IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR EMBROIDERING
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT
to William Madders and John Wood, of the City
of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Embroiderers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR EMBROIDERING."
Sealed the 30th November 1869, and dated the 9th June 1869,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Madders and
John Wood at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 9th June 1869.
We, WILLIAM MADDERS and JOHN WOOD, of the City of Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Embroiderers, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR EMBROIDERING,"
to be as follows:-
Our improvements relate to means for embroidering by the use of
modifications of sewing machine mechanism by which new effects may
be produced besides economising material, saving labour, and reducing
waste, and our improvements consist in combining with the ordinary.
embroidering machine (where the design to be produced is traced by.

page_text: a pentagraphic apparatus) as many needles and shuttles or their equi-
valents as are required to produce the " repeats "of the patterns, and
in giving simultaneous movements to the needles, shuttles, tension
regulators, and other parts in the order required by means of cams or
other mechanism, the stitching mechanism making a slight pause after
each stitch to allow the cloth frame to be adjusted by the pentagraph for
the next stitch.
We prefer to carry out our Invention by securing the needles in
holders in place of the ordinary nippers of the embroidering machine,
these holders being adjustable like the nippers, and they are mounted
on the ordinary carriage which by a shaft, levers, and links receives the
requisite to-and-fro motion, the connections between the carriage and
the actuating shaft being such as to be readily detached to allow the
carriage to be drawn back any required distance. There is a separate
spool of thread for each needle, but all the threads pass over one tension
shaft or shafts, roller or rollers, so as to give simultaneous and uniform
tension, and each thread passes over a "faller wire" extending across
the machine for producing slack thread when required, the tension
rollers or apparatus and "faller wire" being actuated by cams.
Extending across the machine there is a shaft carrying a plate to
press upon the cloth, and this shaft may be worked by a cam to put
pressure upon the cloth when required. The shuttles are placed in a
vertical race, or they work in a curve in a vertical plane, and may ail
be actuated by one shaft extending across the machine and worked by
a can. The needle plate is made to extend across the frame and is
secured thereto so that only one carriage is used. The movements are
given to the carriage to pass the needles simultaneously through the
cloth and then withdraw slightly to form the loops through which the
shuttles pass, and then the needles are withdrawn and the stitch is
tightened, then the shuttles make a back movement which gives slack
thread from the shuttles, and at the same time the "faller wire" is
acted upon to give slack thread to the needles and the pressure is
removed from the cloth, then the stitching mechanism stands and the
cloth frame is moved by the pentagraph for the next stitch, these
movements being repeated for each stitch. The cam shaft producing
the movements for the stitching mechanism is actuated by treadles
worked by the person tracing the pattern, each movement of the treadles
producing one complete revolution in the cam shaft or one series of

page_text: operations in the stitching mechanism.
To facilitate rapid changes in
the shuttles receiving frames are employed which can be placed tem-
porarily in the machines, so that by turning the shuttle driving shaft
all the shuttles may be simultaneously slided into the receptacles in
the receiving frame, which may then be carried away, and a frame may
be brought to the machine having shuttles ready for use, and they may
be simultaneously carried into their races.
In describing the arrangements we have spoken of only one row of
needles or shuttles, but there may be two or more rows in the same
machine, each row actuated in like manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Madders and John Wood in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 8th December 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
MADDERS and JOHN WOOD, of the City of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Embroiderers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-second
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said William Madders and John Wood, Her special
license that we, the said William Madders, and John Wood, our execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William
Madders and John Wood, our 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 MACHINERY FOR EMBROIDERING,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William Madders
and John Wood, by an instrument in writing under our hands and
seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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

page_text: 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 we, the said William Madders and John Wood,
do hereby declare the nature of our 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):-
.
Our improvements relate to means for embroidering by the use of
modifications of sewing machine mechanism by which new effects may
be produced, besides economising material, saving labour, and reducing
waste, and our improvements consist in combining with the ordinary
embroidering machine (where the design to be produced is traced by a
pentagraphic apparatus) as many needles and shuttles or their equi-
valents as are required to produce the " repeats " of the patterns," and
in giving simultaneous movements to the needles, shuttles, tension
regulators, and other parts in the order required by means of cans or
other mechanism, the stitching mechanism making a slight pause after
each stitch to allow the cloth frame to be adjusted by the pentagraph for
the next stitch.
We prefer to carry out our Invention by securing the needles in
holders in place of the ordinary nippers of the embroidering machine,
these holders are adjustable like the nippers, and they are mounted
on the ordinary carriage or one similar thereto, which by a shaft, levers,
and links receives the requisite to-and-fro motion, the connections
between the carriage and the actuating shaft being such as to be readily
detached to allow the carriage to be drawn back any required distance.
There is a separate spool of thread for each needle, but all the threads
pass over one tension shaft or shafts, roller or rollers, so as to give
simultaneous and uniform tension, and each thread passes over a
faller
wire"
extending across the machine for producing slack thread when
required, the tension rollers or apparatus and "faller wire" being
actuated by cams. Extending across the machine there is a shaft
carrying a plate to press upon the cloth, and this shaft may be worked
by a cam to put pressure upon the cloth when required. The shuttles
are placed in a vertical race, or they work in a curve or arc in a vertical
plane, and may all be actuated by one shaft extending across the
machine and worked by a cam. The needle plate is made to extend
"

