IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haseltine, of the "International Patent
Office," Southampton Buildings, London, Doctor of Laws, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."— A communica-
tion from abroad by Samuel Hahn, of Vienna, Austria, Manufacturer,
and Carl Piener of Dresden. Saxony. Civil Engineer
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Haseltine at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 17th August 1874.
I, GEORGE HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," South-
ampton Buildings, London, Doctor of Laws, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES,"
a communication, to be as follows :-
:-

page_text: be used to sew, hem, border, crease, or plait all woven fabrics, trimmings,
leather, or imitations of the same; in fact, all such materials as are
usually united by sewing.
I term this Invention a running stitch and multiplex sewing machine,
and it consists of a frame with hand rest adjoined as usual. Through
the head of the frame slides a vertical rod, on the upper end of which
the bobbin with the thread is carried. The lower end bears two or more
peculiarly constructed small wheels, with five, six, or more teeth, which
have a groove or peripherical slot turned across the teeth in the middle
of their breadth wide enough to allow the admission of a peculiar needle.
The vertical rod with these wheels can be fixed in a certain position by
a set screw, but if the rod is in its proper place the wheels are to be in
gear with the two or more such small wheels, which turn on their axles
in bearings usually made in one piece with the frame. These latter
wheels have each a groove exactly corresponding to the one in the small :
wheels above, and for the same purpose, that is, to admit the same
needle. One of these lower wheels is fixed upon a shaft which turns in
bearings in the frame. The shaft has at its outer end a crank, if the
machine is to be worked by hand, as it will be in its simplest form, but
for this crank a pulley may be substituted to receive a strap from an
intermediate mechanism, so that the machine may be worked by the
foot, as sewing machines generally will be, or even by power, as may be
desired in the multiplex sewing machine arrangement herein described.
A further important part of this Invention is the needle itself, and the
manner it is placed in the machine described. The grooves or slots in
the small wheels pass down through the teeth, but they do not enter the
body of the wheels, and as such wheels, four or more, are in gear with
each other the needle must be curved to pass through the grooves or
slots that are cut through the teeth of all of the wheels in one and the
same vertical plane. At the same time this curved shape of the said
needle (which has a point on the one end and a hole for the reception of
the thread on the other) is the most suitable arrangement to keep the
needle in its place whilst the machine works. For the purpose of sewing,
the cloth, linen, or other material is brought with its edge close to the
point of the needle and between the small wheels described. The latter
on being turned will draw the linen, etc., alternately from above and
from below on to the point of the needle so that it will pass continuously

page_text: along on the latter, and also along the thread for a considerable length,
as it will with the usual handwork.
I also modify this Invention as follows:-
:
Firstly. To increase the speed of the working parts of the machine
the aforesaid shaft may bear a larger toothed wheel without a groove or
slot, which wheel is to be in gear with the two wheels with grooves
formerly described as the upper ones, so as to multiply the speed of the
latter proportionately to the increased diameter allowed to the said wheel
on the said shaft. In this case it is preferred to introduce the above
described vertical rod from below into the frame, and to fix the bearings
for the new toothed wheel at the head of the latter. .
Secondly. A more important and very peculiar new, simple, and
efficient arrangement may be made by constructing the above described
toothed wheels of a proportionally great breadth, and by providing
them with a number of grooves, or by fixing upon the same axle or
shaft a number of corresponding toothed wheels with grooves, so that
several and indeed a considerable number of needles can be placed in
the same maghine at any desired distance from each other at the same
time, and consequently a number of seams may be made whilst the
linen or other fabric is running only once through the machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Haseltine in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th February 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," Southampton Build-
ings, London, Doctor of Laws, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said George Haseltine, Her special
- licence that I, the said George Haseltine, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others. ȧs. I the said George Haseltine, my

page_text: L
t
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," & communication to me from abroad-
by Samuel Hahn, of Vienna, Austria, Manufacturer, and Carl Pieper, of
Dresden, Saxony, Civil Engineer, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said George Haseltine, my executors or administrators; bỹ-an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and 1
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 George Haseltine, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 accom-
panying Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
This Invention relates to sewing, hemming, bordering, creasing, or
plaiting, as the circumstances may demand it. The said Invention may
be used to sew, hem, border, crease, or plait all woven fabrics, trimmings,
leather, or imitations of the same; in fact, all such materials as are
¸ usually united by sewing.
I term this Invention a running stitch and multiplex sewing machine,
and it has a frame with hand rest adjoined, as usual. Through the head
of the frame slides a vertical rod, on the upper end of which the bobbin -
with the thread is carried. The lower end bears two or more peculiarly
constructed small wheels, with five, six, or more teeth, which have a
groove or peripherical slot turned across the teeth in the middle of their
breadth, wide enough to allow the admission of a peculiar needle. The
vertical rod with these wheels can be fixed in a certain position by a set
screw, but if the rod is in its proper place the wheels are to be in gear
with the two or more such small wheels, which turn on their axles in
bearings usually made in one piece with the frame. These latter wheels
have each a groove exactly.corresponding to the one of the small wheels

