IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Bernoulli Barlow, of the City of Manchester,
Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."
-A communication from abroad by François Jean Baptiste Victor
Brosser and Charles Edward Brosser, of Paris, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 17th March 1868, and dated the 12th October 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Bernoulli Barlow
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 12th October 1867.
I, HENRY BERNOULLI BARLOW, of the City of Manchester, Patent Agent,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SEWING MACHINES," being a communication to me from abroad by François.Jean
Baptiste Victor Brosser and Charles Edward Brosser, of Paris, in the Empire
of France, to be as follows:-
These improvements consist in an improved combination of parts for
producing what is technically called the "whip stitch" or "point de feston,"
and they may be applied to all or most sewing machines in which shuttles are
used. In this machine the needle is moved to and fro horizontally instead of
vertically, as now customary, and the shuttle moves segmentally. The
mechanism for moving the needlo and shuttle is not new. The principal

page_text: novelty consists in the application of a swivel bar actuated by cam, tappet, or
lever, and made with a spiral groove to unwind the thread off the shuttle,
and to hold it while the needle passes through the loop, and to tighten it
again.
Another part of this Invention consists in giving the feed by means of a
pair of spring nippers, which vibrate on a fulcrum and are opened and closed
alternately by suitable levers and cams or other equivalents, instead of by the
ordinary toothed feeder or propeller. The machinery above described is par-
ticularly adapted to sewing kid gloves, but it may be employed for sewing
woven fabrics and other materials.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Bernoulli Barlow in the Great Seal Patent Office on
11th April 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
BERNOULLI BARLOW, of the City of Manchester, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Henry Bernoulli Barlow, Her special license that I, the said
Henry Bernoulli Barlow, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Henry Bernoulli Barlow, 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," being a communication to
me from abroad by François Jean Baptiste Victor Brosser and Charles
Edward Brosser, of Paris, in the Empire of France,) upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Henry Bernoulli Barlow, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Bernoulli Barlow, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):-
These improvements consist in certain improved parts and combinations of
parts for producing an improved "whip stitch" or "point de feston," and they
may be applied to all or most sewing machines in which shuttles are used.
In this machine the needle is moved to and fro cither horizontally or vertically,
and the shuttle moves segmentally or horizontally. The principal novelty
consists in the application of a swivel arm or bar actuated by cam, tappet, or
lever, and made with a spiral groove to unwind the thread off the shuttle, to
hold it while the needle passes through the loop and to tighten it again.
Another part of this Invention consists in giving the feed by means of a
pair of spring nippers, which vibrate on a fulcrum and are opened and closed
alternately by suitable levers and cams or other equivalents, instead of giving
the feed by the ordinary toothed feeder or propeller. The machinery above
described is particularly adapted to sewing kid gloves, but it may be employed
for sewing woven fabrics and other materiais.
And in order that the Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
Figure 1 is an elevation of a sewing machine, with a needle working
horizontally and a shuttle working segmentally constructed according to these
improvements; Figure 2 is a plan, and Figure 3 is an end view of the same;
Figures 4 and 5 are Diagrams representing the improved whip stitch or
point de feston " produced; Figures 6 and 7 represent the upper and lower
views of the stitch.
As it is not necessary to refer to the well known parts of this machine I
will proceed to describe the parts forming the improvements.
The swivel bar or arm A, which is the principal instrument of the sewing
machine, is round and bent orelbowed, anditis provided at its lower extremity
with a spiral groove B to hold the thread of the shuttle when required; the
other end of the swivel bar has a tail piece C, on which the cam D acts and
produces two of the three notions given to the said swivel bar. The first of
these motions is longitudinal, and is imparted by the circumference of the
cam; the second is swivelling to move the elbow part, and is produced by a
projection on the face of the cam. The swivel arm A is guided and supported
by the fixed piece a and the lever E which imparts to it the third motion; the
lever E is moved by the piece F, which slides to and fro in the slot b. In

page_text: producing the required stitch the swivel arm works at three times in the fol
lowing manner-The first motion is performed when the piece F is in the
position shewn in black in Figure 1; the second takes place when the piece F
in the middle of its traverse, and the third when the piece F is in the posi-
tion shewn in red. Taking this last as the starting point, it will be seen that
the swivel arm has performed its swivel motion, and is placed behind the
thread of the shuttle, as shewn in red in Figure 3, and in black in Figure 4.
The needle and the shuttle are at this time at the end of their traverse, as
shewn in red in Figure 1; the swivel arm A having been pushed by the
cam D tightens the thread and forms the loop, as shewn in Figure 5. This
position corresponds to the centre of the traverse of the piece F, which when
in that position comes in contact with the lever E and causes it to move from
right to left, thus raising the swivel arm which then liberates the thread of the
shuttle, but before this the needle has passed through the loop and into the
material to be stitched; the shuttle is then at the end of its stroke, and in
returning in the contrary direction passes between the needle and its thread
to make the stitch; in addition to that it also tightens the thread in its former
position to complete the stitch in coming out; the whip stitch or "point
de feston" is thus produced. In Figures 4 and 5 are shewn the different
parts of the stitch, the blue lines X representing the thread of the needle, and
the red lines Y that of the shuttle. In Figure 6 the binding thread X of the
needle is continuous, whereas in Figure 7 the said thread is only a loop
leaving a space between each stitch. In the machine above described, and
which is particularly adapted for sewing gloves, the skin is placed vertically
and is moved from left to right; the motion is given by a spring nipper, which
is used instead of the ordinary toothed feeder or propeller. This nipper is
shewn in Figures 1 and 3, and consists of two blades G and G¹ jointed
together at H,and held in contact by the spring o; these two blades are opened
at a certain time, advance a certain distance, and take hold of the skin or
fabric to move it back for the same distance.
Figure 8 represents an elevation ofa sewing machine constructed according
to a modification of this Invention with a shuttle working in a direct line,
and with the swivel arm A placed under the driving shaft.
Figure 9 represents a similar machine with the shuttle moving in a slight
curve, and with the swivel arm placed above the driving shaft; Figure 10 is
a plan of the tube in which the shuttle moves, applicable to either of the above
machines; Figure 11 represents the two levers at the ends of the swivel arm
when placed in the position shewn in Figure 9, and a view on a larger scale
of the spiral groove B, which forms an essential part of the swivel arm;

