IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Hook, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Trade Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF SEWING MACHINES."
Scaled the 19th January 1875, and dated the 21st July 1874:*
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Hook at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st July 1874.
IM-
I, THOMAS HOOK, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Trade
Manager, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
PROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF SEWING MACHINES," to be as follows
(that is to say):-
1.
The special character of my Invention consists in the use of two
needles working alternate or simultaneous with either a "lock" or
"tambour" stitch, without restricting myself to the particular character

page_text: or class of machine with which I connect my improvements, but believe
they are best suited for the combination known as the "Howe"
machine or the " Singer's machine", or other combinations, and will
describe my Invention as (by preference), for the needles to work with
a combined needle bar and action, and so also the action of the shuttles,
either to work with one action in a double race or be put in motion.
by a reciprocating arm.
.
By these improvements I am enabled to produce double lines or rows
of stitches just as economically as single rows are now produced, with
the advantage that each row of stitching is perfectly parallel with each
other, the width of the stitching being regulated as described, and
stitched in the straight way and regular lines, according to the purpose
for which such kind of double stitching may be required. And in like
manner the thread may be varied in quality or color.
filed by the said Thomas Hook in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st January 1875. ..
TO ALL TO. WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
Hooк, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Trade Manager,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
cighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Hook, Her special license that
I, the said Thomas Hook, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or.
such others as I, the said Thomas Hook, 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 CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS
"
"

page_text: OF SEWING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Thomas Hook, 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 Thomas Hook, 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 (that is to say) :-
"
The special character of my Invention consists in the use of two
needles working alternately or simultaneously, with either a "lock" or
"tambour" stitch, without restricting myself to the particular character
or class of machine with which I connect my improvements, but believe
they are best suited for the combination known as the "Howe or the
"Singer's" machine or other combinations, and will describe my
Invention as (by preference) for the needles to work with a combined
needle bar and action, and so also the action of the shuttles, either to
work with one action in a double race or to be put in motion by a
reciprocating arm.
By these improvements I am enabled to produce double lines or
rows of stitching just as economically as single rows are now produced,
with the advantage that the rows of stitching are perfectly parallel with
each other, the width of the stitching being regulated as desired, and
stitched in straight or in regular or irregular curved lines, according to
the purpose or use for which such kind of double stitched work may be
applicable or required. And in like manner also the thread may be
varied in quality and colour as desired.
In further describing my Invention and the various modes by which
the same may be adapted to and combined with the different mechanical
systems characterized generally, by the names of original inventors or
manufacturers, such as the "Howe," the "Thomas," the "Singer," the
"Wheeler and Wilson," and others, either of which admit of the use of

page_text: two needles with combined shuttle race to give effect to my Invention;
and modes of altering the direction of the needles and adjusting or
regulating the distance between them, which also defines the distance of 1
the rows of stitching produced by my improvements, which I will
further describe aided by the Drawings hereunto annexed, in which I
have avoided elaboration, knowing that a mechanist of good skill will
readily understand, and be capable of applying my improvements to
other systems and combinations of sewing machines not therein exhibited,
but as a matter of convenience I have adopted the system known as the
"Thomas" modified and adanted for receiving my improvements.

page_text: small screw passing through its centre marked f. This guide plate e is
shown detached at Fig. 5.
When it is desirable that the needles secured to the needle bar
should work diagonally (that is, one in advance of the other), I remove
the guide plate e (Figure 5) and substitute the guide plate 9, which
may be used with either edge upward, and will have the effect of
requiring the set screw f to be turned either to the left or right of the
centre line, according to the needle we wish to place in an advanced
position, still using the same hole in which the said screw works when
placed centrally as at Figure 1.
Fig. 6 represents a transverse section of the needle bar in which
I have exhibited at the meeting of the parts clipping the needles
dark dots as showing the position in which the needles may be placed,
either close, as at Figure 1, or further asunder from the centre,. as
may be required, for which I have herein-after made provision. The
position of the needles in this Figure. will place them obliquely to their
work, as the needle bar is placed askew by the use of the guide plate g
(shown detached at Fig. 7) with the same holes standing in position
to be secured by the screw that the needles and bar may work obliquely.
up and down between the guides E, E.
+
Having described the combined needles and bar, and their attendant
parts as adapted and arranged with what is technically known as the
"Thomas" system (as before stated), I will continue the description.
to the lower portions of the machine effecting my Invention, namely,
the back lever, Fig. 2, that actuates the shuttles, which lever is
marked H, principally shown in dotted lines, working on the fulcrum I,
and enclosed in a recess marked F. This part F forms in its con-
tinuity the general body of the machine, and not only is it connected
with the arm A, Figure 1, but it is also connected with the hollow'
frame or recess in which the combined shuttle race is set and adjusted
conveniently for working, and easy for setting and controling. This
I purpose to effect by means of latteral set screws passing through.
luggs marked h, h, and k, k, cast with the base, and arranged parallel
for receiving the two combined shuttle races marked respectively J and K,
held in their adjusted position by latteral thumbscrews, as shown at l, m,
Fig. 8, which is an end view of the main casting of this part marked. F,

