IMPROVEMENTS IN EMBROIDERING PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Easton and William Woodhouse
Pritchard, both of the Firm of I. and R. Pritchard & Coy,
of the City of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Sewed Muslin Manufacturers, and Samuel McGaw, Machinist to
the said Firm for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN EMBROIDERING
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Easton,
William Woodhouse Pritchard, and Samuel McGaw at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 29th
August 1874.
WC, ALEXANDER EASTON and WILLIAM WOODHOUSE PRITCHARD,
both of the Firm of I. & R. Pritchard & Coy., of the City of Glasgow,
in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Sewed Muslin Manufacturers,
and SAMUEL M°Gaw, Machinist to the said Firm, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN EMBROIDERING OR

page_text: SEWING, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR," to be as
follows:-
This said Invention has reference to a new or improved mode and
means of embroidering woven or other fabrics (such as muslins, cambrics,
cotton, linen, woollen, silk, or other woven or textile fabrics, or leather
or any other material on which embroidery has heretofore been worked)
with two continuous threads, one from each side of the fabric.
The thread which forms the embroidery, or body of each separate
spot or device thereof, is worked from the front of the fabric by a
needle with the eye in the point, and led direct from a bobbin or other
equivalent, while the other thread is worked from and by a shuttle on
the back of the fabric, so as to catch and interlace with the thread
passed through to that side by the needle, all somewhat in the same
manner that the sewing and interlacing are effected in shuttle sewing
machines, but all by a certain new or improved construction and
arrangement of mechanism or parts thereof applied to ordinary em-
broidery machines or their pentagraphic, embroidery frames, so as to
effect the said embroidery or sewing in accordance with this said
Invention.
The nature and novelty of this said Invention consist in having one
main longitudinal shaft carried in bearings in the side frames of the
ordinary embroidery machines, preferably near the middle, clear of the
vertical rocking embroidery frame.
The main longitudinal shaft would be actuated at various speeds
(sufficiently slow to suit the kind of pattern and the time required.
between each stitch for the person to work the pointer of the hand lever
of the pentagraph and embroidery frame over the pattern) from a primo
motive shaft at one end of the machine by ordinary reverse cones and a
belt, or by a large friction disc and shifting edge runner or friction
pinion, or other equivalent speed changing gearing.
'
The needles, which have their eyes in the points, are fixed by ordinary
screw grippers, or other equivalents, to their holders, much as in the
'ordinary sewing machines. These holders are fitted to slide in and be
fixed at any desired distance apart to suit the spots or flowers upon
traversing rails or frames with the needles in one, two, or more longi-
tudinal rows, and capable of being fixed at the desired distance apart

page_text: vertically on and traversed with their frame transversely on guides or
rails in front of the fabric and ordinary embroidery frame and machine,
all by two cams, one on each end of the said main longitudinal shaft,
preferably direct by an arm or roller to each at the sides of the machine,
or it might be through intermediate levers and antifriction rollers, so as
to traverse the needles three inches or so backwards from and a little
through the fabric in the forward direction to form the loop by each
needle for its shuttle to pass through behind the fabric. These loops
are formed by the first slight backward motion of the noedles and their
frame, and by a long light plate carried on studs in front with spiral or
other light springs behind them, which keep this plate up against the
fabric near the needles, and prevent it from coming back with them,
and thus holding the thread, forms the slackness or loops with the
thread carried through on the back for the shuttles to be passed
through.
Each set of shuttles are fitted and actuated within a groove or race
formed in a longitudinal rail with the pressure or sewing vortical plate
close behind tho fabric and each row of needles, which plate has a small
hole or slot in it opposite cach needle close below the shuttle race, this
plate being portable for removal and replacement by another to suit the
different distances of the needles and spots or patterns as required.
The shuttles are actuated, cach by two short arms or drivers fixed at
proper distances to suit them, on and through one reciprocating rod or
bar reciprocated in guides either close behind or over the shuttles, pre-
ferably direct by an arm and antifriction roller at one end, working into
a tappet, groove, or cam formed on a barrel or boss on the said longi-
tudinal shaft, fixed so as to pass the shuttles through the said slack
loops at the proper time; or this might also be done by an intermediate
lever and antifriction pulley from the said cam, or other equivalent cam,
actuated in sequential time from the longitudinal shaft actuating the
needle frame.
The shuttle thread is carried on a bobbin, or in a ball within the
shuttle, tightened by the usual tension holes in its side and by the
"throw” of the shuttle, as in the ordinary shuttle sewing machines,
all while the needle frame is making its back traverse, and tightening
up each stitch of the embroidery sewing as so made by the needles, and
caught or lockod by the back shuttle thread.

