IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINERY
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents, 66,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINERY."-A com-
munication from abroad by James Alford House and Henry Alonzo
House, both of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United States of
America.
Sealed the 18th September 1867, and dated the 1st April 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st April 1867.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINERY," to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to an improved construction of feed applicable
specially to the well-known Wheeler and Wilson sewing machine, the object
being to obtain in this class of machines a silent feed. To attain this end the
roughened feeding foot or plate is affixed to a saddle piece which extends up

page_text: from the bed plate and fits in sockets formed therein so as to be free to rock
to and fro, and rise and fall under the action of cams to be presently more
particularly referred to. This saddle piece is set astride of the driving or
pulley shaft, to which are keyed the cams for operating the feed as well as the
needle and presser bars. Hinged to the under face of the saddle immediately
below the feeding plate is a steel bar which is intended to receive the upward
pressure of a cam on the driving shaft that gives the lifting motion to the
feed. The saddle piece is made with a bracket projection on one side to
receive a fulcrum pin, on which is mounted a bell-crank lever; the pendent
limb of this lever takes the form of a handle, and the other limb is arched
laterally to present a surface for a face cam to act upon, which cam gives by
its rotation the forward or feed motion to the feed plate. The rock lever is
made stiff on the saddle piece, but adjustable up and down by means of the
handle to bring the curved limb into contact with any required portion of the
face of the cam. A portion of the cam face is chamfered off in the direction
of its periphery, and the rock lever is kept in contact with the cam by means
of a spring which puts a lateral pressure on the saddle piece, and thus imparts
a back motion to the feed plate. By adjusting the rock lever so that its
curved surface is brought nearer to or farther from the periphery of the cam
a greater or less backward motion is given to the feed plate, and thus the
length of stitch can be regulated as desired.
The Invention relates, secondly, to a novel arrangement of tuck marker,
which can be attached to the presser foot when required for use and readily
removed therefrom without interfering with the construction or working of
any other parts of the machine. The tuck marker consists of an elastic bar
of steel bent back at one end, and formed with a V edge to press upon and
crease the work; this bar when in place lies across the presser foot, and it is
carried by a plate which overlies the presser foot, and is provided with clips
on its under face; these clips serve to embrace the presser foot and hold the
tuck marker firmly thereon. The plate is open in the middle to allow the
needle to strike through the presser foot and to allow of the use of the glass-
pannelled presser foot; the ends of the plate are turned up at right angles and
slotted to receive the steel bar which is free to rock therein; slipped on to the
rear end of the steel bar is a clamp carrying a clamping screw. A cross notch
is cut on the under side of the clamp to receive the turned up edge of the
siotted plate, and the clamping screw being tightened binds the steel bar but
leaves it free to rock. A strip of leather is applied to the bar, and so situated
as to receive the pressure of the descending needle bar; every time, therefore,

page_text: the needle descends to make a stitch it will depress the steel bar and cause its
V edge to mark the work that lies below it; as the work is traversed over the
table this action will be repeated, and thus a crease will be made parallel to
the line of stitches. The tuck marker may be set to any width of tuck by
simply slackening the clamping screw and giving the steel bar an endway
motion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st October 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign, did, for Herself,
Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, Her special licence that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, 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
MACHINERY," being a communication to me from James Alford House and
Henry Alonzo House, both of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should parti-
cularly 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
he date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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

