IMPROVE MENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Baldwin Woodruff, of Cheapside, in the
"City of London, Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE
MENTS IN SEWING MACHINES!".
Sealed the 10th April 1866, and dated the 13th October 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Baldwin Woodruff
)
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 13th October 1865.
I, GEORGE BALDWIN WOODRUFF, of Cheapside, in the City of London,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
My Invention of "Improvements in Sewing Machines" has for its object
the making of bags, sacks, working button holes, securing or joining
breadths of darpeting, and producing ornamental stitching for ornamenting
various fabrics.
In carrying out my Invention I prefer to make use of two threads, viz.,
a needle thread and a shuttle thread, as is well known, and my object
being to produce a zig-zag or angular stitch which shall pass over or
round the selvage. I effect this by means of a compound feed motion, in
which the work is moved laterally or sideways at the same time that it is
Price 8d.1

page_text: moved forward. The arrangement for producing this compound motion
consists mainly of a reciprocating bed plate, on which the work is sup-
ported while the sewing operation is proceeding. This bed plate carries
on its under side a bowl or pin which works in grooves in a cam wheel on
a shaft beneath. The upper part of the feeding bar lever or wheel to
which the feed points are attached projects up through an opening in the
reciprocating bed plate, and is capable of being moved sideways when the
bed plate is moved. It will now be understood that if a sideway motion
be given to the bed plate and feeding bar while the latter is feeding
forward the thread or stitch will be laid in an angular direction, and as the
next stitch will be laid in the opposite angular direction the stitches will be
arranged in zig-zag on the work. It will be obvious that other mechanical
arrangements may be employed for giving the lateral motion to the reci-
procating bed plate, for instance, a reciprocating lateral motion may be given
to the foot or presser, and communicated therefrom to the bed plate. For
this purpose the presser or foot lever must be mounted on a pin, fulcrum,
or sliding bar, which will receive motion from the driving shaft. The
zig-zag feed motion may also be produced without the reciprocating bed
plate by connecting the feeding bar, lever, or wheel to a vibrating
lever, which is actuated by a cam, crank, or excentric below the two
motions of the feeding bar being made to take place simultaneously.
As the feed is carried forward in a zig-zag direction the foot or presser
should be mounted above on a hinge or universal joint, so that it should
always move with the feeding bar. The simultaneous and harmonious
operation of the several parts may be still further ensured by con-
necting the presser or foot to the reciprocating feed bar or bed plate.
In order to regulate the length of stitch the vibrating levers or arms
which work the several parts should be mounted on adjustable pins or
fulcrums, which are capable of being moved along the levers so as to
lengthen or shorten their motions. The object of the Invention being to
produce a stitch which will pass over or round the edges of the work, the
tension of the two threads must be so adjusted that they will alternately
pull one another round, the result of which will be that the interlocking
points of the threads will be along the edge of the work.
A zig-zag stitch may be produced with one or two threads by adopting
the chain stitch and employing a looper, the compound motion of the feed
being arranged in the same manner as when two threads and a shuttle are
employed.
As a modification of the plans just described I sometimes propose to let

page_text: the feed motion be a simple forward motion, and cause the needle bar and
shuttle or needle bar and looper to move laterally while the onward feed
motion is proceeding. By this neaus I produce a zig-zag stitch precisely
as in the other arrangement. In order to hold and guide the work
properly under the needle I employ an adjustable guide, which is adapted
to the reciprocating bed plate, and is provided with pressing springs or
bars which will keep the work up to the guide bar.
I also propose for some kinds of work to employ a fixed guide plate or
bar, against which the two parts of the work are pressed by suitable
pressers or feet on each side of the guide bar, which will be placed between
the two edges which are to be connected together.
If it be desired to use the machine to produce straight stitches instead
of zig-zag work it will only be necessary to detach the reciprocating bed
plate from the parts which actuate it, so that it may remain stationary, and
then the machine will perform straight work of the ordinary kind.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Baldwin Woodruff in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 13th April 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
BALDWIN WOODRUFF, of Cheapside, in the City of London, Mechanical
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said George Baldwin Woodruff, Her special licence
that I, the said George Baldwin Woodruff, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Baldwin Woodruff,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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, au Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Baldwin Woodruff, my executors or