page_text: Figure 12 is a detached plan view of the guide; Figure 13 is a section and
side view of the curved shuttle, in which are placed the spring and the cap;
Figure 14 represents an end and side view of the cap; Figure 15 represents
thedevelopementof the sinkers and risers in the faces of the cams for working
the swivel arm, the point I corresponding to the point c" of the cams.
I will now proceed todescribet besedifferent improvements without reference
to the parts that are well known. The swivel arms in Figures S and 9 consist
of a round rod in two parts furnished with a spiral groove B.
In Figure 11 B' represents this groove on a large scale, which is deep
at a", tapering of at a, and with a hook or projection a¹. The form of this
groove and of the end of the arm enables it to hold the thread during the
advance of the swivel arm and to release it on its return stroke. In Figuro S
Dis the cam with a rim dacting on the bowl c" of the lever c¹. The cam 1',
in Figure 9, varies from the above in so far that the rim is replaced by
the recesses D and D, either with or without projections opposite these
recesses, according as the lever c' is provided with a guide c", or with a fork
c", ", as shewn in Figure 11. The swivel arm A, in Figure 9, is guided by
a bearing a placed above the centre of the shaft of the cam D. In Figure S
the bearing a is below the shaft of the cam D. In Figures 8 and 9 the
levers are attached to the swivel arms A; the levers E fit in the curved
slots E. The spiral spring S fixed in the arm A at S' and to the bearing a
at S, is to hold the levers c' and their parts c" in contact with the cams D,D';
these two swivel arms although slightly different in construction produce the
three motions above described. The dotted lines M in Figures 8 and 9
represent the action of the end B of the swivel arms to conduct the thread
of the shuttle behind the needle. In Figure 10, 1 is a recess in the plate to
allow the extremity B of the swivel arm to place itself under the thread to
form the loop at M; and O represents the improved form of the end of the
feed motion or propeller.
Figures 10 and 12 represent a guide of an improved form with an arm N¹,
which in some cases inay be dispensed with. I wish to remark that in these
machines the shuttle is carried away from the point at which the needle enters
to allow the end of the swivel arm to catch the thread. In Figures 8 and 9
the cams for actuating the shuttle are shewn by dotted blue lines, and those
for the needles are shewn dotted in black, while those for the swivel arms are
in full black lines. The letters K, L, and c" represent the starting points of
these cams. The cams in Figure 9, although smaller than those in Figure 8,
are constructed in the same proportions and effect the same results. The
forms of these cams, their relativo position, and their mode of operating, as

page_text: shewn and described in reference to Figures S and 9, are indispensable in
producing the improved whip stitch or "point de feston," and constitute a
part of this Invention. The shuttle P, shewn in Figure 13, is made with an
improved spring to keep the thread tight; this spring is fixed at the point 2,
and after passing the stud 1, which keeps it bent, extends to the point 4; at
the point 2 is a screw to regulate the tension of the spring. The thread enters
at the point 3 and leaves at the point 4. The length of the spring gives a
soft and regular tension to the thread; this spring may also hold the cap Q in
the interior of the shuttle. Figure 14 represents a side view and end view of
the cap Q, which is made of metal by preference, but may be of other material;
this cap is shewn curved, but it may be of any other forn according to the
shape of the shuttle. One end of this cap is closed with a fixed or moveable
end, in the centre of which is a hole R, through which the thread passes.
After the end of the thread has been passed through the hole R the spool
placed in the cap, and is drawn off without interruption to the end; these
spools can be used over and over again.
Having thus described the Invention, communicated to me by the within-
named Francois Jean Baptiste Victor Brosser and Charles Edward Brosser, [
declare that I claim,-
First. The general combination and arrangement of the parts of a sewing
machine with a horizontal needle, and particularly adapted for sewing kid
gloves, but which maybe employed for other purposes, as shewn and described
in reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3.
Secondly. The combination of a needle working horizontally, and a shuttle
working in the segment of a circle.
Thirdly. The improved feed motion, shewn and described in reference to
Figures 1, 2, and 3, whether the same be applied to the sewing machine
described, or to any other sewing machine.
Fourthly. The swivel arm described applicable to all sewing machines with
shuttles, and for producing the improved whip stitch or "point de feston,"
shewn in Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7.
Fifthly. The general combination and arrangements of the parts of sewing
machines with a swivel arm, as shewn and described in reference to Figures 8
and 9.
Sixthly. The improved cap, shewn in Figures 13 and 14, or of any other
form corresponding to the shape of the shuttle.
Seventhly. The improved spring for regulating the tension of the thread in
the shuttle, as shewn in Figure 13.
And, lastly. The improved guide plate and part of feed motion, shewn in

page_text: Figure 10, and particularly applicable when used in combination with the
swivel arın above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Bernoulli Barlow, have hereto
set my hand and seal, this Niuth day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-eight.
H. B. BARLOW. (L.S.)