page_text: The needle threads are led from bobbins carried on a stationary longi-
tudinal rail, preferably placed behind each needle bar or rail at its
furthest back traverse, so that the threads pass over a light vertical
reciprocating longitudinal smooth bar or roller for slackening the
threads, while the shuttle is passing through the slack loops, and most
of the thread given off is passing through the eyes of the needles, by a
small bell crank or other equivalent at each end of this bar, and sides of
the machine, against the power of spiral or other springs below the bar
as the needle carriage begins to come back; but towards the latter part
of the backward traverse these springs are released, and so raise the bar
and draw off the required amount of thread for each fresh start and
stitch, also regulating the tension to some exteut.
The proper instant for the operator to move the pattern pointer and
lever of the pentagraph may be automatically indicated by an index
pointer, or by a sounding instrument actuated from the traversing
carriage, or other moving part of the machine, after the stitches have
been tightened, and while the carriage is performing the back part of
its motion to and fro.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Easton, William Woodhouse Pritchard, 2
and Samuel McGaw in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th
February 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, ALEXANDER
EASTON and WILLIAM WOODHOUSE PRITCHARD, both of the Firm of
I. and R. Pritchard and Company, of the City of Glasgow, in the 2
County of Lanark, North Britain, Sewed Muslin Manufacturers, and
SAMUEL McGaw, Machinist to the said Firm, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
cighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Alexander Easton, William Woodhouse
Pritchard, and Samuel McGaw, Her special licence that we, the said

page_text: 0
Alexander Easton, William Woodhouse Pritchard, and Samuel McGaw,,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said Alexander Easton, William Woodhouse Pritchard, and Samuel
McGaw, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN EMBROIDERING OR SEWING, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPA-
RATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said Alexander Easton, William Woodhouse Pritchard, and Samuel
McGaw, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should parti-.
cularly 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.
J
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Alexander Easton, William Wood-'
house Pritchard, and Samuel McGaw, do hereby declare the nature of
our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,"
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following'
statement in writing, reference being had to the several Figures on the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and numerals
marked thereon, that is to say:–
Our said Invention has reference to a new or improved mode and
means of embroidering woven or other fabrics (such as muslins, cambrics'
cotton, linen, woollen, silk, or other woven or textile fabrics, or leather,"
or any other material on which embroidery has heretofore been worked)
with two continuous threads, one from each side of the fabric.
The thread which forms the embroidery or body of each separate spot
or device thereof is worked from the front of the fabric by a needle with
the eye in the point, and led direct from the bobbin or other equivalent,
while the other thread is worked from and by a shuttle on the back of
the fabric so as to catch and interlace with the thread passed through to
5 that side by the needle, all somewhat in the same manner that the sewing
and interlacing aro effected in shuttle sewing machines, but all by a
certain new or improved construction and arrangement of mechanism