page_text: 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 George Baldwin Woodruff, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say)
This Invention relates to certain novel arrangements of sewing
machinery, whereby lines of zig-zag stitches may be produced, suitable
for making heavy bags and sacks and joining breadths of carpets. When,
however, the machinery is of more delicate structure it will serve for the
ornamenting of fabrics, the sewing of gloves with an over cast stitch, and
other analogous work.
In Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings I have shewn an arrange-
ment of needle and shuttle machine in which the work to be sewn is
moved diagonally forward by the combined action of a reciprocating plate,
which carries the work, and an ordinary four-motion feed plate. Fig. 1
shews the improved machine in side elevation, a portion of the bed plate
casting being broken away to shew the parts beneath; Fig. 2 is a plan
view of the bed plate, shewing the reciprocating plate and the fittings
connected therewith for holding the work and traversing it under the ver-.
tical needle; and Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same, the bed plate
casting being in section. The improvements are shewn as applied to the
well-known arrangement of Singer machine, the means therefore shewn
for operating the vertical needle and shuttle will require no special
explanation. On the extremity of the lower driving shaft A is mounted
loosely a double grooved cam B, the grooves b, 61, of which run parallel.
for the greater portion of their length and then diverge so as to cross each
other, as shewn at Fig. 1. This grooved cam. is made fast to the shaft A
by means of a latch a, hinged to the cam and capable of dropping into a.
notch cut in the end of the shaft, or of a plate fixed to the shaft, as shewn
at Fig. 3. The object of this contrivance is to enable the cam to be
thrown in and out of action at pleasure. In this grooved cam works an
oval pin c, which is connected by a swivel joint to a A-shaped guide piece
attached to the reciprocating plate C. As therefore the cam B is rotated.

page_text: it will give the requisite reciprocating motion to the plate C. The work
is held down on this plate (which is fitted with an adjustable guide plate c)
by the pressure of the presser bar D. But in order to prevent the presser
from offering an obstruction to the traverse of the fabric beneath it, I
transmit its pressure through a spring pressing plate c¹, which is attached
to the adjustable guide plate c, and moves with the traversing plate C.
The foot of the presser is fitted with a bowle d, which, while it imparts the
requisite amount of pressure to the spring plate c' to hold the work to the
plate C, will allow the plate to slide freely under it. A supplementary
guide is also fitted to the plate C, to hold the work in contact with the
adjustable guide. E is the feed plate for giving the forward motion to
the work. This plate fits into a slot formed to receive it in the plate C,
the slot being of just sufficient width to admit it, but long enough to allow
of the feed plate making its forward and backward motions. This feed
plate E receives its up-and-down and to-and-fro motions from a double
cam F, keyed to the shaft A, through a cranked bar E¹, to which is jointed
a cranked arm E2 that carries the feed plate E. This mode of coupling
the feed plate with the cranked bar is to leave it free to move with the reci-
procating plate. It will now be understood that the work being held down
on the plate C, and rotary motion being given to the cams B and F, it will
under the combined actions of the plate (reciprocated by the crossing of
the swivel pin c from the groove 6 to the groove 6', and vice versa,) and
the advance of the raised feed plate E be carried forward in a diagonal
course first to the right and then to the left of the vertical needle, causing
it thereby in its descent to pierce the work alternately in one of two
parallel lines, and thus to lay with the aid of the shuttle G zig-zag stitches
upon the face of the work. If the work be so arranged that the needle will
alteruately strike into and strike past the edge of the work the loops of the
threads will interlock along the edge of the work. In order to adjust the
length of the zig-zag stitch I may find it desirable in some cases to adopt
the arrangement shewn in elevation at Fig. 4, and in plan view at Figure 5,
for working the reciprocating plate. In this arrangement B is a single
grooved cam mounted loosely on a stud axle, and capable of being secured
thereto by a latch as before described, which receives motion through
gearing from the lower driving shaft. C is a vibrating lever carried at
one eud by a clip 1, which is connected by a swivel pin to an adjustable
This vibrating lever is fitted with a pin which enters
the groove of the cam B, and at its free end it is jointed to the A guide of
the plate C. This plate, therefore, depends, as in the first described
clamped bracket 2.

