IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Wemyss Kennedy, of Edinburgh, in
the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."
Sealed the 13th June 1871, and dated the 20th December 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Wemyss
Kennedy at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 20th December 1870.
I, WILLIAM WEMYSS KENNEDY, of Edinburgh, in the County of
Mid Lothian, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN Sewing Machines," to be as follows, that is
to say:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements which are applicable
to various classes of sewing machines.
In the first place the Invention consists of a method of fixing the
needle in the needle bar so that it cannot assume or be placed therein in
an improper position; this is effected by forming in the lower part of
the needle bar a hole and transverse slot; through the said hole a bolt
is passed and provided with a pinching screw or jamb nut. The shaft

page_text: of the bolt is also provided with a washer having a projection upon it,
which projection passes into the slot, and so prevents the bolt from being
turned round whilst the needle is fixed through pinching it by the screw
or jamb nut between the washer and that part of the needle bar which
is not slotted. The needle itself is made with a flat side.
In the second place this Invention includes a combination of linked
levers driven by an eccentric crank or cam which actuates the lever for
driving the needle bar in such a manner that after the needle has de-
scended to its lowest position it rises a short distance and again
descends, by this means sufficient loop is formed in the thread to allow
the shuttle to pass fairly through.
In the third place this Invention consists in relieving the spring or
"bite" which presses upon the thread passing from the bobbin so as to
relieve the thread and ensure throwing a sufficient loop during the
traverse of the shuttle. This is effected in cases where the needle bar is
driven either by a lever or cam by providing the nccdle bar with a ball or
projection which strikes against a portion of the spring or "bite" as it
traverses, and as the said ball or projection touches the spring or "bite"
it forces the latter outwards as the needle bar descends, relieves the
thread, and enables the spring or "bite" to return and act upon the
thread as the needle bar ascends.
In the fourth place this Invention consists in an improved method of
fixing the cloth presser foot and the other instruments usually attached
to the presser bar. This consists in providing the end of the presser
bar with a jamb nut, and the instruments applied thereto are formed
with a parallel slot or opening, which passes on to a recessed portion
at the lower end of the said presser bar so that when the jamb nut is
screwed down it presses upon the sides of the presser foot or other
instrument and holds it firmly in the recess herein-before referred to.
In the fifth place this Invention relates to a folder which consists of
an elevator over which the cloth passes and from which it traverses under
a combined guide and presser foot. The elevator regulates the width of
the fold by being of such a form which admits the cloth travelling in
a straight line over it, and in passing under the folder the cloth is
folded back upon itself, thus giving three thicknesses or plies which
are sewn through at one operation in place of being sewn in two plies
as under existing arrangements of tuck sewing.

page_text: In the sixth place this Invention consists in winding the yarn for the
shuttle upon a small bobbin of wood or other material which is formed
with detachable ends or centres so that the bobbin may be filled with
yarn by the cotton spinners in an ordinary winding machine, and which
at the same time fit into the bearings in the shuttle.
means the rewinding the yarn for the shuttle bobbin is entirely done
away with.
By this
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Wemyss Kennedy in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 20th June 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WEMYSS KENNEDY, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, Northí
Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Twentieth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the 34th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Wemyss Kennedy, Her special license
that I, the said William Wemyss Kennedy, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Wemyss Kennedy, my
executors, administrators, or 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," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Wemyss Kennedy, by an instrument in writing under 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.
my
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Wemyss Kennedy, 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, reference being had to the accompanying

