IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Prince, of 4, Trafalgar Square, Charing
Cross, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SEWING MACHINES."
Sealed the 3rd May 1864, and dated the 7th November 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Prince at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
November 1868.
I, ALEXANDER PRINCE, of 4, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross, in the
5 County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to improvements in sewing machines, either
where loopers or shuttles are used; and, secondly, in improvements in sewing
machines of all descriptions, whereby they may be rendered in a measure
self-acting by the application of an independent motive power, so as to
dispense with the use of the treddle or with direct manual motive power; and,
thirdly, in improvements for facilitating the operations of double hemming
and such like work.
I propose, firstly, in order to maintain the more easy working of sewing
machines where either loopers or shuttles are used, and thereby to lessen the
friction of the several parts, to dispense with the principal portion of the
mechanism at present used on the under side of such sewing machines for

page_text: actuating the looper or shuttle, and to use only a straight looper or shuttle
bar having a projection thereon, or a curvilinear looper or shuttle bar of a
serpentine form, or a straight bar secured at its lower extremity by a pin or
screw, its opposite end being attached to double excentrics and being driven
direct from the lower part of the cranked handle arm by an adjustable screw
set therein, thus dispensing with all cams aud cam motions at present in use.
These improvements will particularly facilitate the operation of the sewing
machine under the Patent granted to me on January 15th, 1863, No. 140, for
"Improvements in Sewing Machines."
Secondly, I propose to set a shaft in bearings underneath the driving shaft
of the machine, the lower shaft having a large pulley keyed thereon under-
neath the small pulley on the driving shaft, which it works by means of an
endless band or strap. The lower shaft derives motion from a helical spring
contained in a barrel having a fluted exterior to receive a cord or gut band
extending to a second barrel parallel with the first, which second barrel is
placed around the lower shaft. One end of this barrel is furnished with a
toothed wheel, above which is a small pinion and handle for the purpose of
winding the cord or band from the first barrel against the action of the helical
spring. The cord is prevented from unwinding suddenly by means of a
ratchet wheel attached to the second barrel and a pall taking into the teeth
thereof. The number of revolutions of the shaft are to be regulated by means
of a friction or break wheel and band actuated by an adjusting screw effecting
a tension throughout such band. By these arrangements the ordinary
standards supporting the tables of sewing machines may be dispensed with,
and the machine may be placed on a bench or ordinary table, or in a box for
the sake of portability. In some cases I propose to employ in lieu of a
spring a weighted cord which when wound up will exercise a power in
descending sufficient to drive the machine for a short time. In this case the
standards will be necessary to afford an elevation to the table of the machine.
Thirdly, for certain operations, such as double hemming and double binding,
I propose to employ adjustable guides for the purpose of passing the work
through before reaching the needle. The guides are attached to the bed plate
or the head of the machine, and are formed of metal or other hard material,
the sides or edges of which are first bent over towards each other at one end
slightly, but at the other end to such an extent that the edges meet at the
centre, or nearly so, the edges presenting a tapering or oblique line with
regard to the central line of the strip; after which the narrow end is again
completely doubled together, but leaving a narrow space between all the folds,
the opposite end receiving only a curvilinear and open bend; thus channels or

page_text: grooves are gradually formed in the guides for the purpose of turning in the
raw or plain edges of fabrics and attaching the same together or to the edge
or surface of cloth or other material.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Prince in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th May 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
PRINCE, of 4, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross, in the County of Middlesex,
send.greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alexander Prince, Her special licence that I, the said Alexander Prince,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Alexander Prince, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SEWING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Alexander Prince, 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 Alexander Prince, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to improvements in sewing machines, where
loopers are used; and, secondly, to improvements in sewing machines of all
descriptions, whereby they may be rendered in a measure self-acting, by the
application of an independent motive power, so as to dispense with the use of

