IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in
the County of Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of
Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SEWING MACHINES."-A communication from Samuel Comfort, junior, :
of Morrisville, Pennsylvania, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 10th September 1858, and dated the 14th April 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th April 1858.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North
Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention' for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," a communication from Samuel Comfort,
junior, of Morrisville, Pennsylvania, in the United States of America, to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in that class of sewing
machines wherein a locked or two-thread stitch is produced.
According to this Invention a lateral vibratory motion is imparted to the
needle arm and shuttle race in contrary directions by means of a rocking frame
actuated by a crank pin, and having its centre of vibration between the needle
arm and shuttle race, such centre coinciding with the surface of the cloth
table. An upward and downward motion is also imparted to the needle, which

page_text: is curved simultaneously with its lateral vibratory motion by means of suitably
arranged levers actuated by the same crank pin which gives motion to the
rocking frame. A discoidal shuttle is used, fitted into a concave shuttle race
which is carried by the lower portion of the rocking frame, retaining lips or
projections being fitted or formed at the top and bottom of the race, to prevent
the shuttle from rising or falling. An adjustable plate with suitable forked
projections is employed for retaining the shuttle in its proper position laterally
within the vibrating shuttle race, and it is also prevented from jumping in the
race by the action of a slight spring upon the thread spool, the same spring
-serving to maintain the spool within its shuttle or case. The feed motion is
Simparted to the cloth, by the lateral vibratory motion of the needle, the needle
being supported or sustained during that time by a groove or slot in the
shuttle race.
As the level of the cloth table is in a line with the centre of
vibration of the rocking frame, there is really no lateral motion of the needle
at that part which coincides with the level of the cloth table, and therefore
it is requisite to raise the cloth more or less above the table, according to
the length of stitch required. This is accomplished by using a vertically
adjustable angular roughened plate, upon which plate the cloth rests, and
through a perforation in which the needle passes, such plate being made to
_ascend or descend through a suitable opening in the cloth tables for the
purpose of regulating the length of the stitch. The bobbin containing the
needle thread is carried by the upper portion of the rocking frame, and its
thread, after passing through a suitable fixed guide eye passes down through
an eye in the end of the needle arm, thence downwards through a fixed eye,
whence it is brought upwards again and passed a second time through the eye
in the end of the needle arm from which it proceeds to the needle eye. By
thus conducting the thread two or more times through a guide eye in the end
of, the needle arm, the latter, when it rises, will carry with it the slack of the
needle thread, thus performing the operation or function of the ordinary
auxiliary lever used for that purpose in many sewing machines.
It will thus be seen that the object of the lateral vibratory motion of the
needle and shuttle race is to impart the requisite feed motion to the cloth, and
to enable the needle to pass its loop laterally across the shuttle, which always
_remains stationary, whilst its race, with the needle, moves to and fro beneath it.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th October 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,,
and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentle-
man, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John Henry
Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, tho
said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or 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 " IM-
PROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," a communication from Samuel Comfort,
junior, of Morrisville, Pennsylvania, in the United States of America, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describo
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 John Henry Johnson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
The said Invention relates to certain improvements in that class of sewing
machines wherein a locked or two-thread stitch is produced. According to
this Invention a lateral vibratory motion is imparted to the needle arm and
shuttle race in contrary directions by means of a rocking frame actuated by a
crank pin, and having its centre of vibration between the needle arm and
shuttle race, such centre connecting with the surface of the cloth table. An.
upward and downward motion is also imparted to the needle (which is curved).