page_text: Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:
--
My said Invention relates to certain improvements which are applicable
to various classes of sewing machines.
In the first place the Invention consists of a method of fixing
the needle in the needle bar so that it cannot assume or be placed therein
in an improper position; this is effected by forming in the lower part
of the needle bar a hole and transverse slot; through the said hole a
bolt is passed and provided with a pinching screw or jamb nut. The
shaft of the bolt is also provided with a washer having a projection
upon it, which projection passes into the slot, and so prevents the bolt
from being turned round whilst the needle is fixed through pinching it
by the screw or jamb nut between the washer and that part of the
needle bar which is not slotted. The washer may however be dispensed
with, in which case the projection is formed on the head of the bolt. The
needle itself is made with a flat side.
In the second place this Invention includes a combination of linked
levers driven by an eccentric crank or cam which actuate the lever for
driving the needle bar in such a manner that after the needle has
descended to its lowest position it rises a short distance and again
descends, by this means sufficient loop is formed in the thread to allow
the shuttle to pass fairly through.
In the third place this Invention consists in relieving the spring or
"bite" which presses upon the thread passing from the bobbin so as to
relieve the thread and insure throwing a sufficient loop during the
traverse of the shuttle. This is effected in cases where the needle bar is
driven either by a lever or cam by providing the needle bar with a ball
or projection which strikes against a portion of the spring or "bite” as
it traverses, and as the said ball or projection touches the spring or
" bite "
it forces the latter outwards as the needle bar descends, relieves
the thread, and enables the spring or bite" to return and act upon the
thread as the needle bar ascends.
6
In the fourth place this Invention consists in an improved method of
fixing the cloth presser foot, and the other instruments usually attached
to the presser bar. This consists in providing the end of the presser
bar with a jamb nut, and the instruments applied thereto are formed
with a parallel slot or opening which passes on to a recessed portion at
the lower end of the said presser bar so that when the janib nut is

page_text: screwed down it presses upon the sides of the presser foot or other
instrument and holds it firmly in the recess herein-before referred to.
In the fifth place this Invention relates to a folder which consists of
an elevator over which the cloth passes and from which it traverses
under a combined guide and presser foot. The elevator regulates the
width of the fold by being of such a form which admits the cloth
travelling in a straight line over it and in passing under the folder the
cloth is folded back upon itself, thus giving three thicknesses or plies
which are sewn through at one operation in place of being sewn in two
plies as under existing arrangements of tuck sewing.
In the sixth place this Invention consists in winding the yarn for the
shuttle upon a small bobbin of wood or other material which is formed
with detachable ends or centres, so that the bobbin may be filled with
yarn by the cotton spinners in an ordinary winding machine, and which
at the same time fits into the bearings in the shuttle. By this means the
rewinding the yarn for the shuttle bobbin is entirely done away with.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, that is to say :-
Upon the Sheet of Drawings hereunto appended, Figure 1 is a side
elevation and Figure 2 is a front elevation of a sewing machine, shewing
an adaptation thereto of my several improvements in the mechanism
thereof, which are also applicable to other classes of sewing machines,
whilst Figure 3 is in part a vertical section and in part an elevation of
the needle bar drawn to an enlarged scale; Figure 4 is a horizontal
section of the needle bar upon the line A, B, Figure 3, and Figure 5 is
a plan of the lower end of the same shewing my improved method of
fixing the needle therein.
Figure 6 is a detached enlarged elevation of an arrangement of
mechanism constituting that part of my Invention which relates to a
method of forming a loop upon the thread to allow the shuttle to
pass through; Figure 7 is an elevation on an enlarged scale of the lower
part of the presser bar with the presser foot attached thereto, and
Figure 8 is a horizontal section of the same upon the line C, D, Figure 7,
whilst Figures 9, 10, and 11, are respectively a plan, a front elevation,
and a side elevation of an arrangement of mechanism constituting my
improved folding apparatus as specially adapted to tuck folding and

