IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES, AND IN THE MEANS EMPLOYED FOR GIVING MOTION THERETO.
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Grafton Jones, of Park Villa, Pershore
Road, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES, AND IN THE MEANS EMPLOYED FOR
GIVING MOTION THERETO.'
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Grafton Jones
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 18th September 1871.
I, JAMES GRAFTON JONES, of Park Villa, Pershore Road, Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES, AND IN THE MEANS
EMPLOYED FOR GIVING MOTION THERETO," to be as follows:-
This Invention has mainly for its object to give motion to sewing
machines by means of air or other fluid under pressure. For this
purpose I mount a small cylinder vertically at the end of the arm of a

page_text: sewing machine, the piston rod passes out both through the top and
bottom of the cylinder, and the lower end of the rod carries the needle,
whilst the upper end gives a to-and-fro rocking motion to a lever which
at the back end of the machine turns on a pin and is curved downwards.
To the lower end of the curved lever is jointed a rod which at its
opposite end gives motion to the shuttle driver, and also to the serrated
feed plate by which the fabric or work is fed forwards. The shuttle
driver may be formed of a lever turning on a pin at its lower end and
carrying the shuttle at its upper end, the face of the shuttle working
against a suitable race or way as is usual. The serrated feed plate is
carried on an arm likewise capable of rocking at its lower end in a pin,
and a rocking motion is imparted to it at the requisite time by an
incline on the shuttle driver or carrier, or the shuttle may be carried by
a holder fixed to a spring.attached to the rod and a to-and-fro rectilinear
motion or nearly will then be given to the shuttle. In this case the rod
is arranged to pass at the back of the face or way against which the
shuttle works, and the shuttle is held up to this face by the spring
holder. The incline for giving motion to the serrated feed plate is also
formed at the back of the bar. The spring carrying the shuttle holder
or driver is made long enough to allow of the holder being drawn away
from the face or way against which the shuttle works, so as to allow of a
shuttle being placed into or taken out from the holder. The lever arm
which is actuated by the upper end of the piston rod is linked to a
smaller lever, and this lever works the valve for admitting fluid to and
allowing it to pass away from the cylinder, and the passages for the
inflow and outflow of the fluid are by preference formed through the
standard and arm of the machine.
The small air cylinder might be arranged to give motion by its piston
rod to an intermediate point or to the opposite arm of the rocking lever.
In this case the forward end of the rocking lever may be connected to a
slide carrying a needle in the ordinary manner, or the arm may be
curved downwards and carry at its end a curved needle.
In place also of giving a rocking to-and-fro motion to a rocking lever
as above described, the piston rod might by the application of a crank
be arranged to give a continuous revolving motion to the cam or main
axis of a sewing machine.
A flexible diaphragm passed across a small chamber may also be
used in place of the cylinder and piston, the diaphragm having attaclied

page_text: to its centre a rod which passes out from the chamber through a stuffing
box, and is connected to the rocking lever before mentioned, and also to
a small lever to work a valve for alternately admitting fluid to and
allowing it to escape from the opposite ends of the chamber.
When water or liquid is used for giving motion to a number of sewing
machines the several machines may be supplied with water or liquid
under pressure from one pipe or main in which the pressure is
maintained by a pumping or forcing apparatus, and the water passing off
from the outlets or exhausts of all the machines may be likewise
conducted into one return pipe, by which it is returned to the pumping
or forcing apparatus, so that the water or fluid is kept moving in a
continuous circuit. At the end of the pipe or main under pressure is
an accumulator; this ensures an equal pressure being maintained
throughout the main or pipe, and if an excess of water is being forced
into the main or pipe by the pumping apparatus, the excess of water
escapes at the accumulator and again passes back to the pump through
the return pipe.
When air under pressure is employed for working the machines and
where a number of machines are used, one pumping or forcing apparatus
may similarly be employed for supplying air under pressure to all the
machines, or when the machines are used singly the machine may be
supplied with air under pressure from bellows or pumping apparatus
worked by the person using the machine either by the feet or
otherwise.
25 SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Grafton Jones in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th March 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
GRAFTON JONES, of Park Villa, Pershore Road, Birmingham; in the
0 County of Warwick, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the

