IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Jones, of Guide Bridge, in the County
of Lancaster, Sewing Machine Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO SEWING MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Jones at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th August 1869..
I, WILLIAM JONES, of Guide Bridge, in the County of Lancaster,
Sewing Machine Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO SEWING MACHINES," to be
as follows:-
My improvements are applicable more especially to the rotating hook
class of lock stitch sewing machines, though some of them may be used
with shuttle and other machines both lock and chain stitch.
Firstly. My improvements relate to an arrangement and combination
of mechanism for adjusting the pressure of the spring acting upon the
presser foot to keep down the cloth being sewn. The presser foot and

page_text: stem and the lifting handle are arranged in the ordinary manner, but
the upper end of the helical spring comes against the end of a short
tube screwed on its outside to fit a screw nut arranged in a cross groove
cut in the arm carrying the presser foot. A pin in the arm enters a slot
in the lengthway of the short screw tube, to keep it from turning when
the screw nut is rotated to adjust the pressure of the spring upon the
presser foot.
Secondly. My improvements relate to arrangements for facilitating
the removal of the needle plate when required, and consist in grooving
the under side of the plate in the direction in which the plate draws
out, so that the teeth of the feeding bar can pass through the channel
thus formed when the plate is withdrawn after having simply slackened
the screw.
Thirdly. My improvements relate to arrangements for holding the
thread case or spool in the hollow of rotating hook machines in such
manner that the thread cases or spools may be easily removed or replaced
when required, dispensing with the ordinary scrow. One of my im-
provements for this purpose consists in arranging the ordinary holder
to slide to and fro, and in pressing it towards the rotating hook untill it
comes against the stop by a flat or other spring arranged on the under
side of the casting. Another arrangement consists in mounting the
ring holder or retainer on a short shaft, which is carried by a small
This shaft
headstock secured to the frame of the machine by a screw.
has a screw upon its end for adjusting the position of the holder, and a
spiral spring is also arranged upon it to force the retainer towards the
rotating hook.
Fourthly. My improvements relate to a silent feed arrangement
applicable to machines where the line of the feed is parallel to the
driving and cam shaft when this is -immediately below the feeding bar,
and my improvements consist in employing a variable or coned-faced
feeding cam made to act upon one end of a short pin sliding through a
hole in a lever, 'having its fulcrum upon the casting of the machine.
That end of the pin not acted upon by the cam comes against the end
of the feed bar, so that the movements given, by the cam to the sliding
pin are transmitted to the sliding feed, bar, the return movements being
given by a spring, at the same time the position of the sliding pin can
be changed from one part of the cam to, the other, so as to vary the

page_text: length of the stitch by moving the lever which carries the sliding
pin.
Fifthly. My improvements relate to the form of the casting of rotating
hook lock stitch machines, by which oil is prevented from being thrown
outwards by the rotating shaft upon the work being sewn, and consist in
casting a web in front between the two standards forming the bearings
for the rotating hook shaft.
Sixthly. My improvements relate to arrangements for preventing a
sewing machine from being turned the wrong way, and consist in
mounting an excentric or pulley on a fulcrum carried on the table or
frame of the machine, so that the periphery of the excentric will just
touch that of the fly wheel of the machine, the excentric being formed
of or covered with india-rubber or other suitable material, so that when
the fly wheel turns in the right direction the excentric will be also
turned so as to be withdrawn, but when turned in the contrary direction
it will approach and bind against and prevent the wheel from being
turned backwards. The excentric is weighted to cause it to turn so as
to approach the fly wheel, and a slide spring rod is used to take hold of
a notch in the excentric to withdraw it from the fly wheel when not
required to act.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Jones in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th February 1870. .
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
JONES, of Guide Bridge, in the County of Lancaster, Sewing Machine
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give, and grant unto me, the said William Jones, Her special license.
that I, the said William Jones, my executors, administrators, and assigns;
or such others as I, the said William Jones, my executers, 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

page_text: OR APPLI-
expressed, should and lawfully might make, usc, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CABLE TO SEWING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William Jones, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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 Jones, 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 and the accompanying Drawings (that is to
say) :-
My improvements are applicable more especially to the rotating hook
class of lock stitch sewing machines, though some of them may be used
with shuttle and other machines both lock and chain stitch.
Firstly. My improvements relate to an arrangement and combination
of mechanism for adjusting the pressure of the spring acting upon the
presser foot to keep down the cloth being sewn and for lifting the foot
so that it can be turned to one side when required. The presser foot
and stem and the lifting handle according to one modification are
arranged in the ordinary manner, but in the other modification the
lifting handle is arranged to make two lifts. The upper end of the
helical spring comes against the end of a short tube on its outside
to fit a screw nut arranged in a cross groove cut in the arm carrying
the presser foot. A pin in the arm or stem of the presser foot enters
a slot cut lengthway of the short screw tube to keep it from turning
when the screw nut is rotated to adjust the pressure of the spring upon
the presser foot.
Secondly. My improvements relate to arrangements for facilitating
the removal of the needle plate when required, and consist in grooving
the under side of the plate in the direction in which the plate draws out,
so that the teeth of the feeding bar can pass through the channel thus
formed when the plate is withdrawn after having simply slackened the
screw.

