AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR SEWING LEATHER, CLOTH, &c.
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin A. Forbush, of Ashland, in the County of
Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, for
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin A. Forbush at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th
May 1855.
I, EDWIN A. FORBUSH, of Ashland, in the County of Middlesex, and State of
Massachusetts, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR SEWING LEATHER, CLOTH, &c.,'
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of mechanism for sewing
cloth, leather, and other materials with facility and despatch. The work is
held between a pair of traversing clamps, the elevation of which is capable of
being changed to permit of the sewing of irregular lines of stitches. On either
side of the way over which these clamps move, and at right angles therewith, is
a pair of rails, between or upon each of which a compound carriage is mounted.
These carriages carry awls for piercing the leather or cloth, and also the
needles for passing the thread through the pierced holes. The upper part of
the carriages, which may be termed the needle carriages (in contradistinction
to the lower part which carries the awl), is so arranged, that when the carriages

page_text: have advanced sufficiently near the work to protrude the needles into the holes
last pierced, the needle carriages will stop. but the lower or awl carriages will
still advance to pierce the work. While this is taking place, the clamp arrange-
ments employed to hold the needles will be caused to release their grip upon
their respective needles, which will then be driven through the work by suitable
propellers, provided for the purpose; the needle clamps will then severally
take hold of the protruded points of the needles. When, therefore, the
carriages retreat, they will have effected an exchange of needles. On the next
advance of the carriages it-will-be necessary to turn the needles end for end,
in order to present their points to the work. This is done by giving the needle
clamps an axial motion by means of gearing, actuated by the play of a pin of a
sliding rack (during the traverse of the carriage) in a slot made for that
purpose in the main framing. The back and forward traverse of the carriages
is effected by vibrating levers actuated by crank arms. The connection of the
levers with the carriages is made through the medium of a spring bolt, so that
the drawing up of the thread to the requisite tension will proceed with
regularity, notwithstanding the change in the length of the thread. After the
needles have been drawn a short distance through the work, the threads which
they have respectively brought through are seized by nippers or pincers, which
stand out from the front of the carriages, and by this means the threads are
drawn tight into the work.
For taking up the slack of the thread and preventing its entanglement while
the carriages are being moved towards the work, a pair of sliding spring
nippers is provided at each side of the work. These nippers are connected by
cords to the vibrating levers, which, as they move back, will elevate the spring
nippers, and cause them to receive the thread between their jaws when the
thread is drawn out to its extreme tension. At the next advance of the arm,
and consequently of the carriages, the nippers will fall by the action of their
gravity, and carry down the thread, which will be released from the jaws as the
stitches are pulled up. To prevent the weight of the sliding nippers from being
thrown upon the thread, each pair of nippers is furnished with a small sliding
carriage, it being connected thereto and to the vibrating arm in such a manner
as to balance the sliding movements of the nippers.
This improved arrangement of mechanism, although intended to pass two
threads through each stitch hole in opposite directions at the same time, may
be used to sew with but one thread, without changing the principle of con-
struction intended to be claimed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, and
of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, filed by the said Edwin A. Forbush
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th January 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWIN.
A. FORBUSH, of Ashland, in the County of Middlesex, and State of Massa-
chusetts, United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of May, in the year of our Lord 1855,
in the eighteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Edwin A. Forbush, Her special license that
I, the said Edwin A. Forbush, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Edwin A. Forbush, 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 "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR SEWING LEATHER, CLOTH, &c.," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edwin A. Forbush, 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 Edwin A. Forbush, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the letters and figures upon the Drawings
hereunto annexed (that is to say):—
Figure 1 represents a top view of my improved sewing machine; Figure 2 is
a side elevation of it; Figure 8 is an elevation of it; Figure 4 is a central
vertical and transverse section of it; Figure 5 is a vertical and longitudinal
.section of it. Such other Figures as may be necessary to a full description and
delineation of the said Invention will be herein-after more particularly referred
to and described.