page_text: simultaneously with its lateral vibratory motion by means of suitably arranged
levers actuated by the same crank pin which gives motion to the rocking
frame. A discoidal shuttle is used, fitted into a concave shuttle race, which is
carried by the lower portion of the rocking frame, retaining lips or projections
being fitted or formed at the top and bottom of the race to prevent the shuttle
from rising or falling. An adjustable plate with suitable forked projections
is employed for retaining the shuttle in its proper position laterally within
the vibrating shuttle race, and it is also prevented from jumping in the race
by the action of a slight spring upon the thread spool, the same spring serving
to maintain the spool within its shuttle or case.
The feed motion is imparted
to the cloth by the lateral vibratory motion of the needle, the needle being
supported or sustained during that time by a groove or slot in the shuttle
race. A's the level of the cloth table is in a line with the centre of vibration
of the rocking frame, thero is really no lateral motion of the needle at that
part which coincides with the level of the cloth table, and therefore it
is requisite to raise the cloth more or less above the table, according to:
the length of stitch required. This is accomplished by using a vertically
adjustable angular roughened plate, upon which plate the cloth rests, and
through a perforation in which the needle passes, such plate being made to
:ascend or descend through a suitable opening in the cloth table for the purpose
of regulating the length of the stitch. The bobbin containing the needle.
tliread is carried by the upper portion of the rocking frame, and its thread,.
after passing through suitable guide eyes, proceeds to the needle eye. It willi
thus be seen that the object of the lateral vibratory motion of the needle and:
shuttle race to impart the requisite feed motion to the cloth, and to enable the
needle to pass its loop laterally across the shuttle, which always remains
stationary, whilst its race with the needle moves to and fro beneath it.
And in. order that the said Invention may be properly understood, I shall
.now proceed to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall. refer. to the
-several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the same letters
of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the Figures.
Fig. 1 of the Drawings is a side view of my improved sewing machine.
drawn to a scale of one-half the actual size; Fig. 2 is an end view, looking in
the direction of the arrow 1 (Fig. 1); Fig. 3 is an end view, looking in the
direction of the arrow 2 (Fig. 1); Fig. 4 is a full-sized view of the front part.
of the rocking frame with its appendages, and a section of the shuttle race and
parts connected therewith; Fig. 5 is a detached plan of the shuttle race and
shuttle retainer; Fig. 6 is a section taken along the line 1, 2 (Fig. 4),
shewing an edge view of the shuttle; Fig. 7 is a section taken along the line

page_text: 3, 4 (Fig. 4), looking from the inside; Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of a device
for increasing or diminishing the tension of the needle thread; Fig. 9 is an
enlarged sectional plan (taking along the line 4, 5, in Fig. 10) of the lower
end of the needle guard, Fig. 10 being a side elevation of the same, and
Fig. 11 an inside view of Fig. 10; and A is the base or bed plate of the
machine, on which are secured the standards B and C. In the top of the
latter turns the driving shaft D, on one end of which is secured the driving
wheel E, and on the opposite end the crank F, the pin of which fits in a
slot a (Fig. 3), formed in the end of the rocking frame G. The crank pin also
fits into the forked end of the lever H, which moves in the slot a, and which
will be herein-after referred to. On the lower end of the rocking frame is a pro-
jection 6, in the top of which screws a stud, the point of the latter fitting into
a recess in the standard B. In the perpendicular portion of the rocking.
frame screws another stud, the point of which fits into a recess in a boss on
the standard C. A line drawn longitudinally through the centres of the two
studs corresponds with the centre line of vibration of the rocking frame, and
this line should be parallel with the centre line of the driving shaft, with the
surface of the cloth plate, and with that of the base plate. The upper end of
the rocking frame carries the lever H, the needle lever J, the spool c of
needle thread, and the thread guides. The lever H has its fulcrum at f, and
the end of its short arm is so connected to the needle arm J that one must
move simultaneously with the other. The needle arm J has its fulcrum at h
on a projecting arm g, which forms a part of the rocking frame, and the end
of the arm J is forked so as to fit accurately to, but slide freely in contact
with the curbed guard i, which also forms a part of the rocking frame. The
inside of the guard forms the segment of a circle, of which the pin h on the
projection g of the rocking frame is the centre. The needle a, attached to the
end of the arm J, is bent so as to coincide, or thereabouts; with the inside of
the guard i, in close proximity with which the needle operates. The lower
end of the guard i is hollowed out on the inside, and in the hollow is. a pro-
jection (2), (see Fig. 10), which touches or nearly touclies the needle, the
projection forming a pin, round which the needle thread may be passed and
retained a short distance from the needle, as best observed in the detached
views, Figs. 9, 10, and 11, for a purpose which will be apparent hereafter.
A spring arm (3), with an eye at the end for the passage of the needle, is
secured to the arm J, and to the rocking frame G is attached a stop (4), with
which the spring arm (3) comes in contact prior to the arrival of the needle
at its highest position; a stop (5), near the end of the needle arm, serving as a
limit to the downward movement of the spring arm. To the end of the lower

