IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Carl Necker, of Berlin, in the Kingdom of
Prussia, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING
MACHINES."
Sealed the 9th December 1870, and dated the 29th September 1870.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Carl Necker at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration,
on the 29th September 1870, pursuant to the 9th Section of the
Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CARL
NECKER, of Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SEWING MACHINES," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto
me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent
for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that I am the true
and first Inventor thereof.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Carl Necker, do hereby declare
that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal, fully
describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the accompanying Drawing forming a part of this
Specification:
The object of my Invention is to combine in a single machine
operations which have hitherto only been performed by separate
machines of different construction, also to make a seam which I believe
has not hitherto been sewn by machinery, that is to say, a machine
embodying my improvements will sew a mantua-maker's hem with one
thread, which may be a hem formed into a single thread flat seam or
draw stitch, and a mantua-maker's hem with two threads. The flat
seam or draw stitch is required for sewing furs, gloves, sheets, and a
variety of articles.
of
Figure 1 is a plan of a machine embodying my invention.
Figure 2 is a side view of same.
Figure 3 is a back view.
Figure 4 is a front view.
Figures 5 to 24 illustrate detached parts, modifications, and operations
machine.
my
In the following description I have endeavoured to define the functions
of separate parts of my machine, the working of the combined old and
new parts, and the entire operation of my machine in producing the
different seams.
A is the base or bed of the machine, upon which is a headpiece (see
Figure 3) in the form of a box, composed of two iron sides and a per-
forated cover. Openings in the sides form bearings for the transverse
driving shaft G, which has at each end a pulley for the belt G₁; upon
this driving shaft, and within the box, are three excentrics G³, Go, Gd.
One of the two driving pulleys being turned to the right (it is immaterial
which of them is first put in motion) the entire mechanism will be set in
operation, it being solely dependent upon the three excentrics keyed on

page_text: the driving shaft G. The three excentrics Gb, G, Gd, being within
the box their position in the machine is only indicated by dotted lines,
but they are shown separately in Figures 20, 21, and 22. The excentric
Gb gives a feed motion to the fabric to be sewn S by means of the
cylinder Ec, moved from right to left by the sliding rod of the fabric
guide E, aided by the joint or link Eª, which by its friction also gives
motion to the cylinder. The parts of the machine constituting the
mechanism for feeding the fabric to be sewn are,-
The fabric guide E, catch E³, disc or plate E*, sliding rod (for
the fabric guide) Ec, spring Z, see Figure 24, angle of the sliding
rod E³, excentric Gb, fabric guide F*, catch F, an adjunct of the fabric
guide Fa, regulating ring Fb, and the screws for the fabric guide E°,
catch E, and joint Ed. The fabric guide E is screwed upon the
disc or plate E in such a manner that it may be turned round the
screw E. On the side of the fabric guide Ec, nearest the disc Eª,
is a catch E³ (see Figures 23 and 24) attached to the sliding rod of
the fabric guide by the joint or link Ed. The sliding rod E has an
angle Es, by which it is withdrawn from the excentric Gb. This sliding
rod is advanced by the spring Z, placed upon it, which spring has its
bearings at one side on the bed A, and at the other side on the projecting
guide. The catch E³, moved from left to right by the joint Eª,
presses upon the fabric guide E°, moving it also from left to right. The
fabric guide F placed in the catch F being fixed by a spring upon
the fabric guide E travels with it.
The combined operation of these various parts is as follows:-The
shaft G being made to rotate, the sliding rod of the fabric guide Ec is
pushed back by the angle of the sliding rod E³, actuated by the
excentric Gb, and the joint Ed follows this motion. The joint Ed,
which is in immediate connection with the catch E', gives to the
fabric guide E, upon which presses the catch, a movement from right
to left equal to the amount of lift given in the rotation of the excentric
Gb, by the point of its periphery furthest from the centre. The fabric
guide Ec, being thus set in motion the fabric guide F³, moves at the
same time, the edges of both fabric guides meeting, and the fabric which
is to be sewn is moved along without other aid. That point of the
excentric Gb which is furthest from the centre having passed the angle
of the sliding rod E*, the sliding rod E. is again advanced by the