The main framework for supporting the operative parts of the machine is
exhibited in the Drawings at A, it being formed as therein shown, or in any
other proper manner. It sustains two sets B, B, & C, C, of horizontal and
parallel rails, arranged with respect to one another as seen in the Drawings,

page_text: It also sustains the main working and driving shafts D, D', & E; the said
main driving shaft E, placed as seen in the Drawings, has a bevel pinion F
fixed upon it, and made to engage with a bevel gear G fixed upon an upright
shaft E', on the upper end of which is another bevel gear or pinion F, that
works into or engages with two bevel gears G, H, fixed respectively upon the
main working shafts D & D'. By the above, rotary motion is communicated
from the driving shaft to the main working shafts D, D', when the former
is put in revolution. On the two bevel gears G, H, crank pins H, I,
are fixed, to which crank pins connecting rods I, I, are respectively jointed,
these connecting rods being also respectively jointed to two vibrating levers
K, K, whose office is to operate two sliding carriages L, L, that are sup-
ported upon and move between the parallel ways C, C; these two carriages
being made during the operations of the machine to alternately move
towards and away from one another. M, M, are two jaws, between which
the leather or articles to be sewed together are placed and held. These
jaws are supported by means of a frame N; one of the jaws being hinged
to it by hinges, as seen at O, in such manner as to be capable of being
moved towards and away from the other jaw. The said carriage N is sup-
ported and moves upon the rails or ways B, B. The machinery for moving
the carriage N will be herein-after described. To each of the carriages L there
is affixed an awl P, see Figures 2 and 6, the latter Figure being a horizontal
section of one of the carriages L, taken through the awl; the two awls are
arranged so that when they pass through the leather or article to be stitched
they shall be at a distance apart from one another the length of a stitch. In
the formation of each stitch hole through the article to be sewed the two awls
are employed, one of them being first passed through it in one direction, the
other being next forced through it in the opposite direction. Thus, the hole is
rendered smoother and more open for the reception of the threads or needles
than it would be were it made but by one awl. Two needles Q, Q. are used
in sewing with this machine, they being of the ordinary kind of sewing needle,
the eye of which is placed at one end, while the point is arranged at the other
end of it, as seen in Figure 7, which represents a sido view of such needle.
The threads proceeding from the work or article to be sewed respectively to
and through the eyes of the needles are seen at R, R. In being drawn through
the work, these threads are pulled through it by the action of two sets of
jaws or pincers S, S, which, after the needles have passed through the work
and drawn the threads through it a short distance, seize such threads between
their respective needles and the work, and draw the threads through and into
the work.

page_text: Each of the carriages L, L, supports what may be termed a needle carriage
T, which move horizontally between parallel rails or ways U, U, elevated upon
said carriages L. On the inner end of each carriage T there is a small rotary
pin or bearer V, which is made to rotate horizontally. A top view of the head
of this bearer is represented in Figure 8. The object of the said bearer is to
support the needle, which lays upon the top of it, and is held down upon it by
means of one of two vertical sliding clamps a, b, see Figure 9, which is a cross
section of the two clamps and machinery over and around them. Each set of
these two clamps is placed within one of two vertical shafts c, c, which are
supported by and made to move or rotate freely in a horizontal direction
within a horizontal arm d, that projects from the carriage T. I would here
take occasion to remark, that as the mechanism, which is supported upon one
of the carriages L, and is for operating the needles and the thread pincers, is
essentially like that which is supported on the other carriage L, it will be
only necessary for me to describe such machinery as applied to one of the said
carriages.
The vertical shaft c carries a small block of metal or frame e upon its upper
end. A cam slide f slides horizontally through the said block e. A top view
of this slide is given in Figure 10, a bottom view of it in Figure 11, and side
views of it in Figures 12 & 13. It is formed with cams or inclined planes
g, h, which actuate the clamps a, b; while the slide is moved in either direction
through the frame e, one of its inclined planes forces downwards one of the
clamps, while the other inclined plane is so moved as to release the other
clamp or allow it freely to rise upwards. There is fixed on the shaft c a pinion
gear i, which is made on one side of the machine to directly engage with a
horizontal gear k, that rotates freely on a stationary journal 7, raised upon the
arm d. On the other side of the machine the engagement is effected by an
intermediate gear g'. Fixed on the top surface of the horizontal gear k, is a
wheel m, which is formed with teeth, as seen at n, n, n, &c. in Figure 14,
which represents a top view of the said wheel m and the gear wheel. There
is also a toothed gear wheel or sector p placed and made to rotate freely upon
the journal . This sector is formed as represented in Figures 1 & 15; the
latter of which is an under side view of it, and exhibits a small spring catch or
pawl g, as applied to the said under side, and made to work against the peri-
phery and teeth of the wheel m. This toothed sector p is operated or moved
horizontally by sliding toothed rack r, that is arranged, as seen in Figures
1 & 3, and supported upon a projections of the carriage T. This rack is
made to move on the top of the said projection 8, and is held to said projec-
tion by means of a screw t, which is screwed into the projection, and passes
1

page_text: through a long slot u, made through the rack, as seen in the Drawings.
