IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Kenworthy Dutton, of Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Consulting Engineer, and John Holme
and Henry Holme, of the same Place, Merchants, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Kenworthy
Dutton, John Holme, and Henry Holme, at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 13th March
1868.
We, EDWARD KENWORTHY DUTTON, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Consulting Engineer, and JOHN HOLME and HENRY HOLME,
both of the same Place, Merchants, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates, in the first place, to sewing machines adapted
to be worked by the hand, but the improvements or a part of them
are also applicable to sewing machines otherwise actuated.

page_text: In sewing machines of the class now well known as lock-stitch
machines, and arranged in accordance with our improvements, a shaft
is fitted to revolve in bearings underneath the bed plate of the machine
and is driven by a band, friction wheel, spur wheel, or otherwise. At the
upper part of the machine a rocking shaft is fitted in bearings, the
shaft deriving its motion from the above-mentioned revolving shaft
by means of a connecting rod worked by an excentric or crank, the
said rocking shaft actuating the needle bar through a lever or crank
and connecting rod or link, the said lever or crank being so adjusted
that as the shaft rocks the joint of the said crank and connecting
rod pass a centre line drawn through the rocking shaft, and the
connection between the connecting rod and the needle bar, the
result being that the needle is caused to pierce the material being
sewn, to rise a short distance to form the loop, to descend again, and
then to rise out of the material, the movement of the said needle
when near its lowest position being sufficiently slow to admit of the
shuttle being passed through the loop. The frame carrying the needle
bar is caused to swivel when desired, so as to bring the needle into
a position to be readily threaded or adjusted. The shuttle is driven
by a sliding carrier actuated by a vertical rocking lever, the said lever
being actuated by a crank on the end of the revolving shaft. In
the case of sewing machines intended to make the chain stitch, or
the stitch known as the Grover and Baker stitch, the revolving shaft
from which the motions of the various parts are derived is placed at
the top of the machine, and is driven by a band or by spur gearing,
or by means of frictional contact with the driving wheel, in which
latter case we employ an adjustable elastic friction pinion to receive
the motion from the driving wheel, the said elastic pinion being
formed of a disc or cylinder of caoutchouc or other material which
will act in a like manner placed between two discs of metal or other
material, so that when the two discs are brought closer together the
diameter of the pinion is increased, or the pinion may be formed of
two discs of wood, metal, or other suitable material pressed from or
towards each other according as a grooved or plain driving wheel is
employed. The said revolving shaft gives motion to the needle bar by
means of a crank and connecting link, and also to a rocking shaft
situated underneath the bed plate of the machine, by means of a crank
or excentric and a connecting rod, the lower end of the said rod being
connected to a radius link and to a pin or block sliding in a slotted

page_text: lever fixed to the rocking shaft. On the end of the said rocking shaft
and under the needle a looper is hinged, the lower end of the said
looper working in an inclined guide, so that as the looper draws out
the loop it at the same time moves the loop sideways to allow the
needle to enter the loop at the next stroke. The fabric is fed to the
needle by a lever, the lower end of which is pressed upon the said
fabric by a spring, the upper end of the said lever being acted upon
by a cam or excentric on the revolving shaft to obtain the necessary
motions for feeding and for being lifted from the fabric, the fulcrum
of the said lever being adjustable for the purpose of varying the
length of stitch. We prefer to place the rocking shaft or the
revolving shaft which actuates the needle bar above the said needle
bar, thereby obtaining a greater space under the framing than is usual.
Another portion of our improvements is designed for the purpose
of allowing a lock stitch machine to be turned in either direction,
and so as either to continue to feed in the same direction or to
reverse the direction of the feed. To this end the crank or other
equivalent employed to actuate the shuttle driver is loose upon the
revolving shaft, the said shaft revolving a portion of a circle when
reversed without moving the shuttle, whereby the proper relative "times"
of the shuttle and needle are maintained. When it is desired to reverse
the feed when the driving shaft is reversed we employ a vibrating
feeding lever worked by an excentric on the revolving shaft and rocking
on a pin which is capable of being raised or lowered in a slot in the
lever to vary the length of stitch, the said pin being by preferance
fixed to a lever which may be adjusted as desired and fixed with a
screw or bolt, the said lever being marked with lines or figures or
in any other suitable manner if desired to enable the feeder to be
readily adjusted. In sewing machines constructed to operate upon
heavy or comparatively heavy materials, we sometimes employ a positive
feed motion of the following description:-A crank or excentric on a
revolving shaft works in a slot in a rocking lever, and from another
portion of the same lever a rod or other connection is taken to the
feeding plate, the said plate working on a lever or other equivalent
which is raised by a cam at the commencement of the feed. The
point of connection of the feeding plate with the vibrating lever is
capable of adjustment either nearer to or farther from the centre of
motion of the lever, thereby altering the length of stitch. To assist

