IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Fowke, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SEWING MACHINES."
Sealed the 15th August 1873, and dated the 19th February 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Fowke at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th February 1873.
I, CHARLES FOWKE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," to be as follows, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in applying to sewing machines two shuttle
reel winders instead of one as usually employed; and I prefer to adapt
my improvements to hand machines provided with a driving wheel
capable of being made loose at will. The one winder may be detached
from the machine, and has an india-rubber friction ring on a pulley
actuated by the driving wheel which may be loosened from its other
'

page_text: working gear for such purpose. The second winder is a fixture to the
machine and is worked by gear pinions from the driving wheel.
By having two winders to each machine operators may use either as
preferred, or both at one time, and if one gets out of order, as in the
case of the india-rubber friction ring wearing out or being lost, the other
winder may be used; this is of importance in districts where it is
difficult to repair the machines.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Fowke in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th August 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
Fowke, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the 19th day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-sixth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Charles Fowke, Her special license that I, the
said Charles Fowke, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Charles Fowke, 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 Charles Fowke, 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 Charles Fowke, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :—
My Invention consists in applying to sewing machines two shuttle
reel winders instead of one as usually employed; and I prefer to adapt
my improvements to hand machines provided with a driving wheel
capable of being made loose at will.
The nature of my Invention will be better understood by referring to
the accompanying Drawing, which represents the back or driving portion
of a hand sewing machine fitted with two shuttle reel winders (a)
and (b):
The winder (a) may be detached from the machine when required by
releasing the screw set pin (c) which connects the arm (d) carrying the
winder (a) to the casting of the machine; the winder (a) has an india-
rubber friction ring (e) or a pulley actuated by the driving wheel (ƒ)
which may be loosened from its other working gear for such purpose.
The second winder (6) is a fixture to the machine and is worked by gear
pinions from the driving wheel (f).
By having two winders to each machine operators may use either as
preferred, or both at one time, and should one get out of order, as in the
case of the india-rubber fricton ring wearing out or being lost the other
winder may be used; this is of importance in districts where it is
difficult to repair the machines.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, I claim, the
application to sewing machines of two shuttle reel winders instead of
one as ordinarily employed, substantially in manner as herein more fully
set forth and specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Fowke, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
CHARLES FOWKE. (L.S.)