There is a small stud v that projects down from the under side of the rack
near one end of it. When the carriage L is moved forwards towards the
work, this stud passes into a cam groove or passage w, which is formed on
the top of a frame x, that is applied to and fixed on top of one of the rails C,
in a position as seen in Figures 1, 2, & 5. While passing through such
groove the rack is forced inwards, so as to turn the sector p. This will
carry the small click or pawl of said sector against one of the teeth of the
wheel m, and will thereby cause such wheel to be rotated, so as to produce
a rotation of the gear k. This of course will effect a rotation of the pinion
which engages with the wheel k, whereby the shaft on which said pinion is
situated will be rotated one hundred and eighty degrees of a circle, so as to
turn the needle around and present its point in an opposite direction.
During the retreat of the carriage L, or its departure from the work, the
stud of the rack r passes back through the inclined cam passage on the frame
x, and thereby produces a movement of the rack r in an opposite direction,
whereby the click or pawl of the toothed sector p will be made to slide over
the circumference of the wheel m, and far enough to act against one of the
two teeth, or the tooth next succeeding that tooth of it, against which the pawl
before acted. Directly underneath the pinion gear on the shaft c there is
fixed on the said shaft a catch gear y, the form of which is represented in
Figure 16, said catch gear being provided with two depressions or notches, as
represented in said Figure, one on each side of it. A locking pawl is applied
to the arm d, which locking pawl has a projection or screw a¹ extended from
it, which projection just before the needle is passed into the awl hole is carried
into contact with a projecting part or cam 6' of the frame x. This cam presses
the locking pawl z into one of the notches of the catch gear y, so as to hold
the needle shaft or needle firmly in position for the needle to enter the work.
During the advance of the carriages L, L, towards one another the needles
are turned around, and presented with their points towards the work, and
made to pass through one of the awl holes previously made. This done, the
carriages T, T, are stopped from further movements towards one another,
the said stopping of them being effected by projections c, c', from them being
brought into contact with projections d, d, from the bars or rails C, as seen
in the Drawings. After the movements of the carriages T, T, towards one
another thus cease, the carriages L, L, continue to advance towards one another
until the awls pass through the work. While doing this, cains e', e', fixed to
each of the said carriages L, as seen in the Drawings, are moved respectively
against the ends of the two cam slides f, and move the said slides, so as to

page_text: cause the needles to be relieved from the pressure of the two clamps which
previously held them, and to be grasped or seized at their points, by the other
two clamps, so that during the next retreating or back movement of the
carriages T, T, said needles will be drawn in opposite directions through the
cloth or work. After they have each been drawn a short distance through
the work, the jaws of each set of thread nippers or pincers 8, 8, are moved
together, and made to grasp or seize the thread, and hold upon it firmly, so as
to draw it into the work during the back movement of their carriage T. It
should be mentioned, that the needles, before they are seized and drawn through
the work, are propelled forward respectively by two propellers a, a³, one of
which is fixed to each carriage L, or to the top of one of the rails thereof which
supports its carriage T. The form of this propeller is shown in Figure 6, wherein
its front end is seen as extending in rear of the needle, and bearing against a
vertical plate e raised on the carriage T. It should also be mentioned, that the
cam e' is formed with inclines b, c, and an intermediate straight surface &, so
that just previous to the forward propulsion of the needle, the needle may be
relieved from the pressure of the clamp which held it, and after it has been driven
through the work the other clamp may be brought down upon the point of the
other needle which has been forced under it. Thus it will be seen, that just
previous to the forward movement of the needle produced by the propellers,
when the said propellers are moved forwards by their respective carriages L, L,
both needles will be unclamped from all the clamps, and will remain so
unclamped while they are propelled into and through the work; also, that after
they have passed through the work, they will be seized by the proper clamps
and drawn through the work when the carriages L & T are next moved back-
wards. On the top of the bearer V there is a small partition or plate f³, which
rises up a short distance between the clamps b, a. It serves to prevent the
needles from moving from one clamp to and under the other clamp.