page_text: the feeding plate to carry forward the material we joint the presser
foot or the bar to which it is attached to a lever which is acted upon
by a spring so as to press the foot upon the fabric, or the spring may
act directly upon the presser. The joint or point of connection with
the said lever overhangs the line of pressure of the foot on the side
at which the fabric enters, so that there is a tendency in the presser
foot to move forward with the fabric. A cam or bowl on the upper
vibrating shaft acts upon the opposite end of the above-mentioned lever
in order to raise the presser from the fabric, the said presser making
its return movement by its own gravity assisted if required by a spring.
A further portion of our improvements consists in making the portion
of a sewing machine which draws the stitch tight adjustable, so as to
be able to vary the time at which the stitch is drawn tight as compared
with the time at which the needle arrives at its highest point. In
the case of sewing machines the shuttles of which are carried in a
cradle, we support the shuttle in the said cradle on a spring or on
springs; the said cradle may be attached to or formed on the end of
a slotted lever, a crank pin working in the said slot to actuate the
shuttle. In this arrangement we cause the stitch to be tightened before
the needle arrives at its highest point.
The last portion of our improvements consists in letting off the
top thread by a positive motion, a sufficient length of thread to form
one stitch being let off at each stroke of the needle. In one arrange-
ment the thread is held by a wheel which has a slow revolving motion
imparted to it, the speed being regulated by sliding a friction pinion
nearer to or farther from the centre of a disc which the said pinion.
drives, the motion of the disc being communicated to the above-
mentioned thread wheel. The lever or other equivalent employed to
shift the friction pinion may be connected to the lever or other
equivalent employed to change the length of stitch, so that the delivery
of the thread and the length of stitch are adjusted simultaneously.
We wish it to be understood that the various improvements herein
mentioned may be combined in various manners to suit varying require-
ments, and may be combined with other and ordinary portions of sewing
machines.

page_text: SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Edward
Kenworthy Dutton, John Holme, and Henry Holme in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 18th September 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDWARD
KENWORTHY DUTTON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Consulting Engineer, and JOHN HOLME and HENRY HOLME, both of
the same Place, Merchants, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Edward Kenworthy Dutton, and John
Holme, and Henry Holme, Her special license that we, the said Edward
Kenworthy Dutton, and John Holme, and Henry Holme, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Edward
Kenworthy Dutton, and John Holme, and Henry Holme, our exe-
cutors, 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, usc, 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," upon the condition, amongst others, that we, the
said Edward Kenworthy Dutton, and John Holme, and Henry Holme,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our,
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 on or before the Eightteenth day of September One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Edward Kenworthy Dutton and
John Holme, 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 and accompanying
Drawings, that is to say :-
Our Invention relates, in the first place, to sewing machines adapted