page_text: the treddle, or with direct manual motive power; and, thirdly, to improve-
ments for facilitating the operations of double hemming and such like work.
In order that my said Invention may be more fully understood, I proceed
to explain the manner in which the same is to be carried into practical
effect.
Firstly, in order to maintain the more easy working of sewing machines
where loopers are used, and thereby to lessen the friction of the several parts,
I dispense with the principal portion of the mechanism at present used on the
under side of such sewing machines for actuating the looper, and use only a
straight looper or shuttle bar, having a projection thereon, or a curvilinear
looper bar of a serpentine form, or a straight bar secured at its lower
extremity by a pin or screw, its opposite end being attached to double excen-
trics, and being driven direct from the lower part of the cranked arm by an
adjustable screw set therein, thus dispensing with all cams and cam motions at
present in use. These improvements will particularly facilitate the operation
of the sewing machine under the Patent granted to me on the 15th day of
January 1863, No. 140, for "Improvements in Sewing Machines," and which
will be completely understood by referring to the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, where at Fig. 1, which is an under plan view, a is the connecting
rod, actuated by the end of the cranked arm a', which imparts motion to the
male excentric b, and thence to the female excentric c, which drives the
looper d in a forward and backward direction, the necessary dip of the looper
being determined by a slot cut in the fixed plate e, the pin f at the end of
the looper working in the slot, as shewn. A modification of the foregoing
motion is shewn at Fig. 2, where a is the connecting rod working on the
fulcrum b, and deriving motion from the end of the cranked arm a¹, and the
intervention of the vibrating plate 6, which plate is attached by a screw c to
the bed plate of the machine; the end of the connecting rod a is also attached
to the plate 6 by a screw, so that when the needle is taking a downward
direction the end of the cranked arm a' pushes the vibrating plate b¹ in the
direction of the arrow, when the rod a not only proceeds forward by means
of the slot d, but also oscillates on its fulcrum b, thereby actuating the looper
and effecting the necessary dip at the required time; the looper in this case
is securely attached to the extremity of the connecting rod, and can be regu-
lated at pleasure by a binding screw e, as shewn; a spring f is brought to
bear against the side of the connecting rod in order to return it to its former
position ready for the next stitch.
My Invention consists, secondly, in rendering sewing machines self-acting
by the application of independent motive power, so as to dispense with the use

page_text: of the treddle or with direct manual motive power, in the following manner:-
I set a shaft in bearings underneath the driving shaft of the machine, the
lower shaft having a large pulley keyed thereon underneath the small pulley
on the driving shaft, which it works by means of an endless band or strap.
The lower shaft derives motion from a coiled spring contained in a barrel or
box having a fluted exterior to receive a cord, gut, or chain, extending to a
second barrel parallel with the first, which second barrel is placed around the
lower shaft. One end of this barrel is furnished with a toothed wheel, above
which is a small pinion and handle for the purpose of winding the cord or
band from the first barrel against the action of the coiled spring. The cord
is prevented from unwinding suddenly by means of a ratchet wheel attached
to the second barrel and a pall taking into the teeth thereof. The number of
revolutions of the shaft are to be regulated by means of a friction or break
wheel and band actuated by an adjusting screw effecting a tension throughout
such band. By these arrangements the ordinary standards supporting the
tables of sewing machines may be dispensed with, and the machine may be
placed on a bench or ordinary table, or in a box for the sake of portability.
In some cases I employ instead of a spring a weighted cord, which, when
wound up, will exercise a power in descending sufficient to drive the machine
for a short time, in which case the standards will be necessary to afford an
elevation to the table of the machine. I also employ a spring and weight
combined, that is, I employ a weight as an auxiliary to the spring for the
purpose of obtaining a greater maintaining power.
The last part of my Invention relates to certain operations, such as double
hemming and double binding. I employ adjustable guides for the purpose of
passing the work through before reaching the needle. The guides are
attached to the bed plate or the head of the machine, and are formed of
metal or other hard material, the sides or edges of which are first bent over
towards each other, at one end slightly, but at the other end to such an extent
that the edges meet at the centre, or nearly so, the edges presenting a
tapering or oblique line with regard to the central line of the strip; after
which the narrow end is again completely doubled together, but leaving a
narrow space between all the folds, the opposite end receiving only a cur-
vilinear and open bend. Thus channels or grooves are gradually formed in
the guides for the purpose of turning in the raw or plain edges of fabrics and
attaching the same together, or to the edge or surface of cloth or other
material.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would remark in conclusion, that what

page_text: I claim as my Invention, and therefore desire to have secured to me by the
herein in part recited Letters Patent, are, the "Improvements in Sewing
Machines," substantially as herein fully described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Prince, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
ALEXB. PRINCE. (L.S.)