page_text: -
above, and for the same purpose, that is, to admit the same needle. One
of these lower wheels is fixed upon a shaft which turns in bearings in
the frame. The shaft has at its outer end a crank if the machine is to
be worked by hand, as it will be in its simplest form, but for this crank
a pulley may be substituted to receive a strap from an intermediate
mechanism, so that the machine may be worked by the foot, as sewing
machines generally will be, or even by power, as may be desired in the
multiplex sewing machine arrangement herein described.
A further important part of this Invention is the needle itself; and the
manner it is placed in the machine described. The grooves or slots in
the small wheels pass down through the teeth, but they do not extend
into the body of the wheels, and as such wheels four or more are in gear
with each other, the needle must be curved to pass through the grooves
or slots that are cut through the teeth of all the wheels in one and the
same vertical plane. At the same time this curved shape of the said
needle (which has a point on the one end and a hole for the reception of
the thread on the other) is the most suitable arrangement to keep the
needle in its place while the machine works. For the purpose of sewing
the cloth, linen, or other material is brought with its edge close to the
point of the needle and between the small wheels described. The latter
on being turned will draw the linen or othe fabric alternately from
above and from below to the point of the needle, so that it will pass
continuously along on the latter, and also along the thread for a con-
siderable length as it will with the usual handwork.
I modify the said Invention as follows:-
Firstly. To increase the speed of the working parts of the machine the
aforesaid shaft may bear a larger toothed wheel without a groove or slot,
which wheel is to be in gear with the two wheels with grooves above
described as the upper ones, so as to multiply the speed of the latter
proportionately to the increased diameter allowed to the said wheel on
the said shaft. In this case it is preferred to introduce the above
described vertical rod from below into the frame, and to fix the bearings
for the new toothed wheel at the head of the latter.
Secondly. A more important and very peculiar new, simple, and
.efficient arrangement may be made by constructing the above described
toothed wheels of a proportionally very great breadth, and by providing
them with a number of grooves, or by fixing upon the same axle or

page_text: shaft a number of corresponding toothed wheels with grooves, so that
several and indeed a considerable number of needles can be placed in
the same machine at any desired distance from each other at the same
time, and consequently a number of seams may be made whilst the linen
or other fabric is running only once through the machine.
This running stitch and multiplex sewing machine is represented in
Figures I. to VIII. of the accompanying Drawing. In its simplest form
it consists of a frame g, Figures I., II., III., IV., with hand rest
adjoined, as usual. Through the head of the frame g slides a vertical
rod Z, on the upper end of which the bobbin with the thread is carried.
The lower end bears two or more peculiarly constructed small wheels-7111
and, with five, six, or more teeth, which have a groove or peripherical
-slot turned across the teeth in the middle of their breadth, wide enough
to allow the admission of a peculiar needle. The vertical rod Z with
these wheels can be fixed in a certain position by a set screw S, so that
if the rod Z-is in its proper place the wheels 711 and 711 are in gear with
the two or more such small wheels 1 and 2, which turn on their
journals in bearings usually made in one piece with the frame. These
latter wheels have each a groove exactly corresponding to the one in the
. small wheels above, and for the same purpose, that is, to admit the same
needle. One of these lower wheels is fixed upon a shaft w, which turns
in bearings in the frame. This shaft has at its outer end a crank if the
machine is to be worked by hand, as it will be in its simplest form, but
for this crank a pulley may be substituted to receive a strap from an
intermediate mechanism, so that the machine may be worked by the
foot, as sewing machines generally will be, or even by power, as may be
desired in the multiplex sewing machine arrangement to be described.
A further important part of this Invention is the needle, Figure V.,
and the manner it is placed in the machine described. The grooves or
slots in the small wheels, ll, lll, 7, drawn full size in Figure VI.,
pass down through the teeth, but they do not extend into the body of
"the wheels themselves, and as such wheels, four or more, are in gear with
each other, the needle must be curved to pass through the grooves or
slots that are cut through the teeth of all the wheels in one and the
same vertical plane. At the same time this curved shape of the said
needle (which has a point on the one end and a hole for the reception of
the thread on the other) is the most suitable arrangement to keep the
_needle in its place whilst the machine works, For the purpose of sewing,

page_text: the cloth, linen, or other material is brought with its edge close to the
point of the needle and between the small wheels and The latter
on being turned will draw the linen or other material alternately from
above and from below to the point of the needle, so that it will pass con*
tinuously along on the latter, and also along the thread for a considerable
length, as it will with the usual handwork.
The arrangement shown in Figure VII. is designed to increase the
speed of the working parts of the machine. The aforesaid shaft w may
bear a larger toothed wheel W without a groove or slot, which wheel is
to be in gear with the two wheels 11 and 71111 with grooves above
described as the upper ones, so as to multiply the speed of the latter
proportionately to the increased diameter allowed to the now described
wheel on the shaft w. In this case it is preferred to introduce the
above described vertical rod Z from below into the frame, and to fix the
bearings for the new toothed wheel at the head of the latter.
A more important and very peculiar new, simple, and very efficient
arrangement, shown in Figure VIII., may be made by constructing the
above described toothed wheels of a proportionally very great breadth,
and by providing them with a number of grooves, or by fixing upon the
same axle, that is to say, on the above described shaft a number of cor-
responding toothed wheels with grooves so that several and indeed a
considerable number of needles can be placed in the same machine at
any desired distance from each other at the same time, and that in
consequence a number of seams may be made whilst the linen or other
material is running only once through the machine. For the better
fixing of the upper wheels I prefer to attach to their bearing frame two
guide rods Z, Z", each of which may be secured by a set screw, or
adjusting sorew 8", Figure VIII., may be applied.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,—
First. The combination in a sewing machine of four or more toothed -
or spur wheels, having each a groove turned across the teeth, as and for
the purpose herein specified.
MI
1.

page_text: Third. The application of the spur wheel gearing into the wheels,
and for increasing the speed of working, as set forth.
Fourth. The employment of wheels having each two or more grooves
for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Haseltine, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
Witness,
JA. EDWARDS,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
GEORGE HASELTINE. (L.S.)