page_text: to be worked by the hand, but the improvements or a part of them are
also applicable to sewing machines otherwise actuated.
In sewing machines of the class now well known as lock-stitch
machines, and arranged in accordance with our improvements, a shaft
is fitted to revolve in bearings underneath the bed plate of the machine,
and is driven by a band, friction wheel, spur wheel, or otherwise.
At the upper part of the machine a rocking shaft is fitted in bearings,
the shaft deriving its motion from the above-mentioned revolving
shaft by means of a connecting rod worked by an excentric or crank,
the said rocking shaft actuating the needle bar through a lever or
crank and connecting rod or link, the said lever or crank being so
adjusted that as the shaft rocks the joint of the said crank and con-
necting rod pass a centre line drawn through the rocking shaft and the
connection between the connecting rod and the needle bar, the result
being that the needle is caused to peirce the material being sewn, to
rise a short distance to form the loop, to descend again, and then to rise
out of the material, the movement of the said needle when near its
lowest position being sufficiently slow to admit of the shuttle being
passed through the loop. The frame carrying the needle har is caused
to swivel when desired, so as to bring the needle into a position to
be readily threaded or adjusted. The shuttle is driven by a sliding
carrier actuated by a vertical rocking lever, the said lever being
actuated by a crank on the end of the revolving shaft. In the case of
sewing machines intended to make the chain stitch or the stitch
known as the "Grover and Baker" stitch, the revolving shaft from
which the motions of the various parts are derived is placed at the
top of the machine, and is driven by a band or by spur gearing, or
by means of frictional contact with the driving wheel, in which
latter case we employ an adjustable elastic friction pinion to receive
the motion from the driving wheel, the said elastic pinion being
formed of a disc or cylinder of caoutchouc or other material which
will act in a like manner placed between two discs of metal or other
material, so that when the two discs are brought close together the
diameter of the pinion is increased, or the pinion may be formed of two
discs of wood, metal, or other suitable material pressed from or
towards each other, according as a grooved or plain driving wheel
is employed. The said revolving shaft gives motion to the needle
bar by means of a crank and connecting link and also to a rocking

page_text: shaft situated underneath the bed plate of the machine by means of a
crank or excentric and a connecting rod, the lower end of the said
rod being connected to a radius link and to a pin or block sliding in
a slotted lever fixed to the rocking shaft. On the end of the said
rocking shaft and under the needle a looper is hinged, the lower
end of the said looper working in an inclined guide, so that as the
looper draws out the loop it at the same time moves the loop sideways
to allow the needle to enter the loop at the next stroke. The fabric
is fed to the needle by a lever, the lower end of which is pressed
upon the said fabric by a spring, the upper end of the said lever
being acted upon by a cam or excentric on the revolving shaft
to obtain the necessary motions for feeding and for being lifted from
the fabric, the fulcrum of the said lever being adjustable for the
purpose of varying the length of stitch. We prefer to place the
rocking shaft or the revolving shaft which actuates the needle bar
above the said needle bar, thereby obtaining a greater space under the
framing than is usual.
Another portion of our improvements is designed for the purpose
of allowing a lock-stitch machine to be turned in either direction,
and so
as either to continue to feed in the same direction or to
reverse the direction of the feed. To this end the crank or other
equivalent employed to actuate the shuttle driver is loose upon the
revolving shaft, the said shaft revolving a portion of a circle when
reversed without moving the shuttle, whereby the proper relative "times "
of the shuttle and needle are maintained. When it is desired to
reverse the feed, when the driving shaft is reversed, we employ a
vibrating feeding lever worked by an excentric on the revolving
shaft and rocking on a pin which is capable of being raised or lowered
in a slot in the lever to vary the length of stitch, the said pin being
by preference fixed to a lever which may be adjusted as desired and
fixed with a screw or bolt, the said lever being marked with lines
or figures or in any other suitable manner if desired to enable the
feeder to be readily adjusted. In sewing machines constructed to
operate upon heavy or comparatively heavy materials we sometimes
employ a positive feed motion of the following description:-A crank
or excentric on a revolving shaft works in a slot in a rocking
lever, and from another portion of the same lever a rod or other
connection is taken to the feeding plate, the said plate working
on a lever or other equivalent which is raised by a cam at the com-

