CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."
-A communication.
Sealed the 23rd April 1858, and dated the 23rd November 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd November 1857.
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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING
MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to several improvements in sewing machines, the
object being to simplify their construction.
In one arrangement of the machinery the fabric is fed forwards by the
backward and forward traverse of the table, or of a horizontal slide attached
to the under surface of the table.
The same device which feeds the fabric is also caused to flatten and place
the loop formed under the cloth by the thread of the single needle machine
in the proper position for receiving the vertical needle on its next descent, so
as to produce the well-known chain stitch. The device or slide which traverses
the cloth forward is serrated, to ensure a proper contact with the cloth, and to
prevent the cloth from moving back at the return motion of the slide. A
serrated foot or pressing piece holds the cloth down to the table. The slide
receives its traverse motion from a vibrating bar, operated by a crank pin on
the driving shaft. This bar therefore communicates the motion for the feed,

page_text: and for flattening and holding the loop. Instead of being attached to the table
or a slide, it may effect the flattening and holding of the loop by means of a
notched spring jointed to the under side of the table of the machine.
When it is desired to make the double loop stitch (which requires the use
of two threads), the slido or its equivalent is dispensed with, the feed being
eflected by a rocker above the table, and a second needle is employed, the
sume being secured to the vibrating bar or lever before mentioned, in such a
manner as to work and tako up the loops formed by the thread of the vertical
needle. The rocker is a serrated segment piece, jointed to a sliding bar,
which is securely attached to the frame of the machine. A button pivotted
on the same frame is caused to depress the sliding bar at the proper time, and
through the rocker at its foot to feed forward the cloth. This button is acted
upon by a pin on the needle slide, the ascent of which effects the movement
of the cloth. In connection with this rocker, when a single chain stitch is
required, it is proposed to employ a sliding piece below the fixed table, fitted
with a hinged lip, which will admit of the needle (after it has passed down
into a hole made in the slido to receive it) passing out laterally with the thrend
which it carries. This slide, liko that first mentioned, is intended to prepare
the loop for the descent of the needle, and it is therefore, like that slide, suit-
ably shaped to flatten and hold out the loop. It is also operated in a manner
precisely similar to the reciprocating slide table and horizontal needle above
forced to
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 22nd May 1858.
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 Twenty-third day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Hor special license, that I, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Alfred Vincent Nowton, my exccutors, 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

page_text: lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, aud Isle of Man, an Invention
for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," being a communication
from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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 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
following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, relates
to certain improvements in machines for sewing and ornamenting cloth and
other fabrics.
The Invention consists, firstly, in feeding the fabric by means of a hori-
zontally moving serrated slide, arranged upon the under surface of the table.
Secondly, in the employment of the device which feeds the fabric to flatten
and place the loop of the thread in the proper position for receiving tho
needle.
Thirdly, in the employment of a solid slide in the formation of the stitch.
Fourthly, in serrating the foot which holds the cloth to the table, for the
purpose of preventing the fabric from being carried back by the backward
movement of the feeding device.
Fifthly, in flattening and holding the loop by means of a spring, operating
as herein-after shewn.
Sixthly, in feeding the cloth or fabric by the movement of the table.
Seventhly, in placing and keeping the loop in proper position to receive the
needle by means of the movement of the table.
Eighthly, in the arrangement and method of operating the vibrating needle
below the table, for the purpose of forming the double loop stitch.
Ninthly, in feeding the cloth or fabric by means of a rocker.
Tenthly, in the employment of a hinged lip in the formation of the stitch.
In the accompanying Drawing, Sheet I. illustrates the first, second, third,
fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth portions of the Invention, and in the
said Sheet Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of the machine in its complete
state; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the front end of the same; Figures 3 and 4

