IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINEO
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Callebaut, Merchant, of 2, Rue Sainte
Appoline, Paris, France, and of 4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINEO"
Sealed the 2nd April 1861, and dated the 5th October 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Callebaut at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
October 1860.
I, CHARLES CALLEBAUT, Merchant, of 2, Rue Sainte Appoline, Paris,
France, and of 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," to
be as follows, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in the construction of an improved sewing machine
for making the overcast stitch. The improved machine is mounted on a frame
of any suitable form, and is composed of a main shaft provided with an
excentric. This excentric works a series of catch levers, which set in motion
a ratchet wheel, the axis of which has a screw thread formed on it, and gears
into a screw nut fixed to a presser or comb holder, under which the article to
be sewed is placed. By varying the action of the catch levers I cause the
ratchet wheel to turn, and the screw nut and comb holder to advance to the
extent required, and by this means the distance between the stitches may be
varied. A hooked needle worked by a second excentric serves to pass the
thread through the article to be sewed; the thread being placed on the said

page_text: needle by a distributor worked by an excentric. A hook is made to separate
the two ends of the thread on its leaving the article to enable a distendor pro-
vided with a hook to stretch the needlefull of thread on a drum, which may
be smooth, or provided with grooves of a spiral shape, in which the thread is
distributed. This drum may be covered with a sheet of india-rubber or other
suitable thin material to keep the thread in the grooves. The comb, holders are
hinged to allow of their being opened by means of a treadle or other suitable con-
trivance. The combs are fixed to the holders by screws, and may be changed
according to the length of stitch required. The machine may be worked by
hand or by other motive power.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Callebaut in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th April 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
CALLEBAUT, of 2, Rue Sainte Appoline, Paris, (Empire of France,) and of 4,
South Street, Finsbury, London, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Charles Callebaut, Her special licence that I, the said Charles Callebaut,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Charles Callebaut, 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 of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SEWING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles
Callebaut, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Charles Callebaut, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawing hereto annexed, and
to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:-
My Invention consists in an improved construction of sewing machine for
producing the overlap or whip stitch as made by band, by employing the
thread by needlefulls.
According to my Invention I can construct machines, 1st, for obtaining
stitches at fixed distances; 2ndly, for making stitches at any required distance;
3rdly, with a circular comb making a continuous seam, very suitable for
certain descriptions of work.
In the Drawing hereto annexed Figure 1 shews a front view, and Figure 2
a vertical section on the line 1 and 2 of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a plan of a
machine constructed for producing stitches at all required distances by
changing the nippers or combs. The movement is communicated by a fly-
wheel A mounted on the horizontal motive shaft B, on which is keyed a bevil
wheel C, catching with a second bevil wheel D fixed to the vertical shaft E, and
drawing along this latter in its rotative movement. On the same shaft E is
also keyed an excentric F, in the groove of which a roller G enters. This
roller is fixed to a piece I joined at I. The piece H has a longitudinal hole
in the form of a button-hole for receiving the axes of the catches J, which set
in motion the ratchets K and K. The groove of the excentric having a
regular play, as well as the piece H, it will be understood that by displacing
the rotating shaft of the ratchets, and placing them at a greater or less distance
from the jointed centre I by means of the button hole, the catches may at
option take hold of one, two, three, or a greater number of ratchet teeth, and
thereby increase or diminish the rotation of the ratchets. The axis L of these
ratchets is formed with a screw thread nearly through the whole of its length,
and its journals are held in the supports M; it screws into the nut N, which
advances more or less, and which draws along the pressers or nippers O, of
which it forms a part. I can then by displacing the centres of the ratchets
obtain at option stitches of a greater or less distance apart, according to the
work to be done.
For the introduction of the articles to be sewn into the nippers I can
employ a pedal, which by means of a strap P and a lever Q jointed at R,
raises the lower part 0¹ of the nipper placed in front. This nipper pivots
round a centre 0%, and the upper parts of the nippers being separated it will be
easy to introduce the article to be sewn and to place it suitably as the two bands
are free. By setting free the pedal the nippers will be brought together by
the spring S. Above the excentric F, and keyed to the shaft E, is an