page_text: arm of the rocking frame G is secured a concave shuttle race K; L is a dis-
coidal shuttle, consisting of an exterior casing containing a spool p, which is
hung on a pin projecting from the bottom of the casing, the top platen of the
spool projecting slightly above the upper edge of the casing; M is a plate so
secured to a projection on the standard B as to be readily adjusted longi-
tudinally, and on the end of this plate are two projections 7, 1, so arranged with
regard to the shuttle that the latter can have but a slight lateral play in the
race. Under the retaining plate M is secured a spring q, the end of which
bears against the top plate n of the spool, for the double purpose of keeping
the spool within the casing and of preventing the shuttle from jumping in the
race. This spring is so slight, however, that the loop of the needle thread can
pass between it and the top of the shuttle without any undue friction being
imparted to the thread. A curved lip r, formed on the bottom of the race,
and a curved lip r on the top of the same, prevent the shuttle from rising or
falling. Down the middle of the concave shuttle race is cut a curved slot for
receiving the needle, which fits as closely to the sides of the slot as possible,.
the slot terminating at the top of the race in an inverted cone-shaped recess,
which serves to guide the descending needle to its proper position within the
slot should the said needle be slightly bent or sprung, or have a tendency to
deviate from its proper course. The needle when down assumes such a
position as regards the concave surface of the shuttle race as to insure the
loop of needle thread catching over the lower end of the shuttle prior to
passing entirely over the same. I is the cloth plate, so constructed as to be
readily removed and replaced in the following manner :-The back end has a
recess, the sides of which are dovetailed so as to slide horizontally on two dove-
tailed projections on the standard B, the vertical portions of the plate rests on
the base plate A, and slides on to dovetailed projections on the same, and is
furnished in front with a latch t, hung to a pin u, which screws into the plate,
the bottom of the latch when down fitting into a curved recess in the base
plate, from which the latch can be removed by simply turning it on one side,
thus allowing the cloth plate to be readily withdrawn from the machine. It
will be understood that this removal of the cloth plate can only take place
when the needle is raised.
The feeding mechanism illustrated in the enlarged views (Figures 4 and 7)
consists of an arm N, the upper end of which is bent at right angles, the bent
portion so fitting into an opening in the plate I that it can move to a limited
extent transversely with the machine, but can have no movement in a contrary
direction. The arm N is hung to the end of the the short arm of the bell-crank
lever P, which turns on a pin w, attached to the inside of the vertical portion S

page_text: of the plate I. The end of the long arm of the lever P has two projections
y and y', the former being straight, and the latter curved at the end, as repre-
sented in the Drawing; and between the projections is formed a slot for the
reception of a pin T, which projects from and is attached to the concave
shuttle race K; into a projection j on the lever P screws the adjustable wire k,
which bears with its point against the arm N, the top of which is notched or
serrated so as to present teeth for catching against the under side of the fabric.
Qis the pad lever or presser foot hung at the back end between the
standard C and bracket R, and furnished with a suitable spring. As the
opposite end of this pad lever or presser foot is formed in a similar manner to
that of ordinary pressure pads, and as it performs similar functions, a further
description of it here will be unnecessary. It will be sufficient to observe,
that by means of the cam lever V and lever U, which forms a part of the pad
lever, the end of the latter may be raised from the fabric or caused to press
upon the same at pleasure. A spindle W, caused to revolve by a band from
the driving wheel E, serves to receive the spool of the discoidal shuttle when
it requires replenishing with thread.
The apparatus which may be used for regulating the tension of the needle
thread consists of a plate (6,) (see Figure 8), arranged to project from and turn
in the side of the rocking frame. This plate has a series of angular pro-
jections and recesses, the projections on one side being opposite to the recesses
on the opposite side of the plate, the extreme end of which has a flange (7)
standing at right angles, or thereabouts, to the body of the plate, and in this
flange is an eye for the needle thread. This thread passes from the spool e
through an eye (8) on the rocking frame, thence to the plate (6), round which
it is lapped with one or more folds which rest in the angular recesses, thence
through the eye in the flange (7) of the plate, downwards through an eye in
the projection (9) on the end of the guard i, upwards through the eye of the
spring arm (3), thence through the eye (5) on the needle arm J, downwards
to the projection (2) at the bottom of the guard i, round which it is looped,
and finally passes through the eye of the needle to the fabric.
It will be observed, in reference. to Figure 6, that there is an opening in the
edge of the shuttle casing, and longitudinally across this opening a small rod z,
and also that there are small eyes m, in the casing on each end of the opening.
The shuttle thread passes from the spool p through one of the eyes m at one
end of the opening in the case, round the rod z, with more or less folds
according to the tension required, thence through another of the eyes m to the
fabric. On turning the driving shaft D a lateral vibratory motion will be
imparted to the rocking frame G, and consequently to the needle through the