page_text: mencement of the feed. The point of connection of the feeding
plate with the vibrating lever is capable of adjustment either nearer
to or farther from the centre of motion of the lever, thereby altering
the length of stitch. To assist the feeding plate to carry forward
the material we joint the presser foot or the bar to which it is
attached to a lever, which is acted upon by a spring so as to press
the foot upon the fabric, or the spring may act directly upon the
presser. The joint or point of connection with the said lever overhangs
the line of pressure of the foot on the side at which the fabric enters,
so that there is a tendency in the presser foot to move forward with
the fabric. A cam or bowl on the upper vibrating shaft acts upon the
opposite end of the above-mentioned lever in order to raise the presser
from the fabric, or other means may be employed in lieu thereof, the
said presser making its return movement by its own gravity, assisted,
if required, by a spring.
A further portion of our improvements consists in making the
portion of a sewing machine which draws the stitch tight adjustable,
so as to be able to vary the time at which the stitch is drawn tight
as compared with the time at which the needle arrives at its highest
point. In the case of sewing machines, the shuttles of which
are carried in a cradle, we support the shuttle in the said cradle
on a spring or on springs. The said cradle may be attached to
or formed on the end of a slotted lever, a crank pin working in
the said slot to actuate the shuttle. In this arrangement we cause
the stitch to be tightened before the needle arrives at its highest
point.
The last portion of our improvements consists in letting off the top
thread by a positive motion, a sufficient length of thread to form one
stitch being let off at each stroke of the needle. In one arrangement
the thread is held by a wheel which has a slow revolving motion
imparted to it, the speed being regulated by sliding a friction pinion
nearer to or farther from the centre of a disc which the said pinion
drives, the motion of the disc being communicated to the above-
mentioned thread wheel. The lever or other equivalent employed
to shift the friction pinion may be connected to the lever or other
equivalent employed to change the length of stitch, so that the
delivery of the thread and the length of stitch are adjusted
simultaneously.

page_text: We wish it to be understood that the various improvements herein
mentioned may be combined in various manners to suit varying
requirements, and may be combined with other and ordinary portions
of sewing machines.
In order that the said Invention may be fully understood we have
annexed to this Specification two Sheets of Drawings having letters of
reference marked thereupon, the same letters indicating corresponding
parts in the various Figures.
Referring here to Sheet 1 of the said Drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view,
Fig. 2 a front view, and Fig. 3 a plan of a lock-stitch sewing machine
constructed according to our Invention.
Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are detached views of portions of the said
machine or of modifications thereof, the Figures above named being
drawn to a scale of about two-thirds of the full size.
Fig. 9 is a Diagram illustrating the action of the parts giving motion
to the needle of the machine, shewn at Figures 1 to 3.
Fig. 10 is a side view of a portion of an ordinary sewing machine
representing our improved method of letting off the top thread, Fig. 11
being a side view, and Fig. 12 a plan of a similar method applicable to
machines of the class represented by Fig. 1; and Fig. 13 represents our
method of supporting the shuttle on springs when the said shuttle rests
in a cradle.
In Figs. 1 to 9, or in a portion of them, a is the main driving shaft
revolving in bearings cast on the under side of the bed plate b, the said
shaft being actuated by the band c and the hand wheel c¹. To one end
of the said shaft is fixed the crank d which actuates the shuttle, and to
the opposite end the crank e which imparts a rocking motion to the
shaft by means of the connecting rod e¹, the said rocking shaf f
actuating the needle bar g by means of the crank g¹ and the connecting
rod g. As the joint of the crank and the connecting rod oscillates
between the points 1 and 2 in Fig. 9 the needle is caused to descend
and to penetrate the cloth, and as the said joint continues to move past
the vertical centre line to the point 3 the needle is raised sufficiently
to form the loop and the shuttle will commence to enter the said loop.
On the direction of motion of the crank g' being reversed the needle
descends and rises again, and as the aforesaid joint is crossing the dead
centre during the time the shuttle is passing through the loop the