page_text: are detached plan views of the slide by which the stitch is formed; Fig. 5 is'
an elevation of the driving crank and vibrating bar; Figures 6 and 7 aro
enlarged sectional views of portions, shewing the method of forming the stitch;
Fig. 12 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the machine, turned
bottom upwards, and oxhibiting the spring employed in forming the stitch, and
the parts therewith employed; Fig. 9' is a side sectional elevation of a portion
of the frame, movable table, and other parts; Fig. 10 is an end elevation of
the same; Fig. 11 is a plan view of the under surface of the movable table;
Figures 13, 14, 15, and 16 are views of the fabric and table in section, and
the needles in different positions for the formation of the double loop stitch;
Fig. 17 is an enlarged view, in section, of a piece of cloth, sewn with the
double loop stitch, and exhibiting the formation of the said stitch. Similar
letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the Figures on Sheet I.
A, A', represents the frame of the machine, which may be made in the
ornamental form here sliewn, or in any other desired form; B is the needlo
holder, which consists of a flat slide, having bevelled edges, and moving up and
down between grooves in the frame A'; C is the needle inserted in the lower
part of the needle holder B, and held there by means of a screw a. A vertical
movement is communicated to the needle holder B by means of the crank D,
which connects with the shaft E; the latter runs horizontally through the
frame A, as shewn, and connects with another crank F; from this crank a
link b extends to a stud ', which is attached to the needle holder B. Instead
of a vertically moving needle holder B, as here shewn, the vibrating arm
commonly used in sewing machines may, if preferable, be employed. G is
the table upon which the fabric; h is the aperture in the table through
which the needle passes. The table may be made separately from the frame
and attached thereto in any suitable manner, or it may be cast with the frame.
The fabric to be sewn is shewn at H; it is fed forward by means of a slide 1,
which consists of a thin plate attached by screws c, t, to the under side of tho
'table G. The screws c, c, pass through slotted apertures in the slide I, the
object of the slots being to allow of a horizontal or reciprocating movement
(as will shortly be described) of the slide I. One portion of the slide is
more elevated than the other, and projects up through a slot in the table; the
surface of bas serrated teeth, which are nearly level with the table. The
feed movement is effected by the reciprocation of the slide I, the teeth o
the serrated portion l' entering or pressing against the fabric and carrying i
along in the direction of the arrow 1. J is a foot or pad attached to the fron
of the frame A' by means of screws d, d; these screws pass through slots in
the foot J, and these slots allow of a vertical adjustment of the foot to suit the

page_text: thickness of the fabric; the lower extremity of the foot J presses upon the
fabric immediately above the serrated portion I' of the slide. After the fabrio
has been fed or carried forward by the slide 1', the latter moves back for a
new stroke, and its teeth have a tendency to carry back the fabric also; but
this tendency is prevented by the teeth upon the bottom of the foot J, which
it will be observed is serrated. The teeth of the foot J and slide I' incline
forward in the same direction, and any tendency of the teeth of the slide I' to
carry back the fabric after feeding is counteracted by the teeth of the foot J,
which catch and hold the fabric from going backwards. In other machines
it is common to cause the needle to pass into and bold the fabric from going
back during the backward movement of the feeding device.
the ring f is larger than the shaft E,
When the shaft E rotates the pin g
which causes the bar K to vibrate
The reciprocating motion which the slide I receives is imparted to it by
means of the vibrating bar or arm K, which is pivoted to a small standard e,
attached to the frame A. One end of the bar K is curved and extends up to
the shaft E, where it terminates in a fork or ring f. (Figures 1 and 5,) which
girdles the shaft E; the inner surface of
and upon the crank D there is a pin g.
alternately strikes the sides of the ring f,
or move back and forth upon its pivot at e; the front end of the bar or arm
K extends through the frame A, and enters a notch h¹ in the slide I. When
the bar K vibrates, it thus communicates a corresponding reciprocating motion
to the slide I, and when the slide moves in the direction of the arrow 1, the
cloth is fed. The extent of horizontal movement given to the slide I in the
direction of the arrow 1, and consequently the length of stitch taken by the
machine, is regulated by turning the screw L; this screw passes through the bar
K, and bears against the frame A. The further the screw L projects through
the bar K the less will be the inward vibration of the bar; to regulate the.
length of feed or stitch, it is therefore only necessary to adjust the screw L.
The stitch formed by this machine is the well-known "tambour" or "chain
stitch," and it is done in the following manner :--The slide I has a projection
or shoulder at i (sce Figures 3 and 4). When the needle descends it passes in
front of i, and in ascending the needle leaves behind it the slack of its thread
or loop in the usual manner. After the needle has risen so far as to withdraw
its point from the fabric, the slide I moves in the direction of the arrow 2,
which movement carries the edge of the projection i against the loop. The
contact of the edge with the loop flattens the latter, and in this flat state the
loop is (by the continued ascent of the needle) drawn in between the upper
surface of the projection i and the under surface of the table, the loop passing
into a small cavity in the upper surface of i, where it is held in its flat or
•