Figure 17 represents an under side view of the carriage T and the machinery
for operating the pincers. The said pincers consists of two lovers 8, 8, formed
as represented in the Drawings, and made to work respectively on two fulcra
or screw pins f,, inserted in the under side of the carriage T. These levers
are connected with a small slide g' by means of two connecting rods h', ',
and so that, when said carriage is moved in a direction towards the work or
article to be sewed, the pincers will be so operated as to cause their jaws to
be forced towards one another. This slide g' is attached to and slides in the
under side of the carriage T. It is thrown forwards by means of a cam,
that turns upon a screw pin l, inserted in the under side of the carriage T.
It is drawn backwards by a connecting rod m', which connects the cam with

page_text: the slide, and is jointed to both. From the cam an arm n' extends outwards,
ns seen in the Drawings. This arm works in connection with a spring lever o',
which is formed and arranged as seen in the Drawings, and turns on a
fulcrum p¹ inserted in the rail C. The said lever is more particularly shown
in Figure 18, which represents a top view of it, and that part of the rail on
which it rests. A spring g' is so applied to the rail C and the lever as to force
said lever against a small stud or pin, which is made to project upwards
from the rail C. The lever has not only a projection or stud s' rising from its
inner end, but it has a stop screw h' inserted through its outer end, which stop
screw, when the lever is turned on its fulcrum far enough, brings up against a
stationary shoulder t'. Now, while the carriage T moves forwards, the arm of
the cam e will be carried into contact with the projection s¹, so as to cause the
said cam to be turned on its pin in such manner as to draw back the slide f,
and thereby open the jaws of the pincers, so as to allow of the needles passing
into and through the work. When the jaws have been entirely opened, the
outer end of the said arm will pass by the projection of the lever, so as to
allow the said projection to spring inwards towards the carriage T until the
arm of the lever to which it is attached strikes against the small pin or stud ¹.
During the next retreating or back movement of the carriage T the end of the
said arm is brought against the front side of the stud of the lever, whereby the
arm will be moved and its cam so turned as to cause the jaws of the pincers
to approach one another and close upon the thread. Another, or what may
be termed the particular object of the stop screw h³, is to regulate the pressure
or grasp of the pincers upon the thread, which grasp may be increased or
diminished by a suitable adjustment of the inner end of the stop screw.
The upper end of the arms K, K, when acting against the carriages L, L,
respectively extend into notches or recesses s² made in each carriage, as seen
in Figure 1. Just previous to the extent of forward motion of the two
carriages being produced, a locking spring bolt t2 applied to each carriage L
is met by a cam u', and driven forwards over the notch of the carriage and in
rear of its vibrating bar or arm K. This takes place, however, just before a
pin or stud, that projects upwards from the spring bolt, meets, and passes by
the end of adelge UF projection ', that is made longitudinally on the under
side of the carriage T. This ledge and the said stud or projection are shewn
in Figures 17 & 19, the latter of which represents a cross section taken
through the carriages T & L, and through the bolt and its projection. When
the carriage ceases its forward motion, the carriage L continues to move for-
wards, the stud or pin of the spring bolt in the meantime being slid along the
side of the said ledge projecting down from the under side of the carriage T.