page_text: motion of the needle is not sufficient to interfere with the passage of
the shuttle. The needle slide h can be swivelled on a screw or stud into
the position shewn by the dotted lines at Fig. 8 in order to obtain more
ready access to the needle, the centre of the said screw or stud being by
preference coincident with the joint of the crank g' and the connecting
rod gwhen the needle bar is at its highest point. When the said needle
slide is in a vertical position, as when the machine is at work, it is
fastened by the catch 4 in Figs. 1 and 3.
The feed motion and the shuttle motion being of an ordinary
description in the machine represented by Figs. 1 and 2 it is not
necessary to describe them here.
Fig. 4 shews an arrangement for actuating the above-described machne
by the foot. The crank is fitted with a ring of caoutchouc which
is in contact with the wheel 5 actuated by the foot in the ordinary
manner.
Figs. 5, 6, and 7 illustrate the arrangement by the use of which we
are enabled to reverse the direction of motion of the driving shaft
of a lock-stitch machine without interfering with the action of the said
machine. In the said Figs. a is the driving shaft, he is a crank fast
thereon, and d is the crank actuating the shuttle carrier, which said
crank is loose upon the shaft, being driven in either direction by a
projection on the crank h² which comes into contact with a projection
on the crank d. The said stops are so adjusted as that when the direction
of motion of the shaft a is reversed the crank d will remain stationery
until the needle has arrived at such a point in its stroke as that the said
needle and the shuttle shall be in their proper relative positions to act
together, at which time the stop on h2 comes into contact with the
crank d and causes it to rotate.
In order that the cloth may continue to be fed forwards when using
a feed worked by two cams, one of which lifts the feed plate and the
other gives the horizontal motion, we make the lifting cam fast upon
the shaft and the feeding cam loose, so as to allow the shaft to be turned
about one-half a revolution without moving the said cam when the said
shaft is reversed, stops being employed to limit the amount of freedom
of the cam similarily as in the case of the shuttle motion. This arrange-
ment is shewn at Figs. 5 and 7, where 6 is the lifting cam, 7 is the
feeding cam, and 8 is a collar provided with a stop to drive the said
cam 7. In Fig. 10 i is a wheel or pulley around which the thread (shewn

page_text: by red lines) is passed as many times as will give a firm hold to the
said thread, the said wheel i being caused to rotate when the machine
is at work by means of the worm k and wheel k³, the said worm k being
formed on or attached to the shaft which has a face plate z at its lower
end, to which motion is imparted by the friction pinion 1, so that during
the time the machine is sewing the wheel i revolves and delivers or feeds
a regulated quantity of thread to the needle, the regulation being effected
by sliding the pinion nearer to or farther from the centre of the
wheel i. In Figs. 11 and 12 f is the rocking shaft in Fig. 1, and m is a
swivelling plate provided with an ordinary friction tension m¹ and an
arrangement m³ to grip the thread in order to prevent any backward
movement thereof. The rooking shaft carries a finger f which at every
oscillation comes into contact with the thread and draws off a portion
thereof from the bobbin, the quantity so drawn off being regulated by
swivelling the plate m in either direction as required. In Fig. 13 n is
a lever rocking on the stud n³ and actuated by the crank d² fixed on a
revolving shaft, the pin in the end of the said crank or a block thereon
sliding in a slot in the said lever n, the shuttle being supported upon
the springs g, g, in a cradle formed on the upper end of the lever n, the
said springs yielding to some extent to allow the thread to pass. This
arrangement of springs is applicable to the support of shuttles in
cradles otherwise actuated than as shewn in the attached Drawings.
Referring here to Sheet 2, Fig. 14 is a side elevation, partly in section,
and Fig. 15 a front elevation, also partly in section, representing a lock-
stitch sewing machine adapted for heavier work than those illustrated
in Sheet 1, and arranged to sew two seams at one operation when
required, the two views being drawn about one-third of the full size.
Figs. 16 and 17 are detached views of portions of the said machine not
fully shewn in the above-mentioned Figures. Fig. 18 represents the
"feed" we employ in connection with arrangements for driving the
shuttle described when referring to Figs. 5 and 6 in Sheet 1, when the
said "feed" is required to move the material in opposite directions
when the driving shaft is reversed.
Fig. 19 is a side elevation and Fig. 20 a front elevation of a sewing
machine intended to make the ordinary chain stitch; Fig. 21 being a
detached plan of a portion thereof; Fig. 22 is an elevation of a portion
of the same machine as represented at Fig. 18, but having a hooked

