IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Keats and William Stephens Clark, of Street,
in the County of Somerset, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SEWING MACHINES."
Sealed the 25th September 1868, and dated the 14th April 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Keats and
William Stephens Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 14th April 1868.
We, JOHN KEATS and WILLIAM STEPHENS CLARK, of Street, in the County
of Somerset, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in sewing machines, and
relates to that description of sewing machines in which two threads are
employed, a loop from one of which is drawn up through the material being
sewn by means of a hook, and a shuttle containing the other thread is then
passed through the loop so drawn up.
The improvements also chiefly have reference to so constructing a sewing
machine that the machine may be worked with two waxed threads.
For this purpose the hook is carried at the bottom of a slide, which moves
vertically to and fro in guides carried on the end of an arm; this arm projects
from a standard carried by the bed plate of the machine. The arm is made
hollow, and through it an axis passes, from which motion is communicated to
the different parts of the machine. Motion is communicated to the axis by a,

page_text: .
pulley fixed upon its end, which passes out beyond that end of the hollow arm
that is fixed to the standard; the outer end of the hollow arm is made of a
forked shape, and the axis projects out between the forks, one of the forks being
above and the other below the axis. On the end of the axis that is between the
forks is a crank pin for giving motion to the slide that carries the hook, also a
cam for giving motion to the apparatus for moving the material to be sewn,
and also an excentric for moving the shuttle. The crank pin gives motion to the
slide that carries the hook by its working in a cam groove cut in a piece attached
to the slide, the pin having by preference a roller upon it to reduce friction.
The cam gives motion to the stepper or instrument that gives motion to the
material being sewn in the following manner:-The stepper is composed of a
plate notched on its under side; this plate is pin-jointed to one end of a rod, the
other end of which is pin-jointed to the lower end of a slide that can be moved
vertically to and fro between guides carried by the forks at the end of the
hollow arm, the rod being retained at an angle to the slide, the slide is con-
stantly pressed upwards by a spring, but when the notched plate is to be
pressed on the material being sewn, the slide is forced down by its upper end
being acted on by one arm of a lever, the other arm being acted on by the
upper end of a rod, the lower end of which is acted on by the cam; as the
slide is forced downwards, the notched plate will be pushed forward, as it is
prevented from descending by the material that is being sewn and by
the table that it rests upon, and as the slide moves forward it will push
forward the material with it; the notched plate is kept pressed down on the
material being sewn by a spring carried by the lower end of the slide.
In place of employing a notched plate at the bottom of the rod that is jointed to
the slide, the end of the rod may be made fork-shaped, the fork being used to
push forward the material. The table that the material rests upon is composed
of a small plate that is carried by an inclined support from the bed plate of
the machine, the plate being at a distance above it. In order that the notched
plate may be enabled to move the material being sewn in different directions,
the slide which carries it is composed of a circular rod, so that by turning the
rod partly round, the notched plate can be made to point in different directions,
and the slide can be retained in any of its positions by means of a set screw.
In order that the distance may be varied that the notched plate is caused at
each of its movements to push the material forward, the length of the rod that
is acted on by the cam can be varied. The arrangement above described for
giving motion to the fabric is applicable to other sewing machines than the
one herein described.
Motion is transmitted from the eccentric to the arm that moves the shuttle in

