IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Frederick Thomas, of St. Martins le Grand,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATIONleft by the said William Frederick Thomas
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th March 1856.
I, WILLIAM FREDERICK THOMAS, of St. Martins le Grand, do hereby declare
the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," to be
as follows:
Partof the Invention has for its object the making of button holes and edge
For this purpose, the needle descends through the fabric, and is
fastened by the second thread, as heretofore. The needle then passes through
the opening or beyond the edge, and is fastened by the second thread; but in
the returning of the needle, the thread thereof is held open in the form of a
loop, in order that when the needle has again passed through the fabric, and
its thread has again been fastened by the second or back thread, the needle
may pass through the loop of its own thread, which was held at the time the
needle previously passed (down and up) through the hole or beyond the edge,
by which a purled or interlooped edge will be produced to the button or other
hole, or at the edge of the seam, and by holding the cut portions or edges of
the fabrics by clamping instruments the work mayin some cases be improved.
Another part of the Invention is for keeping the shuttle thread in proper
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page_text: tension, which is done by means of the end of a lever or instrument pressing
on the thread against the side of the shuttle, which pressure is relieved by a
cam or projection at the proper time, by which the thread at one time is pressed
and held against the shuttle or proper surface, and at other times is relieved
from that pressure.
Another part of the Invention is to facilitate the drawing off of the quantity
of the needle thread from the bobbin, with a view to accommodate for different
thicknesses of fabrics; for which purpose a self-acting apparatus is applied, by
which means the shoe, as it rises or falls by reason of its passing over the
different thicknesses of fabric which the needle has to pass through, acts by a
lever or interposed instrument to vary the length of thread drawn off, and in
like manner may the tension of the thread be varied.
Another part of the Invention relates to sewing tubular work, such as the
fingers and other parts of gloves and other articles. Where it is necessary that
the article may be able to slide or pass on to the narrow table or surface
(through which the needle works, and under which the shuttle or apparatus
which introduces the second thread is worked), a guide is applied, which is
formed with a double bend, or has two guiding surfaces to guide the two edges
of the material one under the other, which will be found very important when
sewing two edges of a tube one over or on the other, as by such means the
two edges can be guided accurately; or, in place of such guides, the edges may
bo clamped or held between clamping surfaces. And in machines made
suitable for sewing tubular work, the narrow table or surface through which
the needle works is in some cases arranged to be at right angles with the axis
on which the arm which carries the needle works, and the shuttle orapparatus
which introduces the second thread is put into action from one end of the
narrow table or surface. By this arrangement, the tubular work as it is pro-
duced, in place of moving towards the axis of motion of the arm (which
carries the needle), is caused to move in a direction at right angles to the arm.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed 3
by the said William Frederick Thomas, in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 27th September 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
FREDERICK THOMAS, of St. Martins le Grand, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 3
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Frederick Thomas, Her special licence that I, the said
William Frederick Thomas, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Frederick Thomas, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 William Frederick Thomas, 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 William Frederick Thomas, 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
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention is for keeping the shuttle thread in proper tension, which is
done by means of the end of a lever or instrument pressing on the thread
against the side of the shuttle, which pressure is relieved by a cam or pro-
jection at the proper time, by which the thread at one time is pressed and
held against the shuttle or proper surface, and at other times is relieved from
that pressure.
Another part of the Invention is to facilitate the drawing off of the quantity
of the needle thread from the bobbin with a view to accomodate for different
thicknesses of fabrics, for which purpose a self-acting apparatus is applied, by
which means the shoe, as it rises or falls by reason of its passing over the
different thicknesses of fabric which the needle has to pass through, acts by a
lever or interposed instrument to vary the length of thread drawn off, and in
like manner may the tension of the thread be varied.
Another part of the Invention relates to sewing tubular work, such as the
fingers and other parts of gloves and other articles. Where it is necessary that
the article may be able to slide or pass on to the narrow table or surface (through
which the needle works, and under which the shuttle or apparatus which intro-
duces the second thread is worked), a guide is applied, which is formed with a
double bend, or has two guiding surfaces to guide the two edges of the material

page_text: one under the other, which will be found very important when sewing two edges
of a tube one over or on the other, as by such means the two edges can be
guided accurately; or, in place of such guides, the edges may be clamped or
held between clamping surfaces. And in machines made suitable for sewing
tubular work, the narrow table or surface through which the needle works is in
some cases arranged to be at right angles with the axes on which the arm
which carries the needle works, and the shuttle or apparatus which introduces
the second thread is put into action from one end of the narrow table or
surface. By this arrangement, the tubular work as it is produced, in place of
moving towards the axis of motion of the arm (which carries the needle), is
caused to move in a direction at right angles to the arm.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I will now proceed to describe the same more fully, and
refer to the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING A.
Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a sewing machine, having the first part of
my improvements applied. A is an incline, formed on or affixed to the cam
wheel, which acts upon a screw B, carried by the lever C in such manner as
to cause it to turn on the centre D, and the end C¹ to descend upon the shuttle
or thread carrier, and thereby retain the thread during the tightening of the
needle thread; after which, the incline A having passed by the screw B of the
lever C, the pressure is removed therefrom, until the incline A again comes
round to act, as before, on the lever C. Figure 1 also shows another of my
improvements. E is the bobbin containing thread for the supply of the needle.
The thread passes through a guide F, carried by a lever G, which works on a
centre G¹,carried by the framing. The thread then passes through the guide H¹
of the lever H, which works on a centre H³, carried by the framing, then
through the guide I, and thence to the eye of the needle. The needle slide
carries a pin J, which when the slide rises carries up the lever H, thereby
causing thread to be drawn from the bobbin. And in order to regulate the
quantity thus drawn off, according to the thickness of the materials being sewn,
the lever G is acted upon by the mover or presser K of the work, so that
when it is raised, by passing over an additional thickness of material or
materials, the step or shoulder K' of the mover or presser K lifts the end G"
of the lever G, and causes the other end thereof carrying the guide F to
descend, by which a greater quantity of thread will be drawn off the bobbin E,
as will be readily seen by referring to the Drawing.
Another improvement, shown in Figure 1, is an arrangement, whereby the

page_text: rising of the mover or presser K is the means of regulating the delivery of
the thread from the bobbin, or it might be inade to regulate the tension of the
thread from the shuttle or other thread carrier. When an extra thickness of
material is placed beneath the mover or other instrument, a proportionate
increase of tension of the thread takes place. This is very desirable, and acts
in the following manner :-The rising of the upper end of the mover K or
other instrument pressing on the surface of the material being sown, acts upon
the end L' of the lever L, and causes it to turn on its contre L², carried by the
framing, and the spring M carried at its other end gives additional pressure

page_text: Fourthly, guides formed with two guiding surfaces to guide the two edges
of the material when making tubular work, such as the fingers of gloves.
Fifthly, the use of clamps for the same purpose.
Sixthly, the general arrangement and construction of the machine, shown
at Figures 2 and 3, for making tubular work.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Frederick Thomas, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
FRED HARRIS.
W. F. THOMAS, (L.S.)