page_text: Thirdly. My improvements relate to arrangements for holding the
thread case or spool in the hollow of rotating hook machines in such
manner that the thread cases. or spools may be easily removed or
replaced when required, dispensing with the ordinary screw. One of
my improvements for this purpose consists in arranging the ordinary
holder to slide to and fro and in pressing it towards the rotating hook
until it comes against the stop by a flat or other spring arranged on the
under side of the casting. Another arrangement consists in mounting
the ring holder or retainer on a short shaft, which is carried by a small
headstock secured to the frame of the machine by a screw. This shaft
has a screw upon its end for adjusting the position of the holder, and a
spiral spring is also arranged upon it to force the retainer towards the
rotating hook.
Fourthly. My improvements relate to a silent feed arrangement
applicable to machines where the line of the feed is parallel to the
driving and cam shaft when this is immediately below the feeding bar, and
my improvements consist in employing a variable or coned faced feeding.
cam made to act upon one end and of a short pin sliding through a hole
in a lever having its fulcrum upon the casting of the machine. That
end of the pin not acted upon by the cam comes against the end of the
feed bar, so that the movements given by the cam to the sliding pin
are transmitted to the sliding feed bar, the return movements being
given by a spring, at the same time the position of the sliding pin
can be changed from one part of the cam to the other, so as to vary
the length of the stitch by moving the lever which carries the sliding
pin.
Fifthly. My improvements relate to the form of the casting of
rotating hook lock stitch machines, by which oil is prevented from being
thrown outwards by the rotating shaft upon the work being sewn, and
consist in casting a web in front between the two standards forming the
bearings for the rotating hook shaft.
Sixthly. My improvements relate to arrangements for preventing a
sewing machine from being turned the wrong way, and consist in mounting
an excentric or pulley on a fulcrum carried on the table or frame of
the machine, so that the periphery of the excentric will just touch that
of the fly wheel of the machine, the excentric being formed of or covered
with india-rubber or other suitable material, so that when the fly wheel
turns in the right direction the excentric will be also turned so as to be

page_text: withdrawn, but when turned in the contrary direction it will approach
and bind against and prevent the wheel from being turned backwards.
The excentric is weighted to cause it to turn so as to approach the fly
wheel, and a slide spring rod is used to take hold of a notch in the
excentric to withdraw it from the fly wheel when not required to act.
Fig. 1 is a plan view with the upper part supposed to be cut away
and with the cloth plate removed; Fig. 2 is an end view of the same
with the cloth plate and part of the casting shewn in section; Fig. 3 a
side view with the cloth presser arm shown in section, and Fig. 4 an end
view of the arm and cloth presser; Fig. 4* is a front view of the arm of a
machine of the Howe type with the front face plate removed showing
modification of the first part of my improvements; Fig. 5 is a plan
view detached of the needle plate, and Fig. 6 is a section of the same
when in the cloth plate; Fig. 7 is a section showing the alternative
arrangement for retaining the thread case in the hollow of the hook;
Fig. 8 is a sectional side view illustrating the apparatus for preventing
sewing machines from being turned the wrong way.
One modification of my first improvement is illustrated by Figs. 2, 3,
and 4. a is the presser foot; a', its sliding stem; a², a screw at its upper
end securing a washer a³, having a projection which is acted upon by the
excentric plate a' for lifting the presser, all these parts being arranged in
the ordinary manner. The helical spring as which gives the pressure acts
at its lower end against a shoulder upon the stem (a¹) of the presser
foot as in the ordinary arrangement, but at the upper end it abuts
against a shoulder formed at the upper end of a tube (a) which is
screwed externally to fit a milled edged nut (a) fitting in a cross groove
in the presser arm (6). The screw tube (a) has a slot cut from end to end,
into which the end of a pin (a) enters, which is secured in the arm (b),
this pin preventing the tube (a) from rotating while allowing it to
move freely up and down. By turning the milled edged nut to screw
the tube down the spring (a) is compressed, and the pressure is
increased, and vice versa by the contrary movement.
Another modification of my first improvement is illustrated by Fig. 4*
as applied to a machine of the Howe type, but this modification is also
applicable to other sewing machines; b is the arm, carrying the presser
foot (a) and needle slide (n). The upper end of the spring as for giving
pressure comes against the end of the screw tube a. The pin for
preventing the screw tube from turning with the screw nut (a) is fixed

