IMPROVE- MENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Brigham Bishop, of Regent Street, in
the County of Middlesex, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."-Partly a communication from abroad
by George Henry Bishop, of Newport, State of Maine, in the United
States of America.
Sealed the 28th May 1875, and dated the 30th November 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Brigham Bishop
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th November 1874.
I, THOMAS BRIGHAM BISHOP, of Regent Street, in the Oounty of
Middlesex, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," partly my own Invention and
partly communicated to me from abroad by George Henry Bishop, of
Newport, State of Maine, in the United States of America, to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved arrangement of driving or fly
wheel for a sewing machine, such wheel acting as a fast and as a loose
wheel, and also as a break for preventing the machine being driven in

page_text: the wrong direction, without requiring any adjustment or manipalation
on the part of the operator.
According to this Invention I make an inclined recess circumferen-
tially in the surface of the shaft, and extending a short distance round
the said shaft. Within this recess there may be fitted a light blade
spring, and upon this spring is dropped a small metal roller, which is
left loose or free within the inclined recess. The loose driving wheel or
pulley is slipped on to the shaft and over the recess and roller, and when
driven in one direction it causes the roller to roll towards the shallow
part of the recess, and by a wedge-like action to lock or fasten the wheel
on its shaft. On turning the wheel in the opposite direction the roller
will be caused to roll by reason of its contact with the inside of the boss
of the wheel towards the deeper part of the recess, thereby leaving the
wheel loose or free to be rotated. If desired the recess may be made
inside the boss of the wheel itself in lieu of on the shaft.
One great advantage of this improved arrangement of loose driving or
fly wheel is the absence of all noise in working, and the dispensing with
all adjustment or manipulation on the part of the operator when changing
from a loose to a fast wheel, or vice versa.
If desired a small catch may be employed for the purpose of tem-
porarily locking the wheel with its shaft when it is found desirable to
turn the shaft in the wrong direction for the purpose of raising the
needle bar or lever.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Brigham Bishop in the Great Seal Patent 25
Office on the 28th May 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
BRIGHAM BISHOP, of Regent Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 30
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Brigham Bishop, Her

page_text: special licence that I, the said Thomas Brigham Bishop, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Brigham
Bishop, 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," partly my own Invention,
and partly a communication to me from abroad by George Henry Bishop,
of Newport, State of Maine, in the United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Brigham Bishop,
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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Brigham Bishop, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:
My said Invention relates to an improved arrangement of self-acting
stop or break to be applied to the driving or fly wheel of a sewing
machine, whereby such wheel is made to act as a fast and as a loose
wheel, and also as a break for preventing the machine being driven in
the wrong direction, the driving shaft itself being also provided with a
similar contrivance situate inside one of the bearings of the same, so that
when the driving wheel or pulley is fast the shaft is free, and when the
wheel or pulley is running free the shaft is locked, the said results being
obtained instanstancously in an entirely self-acting manner without
necessitating any adjustment or manipulation of the parts by the
operator.
According to my Invention I make a recess circumferentially in the
surface of the shaft, and extending a short distance round the said shaft,
the bottom of such recess being eccentric or inclined, so that it will

page_text: gradually deepen from one end to the other. The length of the said
recess should be such as to include the boss of the fly wheel or driving
pulley, as well as the adjoining bearing of the driving shaft, or if pre-
ferred separate recesses may be provided for each. Within this recess
at the deeper part thereof there is fitted a light curved blade spring, and
upon or against the face of this spring I place two pieces of ordinary
round wire, forming metal rollers, which are left loose or free within the
recess. The spring may be made long enough to extend the entire
length of the recess, passing through the wheel boss and fixed bearing,
or it may be made in two parts, one for the bearing, and the other for
the boss, but the rollers must be separate and have an independent
action, the one operating against the wheel boss, and the other against
the fixed bearing. The loose driving wheel or pulley is slipped on to
the shaft and over the recess containing the spring and rollers, and
when driven in the proper direction for working the machine it causes
the roller, which is always kept up to its work or ready for instantaneous
action by the pressure of the spring against it, to roll towards the shallow
part of the recess, and by a wedge-like action to lock or fasten the wheel
on its shaft, the consequent rotation of the shaft causing the second
roller inside the bearing to roll to the deeper part of the recess, thus
leaving the shaft free. On turning the wheel or pulley in the wrong or
reverse direction the roller which is within the wheel boss will be caused
to roll towards the deeper part of the recess, and to press against the
spring, thereby leaving the wheel loose or free to be rotated, whilst the
other roller within the bearing maintains the shaft locked as regards
any rotation thereof in the wrong direction. If desired the recess
may be made inside the boss of the wheel itself and inside the
bearing in lieu of on the shaft, but I prefer the arrangement I have
described.
One great advantage of this improved arrangement of loose driving or
fly wheel is the absence of all noise in working, and the dispensing with
all adjustment or manipulation on the part of the operator when changing
from a loose to a fast wheel, or vice versa.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the explanatory Sheet of
Drawings hereunto annexed, the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the Figures.

page_text: Figure 1 or my Drawings represents an enlarged end elevation or a
driving shaft fitted or provided with my said improvements.
Figure 2 is a corresponding side elevation of so much of the said shaft
as suffices to illustrate my Invention.
Figure 3 is a full sized sectional elevation of a portion of a sewing
machine showing the application of my Invention to the driving wheel
and shaft.
And Figure 4 is a corresponding end elevation of the shaft, with the
fast and loose driving wheel mounted thereon.
A is the driving shaft; B, one of its bearings; C, the driving wheel; and
D, the needle cam fast on the driving shaft; a is the gradually deepening
recess (here shown as made in the surface of the shaft), and extending
longitudinally thereon a sufficient distance to pass through the bearing B
as well as the boss 6 of the driving wheel; c is a curved blade spring
situate in the deepest part of the recess, and bearing against the side
thereof, such spring being of about the same length as the recess; d, d¹,
are two small rollers formed by preference of two short lengths of wire,
which are inserted into the recess, and deposited upon or against the
curved spring; e is a screw with enlarged head, which is screwed into
the end of the shaft after the wheel has been placed thereon, the head
serving to prevent the wheel from slipping off. On turning the wheel
in the direction of the full line arrow, the roller & inside the wheel boss
being always pressed forward by the spring when not otherwise acted
upon, instantly tightens the wheel on the shaft by rolling towards the
shallow part of the recess, thus allowing the shaft to be at once carried
round in the same direction, the roller d' within the bearing B being by
the said motion of the shaft kept pressed against its blade spring. On
turning the wheel in the direction of the dotted arrow the roller & will
be forced against the spring, whilst the roller d' inside the bearing will
by the pressure of the spring be instantly brought into play, and will
effectually lock the shaft without any back lash, thus rendering it
impossible to turn the shaft A to the slightest extent in the wrong
direction.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or

page_text: be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me
by the herein-before in part récited Letters Patent is,―
First. The peculiar combination of the spring with the roller or rollers
and the gradually deepening recess when arranged to operate together,
so as to produce instantaneous action, substantially as and for the purpose
herein-before described.
Second. The combination of the peculiar arrangement of spring,
roller, and recess comprised within the beariing of a sewing machine
shaft, with a like combination of parts comprised within the boss of the
driving wheel when arranged to operate together, substantially as and
for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whercof, I, the said Thomas Brigham Bishop, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of May, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
fize
T. BRIGHAM BISHOP. (L.S.)
Witness,
EDWIN P. ALEXANDER,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
14, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane,
W.C.