page_text: across the frame and is secured thereto, or a beam is arranged across the
machine, and the parts connected with the shuttles are secured thereto,
so that only one carriage is required. The movements are given to the
carriage to pass the needles simultaneously through the cloth, and then
withdraw slightly to form the loops through which the shuttles pass,
and then the needles are withdrawn and the stitch is tightened; then
the shuttles make a back movement which gives slack thread from the
shuttles, and at the same time the faller wire is acted upon to give
slack thread to the needles, or the needles may be moved at the same
time to give slack thread, and the pressure is removed from the cloth
when the stitching mechanism stands, and the cloth frame is moved by
the pentagraph for the next stitch, these movements being repeated for
each stitch. The cam shaft producing the movements of the stitching
mechanism may be actuated by treadles worked by the person tracing
the pattern, each movement of the treadles producing one complete
revolution in the cam shaft, or one series of operations in the stitching
mechanism. To facilitate rapid changes in the shuttles receiving frames
are employed which can be placed temporarily in the machine, so that
by turning the shuttle driving shaft all the shuttles may be simul-
taneously slided into the receptacles in the receiving frame, which may
then be carried away, and a frame may be brought to the machine
having shuttles ready for use, and they may be simultaneously carried
into their races.
In describing the arrangements we have spoken of only one row of
needles or shuttles, but there may be two or more rows in the same
machine, each row actuated in like manner.
Fig. 1 is a cross section through the operating parts of an embroidering
machine according to our Invention; and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the
same shewing two of the needles and two of the shuttles and other parts
at one side of the machine; Fig. 3 is a side or end view of the machine
and the mechanism for working it; and Fig. 4 is a plan, view of the
mechanism for working the machine.
The pentagraph, cloth frame, and other connected parts are omitted
from the Drawings, these parts being similar to those of the ordinary
embroidering machine.
"
In the Drawings two rows of needles are represented as in the ordinary
embroidering machine, where one row is generally placed about eighteen
inches above the other row, the needles being about one and a half

page_text: inches apart.
As the parts for actuating each row of needles and
shuttles are the same, and as the needles and shuttles and connected
parts are all alike, a description of one row of needles and shuttles and
one needle and shuttle only will be necessary.
a are the side frames; b are two beams extending between the side
frames and being secured thereto, each of these beams carrying the parts
connected with the shuttles (see Figs. 1 and 2); c is a shaft passing
across the machine having bearings in each side frame (a), and this shaft
has a shuttle driver (c¹) fixed upon it for each shuttle in the row, the
form of which is shewn in Figs. 1 and 2. The shuttle (c) is moved by
the driver (c) in an arc in a vertical plane, and it is represented at mid-
stroke in Fig. 1, and the flat or face part of the shuttle (c) works against
the face of a bracket (c³) secured to the beam (6), there being one
bracket for each shuttle. This bracket is made with a groove (c) in its
face for the needle, and it has a front part (c) for the cloth (x) to rest
against, through which there is a hole for the needle; or instead of the
front part (c) a plate may be used passing entirely across the machine
and secured to the brackets (3) by screws, this plate having a hole for
cach needle to pass through. The shuttle (c) is of the form shown
curved at the point, and is of similar form and construction to such as
are used in sewing machines, having shuttles oscillating in an arc with
the face against a vertical plane, and a small spring is used in each
shuttle, driver, as in such sewing machines, to keep the shuttles pressed
towards the face against which it works. The cloth (a) which is being
operated upon is pressed against the faces (c) upon the shuttle
brackets (c) or the needle plate by a plate (d) extending across the
machine, which has a hole through it for each needle.
This presser
plate is rivetted or otherwise secured upon arms (d) fixed upon a
shaft (d) extending across the machine and having bearings in the
side frames. The needle (e) for each shuttle is secured by a screw
in a part or holder (e') which can be adjusted, and is secured as shewn
upon a beam (e) extending across the machine. There are two beams,
one for each row of needles, and the two needle beams are connected
at their ends and a cross bar (e) is secured to the connection (e) at
each end, and these bars slide in guides (e) secured to or formed upon
the side frames. To a stud (e) upon each end connections (e³) of the
needle beams, one end of a link (e) is jointed, the other end being
jointed to an arm (e) upon a shaft (e) extending across the machine

