IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Henry Smith, of the City of Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SEWING MACHINES."
Sealed the 22nd November 1859, and dated the 31st May 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Henry Smith at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st May 1859.
I, GEORGE HENRY SMITH, of the City of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
I give motion to the upper needle-holder by means of a crank pin fixed on
the face of the cam employed for working the under needle, the said cam
giving, by means of an internal groove, a to-and-fro motion to the under
needle, the vibrating motion of which is obtained by a projection on the rim of
The notched plate of the feeding motion works on a pin or centre,
attached to a presser working on a pin, adjusted according to the thickness of
the cloth to an arm projecting from the framework; the said presser and
feeder being operated upon by a projection on the needle-holder, which, when
rising, comes in contact with the presser, and causes the notched plate to bite
upon the cloth when feeding, but leaves it at liberty to slide over it when
returning to take a fresh stitch.

page_text: I also apply to any kind of sewing machine an arrangement for stopping the
motion when the thread breaks, by attaching the eyelet through which the
thread passes to a lever working on a pivot fixed to the framing near the
driving wheel, to which lever a bolt or stop is connected, so that when the
thread breaks the lever shall be thrown back by a spring, and press the bolt
into a recess in any break wheel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Henry Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 30th November 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM. THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HENRY SMITH, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Henry Smith, Her special licence that I, the said George
Henry Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said George Henry Smith, 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 George Henry Smith, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 George Henry Smith, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to bé
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement (that is to say) :-
My Invention consists, firstly, in giving motion to the rocking lever which
actuates the upper needle-holder, by means of a crank pin attached to a plate

page_text: or disc fixed to and revolving with the driving shaft of the machine. The said
pin fits a slotted hole at one end of the rocking lever, formed of such shape as
to procure the required dwell in the motion of the needle. The same crank pin
also gives one of the to-and-fro motions of the horizontal under needle, by
passing it through a slotted hole at one end of the needle-holder. In those
sewing machines where a shuttle is used, a similar disc and crank pin may be
eniployed for giving the to-and-fro motion to the lever and shuttle.
Secondly, in causing the notched plate of the feeding motion to work on a
pin or centre attached to a presser vibrating on a pin attached to an arm or
frame projecting from the bed of the machine, the position of the pin being
adjusted according to the thickness of the cloth or material to be stitched.
The rocking lever is furnished with a projection, so that as it descends it may
give motion one way to the presser and notched feeding plate by coming in
contact with a projection on the presser adjusted according to the required
length of stitch, the notched plate biting upon the cloth when feeding, but
sliding over it when returning to take a fresh stitch, the return movement
being obtained by a spring.
And, thirdly, in an improved arrangement of the framework and working
parts of the machine.
These improvements will be clearly understood by referring to the letters
and figures on the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings, in which Fig. 1
(Sheet 1) represents a side elevation, shewing part in section of a sewing
machine, to which my improvements are attached; Fig. 2, a front elevation
of the same; and Fig. 3, a detached view of some of the working parts.
In Sheet 2, Figs. 1 and 2 are side and front elevations of a sewing machine
having a shuttle, the traverse of which is obtained by the disc and crank pin
motion.
In Figs. 1 and 2, Sheet 1, a represents the bed or body of the machine;
b, the driving shaft; c, the fly wheel; d, the upper needle; e, the rocking
lever; f, its fulcrum; 9, the under needle; h, its holder; i, the notched
feeding plate; k, the presser, and 2, the arm or frame to which it is attached,
The upper needle d is fixed at once to the rocking lever e, and is curved
according to its radius from the centre of motion. The end m of the rocking
lever e has a slot, shewn by the dotted lines n in Fig. 1, and by the full lines n
in Fig. 3, through which slot is passed a crank pin o, attached to the plate or
disc p fixed to the driving shaft b, so that as the crank pin revolves, the
required to-and-fro motion shall be given to the rocking lever and upper
needle; the crank pin o also passes through a slot q at one end of the under
needle-holder h, seen detached at Fig. 3, so that when the pin revolves, the

page_text: forward and backward motion shall be given to the holder and needle, the
other to-and-fro motion being obtained by a spring. The notched feeding
plate is attached to the presser k by the pin r, which allows the plate to bite
when feeding, and slide over the material when returning to take a fresh
stitch. The presser is suspended upon the pin s, which is raised or lowered
according to the thickness of the cloth or material, and afterwards held fast
by the nut t. To the presser is attached the projection u, which comes in
contact with another projection v on the rocking lever, so that as the latter
descends, the notched plate may have a forward or feeding motion imparted to
it, the backward movement being obtained by the spring w, and the length of
stitch regulated by the screw x which passes through the arm or frame 1, and
is screwed into the presser. The projection u works upon a pivot, so that it'
may give way, when the rocking lever ascends, and thereby prevent any effect.
upon the presser and plate, the projection u being returned to its required.
position by the spring y.
It will be perceived, that the bed or body of the machine is of very
compact and convenient form, affording great facility for stitching all descrip-
tions of work, and also that the small number and simplicity of the working
parts produce an extreme economy in the cost of the machine, and diminution
of the liability of derangement.
In Figs. 1 and 2 (Sheet 2), representing a sewing machine with a needle
and shuttle, a is the driving shaft, at one end of which is fixed a plate or
disc b, furnished with the crank pin c, fitting the slotted lever d, working upon
the fulcrum e, the other end of the lever being connected as at with the
shuttle-carrier 9, which has the required to-and-fro motion, when the shaft
revolves by the employment of the disc and crank pin, and thereby forming a
more compact and economical machine.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be
distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein
set forth, as such may be varied or modified without departing from the
principle thereof; but I claim as my Invention, and which to the best of my
knowledge and belief has not been hitherto used within the realm,―
Firstly, the mode of giving the required movement to the upper and under
needle of sewing machines, by means of one crank pin fitting slots both in the
rocking lever and under needle-holder, and also the application of a similar
crank pin working in a slot in the lever of the shuttle-carrier, for giving the
traverse motion to the shuttle in those machines where one is employed.
Secondly, the improved feeding motion.

page_text: And, thirdly, the general arrangement of the framing and working parts of
the machine, as all such improvements are herein described and illustrated in
the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Henry Smith, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
GEORGE HENRY SMITH. (L.S.)
Witness to the signature of the said
George Henry Smith,
GEO. SEP. HUGHES,
17, Cross Street,
Manchester.