page_text: or parts thereof applied to ordinary embroidery machines or their
pentagraphic embroidery frames so as to effect the said embroidery or
sewing in accordance with our said Invention.
And in order that the full nature, novelty, and mode of performing
our said Invention may be properly understood, we will now proceed to
describe the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings which we have
hereunto appended for the purpose of showing the best modes and means
we are at present aware of for putting the Invention into effect or
practice, the same letters and numerals being used to indicate the same
or like parts in all the Figures.
Figures 1 and 2 are opposite end elevations of an ordinary embroidery
machine, or two main side frames A, A', thereof, supporting the whole
working parts and usual embroidery frame B, with its hand moving
pentagraph C, and carrying the webs or pieces of the fabric Z to be
embroidered, both Figures showing that only one traversing or slide
frame A¹ is now by these improvements required at each of the front
ends A¹ to carry the strong frame and carriage D, D¹; D*, with its long
rails D, D", carrying an upper and lower row of needles a, all shown
as fitted with and illustrative of one modification of our said Invention
or improvements as applied to this machine.
Figures 3 and 4 are a longitudinal front elevation and a plan respec-
tively with a great portion of the middle part shown as broken away in
both views; also parts of the front slides ar frames A¹ in the latter for
want of room on the Sheet, but showing the whole of this machine
otherwise corresponding to Figures 1 and 2. The front end guide frames
A¹ are removed in Figure 1 to show the needles a and their holders a¹, a",
and reciprocating frames D, D', D*, D11.
Referring to these Figures 1 to 4, the nature, novelty, and mode of
performing our said Invention consist all as follows:- Of a main longi-
tudinal shaft E, carried in journal bearings E' in the side frames A, A,
of the ordinary embroidery machines, or of standards A" or other equiva-
lent frames, preferably near the middle, just clear of the cloth rollers Z'
behind the vertical rocking embroidery frame B, carried as usual on its
antifriction pulleys B¹ on the free ends of its two supporting counter-
balanced levers Bч centred on spindles B* in the brackets B of the
longitudinal beams or rails A secured to the top of the main side
.

page_text: frames A, A. A web or piece of the cloth Z to be embroidered for each
row of needles a is carried on two rollers Z' and stretched by their
ratchet wheels and end screw clips in the usual way, and guided
vertically and longitudinally by the fixed studs B2, and guides B³, B¹¹¹,
on the frame B.
The main longitudinal shaft E would be actuated at various speeds by
the cone pulley E" (sufficiently slow to suit the kind of pattern, and the
time required between each stitch for the person to work the handle and
pointer C (over the pattern) of the lever of the pentagraph C and
embroidery frame) by a belt from a reverse cone pulley above on an
adjacent prime motive shaft, and shown at E", Figures 1, 2, and 3 of
the machine; or it might be so driven by a large friction disc and
shifting edge runner, or friction pinion, or other equivalent speed-
changing gearing.
The needles a which have their eyes in the points are fixed much as
in ordinary sewing machines by the screw griper a¹ or other equivalent,
to their slide holders a" fixed to their slide rails D", as shown particularly
in the large detailed sectional elevation and plan Figures 5 and 6.
The holders a are fitted so as to slide on and be fixed to their long
rails D at any desired distance apart longitudinally, to suit the spots or
flowers to be embroidered in the fabric. These needles a are, thus
ranged and fixed in two rows to the upper side of the two longitudinal
side rails D" screwed to the top and bottom of the brackets D¹ secured
to the strong beam D, having its end slides D* working in guides A* in
the top of the front frames A'. There might be one or more such
rails, and sets of needles D" capable of being fixed at any desired
distance apart, vertically on and similarly traversed with their frames D,
D', D*, transversely on their guides or rails A* in front of the said
fabric Z and embroidery frame B, and machine, all by two grooved
cams F,. one fixed on each end of the main shaft E (as shown in the
enlarged detailed face view in Figure 1, F), and preferably connected
direct by the stud roller F which works in the groove f of the cam,
and is conncted to the extreme end of each of the bracket arms F"
secured to the top of each end slide D* close to the side frames A, A', of
the machine (or it might be through intermediate levers and antifriction
rollers), so as to traverse the needles (to and fro two inches or so)
backwards from the fabric Z, and a little through it in the forward
direction so as to form the loop with the thread at the point of the