page_text: the following manner :-The eccentric works between two projections on a slide
that is capable of moving vertically to and fro in guides carried by the forks
of the hollow arm; the upper end of this slide is connected to one arm of a
bell-crank lever which turns on a pin above the upper fork; the other arm of
the bell crank descends downwards, and at its lower end is pin-jointed to the
arm that moves the shuttle. The shuttle is moved to and fro above the plate
which supports the material being sewn, and is formed with a dovetailed recess
along its back, so that the shuttle may be supported by and moved to and fro
along a dovetailed projection; this dovetailed projection is carried by a curved
plate that fits the back of the shuttle. At the back of the shuttle a groove is
also formed which commences at its nose or point, and which proceeds along
the back until it enters the dovetailed recess, through a hole in the dovetailed
projection a spring projects; the point of this spring is on a line with the
nose of the shuttle, and it enters the groove in its back; the end of the
spring is also close to the hook, so that when the hook has drawn up a loop
of the under thread through the material being sewn, and the shuttle com-
mences to pass through the loop, the point of the spring shall stop the loop
being drawn forward by the shuttle, the point of the spring entering the groove
at the back of the shuttle, and the spring being pressed back by the shuttle
as the shuttle moves past it.
In order to ensure that the point of the shuttle shall enter the loop drawn
up by the book, the slide that carries the hook is formed at its lower end with
a small incline upon it, which just before the slide completes its upward motion
acts on a small blade or instrument, and causes its lower end to enter into and
expand the loop, the bottom of the blade coming just above the top of the
shuttle, so that the shuttle can be moved to and fro below it. As soon as
the point of the shuttle has entered the loop the blade is drawn back by a
spring, or in place of this arrangement the blade may be pressed forward at
the proper time by a spring, and be drawn back by the slide that carries the
hook. In order that the lower thread may be laid on to the hook when it has
descended through the material being sewn, the hook is caused to pass down
through a hollow axis, on the exterior of which is a toothed wheel; this wheel
is immediately below the small table or surface upon which the material rests;
the lower thread is led through a holo in this wheel, and also through a small
eye carried by it on its under side. When the hook has descended down through
the hollow axis, the axis is caused to revolve, and the thread is thus lapped
around the hook. The axis is caused to revolve in the following manner :-
With the toothed wheel on the hollow axis a toothed wbeel of larger diameter
gears; on this larger toothed wheel is a crank pin, to which one end of a rod is

page_text: jointed; this rod passes down along the side of the inclined support that
carries the plate or table upon which the material being sewn rests, and the rod
passes down through the bed plate of the machine, and at its lower end it is
provided with a pin which enters a slot in the lower end of a lever which passes
up through the standard that carries the hollow arm, the standard being made
bollow for this purpose; the upper end of the lever is acted on by a cam on the
axis which passes through the hollow arm, and is by it caused to move to and,
fro, this causes the rod jointed to its lower end also to be moved to and fro, and
thus gives an alternate partial rotary motion to the wheel which gears with the
whcel on the hollow axis; the hollow axis is thus also caused partially to revolve.
The upper end of the lever that is acted on by the cam is made of a forked
shape, the prongs of which come one on one side of the cam and the other on
the other, and the cam is formed by inclines or projections fixed or formed on
opposite sides of a disc that is fixed on the axis, the inclines on the opposite sides
of the disc being so formed that the cam is in all its parts of the same width, so
that both the prongs always rest against its sides.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Keats and William Stephens Clark in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 14th October 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, Joun
KEATS and WILLIAM STEPHENS CLARK, of Street, in the County of Somerset,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of April in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said John Keats and William Stephens Clark, Iler special licence that
we, the said John Keats and William Stephens Clark, our executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Keats and William
Stephens Clark, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "Ix-
PROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said John Keats and William Stepheus Clark, our executors or admi-

