondly, to certain arrangements whereby, in what are known as lockstitch
machines, the special shuttle spool or the bobbin for carrying the under thread is
dispensed with, and instead thereof ordinary wooden reels or spools of thread are
employed as they come from the manufacturers without being rewound as is
necessary when special shuttle spools or bobbins are employed.
The first part of the Invention consists in adapting to the needle bar of the
machine an attachment which carries the extra needle, and is arranged to slide at
right angles to the said needle bar, in such manner that the extra needle may be
adjusted to any required distance from the main needle and secured there by means
of a set screw or other suitable tightening device. The attachment carrying the
extra needle may be furnished with a scale divided in any suitable manner,
whereby the extra needle may be adjusted without measurement to the required
distance from the main needle.

page_text: The shuttle or bobbin carrier carrying the under thread or the looper for the extra
needle is adapted to slide on suitable guides under the cloth plate of the machine
by the action of a screw, so as to be readily adjusted to suit the position of the
extra needle.
The actuation of the aforesaid shuttle, bobbin carrier, or looper for the extra
needle in the various positions assumed by the latter is effected by a rocking or
other shaft adapted to slide longitudinally in that used for driving the shuttle,
bobbin carrier, or looper for the main needle.
By the above arrangements two rows of stitching may be made at the same
time, or when the extra needle is removed the machine may be used to produce a
single row of stitching only.
The second part of the Invention consists in enlarging the shuttle or bobbin
carrier sufficiently to enable it to contain the ordinary reel or spool of thread as it
comes from the manufacturer without rewinding; in leaving open the hinder end
of the said shuttle so as to admit of the insertion of the reel or spool of thread into
the shuttle from that end, and in providing a spindle secured in the said shuttle to
receive the reel or spool of thread, such spindle being furnished with a spring and
disc adjustable by means of a screw for the purpose of imparting the necessary
friction to the said reel or spool in order to produce the requisite tension of the
lower thread.
The means of actuating the various parts and the kind of feed motion used may
be varied according to the class of machine to which the Invention is applied or
the kind of work to be done.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Louis Silverman and Joseph Richard Cumming in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 14th October 1881.
LOUIS SILVERMAN, of Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, Draughtsman,
and JOSEPH RICHARD CUMMING, of Ilford, in the County of Essex, Foreman Tailor.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."
Our Invention relates, firstly, to certain arrangements whereby a second needle
may be attached to and be operated by the needle bar of the machine, so as to be
easily adjusted to work at any required distance from the ordinary needle, the
shuttle and shuttle carrier, looper, or other parts for locking the thread of the
extra needle being also adjustable so as to suit the position of the latter; secondly,
to certain arrangements whereby, in what are known as lockstitch machines, the
special shuttle spool or the bobbin for carrying the underthread is dispensed with,
and instead thereof ordinary wooden reels or spools of thread are employed as they
come from the manufacturers without being rewound, as is necessary when special
shuttle spools or bobbins are employed.
In the Drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section
partly in elevation of a sewing machine with our improvements adapted thereto;
Figure 2, a transverse section of same on line X, X, of Figure 1, partly in elevation,
and with the cover plate of the needle bar removed; Figure 3, a transverse section
of same on line Y, Y, of Figure 1, also partly in elevation; and Figure 4, a
longitudinal section of a shuttle or bobbin carrier.
The sewing machine illustrated in the Drawings is of an ordinary well known
construction, in which the needle bar A is moved up and down by the action of
the pin in the crank plate B in the groove C of the needle bar, and the shuttle
and feed motion are operated by the oscillating shaft D which receives its motion
from the main shaft E by the excentric F and excentric rod G, but it will be under-
stood that the Invention may be applied to sewing machines of other construction.
The machine may be driven by hand, treadle, steam, or other power as may be
preferred.