page_text: following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates, firstly, to an improved construction of feed applicable
specially to the well-known Wheeler and Wilson sewing machine, the object
being to obtain in this class of machines a silent feed. To attain this end the
roughened feeding foot or plate is affixed to a saddle piece which extends up
from the bed plate and fits in sockets formed therein so as to be free to rock
to and fro, and rise and fall under the action of cams to be presently more
particularly referred to.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a plan view of the under part of a
Wheeler and Wilson machine, the table or upper plate being removed to shew
the feed arrangement; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal elevation, partly in section,
of the under part of the machine, and shewing the table in place; and Fig. 3.
is a sectional view at right angles to Fig. 2, and shewing the saddle piece
in front elevation and in position (with respect to the driving shaft) for
working.
A is the driving or pulley shaft, upon which is mounted the rotary looper
as usual; B is the saddle piece which carries the feed plate C; the saddle
piece B is set astride of the driving or pulley shaft, and its lower ends project
into slots formed to receive them in the bed plate; the cams for operating the
feed are keyed to the driving shaft A. Hinged to the under face of the
saddle immediately below the feeding plate C is a steel bar D which is
provided to receive the upward pressure of a cam E on the driving shaft, and
thus to transmit the lifting motion to the feed plate. The saddle piece is
made with a bracket projection on one side to receive a fulcrum pin, on which
is mounted a bell-crank lever F; the pendent limb of this lever it will be
seen takes the form of a handle, and the other limb is arched laterally to
present a surface for a face cam G on the driving shaft to act upon; this cam
gives by its rotation the forward or feed motion to the feed plate. The crank
lever F is made capable of adjustment up and down on the saddle piece by
means of the handle to bring the curved limb into contact with any required
portion of the face of the oam G, but it is screwed up tight in order that it
may work stiffly on the saddle piece. A portion of the cam face is chamfered
off in the direction of its periphery, as shewn clearly at Figures 1 and 2, and
the crank lever F is kept in contact with the cam by means of a spring H,
which puts a lateral pressure on the saddle piece, and thus imparts a back
motion to the feed plate. By adjusting the crank lever so that its curved
surface is brought nearer to or farther from the periphery of the cam a greater

page_text: or less backward motion is given to the feed plate, and thus the length of
stitch can be regulated as desired. The amount of projection of the feed
plate through the table to suit different kinds of work may be regulated by a
screw which passes through the saddle and bears upon the top side of the
steel bar D, as shewn best at Fig. 2.
The Invention relates, secondly, to a novel arrangement of tuck marker
which can be attached to the presser foot when required for use and readily
removed therefrom without interfering with the construction or working of any
other parts of the machine. The improved tuck marker is shewn in side
elevation as applied to a presser foot at Fig. 4, and in plan view at Fig. 5;
Fig. 6 shews detached an elastic bar of steel bent back at one end, and formed
with a V edge to press upon and crease the work; this bar when in place, as
shewn at I, Figures 4 and 5, lies across the presser foot K, and it is carried
by a plate L which overlies the presser foot; this plate L is provided with
clips on its under face, which clips serve to embrace the presser foot and hold
the tuck marker. firmly thereon. The plate L is open in the middle to allow
the needle to strike through the presser foot and to allow of the use of the
glass pannelled presser foot. The ends of the plate are turned up at right
angles and slotted horizontally to receive the steel bar I, which is free to rock
therein. Slipped on to the rear end of the steel bar is a clamp M (shewn
detached at Fig. 7) which is rebated on its under side to receive the steel bar,
and is fitted with a clamping screw. A cross notch is cut on the under side
of the clamp to receive a turned up edge of the slotted plate L, and the
clamping screw being tightened binds the steel bar to the plate L, but leaves
it free to rock. A strip of leather N is applied to the bar I, and so situated
as to receive the pressure of the descending needle bar; every time, therefore,
the needle descends to make a stitch it will depress the steel bar and cause its
V edge to mark the work that lies below it. As the work is traversed over
the table this action will be repeated, and thus a crease will be made parallel
to the line of stitches. The tuck marker may be set to any width of tuck by
first slackening the clamping screw which will leave the steel bar free to
receive an endway motion. The V edge of the bar is then to be moved to
the required distance from the needle or row of stitches being formed, and
the clamping screw being tightened as before the continued action of the
machine will cause the depression of the bar I, and cause it to crease or mark
on the work the line for the next row of stitches.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in
Sewing Machinery," as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents,

page_text: and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be
understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent, I claim,..
First, the silent feed, constructed and operating as above described.
Secondly, the construction of tuck marker, above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the First day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
FRED. WALKDEN,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.B.)