page_text: thereof.
In Figs. 14 and 15 a is the main driving shaft fitted with fast and
loose pullies in order that the machine may be actuated by steam power;
e is a crank formed on the said shaft and actuating the rocking shaft f
by means of the connecting rod e¹, the rocking shaft giving motion to
the needle bar g by means of the crank g¹ and the connecting link g³ in
manner similar to the machine shown at Fig. 1 in Sheet 1, the rocking
shaft being situated at one side of the vertical line drawn through
the needle bar instead of on the said line, as in the example shewn in
Sheet 1. The vertical rocking levers o, o, are actuated by the crank p
on the end of the shaft a by means of the connecting link p³, the upper
ends of the said levers o, o, being connected to the shuttle carriers, so
as to impart the necessary motion to the shuttles. The presser foot q
is jointed to the lower end of the bar q³, the upper end of which swivels
on a stud q' fixed in the lever 1, the stud q³ overhanging the presser
foot, so that when pressed down the said presser foot has a tendency to
move in the direction in which the material is fed. The lever r is fixed
on the shaft, at the opposite end of which is fixed the lever, to
which is jointed the connecting rod 8, the lower end of which is con-
nected to the bell crank s¹, shewn more clearly in Fig. 16, which said
bell crank carries a bowl &, which is acted upon at intervals by the
camt fixed on the main shaft. As the main shaft revolves the cam in
its rotation acts on the bell crank at the proper time, so as to cause the
shaft to rock, and thereby to lift the presser foot off the material in
order that it may make the necessary movement backwards, as will be
well understood. The downward pressure is imparted to the presser foot
by a spiral spring on the shaft r, or by other suitable or ordinary means.
The feeding is effected positively by the arrangement working under the
shuttle races, in which u is a lever rotating on the centre 10, and
having a slot or groove formed on one side in which a block slides, the
said block being mounted on the end of the crank pin in the crank p,
so that as the said crank revolves the lever u is caused to rotate, but as
the centre of rotation of u is not coincident with that of the crank p,
the said lever u performs one-half of a revolution in this example in
about one-half of the time required to perform the remaining half, as
shewn at Fig. 17. The lever u is fitted or formed on a short shaft
revolving in a bearing 2, the said short shaft having at the opposite end

page_text: to the lever u an excentric or crank u³, which imparts a to-and-fro
motion to the lever by means of the connecting link 11, the upper end
of the lever carrying the feed plate or being formed with a feeding
surface thereupon; the said lever being mounted on the lever v',
which works on the fulcrum v2, and carries an antifriction bowl ' at
the opposite end, the said antifriction bowl being operated upon by a
cam formed on the excentric us in order to lift the feed plate at the
proper time. The action of the above-described arrangement is such
as that although the motion of the feed plate is continuouos, the motion
forwards to feed the material to the needle or needles is effected in
about one-half of the time occupied by the backward movement.
The stitches are drawn tight by the small lever g³ hinged to the
crank g. The said lever g³ is shewn in position as when the stitches
are drawn tight, the needles being in their highest positions, but as
the needles descend the caoutchouc spring 12 pulls back the lever g³,
and thus keeps the threads tight until the needles have entered the
material.
As the "tension" may be of an ordinary description, or as shewn at
Fig. 10 or 11 in Sheet 1, it is not shewn in the machine just described.
Although the said machine is represented as adapted for two shuttles,
the same arrangements or modifications thereof may be employed in
machines having only one shuttle. In Figs. 19 and 20 a is a revolving
shaft driven by the hand wheel c acting upon the pinion c, the said
pinion consisting of two metal plates with a ring of caoutchouc inter-
posed, the diameter of the said pinion being increased when required
by turning the nut c³, whereby the caoutchouc is compressed, and
thereby caused to expand outwardly. The shaft a actuates the needle
bar g by means of the crank g¹ and the connecting link 9%, and the
rocking shaft wo by means of the excentric w¹ and the connecting rod w³.
The lower end of the connecting rod w² is jointed to the lever w³ fixed
or formed on the same short shaft as the lever or crank w, which carries
a pin working in a slot in the lever x fastened to the end of the shaft w;
or the said short shaft may be dispensed with, the lever to actuating
the slotted lever x direct. On the said shaft w is jointed the looper x¹,
the shank of which works in an inclined slot or groove in the curved
plate, shewn more clearly in the small detached figure drawn under-
neath the said hook, the object of the said inclined groove being to
cause the looper to draw the loop to one side, in order that the needle

