IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Clay Lee, of Laurence Pountney Lane, in
the City of London, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEWING MACHINES."-A communication from
abroad by Richard Mott. Wanzer, of Hamilton, Canada West, America..
Sealed the 17th December 1863, and dated the 25th June 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Clay Lee at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
June 1868:
I, HENRY CLAY LEE, of Laurence Pountney Lane, in the City of London,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEWING MACHINES," communicated to me from
abroad by Richard Mott Wanzer, of Hamilton, Canada West, America, to be
as follows:-
The features of novelty of this Invention consist, first, in mounting the
shuttle driver on two guide rods, placed one above the other, for the purpose
of reducing friction and giving stability to the shuttle driver, thus enabling the
shuttle driver to be worked at a very high speed; secondly, in forming the
groove of the shuttle driver oblique instead of vertical' as heretofore practised,
for producing a differential speed thereof, thereby causing the shuttle to enter
the loop quickly; thirdly, a mechanical arrangement for taking up the slack
thread while the needle is descending to the work; fourthly, adapting on the
shuttle driver, and in front of the shuttle, à piece of metal (which I call
a guard), for the purpose of ensuring the formation of the loop as the needle
ascends, and the certainty of the shuttle passing through the loop.

page_text: The following are examples of the means by which these improvements may
be effected: As regards the shuttle driver, I form same with two lugs at the
upper part and side thereof, and one lug below the aforesaid upper lugs, and
about midway betweèn same, said lower lug being formed on the outside of
the driving arm or oblique part of the shuttle driver. The aforesaid lugs have
each a hole formed through same, through which pass the guide rods before
mentioned, which are fixed by their ends to the machine. The arrangement
for taking up the slack thread from the needle as it descends is effected by a
'small horizontal spring lever, placed immediately over the guide (and in a line
with the hole therein), through which the sewing material passes from a
bobbin to the needle through the hole in the aforesaid guide, and also a hole in
the spring lever aforesaid. The effect of this arrangement is as follows:-As
the needle ascends the tension of the sewing material will pull the aforesaid
spring lever forward, and as the needle descends the spring of said spring
lever will pull same backward and also the sewing material, thereby taking
up the extra slack thread, and holding same until the eye of the needle enters
the cloth: Lastly, as regards the shuttle guard above referred to, the following
is the construction and mode of adapting same to the front of the shuttle,
that is to say, to the top of the shuttle carrier, and at the end thereof nearest
to the nose of the shuttle, I screw a flat thin piece of metal of a T-shape, and
so adjust same that the edge of the longer arm as it passes close to the needle
shall press against the sewing material or thread therein, and, detain same
while the needle is ascending, thus ensuring the formation and holding of the
loop for the shuttle to pass through, as before stated. The above improve-
ments may be adapted to any shuttle machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Clay Lee in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th December 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
CLAY LEE, of Laurence Pountney Lane, in the City of London, Merchant,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of June, 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 Henry Clay Lee, Her special licence that I, the said Henry

page_text: Clay Lee, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Henry Clay Lee, my exécutors, 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 " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEWING MACHINES," (communicated to me from.
abroad by Richard Mott Wanzer, of Hamilton, Canada West, America,)'
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Clay Lée,'
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 Henry Clay Lee, 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, that is to say :-
as the needl
The features of novelty of this Invention consist, first, in mounting the
shuttle driver on two guide rods, placed one above the other, for the purpose.
of reducing friction and giving stability to the shuttle driver, thus enabling the
shuttle driver to be worked at a very high speed; secondly, in forming the
groove of the shuttle driver oblique instead of vertical as heretofore practised,
for producing a diferential speed thereof, thereby causing the shuttle to enter
the loop quickly; thirdly, a mechanical arrangement for taking up the slack-
thread while the needle is descending to the work; fourthly, adapting on the
shuttle driver and in front of the shuttle a piece of metal (which I call a
guard), for the purpose of ensuring the formation of the loop
ascends, and the certainty of the shuttle passing through the loop.
The following are examples of the means by which these improvements may
be effected:-As regards the shuttle driver, I form same with two lugs at the
upper part and side thereof, and one lug, below the aforesaid upper lugs and:
about midway between same, said lower lug being formed on the outside of
the driving arm or oblique part of the shuttle driver. The aforesaid lugs.
have each a hole formed through same, through which pass the guide rods
before mentioned, which are fixed by their ends to the machinė. The arrange-
ment for taking up the slack thread from the needle as it descends is effecte.l
by a small horizontal spring lever placed immediately over the guide (and in

