IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Moss at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 21st February 1877.
"
GEORGE MOSS, of Southampton Buildings, London. IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING
MACHINES."
This Invention has for its object certain improvements in sewing machines with
the view of simplifying and perfecting the mechanism thereof, such improvements
being more particularly applicable to that class of machines known as "lock-stitch
sewing machines.
Hitherto in constructing sewing machines it has been customary to drive the
shuttle of the machine by a reciprocating or other motion, and this arrangement
has rendered necessary the use of a complicated arrangement of mechanism which
is extremely liable to get out of order and thus involves the expense and delay con-
sequent upon repairing or replacing the broken or disordered parts thereof.
Another improvement is that I employ the oscillating needle bar not only for the
purpose of feeding but also for producing a lock stitch as is hereafter described.
Now to obtain these various advantages I proceed in the following mannner:-
Instead of having any working parts or motions underneath the cloth plate for the
purpose of imparting motion to the shuttle of the machine, I entirely dispense
with such shuttle, and in lieu thereof I employ a suitable thread case or other
mechanical equivalent containing the bottom thread; such thread case or other
mechanical equivalent I place upon any suitable number of conical or other con-
veniently shaped rollers placed in appropriate positions and mounted upon suitable
bearings underneath the cloth plate, and by this means the thread case or other
mechanical equivalent is held in such a position that the point of it comes in con-
tact near the eye of the needle so that the loop formed by the needle is passed over
such thread case or other mechanical equivalent. The point of such case or its
equivalent is placed downwards, while the needle descending and ascending, and
at the same time oscillating, causes each loop formed by the needle to pass over the
thread case or other mechanical equivalent as each successive stitch is made.
Another feature of my Invention is that I cause the presser foot to feed the work
along while the needle is in the work, and by so doing I obviate the difficulties
hitherto experienced by an oscillating needle bar feeding solely with the needle, as
by this means I do not depend upon the needle for feeding, but upon the presser
foot, the needle at the same time travelling with the presser foot.

page_text: Another feature of my Invention is that instead of the socket of the needle or
needle bar oscillating upon a pivot or stud I fix in any suitable and convenient
manner upon the stich regulating slide a metal segment of a circle made of any
convenient dimensions and provided with a dovetail or other suitably shaped
orifice so as to allow of a metal slide riding therein, which slide is affixed to the
socket of the needle or needle bar.
I so construct the thread case or its mechanical equivalent containing the bottom
tbread that it is bevilled either upon one or both of its sides so that the conical or
other suitably shaped rollers before mentioned bear upon or press against its sides
and thus retain it in its proper position.
Another feature of my Invention is that I suspend the reel placed in the thread
case, or its mechanical equivalent in a clip or other suitable spring, so that imme-
diately the needle thread has passed over the point of such case or its equivalent
the spring will have sufficient play to permit such needle thread to pass easily over
the body of the case. This I do, not only for the purpose of shortening the needle
as much as possible, thus imparting strength thereto, and reducing to a minimum
its liability to breakage, but also with the object of making the bottom reel
as large as possible so as to allow of its holding a greater quantity of thread than
hitherto.