page_text: and having bearings in the side frames, so that both ends of the needle
beams (e) are kept parallel by the shaft (e) and receive oscillating
motion therefrom. Upon each needle beam (e) bearings are formed for
a shaft passing across the machine, which shaft (f) has an arm (f¹) at
one end, and between these arms a "faller wire " (f) is stretched to
regulate the tension of the needle thread. Bearings are also formed upon
each beam (es) for another shaft (g) passing across the machine, which
may be covered with india-rubber (g¹) or other suitable material, and
round this shaft the thread for the needle passes from the bobbin (h)
carried upon a pin (h) in the needle beam as shown. The rotation
of this shaft (g) is retarded to give simultaneous and uniform tension
to the threads by a pulley fixed upon one end of the shaft over which
a brake band is passed and pressed upon the pulley by a weight or
the tension of a spring. In place of the shaft (g) covered with india-
rubber small pulleys (g') (see Fig. 5. a side, and Fig. 6 an end view)
may be covered with india-rubber (g') and placed on the shaft (g) one
for each needle, there being a thin washer (g³) of metal between each
pulley (see detached view Fig. 7) which washer can move endways upon
the shaft (g) with the pulleys (g) but not rotate with them, this being
prevented by a tongue (*) in each washer which enters a groove made
from end to end in the shaft (g). The pulleys (g) and washers (g") are
all pressed against each other, and against a collar at one end of the
shaft by a screw nut (g') at the other end acting upon a helical
spring (g) upon the shaft, which presses against the end washer nearest
it. With the above-described arrangement the tension of each thread
can be adjusted separately or the tension will be self-adjusted. The
thread from the bobbin (h) passes once or twice round the tension
shaft (g) or its pulley (g), then over the " faller shaft (f) and then over
the faller wire " (f), then through an eye (e) in the holder, then to
the eye of the needle, then through the hole in the presser plate (d) and
through the cloth, as shewn in peculiar dotted line.
The thread passes
from the spool in the shuttle as in sewing machine shuttles. The shuttle
shafts (c) have each an arm (c) at one end, and these arms are con-
nected by a rod (c) so that both will have simultaneous motion. The
presser plate shafts (d) are connected in like manner by arms (d³)
and a rod (d) at the outside of the framing and the faller shafts (f)
also in like manner by arms (f³) and a rod (f). The mechanism
is actuated by cams on a shaft (k), as shewn in Figs. 3 and 4,
placed on that side of the machine at which the pentagraph is worked,
"

page_text: shaft (c). The cam e¹º, lever e¹¹, and rod e¹ act upon the arm e¹³ upon
the shaft (e) for giving motion to the needle beams.
The cam d³,
lever de, and rod act upon the arm d on the presser plate shaft (d).
The cam f³, lever f6, and rod f act upon the arm 8 on the end of
the faller shaft (f).
At the
A skilled mechanic will be able to shape the path of each cam to
produce the required movements from the following explanation and
the diagrams of the cams shewn by Fig. 8, where the peculiar dotted
lines parallel to each other represent the datum lines of the cams, and
are supposed to be 360 degrees in length, and 0 and 360 upon eacli
datum line represent the same point of the cam, and the cams are
set in relation to each other, as shewn in the diagram. The full line
represents the path of each cam when the line coincides with or is
parallel to the datum line it represents a " dwell" or pause.
completion of each stitch just before the cloth is moved for the next
stitch by the pentagraph the needle shuttle and faller wire are in the
position shown in Figure 1, that is, the shuttle is at mid-stroke and the
needle has its point about mid-stroke just clear of the presser plate, and
the faller wire is at its lowest position, as shewn, the pressure being
removed from the presser plate to lift it slightly from the cloth. With
the parts in the position described there is slack thread both from the
needle and shuttle, so that the cloth can be moved by the pentagraphi
with the least possible strain or drag upon it, and after this is done the
cam shaft is made to rotate one revolution, and this causes the cams to
produce the following movements:-The presser plate cam (d) causes
the plate to press upon the cloth between 0 and 30 and to keep it so
pressed to 340, lifting it away from the cloth between 340 and 360.
The needle cam (e¹) causes the needles to withdraw from the cloth to
their greatest extent from 0 to 45 to push the needles towards the clothi
to their greatest extent from 45 to 135, slightly withdraw to form the
loop in the shuttle thread from 135 to 145, to stand while the shuttle is
passing through the loop of the needle thread from 145 to 240, to with-
draw the needles to their fullest extent from 240 to 315 and then push
them forward nearly to the presser plate between 315 and 360 to make

