AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR SEWING AN OVERSEAM OR
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lee Boone and Edington Detrick, of San
Francisco, California, in the United States of America, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR SEWING AN OVERSEAM OR
A
"
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by John Lee Boone and John Edington
•
Detrick at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition and Declaration, on the 16th July 1875, pursuant to
the 9th Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, John
LEE BOONE and EDINGTON DETRICK, of San Francisco, California, in
the United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS we are in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
MACHINE FOR SEWING AN OVERSEAM OR OVERHAND STITCH," and have petitioned
Her Majesty to grant unto us, our cxccutors, administrators, and assigns,

page_text: Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Decla-
ration that we really believe ourselves to be the first and true Inventors
thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Lee Boone and Edington
Detrick, do hereby declare that the following Complete Specification, t
under our hands and scals, fully describes the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, that is to
say :—
Our Invention relates to an improved machine for sewing the stitch
which is known as the overseam stitch, in which a single thread is 1
carried through the edges of the material to be sewed together and then
passed around the edge so as to form a whipping or overhand stitch such
as is usually sewn by hand in the manufacture of bags, in binding sails
and tent cloths, in the manufacture of kid gloves, in joining strips of
carpet, and in many other kinds of work.
Our machine consists essentially of an independent needle operated
by punches in a groove which is formed in a vibrating frame.
1
A break in the frame opposite the cloth plate and edges of the material
to be sewed allows the frame to be moved forward until the needle in
passing across the break or space on its downward stroke or passage will 2
pass through the edges of the material to be sewed.
The punch drives the threaded needle downward through the material
and then returns, so as to leave the needle in the groove below the
material and cloth plate, and on the opposite side of the break or space
in the frame. The thread is then caught by two rotating friction wheels 2
or other device on the under side of the cloth plate, and drawn through
the cloth or fabric Meanwhile the frame moves back from the edge of
the cloth, so as to permit the lower punch to drive the needle up again
into the groove above the break or space in the frame, outside of the
edges of the material, ready for another forward movement of the frame a
and another downward movement of the needle; thus making a seam
similar to the overhand stitch. This frame can be operated either in a
vertical or horizontal manner.
'This machine can be constructed so as to omulov other a straight

page_text: in which the needle operates will be made to correspond with the
curve of the needle, and the punchies will also correspond to the shape
of the curve, so as to move freely back and forth in it. The entire frame
may be moved back and forth so as to allow the needle to pass alter-
nately in one direction through the edge of the goods, and outside of the
edge of the goods in the opposite direction, or one end of the frame can
be hinged or otherwise loosely secured to a shaft or fixed point, so that
its opposite end will vibrate back and forth in order to carry the needle
in and out of the goods.
•
The accompanying Drawings represent the machine as follows:-
Figure 1 is a sectional clevation showing general arrangement of a
sewing machine embodying our Invention; Figure 2, an end view of.
same; and Figures 3, 4, and 5, detached parts of same.
A represents a table of any suitable construction, such as is generally
used for sewing machines, B is an arm which supports and retains the
presser foot C in place, both of which can be constructed and applied in
any of the ordinary ways. Any desired feeding mechanism can be employed
for feeding the material to be sewed to the needle, although we have
represented in this instance an ordinary back-and-forth feed. Just back
of the presser foot we make an opening in the table top or cloth plate A
through which the needle carrying frame D operates. This frame can
be straight or curved according to the style of needle employed. In either
case the frame extends as far underneath the table A as it does above.
In a straight needle machine the lower end of this frame can be loosely
attached to a shaft or other support E as represented, so that its upper
end can vibrate back and forth about the shaft or other support as a
centre, or the entire frame can be moved back and forth for the purpose
herein-after mentioned.
The frame D consists of a metal bar, the front part of which is made
in two pieces of metal which are screwed together. At the middle
of the bar or frame D, opposite the front edge of the opening in the
plate or top A, we break away or remove a portion of the bar or frame
so that when the frame is moved forward the front edge of the opening
in the top A will enter the broken away portion.
'
>
Between the two pieces of metal which form the front edge of the bar
or frame D, both above and below the top or plate A, we make a groove e-