page_text: During the next back motion of each rod K it bears against the spring bolt,
and forces the carriage L, and of course the carriage T, which rests thereon,
backwards on the rails C, C. While this is taking place, the pincers close
upon their thread and draw it through the work, the carriago T being held to
the carriage L with sufficient friction to enable the pincers to draw the thread
through and into its hole in the work. For this purpose, a clamp screw and
nut are so applied to the supporting frame or rails of the carriage T as to
enable a person to compress them with more or less force upon the carriage T,
so as to make it slide in its supports with the degree of friction required for
the draft of the thread through and into the work. As soon as the thread is
drawn tightly into the work, the backward movement of the carriage T will
be arrested by the thread. The carriage L, however, continues to move or be
moved until the stud v¹ of the spring bolt passes beyond the rear end of the
ledge w'. On this taking place, the spring bolt will be released, so that it can
be thrown backwards by its spring a', and away from the rear of the arm K,
or from over the recess of the carriage L, in which the arm is. As soon as the
spring bolt has so acted, the rearward motion of the carriage L ceases, and
this because the spring bolt is moved away from the arm K. The arm K,
however, continues to move back to the extent of its motion, and having
completed the same, is again brought forwards to impart a forward motion to
the carriage L, as before described.
From the above it will be seen how the machinery is made to operate under
the constantly decreasing length of each thread as it is sewed into the work or
cloth; for as soon as the thread is drawn into the work, whatever may be the
length of the said thread between the pincers and the work, the backward
motion of the carriage T will be stopped or arrested as soon as such length is
drawn tight by the pincers. On the occurrence of this, the carriage L con-
tinues its motion a little further or far enough to release the stud of the spring
bolt from the ledge w³, so as to free the said bolt from the pressure of the
arm. K. It will therefore be seen, that the combining with the nippers and
the vibrating arm K the carriages L and T, the spring bolt apparatus and the
cam and contrivances for operating the spring bolt, as before set forth, -con-
stitutes one particular part of my Invention, the object of the same being not
only to draw the thread into the work with sufficient tension, but to do so
under any change in the length of it.
We now come to the description of the mechanism for taking up the slack
of the thread, and thereby preventing the entanglement of the thread while-the
carriages L & T are being moved forwards towards the work. For this purpose
I shall describe such machinery as applied to one of the threads only, that

page_text: on the other side of the machine, or as applied to the other thread, being
substantially like it, as will be seen by representation of it in the Drawings.
Two spring nippers b, c, formed as seen in Fig. 20, (the said Figure 20
being a side view of these nippers, their slide, and the inclined bar in which
the said slide moves), are affixed to the upper end of a slide d², which is
made to slide freely up and down on a long inclined plane or bar e', arranged
as seen in the Drawings. The said nippers are provided with springs f, g,
by which their upper ends are forced towards one another, the nippers being
made to turn freely on a screw pin h, which connects them with their slide
bar. On the lower end of the said slide bar is a small pulley m³, which
rotates freely on a pin, inserted in the slide bar. One end of a cord k²
is fastened to a projection of the framework, the said projection being
-arranged as seen in the. Drawings. From the said projection the cord
extends downwards under the pulley m³, thence upwards, around and over a
guide pulley n, arranged as seen-in-Figures. 1 and 21, the latter Figure being
a representation of the last-named pulley, a long rod o³, and sundry parts con-
nected therewith or adjacent thereto, and to be herein-after described. The
pulley n² is applied on the end of an arm p', that projects from the main frame
work, and supports two guides q, q, for the cord to pass through previous to
and after its passage around the pulley n'. The other end of the said cord is
attached to the upper end of the vibrating arm K. As the vibrating arm
moves back it will draw on the thread, so as to elevate the spring nippers, and
cause them to pass up and receive the thread between them when the said
thread is drawn out to its extreme tension. The pressure of the nippers
against the thread under such circumstances causes them to open and receive
the thread in the open space between them. This being done, at the next
advance forwards of the arm K or the carriages T & L, the nippers and
their slide will fall by the action of gravity and carry the thread with them, so
as to prevent it from being entangled. When the thread is drawn through
the work it will be pulled out of the nippers by the power which draws it
through the work.