page_text: action of the pin of the crank F on the sides of the slot a, and a simultaneous
vibratory motion, but in a different direction to that of the rocking frame, to
the needle and levers H and J, the action of the crank pin on the forked
end of the pin H. At the same time the shuttle race being below the centre
of vibration of the rocking frame, must have a lateral vibrating motion only,
and that in a contrary direction to that of the upper part of the frame. It
will now be seen that the concavity of the shuttle race must represent a portion
of a hollow sphere, the centre of which must be in the centre line of vibration
of the rocking frame, and that the upper surface of the cloth plate I'must
coincide, or rather be a little below the same centre of vibration of the rocking
frame, should it be intended to use an independent feed motion beyond that
which might be derived from the lateral vibration of the needle itself; if not,
then the surface of the cloth plate should be raised more or less above the
centre of vibration, when the feed would be wholly accomplished by the
needle. When the crank F is in the position shewn (in Figure 1,) the rocking
frame will be in à perpendicular position, and the needle at the limit of its
downward movement within the curved slot V of the shuttle race K. Before
the needle had quite arrived at this position, however, and as it was about
recovering its perpendicularity, it had passed its loop, by its lateral motion
partially over the shuttle, as seen in Figure 5. As the driving shaft continues
to turn the needle begins to rise, and at the same time by moving laterally
passes the loop across the shuttle, thereby interlocking the loop with the
shuttle thread, and drawing the interlocked threads towards the fabric, so that
when the needle has reached its highest point a tight lock stitch has been
produced. The needle then descends, passes through the fabric, and before it
reaches its lowest destination has again passed its loop partially over the
shuttle, when a repetition of the above described operations takes place. The
spring arm (3) serves the purpose of maintaining the needle thread tight
during the penetration of the needle into the fabric to the extent of the eye,
thus insuring an uniform tightness of the stitch and a regular seam.
the needle arrives at its highest position the arm (3) strikes the stop (4), and
is retained by the latter until the needle arm reaches its highest point. The
tension of the thread is thus momentarily released from the eye of the spring
arm, and the tightening of the stitch accomplished solely by the needle arm.
By placing the bent needle in juxtaposition with the guard i, it is evident
that any tendency which it may have to spring or break in penetrating the
fabric is obviated. In fact, such a stay does the guard afford to the curved
needle, that a thicker and tougher fabric can be more easily penetrated, and
with less liability to a detrimental effect on the needle, than if the latter were
Before

