IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Winter, of Leeds, in the County of York,
Sewing Machine Maker and General Machinist, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."
Sealed the 29th June 1869, and dated the 30th December 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Winter at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th December 1868.
1, WILLIAM WINTER, of Leeds, in the County of York, Sewing
Machine Maker and General Machinist, do hereby declare the nature
of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists, firstly, in constructing the needle bar or the
spindle which carries the vertical needle hollow (and by preference
cylindrical) with a slot hole for the insertion of the lever by which the
required reciprocatory motion is given to it, and in applying within
the said hollow spindle a spiral spring to press upon the said lever and
thereby produce an elastic connection and prevent undue wear by the
action thereof.
Secondly. In constructing the bushes or bearings for the said needle
bar with a longitudinal slit, so that by a set screw applied externally
Price 1

page_text: the said bush may be contracted and thereby compensate for wear of
the parts working in contact.
Thirdly. In the employment of a boss cam to operate a lever for
working the feed motion, whether such motion be above or under the
material to be sewn, and in the application to the side of the said cam of
a stud with friction roller (by preference of steel) to operate a lever for
lifting the foot or holder.
Fourthly. In the application of a pair of nippers operated by a cam
to nip or close and hold the thread during the descent of the needle,
and then to open to liberate it on the needle entering the fabrics or
material to be sewn (instead of the usual tension springs), by which
improvement less friction and strain is put upon the thread and conse-
quently avoids and renders it less liable to breakage.
Fifthly. In giving motion to the toothed feed wheel by a catch acting
directly upon the teeth of the said wheel instead of working the same
by friction as heretofore.
Sixthly. This Invention relates to that class of sewing machines wherein
rotary shafts are employed to produce the required motions of the
needle bars and shuttles or other thread carriers, and my improvements
consist in applying cams on the said shafts of suitable form to act upon
the studs (with or without friction rollers) fixed to the said carriers
or to levers working in connection therewith, whereby friction is
diminished and better means of regulating the time for action of the
several parts is obtained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Winter in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 30th June 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME I. WILLIAM
WINTER, of Leeds, in the County of York, Sewing Machine Maker
and General Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Winter, Her special licence

page_text: that I, the said William Winter, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Winter, 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 William
Winter, 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 William Winter, do hereby declare
the nature of mysaid Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularlydescribed and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Sheet of Drawings (that is so say);-
This Invention consists, firstly, in constructing the needle bar or the
spindle which carries the vertical needle hollow (and by preference)
cylindrical, with a slot hole for the insertion of the lever by which the
required reciprocatory motion is given to it, and in applying within the
said hollow spindle a spiral spring to press upon the said lever, and
thereby produce an elastic connection and prevent undue wear by the
action thereof..
Secondly. In constructing the bushes or bearings for the said needle
bar with a longitudinal slit, so that by a set screw applied externally
the said bush may be contracted and thereby compensate for wear of the
parts working in contact.
Thirdly. In the employment of a boss cam for working the feed
motion, whether such motion be above or under the material to be sewn,
and in the application to the side of said cam a stud with friction
roller (by preference of steel), to operate a lever for lifting or working
the foot or holder.
Fourthly. In the application of a pair of nippers operated by a cam
to nip or close and hold the thread during the descent of the needle,
and then fo open to liberate it on the needle entering the fabric or
material to be sewn (instead of the usual tension springs), by which

page_text: improvement less friction and strain is put upon the thread, consequently
avoids or renders it less liable to breakage.
Fifthly. In the giving motion to the toothed feed wheel by a catch
acting directly upon the teeth of a ratchet wheel fixed on the shaft,
which carries the said wheel, instead of working the same by friction as
heretofore.
Sixthly. This Invention relates to that class of sewing machines
wherein rotary shafts are employed to produce the required motions of
the needle bars and shuttle or other thread carriers, and my improve-
ments consist in applying cams on the said shafts of suitable form to
act upon studs (with or without friction rollers) fixed to the said carriers
or to the levers working in connection therewith, whereby friction is
diminished and better means of regulating the time for action of the
several parts is obtained.
In order that this Invention may be clearly understood, I herein give
reference to a Sheet of Drawings of sewing machinery having these
improvements applied thereto.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents the side elevation of an ordinary or general con-
struction of sewing machine wherein the first part of this Invention is
shewn. A is the improved needle bar, and B the lever by which motion
is communicated to it and shewn in sectional detail at Figure 2. This
bar is constructed of (by preference) a steel tube with a slott hole to
insert the lever; a plug is screwed into the bottom end and bored to
receive the needle. Also another plug is screwed into the top end
which forms the thread guide, and an abuttment to a spiral spring C
placed within the tube or bar pressing upon a ball C resting on the
lever B, under which is a steel pin a passed through the tube for the
Jever to act upon.
It will be readily seen that this construction of
needle bar forms an elastic connection with the lever which gives
motion to it, and thereby prevents undue wear in working or action
thereof.
The second part of this Invention, the compensating bushes, arc
marked with the letter D, and a plan of which is shewn at Fig. 3, where
it will be seen that the bush is cut open on one side, and by means of
the set screw it may readily be set closer to the bar to compensate
for wear thereof, or the parts in contact, as often as required.