In order to prevent the weight of the pincers and their slide from being
thrown upon the thread, so as to break the needle or displace it while the
needle is being turned about one hundred and
adred and eighty degrees, as herein-before
set forth, I make use of or employ a mechanism which I shall now proceed to
describe. There is a small sliding carriage placed below the nipper carriage
or slide, and made to slide freely up and down on the inclined bar . This
carriage has a pulley t affixed to it, under which a cord u³ passes. One end
of this cord is fixed to the projection F. The cord, after passing down and

page_text: around the pulley t, is carried towards and through the eye of a guide v², and
thence horizontally or thereabouts to and through another guide w³, arranged
as seen in the Drawings; thence the cord is carried up and fastened to a
small carriage, that slides upon the long stationary horizontal rod o³, which is
disposed as seen in the Drawings.
From one side of the carriage as a spring y³ is made to extend and to press
against the rod o³, so as to make the carriage slide on the rod with the degree
of friction required. In order to prevent the carriage from turning around on
the rod any suitable means may be adopted. On the top of the carriage there
is not only a projection, but there is a spring catch a³, which spring catch is
formed as seen in Figures 1 and 21. Now, while the arm K retreats or goes
backwards, it strikes against the front end of the spring catch, and moves
said spring catch so as to enable the arm to slip by it. When the arm next
advances in a direction towards the work, it strikes against a shoulder of the
spring catch, and bears against the said shoulder, so as to move the carriage
forwards or towards the carriage L until the projection strikes against the
carriage L, whatever may be the position of the said carriage L, or what-
ever may be its distance from the work. Immediately on the said projection
striking the carriage, the further advance of the arm K will cause the spring
catch to be disengaged from such arm. By the movement of the carriage a³,
in the manner before described, such a draft on the cord attached to it is pro-
duced as will elevate the carriage or slide s³ up to a suitable position for the
upper slide to rest upon it, so as to relieve the thread from any downward
pressure of the upper slide.
We next come to a description of the machinery by which the carriage N
is moved on its supporting rails B, B, with an intermittent movement during
the operation of making the stitches, and in order that the awls may puncture
the work in a proper manner for the formation of the stitches. For this pur-
pose it is provided with a rack c, which has the same number of teeth to the
inch in length as there are stitches to be sewed to an inch of length of the
work. Into this rack an impelling pawl operates, the said impelling pawl
being jointed to the top or upper end of the upper arm of a lever e, that moves
upon a fulcrum fs, all arranged as seen in the Drawings. The vibrating motion
of this lever on its fulcrum is produced by a cam g' (fixed upon the side of
the bevel gear H*) and a spring h³, connecting the upper arm of the lever
with the rail B. The extent of backward movement of the impelling pawl
is regulated by a stop , affixed to the side of the rail B, the said stop being
made adjustable. During the revolution of the bevel gear H, the cam g³ will
be moved against the lower arm of the lever to which the impelling pawl is

page_text: jointed, and will so move the said lever and impelling pawl as to produce a
movement of the carriage N on the rails B, B. Now, as such movement may
not always be exactly in accordance with the distance required to enable the
needles to pass into the awl hole that is to receive them, I have applied to
the machine a mechanism which regulates such movement of the carriage N
in such manner as to insure to the awl hole its correct position for the reception
of the needles.
In Figure 22 I have represented a side view of the rail B, the apparatus
which propels the carriage N, together with the apparatus for ensuring the
correct position of the awl hole, as above specified. There is affixed to the
rail B a standard, which has jointed to its upper end a pawl P, that ex-
tends directly over the rack of the carriage N. The inner end of tho said
pawl has a tooth m³ affixed to it, which tooth is made to exactly fit the
space between any two teeth of the rack that are next adjacent to one
another. A powerful spring n³ is affixed to the top of the standard A³,
and made to press downwards on the pawl with a force sufficient to press
its tooth between two of the teeth of the rack, so as to move the carriage N,
as herein-after described.
