IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William John Cunningham, of Everett Terrace,
Victoria Dock Road, in the County of Essex, Outfitter, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."
Sealed the 30th December 1862, and dated the 4th July 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William John Cunningham
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition; on
the 4th July 1862.
I, WILLIAM JOHN CUNNINGHAM, of Everett Terrace, Victoria Dock Road,
in the County, of Essex, Outfitter, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention bas for its object improvements in sewing machines, and is
applicable to those classes; of sewing machines wherein two threads are used;
one above and the other below the work, and the improvements, are especially
directed to the working of button and other holes. For these purposes an
instrument, which is by preference to be forked at its end, is applied to a
sewing machine, and is actuated in such manner that previous to the needle,
which is above, the work, entering the fabric, the end of the instrument.is
raised through the hole, and carries with it on its upper surface part of the
shuttle or under thread, and having done so the end of the instrument is
moved a distance over the edge of the hole, so that the point of the needle as:
it descends into, the work near the edge of the hole may be beyond the part

page_text: of the under or shuttle thread, which has been raised by the forked end of the
instrument above and over the edge of the fabric, by which means that portion
of the shuttle or under thread which has been so brought to the upper surface
of the work will be retained by the needle thread from going back, when the
forked end of the instrument has been withdrawn from the hole in order that
the instrument may again get into position to again raise another portion of
the shuttle or under thread through the hole and over the edge of the fabric.
When the needle thread has been passed through the work near the edge of
the hole and has formed a loop, the shuttle or under thread is passed through
such loop of the needle thread in the manner of performing ordinary stitching
by the machine. It will thus be seen that the edge of a hole is-bound by
parts of the shuttle or under thread being in succession carried through the
hole and on to the upper surface of the work by the instrument before each
time of the passing of the needle thread through the fabric. In order to give
strength to the edges of the hole, worked as above explained, a strengthening
thread or "bar thread" is introduced by a guide, the eye or end of which
comes above the work and conducts such thread into a position to be bound
in at the edges of the hole by the working of the needle thread and the shuttle
or under thread, in the manner above explained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William John Cunningham in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd January 1863.
. TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
JOHN CUNNINGHAM, of Everett Terrace, Victoria Dock Road, in the County of
Essex, Outfitter, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in, the twenty-sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William John Cunningham, Her special licence that I, the said William Johns
Cunningham, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William John Cunningham, 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 "IMPROVE

page_text: MENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William John Cunningham, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, 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 I, the said William John Cunningham, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to:
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the.
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
'
This Invention has for its object improvements in sewing machines, and is
applicable to those classes of sewing machines wherein two threads are used,'
one above and the other below the work, and the improvements are especially
directed to the working of button and other holes. For these purposes an:
instrument, which is by preference to be forked at its end, is applied to a
sewing machine, and is actuated in such manner that previous to the needle
which is above the work entering the fabric the end of the instrument is raised:
through the hole, and carries with it on its upper surface part of the shuttle
or under thread, and having done so the end of the instrument is moved a
distance over the edge of the hole, so that the point of the needle as it
descends into the work near the edge of the hole may be beyond the part of
the under or shuttle thread which has been raised by the forked end of the
instrument above and over the edge of the fabric, by which means that portion
of the shuttle or under thread which has been so brought to the upper surface
of the work will be retained by the needle thread from going back when the
forked end of the instrument has been withdrawn from the hole in order that
the instrument may again get into position to again raise another portion of
the shuttle or under thread through the hole and over the edge of the fabric.
When the needle thread has been passed through the work near the edge of
the hole and has formed a loop, the shuttle or under thread is passed through
such loop of the needle thread in the manner of performing ordinary stitching
by the machine. It will thus be seen that the edge of a hole is bound by
parts of the shuttle or under thread being in succession carried through the
hole and on to the upper surface of the work by the instrument before each
time of the passing of the needle thread through the fabric. In order to give
strength to the edges of a hole, worked as above explained, a strengthening
thread or "bar thread" is introduced by a guide, the eye or end of which
comes above the work and conducts such thread into a position to be bound

page_text: shuttle or under thread, in the manner above explained.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS...
Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section. of part of an ordinary sewing machine,
wherein the under thread is carried by a shuttle,, and the work is moved pro-
gressively onwards by the rotation of a wheel with points thereon, as has
beretofore being the case in some sewing machines;; but the arrangement and
construction of the sewing machine employed when carrying out my Invention
may be varied. Figure 2 shows a plan of part of the upper surface of the
table of the sewing machine; the limb of the presser being shown in section;
Figure 3 shows three views of the instrument (with the axis on which it is
arranged to move), by which the under thread is taken hold of and raised
above the edge of the work, and by which such under thread is then moved
into position above the upper surface of the work, so that the needle, in de-
scending through the work, may pass between the edge of the work and the
bent portion of the under thread, which has been brought up and passed over
the edge of the work by the instrument; Figure 4, shows a plan, an edge
view; an under side view, and a longitudinal section of the slide and parts con-
nected therewith, by which it carries the forked instrument, shown in this and
the previous Figure; Figure 5 shows a plan, an edge view, and an under side
view of the slide separate from the instrument; Figure 6 shows a bent plate,
which has on its under side a pin or projection, and at its end a fork or
notch to receive a pin or projection on the under side of the slide which carries
the instrument; Figure 7 shows the under connecting piece which, by its
turned up end receives and supports the axis of the forked instrument before
mentioned; Figure 8 shews three views of the slide by which the shuttle is
actuated, having slots therein suitable for giving the proper motions to the
forked instrument; Figure 9 shews a covering plate, having guides on its
under side to receive and guide the slide of the forked instrument; Figure 10
shews an under side view and side elevation of the presser; Figure 11 shows
too views of the shuttle: In each of these Figures, and those hereafter re-
ferred to, the same letters of reference are used to indicate the same parts.
a is the shuttle which carries the under thread; this shuttle is arranged
somewhat differently to ordinary shuttles in order that the forked instrument c
on the slide b, may take the thread with more certainty and raise it over the
edge of the work, so as to bring it into position on the upper surface of the