page_text: 1
needle, by the first part of its return or back motion for its shuttle 6 to pass
through behind the fabric, in which position the needles are shown with
the shuttles just about to pass through their loops in Figures 5 and 6.
The shuttle might be of an ordinary construction with the thread
carried on a spool, bobbin, or ball within them, tightened by their
usual tension holes and slit in their side, and by the "throw" of the
shuttles themselves, as in ordinary shuttle sewing or sewing embroidery
machines. But we prefer the improved construction of shuttle shown
in Figures 5 and 6, and in full sized inverted plan in Figure 7, as short
as possible to enable them to be ranged as close together as the patterns
are required to be sewed on the fabric, the spool being inserted without
the usual spring bearing, but is held in by the hinged internal side
plate z with locking end z¹ with the thread taken direct from the spool
through two holes in the middle of the said side plate forward through
between two tension plates and a spring washery (secured in a recess at
the point of the shuttle by a left-handed screw and plate at y¹) round
and out through a small hole z" in the side of the shuttle next the fabric,
the spring being merely a very thin washer of steel with its edge cut
and depressed. segmentally, as resting springs under it, shown enlarged
at y. The shuttles are worked with their open flat faces down upon a
planed, flat, or groove race on the upper side of the strong rail b' secured
at its ends to the frames A, A, one opposite each row of needles a
which pass through holes or slots formed for them in the long narrow
vertical guide plates & secured to the front of these rails & close to the
back of the fabric to receive the pressure in holding it tight while being
sewed.
Each shuttle is actuated close up to the plate 6 by the drivers b
between them screwed to their slide bars 63 and steadied and guided
between the guides 6 secured to the rail 6 close to the shuttles, and
reciprocated through the bracket screwed to the top of both of the
slide bars b' and by a stud roller be fixed on the middle of this bracket
working into the circumferential cam groove h of the barrel cam H
keyed on the driving shaft E close to the end frame A, which may have
a slide bracket bolted to it at this part for a guide arm on the
bracket to work and be steadied in. These shuttles 6 and shuttle
bars might also be actuated from this cam H through an intermediate
lever and antifriction stud roller, or other equivalent arrangement, instead
of direct as stated. This cam H is shown to a large scale in front, side

page_text: elevation, and end view in Figure 1 H. The long pressure plates 6111
are made portable for ease of removal, and for the attachment of others
to suit different distances of the needles and spots or patterns required.
The cam H is formed and fixed on the shaft E so as to enter and pass
the shuttles through the said loops so slackened by the roller f¹ in
passing over the highest part 4 to 1 of the cams F, and while it is
passing through the concentric part from 1 to 2 in the groove the
needles are standing through the fabric and at the proper time to suit
the positions and motions of the other cams F, G, and I keyed on the
main shaft E, all as shown in Figures 1 F, 1 G, and 1 I, to give
sequential action in proper times of the needle, shuttle, and tension
mechanism. The needle threads c are led from bobbins c' carried on a
stationary longitudinal rail J, preferably fixed at J' to the frames A
bebind each needle bar or rail D" at its extreme back traverse, so that
the thread passes up from each bobbin c¹ over and twice round the long
light tension rollers c carried in brackets c secured to the frames A.
and J along and under the front wire c², and up over the vertically
reciprocating longitudinal bars d (or it might be rollers) and down
under the back wire c³, and straight through an eye in the needle
holder a to the eye in the point of the needle. These bars d for each
set of needles are reciprocated in the slotted standards d' (on the upper
ends of the brackets du carrying the wires c², c³, and secured to the
stationary rails J) by the light vertical rods d attached to both bars d
at above, and to connecting rods d below, the lower ends of which
are attached to the cranks d³ keyed on the oscillating spindle d' carried
in bearing brackets close to the floor and actuated through the end
slotted crank e and connecting rod e' by the rocking lever e" fulcrumed
at e on the end frame A (Figure 2), and through a stud roller g¹ in its
upper arm ell working in the groove g of its actuating cam G, shown to
a large scale in Figure 1 G, all so as to raise these bars d and take up
the threads c off the tension roller c¹ after each stitch as the needles are
receding from the cloth, and while the roller g' is passing from 2 to 3 of
the groove g of the cam G, but dropping the bars d and slackening the
threads a little at 3¹ just as the needles are at their extreme out or back
stroke and the shuttles 6 are about to make their back stroke, and regu-
lating the tension to some extent during the back stroke of the shuttles
and the forward stroke of the needles. This raising or depressing of the
bars d (to tighten or slacken the threads) might also be effected by small
bell cranks or other equivalents actuated in one direction by a cam

