Improvements in Hemstitch and Fancy Stitch Sewing Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Sept., 1895-Accepted, 30th Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hemstitch and Fancy Stitch Sewing Machines.
GEORGE BENSON of 48 and 50 Fountain Street, Belfast, Manufacturer, and
JAMES KERR of Dromore, Co. Down, Ireland, Mechanic do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our improvements consist in constructing a sewing machine with one or more
needles or piercers working from below the needle or cloth plate of the machine.
Assuming that only one needle is employed, this needle comes up through the
needle plate and pierces the fabric just before the top needle makes the stitch..
Our object is to open out the fabric and prepare it for the stitch, thereby making a
more perfect looking stitch, more even sewing, fewer imperfect stitches, and also to
make sewing easier for the operator.
The mechanism we employ is adapted to the machine known as the Benson
Hemstitch Machine, but it is understood that the mechanism for moving the
bottom needle can be modified to suit machines of other types employing rotary,
circular, vibratory, or oscillating shuttles working either laterally, vertically, or
horizontally.
100
Improvements in Hemstitch and Fancy Stitch Sewing Machines.
GEORGE BENSON of 48 and 50, Fountain Street Belfast Manufacturer and
JAMES KERR, of Dromore Co. Down Ireland Mechanic do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same. is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our improvements consist in constructing a sewing machine with one or more
needles or piercers working from below the needle or cloth plate of the machine.
Assuming that only one needle is employed, this needle comes up through the
needle plate and pierces the fabric just before the top needle makes the stitch.
Our object is to open out the fabric and prepare it for the stitch, thereby making
a more perfect looking stitch, more even sewing, fewer imperfect stitches, and also
to make sewing easier for the operator.
The mechanism we employ is adapted to the machine known as the Benson
Hemstitch Machine, but it is understood that the mechanism for moving the bottom
needle can be modified to suit machines of other types employing rotary, circular,
vibrating, or oscillating shuttles working either laterally, vertically or hori
zontally. To work the bottom needle or piercer we employ a rocking lever placed
on the base of the machine and at right angles to its arm. This rocking lever has
two arms. That at the back of the machine is worked by an ordinary grooved
time cam, such as is used for similar purposes on the Benson, Thomas and other
sewing machines. The other arm works vertically underneath the needle plate and
by using a swivel roller, a needle bar and a needle holder-the same as is used for
•

page_text: working the top needle the bottom needle or piercer is pushed into the cloth
while the top needle is coming down to make the stitch. By doing this a hole is
opened out in the cloth and an effect is produced similar to that produced by hem-
stitching after drawing threads out of the fabric of the cloth, technically known as
shire or thread drawn hemstitch.
When more than one needle or piercer is used working from the bottom needle
bar, the two needles are held by the ordinary needle clamp, either placed side by
side or oue in front of the other; according to the nature of the work required.
It is evident that we use only ordinary sewing machine mechanism and that
other means could be employed for other makes and styles of machines.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is―
.
The use of a needle or piercer working from below the needle plate of a sewing
machine and worked by a mechanism as already described or any other suitable
mechanism in order to open out the texture of the fabric to be stitched and thus
produce a better effect in hemstitching and other fancy stitchings.
Dated this 29th day of August 1895.
GEO. BENSON.
J.. KERR.