page_text: may enter the said loop at the next descent of the needle. The action
of the crank w working in conjunction with the lever x is such that
the speed of movement of the looper varies, being slow during the
first half of the descent of the needle and quick during the second
half of the said descent, in order that the looper may not throw off the
loop before the needle enters the said loop. The cloth is fed forwards
by the presser y, which oscillates on the point of the screw y' as a
fulcrum, actuated by a double cam situated hehind the crank g', one
portion of the cam lifting the presser and the other portion acting as
the feed cam, the length of stitch being regulated by the screw y¹.
When the said presser is lifted clear of the cloth or other material
being sewn by the above-mentioned cam the spring y³ causes the said
presser to move back until the lower part bears against an abutment
on the needle slide, the length of the stitch being regulated by turning
the screw y¹ in either direction. When the machine is intended to
make the stitch known as the "Grover and Baker" stitch, the form of the
looper x is slightly modified, as shewn in Figs. 21 and 22. The said
looper is in this case suitably formed to carry a second thread through
the loop of the upper thread. In order to make the action of this
looper more certain a finger z rocking on a stud z¹ moves in a contrary
direction to the looper, and coming into contact with the under thread
draws it to one side, as shewn in the Drawings, thus ensuring that the
needle shall descend on the right side of the said thread. The finger z
is represented as actuated by the rocking shaft by means of bevil teeth
on the said finger working into corresponding teeth in a bevel wheel,
or a portion of a bevel wheel fixed on the rocking shaft.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and methods
for carrying the same into practical effect, we will proceed to define
the extent of our said Invention, and therefore wish it to be understood
that we claim,-
First. Actuating the needle or needles by means of a rocking shaft,
crank, and connecting link, acting as herein described and illustrated
in the attached Drawings, or in manner similar thereto.
Secondly. Mounting the slide carrying the needle bar, so as to be
capable of being swivelled for the purposes herein set forth.
Thirdly. The adjustment of the thread take-up or tightener by means
of the screw 13 in Fig. 2, Sheet 1.

page_text: Fourthly. The arrangements shewn in Figs. 5 and 6 for permitting the
direction of motion of the machine to be reversed, or any modifications
thereof.
Fifthly. The arrangements for letting off or feeding the upper thread,
as illustrate in Sheet 1, or any mere modifications thereof.
Sixthly. Supporting the shuttle on springs when the said shuttle is
carried in a cradle.
Seventhly. The arrangement for driving the shuttles as represented
in Figs. 14 and 15.
Eighthly. The positive feed motion, as illustrated in Figs. 14 and 15,
or any mere modification thereof.
Ninethly. Suspending the presser from a fulcrum overhanging the
centre of the presser foot, in mannar substantially as herein set forth
and illustrated in Figs. 14 and 15.
Tenthly. The feed motion represented by Fig. 18, in so far as relates
to the application of the lever or quadrant carrying the shifting fulcrum.
Eleventhly. The arrangement for actuating the rocking shaft in the
chain stitch and "Grover and Baker" stitch machines, or any mere
modifications thereof.
Twelvthly. The method of imparting a compound motion to the
looper.
Thirteenthly. The top feed motion shewn in Fig. 20, or any mere
modification thereof.
And, lastly. The method of increasing the diameter of the friction
pinion when reduced by wear.
In witness whereof, we, the said Edward Kenworthy Dutton and
John Holme, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eleventh
day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-eight.
EDWARD KENWORTHY DUTTON. (L.S.).
JOHN HOLME.
(L.S.)