page_text: in the stem (a¹), but may be fixed in the arm (6), as in the first
modification described. The pin (a), which works in a slot in the
arm (6) and prevents the presser foot from turning when the machine
is sewing, is fixed at the upper end of the stem (a¹), and the handle or
lifter (a) centred at a* has two faces instead of one only as in the
ordinary lifter, so as to hold up the foot in two positions, one in which
the foot is above the cloth, but in which the pin (a) is not clear of the
slot, and the other as shown in Fig. 4, in which the pin (a) is clear of
the slot so that the foot can be turned to one side. The handle or lifter
at is in the same position as the ordinary handle when sewing.
My second improvement is illustrated by Figs. 5 and 6. The under
side of the needle plate (c) is grooved, as shewn in dotted lines in Fig. 5,
so that when the teeth of the feed bar are in their lowest position the
needle plate can pass clear over them when it is withdrawn from the
cloth plate (c).
My third improvement is illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 7. One
modification is shown by Figs. 1, 2, and 3. d is the thread case retainer;
it has a regulating screw (d) in front, similar to the ordinary retainer.
It is arranged to slide to and fro to a sufficient extent to give space to
remove or replace the thread case in the hollow of the rotating hook.
The lower part of the retainer has a projection (d), which fits and passes
through a slot in the casting, and to this projection a plate or washer (d³)
is secured by screws, so that the retainer is held down while it is per-
mitted to slide freely to and fro. In the said projection a pin (d*) is
fixed, against which the end of a spring (d³) is made to act, which is
secured to the under side of the casting, as shown in dotted lines in
Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The retainer is withdrawn by pressing back upon tho
turned up projection.
Fig. 7 illustrates the alternative mode of carrying out this part of my
Invention. is a small headstock secured to the casting by the screw (d³),
so that the axis of the stem or shaft (d) is in a line with the axis of the
rotating hook shaft; d is a ring shaped on its face and edge like the
ordinary thread case retainer. The ring is secured or formed on the end
of the stem (d'), as shewn. There is a spring (d) upon the stem, which
acts to push it towards the thread case, the space between the ring (d)
and thread case being regulated by the screw d, which is made fast
when adjusted by the small screw (d*). The point of another small

page_text: screw d¹¹ in the headstock enters a groove formed lengthening of the stem
and prevents it from revolving.
My fourth improvement is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. e is a face cam;
it is shaped so as to give little or no movement near the shaft, but to
gradually increase the movement as the diameter increases. The face
of this cam acts upon one end of a pin e', which fits but slides freely
through a hole in a lever (e) having its fulcrum on a screw (e³) in the
casting, the other end of the pin (e¹) coming against the vertical end of
the feed bar (f) which is bent downwards. The back movement of the
feed bar is given by a wire spring (f¹) coiled round a pin secured to the
casting at f, (Fig. 1), the free end of this spring is bent up and enters a
hole (f) in the feed bar, forcing it back against the pin (e), and the pin
against the cam (e). The joint of the lever (e) is made so as not to move
too easily, and the end of the lever is brought to the front of the cloth
plate (c), so that the alteration in the position of the pin, and thus the
length of the stitch may be easily effected. The lifting movement is
given to the serrated feed bar by the ordinary cam.
My fifth improvement is illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2. g is the web in
the casting, and g¹ is a hole through which the end of a screwdriver
may be passed when it is necessary to act upon the screw in the clip
of the excentric. If desired this hole may be closed by a screw or other
plug, or it may be closed by a small hinged cover, the hinged side above
the hole and inside the web.
My sixth improvement is illustrated by Fig. 8. h is a part of the
treadle fly wheel of a sewing machine; i is part of the table of the stand;
k is an excentric pulley, made of wood covered with india-rubber on its
edge or with leather, or made entirely of vulcanized india-rubber, hard
vulcanized rubber in the centre and elastic vulcanized rubber at the
edge. The excentric works on a pin (¹) in a cast bracket (1) secured to
the under side of the table of the stand, as shown. The bracket (2)
carries a bent rod m which can slide in a groove made lengthway of the
bracket. The bent end of this rod enters a notch in the excentric, and
by moving this rod the excentric can be partly turned round its centre.
The rod m and excentric k are shown in full line in their position when
the excentric is against the wheel (h) and in peculiar dotted line in their
position when the excentric has been withdrawn from the wheel. The
excentric is weighted by inserting a piece of metal on one side, so that

page_text: when left free it will turn against the wheel, and sufficient friction is
arranged against movement in the rod m to hold the excentric away
from the wheel when the rod is in the position shown in peculiar
dotted line.
I have now particularly described the nature of my Invention, and the
mode of carrying the same into effect, and claim, the several improve.
ments in or applicable to sewing machines, substantially as herein-before
described and illustrated by the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Jones, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
WILLIAM JONES. (L.S.)