IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SEWING
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Alfred Cowper, of Great George Street,
Westminster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
SEWING."
Sealed the 5th February 1867, and dated the 13th August 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Alfred Cowper at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th August 1866.
I, EDWARD ALFRED COWPER, of Great George Street, Westminster, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR SEWING," to be as follows:-
A great want has long been felt for some machine to perform the operation
of darning apparel and other articles, or to supersede the process of darning
by hand, but to the present time no cheap, efficient, or handy machine has
been invented or used for the purpose.
Now my improvements relate to the formation of a new species of fabric
in spaces or holes, or thin places in textile fabrics which have become worn
and are usually repaired by darning, and to the working such new fabric into
such materials so as to mend the same, also to the strengthening or thick-
ening such parts of materials, whether old or new, as are most liable to
become worn into holes.
I provide in the first place a small frame somewhat larger than the place
to be worked over, and attach to it a thread or threads in parallel or nearly

page_text: parallel lines, or in sets of parallel or nearly parallel lines crossing each other;
The small frame being provided with small points or spikes around its outside
edge is then laid on to the material to be worked, which is next pulled out a
little all around the outside of the frame in a direction away from the frame,
and is then allowed to catch on the points or spikes so that they may hold it
slightly stretched out; it is then put into the sewing machine, which is con-
structed to form a chain or tambour stitch, but is different from ordinary
sewing machines in several important parts which are necessary to the putting
in practice this Invention and form parts of the same. As require the
sewing machine to change rapidly and with the greatest facility from sewing
in one direction to sewing in an opposite direction, I construct the machine
so that it is capable of sewing when the handle is turned either in one
direction or the other, and so that the direction in which the work is fed
is reversed simply by reversing the direction in which the handle is turned;
this I do by duplicating the hook and such parts as can only be made to act
when the machine is turned in one direction, and by bringing either one or
the other of such parts into or out of action by the simple movement of a
reversing handle, and as I find it advisable to cause the change without taking
the hand off the handle by which the machine is turned (though the hand
may be taken off if desired), I place the reversing handle immediately below
the handle by which the machine is turned, so that it can conveniently be
touched by the finger or hand when it is wished to turn the machine in the
opposite direction in order to reverse the direction of the sewing, and I cause
this same movement to lift the feeding instrument off the material for an
instant to allow of the material being shifted a little sideways for the next row
of stitches across the threads attached to the frame so as to secure them well to
the body of the material under operation. I form two hooks or a double hook
below the table for the purpose of catching the thread from a needle thrust
through the material from above, and I bring into use either one or other
of such hooks according to the direction in which it is required to sew,
each such hook being driven by a cam. The feeding instrument is formed
'with serrations in either direction, so that it may be capable of feeding the
material either forwards or backwards, and I find it best to form the ser-
'rations so as to take hold of the material beyond the needle rather than in
front of it, as the material is then pulled from the needle instead of being
pushed towards it. The cams or tappets for moving the feeding instrument are
arranged so as to act correctly when the machine is turned in either direction,
'or two cams are provided, one to act in each direction; the motion for feeding
with the instrument pressing on the material taking place when the needle is

page_text: at the top or near the top of its motion, and the motion of moving back with
the instrument off the material to take hold of more material taking place when
the needle is at the bottom or near the bottom of its motion. The reversing
lever or instrument may, if it is preferred, be made self-acting, that is to say,
the act of turning the machine in the contrary direction may be the means of
shifting the reversing parts; this is conveniently done by means of a spring
clipping a boss on the frame with a slight pressure, and caused to rotate
thereon by studs revolving with the axis; the clip is free to play a short
distance between the studs. Then, as will be seen when the direction in
which the machine is rotated is reversed, the clip will pass from one stud to
the other, and in so doing it moves a mechanical finger revolving with the
axis, and this finger performs the same office as the finger of the operator,
and shifts the reversing lever or instrument.*
Although I prefer, as above described, to arrange the machine in such
manner as to work when turned in either direction, and to reverse the
direction in which the work is fed when the direction in which the
machine is turned is changed, I sometimes arrange the machine in such
manner that whilst it turns constantly in one direction the direction in which
the work is fed may be changed by the same reversing lever which changes
the action of the hooks below the work; the reversing lever in this case, in
addition to its other duties, throwing one feed cam out of action and bringing
another into work.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Alfred Cowper in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 13th February 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
ALFRED COWPER, of Great George Street, Westminster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Iler Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Edward Alfred Cowper, Her special licence that I, the said Edward
Alfred Cowper, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Edward Alfred Cowper, 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

