IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Stuart Guinness, of the City and State
of New York, United States of America, now of No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING
MACHINES."
Sealed the 2nd March 1875, and dated the 4th September 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Stuart
Guinness at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 4th September 1874.
I, WILLIAM STUART GUINNESS, of the City and State of New York,
United States of America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings,
London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
:-
My Invention relates chiefly to that class of sewing machines termed
shuttle machines, in which the stitches are formed by the co-operation
of a vertically reciprocating needle with a shuttle moved to and fro :
across the path of the same, but parts of the said Invention are equally
applicable to other sewing machines.

page_text: The said Invention consists first in peculiar mechanism for imparting
the required movements to the needle, the shuttle, and the feed.
In applying this Invention to a machine wherein the needle is secured
in a needle bar fitted to slide up and down in a head formed or fixed on
the end of an arm or bracket forming part of the frame of the machine,
the said needle bar receives its motion through the medium of an arm
or lever, which rocks or vibrates upon centre points, or in suitable
bearings at or near the centre of the said bracket, and which is con-
nected with the aforesaid operating mechanism.
But this Invention is equally applicable to machines wherein the
needle is secured directly to a vibrating arm or lever.
The shuttle race
extends across the path of the needle below the cloth plate, and consists
preferably of flat guide ways, upon and between which the shuttle
carrier is supported and travels. The shuttle carrier and shuttle may be
of any ordinary and convenient form and construction. The shuttle
carrier's motion is imparted to it through a rod connected with the said
mechanism as herein-after described. The feed bar has a compound up-
and-down and endwise motion imparted to it by a cam and lever forming
part of the aforesaid operative mechanism. This mechanism has a crank
formed in one piece with the said cam, and arranged in combination
with a three-armed lever, and compactly arranged at the rear end of the
machine within the aforesaid frame, which is made hollow or with two
sides or walls to receive the said mechanism. The said crank has
journals made in one piece with it and forming its shaft, which is sup-
ported on centre points or by other suitable bearings, and is provided
with a small belt pulley, whereby it receives motion from a treadle or
otherwise, and the aforesaid lever has its fulcrum similarly supported.
One arm of this lever is connected by a link to the crank pin; another
arm is connected by a link with the needle operating lever; and a third
arm is connected with the shuttle carrier connecting rod, and by the
rotation of the said crank the aforesaid lever is caused to vibrate on its
fulcrum, and thereby impart the required motions to the needle and
shuttle carriers.
.
The connection of the needle bar with its operating lever is effected
as follows:-I form a hole through the said needle bar at a right angle
to the said lever, and insert therein a round piece of steel. Through
this round piece from the front of the needle bar I pass a screw pin or

page_text: rod, which is made fast in the end of the lever. The front and back of
the needle bar is slightly recessed or countersunk to permit the free
working of the said pin.
The cam which actuates the feed bar is double acting, that is to say,
it has a lateral and peripheral projection, whereby the required motions
are imparted to the feed bar through the aforesaid lever, which has a
universal joint at its fulcrum to permit it to follow the movements of
the said cam and transmit them to the said feed bar.
The end of the said feed lever connected to the feed bar is forked to
take hold of a pin projecting down from the under side of the said bar.
The said lever is kept in proper contact with the cam by a suitablo
spring.
The feed is regulated by a small screw passed up or down through the
base plate of the frame with its point in the proper position to act upon
the said feed bar.
Another part of my Invention consists in an adjustable needle clamp,
which is fixed in or upon the end of the needle bar or needle carrier, and
permits the lateral adjustment of the needle. This clamp is drilled with
a small hole, and provided with a screw to hold the needle, or is provided
with other means for this purpose. Its upper end is formed with a
tongue, which fits between jaws formed or fixed on the lower end of the
needle bar or carrier. A slot is formed through the said tongue, and ‘a
screw is passed through the jaws and the said slot. This slot permits
the lateral adjustment of the clamp with the needle in it, and when the
same is properly adjusted it is made fast by the aforesaid screw.
In applying this part of my Invention to machines wherein the space
between the highest position of the needle bar and the top of the cloth
plate will not allow the said clamp to be placed on the end of the said
bar I drill or bore out the end of the latter slightly larger than the width
of the clamp, and insert the latter into the end of the needle bar.
I use a thread tension device arranged upon the front head of the
machine, and consisting of a lever which is actuated by the needle bar
or carrier and controlled by a spring.