page_text: arrangement, upon the rotation of the cam B for its reciprocating motion,
but in this instance the motion may be increased or diminished at pleasure
by the shifting of the swivel clip and bracket so as to diminish or increase
the distance between the fulcrum of the lever C¹ and the pin in the cam
groove. If desired, the lever C may be connected to the feed bar for the
purpose of operating it.
I have above described the presser D, Sheet I., as fitted with an anti-
friction bowled to allow of the free movements of the reciprocating plate,
which serves to support and carry the work to make zig-zag stitches.
When, however, this bowle is not used I find it necessary to make the
presser bar depend from a swivel joint in order that it may be free to move
with the feed bar and reciprocating plate, and maintain its pressure so as
to keep the work steady. This arrangement is shown in Sheet II., where
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of so much of the zig-zag stitch sewing machine
as will serve to explain this part of my Invention, and Fig. 2 is a front or
end view of the same; D is the feed bar, formed with a foot as usual, and
pendent from a piece D' by a swivel joint. This piece D¹ is made fast by
adjustable screws to a saddle piece D2, which is secured to a guide bar D³,
and laps round the guide box and bears upon a cam D on the main
driving shaft. The rotation, therefore, of this shaft will cause the cam to
lift the presser foot once for every revolution. By this means the presser,
which is thrust out of the vertical by the traverse of the reciprocating
plate, is released from the work and allowed to return and take up a fresh
position ready for the next feed. A spring a¹, fixed to the piece D1 and
bearing on the bar D, serves to restore the bar to its normal position; the
presser foot is slotted as usual to allow the vertical ne edle to strike through
it, and to prevent the presser swaying laterally, and also to move it on its
swivel joint it is passed through a slot in a bracket guide D' fixed to the
reciprocating plate C, as shewn in plan view at Fig. 3. This slot is made
sufficiently long to allow of the forward movement of the presser, and it
serves as a stop to its return motion.
Another arrangement of machinery for zig-zag or herring-bone stitching
is shewn in Sheet III. In this machine I use the vibrating needle, and
with certain modifications the means for driving the same shewn and
described in the Specification of the Patent granted to Alfred Vincent
Newton, and bearing date Eighth September, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-four, No. 2196, with which I combine an oscillating
shuttle race for bringing the shuttle into position for taking up the loops
of the needle thread in the two different positions of the needle. Fig. 1 is

