IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SEWING AND STITCHING."
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Victor de Stains, of Prospect House, Upper Street,
Islington, in the Parish of St. Mary's, and County of Middlesex, and
Thomas Rogers, of No. 5, Mackenzie Street, Everton, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR SEWING AND STITCHING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Victor de Stains and
Thomas Rogers at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 8th February 1864.
We, VICTOR DE STAINS, of Prospect House, Upper Street, Islington, in the
Parish of Saint Mary's and County of Middlesex, and THOMAS ROGERS, of No. 5,
Mackenzie Street, Everton, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR SEWING AND STITCHING," to be as follows:-
These improvements relate to two small instruments to be used on any
ordinary sewing machine. The one instrument is for the purpose of threading
the needle with great ease and facility by using a peculiarly formed needle
threader, so that it may be used and adapted to any machine and also to any
kind of needle. The other instrument is what is termed a hemmer and feller,
for felling and turning over double seams in any material to be so treated, but
more especially woollen goods, such as flannel, broad cloth, &c.
Figures 1 and 2 are general perspective views of our improved needle
threader, and consists of a piece of ivory, bone, hardened c chock, or any
material suitable for the body part of the instrument. a, a', is a slot cut and

page_text: running longitudinally through to the hole b, the part c beyond the hole being
left to hold the two jaws d and e together, so that it is in some degree flexable
and yielding at the point c, to allow the jaws to be distended and compressed
by the screw f, which screw is tapped into a collar in the upper jaw d, and
runs free in the lower jaw e. The thread hole g is countersunk from each
face of the block to the centre of the jaws, where there is left a smaller hole,
but transversely or at right angles to this hole g, for the passage of the
needle of the sewing machine, so that the eye of the needle being first
regulated by the screw f, the point of the needle coming against the inner face
of the screw head h, the eye of the needle can at all times be made to corre-
spond with the threading hole, as before described, when the instrument is
slipped off, passing the needle through the slot in the jaws in front of the
thread hole, it being made suitable to any sewing machine, rendering the
threading of the needle an easy task. This needle threader may also be used
for threading the common needle by stopping the passage of the needle by
inserting the needle head foremost down to the end of the spring stopper i,
when the eye of the needle will be found opposite the threading hole g,
adapting it thereby to the two purposes of sewing machine needles and ordinary
sewing needles.
The second improvement relates to what we term the hemmer or feller, and
is represented in Figure 3. The part a³, in which the spiral portion of steel is
turned up to the necessary curve as a guide for doubling over the cloth, is
affixed on to the pressure foot by the part be, being slid in between jaws in the
bottom of the pressure foot for that purpose; c² is a hole for the needle to pass
through on its way to the work; this part lays perfectly flat on the cloth and
parallel to the platform of the machine, and becomes the bottom of the
pressure foot, but the portion marked a² is bevelled to fit the bevel of the ridge
plate d, which in fact forms an inclined plane for the work to pass over where
the top of the ridge e² forms an edge for the convenience of doubling and
guiding the hem or fell of the cloth; this ridge plate is fastened on to the
body of the machine by means of two screws passing through the two
holes f and g³.
What we claim is,-
Firstly, the needle threader with the apparatus attached for adjusting and

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Victor de Stains and Thomas Rogers in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 8th August 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, VICTOR
DE STAINS, of Prospect House, Upper Street, Islington, in the Parish of Saint.
Mary's, and County of Middlesex, and THOMAS ROGERS, of No. 5, Mackenzie
Street,. Everton, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS. Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of February, in the year of our Lord,
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Victor de Stains and Thomas Rogers, Her special licence that
we, the said Victor de Stains and Thomas Rogers, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Victor de Stains
and Thomas Rogers, our 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. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SEWING AND STITCHING," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Victor de Stains and Thomas Rogers, 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 within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters.
Patent.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Victor de Stains and Thomas
Rogers, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 and the accompanying Drawings,
that is to say:
:
These improvements relate to two small instruments to be used on any.
ordinary sewing machine. The one instrument is for the purpose of threading.
the needle with great ease and facility by using a peculiarly formed needle
threader, so that it may be used and adapted to any machine and also to any
kind of needle. The other instrument is what is termed a hemmer and feller,

page_text: for felling and turning over double seams in any material to be so treated, but
more especially woollen goods, such as flannel, broad cloth, &c.
Figs. 1 and 2 are general perspective, and Figs. 3 and 4 are side and end
views of our improved needle threader, and consists of a piece of ivory, bone,
hardened catechu, or any material suitable for the body part of the instru-
ment.
a, a', is a slot cut and running longitudinally through to the hole b, the part c
beyond the hole being left to hold the two jaws d'and e together, so that it is
in some degree flexible and yielding at the point c, to allow the jaws to be
distended and compressed by the screw f, which screw is tapped into a collar
in the upper jaw d, and runs free in the lower jaw e. The thread hole g is
countersunk from each face of the block to the centre of the jaws, where there
is left a smaller hole cut transversely or at right angles to this hole g, for the
passage of the needle of the sewing machine, so that the eye of the needle
being first regulated by the screw f, the point of the needle coming against
the inner face of the screw head h, the eye of the needle can at all times be
made to correspond with the threading hole as before described, when the.
instrument is slipped off, passing the needle through the slot in the jaws in.
front of the thread hole, it being made suitable to any sewing machine,
rendering the threading of the needle an easy task.
Figs. 3 and 4 are side and end views of another form of " needle threader,"
similar in many respects to the one previously described. When it is required
to "thread" the needle i, it is passed downwards between the block and the
steel plate j, which is secured by the two pins K and K', and presses inwards
or towards the block, gripping the needle until, by means of the screw 1, the
adjusting plate m (which has at the point n any soft metallic or other substance
to prevent the point of the needle from being injured) the eye of the needle is
brought directly opposite the threading hole o, when the thread is passed
through it, and the "needle threader" withdrawn in the direction of the
arrow, the thread releasing itself through the gap way cut in the steel plate
at p. These needle threaders may also be used for threading the ordinary
sewing needle by inserting the needle head foremost down to the end of the
screw head h, when the eye will be found opposite the threading hole g,
adopting them thereby to the two purposes of sewing machine and ordinary
needles.
The second improvement relates to what we term the hemmer or
feller, and is represented in Fig. 5. The part a², in which the spiral portion
of steel is turned up to the necessary curve as a guide for doubling over the

page_text: clotb, is affixed on to the pressure foot by the part 62, being slid in between
jaws on the bottom of the pressure foot for that purpose; c is a hole for the
needle to pass through on its way to the work. This part lays perfectly flat
on the cloth and parallel to the platform of the machine, and becomes the
bottom of the pressure foot, but the portion marked a² is bevelled to fit the
bevel of the ridge plate d², which in fact forms an inclined plane for the work
to pass over, where the top of the ridge 2 forms an edge for the convenience
of doubling and guiding the "hem" or "fell" of the cloth. This ridge plate is
fastened on to the body of the machine by means of two screws passing through
the two holes f and g².
What we claim is,
Firstly, the needle threaders with the apparatus attached for adjusting and
adapting it to the eye of the needle of any sewing machine or ordinary sewing
needle, as fully described and shewn in the Drawings:
Secondly, the hemmer and feller with the ridge plate, as fully shewn in
the Drawings and described in this Specification.
In witness whereof, we, the said Victor de Stains and Thomas Rogers,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourth day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
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VICTOR DE STAINS