page_text: Office on the 4th March 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
STUART GUINNESS, of the City and State of New York, United States
of Amèrica, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in
the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Stuart Guinness,
Her special licence, that I, the said William Stuart Guinness, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Stuart Guinness, 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 lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Stuart
Guinness, my executors, or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 William Stuart Guinness, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawing forming a part of this Specification :-
My Invention relates chiefly to that class of sewing machines termed
shuttle machines, in which the stitches are formed by the co-operation
of a vertically reciprocating needle with a shuttle moved to and fro

page_text: mechanism consists of a crank d³, formed in one piece with the said
cam e, arranged in combination with a three-armed lever f, and com-
pactly arranged at the rear end of the machine within the aforesaid
frame A, which is made hollow or with two sides or walls to receive the
said mechanism. The said crank has journals & in one piece with it and
forming a shaft, which is supported on centre points d' or by other suitable
bearings, and is provided with a small belt pulley g, whereby it receives
motion from a treadle or otherwise, and the aforesaid lever ƒ has its
fulcrum f* similarly supported. One arm f¹ of this lever is connected
by a link to the crank pin d³; another arm f² of the lever is connected
by a link i with the needle-operating lever j; and a third arm f³ of the
lever is connected with the shuttle carrier connecting rod %, and by the
rotation of the said crank the aforesaid lever fis caused to vibrate on its
fulcrum f*, and thereby impart the required motions to the needle and
shuttle carriers b, C.
The connection of the needle bar C with its operating lever is effected
as follows:-I form a hole through the said needle bar at a right angle
to the said lever, and insert therein a round piece of steel or other
metall. Through this round picce from the front of the needle bar I
pass a screw pin or rod 1, which is made fast in the end of the lever j.
The front and back of the needle bar C is slightly recessed or counter-
sunk to permit the free working of the said pin l.
The cam which actuates the feed bar is double acting, that is to say,
has a lateral peripheral projection c*, whereby the required motions are
imparted to the feed bar c through the lever c', which has a universal
joint at its fulcrum to permit it to follow the vertical and lateral
movements of the said cam and transmit them to the end of the said
fced bar.
The end of the said feed lever c¹ connected to the feed bar c is forked
to take hold of a pin c³ projecting down from the under side of the said
bar c. The lever c' is kept in proper contact with the cam e by a suitable
spring e¹.
The feed is regulated by the following devices :-I form a hole through
the lever c¹ at c', and pass laterally through the same a screw pin c³,
which is screwed into the bed of the machine. By turning the nut cª
on this screw the feed is regulated as desired. The said hole is large
enough to permit the free vertical movement of the feed lever. Or I

page_text: may regulate the feed by a small screw passed up or down through the
base plate or bed of the frame A, with the point in the proper position
to act upon the feed bar c and lengthen or shorten the motion of the
same.
My Invention consists partly in an adjustable needle clamp, which is
fixed in or upon the end of the needle bar or needle carrier C, and
permits the lateral adjustment of the needle b. This clamp is a metal
piece drilled with a small hole, and provided with a screw n¹ to hold
the needle; or it is provided with other means for this
purpose. Its
upper end is formed with a tongue n², which fits between jaws o formed
or fixed on the lower end of the needle bar or carrier C. A slot is
formed through the said tongue, and a screw is passed through the jaws
and the said slot. This slot permits the lateral adjustment of the clamp
with the needle in it, and when the same is properly adjusted it is made
fast by the aforesaid screw.
.
'
In applying this part of my Invention to machines wherein the space
between the highest position of the needle bar and the top of the cloth
plate will not allow the said clamp to be placed on the end of the said
bar, I drill or bore out the end of the latter slightly larger than the
width of the clamp, as shewn in Figures 5 and 6, and insert the latter
into the end of the needle bar.
I use a thread tension device arranged upon the front head of the
machine, consisting of a lever, which is actuated by the needle bar or
carrier and controlled by a spring.
Having thus fully described my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I wish it understood that I claim,―
First. In combination with the needle bar or carrier, the shuttle
carrier, and feed bar, the peculiar mechanism for imparting the required
movements to the needle, the shuttle, and the feed, as herein set
forth.
Second. In combination with the feed bar lever working on a universal
joint and operated by a cam, the devices for adjusting or regulating the
feed, as herein set forth.
Third. The devices for connecting the needle bar with its operating
lever, as herein set forth.

page_text: Fourth. In combination with the needle bar of a sewing machine
the adjustable needle clamp, as herein set forth and for the purpose
specified.
Fifth. A sewing machine in which the needle, the shuttle, and the
feed apparatus are actuated by peculiar mechanism, constructed and
operating as herein set forth, and so arranged in combination with the
other parts or devices that the whole will form a simple, convenient, and
efficient machine, as shewn in the accompanying Drawing and as herein.
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Stuart Guinness, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of March,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
Witness,
HY. JA. NOONE,
W. S. GUINNESS. (L.S.)