page_text: sewing. The same letters of reference mark the same or corresponding
parts upon the different Figures on which they occur.
Referring now to the first part of my Invention, namely, that which
relates to my improved method of fixing the needle in the needle bar,
as more particularly shewn at the enlarged detached views Figures 3,
4, and 5. In the lower end of the needle bar A, a central hole a is
formed whilst at a short distance upwards from the said lower end a
transverse hole is situated through which a bolt 6 is passed; at the lower
surface of the head of the bolt a projection c is formed which fits
into a corresponding slot c¹ formed in one side of the needle bar A at its
lower end. Through the stem of the bolt b a hole d is formed in a
vertical direction corresponding with the central hole a in the needle
bar A, and through the said holes & and a, the upper part or shank
of the needle d' is passed, the upper part or shank being flattened at onc
side as more particularly seen at Figure 4, the said flat side bearing
against the inner side of the head 6¹ when inserted into its position in
the holes d, and a is thereby prevented from turning round whilst the
bolt b is in like manner prevented from turning round by reason of the
projection c entering the slot c³, and when the position of the needle d¹
in the needle bar A is adjusted it is rigidly secured in that position by
turning the pinching nut e upon the end of the bolt b.
Referring now to the second part of my Invention, namely, that which
relates to the formation of a loop upon the thread to allow the shuttle
to pass through, one arrangement of mechanism constituting this part
of my Invention is shown at Figures 1 and 2, and at the enlarged
detached view Figure 6. It consists in attaching the lower end of an
approximately vertically situated connecting rod B to the eccentric
rod B' which is actuated by the eccentric C fixed upon the revolving
shaft D, the said lower end of the rod B¹ is also coupled to a recipro-
cating lever E centred upon a stud E¹ fixed to the end of the sole
plate F as shown at Figures 1 and 6, whilst its upper end is coupled to
the lever G fixed upon a stud H, supported in bearings formed on the
arm I upon the said stud H, another and longer lever I' is fixed as shewn,
the opposite end of which is coupled to the needle bar A. The relative
positions of the eccentric C, the stud H, and the connecting rod B, are
such that when the eccentric C is in the position shewn at Figure 6, the
connecting rod B, and with it the end of the lever G are raised upwards
into their highest position as shewn, whilst through the compound

page_text: action of the levers G and I', the needle bar A, and with it the needle d¹
are then at their lowest descent, after which they are gradually made to
ascend to a limited height, until the centre of the eccentric C is in a
horizontal plane with the centre of the machine shaft D, and the rocking
lever E and connecting rod B are thrown into the position indicated
by the dotted lines at Figure 6, after which they, the said needle bar A
and needle d', again gradually descend until the centre of the eccentric C
árrives at the point indicated at 1, Figure 6, when they again reach
their lowest point, after which they ascend until their full stroke is
accomplished through the continuous revolution of the eccentric C; by
this means a short double beat is produced at the lower point of the
stroke, which has the effect of forming a loop upon the thread through
which the shuttle passes. Provision is made for relieving the thread
which is drawn from the bobbin K for a period of time sufficient to
ensure the formation or throwing of the loop, which feature forms the
third part of my Invention, and this is effected by means of the ball f,
fixed upon
the needle bar A, which as the said needle bar A descends
is brought into contact with a spring or "bite" g, pressing it outwards
from off the thread h, which passes downwards between it and the face
of the arm I as shewn at Figure 1, until in the ascent of the needle
bar A the said ball f is moved upwards out of contact with the spring
or "bite" g, which immediately returns to bear upon the thread h
during the remaining part of the stroke of the machine.
Another part of my Invention which consists in an improved method
of fixing the cloth presser foot and other instruments that may be
attached to the presser bar is illustrated at the enlarged views, Figures 7
and 8. This improvement consists in forming near the lower end of
the presser bar La recessed part i, as more particularly shown in hori-
zontal section at Figure 8, whilst a parallel groove or slot k is formed
in the upper part of the presser foot 7, the said groove or slot k is passed
on to the recessed part i, and the jamb nut m with which the presser
bar L is furnished is then screwed downwards tightly, whereby the said
presser foot is rigidly retained in the desired position on the presser
bar.
Under that part of my Invention which relates to a folding apparatus,
and which is illustrated at Figures 9, 10, and 11, the mechanism
consists of an elevator bar n, which is attached to a plate m by means
of the jointed arms o, the cloth upon which the tuck is to be formed

