IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."-A
communication.
Scaled the 9th August 1858, and dated the 20th March 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 20th March 1858.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,.
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," to be
as follows:-
The first part of this Invention relates to that class of sewing machines in
which a needle with an eye near the point is used to carry a thread through
the material to be sewn, whether one thread only be used, or the stitch be
secured by a second thread interlaced with the first by a shuttle or some
equivalent device.
The improvement consists in the employment below the table of the
machine of a pair of elastic nippers, which are carried by a sliding bar that
has a to-and-fro reciprocating motion, their object being to seize the thread as

page_text: it is protruded through the cloth by the needle, and draw it away from the
needle in such a direction and to such a distance as to leave plenty of room
for the passage between it and the needle of the looper, shuttle, or other
contrivance operating in combination with the needle to effect the enchaining
of the single thread, or the interlacing of the two threads, thereby preventing
the failure of the looper, shuttle, or equivalent, to enter the loop, and the con-
sequent missing or dropping of stitches.
The second part of the Invention relates to the use of a looper of a novel
description operating in combination with a needle having an eye near the
point to sew with a single thread in what is known as the chain or tambour
stitch. This looper resembles somewhat in appearance a pair of nippers, being
composed of two prongs jointed together by a pin which attaches them to a
sliding carriage plate that works in guides on the under side of the table, and
slides in a direction parallel with that of the feed motion, and hence at right
augles to the movement of the spring nippers when they are used in combina-
tion therewith.
One of the prongs of the looper is continued in the rear of the joint pin,
and forms a lever for rocking the looper on its centre pin, the lever being
operated by striking against a fixed stop during the traverse of the sliding
plate or carriage. The prongs of the looper are sharp edged or pointed at
their extremities, one being made a little longer than the other to prevent the
thread being caught between the prongs. Near their ends they are bowed
so as to permit of the needle striking down between them, and they are kept
closed by means of a spring pressing on the lever prong, while an adjustable
guide piece affixed to the sliding plate forms a bearing for the other prong,
and keeps the looper in position.
On the opposite side of the needle to that from which the looper moves
towards it, a stationary finger is provided to prevent the loops from being
pushed out of place, and to enable the looper to enter them far enough to
prepare them for the needle to pass through. When the looper has advanced
and effected this operation, the needle descends through the looper striking
into the space between the prongs, the looper then recedes the prongs,
opening to allow it to pass the needle, and leaving the loop on the needle
stem.
The return of the looper between the needle and thread takes place during
the retraction of the needle, and causes another loop to be retained within the
first one, which is drawn tight as the needle completes its advance.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 20th September 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special license that I, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 "IMPROVE-.
MENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," being a communication from abroad, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent,
relates, firstly, to that class of sewing machines in which a needle with an
eye near the point is used to carry a thread through the cloth or other
material to be sewed, whether one thread only be used and the sewing
produced by the enchaining of the said thread, or whether a second thread
also be used and interlaced with the first by a shuttle or some equivalent
device. This part of the Invention consists in the employment of a pair of
elastic nippers applied on the opposite side of the cloth or material to that on
which the needle enters it, and operating in combination with the needle to

page_text: seize the thread as it is protruded through the cloth, and draw it away from
the needle in such a direction and to such a distance as to leave plenty of
room for the passage between it and the needle of the looper, shuttle, or other
contrivance operating in combination with the needle to effect the enchaining
of the single thread or the interlacing of the two threads, thereby preventing
the failure of the looper, shuttle, or equivalent to enter the loop, and the
consequent missing or dropping of stitches.
The second part of the Invention consists in a looper of a novel description
operating in combination with a needle having an eye near the point to sew
with a single thread in what is known as the chain or tambour stitch.
In the accompanying Drawing which forms part of this Specification, a
sewing machine for sewing with a single thread in the chain or tambour
stitch is represented in which both features of the Invention are applied.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the machine, taken near the needle in a plane
at right angles to the direction of the feed motion. Fig. 2 is also a vertical
section in a plane coincident with the line of the seam. Fig. 3 is an inverted
plan of the same. Fig. 4 is an inverted plan of the needle, the looper, and
the nippers with some of their appendages. Fig. 5 is a similar view with the
parts in different conditions to Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detached view of the
.looper on a larger scale than the other Figures. Similar letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
A, A, is the table upon which the cloth or other material represented by a
double blue line in Figures 1 and 2 is laid to be sewn. B is a stationary
standard, cast with or erected upon the table A, and carrying a stationary
arm C, to the extremity of which is fitted the needle bar D, which slides
vertically therein. n is the needle, having the usual groove on one side, and
fitted into the lower end of the needle bar D, and secured therein by a set
.screw a. The needle bar receives motion in a well-known manner by its
connection with one end of an elbow lever E, which works upon a fulcrum b
at the top of the standard B, the said lever deriving a vibratory motion by
reason of a stud at its other end working in a curved groove c in a cam F,
on the main shaft I of the machine, which works in bearings in the table A.
The spool d which supplies thread to the needle is carried by the needle lever E;
the thread is represented in red color.
J is the pressure pad for confining the cloth to the surface of the table A,
and e is a forked springing dog attached to the pressure pad to feed the cloth.
The pressure pad forms a portion of a lever J, which is attached by a pin f
to the arm 9 at the front end of a rock shaft K, which is arranged in bearings
at one side of the stationary arm C, and the said rock shaft has at its rear end