Underneath the pawl and working on a fulcrum or pin o' is a lever p', whose
upper end is bent, and extends as seen in Fig. 22. The lower arm of the said
lever is moved in a direction towards the middle of the machine or inwards by
a cam fixed upon the surface or side of the bevel gear G. During the
revolution of the said bevel gear, and just at the time the carriage N is being
moved by its impelling pawl, the lever p³ is moved by the cam 3, so as to lift
the catch pawl above the rack, and allow it to drop down upon the rack;
instantly after the impelling pawl has effected a movement of the carriage N,
the downward pressure of the catch pawl upon the rack will bring the carriage
N into its correct position, should it have been moved either not quite far
enough or too far by the impelling pawl. The jaw frame, or the frame that
carries the jaws M, M, rests on the frame N, and has four pins, 3, 3, 5³,
extending down from it, and passing some distance through the frame N. Two
of these pins 8, 8, on each side of the frame r', are made to rest on one of two
guide ways or rails, which are applied to the inner side of the rails B, and are
suitably curved on their upper surfaces or ledges, so as to elevate the jaws with
respect to the needles, so that such needles shall pass into the work whatever
may be the line of sewing, whether such be a straight or curved line.
In the Drawings it will be seen that I have represented the jaws M, M, as
formed on their edges in a suitable shape for sewing the side seam of a boot
leg. Now, if the pins s', s, of the jaw frame are made to slide on curved rails

page_text: or ways, as described, the sewing may be done on a line which is partly straight
and partly curved, or entirely curved, as circumstances may require. In general
the curves of the upper surface of these rails will be the reverse of that of the
line of sewing or top edges of the jaws M, M. On the ends of these jaws I
have represented a clamp hook t¹ operating in connection with a cam u³, which
turns on a pin v, and is turned by a lever w³, the same being for the purpose
of drawing or forcing one of the jaws towards the other. I do not, however,
confine my Invention to any such contrivance for such purpose, as there are
many others which may be used for the same object with as good or better
advantage; nor do I confine my Invention to the precise form or forms of its
parts as represented in the Drawings, as I intend to vary the same in any
manner and to any extent, as circumstances may require, so long as I do not
change the principle of those parts thereof which I claim as new.
Although I have above represented in my machine that the sewing is to be
done with two threads passed through each stitch hole in opposite directions at
the same time, yet my machine can easily be used to perform the sewing with
but one thread, without any alteration in the principles claimed. I would
remark that I do not lay claim to any method of drawing the thread through
the work by seizing the needle by a pair of pincers, and performing the whole
operation of drawing the thread close into the work by draft on the said needle;
nor do I claim a mode of drawing the thread into the work by means of a
tripping roller moved by an endless chain; but what I do claim as my Inven-
tion is, the combining with the carriage T, the clamps a, b, and bearer V, or
mechanism which draws the needles through the work, a set of pincers S, S,
made to firmly grasp the thread between the needle and the work, and to be
so moved away from the work as to draw the thread firmly into it, as above
specified.
And in combination with the said machinery for holding the needle and
drawing it through the cloth or work, I claim machinery or mechanism (viz.,
the rotary shaft c, the clamps a, b, and the bearer V, operating as described, or
their equivalents,) for rotating the needle or turning or rotating it around one
hundred and eighty degrees, or end for end, as above specified, such mechanism
allowing me to make use of a common or ordinary needle with one eye and
but one point, as described.
I also claim the combining with the nippers S, S, and the vibrating arm K,
the carriages L & T, the spring bolt, and contrivances for operating it, as set
forth; the same being not only to draw the thread into the work with sufficient
tension, but to do so under any change in the length of it, substantially as
specified.

page_text: I also claim the combination of the rotating bearer V, the two needle clamps
a, b, and the vertical rotary shaft c, as operating together, or operated sub-
stantially as above described; and for the purpose of holding, releasing, and
reversing the needle, or turning it around, substantially as above set forth.
I also claim to combine with the rotary bearer V, and its clamp and shaft c,
or machinery for holding, releasing, and directing a needle into the work, a
propeller a³, operated or made to operate substantially in manner and so as to
force the needle into the work a specified.
I also claim to combine with the spring nippers 62, c, or machinery for
taking up the slack of the thread, and preventing entanglement of the thread
while the carriages are being moved towards the work, the sliding carriage s²,
or mechanism operating as described, for preventing the weight of the said
spring nippers 6², &, and their slide from being thrown upon the thread,
so as to break the needle or displace it while it is being turned around, as
herein-before set forth.
Witness,
THO R. ROACH.
EDWIN A. FORBUSH. (L.S.)