page_text: motion or a motion taken from that of the needle carriage against the
power of spiral or other springs acting on the bar in the other.
direction.
A little before the two rows of needles a reach their extreme forward
stroke to form the loose loop at the back of the fabric, a set of wire
fingers k, flattened at their upper ends k¹ for the purpose, press the
fabric Z against the sewing plate 611, one close to each needle, to prevent
the fabric from "sagging" or coming back with the needles at the time
they are slightly withdrawn by the small drop at 1' of the cam F to form
the loose loops, as before stated; all by their action as levers k, k³,
secured at their lower ends in the two light rocking spindles K, close to
the frame B, one below each row of needles, and carried in bearing
brackets K', secured to the strong stationary rails J and end frames A.
These rocking spindles K have levers K" keyed on their outer ends,
connected by the link K", so as to be simultaneously actuated, as shown
in Figure 2, by a pin roller i¹ in the end of the upper lever K", working
in the groove cam i, I, and shown in large face view in Figure 1, I, all
so as to press the fingers against the fabric when the roller is passing
from 4 to 1 of the cam i, I, at the proper time (as herein-before
described) in relation to the motion and position of the needles, and
while their actuating rollers f¹ are passing the corresponding part from
4 to 1 in their groove cams F.
It will be seen that while the roller is passing through the other
three-fourths of the groove i of its cam I that the fingers or pressers k
are kept quite clear of the fabric Z, so that it can be moved for the next
stitch by its frame B and pentagraph C while the needles a are receding
from and coming up to the fabric again, and while their actuating
rollers f¹ are passing through the parts 3 to 4 of their cam F. The face
views of these several grooved cams, Figures 1 F, 1 G, 1 H, and 1 I¹ (for
moving the needle, and the taking-up or "check" bars d of the needle
thread c, and the holders for retaining the fabric firmly against the
sewing plate 6' while forming the loops for the shuttles b to pass through,
all as will herein-after be more particularly described) are all shown in
proper position, with the stud rollers f¹, g¹, h¹, and i¹ at the point 3 of
their grooves f, g, h, and i, corresponding to the position of the said
several parts or mechanisms, which they actuate, as they are shown in
Figures 1 to 4, namely, with the needles a and their rails D" at their
extreme outward position, and the shuttles 6 just on the point of coming

page_text: back after having tightened up a stitch and raised the bars d so as to
take off the length of thread used during the last stitch and made the.
slight drop indicated at 3¹ in the cam G, which slackens the strain upon
the needle thread during the forward traverse of the needles. The
tension on the whole of the threads during the tightening of the stitches
(and the backward traverse of the needles) is effected by the thumb.:
screw in the bracket working into a metal nut in the friction belt 1¹¹,
passed over the friction pulley c* on one end of the tension roller c¹¹, or
it might be on each roller when more rollers than one were used in the
length of the machine; but it will be understood that any other suitable
arrangement for giving the desired tension to these threads, either in
sets, across the machine, or on the threads individually, as in sewing
machines, might be used when preferred.
The positions or divisions, shown by the red dotted lines 1, 2, 3, and 4,
in the several cams, Figures 1 F, 1 G, 1 H, and 1 I, indicate very nearly
the relative positions or paths of the rollers f, g, h, and i, which they
actuate, are at or are passing through during the same time, every
revolution of the main shaft E to produce all the motions in the sequence
described; and the point marked 1' indicates the position the rollers would
be in in the several cam grooves corresponding to the position of the parts
in Figures 5 and 6 when the loops have been formed behind the fabric
and the points of the shuttles are about to enter and pass through
them.
The proper instant for the operator to move the pattern lever C¹ of
the pentagraph by the handle and pointer C" to set it to every stitch.
of the pattern, which is fixed on the board Ou, indicated by the red
lines in Figures 3 and 4, is automatically indicated to him by the small
tappet L keyed on the end of the shaft E to come into action and move
the lever L' keyed on the light spindle L" carried in the brackets L¹¹¹
screwed to the back of the pattern board C, so that two levers L
keyed on and projecting upwards from each end of this spindle L", con-
nected at their upper end by the bar L³, is rocked over the top of the
pattern board so as to touch the lever C¹ of the pentagraph C every time
the tappet L comes round, just as the fingers have been removed off
the fabric and the needles a have come out of it, so as to let the
attendant have time to shift the pointer C" and embroidery frame B for
the next stitch while the needles are travelling back from and forward
again to the fabric. Other automatic means of indicating to the