page_text: an arm which is subjected to the action of a cam G upon the main shaft, to
give a rocking motion to the rock shaft K for the purpose of moving the
pressure pad and its dog e to feed the cloth. The pressure pad J is confined
to the surface of the cloth by a spring h, applied between the lever J¹ and
arm g. As the dog moves with the pressure pad in the direction of the
arrow 8, shewn in Fig. 2, its teeth engage with and move the cloth, but as
it moves in the reverse direction, which movement occurs while the needle is
in the cloth, its teeth slip over the surface. As this feed motion does not
differ very materially from that of many other well-known sewing machines,
no particular pains have been taken to represent all its details in the Drawing.
i, i, represent the nippers, which may be made of two small pieces of watch
spring of the from substantially as shewn in Figures 3, 4, and 5, or otherwise
constructed of similar form, and made sufficiently elastic to be self-closing,
but also easily opened by internal pressure put thereon; when closed, they
only meet at their extremities, and a considerable space is left between them
within or behind the extremities. These nippers are attached to a bar L
which is attached to the under side of the table A by two screws j, j, passing
through slots k, l, which permit the bar L to receive a longitudinal sliding
motion from a cam H on the shaft I; the arrangement of this bar being at
right angles to the direction of the feed motion, and its position such that the
movement of the cam will cause the extremities of the nippers to cross the
line of the needle's motion as the bar slides in either direction. The length
of movement of the nippers is illustrated in Fig. 4, where they are represented
in their most advanced position in blue outline, and at the end of their retreat
in black outline. The nipper bar L is confined to the face of the cam by
means of a spring m. The nippers advance across the line of the needle's
notion towards the position shewn in blue outline in Fig. 4, during the time
occupied by the latter part of the ascent and commencement of the descent of
the needle, and while the latter is in such an elevated position that the nippers
cannot come in contact with it. After having thus advanced, the nippers
remain stationary for an instant, and the needle having passed through the
cloth, passes down within them, as shewn at Fig. 5. On the needle com-
mencing to rise the nippers retreat, and by being drawn against the needle
they are forced open by it, and thus permitted to pass it, but spring together
again immediately they have passed it; they will retain within then the
thread, which has begun to get slack on the side of the needle towards the
nippers, as the needle began to rise. The thread thus retained is drawn out
by the nippers in the form of a wide loop, as shewn in Fig. 1, as it continues
to slacken, while the needle continues to rise, and as the loop is extended in

page_text: this form the looper or a shuttle coming forward at the right time cannot fail
to enter it. Before the needle completes its ascent it begins to draw up
through the cloth the thread forming the loop, and at last draws the thread
from between the points of the nippers, but before this takes place the
necessity for their holding open the loop has terminated. It should be
observed that the direction of the eye of the needle should be parallel with
the longitudinal movement of the nippers, and the ungrooved side of the
needle should be towards the nippers, as that is the side of the needle on
which the thread is left slack under the cloth as the needle is drawn
backward.
m, m', is the looper which resembles somewhat in appearance a pair of
nippers, being composed of two prongs mand m¹, jointed together by a screwed
pin p, which attaches them to a plate M that is attached to the under side
of the table A under the needle by two screws 7, 7, which pass through slots
9', q', in the said plate, and thus permit it to slido longitudinally. This plate
M, whose sliding movement is in a direction parallel with that of the feed
motion, and hence at right angles to the movement of the nippers, is received
within a groove r, r, in the bottom of the table A, so that it may be flush with
the under surface thereof, and allow the nippers to pass it. The plate M
derives its longitudinal sliding movement through its connection by a pin r¹
with a lever N, which is attached to the bottom of the table by a fulcrum pin
s, and which derives motion from the face t of the cam F, with which face it is
kept in contact by means of a spring P. The lever N is furnished with an
antifriction roller u, to bear upon the cam face t, and it is confined to the table
by a screw v passing through a segment slot. The prong m of the looper
constitutes a portion of a lever Q, which extends beyond the fulcrum pin p,
and has an offset w, at the extremity of the so extended portion m³. The
prong m¹ is not continued beyond the pin p. Both prongs are sharp edged or
pointed at their extremities, and when the extremities of the prongs are
brought close together, the prong m³ from being made a little the longer will
project slightly beyond that of the prong m, and hence, through the looper, is
arranged to pass the needle with the prong m¹ next to it, the extremity of the
prong m first passes it, and hence the thread is prevented from being caught
between the prongs. The prongs have a wide opening between them as
shewn at x, Fig. 6, a short distance from their extremities. At the side of
the prong m¹ an adjustable guide piece y is attached by a screw y¹ to the
plate M¹, and at the side of the lever Q there is an adjustable guidez, attached
to the bottom of the table A by a screw ¹. Opposite to the guide a spring
R is applied to the lever Q, to force it towards the said guide, which spring

