IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Winter, of Leeds, in the County of
York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."
Sealed the 14th June 1872, and dated the 18th December 1871..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Winter at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th December 1871.
I, WILLIAM WINTER, of Leeds, in the County of York, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING
MACHINES," to be as follows:-
My improvements have reference,-
Firstly. To the needle or throat plate, which I make adjustable to
compensate for the wear in the throat or needle hole. The plate is fitted
so as to move freely in a dovetailed slide. Under the needle or throat
plate a pin is fixed, placed in a suitable position so that it can be acted
upon by means of a powerful spring on the head of the machine. The
plate is retained in any required position with regard to the needlo by
'

page_text: means of a screw, by turning which to any required extent the spring is
allowed to force the needle or throat plate forward to compensate for the
wear in the hole or throat, or otherwise to regulate its position.
Secondly. I provide a self-adjusting needle groove to suit the various
sizes of needles. It consists in forming the groove of two loose steel |
plates. In connection with these I provide a spring or springs, whereby
the groove formed by the plates may be closed or reduced in size to any
required extent. As the needle passes into the groove the spring or
springs allow it to open or increase in size according to the dimensions of
the needle, whereby the needle is steadied and retained in its proper
cours, and the missing of stitches which so often occurs with machines
of ordinary construction is avoided.
Thirdly. My Invention consists in an arrangement for braiding on
both sides of the material at one time. This is accomplished by means
of a hole, which I form in the needle plate through which the braid is
guided underneath the work, so that it is sewn on simultaneously with
and in the same form as the braiding at the top.
Fourthly. For embroidering on the surface I communicate motion to
a lever in front of the head from a cam driven by suitable gearing from
the driving shaft and parallel with it, the motion of which imparts a
reciprocating movement to the finger or fingers carrying wool or other
thread. The finger or fingers is or are mounted in suitable bearings in
front of the needle. The movement of the finger or fingers is across the
pathway of the shuttle. As the wool or other thread is carried backwards
and forwards by the finger or fingers it passes under the needle and is
sewn on to the material, and resembles braiding in appearance. The
number of strokes of the finger or fingers may be varied by the employ-
ment of change wheels or different forms of cams.
Fifthly. My Invention consists in an improved mode of imparting
motion to machines where motive power is employed for driving them.
For this purpose I mount two friction plates on the driving shaft, one
fast and the other loose. Motion is given to the loose plate from some
suitable motive power. The face of the fast plate has fixed to it cloth,
wood, or some other frictional substance. When required the revolving
loose frictional plate is brought up to the face of the fast frictional plate
by means of a treadle motion or hand lever, and coming in contact with

page_text: the frictional substance on the face thereof causes it to revolve and
transmits motion thereby to the driving shaft of the machine.
Sixthly. I make the table on which the sewing machine is placed
adjustable, so that it may be raised or lowered to suit the operator. For
this purpose I mount the table on suitable slides or carriers, which are
fitted into the standards or framework so as to move freely. For raising
or lowering the table suitable adjusting screws may be used or other
known mechanical means.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Winter in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 18th June 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WINTER, of Leeds, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Winter, Her special licence that
I, the said William Winter, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said William Winter, 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 "1MPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Winter.
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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Winter, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, that is to
say :-
―:
My Invention will be best understood by reference to the accom-
panying Drawings.
The first part refers to the needle or throat plate, which I make
adjustable to compensate for the wear in the throat or needle hole.
Figures 1 and 2, Sheet 1, show these improvements. The plate a is fitted
so as to move freely in a dovetailed slide b, as shown under the needle or
throat plate a. A pin c is fixed and placed in a suitable position so
that it can be acted upon by means of a powerful spring d on the head
of the machine. The plate a is retained in any position with regard to
the needle by means of a screw e. By turning the screw e to any
required extent the spring is allowed to force the needle or throat plato a
forward to compensate for the wear in the hole or throat f, or otherwise
to regulate its position.
Secondly. I provide a self-adjusting needle groove to suit the various
sizes of needles, as shewn on Sheet 1, Figs. 3 and 4. It consists in
forming the goove a of two loose steel plates b. In connection with
these plates I provide a spring or spring c whereby the groove a formed
by the plate b may be closed or reduced in size to any required extent.
As the needle d passes into the groove a the spring or springs c allow
the groove a to increase in size according to the dimensions of the
needle d. By this arrangement the needle is steadied and retained
in its proper course, and the missing of stitches which so often occurs
with machines of ordinary construction is avoided.
Thirdly. My Invention consists in an arrangement for braiding on
both sides at one time, and is shewn on Sheet 2, Figs. 1 and 2. This is
accomplished by means of a hole a in the plate b, which is brought as
near as possible to the needle c at point d. By this hole a the braid is
guided underneath the work so that it can be sewn on simultaneously
with and in the same form as the braiding at the top. e is the guide for
conducting the braid at the top, which is of ordinary construction. I
mount the bracket f on the head g, on which bracket fI fix in suitable