page_text: with a slot leading from the groove at one side as represented. If
a straight needle is to be used the groove will be straight, but if a
curved needle is to be used the groove will be curved to correspond
with it. The groove above the cloth plate or top is made exactly in line
with the groove below.
The needle which we use is of sufficient length to extend across the
break in the frame D, and still have a good entrance in either one or
both of the groves. The eye of the needle can be made at any desired
point, but we shall usually make it at or near the point of the needle.
This needle is moved up and down along the groove in the frame D by
means of two punches of drivers h, i, one of which moves in the groove
above the break while the other moves in the groove below the break.
These punches or drivers are connected through the slot & with a carrier
bar or frame j, one of said punches being attached to each end of the
bar, and this bar or frame is given an alternate up-and-down motion, so
as to cause the upper punch to force the needle down across the break
in the frame in one direction, while the lower punch forces it back in
the opposite direction The frame D is connected with a crank K on
the shaft L at the rear of the machine by a rod m, so that at each revo-
lution of the shaft L the frame D will be moved back and forth so as
to alternately cause the needle to be forced through the edges of the
material to be sewed in one direction, and back in the opposite direc-
tion outside of the edge of the goods or material, thus virtually carrying
the needle around in a circle and causing it to sew an overseam

page_text: The device for drawing the thread then catches it between the tension
and needle, and draws it through the tension finger and cloth, thus
making the stitch.
The device for drawing the thread through the cloth can be a hook q,
as represented, which is arranged to travel around the periphery of a
drum R, so as to draw the thread out around the drum, or two small
wheels can be arranged so as to receive the thread between their peri-
pheries, and pull the thread through by their rotation. Numerous
devices could be suggested for drawing the thread through the material,
but the above will suffice to show the manner of operation.
In operating this machine the threads to be used are cut off in lengths,
say, six, eight, or ten feet long. One end of the thread is then passed
through the eye of the needle and confined under the presser foot,
leaving the opposite end free. The edges of cloth to be sewed together
are then placed under the presser foot, and against the guiding plate S.
The machine then being set in operation the frame D moves forward so
as to carry the line of travel in which the needle moves over the edge
of the cloth. The upper punch then drives the needle down through
the cloth and returns, leaving the needle below the cloth plate. Simul-
taneously with the upward motion of the upper punch the frame Dis
withdrawn, and the lower punch forces the needle upward outside of the
edges of the cloth to be sewed. As the frame D is being withdrawn
the tension fingers grasp the thread and the draw hook catches the
thread between tension device and needle, and draws it through the
cloth. Thus the operation is repeated over and over again so as
to sew an overhand or overseam stitch similar to the hand sewed
overseam.

page_text: which is usually sowed with an overscam is of a coarse, thick, and
heavy quality, so that but few ordinary machines can sew it.
It will be noticed, however, that in this machine the neodle travels in
a groove and is operated by punches, so that it is almost impossible to
brake the needle, as it is supported at all points.
The principle involved in this machine can be applied in a number of
ways, and various devices can be used for rendering it operative, but the
principle of making an overseam stitch in this manner being new, wo
claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent,-
5,
First. The combination of an independent needle with punches or 1
drivers h, ², one of which serves to drive the needle in onc direction
while the other drives it in an opposite direction, substantially as above.
described.
Second. In combination with the independent needle operated by
the punchers or drivers h, 2', as above claimed, we claim the vibrating 1
or reciprocating needle carrying frame D, substantially as and for the
purpose above described.
Third. Operating an independent needlef in a groove or grooves by
means of a punch or punches, so as to alternately drive the needle
through the fabric to be sewed in one direction, and outside of it in the 2
opposite direction, substantially as specified.
Fourth. In combination with an independent needle operated by a
punch or punches h, i, as above specified, we claim the fingers or jaws
O, O, the grip of which can be regulated by a set screw or equivalent
regulating device for giving a tension to the free end of the thread, 2
substantially as above specified.
Fifth. In combination with an independent needle f operated by a
punch or punches 1, 2, we claim the rotating hook g arranged to draw
the thread through the cloth by drawing the bight around a drum R,
substantially as above described.
Sixth. A sewing machine for sewing an overseam stitch consisting of
an independent needle f operated by punches h, 2, in a groove formed
in a vibrating or reciprocating frame D, a tension device o, o, for
giving tension to the free end of the thread, and a device for

page_text: drawing the free end of the thread through the goods, substantially as
specified.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Lee Boone and Edington
Detrick, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Tenth day
of Junc, in the year of our Lord, A.D. One thousand cight
hundred and seventy-five.
0
Witnossos,
GEO. H. STRONG.
C. M. RICHARDSON.
JOHN LEE BOONE.
(L.S.)
EDINGTON DETRICK.
(L.S.)