page_text: a side elevation of the improved machine, the table being in section to show
the parts beneath; Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the same, and Fig. 3
is a front elevation. A is the needle bar, jointed at top to the guide bar
A¹, which traverses up and down in the guide box B of the bracket arm
B¹, it being operated as is usual in Singer machines by a crank pin on the
end of the main driving shaft C, taking into a slotted plate A2, affixed to
the needle guide bar A¹. The lower end of this guide bar A¹ is forked
to receive the end of the needle bar A, and prevent it from moving
laterally, while it is free to swing upon its hinged joint, to shift from one
position to the other for piercing the work in one or other of two parallel
lines. This forward and backward motion the needle bar receives from a
rock lever D, having its fulcrum on the guide box. The lower end of
this rock lever is forked to embrace the needle bar, and its upper end is
fitted with an adjustable screw pin a, which is acted upon by a faced cam b
on the shaft C, it being pressed forward towards the cam by a spring c
bearing against the tail of the lever 1, and kept from constant contact
with the cam by the lever bearing against a stop d on the guide box B.
It will now be understood that as the raised part of the cam 6 comes in
contact with the adjustable pin a it will cause the lever D to rock and move
the needle bar forward. The return motion is obtained by the action of
the spring c. The use of this adjustable pin a and the fixed stop d are
very important, as they enable me to regulate the motion of the needle
relatively to the amount of vibration of the shuttle race, the necessity for
which regulation will presently be apparent. For traversing the work, an
ordinary four-motion under feed is use d, (E) being the feed plate actuated
by a double cam E¹ on the lower driving shaft F, which receives its
motion from the main shaft C through the ordinary Singer arrangement
of gear wheels. The shuttle race instead of being stationary, fitting as
heretofore in the bed of the machine, consists of a rectangular frame G,
hinged at one end to the bed of the machine, so that it may vibrate on a
fulcrum pin g. To the opposite end of the frame is jointed a bar G¹,
which slides in guides g*, and carries at its extremity a bowle g¹. This
bowle is by means of a spring 92 kept in contact with a face cain H, cast
with a spur wheel H', which gears into a pinion on the shaft F, and is
mounted on a stud axle. The rotation therefore of the cam H will, together
with the counteracting spring g², give the shuttle race the required
vibratory motion. I is the shuttle driver, which slides upon a bar G* of
the frame G, and which is connected by an arm an swivel joint K with
a liuk K'; this link is connected to a crank of the shaft F, and by the

page_text: It will
rotation of that shaft the shuttle driver is made to traverse to and fro on
the guide bar G* of the frame G, irrespective of the position that this
frame may be made to take by reason of the face cam H acting upon the
bowle connected to the reciprocating frame. The face of the shuttle race
is recessed to receive the stem of the needle as usual, and allow of the
nose of the shuttle L entering the loop of the needle thread, and M, Fig. 2,
is a screw for limiting the vibrating motion of the shuttle race.
now be understood why it is necessary that the movements of the needle
and shuttle race should exactly correspond, for without a means of
ensuring this the needle on its descent could not enter the recess made to
receive it, this is, however, ensured by the adjustinent above described.
When it is desired to use the machine for ordinary work, it is only
necessary to draw back the screw a out of reach of the cam b, and to
The needle bar
bring the screw g* to bear tightly upon the shuttle race.
will now no longer receive a rocking motion, and the shuttle race will
become stationary.
. The last part of my Invention relates to a novel construction of presser
to be used in conjunction with a fixed guide, for sewing together carpets
and other thick fabrics when brought edge to edge. This presser is shewn
To the lower end of
in elevation at Fig. 4, and in plan view at Fig. 5.
the guide box N two bent legs n are secured, one at either side thereof,
and to these legs are severally attached a flat plate or presser foot n¹. These
feet are inclined inwards, for the purpose of causing the parts of the work
to be sewn as they are moved forward to draw together. A guide O,
tapered off at its inner edge and fixed to the table of the machine, serves
to guide the edges of the carpet or other fabric that are to be joined with a
butt-joint seam in a line intermediate of the two lines in which the
vibrating needle pierces the fabric to make the zig-zag course
when the fabric is acted upon by the feed plate P.
of stitches
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in
Sewing Machines," and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim :-
First, the means described with reference to Sheet I. of the Drawings
purpose above
for giving the zig-zag traverse motion to the work for the
set forth.
Secondly, the means described with reference to Sheet II. of the
Drawings for operating the presser and making it follow the reciprocating
late

page_text: Thirdly, the combination of vibrating needle bar and vibrating shuttle
race with the means of adjusting relatively their vibrating motions, as
above described with reference to Sheet III.
Lastly, the construction of presser described with reference to Figures
and 5, Sheet III.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Baldwin Woodruff, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Thirteenth day of April, in the
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
year
and 5, Sheet III.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Baldwin Woodruff, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Thirteenth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
GEORGE BALDWIN WOODRUFF. (L.S.)