page_text: thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Grafton Jones, Her special
license that I, the said James Grafton Jones, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Grafton
Jones, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time.
time and at all times
agree with, and no others, from time to
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 AND IN THE MEANS
EMPLOYED FOR GIVING MOTION THERETO," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said James Grafton Jones, 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 per-
formed, 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 James Grafton Jones, 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, that is to say :-
This Invention has mainly for its object to give motion to sewing
machines by means of air or other fluid under pressure. For this
purpose I mount a small cylinder vertically at the end of the arm of a
sewing machine, the piston rod passes out both through the top and
bottom of the cylinder, and the lower end of the rod carries the needle,
whilst the upper end gives a to-and-fro rocking motion to a lever which
at the back end of the machine turns on a pin and is curved downwards.
To the lower end of the curved lever is jointed a rod which at its opposite
end gives motion to the shuttle driver and also to the serrated 'feed
plate by which the fabric or work is fed forwards. The shuttle driver
may be formed of a lever turning on a pin at its lower end and carrying
the shuttle at its upper end, the face of the shuttle working against a
suitable race or way as is usual. The serrated feed plate is carried on an
arm likewise capable of rocking at its lower end on a pin, and a rocking
motion is imparted to it at the requisite. time by an incline on the
shuttle driver or carrier, or the shuttle may be carried by a holder fixed
P

page_text: to a spring attached to the rod, and a to-and-fro rectilinear motion or
nearly so will then be given to the shuttle. In this case the rod is
arranged to pass at the back of the face or way against which the
shuttle works, and the shuttle is held up to this face by the spring
holder; the incline for giving motion to the serrated feed plate is also
formed at the back of the bar. The spring carrying the shuttle holder
or driver is made long enough to allow of the holder being drawn away
from the face or way against which the shuttle works, so as to allow of a
shuttle being placed into or taken out from the holder. The lever arm
which is actuated by the upper end of the piston rod is linked to a
smaller lever, and this lever works the valve. for admitting fluid to and
allowing it to pass away from the cylinder and the passages for the inflow
and outflow of the fluid are by preference formed through the standard
and arm of the machine..
"
The small air cylinder might be arranged to give motion by its piston
rod to an intermediate point or to the opposite arm of the rocking lever;
in this case the forward end of the rocking lever may be connected to a
slide carrying a needle in the ordinary manner, or the arm may be
curved downwards and carry at its end a curved needle.
1.
Figure 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed shews a side view, and
Figure 2 a front, view, of a sewing machine, constructed in the manner
first above described, the needle being carried by one end of the piston
rod, whilst the opposite end of the rod gives motion to the shuttle
and serrated feed-plate.
.
In these Figures a is the cylinder mounted vertically on the end of the
arm b, which forms part of the framing of the machine. The arm b
and standard b' are hollow and are divided by a central longitudinal
division into two passages, one for admitting air, or water under pressure
to the valve chest c, which is at the end of the arm b, and the other for
conveying away the exhaust air or water after it has done its work in
the cylinder. The outlet pipe or orifice from this passage is marked d,
and the corresponding inlet orifice is marked e; `f is the piston rod
passing out from the bottom of the cylinder a, and carrying the needle.
f¹ is the rod passing out from the top of the cylinder and imparting
motion to the rocking lever g as shewn; this lever is jointed by a link h
to one end of the lever k, whilst the opposite end of the lever gives
motion to the rod of an ordinary slide valve working in the valve chest c.
'

