AN IMPROVED EMBROIDERING MACHINE
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nicolas Pierre Joseph Leseure, of 39, Rue de
l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of France, and of No. 4, South Street,
Finsbury, London, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
EMBROIDERING MACHINE."
Sealed the 17th April 1857, and dated the 15th November 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nicolas Pierre Joseph
Leseure at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 15th November 1856.
I, NICOLAS PIERRE JOSEPH LESEURE, of 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in
the Empire of France, and of No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of " AN IMPROVED
EMBROIDERING MACHINE," to be as follows, that is to say:-
These improvements relate, first, to a peculiar arrangement of levers, by
which a great range of action is given to the embroidering needle; secondly,
to the peculiar construction of the needle apparatus for embroidering.
This improved embroidering machine is composed of a baso plate, on which
are fixed upright standards for supporting an axis, on which is keyed a fly
wheel and pulley, put in motion by a trendle or other means, the connecting
rod of which is secured to a crank on the axis. Another axis is fitted to the
standards, which axis supports a long main lever, having at the short end a
counterpoise. This lever moves freely on its axis or fulcrum in order to give

page_text: a backward and forward movement to the embroidering needle. At the
extremity of the lever, at right angles to it, is a pivot, which supports and
allows a vertical upward and downward motion to a frame, also supported on
the opposite side by stays fixed to the standards. This frame is in the form of
a right angle, at the apex of which is a vertical support, in which is placed a
pivot turning on its axis. To this pivot is fixed a support carrying a lever
frame, at the end of which is placed the needle apparatus, and which returns
to its original position by a counterpoise. To the above support a small axis
is placed, upon which turn two small pulleys. This arrangement forms a
universal joint, which allows the needle to receive an ascending and descending
movement, as well as a motion from right to left. An endless cord passes from
the large pulley on the standard to the small pulleys above mentioned, from
thence to a small pulley placed at the end of tho lever frame. This pulley is
set in motion by working the treadle, and thus actuates, by an excentric
(furnished with a counterweight) and connecting rod, the needle slide, sliding
vertically upwards and downwards on two guide rods fixed to a framework
held by the hands at the end of the lever frame. The needle slide is bent so
as to form a stop or abutment, against which a small lever provided with an
antifriction roller works, for the purpose of putting in action tho nippers, which
nip tho thread when the needle slide ascends. The thread passed through the
embroidering needle is set free at the proper time by the roller lever pressing
at its opposite end against another abutment adjustable on the frame. On the
opposite side of tho needle slide is placed a small lever, working on a fulcrum
fixed to the framework. To one end of this lever is secured a long rod or
thread holder. When the needle slide abuts against the opposite end of its
lever, and at the time the nippers open, the thread holder presses on the thread
as the needle rises with the stretched thread, so as to form a loop, when the
needle descends with a fresh supply of thread. A spring pressing against one
end of the above lever causes the thread holder to take its original position,
when the needle slide descends. At the bottom of the needle framework is
placed a foot piece, which slides on the tissue and on the tracing of the
design.
Another form of nippers consists of two horizontal lovers, the ends of which
work on a common fulcrum. The two opposite ends are pressed against two
stops or abutments, when the needle slide is raised, and by so doing causes two
vertical rods fixed to stud pins on the middle of the lever to press the nippers
(fitted loosely by pins to the rods) together so as to hold the thread.
The thread is made to enter the tissue to be embroidered in two branches,
one at each side of the needle; that of the right branch which passes from the

page_text: left to the right of the needle is termed "working thread," that of the left
running thread," and that which proceeds from the bobbin ("feeding
thread").
Instead of employing an endless cord and pulleys to put the needle slide in
action, a reciprocal movement may be obtained by means of a crank which
gives, by a connecting rod, motion to the excentric. In this manner two
stitches are obtained at cach revolution of the fly wheel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Nicolas Pierre Joseph Leseure in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 15th May 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, NICOLAS
PIERRE JOSEPII LESEURE, of 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of
France, and of No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Nicolas Pierre Joseph Leseure, Her special license that I, the said
Nicolas Pierre Joseph Leseure, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Nicolas Pierre Joseph Leseure, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years 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 "AN IMPROVED EMBROIDERING MACHINE,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Nicolas Pierre Joseph
Leseure, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Nicolas Pierre Joseph Lesenre, 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

