IM- PROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINERY
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Howard Piatt Garland, of San Francisco, California,
United States of America, now of Dundee, Scotland, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINERY."
Sealed the 20th February 1877, and dated the 8th September 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Howard Pratt Garland at the .
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th September 1876.
HOWARD PRATT GARLAND, of San Francisco, California, United States of America,
now of Dundee, Scotland. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINERY."
My Invention relates to sewing machines chiefly designed for sewing or stitching
thick or heavy materials. The distinguishing feature of the said Invention is the
employment in a sewing machine of a notched or toothed spiral needle which is
supported by and between rollers or cylinders which are formed with spiral projec-
tions or threads corresponding with the spirals of the said needle, and which are
either notched, or toothed, or plain, and rotate and impart a rotary motion to the
said needle.
The parts of the said machine are mounted upon plates of cast iron or other
suitable material, which may be placed on a table or other support.
The said spiral needle has teeth or notches around the periphery of its coils
throughout its entire length. The rollers which support and drive the said needle
have a screw thread formed on them, and are notched or toothed at the bottom of
the said thread or spiral groove. Or I may flute or groove the rollers from end to
end, or for a length equal to that of the spiral needle, and form a screw on the said
rollers by coiling or winding a piece of wire or a metal rod or the like around them.
Or the rollers with the screw cut on them may be smooth or plain at the bottom of
the thread groove, or may be smooth rollers with the screw thread formed thereon by
coiling or winding wire or the like around them, the needle in this case being driven
by frictional contact with the said rollers.
The upper of the three rollers is fitted within a case or shell which is so jointed
or hinged that the same with the roller may be turned back or opened so that access
may be had to the said spiral needle, and the latter may be readily taken out and
replaced. In a bracket projecting over the said case or shell I arrange a screw and
hand wheel for securing and keeping it in place. The said rollers or cylinders are
geared at one end of the machine with fluted, toothed, or plain pinions or cylinders
Prine 611

page_text: mounted on a driving shaft provided with fast and loose belt pulleys. This shaft
carries a hand wheel for bunging the eye of the said needle into the proper position
for threading, and which also acts as a fly wheel.
The notches or teeth on the said needle and rollers afford the means for driving
the needle positively, that is to say, without any slipping. The screw thread on the
rollers is formed in the opposite direction to, but with the same pitch as, the thread
or spiral of the needle, so that the grooves in the roller form seats for the needle and
keep it always at a uniform distance from the end of the machine, the thread on
the needle also maintaining the uniformity of the pitch of the thread of the needle
throughout its entire length The plain or smooth screw threaded rollers will be
věry advantageous fin a machine for sewing comparatively light materials.
gearing of the said rollers with one central shaft ensures the revolution of all of
them in one direction, and their driving of the needle in the same direction.
The
I provide my improved machine with an endless feed chain whose links have
notches or teeth on their outer edges. These notches or teeth are geared with the
said spiral needle which works therein in the manner of a worm working in a worm
This chain has a cover
wheel, and imparts motion to the said ondless chain.
whose surface is polished to permit the cloth or material being sewn to slide freely
thereon
At the forward end of the said spiral needle, and working in the same, I arrange
a nose piece with a spring and piece of leather or other suitable material to act as a
soft guide while the same end of the needle is penetrating the cloth; it also serves
for regulating the breadth of the seam.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Howard Pratt Garland in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th March 1877.
⚫ HOWARD PRATT GARLAND, of San Francisco, California, United States of America,
now of Dundee, Scotland. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINERY."
My Invention relates to sewing machines chiefly designed for sewing or stitching
thick or heavy materials. The distinguishing feature of the said Invention is the
employment in a sewing machine of a notched or toothed spinal needle which is
supported by and between rollers or cylinders which are formed with spinal projec-
tions or threads corresponding with the spinals of the said needle, and which are
either notched, or toothed, or plain, and rotate and impart a rotary motion to the
said needle
The parts of the said machine are mounted upon plates of cast iron or other
suitable material which may be placed on a table or other support.
The spiral needle has teeth or notches around the periphery of its coils throughout
its entire length. The rollers which support and drive the said needle have a screw
thread formed on them, and are notched or toothed at the bottom of the said thread
or spiral groove. Or I may flute or groove the rollers from end to end, or for a
length equal to that of the spiral needle, and form a screw on the said rollers by coiling
Or the rollers
or winding a piece of wire or a metal rod or the like around them.
with the screw cut on them may be smooth or plain at the bottom of the thread
groove, or may be smooth rollers with the screw thread formed thereon by coiling
or winding wire or the like around them, the needle in this case being driven by
frictional contact with the said rollers.
The upper of the three rollers is fitted within a case or shell which is so jointed
or hinged that the same with the roller may be turned back or opened so that access
'may be had to the said spiral needle, and the latter may be readily taken out
and replaced. In a bracket projecting over the said case or shell I arrange a screw
and hand wheel for securing and keeping it in place. The said rollers or cylinders

page_text: driven by friction obtained by the light pressure of the top roller on the outer surface
of the needle. This arrangement will be efficient for light goods.
By having the driving pinion h¹ arranged in gear with the ends of the three
rollers they are caused to revolve in the same direction, and each of them drives
the needle in the direction of said pinion, as will be easily understood by referring
to Figure 4 of the Drawings.
Having thus fully described the said Invention and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim in a sewing machine,-
First. A spiral needle with teeth or notches on the periphery of its coils, operating
as above set forth for the purpose specified.
Second. In combination with the said spiral needle the rollers for driving the
needle with a screw formed on them and either plain or smooth on the bottom of
the grooves, or notched, toothed, or fluted, as above set forth and for the purpose
specified.
Third. Forming the screw on the said rollers, whether the same are. plain or
fluted, by winding or coiling wire or other like material spirally around the roller,
as above set forth.
Fourth. The arrangement of parts wherein the upper one of the three rollers is
fitted within a jointed or hinged case or shell that may be turned back to permit
access to the aforesaid spiral needle, and which is provided with a screw and hand
wheel or other suitable means for securing it, as above set forth.
Fifth. In combination with the said driving rollers, the endless feed chain arranged
and operated and operating as above set forth for the purposes specified.
Sixth. In combination with the said spiral needle the nose piece arranged and
operating as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Seventh. The machine consisting of the devices and combinations of parts shewn
in the accompanying Drawing and operating as above set forth and for the purposes
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Howard Pratt Garland, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.