page_text: spring F, but without giving motion to the fabric guide E, as the
joint Ed lifts the catch E³ in its motion from right to left.
To clearly specify the stitches made by my machine I must first
mention that their position is regulated by the adjusting screw Y, the
fork Yi on the sliding rod E, and the nut screw of the regulator
with lever U (see Figures 1, 2, and 24). The longest stitch is produced
by the eccentric Go when set in motion by the rotation of the driving
shaft G; that part of its periphery which is furthest from its centre
comes against the angle of the sliding rod Es, while the forward motion
of the sliding rod is dependent on the lift of the excentric. If it is
desired to make a shorter stitch the adjusting screw Y enclosed within
the fork Yi on the sliding rod e in its movement to and fro must
be screwed into the bed A more or less as may be desired. In the
forward movement of the sliding rod of the fabric guide the fork Yi is
pushed against the adjusting screw Y, and the travel of the sliding
rod E, lever Ed, and catch Eb is thereby shortened. The nut screw U
prevents any disarrangement of the screw Y. The excentric G°
actuates the needle P, and also the circular thread taker Tb by the
following parts of the machine (see Figures 1 and 2) :-The needle bar H,
fork H, screw Hb, needle P, screw Q for fixing the needle, spiral
shaft T, guide slot Ta, for spiral shaft, circular thread taker T,
screw T, pointed screw Td, and the nut screw To.
In order that the operation of these parts of the machine may be
thoroughly comprehended I must add that the horizontal movement of
the needle bar H is directly effected by the excentric G. On this
motion of the needle bar not only depends the operation of the needle P,
but also that of the circular thread taker Th, set in motion by the shaft
with flat spiral thread T, itself actuated by the fork H* on the needle
bar H, together with its conducting slot To. The excentric Gd (which
I have been compelled to divide, as shewn in Figures 20 and 21, in order
that the parts of the machine dependent thereon may work in the
manner required by the combined mechanism) by means of the
joint D, and the guide of the angular thread taker Db, now set in
operation by the lever D, gives a circular up-and-down motion to the
angular thread taker for sewing with one thread N, and also to the
angular thread taker for sewing with two threads O, or mantua-maker's
hem.

page_text: I will first more clearly explain the division I have made of the
excentric Gd. The excentric is divided into 360 degrees. The extent
of the contour of the curve most remote from the centre has a length of
14
360
29
360
in turning from left to right. The first fall amounts to degrees,
the first stop to the second fall to the second stop to
24
360'
57
122
860>
17
772°
114
360'
and the
732
rise to the highest point has a length of 360 degrees. The distance from the
centre to the periphery of the excentric is at the highest point 25; at
the first stop 23, and at the second stop 22 Such a division of the
excentric Gd, is absolutely required in order to obtain the desired
operation of the combined parts. The parts of the machine dependent
on the excentric Gd are (see Figure 2)-1, the arm C; 2, the lever D;
3, the joints D³ and Db; 4, the screws Dc; 5, the screws De; 6, the
angular thread taker N or O; 7, the screws D', for fastening the angular
thread taker screws G* of the excentric. The operation takes place as
follows:-
On the top B of the box shaped head piece is the fixed arm C, and
near it the lever D, the lower part of which is led through a hole in the
cover of the box shaped head piece to the excentric Gd, and carries a
pulley, which moving within the curve of the excentric Gd receives
motion therefrom in the manner necessitated by the above-described
division. The lever D, at the upper end of which is the link D³, is
partly connected to the small screw De, and partly to the guide D³,
which is the actual guide of the angular thread taker. The angular
thread taker has an elbow, and is fastened at this point D to the arm C
by the screw De, thereby producing the various movements of the
excentric Gd, of the angular thread taker N or O fastened upon the
elbow piece Db by the screw D' (see Figures 5 to 13). Before
describing the combined operation of the machine in the execution of
a mantua-maker's hem with one thread or with two threads, I will
mention the other important parts of my machine.
The thread No. 1 coming from the left yarn spool (as seen from the
fabric guides is only to be used for the single thread seam, but it also
forms the lower thread of a double thread mantua-maker's hem, of which
thread No. 2 forms the upper thread. This thread No. 2 comes from the
right-hand yarn spool Z that is on the spool pin R, passes over the
right-hand thread stretcher K, through the upper thread adjuster L,