page_text: the
is first drawn over the said elevator bar n, the portion which is to
form the tuck is then doubled to the depth of tuck required, and in
being moved onwards by the feeding action of the machine is moved
through a guide groove p formed in the upturned portion r of the
presser foot, after, having passed through the said guide groove p
doubled part or tuck q is then folded backwards over one end of the
cloth and is guided onwards passing under that part of the presser
foot marked P, and is there sewn through by the needle passing through
the hole formed in the presser foot 1. After one tuck has been thus
folded and sewn any number of successive tucks of any width apart
may be folded and sewn with perfect regularity, the means of regulating
the width apart being by elevating or depressing the elevator barn,
whereon the fold is marked for the succeeding tuck; and this regulation
of the width of the tucks is also facilitated by means of a guide arm s,
which is situated upon the plate M, as shewn at Figure 9, and is capable
of being moved transversely thereon by means of the slot 8³, the guide
arms being graduated to various widths as shewn, and the manner
whereby it regulates the width between the tucks is as follows:- -The
previously sewn tuck in moving along passes behind the hook formed
part of the guide arm s, and is kept close thereto by means of the
small presser foot t, which is attached to the upturned part of the
presser foot by means of the bow arm t¹, as shewn, and the distance
at which the hook formed guide S2 is situated backwards from the
line of action of the needle regulates the width between the tuck
previously formed and that being or about to be formed.
Another part of my Invention consists in an improved form of shuttle
spool or bobbin whereon the thread to be used may be wound at the
thread factory, thereby saving the time and labour required in rewinding
from the bobbin as is the case with the existing form of spools or
bobbins.
My improved form of spool is shewn under one modification at Figure
12, it consists of a small bobbin a¹ of wood or other material upon
which the thread is wound, after which the detachable centres 6' are
put on to both ends as shewn, the said centres 6' being accurately
formed to fit the recesses in the shuttles, in lieu however of using
that form of spool shewn at Figure 12, the form shewn at Figure 13
may be employed, being simply a plain cylinder c² of wood or other
material with conical centres de formed at both ends as shewn.

page_text: Having now described the various parts of my Invention, and their
adaptation to one well-known sewing machine as shewn at Figures 1
and 2 of the Drawings, their adaptation to another class of sewing
machine is in like manner shewn at Figures 14 and 15, where the
form and arrangements of mechanism constituting the various heads
of my Invention are in every respect similar to those already specified
and illustrated from Figures 1 to 13 of the accompanying Drawings,
except the details of mechanism for producing the double beat motion
at the lower part of the stroke of the needle bar for forming the loop
upon the thread to allow the shuttle to pass through, the nature and
arrangement of which are clearly shewn at the enlarged detached
view, Figure 15, which consists of a disc N fixed upon the revolving
shaft O, acting in a recess formed in the head P of the machine. Upon
the face of the disc N a small crank pin or stud u is fixed, which
acts in a V shaped groove u³, formed in a cam Q secured to the needle
bar A in such a position that when the needle bar A is at the lowest
point of its stroke the crank pin or stud is in that position in the
groove u', shewn at Figure 15, and as the disc N continues to revolve
in the direction indicated by the arrow, Figure 15, the cam Q, and
with it the needle bar A are moved upwards for a short distance,
that distance corresponding to the period at which the crank pin or
stud arrives at the point 1 (the said point 1 being in the vertical
plane of the centre of the needle bar A) after which the cam Q and
needle bar A gradually descend until they again arrive at the lowest
point of their stroke, which is attained when the crank pin or stud
reaches the point 2, after which the remaining part of the stroke is
effected through the complete revolution of the cam Q.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and the system,
mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may be used or
practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what
I consider novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The improved method of retaining the needle in the needle
bar and the forming of the needle with a flat side as herein-before
described and shown at Figures 3, 4, and 5.
Second. The arrangement and construction of mechanism for causing
a double beat of the needle bar at the lower part of its stroke, as
herein-before described, or any mere modification thereof.

page_text: Third. The method of actuating a spring or "bite" for the purpose
of relieving the thread during the time a loop is being formed as
herein-before described, or any mere modification thereof.
Fourth. The improved method of securing the presser foot to the
presser bar as herein-before described and shewn at Figures 7 and 8.
Fifth. The arrangement and construction of mechanism constituting
the folding apparatus as herein-before described and shewn at Figures
9, 10, and 11, or any mere modification thereof.
Sixth. The improved construction of shuttle spools or bobbins with
portable ends as herein-before described and shewn at Figure 12, or
any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Wemyss Kennedy, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of April,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
WILLIAM WEMYSS KENNEDY. (L.s.)