IMPROVE MENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS. PATENT to Daniel Foxwell, of the City of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Card Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE
MENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."
Sealed the 9th November 1860, and dated the 18th August 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Daniel Foxwell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with 'his Petition, on the 18th
August 1860.
I, DANIEL FOXWELL, of the City of Manchester; in the County of Lancaster,.
Card Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," to be as follows:―
I use a bell-cranked lever with a point at one end. to take hold of the loop
and open it out and keep it in a 'proper position for the upper-needle to pass
through, one end of the lever is formed at an angle of about 30° from the
straight line and works' ona pin or pivot as a centre, a bowl being.attached.to
the elbow of the lever working in a cam, which gives the requisite motion to the
other end of the lever, the point of which is shaped so as to enter the loop formed
by the upper needle, and place and hold it in the required position for the
upper needle to pass through in its next descent, the 'lever then recedes, and

page_text: returns as soon as the upper needle has placed another loop ready to be
entered. Or the lever may be varied in shape in such a manner that if its
fulcrum is at the elbow, and the bowl at one extremity, the same movements
above described may be obtained. The lever forms an arc of a circle, from
the pivot or centre, and in moving forward places the loop or thread of the
upper needle in front of the hole, through which the needle passes, so that the
needle must pass through the loop held by the point of the aforesaid lever at.
its next descent, the needle being placed in its holder with its eye at an angle to
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Daniel Foxwell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th February 1861.
то. ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DANIEL
FOXWELL, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Card Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
f.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of August, in the year of our, Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Daniel Foxwell, Her special licence that I, the said Daniel Foxwell, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Daniel
Foxwell; 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 Daniel
Foxwell, 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 calender months. next: and immediately after the date:
of the said Letters. Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Daniel: Foxwell, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what. manner the same is to be performed,

page_text: for be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
(that is to say):
i:
My Invention consists in employing a bell-cranked lever, with, a point or
taper at one end to take hold of the loop formed by the piercing needle, and
open-it out and place it in a proper position for. the said needle to pass.through.
One end of the lever is formed at or about an angle of 30° from the straight
line, and works on a pin or pivot as a centre, a bowl being attached to the elbow
of the lever, working in a cam which gives the requisite motion to the pointed.
end of the lever, the point of which is shaped so as to enter the loop formed
by the needle and place and hold it in the required position for the needle- to
pass through in its next descent, the lever then recedes and afterwards returns
as soon as the needle has placed another loop ready to be entered. The lever
forms an arc of a circle from the pivot or centre, and in moving forward.
places the loop or thread of the needle in front of the hole through which
the needle passes so that when the needle next descends it must pass through
the loop held by the point of the aforesaid lever, the needle being. placed in its.
holder with its eye at an angle corresponding with the angle of the lever.
These improvements will be clearly understoood by referring to the figures
and letters on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Figure 1 is a
side view, with part in section, of the main parts of a sewing machine having
the bell-cranked lever for opening and holding out the loop of the piercing
needle. Figure 2, a plan shewing the lever, the needle, and the angle at which
the lever is placed, and Figure 3 and under view of the sliding plate having in
it the hole through which the needle passes.?
a, represents the piercing needle b, the bell-cranked lever, and c, the cam
which regulates its motion. The fulcrum, pivot, or centre on which the
lever works, is shewn at d, it is placed in the line e, at or about an angle of
30° with the centre line f, the two lines meeting at the needle a. The lever
is pointed or tapered as at g, and when working forms an arc of a circle, and.
in moving forward places the loop or thread of the needle in front of the hole
through which the needle passes so that the needle at its next descent, must
pass through the loop held by the point of the aforesaid lever, there being a
projection h on the plate i, Figures 1 and 3, to assist in opening the loop
after it has been placed by the pointed end of the lever b. In the Figures the
feeding motion. is not shewn, as any of those in ordinary use may be em-.
ployed.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed I desire it to be distinctly understood.

page_text: that I claim 'in sewing machines, the arrangement and combination of
working a piercing needle and bell-cranked lever as herein: described "and
illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Daniel Foxwell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this. Fifteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Daniel Foxwell, in
the presence of
DANIEL FOXWELL. (L.B..)
"E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.