page_text: through the eye T fixed upon the screws De, then through the eye V₁
on the elbow V of the angular thread taker O along the thread groove,
and finally out through the eye V2 at the head of the angular thread
taker O (see Figures 1 and 11). The thread No. 1 comes from the left-
hand yarn spool Z that is on the spool pin R, passes over the left-hand
thread stretcher K, through the lower thread adjuster L', then between
the check spring M screwed upon the lever D, and finally through the
eye at the head of the needle P.
To execute with my machine a single thread mantua-maker's hem
susceptible of transformation into a draw stitch it is necessary that the
needle P, the angular thread taker N, and the angular thread taker Tb,
operate as follows:-The fabric to be sewn S (cloth, linen, leather,
oilskin, fur, or other material) is nipped between the aforesaid cylinders
or fabric guides F and E°; the machine is then set working from
right to left, and the needle P carries the thread No. 1 through the
fabric S, where on the needle being slightly withdrawn it forms a loop
(see Figure 5), this loop is caught by the angular thread taker N,
carried to a height regulated by the excentric Gd (Figure 6), and
it is at the same moment seized by the circular thread taker Th
and drawn downward (see Figure 7). The loop thus drawn down
and held by the two thread takers N and T is thereby opened and
permits the needle P in its second journey to pass through it with-
out impediment. This operation having taken place the two thread
takers N and Tb return to their primitive position, releasing the loop,
which being then drawn tight by the tension of the thread No. 1, the
stitch forming a single thread mantua-maker's hem is produced.
The fabric S is now immediately by the fabric guides T and E
pushed as far forward as the position of the stitches may require, and
the next stitch is executed in the same manner. To use this stitch as
a flat or draw stitch, the two parts sewn together must be laid flat and
drawn apart; the stitch being very flexible will then become so flat
that it may be used by tailors for sewing pieces of cloth together, by
furriers for fur, by ladies and bed linen dealers for sewing sheets and
other articles, by glovers for deer skin gloves, and the fingers of glazed
leather gloves, by hatters for sewing the leather linings of hats, and for
a variety of other purposes.
The two-thread mantua-maker's hem which may also be sewn by my

page_text: machine, is obtained almost in the same manner as the single thread
hem, above described, the following changes being made in the machine.
The angular thread taker N used for the single thread stitch is
unscrewed and replaced by the angular thread taker O, which has an
eye. The thread No. 2, drawn through the needle P, as previously
described and shewn (Figure 1, 4, and 11), now begins its operation.
The needle P having carried the thread through the fabric S, and slightly
retired, the angular thread taker O takes the loop formed by the with-
drawal of the needle P of the thread No. 1 (Figure 5), with a semi-
circular motion and draws it to its elbow V. (Figure 12). The circular
thread taker T now takes thread No. 2, draws it downward, the
needle P passes through the loop formed by the circular thread taker of
thread No. 2, and the stitch for the mantua-maker's hem with two
threads is accomplished. I would here observe that as the sewing both
of the one-thread and of the two-thread seam by this machine is only to
be effected by devices entirely of my Invention, the entire operation
may be fairly termed a novelty, although some parts of the machine may
have been previously known.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, I wish it understood
that I claim,-
First. The sliding rod of the fabric guide E°, and its combination
with the excentric Gb, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before
set forth.
Second. The adjusting screw Y, fork Yi, and nut screw U, and their
combination with the fabric feeding mechanism, substantially as and for
the purpose herein-before set forth.
Third. The needle bar H, in conjunction with the spiral shaft T,
and their combination with the parts of the machine dependent upon
the excentric G°, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before
described.
Fourth. The combination of the circular thread taker Tb, needle P,
angular thread taker N, for producing a one-thread stitch, substantially
as herein-before described.
Fifth. The combination of the circular thread taker Tb, needle P, and
angular thread taker O, for producing a two-thread stitch, substantially
as herein-before described.

page_text: Sixth. The excentric Gd, directly actuating the needle P, and
indirectly the circular thread taker Tb, substantially as and for the
purposes herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Carl Necker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of September, in the year of 5
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
HEINRICH RAETKE,
Patent Agent, Berlin.
CARL NECKER. (L.S.)