page_text: a line with the hole therein), through which the sewing material passes from
a bobbin to the needle through the hole in the aforesaid guide, and also a hole
in the spring lever aforesaid. The effect of this arrangements is as follows:-
As the needle ascends the tension of the sewing material will pull the afore-
said spring lever forward, and as the needle descends the spring of said spring
lever will pull same backward and also the sewing material, thereby taking up
the extra slack thread and holding same until the eye of the needle enters the
cloth. Lastly, as regards the shuttle guard above referred to, the following is
the construction and mode of adapting same to the front of the shuttle, that is
to say, to the top of the shuttle carrier, and at the end thereof nearest to the
nose of the shuttle, I screw a flat thin piece of metal of a T-shape, and so
adjust same that the edge of the longer arm as it passes close to the needle
shall press against the sewing material or thread therein and detain same
while the needle is ascending; thus ensuring the formation and holding of the
loop for the shuttle to pass through as before stated. The above, improvements
may be adapted to any shuttle machine.
In order to explain.this Invention as completely as possible, I now proceed
to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into
practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked
thereon respectivety as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the improved sewing machine at A,
Figure 2, which represents a top plan view of Figure 1; Figure 3' is a front
elevation at B, Figure 1; Figures 4, 5, 6, 7 are detached parts herein-after
particularly described and referred to.
a, a, mark two guide rods on which the shuttle driver b is mounted loosely,
said driver receiving alternate reciprocating movement from the rotation of a
disc wheel c, fixed on the spindle d by means of a strap or band passed around
the drum e and crank shaft, worked by a treddle in the usual way. There is a pin
at f, Figure 5, fixed in the wheel c, upon which said pin a roller g is mounted
loosely, said roller taking into an oblique groove formed in the part 6¹ of the
shuttle driver b, by these means the shuttle driver has a differential motion
imparted thereto, that is to say, the shuttle h is caused to enter the loop of the
sewing material quickly, and afterwards to pass through same slowly, as referred
to with regard to the second part of these improvements.
As regards the third part of these improvements for taking up the slack
thread, represented most clearly at Figures 1, 2, 3, i, k, are two curved pieces

page_text: of metal through the holes 1, 1, whereof the sewing material passes from a
bobbin at through the eye of the needle m, the piece i is fixed to the frame-
work of the machine, and the piece / works on a fulcrum and is connected to a
spring n, as the needle descends to the work the spring n draws up the slack, and
said spring yields as the needle is ascending through the work; o is a stop pin.
As regards the fourth part of these improvements, represented at Figures 4,
5, and 6, p is a flat piece of metal fixed to the front part of the shuttle driver
and at the top thereof; the edge of the piece p should be so adjusted as to
come into contact with the thread in the needle so as to press against and
hold said thread whilst the needle is ascending to ensure the formation of the
loop for the shuttle to pass through, after which the slack is taken up
as before stated. q is a wheel fixed on d, the pin r whereof takes into the
heart-shaped ends of the lever S, said lever is mounted on a fulcrum at t, t, and
works the needle bar T, to which said lever is fixed. The feed motion of this
machine is worked by the undulating face at u of the drum e acting on the
pin w in the bar U; a is a spring for pulling back the bar U, and y is a screw
for regulating the length of the stitch; z is the ordinary presser foot of the
machine for holding the work down, said foot being worked in the usual way.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of this
Invention, together with the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I hereby declare
this Invention to consist in, and I claim,―
First, mounting the shuttle driver on guide rods.
Secondly, forming the groove of the shuttle driver oblique for producing a
differential speed of the shuttle driver and shuttle, and causing the shuttle to
enter the loop quickly.
Thirdly, the piece k for taking up the slack.
Fourthly, the piece p for ensuring the formation of the loop.
Lastly, I claim the foregoing in combination with the ordinary parts of
sewing machines as above described with reference to the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings.
.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Clay Lee, have hereunto set my
HENRY CLAY LEE. (L.s.)