page_text: •
and the respective shuttle races J and K. The divisional line 2 shows
where they come together as held by the set screws 7, m, as before
stated.
Into each separate shuttle race shuttle carriers are inserted marked
o, p, the latter figure being represented detached, and slightly modified
at Fig. 9. These shuttle carriers work in the parallel angular recesses
clearly shown at q and r, Figure 8. These shuttle carriers terminate
with guide rolls marked tand.u, with a V groove on their peripheries
which work along corresponding parallel A races in the bed, as at v, w:
The carriers are further connected to the projecting arms x, y, of the
connecting link L, which may be further assisted in its reciprocating
action by the guide roller z, and connected with the lever H, which,
like the lever B, is united by a loose rectangular part fitted on the
pin a to compensate for the curved motion made by the end of the
lever from its working on the fulcrum I, thus a parallel action is
imparted to the shuttle carriers, which shuttles are represented in
position marked M and N. The small rectangular division in the
meeting of the shuttle races marked b' and c¹ are for the needles to
pass down in the course of working. The thickness of those two
divisional plates (of the shuttle races) corresponds with the outside
distance of the two needles, the eyes of which are of course at right
angles with the race, and therefore not shown at Figure 1. The
position of the respective shuttle races here shown is adjusted for the
needles to work parallel by passing through the holes d¹ and e¹,
Fig. 10, which is a detachable plate for covering over the back end.
of the shuttle races, in which plate the hole piece P is made detachable
by sliding in V grooves, in order that it may. be drawn out and
replaced by O, Fig. 11, in which the holes are placed diagonally that:
the left-hand needle may be used in advance of the right, or by the
detachable plate Q; Fig. 12, in which the direction of the holes would
require the right-hand needle to be in advance, the one or the other
being effected by the use or position of the guide plate, Figure 7, as
applied to the needle bar, as before described.
When the row of stitching to be made is required further apart, the

page_text: by the outer dark dots obliquely placed in the section of the needle bar
(Figure 6), I remove the shuttle carriers, shown in Figure 1, and sub-
stitute two shuttle carriers modified, as at Figure 9, which admit of thin
pieces of steel (as at Fig. 13) being placed between the corresponding
5 divisional blades of the shuttle races, in Figure 1, in which latteral holes
are made to correspond with the respective pins f¹,f",f'‚ƒ'¹, and g¹, 9', g¹, 9½
These pieces simply form thickening strips or blades to lie between the
two shuttles to keep them asunder in order that the shuttles may be
strictly in position to thread through the latteral loops formed by the
O thread taken down by the needles, as well understood by the makers and
workers of sewing machines. In which case I have represented a
corresponding plate to Figure 10, at Fig. 14, with moveable hole
plates R, S, and T (Fig. 15 and 16), arranged identically with
Figures 10, 11, and 12, with the exception that the holes are further
asunder.
1
Of course the practical operator will understand that when the
needles are placed in an oblique direction, the shuttle races must also
be placed slightly in advance of each other, right or left as required, so
that the needles may pass down through the rectangular openings 61
b and c¹, as before mentioned. The latteral set screws l, m, readily admit.
of this adjustment of the shuttle races.
i
The advantages to be derived from using the needles in advance of:
each other are two-fold; firstly, in threading them, and secondly, in.
turning quick corners or sharp angles in the work, right or left, as may:
5. be required.
From this general description it will be understood that I do not
require additional shuttle races with the alteration of the width of the
rows of stitching, as the additional packing, as shown at Figure 13, and
modified shuttle carriers, as at Figure 9, and in a side view at Fig. 17,
with the needle bar either enlarged or adapted to the width of stitching
required to make the arrangement complete. I use this qualification,
because different trades require specially arranged machines. Tailors
in general use wide rows of seams or stitching, whilst shoemakers use
narrow.
And, as I have no improvements with the feed action, I have
;

page_text: not cumbered the details with reference to it, further than simply
to show an enlarged foot for broad stitching; as exhibited at Fig. 18.
And although I have restricted the description as adapted to the
"Thomas" machine, nevertheless, a double shuttle race and carriers
may be applied to the "Howe," "Singer," or other system (as before
stated) in various ways, and the motion conveyed to the shuttle carriers
from one prime mover, derived from a face, latteral, or grooved cam, or
other mechanical equivalent means, and in like manner with a loop
stitch machine, such as the "Wilcox and Gibbs." The same revolving
bar that carries the hook for taking up the loop, may have two hooks
put at stated distances with a feed motion working between them, in
combination with two needles secured to the one bar. This combination
is extremely simple, and for such purpose where loops stitching is suit-
able will be found very useful.
Having, thus given a general description of my Invention, aided by
the Drawings, hereunto annexed, I wish it understood that I do not:
restrict myself to the size, proportion, or detail therein exhibited, as
the whole may be diversified and adapted to other systems of sewing:
machines without departing from the object of my Invention, which is
the use of an additional needle to sewing machines, such needles work-
ing simultaneously and capable of being set in any suitable direction,
and regulated as to the distance between them, according to the
nature of the work required, such machines being applicable to be
used as ordinary machines by: removing one or other of the said.
needles.
.
And, although I have described my improvements with two shuttle
races capable of being expanded or contracted, nevertheless, fixed or set.
shuttle races and carriers may be prepared and supplied (as extras) to a
machine, so that the user may apply needles and needle bars in com-
bination with set shuttle races and other minor parts, designated under,
fixed numbers or marks (as extras), to be applied at pleasure to the one
machine for the different widths of work, but which requirement
would be limited to the needles and bar in loop stitch machines,
as the revolving hooks for taking up the loops in such kinds of
machines may be adjusted to the width of the needles with much
simplicity.

page_text: And these several improvements I claim as of my Invention, and
lesire to protect under these my in part recited Letters Patent.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Hook, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
1
Witness,
WILLIAM H. TAYLOR,
Clerk to J. S. Cockings,
Patent Agent,
Birmingham.
THOMAS HOOK. (L.S.)