page_text: 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 MACHINERY FOR SEWING," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Edward Alfred Cowper, 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 Edward Alfred Cowper, 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 :-
A great want has long been felt for some machine to perform the operation
of darning apparel and other articles, or to supersede the process of darning by
hand, but to the present time no cheap, efficient, or handy machine has been
invented or used for the purpose.
Now my improvements relate to the formation of a new species of fabric in
'spaces or holes or thin places in textile fabrics which have become worn and
are usually repaired by darning, and to the working such new fabric into such
materials so as to mend the same, also to the strengthening or thickening
such parts of materials, whether old or new, as are most liable to become
worn into holes.
I provide in the first place a small frame, somewhat larger than the place
to be worked over, and attach to it a thread or threads in parallel or nearly
parallel lines, or in sets of parallel or nearly parallel lines crossing each other;
the small frame being provided with small points or spikes around its outside
'edge is then laid on to the material to be worked, which is next pulled out a
little all around the outside of the frame in a direction away from the frame,
and is then allowed to catch on the points or spikes so that they may hold it
slightly stretched out, it is then put into the sewing machine, which is con-
structed to form a chain or tambour stitch; but is different from ordinary
sewing machines in several important parts which are necessary to the putting
in practice this Invention and form parts of the same. As I require the
'sewing machine to change rapidly and with the greatest facility from sewing
in one direction to sewing in an opposite direction, I construct the machine so
'that it is capable of sewing when the handle is turned either in one direction
or the other, and so that the direction in which the work is fed is reversed

page_text: simply by reversing the direction in which the handle is turned; this I do by:
duplicating the hook and such parts as can only be made to act when the
machine is turned in one direction, and by bringing either one or the other of
such parts into or out of action by the simple movement of a reversing' handle,
and as I find it advisable to cause the change without taking the hand off the
handle by which the machine is turned (though the hand may be taken off
if desired) I place the reversing handle immediately below the handle by
which the machine is turned, so that it can conveniently be touched by the
finger or hand when it is wished to turn the machine in the opposite direction
in order to reverse the direction of the sewing, and I cause this same move-
ment to lift the feeding instrument off the material for an instant to allow of
the material being shifted a little sideways for the next row of stitches across
the threads attached to the frame so as to secure them well to the body of the
material under operation. I form two hooks or a double hook below the
table for the purpose of catching the thread from a needle thrust through the
material from above, and I bring into use either one or other of such hooks
according to the direction in which it is required to sew, each such hook being
driven by a cam. The feeding instrument is formed with serrations in either
direction so that it may be capable of feeding the material either forwards or
backwards, and I find it best to form the serrations so as to take hold of the
material beyond the needle rather than in front of it, as the material is then
pulled from the needle instead of being pushed towards it. The cams or
tappets for moving the feeding instrument are; arranged so as to act correctly
when the machine is turned in either direction, or two cams are provided, one
to act in each direction, the motion for feeding with the instrument pressing
on the material taking place when the needle is at the top or near the top of
its motion, and the motion of moving back with the instrument off the material
to take hold of more material taking place when the needle is at the bottom
or near the bottom of its motion.
:
Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of a machine constructed
according to my Invention; Figures 2 and 3 are end elevations of the same;
in Figure 3 the covering plate by which the parts are retained in their working
position is omitted; Figure 4 is a plan of the machine; and Figure 5 is a plan
of the base of the machine with the upper parts removed.
.:
a, a, is the frame of the machine; it is made in two parts held together by
the screws a¹, a¹; b is an axis carried by the frame, and having mounted on it
a fly wheel b', with a handle 6, by means of which the machine is turned.
On the further end of the axis b are cams b³, 6, and into the cam 6 the crank
pin 65 is fixed; c is the needle slide; it is capable of sliding up and down
i