page_text: nistrators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and scals, or
under the hand and seal of one of us or them, should particularly describo
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 we, the said John Keats and William Stephens Clark,
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 for its object improvements in sewing machines, and
relates to that description of sewing machines in which two threads are
employed, a loop from one of which is drawn up through the material being
sewn by means of a hook, and a shuttle containing the other thread is then
passed through the loop so drawn up.
The improvements also chiefly have reference to so constructing a sewing
machine that the machine may be worked with two waxed threads. For this
purpose the hook is carried at the bottom of a slide, which moves vertically to
and fro in guides carried on the end of an arm; this arm projects from a
standard carried by the bed plate of the machine. The arm is made hollow,
and through it an axis passes, from which motion is communicated to tho
different parts of the machine. Motion is communicated to the axis by a pulley
fixed upon its end, which passes out beyond that end of the hollow arm that is
fixed to the standard; the outer end of the hollow arm is made of a forked
shape, and the axis projects out between the forks, one of the forks being above
and the other below the axis. On the end of the axis that is between the forks
is a crank pin for giving motion to the slide that carries the hook, also a cam
for giving motion to the apparatus for. moving the material to be sewn, and
also an excentric for moving the shuttle. The crank pin gives motion to the
slide that carries the book by its working in a cam groove cut in a piece,
attached to the slide, the pin having by preference a roller upon it to reduce
the friction. The cam gives motion to the stopper or instrument that gives
motion to the material being sewn in the following manner:-The stopper is
composed of a plate notched on its under side; this plate is pin-jointed to one
end of a rod, the other end of which is pin-jointed to the lower end of a slide
that can be moved vertically to and fro between guides carried by the forks at
the end of the hollow arm, the rod being retained at an angle to the slide, the
slide is constantly pressed upwards by a spring, but when the notched plate
is to be pressed on the material being sewn, the slide is forced down by its.

page_text: upper end being acted on by one arm of a lever, the other arm being acted on
by the upper end of a rod, the lower end of which is acted on by the cam; as
the slide is forced downwards, the notched plate will be pushed forward, as it
is prevented from descending by the material that is being sewn and by the
table that it rests upon, and as the slide moves forward it will push forward
the material with it; the notched plate is kept pressed down on the material
being sewn by a spring carried by the lower end of the slide.
In place of employing a notched plate at the bottom of the rod that is
jointed to the slide, the end of the rod may be made fork-shaped, the fork
being used to push forward the material. The table that the material rests
upon is composed of a small plate that is carried by an inclined support from
the bed plate of the machine, the plate being at a distance above it. In order
that the notched plate may be enabled to move the material being sewn in
different directions, the slide which carries it is composed of a circular rod, so
that by turning the rod partly round, the notched plate can be made to point
in different directions, and the slide can be retained in any of its positions by
means of a set screw. In order that the distance may be varied that the
notched plate is caused at each of its movements to push the material forward,
the length of the rod that is acted on by the cam can be varied. The
arrangement above described for giving motion to the fabric is applicable to
other sewing machines than the the one herein described.
Motion is transmitted from the excentric to the arm that moves the shuttle
in the following manner:-The excentric works between two projections on a
slide that is capable of moving vertically to and fro in guides carried by the
forks of tho hollow arm; the upper end of this slide is connected to one arm
of a bell-crank lever which turns on a pin above the upper fork; the other
arm of the bell crank descends downwards, and at its lower end is pin-jointed
to the arm that moves the shuttle. The shuttle is moved to and fro above the
plate which supports the material being sewn, and is formed with a dovetailed
recess along its back, so that the shuttle may be supported by and moved to
and fro along a dovetailed projection; this dovetailed projection is carried by
a curved plate that fits the back of the shuttle. At the back of the shuttle a
groove is also formed which commences at its nose or point, and which proceeds
along the back until it enters the dovetailed recess; through a hole in the
dovetailed projection a spring projects; the point of this spring is on a line
with the nose of the shuttle, and it enters the groove in its back; the end of
the spring is also close to the hook, so that when the hook has drawn up a
oop of the under thread through the material being sewn, and the shuttle com-
mences to pass through the loop, the point of the spring shall stop the loop

