IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Meshach Hopkins, of Upper Ashby Street, Goswell
Road, in the County of Middlesex, and Abednego David Hopkins, of
Bow Lane, in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEWING MACHINES"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Meshach Hopkins and
Abednego David Hopkins at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 29th October 1866.
We, MESHACH HOPKINS, of Upper Ashby Street, Goswell Road, in the
County of Middlesex, and ABEDNEGO DAVID HOPKINS, of Bow Lane, in the
City of London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "In-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEWING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
In sewing machines as ordinarily constructed the action of the needle in
obtaining the lock stitch is effected by means of a cam movement, which
consists of an irregular groove formed on a disc or on the periphery of a
wheel, the same giving the required movement to a lever to which a needle is
attached. The grooves are so formed as to allow the needle. to remain
stationary at intervals, whilst a shuttle passes through a loop formed by a
return action of the needle. The cam movement which is here referred to is
laborious for the operator, is noisy, and is also very liable from the amount of
friction which is produced to get out of order..

page_text: The present Invention consists in producing the results which are obtained
by the cam movement by means of a crank or eccentric fixed on a shaft. The
crank or eccentric is connected to a piston or slide which works through an
oscillating gudgeon or slide, one end of such piston or slide being connected
to the crank or eccentric, and the other end to a vibrating link attached to
the needle lever. One end of the needle lever is attached to a fixed fulcrum
and the other end gives motion to the needle. The piston or slide which is
driven by the crank or eccentric passes through the oscillating gudgeon or
slide; the latter acts as a lever with a moveable fulcrum, and is connected
with the vibrating link attached to the needle lever. The combination of
these arrangements gives the required irregularity to the motion of the needle,
and renders the machine more powerful, comparatively noiseless, easier for the
operator, and less liable to derangement.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the; Letters Patent, filed
by the said Meshach Hopkins and Abednego David Hopkins in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th April 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MESHACH
HOPKINS, of Upper Ashby Street, Goswell Road, in the County of Middlesex,
and ABEDNEGO DAVID HOPKINS, of Bow Lane, in the City of London, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
the
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
said Meshach Hopkins and Abednego David Hopkins, Her special licence
that we, the said Meshach Hopkins and Abednego David Hopkins, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Meshach
Hopkins and Abednego David Hopkins, our 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEWING MACHINES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Meshach Hopkins and Abednego David
Hopkins, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and

page_text: scertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
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
aid: Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Meshach Hopkins and Abednego
David Hopkins; do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and.
scertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
annexed Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:-
In sewing machines as ordinarily constructed the action of the needle in
obtaining the lock stitch is effected by means of a cam. movement,. the same.
giving the required motion to a. lever to which a needle is attached. The
grooves or channels which constitute the cam are so formed as to allow the.
needle to remain stationary at intervals whilst a shuttle passes through a loop.
formed in the thread by a return action of the needle. The cam movement
which is here referred to is laborious to the operator, is noisy, and is also very.
liable, in consequence of the amount of friction which is produced, to get out
of order.
Our present Invention.consists in obtaining the results which are produced.
by the agency of the cam movement by a peculiar combination of mechanism
actuated by a rotating shaft, and whereby the irregular motion necessary to
enable the lock stitch to be formed with the ordinary shuttle is imparted to
the. needle bar. At one end of a revolving shaft is fixed a crank pin or
excentric, to which is attached a piston or lever which passes through an
oscillating gudgeon or slide fixed at a convenient point from the crank or
excentric, thus forming a lever with a moveable fulcrum. One end of the
piston or lever is attached to a radius or vibrating link by means of a pin
passing through a joint, the opposite end being in like manner attached to
the ordinary needle lever at a convenient point from the fulcrum of the latter.
Such last-mentioned attachment may be made on either side of the fulcrum
as may be best adapted to the nature and construction of the machine:
When.the:combination of mechanism before described is set in motion by the
revolving shaft (which may be actuated in any suitable manner) the needle
5 is caused to descend through the material to be operated. upon, and then to
rise and form the loop. The needle is then, by the action of the mechanism,
allowed to rest whilst the shuttle passes through the loop, and finally rises,
the remainder of the stroke thus completely making the lock stitch by one
inating cheft