page_text: freely in guide notches in the end of the frame, and as the axis b rotates it is
moved by the crank pin 6 which enters the transverse slot c¹ in the slide c;
the needle c³ is secured to the slide by the clamping screw ; d is the presser
by which the work is held down on to the platform or table formed for it on
the lower part of the frame, and from which also it receives its forward or feed
motion to cause the needle to penetrate the fabric in a fresh place at each
descent; the presser d is retained in a guide notch in the frame, and between
it and the cover plate e, in which notch it is able to move up and down and
laterally at right angles to the axis 6; its upper end, however, is retained
from lateral movement by the small covering plate a² fixed to the frame; d¹ is
a spiral spring fixed at one end to the presser d and at the other to the frame;
it tends constantly to pull the presser d inwards or towards the right hand;
d is another spiral spring similarly attached, and tending constantly to draw
the presser downwards. The cam 6 as it revolves acts upon the presser to
give it its lateral movement; the movement takes place at two points in the
rotation a semicircle apart; one, the effective movement, takes place when
the needle slide is up and the presser is bearing on the work, and the other,
which is the return or non-effective movement, takes place when the needle
is down, and the presser is lifted by the cam 68, which acts on the arm d³ upon
it. The foot d' at the lower end of the presser is serrated in both directions
so that it may move the work efficiently in either direction, for, as will be seen,
the effective movement of the presser will be either from right to left or from
left to right according to the direction in which the axis b is turned; d' is a
turn-button or stop at the top of the presser d; by turning up this button or
stop the foot d' can be held up off the work when desired. The cam 6 does
not remain constantly in contact with the presser d unless when the machine
is making the longest stitch of which the machine is capable, at other times
the presser is prevented from following up the cam by the adjustable screw d
upon it, which comes against the bottom of the guide notch in which the
presser works, and stops it sooner or later according to the length of stitch
required. The needle c* is supplied with darning cotton from a reel f, which
is slipped
on to a stud on the frame, and the tension is regulated by a lever g
which presses against the surface of the thread on the reel; the lever g is con-
nected with the frame by a screw g¹, on which it is able to turn freely; g³ is
an adjustable weight on the lever; by screwing it along the lever arm
towards or from the centre g¹ the tension of the thread passing to the needle
may be diminished or increased, and when once adjusted will remain practi
cally constant from the beginning to the end of the reel. In some cases I use
an india-rubber spring in place of the weight, in which case I fix to the frame

page_text: a wire to receive the spring, and along which it can be slid to vary the tension.
The cotton is led through the eye c* on the needle slide and thence to the eye
of the needle. The hooks to catch the needle thread on the under side of the
work are fixed upon the lever h, and they are marked h¹, h¹; this lever
is connected with the frame by a screw h², on which it is able to turn
and also to slide endways a short distance, the hole in the lever through
Near its hinder end the lever
which the pin passes being slotted.
is jointed to a link h³, which in turn is jointed to the frame, as is
clearly seen at Figure 1. The tail of the lever h is forked, and it
receives between its jaws another lever i, which for lightness is made of
thin sheet steel bent round, where it enters the fork; k is a reversing lever to
bring one or other of the hooks h' into action, according as the machine is to
be turned one way or the other; it is made of steel wire and turns in the
frame at its upper end, and its descending arm is flattened to give it stiffness
and flexibility in the directions required; it passes through the slots a³ in the
frame and catches in the notches at a³ therein; when it is brought opposite to
them these notches hold the lever with sufficient firmness, but it is readily
displaced by pressure on the end of the lever. The lever i turns on a centre
or axis at i¹, and at its upper end has two arms i, i, which are opposite the
cams m, m, on the axis b. The reversing lever k is linked by means of the
spiral spring with the lever i, so that when the reversing lever is moved. from
side to side it pulls the lever i after it until one of the arms i³ comes up to its
cam m which stops it, and as the axis revolves the spring 1 drawing the lever i
constantly towards the reversing lever keeps its arm i up to the cam, and so
a to-and-fro movement is given to the lever i and it communicates a governed
motion to the lever hand its hooks, such as to cause the hook, which is in
action, to pass, when the needle is down, between the needle and its thread
on the inner side or towards the centre of the machine so as to take a loop
upon it; this, in consequence of its form, and aided by the movement of the
work from the hook, opens and carries the loop forward so as to ensure the
needle sinking through it on its next descent, when the hook drops out of the
first loop and takes a second. It will be seen that when the reversing lever is
put over from side to side by carrying the lever i over it puts one cam m out
of work whilst the other is brought into work, and so also the motion given to
the lever h puts one hook h¹ out of motion and brings the other into work, at
the moment also that the reversing lever is put over an incline on its end-lifts
the presser d by acting upon the projection d' thereon; this allows of the work
being shifted sideways before commencing another row of work, this, however,
is by no means essential; n is an axis carried by the machine and capable of