page_text: made straight, as in other sewing machines. It is desirable that the bent
needle should be always maintained as near to the inside of the guide as
possible during its movement. This desideratum is obtained by lapping the
needle thread round the projection (2) in the hollow at the lower end of the
guard before it passes through the eye of the needle; the tension of the
thread and the peculiar position of the projection (2) having a tendency to
draw the needle outwards, and cause it to bear against the inside of the guard.
The projection (2) also serves the purpose of guiding the thread in the groove
at the back of the needle, and thus prevents both threads from passing round
the shuttle. The plate (6), with its angular recesses and projections, affords a
simple and effective means of increasing or diminishing the tension of the
needle thread, as will be readily seen on reference to Fig. 8; for should
the operator turn the plate in the direction of the arrow, the thread would be
lapped with additional folds round the plate, these folds resting in the angular
recesses. Should the plate, however, be turned in the contrary direction, the
thread would become unwound, and the tension consequently diminished. The
advantages of the curved slot v, with its inverted conical termination; the
latter for guiding the needle to its proper position in the shuttle race, and the
former for retaining it there, will be apparent without further explanation.
When the parts which form the feeding device are in the position illustrated
in Fig. 7, the shuttle race is midway between the two extreme points of its
vibration. As the shuttle moves in the direction of the arrow, its pin T
bears against the projection y on the top of the long arm of the bell-crank
lever P, moving the latter in the same direction, and depressing the arm N
until its upper serrated surface is free from contact with the under side of the
fabric. On the reverse vibratory movement of the shuttle race, the pin T
bears against the straight portion of the projection y' on the top of the long
arm of the bell-crank lever, and moves it back towards its original position,
until the point of the wire k bears against the edge of the arm N, the serrated
surface of which has been raised until it is in contact with the under side of the
fabric. As the shuttle continues its reverse movement, the pin T continues
to move the lever P in a contrary direction to that indicated by the arrow, the
lever carrying with it the arm N and the fabric on the plate I to the distance
required by the desired length of the stitch.
The curved portion of the projection y' allows the shuttle with its pin to
terminate its movement without any further movement of the lever P. When
the shuttle again vibrates in the direction of the arrow, the lever P remains
stationary until the pin T strikes the projection y, when it again moves in the
direction of the arrow, depressing the arm N, as before. A spring o, attached

page_text: to the long arm of the lever P, and bearing with its point against the lower
end of the arm N, causes the latter to continue to bear against the point of
the wire k.
It will now be seen, without further description, that the required feed is
imparted to the fabric, and that the length of the stitch may be regulated by
screwing or unscrewing the wire k, so that its point may move the arm N
more or less towards the lever P. At Fig. 12 I have shewn the mode of
arranging the cloth plate when the lateral motion of the needle alone is
employed for imparting the feed to the cloth. It has been already observed.
that the upper surface of the cloth plate I, conincides with the centre of
vibration of the rocking frame, so that the needle at the part immediately
coinciding with this surface can have at no time during the movement of the
machine any lateral vibratory movement; but if the fabric be elevated more or
less above the centre of vibration of the rocking frame by raising the plate N
(Fig. 12), the lateral movement of the needle at this point must be imparted
to the fabric, and a longer or shorter stitch produced, according to the height
of the plate N.. Before the needle penetrates the fabric it has so nearly
reached the limit of its vibration that any further movement has no practical
effect as regards changing the position of the fabric. When the needle has
penetrated the fabric and entered the slot in the shuttle race, it commences its
reverse vibratory motion, and carries with it the fabric, through which the
needle begins to rise as it approaches the limit of its reverse vibration. As
the needle unsustained is scarcely sufficiently rigid to impart this movement
to the fabric, I have, as before remarked, made the curved slot in the shuttle
race but little wider than the needle is thick, and as the needle is never
out of the slot during the time the feed motion is imparted to the fabric, the
slot must act as a guide to the needle, and prevent it from being sprung
laterally.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself to
the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe or refer
to, as variations may be made therefrom without deviating from the principles
or main features of the said Invention; but what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general constructions, arrangements, and combinations of parts,
of sewing machines, as berein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of imparting a lateral vibratory motion to the

page_text: needle arm and shuttle race simultaneously in opposite directions by means of
a rocking or vibrating frame actuated by a crank pin, and having its centre of
vibration between the needle arm and the shuttle race, as herein-before
described.
Third, the system or mode of imparting to the needle an upward and
downward vibrating motion in combination with a lateral vibratory motion by
the means and for the purposes herein-before described.
Fourth, the imparting of the requisite feed motion to the fabric by the
lateral vibrating motion of the needle.
Fifth, the application and use of a vibrating concave shuttle race fitted with
upper and lower retaining lips in combination with a discoidal shuttle, as
herein-before described.
Sixth, the system or mode of retaining the shuttle in its place laterally by
means of a forked adjustable plate, as herein-before described.
Seventh, the application and use of a slight spring for maintaining the spool
of the shuttle within its casing, and preventing the shuttle itself from jumping
in its race, as herein-before described.
Eighth, the system or mode of sustaining the needle in a curved slot made
in the shuttle race during the time that the said needle is by its lateral
vibratory motion imparting the feed motion to the cloth, as herein-before
described.
Ninth, the system or mode of varying or regulating the length of stitch by
elevating the fabric more or less above the centre of vibration of the rocking
frame, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Thirteenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)