page_text: being drawn forward by the shuttle, the point of the spring entering the
groove at the back of the shuttle, and the spring being pressed back by the
shuttle as the shuttle moves past it.
In order to ensure that the point of the shuttle shall enter the loop drawn
up by the hook, the slide that carries the hook is formed at its lower end with
a small incline upon it, which just before the slide completes its upward
motion acts on a small blade or instrument, and causes its lower end to enter
into and expand the loop, the bottom of the blade coming just above the top
of the shuttle, so that the shuttle can be moved to and fro below it.
As soon
as the point of the shuttle has entered the loop the blade is drawn back by a
spring; or, in place of this arrangement, the blade may be pressed forward at
the proper time by a spring, and be drawn back by the slide that carries the
hook. In order that the lower thread may be laid on to the hook when it has
descended through the material being sewn, the hook is caused to pass down
through a hollow axis, on the exterior of which is a toothed wheel; this wheel
is immediately below the small table or surface upon which the material rests;
the lower thread is led through a hole in this wheel, and also through a small
eye carried by it on its under side. When the hook has descended down
through the hollow axis, the axis is caused to revolve, and the thread is thus
lapped around the hook. The axis is caused to revolve in the following
manner: With the toothed wheel on the hollow axis a toothed wheel of
larger diameter gears; on this larger toothed wheel is a crank pin, to which
one end of a rod is jointed; this rod passes down along the side of the inclined
support that carries the plate or table upon which the material being sewn
rests, and the rod passes down through the bed plate of the machine, and at
its lower end it is provided with a pin which enters a slot in the lower end of
a lever which passes up through the standard that carries the hollow arm, the
standard being made. hollow for this purpose; the upper end of this lever is
acted on by a cam on the axis which passes through the hollow arm, and is by
it caused to move to and fro; this causes the rod jointed to its lower end also
to be moved to and fro, and thus gives an alternate partial rotary motion to
the wheel which gears with the wheel on the hollow axis; the hollow axis is
thus also caused partially to revolve. The upper end of the lever that is
acted on by the cam is made of a forked shape, the prongs of which come one
on one side of the cam and the other on the other, and the cam is formed by
inclines or projections fixed or formed on opposite sides of a disc that is fixed
on the axis, the inclines on the opposite sides of the disc being so formed that
the cam is in all its parts of the same width, so that both the prongs always
rest against its sides.

page_text: Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, we will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
In the accompanying Drawings, Figure I. represents our machine in side
elevation; Figure II. is a longitudinal sectional elevation, taken in the line
1, 2, Figure IV.; Figure III. is a plan view of the front and back ends of
the machine; and Figuro IV. is a view of the front.
A, A, is the base of the machine supporting the arm B, B, B, B, the upper
portion of which carries the shaft C, C, from which the motive power is com-
municated to the cam D, the excentric wheels E and F of the dial G. The
vertical hook i is attached to a sliding bar I, I, which moves up and down in
a guide box on the front of the upper portion of arm B, being operated by
means of a bowl h on the stud II, which bowl works in a slot cut in a
plate R attached to the needle slide I, I. When therefore rotary motion is
imparted to the shaft C, the consequent rotation of the dial G will cause the
bowl h to give an up-and-down motion to the needle bar I, I, and with it to
tho book i. At the same time the excentric F rotating between the forks f, f,
will impart a perpendicular motion to the slide M, M. Near the top of the
slide M, M, is fixed a stud and bowl n, which work in a curved slot near the
end of the lever N, N, causing it to rock on the fulcrum n, and thus give to
the shuttle driver O, with which it is connected by the stud o, the motion
required to drive the shuttle U backwards and forwards in the race V. At
the same time the excentric E in the course of its rotation comes in contact
with the rod P, and through it raises one end of the lever Q, which by rocking
on the fulcrum q causes tho other end to force down the rod R, R. The
rod R, R, is connected by a knee joint r with a second rod S, at the lower
end of which is the serrated plate s connected with it by a hinge joint. The
serrated plate is held in its position on the arm B by a spiral spring on
rod T, which rod T is fixed to bar S by the pin t at such an angle that an
upward pull of the hook i through any material placed in the serrated plate s
will not move the bar S from its normal position. From this arrangement it
follows that when the rod R, R, is depressed in the way described above, the
motion is communicated by the rod S to the serrated plate s, thus pushing (or
pulling) forward any material placed between it and the arm B in any anglo
at the will of the operator, as herein-after described. When the rotation of
the excentric E relieves the pressure on rod R, R, the spring on rod T
causes the serrated plate s to return to its normal position. The rod R, R, is
of cylindrical form from 3 to 4, and thus moves freely in the bearings 5, 5,