page_text: The lower end of the rocking lever g gives motion by a link to the
arm of the shuttle carrier m, which rocks upon a joint at its lower end;
on the arm of the shuttle carrier is the incline m', which as the shuttle
carrier is moving forwards comes against the end of. a screw pin n¹
carried by one arm of the lever n. At the end of the opposite arm of
this lever is the serrated feed plate n²; the incline m¹ comes against the
screw pin n just as the needle in its upward motion has risen up out
of the cloth or work, and causes this lever to rock on its centre and so
gives the requisite motion to the serrated feed plate. The amount of
motion given to the feed plate can be regulated by turning the screw n¹
so as to bring its point nearer to or further from the incline. o is the
ordinary presser plate by which the cloth or work is held down on to the
bed or table p of the machine; q is the reel from which thread is
supplied to the needle, and r an ordinary arrangement of apparatus
for putting the requisite tension on this thread. In place of the shuttle
being caused to move to and fro in the arc of a circle a rectilincar
to-and-fro motion might be given to it in the manner herein-before
described and as is shewn at Figures 5, 6, and 7. In this case the shuttle
holder is carried at the end of a spring s fixed to the rod 1, and the rod /
passes at the back of the shuttle race or way, and an incline upon it
gives motion to the serrated feed plate as is shewn. Figure 3 shews a
side view partly in section, and Figure 4 a front view, of a sewing
machine in which as in the arrangement just described one piston rod
gives motion to the shuttle and serrated feed plate, whilst the other gives
motion to the needle; but in this case one piston rod gives motion
directly to the arm of the shuttle carrier whilst the other piston rod is
jointed to the lower end of the rocking lever g, the upper arm of which
is in this case jointed to a slide, carrying the needle as is usual. In
other respects the machine is similar to the one shewn at Figures 1
and 2, and the same letters of reference are marked upon it. When the
needle is carried by a slide jointed to the lever g one piston rod may be
used to give motion to either arm of the lever g at an intermediate point
of its length. In this case one end of the lever g will give motion to
the slide carrying the needle while the other gives motion to the
shuttle. If the machines are required to produce a chain stitch in place
of a lock stitch the rod or rocking lever g might be arranged to carry a
hook for catching the needle thread in place of carrying a shuttle, as
above described.
.

page_text: When air under pressure is employed for working the machines and
where a number of machines are used one pumping or forcing apparatus
may similarly be employed for supplying air under pressure to all the
machines. Or when the machines are used singly the machine may be
supplied with air or fluid under pressure from bellows or pumping
apparatus worked by the person using the machine either by the feet or
otherwise. For example, if bellows are used they may be worked by the
fect, and a continuous supply of air under pressure may be maintained
for working the sewing machine by a much slower movement of the
feet than is now required for working a treadle, or in like manner if 1
water be used a small pump may be worked by the feet to pump water
into an accumulator; in this case the circuit arrangement herein-before
described for returning the waste water to the pump would be
adopted.
1
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of 1
performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim as my
improvements in sewing machines and in the means employed for
giving motion thereto,-
1. The employment in sewing machines of a cylinder fitted with a
piston and piston rods passing out of its two ends, one to actuate a 2
needle, and the other a shuttle or hook and serrated feed plate, sub;
stantially as herein described.
2. The combined arrangement of sewing machines substantially as
herein described with reference to Figures 1 and 2.
3. The combined arrangement of sewing machine substantially as 2
herein described with reference to Figures 3 and 4.
4. The combining a small engine to be worked by air, water, or other
fluid, with the cam or main shaft of a sewing machine substantially as
herein described.
5. The combined arrangements substantially as herein described for 3
causing the shuttle driver or hook carrier of. sewing machines to impart
motion to the serrated feed plate.
6. The combination of a cylinder piston and piston rod or chamber
diaphragm and rod with a rocking lever g, one arm of which gives
motion to the needle, whilst the opposite arm gives motion to the shuttle 3
or hook substantially as herein described.

page_text: I
7. The combination of a sewing machine adopted to be worked by air
or fluid under pressure, with bellows or pumping apparatus, to be
worked by the person using the machine substantially as herein
described.
8. The combination of a sewing machine or machines adapted to be
worked by water under pressure, with a circuit apparatus for supplying
water thereto, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Grafton Jones, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.