page_text: In each of the Figures, the same letters of reference indicate similar parts.
Figure 1 represents a side view of the improved embroidering machine;
Figure 2, front view of the same, without the needle apparatus and the forked
lever Figure 3, plan of the machine. These three Figures are drawn on a
scale of one-fifth of the real size of the machine. Figure 4, front view of the
needle apparatus; Figure 5, side view of the same; Figures 7 to 30 are
details.
A, A, A, A, Figure 1, a cast-iron standard; A', base plate; A°, the three
feet on which it rests; the two hind feet are mounted with levelling screws.
a, treadle, the extremity of which is provided with a pivot or axis; the end
of the treadle is fitted with a curved iron rod attached to a connecting rod a".
a', the pivot, bolted on the left side in the front foot A' of the standard;
B, fly wheel B', cast-iron grooved pulley; b, its axis. Figure 2: 6', crank;
c, short arm of the large lever; c', counterpoise of lead; c", axle of tho
large lever; D, copper tube; D', socket, fixed to the tube D; the large
lever oscillates on its axis c", working in bearings on the standard A", A",
Figuro 1 d, counterpoise lever of the apparatus; the counterpoise is
lowered by the cord T, and hinged on the piece c. d, lead of the counter-
poise. The axis of the fly wheel revolves on the hearings A and A".
Figures 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, and 9: E, 'E", e, e¹, c", brass or iron suspension knco
piece; E, E, vertical socket, upheld by two angular arms. The branch c has
a steel spindle E' rivetted to it. and e", hinge picces. The knee piece is
suspended by the spindle E' passing through the socket D' of the large lever.
and by the bands or rods u, t, the upper extremities of which reach to the
hinge piece d', o", and the lower extremities to the two axles V, Figures 1, 2,
and 3, fixed on the standard A by means of two lugs. The bands and u¹
have hinged to their elbowed part a bearing ", Figures 1 and 2, the object of
which is herein-after described. Figure 7: F, F, F, F, shows a cast-iron

page_text: knce piece; a steel rod is inserted in the cylindrical projection of the summit
F, and suspends the piece in the socket E and E", below which it turns by
means of the screw bolt F and the interposed washer; a part of the pro-
jection F also enters the socket. The arms F and F support the hinged
forked lever G. The two rollers f. f. Figure 7, turn in an opposite direction
independent of one another on the axle fixed to the forked lever G, G',
Figure 8; the cord T is fixed to the extremity G" of the lever. g', g,
Figure 1, forked lever. The end G" of the lever may be prolonged to about
fourteen inches from the axis, to prevent the cord T touching the fly wheel.
II, Figure 4, frame of the needle apparatus, cast in one piece; I', Figure 4,
grooved pullies, to receive the cord from the pulley B', Figure 1; i, its axle ;
, excentric, formed with a counterpoise ", and a slot to adjust it. On the
axis of this excentric a small fly wheel may be fixed. ', screw bolt; K, con-
necting rod; L, slide, supporting the needle and pincers. Figure 20 is a front
view, and Figure 21 a side view of the slide or runner; it is placed between
the two rods m, n, Figures 4 and 30; its grooves, Figure 21, fit into interual
projections of the rods m, n, of the frame H. L', needle supporter; L", plate
of the moveable abutment for giving a suitable movement to the lever r; LI,
groove of the abutment for giving a suitable movement to the roller O'; P, P,
two pressure screws on the needle. This part of the needle bearer L'is
pierced vertically to receive a tube in which the needle is placed. These
different tubes are required for different numbers of needles. O, roller lever;
Q, lower fixed abutment, against which the left extremity of the roller lever O
strikes in closing the pincer; 9', upper fixed abutment, which causes the
pincer to open at the slightest reversed stroke of this lever end; r, lever; r, its
axis;, axle of the holding rod R'; R, spring, held by a small screw R" on
the frame H; R', holding rod; S, plate, for regulating the pressure of the
holding rod on the needle; S', slide screw.
Figures 15, 16, 17 represent another form of pincer on the same principle.
In Figure 15 (front view), the pincers are shewn closed; in Figure 16 they
are open; and Figure 17 is a side view of the said pincers.
MODE OF WORKING THE MACHINE.
The operator, seated before the machine, works the treadle to set the fly
wheel in motion, which gives movement to the embroidering apparatus by
means of an endless cord passing from the wheel B' to the pulley 1' over the
two rollers ff. The freedom with which the needle apparatus may be moved
in any direction enables the operator to work the design as desired. The
band u supports the apparatus in a vertical position wherever it may be moved.