page_text: being turned by hand, it is used for winding thread on to the frame o; this
frame has teeth on its edge which serve to space equally the threads wound
upon it and to prevent them slipping off. The axis n is split,. as is shewn,
and the frame to be wound is held in its place by an elastic ring p sprung
over the end of the axis. The threads may be wound on the frame o in various
ways; it is preferred to place upon it two sets of threads crossing each other
at and about the centre of the frame at a considerable inclination, and the
network so formed should be as large or larger than the hole or thin place to
be repaired. The frame with the threads upon it is laid upon the work at the
place where it is to be darned, and the fabric is then strained over the frame,
so that the teeth at its edges may catch it and keep it distended, and then the
machine work is put into the fabric in parallel lines crossing the two sets of
threads already mentioned at equal angles. If desired the frame may be placed
below the fabric instead of above it.
The operation is thus performed:-A line of work of the required length is
made across the fabric, and then the direction in which the machine is turned
is reversed; but immediately before the direction of rotation is changed a finger
of the band which is turning the machine is extended so as to come against
the reversing lever k and push it over to the other side, then another row of
work is produced parallel with the first, and at the end of this the machine is
again turned as at first and the reversing lever is pushed back to its first
position, and so the work proceeds. The fabric is readily guided to and fro
in consequence of its being strained on the frame o, which when at work is, as
the fabric and threads are strained upon it, in fact a part of the machine
moved to and fro by the action of the presser, but with the power of pivotting
about the needle as a centre each time that the presser is lifted.
Figures 8 are various views of the presser d. In some cases where the
work is large it is desirable to increase the size of the platform or portion of
the frame which supports the work, for this purpose I employ a slide to fit
on to it, as is shown at Figures 9.
Figures 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14, represent a machine arranged to make two
stitches for each rotation of the handle. The machine is, with exceptions herein-
after mentioned, similar to that already described, and the Figures correspond
with the Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively, and are marked with the same
letters of reference. The fly wheel 6' in place of being mounted on the axis b
turns upon a stud on the frame, and has a spur wheel b* fixed upon it which gears
with a pinion 6** of half the size fixed upon the axis b. In this arrangement
the reversing lever k has to be cranked at its upper end to avoid the stud for
the fly wheel to turn upon, and in consequence of the interposed gear between

page_text: the fly wheel and the cam axis it should be pushed over immediately after the
direction of rotation is changed in place of immediately before. The method
of working the two hooks to catch the needle thread on the under side of the
work may be much varied, as, for example, they may be actuated in the
manner shown at Figures 15; here in place of the link h³ being used to give
the endway movement to the lever h a cam slot h* is employed; it is fixed to
the frame and a friction pulley mounted on the lever h works in it.
i
Figures 16 show another arrangement; here the lever h has no endway
movement, but the hooks h¹ are carried by pieces jointed to it at h¹*; they
are furnished with springs H which tend constantly to press them up to fixed
stops upon the lever; there are also other stops A* fixed in the frame against
which the pieces carrying the hooks are brought in contact as they move to
and fro with the lever. The action then is as follows:-The hook moving
with the lever just passes between the needle and its thread, thus taking the
loop, and when it has passed the needle the tail of the hook piece comes
against the fixed stop A*, and the hook piece is so caused to turn on its centre
1x so as to come in front of the needle.
Another arrangement for taking the loop of the needle thread on the under
side of the work is shown at Figures 17; here again the lever h has no endway
movement, the hooks h¹ upon it simply pass between the needle and its thread,
and the loop so taken is distended by passing over a spring barb h¹* with which
each book is furnished. The needle at its next descent passes between the
hook and its barb and through the loop upon them; the hook then draws
back and the needle escapes; by the yielding of the spring barb the hook
immediately takes a new loop, and so the work proceeds.
Again, another arrangement is shown at Figures 18; here, as in the arrange-
ment last described, the hooks have no endway movement and are furnished
with spring barbs; in place, however, of being carried by a lever they are
mounted on an axis to which a partial rotation to and fro is given; the move-
ment is obtained from the lever i, the tail of which is slotted and receives in it
a crank pin carried by an arm fixed upon the axis of the hooks; this arrange-
ment with the one last described is very convenient in practice.
I would remark that single hook machines have heretofore in some in-
stances been similarly constructed. The frame o may be much varied in the
form of its contour; several such frames wound in different manners are
shown at Figure 19. The cotton wound on the frame should be such as to
allow of its being pierced by the needle; a soft darning cotton is suitable, or two
threads twisted loosely together may be used, and in the case of twisted threads,
one thread may advantageously be tighter than the other. The reversing