page_text: work, to admit of the needle d passing down through the work, in a position
between the part of the thread so brought up and the edge of the work, over
which the under thread has been raised by the instrument c. This instrument
c is fixed by a set screw in the boss e, which is formed on the axis e', and there
is play or space between the ends of the boss e and the upper bearings 6', 6',
formed at the end of the slide 6, and such is also the case in respect to the
under bearings formed on the connecting piece f. Between the connecting
piece f and the under side of the slide b, is a bent plate g, which is formed
with a notch or fork for the passage of the pin or projection 6², fixed on the
under side of the slide b. The plate g has also a pin g or projection on it's
under side, which passes through a slot in the connecting piece f, which is
recessed on its upper surface to receive the bent plate g. The bent part of
the plate g is received into a groove or recess formed on the under side of the
boss, so that the instrument c can be caused to move on its axis, when the
slide 6 is moved by reason of the pins 62 and g¹, being in and acted on or
governed by the two slots in the sliding plate h, by which the shuttle is moved
to and fro. "The action of these parts will be such that when the instrument c
is moved under the edge of the work it will be caused to incline downwards;
but when the instrument is moved back, carrying with it part of the under
thread, it will when beyond the edge of the work be caused to rise and incline
upwards, so that when the slide is again moved the end of the instrument c
will pass over the edge of the work, and bring the part of the under thread
which is in the fork into such position that the needle in passing down will be
between the thread so brought up, and the edge of the work over which such
part of the under thread has been raised, then the instrument c will be moved
back with its slide b, and will, when it comes again to the edge of the work,
be caused to incline downwards, so as again to take hold of another part of
the under thread. The slide 6 moves below the covering plate i, the form of
which is clearly shewn in the Drawings, and the slide 6 is guided by the
parallel guides, formed on the under side of such covering plate. The
presser plate ; simply presses on the work, and the work is moved by the
wheel k, which is provided with points, as is well understood. The work is,
as heretofore, guided by hand as it is moved stitch by stitch by the wheel k.
The presser platej is made with a notch for the passage of the needle, and it
is formed with two holes for receiving the "bar" thread m, the end of which
at starting is threaded through both the holes, so that the "bar" thread will
lie across the notch through which the needle passes, whilst the end of the
thread will be pressed on between the work and the under surface of the
presser plate till such end of the "bar" thread will be drawn out of one of

page_text: the holes in the presser plate, and the "bar" thread will be continually
drawn through the other hole in the presser plate as the work progresses, and
the "bar" thread will be enclosed betwen the edge of the work and the parts
of the under thread, which are from time to time brought to the upper surface
of the work by the instrument c. The shuttle or sliding plate h is moved by
the crank pin n on the axis o in the usual way.
In Figures 1 and 2 the parts are shown in the position when the instru
ment c has taken hold of part of the under thread, and has brought it to the
edge of the work, and is about to be moved over the edge of the work so as to
bring it into a position over the upper surface of the work in order that the
needle may pass between such part of the under thread and the edge of the
work. In Figures 1, 2, the parts are shown in the positions they assume
when the instrument c has been moved over the upper surface of the work,
and has brought the part of the under thread into the proper position to
allow of the descent of the needle between the part of the under thread so
brought up and the edge of the work. Figures 1b, 2b, shew the parts in the
positions they assume when the instrument c has been moved back away from
the part of the under thread which it last brought, up, and which is now secured
in position by the needle which has descended through the work between such
part of the under thread and the edge of the work.. Figures 1° and 2°, show the
parts in the positions they are caused to assume when the instrument c has
been again moved to take hold of the under thread. It will be seen by
reference to Figure 2, that the instrument c has been caused to move in the
direction of its axis nearer to the shuttle, and between it and the needle d, in
order to facilitate its correctly taking hold of the under or shuttle thread, and
this movement has been effected by the projection ' on the shuttle slide h in
its motion coming in contact with the enlargement e on the axis e¹ of the
instrument c.. When the instrument c has taken hold of the under or shuttle
thread, and again moves forward to place such thread in position to be bound
in by the thread carried by the needle d, the axis e' is caused to slide in the
opposite direction, and to assume t the position shewn by Figures 2, 2ª, and 2b,
by its coming in contact with the incline formed on or affixed to the
covering plate i. In the arrangement shown the shuttle is made with a
slot a' through its upper surface, through which the under thread carried by
the shuttle passes; by this means the under thread is caused to assume such
angle between the work and the shuttle as to facilitate the fork or notch of
the instrument c taking hold of the under thread with more certainty. These
improvements are peculiarly suited to the working round or binding button
and other holes with or without "bar" threads; but if desired the same
2.

page_text: stitch is capable of being used at the edge of work, or the work may be folded
and the stitches applied for any length along the folded edge, in which case I
employ a straight edge or guide, Figure 12, fixed in the position shown by
red lines in Figure 2, against which the edge of the work would be guided.
I would state that when applying my improvements to other forms or
arrangements of sewing machines, suitable modifications of the parts herein
described will have to be made, which a machinist acquainted with sewing
machines will readily make in such machines and in the mechanical parts
employed in carrying out my Invention.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to
the mechanical parts separately, nor to I confine my Invention to the details
herein shown and described; but what I clain is the mode herein described
of combining a suitable instrument c and parts connected therewith for
making a button hole stitch, and for applying a "bar" thread, as herein
explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said William John Cunningham, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
W. J. CUNNINGHAM. (L.S.)