IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Wilding Sidgreaves, of Leeds, in the
County of York, Engineer, for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN
SEWING MACHINES."
"
Scaled the 28th April 1874, and dated the 29th October 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Wilding Sid-
greaves at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 29th October 1873.
I, THOMAS WILDING SIDGREAVES, of Leeds, in the County of York,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," to be as follows:→
.
་
This Invention relates to the construction of a sewing machine so
designed and arranged as to perform plain machine or "lock stitch, or
the sewing of two lines of such stitching parallel to cach other at onc
operation, also to produce the "herring bone" stitch and the button
hole stitch, or for braiding stitch.

page_text: if
The machine for these purposes comprises an ordinary bed plate and
standard carrying a horizontal shaft, on one end of which is the ordinary
driving or band pulley. On the other end of the said shaft is a disc.
A. pin affixed to the disc carries a "runner" or antifriction bowl, which
is received within a cam groove or race cut in a plate. To the plate is
attached a fork or clip, the latter being received between two collars on
the "needle bar" proper (but which in this machine is a shaft for pur-
poses herein-after described). The cam groove plate thus gives tho
necessary rising and falling motion to the needle shaft and to the
needles attached to the foot thereof. There are two needles so attached,
and when performing the ordinary or single line of stitches but onc
needle will be employed. When two lines of such stitches are desired
the two needles will be supplied with thread, the shuttle carrier being
provided with two shuttles.
When the "herring bone" stitch is required a pinion on a vertical
shaft driven from the first or main driving shaft imparts rotation to two
stud wheels, on which of each is a cam. These alternately act on the
runner of a disc attached to a second vertical shaft, and impart thereto a
partial rotation from right to left, or in opposite directions. This
motion is by segments. transmitted to a short horizontal shaft and pin,
thence by segment and pinion to the needle shaft, which is thus caused
to make a partial revolution, and so the threads carried by the two
needles are crossed on and secured to the fabric.
The button hole stitch is formed by means of the use of an additional
thread or
"master thread" working in conjunction with the threads
from the two needles and the two shuttles. The "master thread" is
passed through the eye of a curved instrument or carrier. The said
thread is also held by a hooked instrument, having reciprocatory and
lateral motion, which instrument carries the thread round the point of a
spring, and so the thread is held taut. On the descent of the needles,
one will be on the outside, the other on the inside of the loop formed
of the "master thread," and by the partial rotation of the needle shaft
the thread inside the loop of the master thread will on the next insertion
of the needles be on the outside of the loop, and so on at each and every
stitch.
These instruments are actuated by means of a disc on the vertical
shaft when braiding.

page_text: 5 SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Wilding Sidgreaves in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 29th April 1874.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent; bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, tho said Thomas Wilding Sidgreaves,
Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Wilding Sidgreaves, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas Wilding Sidgreaves, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Wilding Sidgreaves,
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 Wilding Sidgreaves, 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 and accompanying Sheet of Drawings
(that is to say):-
:
This Invention relates to the construction of a sewing machine so
designed and arranged as to perform plain machine or "lock stitch," or
the sewing of two lines of such stitching parallel to each other at one
operation, also to produce the "herring bone" stitch and the button hole
stitch, or for braiding stitch.
The machine for these purposes comprises an ordinary bed plate and
standard carrying a horizontal shaft, on one end of which is the ordinary
driving or band pulley. On the other end of said shaft is a disc.
A pin affixed to the disc carries a runner or antifriction bowl, which
is received within a cam groove or race cut in a plate. To the plate is
attached a fork or clip, the latter being received between two collars on
"
"

page_text: the needle bar proper (but which in this machine is a shaft for purposes
herein-after described). The cam groove plate thus gives the necessary.
rising and falling motion to the needle shaft and to the needles attached
to the foot thereof. There are two needles so attached, and when per-
forming the ordinary or single line of stitches one needle only will
be employed. When two lines of such stitches are desired the two
needles will be supplied with thread, the shuttle carrier being provided
with two shuttles.
-
When the "herring bone" stitch is required a pinion on a vertical
shaft driven from the first or main driving shaft imparts rotation to two
stud wheels, on each of which is a cam. These alternately act on the
thereto
runner of a disc attached to a second vertical shaft, and imparts
a partial revolution from right to left, or in opposite directions. This
motion is by segments transmitted to a short horizontal shaft, thence
by segment and pinion to the needle shaft, which is thus caused to make
a partial revolution, and so the threads carried by the two needles are
crossed on and secured to the fabric.
The "button hole." stitch is formed by means of the use of an addi-
tional thread or "master thread" working in conjunction with the
threads from the two needles and the two shuttles. The master thread
is passed through the eye of a curved, instrument or carrier. The said
thread is also held by a hooked instrument, having reciprocatory and
lateral motion, which instrument carries. the thread round the point of a
spring, and so the thread is held taut. On the descent of the needles,
one will be on the outside, the other on the inside of the loop formed..
of the "master thread," and by the partial rotation of the needle shaft
the thread inside the loop of the "master thread" will on the next
insertion of the needles be on the outside of the loop, and so on at each.
and every stitch...
These instruments are actuated by means of a disc on the vertical
shaft when braiding.
.. The cam groove plate for actuating the needle shaft is provided with
a guide incline for directing the rúnner when varying thicknesses of
fabric are being operated upon.
The loop or loops on the needle threads may be regulated by means of:
a screw adjustment passed through a forked lever connected with the
1
I

page_text: TIA TO TOMATT STUTTAT NTM SOTTOSD STAT HA la nun
needle shaft D³.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Wilding Sidgreaves, have
hercunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of March,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
Witness,
J. W. TASKER,
THOMAS WILDING SIDGREAVES. (L.s.)
Clerk to Tasker & Brierley,
Patent Agents,
Halifax, Bradford, & Blackburn.