page_text: excentric T, in the groove of which a roller turns, which is fixed to a carriage
U of the needle carrier, which is guided in a longitudinal direction by the
slides V. The groove of the excentric is made so as to produce the alternate
movement of the needle, as well as the stoppages necessary for the complete
formation of the stitch. The slides are fixed under the circular plate X,
herein-after described. In the excentric Y keyed on the vertical shaft E a
groove is made, in which moves a roller Z, the axis of which is fixed to a
piece a for feeding the needle 6 with thread at every stitch. As this piece a
should partly envelope the thread round the needle and the pin 61, it is made
with a double joint c & d; the joint c acting according to the movements com-
municated by the groove of the excentric Y, gives motion in a lateral direction,
and the raising and lowering movement is given by a piece e, in which lodges
at the proper time the roller f fixed on the branch 9, forming part with the
double joints c and d. The needle in its forward movement passes through
the article to be sewn; then the piece a feeds the thread which is held by the
book of the needle, which in its backward movement draws the thread through
the stuff. At this point the thread is double; a hook g¹ separates these two
threads, and allows the piece Z³ to develop them. The movement of the
hook g¹ is obtained by means of a pin h placed on the excentric T. This pin
at the proper time strikes upon the lever i, which gives motion to a cam j
mounted on the same axis as the hook g¹. The play of the hook g¹ is regulated
by the butting screw k. When this hook g¹ separates the two threads, a hook
fixed to the extremity of an arm Z³ mounted on the vertical shaft E takes
hold of the loose end of the thread and develops it in the groove X2 of the
circular plate X. This groove is furnished with a plush-like stuff, so as to keep
the thread within certain limits. The second groove at the upper part of the
plate contains a similar stuff for preventing the thread from getting out of its
place in developping. A hook n set in motion by a lever o receives its movement
from a cam p fixed on the lower part of the excentric Y. This book serves to
disengage the thread from the needle. The two flexible blades 9 and q¹ serve
to produce on the thread the necessary pressure, in order that the stitch may
be made sufficiently tight. The pressure is regulated by a stem r, which the
carriage U draws with it in its alternate motion. It is screw-wormed to
enable the pressure to be regulated at will. The employment of the screw L,
with a ratchet at each of its extremities, has the advantage of enabling the
sewing to be effected forward and backward; and according as it is effected
forward or backward the sewing will change direction, although the motive
shaft always turns in the same way. To obtain this result it is merely
necessary to set at work one or other of the catches, and a double seam will

page_text: be obtained, the second seam joining and completing the first. This kind of
seam is often employed in the manufacture of gloves. The hooks g¹ and n are
mounted on a carriage g³, which is regulated by means of the screw n³. With
a machine thus constructed I obtain a seam with a whip-stitch similar to that
made by hand, and of great regularity. The pressers or nippers can be cut or
dressed like the nippers generally used, and the cut part may be formed of
blades provided with screws, and which may be changed instantaneously when
it is desired to vary the stitch.
Although the machines thus constructed are in some respects preferable for
some-kinds of work, I propose employing also the modification-represented at
Figure 4. I suppress the teeth of the nippers, which are reduced to the
extent of the height of these teeth. I employ a piece s firmly fixed either to
the plate X or to the framework of the machine. This piece is grooved out
in suitable places for the play of the different pieces. It is of about the same
height as the nipper teeth suppressed. A second movable piece jointed at t
receives its motion from a cam v placed on the excentric Y. When the comb
or nipper advances the cam acts. The article to be sewn being no longer held,
except by the nippers o, advances the length of the stitch, and the lever t
escaping from the cam v again presses on the article to be sewn, while the
tightening of the stitch is effected. Slits, or only one slit, similar to those of
ordinary combs, is formed in the pieces s et t, and performs in these
machines the same duty as the needle-guide plate and stuff presser in ordinary
machines.
I can with this arrangement vary the distance of the stitches by the dis.
placement of the catches, and it will be understood that these variations
may be very numerous if I employ fine-teethed ratchets.
Figure 5 represents a machine with a continuous comb or nipper. The
motive and sewing mechanisms are the same as I have herein-before described,
the mode of communicating motion only differs. The excentric F has a groove
made in it for giving an intermittent movement to the lever a² keyed on the
shaft 6 held in the bearings c²; at one of its extremities this shaft has a catch
d, which acts on the ratchet wheel &, the axis f of which held in the
bearings g², carries a conical pinion h³ cogging with a wheel ², on the axis j³ of
which is fixed a circular-toothed comb k, a piece fixed to the framework
forms the front nipper, the pressure of which may be regulated by the screw
m2 and the grooved piece o. If the article to be sewn be engaged between
the piece and the comb k², the latter will draw it on in a continuous
manner.
Figures 6 and 7 represent a tool for finishing in the manufacture of gloves

page_text: the work done by this machine. It consists of a comb of the kind usually
employed. In this case, however, instead of being straight it is curved, and
this curve is regulated so as to be able to close more easily the ends of the
fingers of gloves.
Having now described. the nature of my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, what I claim as new and intended to be protected by
the herein in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1stly, the general arrangement and construction of sewing machines for
producing the whip-stitch, as herein-before described and shown in the
annexed Drawing.
2ndly, the arrangement of screws and ratchets for obtaining stitches at
various distances apart, as herein-before described and shown in Figures 1, 2,
and 3 of the Drawing.
3rdly, the obtaining the same result either by employing toothed combs, as
shown at Figures 1, 2, and 3, or by the arrangement shown at Figure 4,
herein-before described.
4thly, the employment of a stretcher and its horizontal plate, as herein-
before described and shown in Figure 4 of the annexed Drawing.
5thly, the arrangement of hooks for facilitating the passage of the stretcher,
and also of the hook for disengaging the thread, as herein-before described
and shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3.
6thly, the arrangement for sewing two ways, as described and shown in
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4.
7thly, the employment of a circular comb, as herein-before described and
shown at Figure 5.
8thly, the construction and employment of a tool allowing the closing of
the ends of the fingers of gloves, as herein-before described and shown at
Figures 6 and 7.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Callebaut, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
CALLEBAUT, AINE. (L.S.)