The first part of the Invention consists in adapting to the needle bar A of the
machine an attachment H which carries the extra needle I, and is arranged to
slide in a slot at right angles to the said needle bar in such manner that the extra
needle I may be adjusted to any required distance from the main needle K, and
secured there by means of a set screw L or other suitable tightening or fixing
device. The attachment H carrying the extra needle may be furnished with a
scale graduated in any suitable manner, whereby the extra needle I may be
adjusted without measurement to the required distance from the main needle K.
The shuttle or bobbin carrier M with its guide or race N or the looper (when a
reciprocating shuttle is not employed) for the extra needle I is adapted to slide in
guides O fixed to the inside of the bed of the machine below the cloth plate, being
readily adjusted therein nearer to or further from the main, shuttle M' by the
traversing screw P and handle Q (with or without a graduated scale), or by other
suitable means, so as to suit the position of the extra needle I.
The actuation of the aforesaid shuttle or bobbin carrier M for the extra needle I
in the various positions to which the latter may be adjusted is effected by an
oscillating or rocking shaft D' adapted to slide longitudinally in the shaft D used
for driving the shuttle or bobbin carrier M¹ for the main needle K, being adapted
to such shaft D by a feather-key or otherwise, so as to be moved by and at the
same time and to the same extent as the said shaft D. The shuttle M is actuated
by the driving arm or lever M² fixed to and moving with the sliding shaft D¹,
while the shuttle M¹ is actuated by the driving arm or lever M³ fixed on the
shaft D.

page_text: By the above described arrangements two rows of stitching may be made at the
same time at any required distance apart within the limits for which the adjustable
sliding attachment H and its corresponding shuttle M and shuttle guide N are
adapted, or when the extra needle I is removed the machine may be used to
produce a single row of stitching only.
The second part of the Invention consists in enlarging the shuttle or bobbin
carrier or carriers M, M', whether applied to machines with one needle or with
two or more sufficiently to enable it or them to receive and contain the ordinary
reels or spools of thread R as they come from the manufacturer without rewinding
on to special shuttle spools or bobbins, also in leaving open the hinder end of the
said enlarged shuttle so as to admit of the insertion of the said reel or spool of
thread R into the shuttle from that end, and in providing a guide spindle S secured
in the said shuttle and adapted to receive on it the said reel or spool of thread R,
such spindle S being by preference furnished with a spring T and disc U adjustable
by means of a screw nut Y, for the purpose of imparting the necessary friction to
the said reel or spool R in order to produce the requisite tension of the lower
thread.
The means of actuating the various parts and the kind of feed motion used may
be varied according to the class of machine to which the Invention is applied, or
the kind of work to be done.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to or may be carried into effect, wo would have it understood
that what we claim as our Invention is,-
First. The combination with the needle bar A of a sewing machine of an attach-
ment H carrying a second needle I, and adjustable in or to such needle bar in such
manner that the said second needle can be adjusted and secured at the required
distance from the main needle K, as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings.
Second. The adaptation of the shuttle guide or race N, so as to slide in or out
in guides O, and the shaft D¹ sliding in the shaft D to enable the position of the
said shuttle guide or race with the shuttle driver M² to be adjusted to suit that
of the second or extra needle, as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 1
and 2 of the Drawings.
Third. In lock stitch sewing machines whether fitted with one or more needles,
the employment of shuttles or bobbin carriers enlarged sufficiently to receive and
contain the ordinary reels or spools of thread, to enable the same to be utilized for
the under thread without rewinding on to special spools or bobbins, as herein before
described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the Drawings.
Fourth. The employment of open ended shuttles or bobbin carriers adapted to
admit of the insertion into such shuttles or bobbin carriers of the reels or spools
of under thread from the hinder ends thereof, such open ended shuttles being
furnished or not with guide spindles S and the tension appliances T, U, V, as
herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Louis Silverman and Joseph Richard
Cumming, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twelfth day of
October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty
LOUIS SILVERMAN. (L.S.)
J. R. CUMMING.
Patentees.
(L.S.)