page_text: The third part is shewn at E, which is a boss cam fixed on the main
shaft F, into which cam or the groove therein a friction roller on the
arm G of the rocking shaft G' of the ordinary feed motion enters; by
the action of this cam the foot or holder H is worked, as will be readily
understood, and it will also be seen that this cam is equally applicable
to work an underneath feed motion as for the above motion.
The fourth part of this Invention is shewn at I, which is a small
table or nipping jaw adjustably fixed to the jib end of the frame. J is
a lever hinged on the same pivot as the needle bar lever B, and which
is operated by a cam K fixed on the shaft F. The thread passes under
this lever and over the table to the needle, and as (during a certain part
of the needle's descent) the cam rotates it acts on this lever causing it
to press or nip against the table and hold the thread. then at the time
when the needle enters the fabric the cam ceases to act on the lever
and the thread is released again. It will be readily perceived by those
conversant with sewing machines that by this means less strain is put
upon the thread, and consequently there is less liability to breakage
thereof than by the means heretofore employed.
The fifth and sixth parts of my Invention are shown in Figure 4, which
represents a sewing machine of that class wherein rotary shafts are
used to give motion to both needle and shuttle or other thread carriers.
A is the toothed feed wheel fixed on one end of the shaft B, which end
is supported in an adjustable bearing C, so that its projection through
the table may readily be adjusted. D is a toothed wheel, fixed on the
other end of the shaft, and E is a catch taking into this wheel and is
hinged on the lever F which is hinged on the shaft D. Oscillatory
motion is given to this lever by the combined action of a cam G fixed
on the shaft H and a spiral spring attached thereto and to the bracket
I, and the amount of motion may be regulated or adjusted by a set screw
held in the said bracket. J is a cam or or tappet plate fixed on the shaft
H, and a stud with friction roller K is attached to the needle bar L and
enters the cam groove which is so formed and set as to produce the
required reciprocatory motion of the needle at suitable times. A front
view of this cam and needle bar is shewn at Figure 5. M is another cam
fixed on the shaft N which receives motion from the shaft H by means
of bevel wheels O, P. This cam receives a stud with friction roller Q
attached to the lever R, which cam thereby gives motion to the shuttle
carrier S, the said cam being suitably formed and set for the purpose.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and shewn
by the Drawings how the same is to be or may be performed or carried
into practice, I would observe that I do not confine myself to the precise
details herein set forth, nor do I claim all the parts of the machinery
which I have had occassion to shew; but what I do claim as of my
Invention is,
Firstly. Constructing needle bars hollow and with a spring therein
to form an elastic connection with the lever which gives motion thereto.
Secondly. Constructing the bushes or bearings with slits therein so
that by screws, compensation for the wear thereof may be readily
affected.
Thirdly. The use of a bell or boss cam grooved round its circumference,
into which is inserted a runner and steel pin for lifting the pressure off
the work during the advance of the foot.
Fourthly. The application of nippers to hold the thread, substantially
as shewn and described.
Fifthly. The method of giving motion to the feed wheel by a catch
and ratchet wheel in manner shewn and described.
Sixthly. In the application and use of two plate cams or discs to
work the needle bars and shuttle carriers worked horizontally and
vertically grooved upon the face, as shewn in Figure 4.
In witness whereof, I the said William Winter, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
WM. WINTER. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered, by
the within-named William
Winter in the presence of
J. W. TASKER,
Clerk to Win. Tasker,
Patent Agent,
Halifax & Bradford.