page_text: slack thread. The faller wire cam f³ causes the wire to remain down
from 0 to 45, to ascend to keep thread in tension between 45 and 120,
to descend to leave slack thread for the shuttle to pass between 120
The
and 160, and to remain in this position between 160 and 360.
shuttle cam (c) causes the shuttles to make a part of their back stroke
from 0 to 135, and to make part of the forward stroke to pass the shuttle
through the needle thread from 135 to 240 and the remainder of the
forward stroke from 240 to 315, so that the shuttle thread and needle
thread will both become tight at about the same time, and to make the
first half of the back stroke from 315 to 360. The above numbers are
angular degrees of revolution in the cams. The cam shaft may be geared
to a handle convenient to the worker of the pentagraph who has one
hand at liberty, so that the cam shaft may be rotated one revolution
after each change in the pentagraph, or the cam shaft may be rotated, as
illustrated by Figs. 3 and 4, by a shaft (2) near the floor geared by their
spur wheels (¹) with the cam shaft (). The shaft (l) has two treadle
levers (3) centred upon it, and these levers are connected by a band or
chain (1) passing over a pulley (1) carried in a stand secured to the
floor, so that when one lever descends the other will ascend. These
levers are free upon the shaft (l) and the operator places one foot upon
each lever, which have each an arm (7) with a pawl (8) jointed upon it
that works upon a ratchet wheel (1), there being one wheel fixed upon
the shaft () for each treadle lever (1). Each wheel (1) has four teeth
or notches, but the wheels are fixed on the shaft so that the notches in
one wheel come midway of the notches in the other wheel, thus one
down stroke with each treadle will give a quarter of a revolution to the
shaft (), and the wheels (1) and (1) are proportioned to multiply this
motion to give one complete turn to the cam shaft () and thus produce
a complete series of movements to form a stitch after each movement of
the pentagraph. To give space to remove and replace the cloth to be
operated upon the joint pins are removed which connect the rod (e¹²)
with the arm (e¹3) giving motion to the needle beams and the rod (d')
with the arm (8) giving motion to the presser plate, so that these can
be drawn or turned back out of the way. The joint pin is also removed
which connects the rod (c10) and arm (c) on the shuttle shaft, when
the shuttles have to be removed or replaced. The same length of thread
is wound upon each shuttle spool, and the same quantity is used from
eacli spool in embroidering the pattern, therefore all the spools in the
shuttles will be empty and will require replenishing at the same time,

page_text: and this is done by turning the shuttle shaft (c) backwards away from
the race in which it moved when embroidering, so as to come over a
continuation from each bracket (c³) which has a ledge or shelf formed
upon it to pass under the shuttle driver (c'), as shewn by (c) in peculiar
dotted line in Figs: 1 and 2, then by giving a little end movement to the
shaft (c) in its bearings each shuttle driver (c) will be withdrawn, leaving
the shuttle resting on the ledge or shelf, as shewn at the upper line
of shuttles, in Fig. 1. The reverse of these movements in the shaft (c)
will carry the shuttles into their proper races. To save time we prefer to
have a spare set of shuttles which can be prepared with full spools ready
for use, and to have the shelf part of the bracket (shewn in peculiar
dotted line) made separate, and all those for one row of shuttles con-
nected together on a stand so as to rest upon the beam (b), each shelf
part (c) coming opposite the bracket (3) and forming a continuation
of the shuttle race. By these means one set of shuttles can be simul-
taneously removed and another set brought to take their places. When
it is required to remove one or more shuttles after the 'working of a
pattern has been begun and before it is finished, this may be done by
slightly unscrewing the set screw of the shuttle driver which enters a
slight groove or hole in the shaft (c) and turning the shuttle driver
round backwards upon the shaft, replacing the shuttle by reversing these
operations.
We have now particularly described the nature of our Invention,
and the mode of carrying the same into effect, and claim as our
Invention,―
Firstly. The combination of needles and shuttles or their equivalents
for making stitches with the ordinary pentagraphic mechanism of
embroidering machines, substantially in the manner and for the purposes
herein-before described.
Secondly. The arrangements of shuttles and needles and mode of
working the same to give slack thread so that the cloth being eni-
broidered may be adjusted to form the pattern with the least possible
strain or drag upon it, substantially as herein-before described and
illustrated by the Drawings.
Thirdly. The mode of giving simultaneous and uniform tension to
the threads for the needles, substantially as herein-before described.
Fourthly. The mode of actuating the stitching part of the mechanism
by treadles, substantially as herein-before described.

page_text: Fifthly. The general arrangement and combination of the mechanism
for embroidering, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated
by the Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Madders and John
Wood, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixth day of
December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-nine.
WILLIAM MADDERS. (L.S.)
JOHN WOOD.
(L.S.)