page_text: also forces the looper towards the guide y. On the opposite side of the needle
to that from which the looper moves towards it, there is a stationary finger R,
whose duty it is to prevent the loops from being pushed out of place by the
looper in its operation, and to so stop the loops that the looper may force its
way into them far enough to extend them sufficiently for the needle to pass
through. The operation of this looper is as follows:-When the needle has
been protruded as far as necessary through the cloth, the looper occupies the
position relatively to the needle that is illustrated in black outline in Fig. 1,
and it is held against the guide y by the spring R, which also keeps it closed.
As the needle rises, the plate M moving in the direction of the arrow 10 (Fig. 5),
causes the advance of the looper between the needle and the thread which is
being extended in loop form by the nippers i, i, the looper being guided in this
motion by the guide y, and by the time the needle has been withdrawn far
enough to be out of the way of the looper, the looper receives a lateral move-
ment by the offset w coming into contact with the guide z, which movement.
brings the centre of its opening a under the needle as shewn in Fig. 4, by
the time the movement of the plate M has been completed. When the
looper arrives at the latter position the loop which it retains is in the condition
represented in Fig. 4, viz., upon the part near the opening a and ex-
tended both laterally and longitudinally in a position for the needle to pass
through it in its next descent, the lateral extension having been effected
by the looper, and the longitudinal extension partly by the looper and partly
by the feed movement of the cloth which takes place just as the advance
of the looper terminates, and which is in the opposite direction to the advance
of the looper. The needle in passing through the loop thus extended passes
through the opening in the looper, which is caused to retreat by the move-
ment of the plate M, in the direction of the arrow. 11, Fig. 4, as soon
as the needle has passed through the loop; in the retreat of the looper its
prongs separate to allow them to pass the needle, but are closed again by the
action of the spring R as soon as they have passed. This is illustrated in
Fig. 5, where the looper is shewn in red outline in the act of retreating; the
spring R in closing the looper, also gives it a lateral motion to throw it in
contact with the guide y, which directs it in its return between the needle and
thread to repeat the stitch, such lateral motion being permitted by the offset
w having retreated clear of the guide . The return of the looper between
the needle and tread takes place during the withdrawal of the needle, and
causes another loop to be retained within the first one, which is drawn tight
as the needle completes its advance; and the above described operation of the
looper and nippers takes place every time the needle passes through, and

page_text: takes the thread through the cloth, every succeeding operation leaving the
loop within that formed by the preceding operation.
The looper herein-above described, when employed in combination with the
needle without the employment of the nippers i, i, will operate with tolerable
certainty, and will less often fail to make the stitch than any or most other
loopers; but the addition of the nippers makes the operation of the looper
almost, if not quite, infallible. The nippers when used in combination with
a less perfect looper, will be productive of comparatively more advantage than
with the looper described, and may be applied with equal advantage to all
machines using the shuttle, and generally without the necessity of any change
in the arrangement of or mode of operating the shuttle.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in
Sewing Machines," as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be under-
stood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,―
First, the spring nippers i, i, applied and operating in combination with the
needle and with a looper, shuttle, or its equivalent, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
Secondly, the two-pronged looper m, m³, pivoted to a sliding plate or
carriage and directed by a spring and guides to operate in combination with
the needle, substantially as herein specified.
Thirdly, the combination of the two-pronged looper, the elastic nippers, and
the needle, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twentieth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
FRED. WALKDEN,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)