page_text: unless fixed to feed in the required direction by tightening the screw 6 which
passes through block 7. The block 7 is arranged to slide in a slot cut in tho
plate at the front of the needle box. It will be seen that the direction in
which the work is propelled will depend upon tho adjustment of block 7.
The length of the stitch is regulated by the screw 8 at the top of the rod R, R,
that is held in its place by the small screw 9. The cam D in the course of its
rotation gives a rocking motion to the rod W, W, that works on the fulcrum w.
This motion is communicated by the horizontal rod X, X, which passes
through the lower portion of arm B to a cog wheel Y, thus giving the
required rotation to a smaller cog wheel y. The cog wheel y is provided
with a guide I to supply the under thread to the hook i, which descends
through the centro of the cog wheel y. At one end of the cam D is an
excentric d, that in a portion of its revolution raises the slide 10, forcing it
against the bottom of tlic reel 11, on which the under thread is wound. The
lower end of lever N, as shown in Figure I., forces down the long end of
Jever 3, thus raising its shorter end, which holds back the spreader Z in the
position shewn in Figure IV., until the shuttle has passed freely over it.
Having thus described the principal parts actuated by the main shaft of the
machine, we now proceed to state in what manner the stitch is formed.
Supposing the material to be fixed in the position to be sewed on the
arm B under the serrated plate s, by the rotation of the shaft C the hook i
will be forced through it to the required depth through the centre of the cog
wheel y. At this time the propeller S, s, is released by the rotation of the
excentric E, and recovers its normal position, as described above. As the
book ascends, tho under thread is laid in it by the rotation of the cog wheel y,
actuated as before described by cam D, and the excentric d forces the slide
and presses 10 against the bobbin 11, thus enabling the hook to pull the
thread released, as herein-after described, from the heel of the shuttle U, and
so over the thread supplied by the shuttle, forming a lock stitch in the centro
of the material. Before the hook i has reached its highest point, the shuttle
driver O has carried the shuttlo U to the end of the race V, and the excentric d
in its rotation has released the slide 10 from its pressure against the bobbin 11,
and a projection 12 at the back of the needle slide I, I, by knocking against
the upper portion of the loop former 13, forces its lower end under the point
of hook i, thus dividing the threads which it bas .brought up through tho
material. At this time the point of the shuttle begins to enter between the
divided threads, the hook makes a slight descent, and then rests awhile,
relieving the strain on the thread, which, as the shuttle proceeds, is caught by
the spreader Z fitting in the groove at the back of the shuttle in the position

page_text: described above. The hook now continues its descent, and at the same time
the propeller moves the material. The thread is released from the book, and
held in its position over the shuttle by the spreader Z until the shuttle bas
reached its furthest point. During the next ascent of the needle it is pulled
tight over the shuttle thread, as before described, thus forming with two wax
threads the ordinary shuttle or lock stitch.
Having now set forth the nature of our improvements in wax thread
sewing machinery, and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
we wish it to be understood that, under the above in part recited Letters
Patent, we claim,―
1st, the combination of apparatus above described.
2nd, the employing a shuttle in a sewing machine to work in combination
with a hook, for the purpose of producing a lock stitch with two threads.
3rd, the placing the shuttle and shuttle race of sewing machines above the
table or surface on which the material to be sewed rests.
4th, the arrangement of apparatus herein described for operating a hook, a
shuttle, and a feeder from excentrics in one needle box, as above described.
5th, the arrangement of apparatus herein described for dividing the loop
of thread that is drawn up by the hook, and for spreading the loop over
the shuttle.
6th, the arrangement of apparatus herein described for supplying the
thread to the hook.
7th, the arrangement of apparatus herein described for shortening or
lengthening the stitch, and for feeding the work at any angle, in the manner
above described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Keats and William Stephens
Clark, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Ninth day of
October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-three.
In the presence of,
THOMAS BEAVEN CLARK,
Accountant,
Street.
JOHN KEATS.
(L.S.)
WILLIAM STEPHENS CLARK. (L.s.)