page_text: attendant the time of shifting his hand léver and pointer may be
adopted, such as an index pointer actuated from the main shaft E or
the traversing carriage, or other moving part of the machine, after the
stitches have been tightened, and while the carriage is performing the
back part of its motion to and fro. The attendant, who sits on a seat i
near the handle and pointer C", has also perfect control over the
stopping of the machine by the spring foot lever M keyed on the lower
end of the vertical spindle M', which (though shown as broken away in
Figures 3 and 4) is carried up to a forked lever or slide for shifting the
belt of the first motion shaft above on to the slack pulley, and so stop
the action of the belt of the cone E" and the machine, except when held
or set in action by the attendant's foot when he is in his place and
attending to set the pointer for every fresh stitch all against the power
of the spring lever.
Although these improvements have been shown in the several Figures 1
to 6, and described as for and capable of sewing the embroidery with two
threads, namely, locking the stitch of the flowers or pattern (formed in
front with the needle threads) by a back shuttle thread and mechanism,
yet still it is to be understood that the embroidery may be sewed with
the needle threads only by the chain or tambour stitch, and the substi-
tution of a light rocking shaft N (and actuating mechanism behind the
sewing plate) with an ordinary simple grooved single chain stitch
sewing machine hook N¹ fixed on it in front of each needle a, as indi-
cated in the transverse section of the parts of this arrangement in
Figure 8 (corresponding to Figure 5), and sufficient to show the
differences required to make our improved mechanism herein-before
described to embroider thus with one thread, although we prefer the
work as executed with the two threads. The long spindles N would
each be carried in bearing bushes N¹ secured to the under side of the
two arms N of the bow frame N¹¹¹, N¹¹¹¹, secured by the strong boss
at Nand screwed to the top of the standards as A" in the former
Figures, at intervals across the back of the embroidery frame B, with the.
ends of the sewing plates 6" in corresponding lengths, screwed at 6¹¹¹ to
the front ends of the arms N¹, and with the needle holes in them
exactly opposite the rows of needles a. Each rocking shaft N would have
a lever n keyed on it at one end, having their extreme back end con-
nected by a link n', so that both levers n would be worked simultaneously
by the rod n", having its upper end jointed by a stud n¹¹ to the upper-

page_text: most of the two levers n, as shown in Figure 8, while its lower end would
be connected to a crank or eccentric on the main shaft E below, so as to
turn the hooks N' at the proper time to let each needle a on its forward
stroke catch the last loop on the hook N¹ before letting it go, and coming
up again to catch and hold the new loop before the eye of the needle has
passed it on the back stroke. By this construction and arrangement of
improved embroidery sewing machines (whereby the ordinary traversing
carriage and frame A¹ usually required for catching and traversing the
double-pointed needles at the back of the cloth are dispensed with) a
second embroidery frame B and two sets of shuttles b, b, bars 6s,
drivers 6 behind it, and a traversing needle carriage D, D', D*, D¹¹, may
be erected on frames A¹, A', at the opposite side of the central frame A, A,
to those A' shown in front in Figures 1 to 4, and thus work two sets of
embroidery frames, and by the one pentagraph and attendant and acting
both sets of the mechanism for sewing by one driving shaft E and its
cams, all otherwise substantially as described in reference to that at the
front of the machine.
and
The tension rollers c¹ may be covered with woollen or other cloth or a
layer of vulcanized india-rubber to give a more regular holding effect
upon the threads passed once or twice round them on their way to the
needles, and long light pressing plates may be used, attached to, or instead
of the flattened points of the wire fingers, for holding the fabric against
the sewing plate in order to prevent it from sagging and to insure tho
forming of the loose loop at the point of the needle for the shuttle 6 or
hook N' to pass through. The needle frame or carriage though shown
as reciprocated on slides (this being preferred for steadiness) might also
be traversed on rollers and planed rails.. In either case the carrying
frames A¹ are made long enough to be drawn back sufficiently far to
enable a person to get in in front to fit and fix the needles and their
holders. A small weight o is hung by an eye to each needle thread c,
so that when it falls on a sounding plate o¹ it indicates this to the
attendant, as shown in Figure 5.
It will be evident that plain outside cams might be used instead of
the grooved cams G and I (although these latter are preferred) with
springs or weights acting to press their levers e" and K" against the
cams to act in the reverse direction to them.
Having thus particularly described the nature of our said Invention
and the manner in which the same is or may be performed, we have to