page_text: We will now proceed to refer to the annexed Drawings, and from which
the nature of our said Invention will be more clearly understood.
Figure 1-is a side.elevation of a machine to which our said Invention has
been applied; Figure 2 shews more clearly the action of the excentric,
vibrating link, and needle lever, and the several positions which the same
assume in forming a stitch during one revolution of the shaft; Figure 3 is a
front view in section, and Figure 4 a back view, also in section, of the
machine. The same letters and figures refer to the same parts of the machine
in the several Figures.
A, A, is a bracket fixed to a table not shewn in the Drawing; B, B, is a
needle arm or bracket secured at right angles to the arm or bracket A, A,
and to which the shuttle race is attached; 1 is the rotating shaft passing
through the bearings a, a, in the bracket A, A, the same being horizontal to
the table of the machine, and at right angles to the needle arm or bracket B, B.
A crank pin or excentric is fixed on the end of the shaft 1, to which is
coupled one end of a piston or lever 2, which passes through the oscillating
gudgeon or slide 3, the bearing of which is fixed at a convenient point in the
bracket A, A, and at right angles to the shaft 1. At the other end of the piston
or lever 2 one end of the vibrating link 4 is coupled by means of a pin passing
through a joint, the other end of such vibrating link being attached in like
manner to the needle lever 5 at a convenient point C from the fulcrum D,
or at any other point according to the construction of the machine. The
fulcrum as well as the shape of the lever 5 may also be varied according to
the mode of construction of the machine; for example, the needle lever 5
may be made in the shape of an L; in such case the combination of
mechanism constituting our said Invention would be placed underneath the
table, and instead of connecting the end of the vibrating link 4 at C to the
lever 5 it would be coupled at the extended end of the L-shaped lever below
the table, the fulcrum D of the lever 5 being the same in each kind of lever,
and the distance C, D, in lever 5, as shewn in Figure 1, being the same on the
extended lever below the table, and taken from the fulcrum D. In Figure 2
the various positions of the mechanism during one revolution of the shaft are
shewn in black, red, and blue lines. 6 is the needle shaft, and at 61, 62,
and 68 the needle is represented in the several positions which it assumes
during the formation of a stitch.
Figure 5 is the needle lever, Figure 6, 7, and 8 being edge and sectional
views thereof; Figures 9, 10, and 11 represent the piston or lever 2; and
Figures 12 and 13 the oscillating gudgeon or slide 3. Figures 14, 15, and
16 shew the vibrating link 4; and Figures 17 and 18, the rotating shaft.

page_text: We may here mention that the combination of mechanism herein-before
described can be so arranged as to work horizontally or vertically or at any
angle as may be desired without departing from the principles of our said
Invention.
It may also be observed that sewing machines constructed in accordance
with this Invention are more powerful, easier for the operator, and less liable
to derangement than those hitherto manufactured, whilst their action is com-
paratively noiseless.
Having thus fully declared and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which it is to be performed, we would observe, in
conclusion, that what we consider novel and original, and therefore claim as
constituting the Invention secured to us by the said herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is, the combination and arrangement of parts and
mechanism consisting of the crank or excentric piston or lever with the
oscillating gudgeon or slide through which it works, the radius or vibrating
link, and needle lever, as substantially herein-before described and set forth,
or any mere modifications thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said Meshach Hopkins and Abednego David
Hopkins, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-ninth
day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-seven.
5
Witness,
MESHACH HOPKINS.
(L.S.)
ABEDNEGO DAVID HOPKINS. (L.S.)
E. P. H. VAUGHAN,
54, Chancery Lane,
Agent for the Patentees.