page_text: lever or instrument may, if it is preferred, be made self-acting, that is to say,
the act of turning the machine in the contrary direction may be the means of
shifting the reversing parts; this is conveniently done by means of a spring
clipping a boss on the frame with a slight pressure, and caused to rotate
thereon with the driving wheel or axis; the clip is, however, free to play or
move through a small are independently of the driving wheel or axis; then,
as will be seen, when the direction in which the machine is rotated is reversed
the clip will pass from one end to the other of the arc in which it is free to
play, and in so doing it moves a mechanical finger revolving with the axis,
and this finger performs the same office as the finger of the operator and shifts
the reversing lever or instrument.
Figure 20 is a front view, partly in section, and Figure 21 is an end view
of a portion of a machine thus constructed. The By wheel 6¹ has a passage
formed through it in which the mechanical finger B is able to slide a short
distance, limited by stops upon it, so that it may project a short distance on
one side or the other from the periphery of the wheel. On the piece B is a
stud, which enters the bend of the spring clip B*, clipping a boss on the frame;
then, as will be seen when the direction in which the fly wheel is turned is
changed, the tendency of the spring clip B* to hang back shifts over the
mechanical finger so as to cause it to project from the other side of the wheel.
The two ends of the piece B are in different planes, and so are the two studs
K, K, formed on the reversing lever k for the finger to act upon;
against one or other of these projections, and pushes the reversing. lever over
to one or other end of its course. The reversing lever k is in this arrange-
ment arranged to turn on a centre at its lower end in place of at its upper,
and in place of acting on the lever i through a spiral spring, it does so by
means of blade springs K', K', acting on the stud I formed on the lever i
immediately under its centre. The lever k is retained at either end of its
course by the spring tail K dropping into notches formed on the frame.
it comes
Although I prefer; as above described, to arrange the machine in such
manner as to work when turned in either direction, and to reverse the direction
in which the work is fed-when the direction in which the machine is turned is
changed, I sometimes arrange the machine in such manner that whilst it
turns constantly in one direction the direction in which the work is fed inay
be changed by the same reversing lever which changes the action of the hooks
below the work; the reversing lever in this case, in addition to its other duties,
throwing one feed cam out of action and bringing another into work.
Figure 22 is a front view, partly in section, of a machine thus arranged,
and Figures 23 and 24 are end views of the same, in the latter Figure the

page_text: end cover plate is removed. This machine is with exceptions, herein-after
referred to, similar to the machine shown at Figures 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14,
and it is marked with the same letters of reference. The form of one of the
cams m is changed, so that they may both be suited to act correctly when the
fly wheel is turned in the direction indicated by the arrow; and two cams b*, b*,
are employed, one for feeding in each direction, and the reversing lever k
brings one or other of these cams into action; this it does by means of an
arm K' at its end, which takes hold of a bolt D; this bolt works in the same
guide notches in the frame as the presser d and underneath it, and it is on the
projections D' and D on this bolt that the cams b* act instead of directly on the
presser. When the reversing lever has placed the bolt D in its highest position
the inner cam and the nose D' are in action, but when by the reversing lever
the bolt is changed to its lowest position then the nose D¹ is out of the way
of its cam, and the said cam is consequently out of action. At the same time
the nose D is brought opposite to the outer cam, which in consequence com-
mences to act on the presser to produce the movement of the fabric. The
reversing lever is in this arrangement shown with blade springs K¹, K', in
place of the spiral spring 1, and such springs may in all cases be used if
preferred.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the exact details described; but what I claim is,
First, the combination with a tambour or chain stitch sewing machine of a
frame, such as is shown at Figures 4 and 13 and 19, such frame serving to
receive a series of threads to be attached to the work by the stitches of the
sewing machine, and also serving to hold the work distended, as herein
described.
Second, the arranging a tambour or chain stitch sewing machine in such
manner that it will sew when the handle is turned either in one direction or
the other, and so that the direction in which the work is fed is reversed when
the direction in which the handle is turned is changed, the machine being thus
rendered applicable for producing with facility work as a substitute for darning,
as herein described.
Third, the employing in tambour or chain stitch sewing machines two
hooks for catching the needle thread on the under side of the work in such
manner that one book may be in action when the handle is turned from right
to left, and the other when the handle is turned from left to right, as herein
described.
Fourth, the application to tambour or chain stitch sewing machines of self-

page_text: acting apparatus, which moves when the direction in which the handle is
turned is changed, and which apparatus when it moves throws out of action
one of the hooks on the under side of the work with apparatus connected
therewith, and brings the other corresponding hook and apparatus into work,
as herein described.
Fifth, the constructing tambour or chain stitch sewing machines in such
manner that whilst the machine is turned constantly one way, the direction in
which the work is fed, and in which the stitches are made may be reversed by
moving a reversing lever or instrument, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Alfred Cowper, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
EDWARD ALFRED COWPER. (L.S.)