page_text: bearings the pin h for carrying the bobbin i. j represents the braid
passing through the hole a underneath the work k.
Fourthly. This part of my Invention is shown on Sheet 2, Figs. 3 and
4. For embroidering on the surface I communicate motion to a lever a
in front of the head from cam c on the shaft d by suitable gearing e
from the driving shaft f. The two shafts d and fare parallel with each
other. By the movement of the cam c a reciprocating motion is imparted
to the finger or fingers 9 carrying wool or other equivalent.
The finger
or fingers g is or are mounted in suitable bearings in front of the
needle. The movement of the finger or fingers 7 is across the pathway
of the shuttle. As the wool or thread j is carried backwards or forwards
by the finger or fingers 9 it passes under the needle i and is sewn on to
the material, and resembles brading in appearance. The number of
strokes of the finger or fingers 9 may be varied by the employment of
change wheels or different forms of cams.
Fifthly. My Invention consists in an improved mode of imparting or
transmitting motion to sewing machines where motive power is employed
for driving them, and is shewn on Sheet 1, Fig. 10. For this purpose I
mount the frictional plates a and b on the driving shaft c, and make one
fast and the other loose. Motion is given to the loose plate 6 from some
suitable motive power. The face of one of the plates has fixed to it cloth,
wood, or some other frictional substance, as shewn at d on the frictional
plate a. When required the revolving loose frictional plate 6 is brought
up to the face of the fast frictional plate a by means of a tredle motion e
of ordinary construction. When required a hand lever for this purpose
may be employed. When the revolving frictional plate is brought in
contact with the frictional substance on the face of the plate a motion
is communicated thereto from thence to the driving shaft c of the
machine.
Sixthly. I make the table on which the sewing machine is placed
adjustable, so that it may be raised or lowered at pleasure by the
operator. This part of my Invention is shewn on Sheet 1, Figs. 5, 6, 7,
8, and 9, representing two arrangements whereby the table may be
adjusted. For this purpose I mount the table a on suitable slides or
carriers b, as shewn at Figs. 5, 6, and 7, which are fitted on to the
standards or framework c so as to move freely. For the purpose of raising
or lowering the table a, I employ suitable adjusting screws d, motion
being communicated to the nuts on the screws from the operator through

page_text: the hand wheel e on the shaft f mounted in suitable bearings g on the
slides or carriers 6 by means of the bevel wheels h. The treadle wheel i
is carried in suitable bearings j, as shewn, on the slide or carrier b. In
order to compensate for the variable position of the treadle wheel I
provide a telescopical connecting rod k, which may be adjusted to any
required extent. Figs. 8 and 9 shew another arrangement for adjusting
the table, in this instance I provide the sliding rods a which are made to
slide in the standards b. I connect the screw c to the table d, as shewn.
I mount the hand wheel e, which also serves as a nut, on the screw c, and
keep it in its required position by means of the stretcher f. By turning
the hand wheel e the screw c may be raised or lowered, carrying with it
the table b, which is guided by the sliding rod a. To give more steadi-
ness to the table the set screws g may be employed. I mount the treadle
wheel h in suitable bearings in the bracket i, which I attach to the table a,
and employ a telescopical connecting rod j, as herein-before described.
It will be readily understood that the parts for raising and lowering
the table may vary according to the construction of the machine, and
that other known motions may be employed for this purpose.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I would remark in
conclusion that I do not limit myself to the exact limits, details, and
configuration of parts I have explained and shewn, as the same may of
course be varied or modified without in any way departing from the
Invention, but what I do claim and desire to be secured to me by Letters
Patent is,―
Firstly. The arrangement, construction, and application of parts
whereby the position of the needle hole may be adjusted substantially as
herein set forth.
Secondly. The arrangement, construction, and application of self-
adjusting needle groove substantially as and for the purposes herein set
forth.
Thirdly. The arrangement and combination of parts shewn at Figs. 1
and 2, Sheet 2, whereby material may be braided on both sides at one
time, substantially as herein set forth.
Fourthly. The arrangement and combination of parts for transmitting
motion to the finger or fingers g, shewn at Figs. 3 and 4, Sheet 2,
substantially as and for purposes hercin set forth.

page_text: Fifthly. The arrangement and construction of friction plates a and b,
Fig. 10, Sheet 1, for imparting or transmitting motion to sewing machines
substantially as herein set forth.
Sixthly: The application of adjustable table and parts connected
therewith, shewn at Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, Sheet 1, substantially as and
for purposes herein set forth.
In witness whercof, I, the said William Winter, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
Witness,
J. W. HARDING,
Patent Agent,
East Parade,
Leeds.
W. WINTER
(L.S.)