page_text: state that we do not restrict ourselves to the precise details herein
described or delineated; neither on the other hand do we claim as novel
any of the modes or means of constructing, supporting, and actuating
one embroidery frame by a pentagraph, or of embroidering the fabrics
thereon by ordinary sewing machine shuttles and needles with the eye
at their points, with endless or continuous threads, except in combination
with our new or improved modes and means or mechanism for so
embroidering, as herein described; but what we believe to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The general construction and arrangement of the parts of
embroidering machines for actuating the ordinary needles and shuttles
or hooks used in sewing machines, as well as the thread regulating and
fabric holding mechanism for embroidering with endless or continuous
threads, all substantially in the new or improved manner herein described
and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The reciprocating of the needle frames and shuttles direct,
and driving or deriving all the other motions automatically of the
thread regulating and holding mechanism of endless or continuous
thread embroidering machines from one main shaft and its cams, all
substantially in the new or improved manner herein described and shown
in the accompanying Drawings.
Third. The working of the shuttles in or on stationary rails close up
behind the fabric to be embroidered in endless or continuous thread
embroidering machines, and so that two embroidery frames may be
worked by the ono pentagraph and attendant, and that the needles and
shuttle mechanism and thread regulators and cloth or fabric holders of
both frames may be worked by one and the same shaft and its cams, all
substantially in the new improved manner herein described and shown
in the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth. The carrying and actuating of the needle thread bobbins,
tension rollers, or mechanism, taking-off and tightening the bars, and their
fittings and moving mechanism, on stationary rails or frames in endless
or continuous thread embroidering machines (instead of or in contradis-
tinction to carrying these on their traversing needle carriages as;
heretofore), all substantially as herein-before described and shewn in the
accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Fifth, The construction and use of pressers for holding the fabric (in
endless or continuous thread embroidering machines) against the sewing
plate to prevent it from sagging, and so form the loose loops at the point
of the needles for the shuttles or hooks to pass through at the back of
the fabric, all substantially as herein-before described and shown in the
accompanying Drawings.
Sixth. The giving of tension to the needle threads in endless or
continuous thread embroidery machines by passing them in sets one or
more times round a long light roller, the tension being given by applying
and regulating friction to a pulley or other equivalent on the roller for
the whole set of threads, all substantially as herein-before described and
shwon on the accompanying Drawings.
Seventh. The construction of the cams F, G, H, and I, and the regu-
lating or fixing of the same by keys or screws on a single main shaft in
endless or continuous thread embroidery machines to produce the
respective movements of the needles, shuttles, thread taking-off and
regulating, and cloth or fabric holding mechanism, all substantially in
the proper sequence or time in relation to cach other, as herein-before
described and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Eighth. The giving of an automatic touch or motion to the hand
lever of the pentagraph of endless or continuous thread embroidery
machines by a motion taken from their main cam shaft or their needle
carriage (or an equivalent motion from the main cam shaft may be
given to a pointer or index), all substantially as herein-before described
and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Alexander Easton, William Wood-
house Pritchard, and Samuel McGaw, have hereunto set our
hands and seals, this Twenty-sixth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
ALEVANDER PASTON