page_text: When the machine is at rest the counterpoise c¹ causes the lever D to take a
vertical line, and the counterpoise d' brings back into a horizontal position the
forked lever g, g. The needlo apparatus is worked by one or both hands of
the operator by means of the handles II'. The foot and II', Figures 4 and 5,
slide over the fabric. The pulley I' at each revolution causes the sliding
needle bearer L to ascend and descend, by the excentric and its connecting
bottom of the range;
rod K; in descending the pincers remain open from top to
they carry the needle and thread through the fabric. The left hand of the
lever o meets the abutment, in which it slides, taking a horizontal position;
the pivot of its roller O', working on the groove L' of the needle bearer L, by
pushing towards the left the pin u, causes the pincers to close on the thread,
and to ensure the closing of the roller it ought to be brought a little below the
horizontal line. The thread enters the fabric in two branches, one on each
side of the needle. I term the right branch "the working thread," the left
branch the running thread," and that which comes from the bobbin "the
feeding thread," which is only held a short time under the pincors, which press
upon it whilst the running thread egresses from the tissue. I have formed on
the end of the roller lever o a projection, which, striking on the side of the
abutment q', forces back the upper arm of the pincer N, n', at the timo when
the roller lever opens instantaneously the pincer N1; the holding rod R' (which
may be made in the form of pincers) descends on the working thread, and is
placed in a moveable slide, which permits of the adjustment of the pressure of
the rod against the needle. This slide, formed of two pieces screwed together,
keeps up a regular friction. This rod is curved at the lower part to cover a part
of the needle and prevent the thread from moving away; it is besides formed
with two small teeth, which retain and prevent it from sliding on the tissue.
The up-and-down movement of the holding rod is produced by the lever r on
the abutment L" of the needle carrier. The abutments 9. q', as well as tho
lever r, are moveable, to permit of their being regulated by the length of the
play (which is necessarily variable), according to the requirements of the ma-
terial and of the elevation which the work may require. The mode of working
the pincers gives great regularity in performance, whether open or closed. By
remaining open from the top to the bottom of the range, and in closing only
at bottom on the thread, the operator is certain to carry a well-stretched thread
to the needle, which will pass readily from the material; the tightening of
the thread does not open the pincer. The levers n, n', are a little bent, and
receive a springing action, and the abutments g' acting on the end of the inter-
mediate lever o can alone effect the opening of the pincers. The pincers are
formed of two pieces to regulate the pressure on the thread.
The object of

page_text: the holding rod is to prevent the working thread from ascending with the
needle and stopping the loop. When the apparatus has accomplished about
half the ascent, the eye of the needle reaches the hole formed in the fabric,
the pincer then opens and frees the thread which it has withdrawn from the
fabric. At the moment when the pincer releases the thread on one side the
holding rod slides on the other along the needle, meets the thread as it egresses
from the eye, compresses and retains it on the fabric, whilst the needle con-
tinues to rise, sliding over the thread, which from the left passes to the right
of the needle. I replace the treadle as first described by the following
arrangement:-Under the treadle near the hook screwed a steel band, ter-
minated by two projecting journals on the sides; these journals turn, one in a
hole pierced in the side of the frame, the other in a hole pierced in a bent band
passing under the pedal and secured under the foot of the framing. The
needle should be grooved on the same side as the running thread in the upper
part of the eye over a length exceeding that of its play in the tissue. The
part below the eye remains cylindrical, with the exception of a length one-
eighth of an inch to form the point. The length of this part of the needle
should be equivalent to a little less than half the range.
.
Figure 4 is a front view of the needle apparatus; Figure 5, a side view of
the same, full size; Figuro 22, front and side views of the pincer with its
lever; Figure 23, front and side views of the slide; Figure 24, front and sido
views of the lever of the holding rod with its pivot, which connects it to the
foot ; Figure 25, needle carrier, secured on the rest, seen at right and left;
Figure 26, front view of the needle carrier; Figure 27, needle carrier without
the rest, seen from the right side; Figure 28, bridge supporting the pincer
on the rest; Figure 29, side view of the same; Figure 30, transverse section
of the slides m, m, natural size.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not con-
fine myself to the precise details herein laid down, so long as the peculiar
character of my Invention be retained; but what I claim is,-
First, the general arrangement and construction of the embroidering
machine, as herein-before described, and shewn in the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
Secondly, the peculiar construction and arrangement of levers for giving
motion to the needle apparatus, as herein-before described, and represented in
Figures 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, and 9 of the annexed Drawings.
Thirdly, the construction and employment of the pincers, as herein-before
described, and shewn in Figures 4, 5, 15, 16, 17, and 22 of the Drawings.

page_text: Fourthly, the construction and employment of the excentric or weighted
lever, as herein-before described, and represented in Figures 4 and 5 of the
.Drawings.
Fifthly, the construction and employment of the holding rod, as herein-
before described, and represented in Figures 4 and 5 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nicolas Pierre Joseph Lescure, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
N. P. J. LESEURE. (L.B.)