page_text: open condition, ready to receive the needle and thread in their next descent.:
Just prior to the descent of the needle the slide I withdraws in the direction.
of the arrow 1, and the needlo comes down through the loop, and thus com-
pletes the stitch, the loop being (by the tightening of the thread consequent
upon the continued descent of the needle) drawn up through the table and
deposited in the usual manner upon the under surface of the cloth. When
the needle again rises it leaves behind a new loop as before, the slide repeats
its movements and a new stitch is taken; in this manner a line of stitching is.
formed upon the cloth. It will be observed that the slide I performs the
triple office of feeding the cloth, flattening the loop, and holding it; it will
also be seen that the same movement of the slide I which withdraws the pro-
jection from the loop, also feeds the fabric. The cavity, instead of being
formed in the slide I, may, if preferable, be made in the under surface of the
table at one side, or in front of the lower edge of the aperture h. The thread
spool is held on a spindle placed at any convenient part of the machine. The
thread extends from the spool to and around a tension button j, through a hole
in the spring 1, thence through the guide m to a guide n, and then down
through an aperture o in the lower extremity of the holder B to the eye p of
the needle C, the thread entering the eye p, on the back side of the needle.
The tension button is inserted into the frame A', the spring is attached by
an adjusting screw q to the frame A', and the guide n is attached to the slide
I, and rises and falls with it.
Instead of a slide to feed the cloth and flatten the loop a roller may be.
employed, one portion of which has serrated teeth to feed the cloth, while
another portion places the loop in proper position to receive the needle.
Fig. 6 shews the position of the loop and slide while the needle is rising and
just prior to the movement of the slide in the direction of the arrow 2 to
cover the loop, and Fig. 7 shows the position of the loop and slide after the
slide has made the above movement. It will be observed that the loop is
contained within the cavity X in the slide I, and is there held in an open state
ready for the needle to enter the loop on its next descent. There are many
other ways in which the device which feeds, the cloth may be made also to
placo and hold the loop, one of which may be described as follows:-
Figures 9, 10, and 11 shew a method of feeding the cloth and holding the
thread of the loop by means of the table. For this purpose the table G,
instead of being attached to the frame A, is made moveable by being attached
to the extremity of the bar or arm K. That portion of the table ? which comes
immediately beneath the teeth of the foot J is provided with serrations or teeth.
When the bar or arm K moves in the direction of the arrow 8, the table G

page_text: is also similarly moved and the cloth held between the serrations r upon the
table, and the serrations upon the bottom of the foot J is carried forward.
The cloth is prevented from returning with the backward movement of the
table by means of the serrations or teeth on the foot J, as herein-before
described. This movement of the table G also assists to form the stitch
without the employment of additional parts. When the needle C ascends it
leaves behind its slack or loop, as before described, and the continued rise of
the needle draws the loop into the cavity s upon the under surface of the
table, where it remains in an open state until the needle descends and passes
with its thread through the loop and completes the stitch. The cavity s is
of peculiar formation, being long and narrow, as shewn in Fig. 11. The
bottom of the table G has a rib s¹ forming a part of or attached to the table.
The frame A, Fig. 9, is notched to receive the rib s', which forms a steadying
guide to the table during its vibrations.
Fig. 12 illustrates a method of forming the stitch by means of the vibrating
bar or arm K operating in conjunction with a spring N which is pivoted at t to the
under surface of the table G. In this Figure the table is attached to the frame A
in the usual manner, and the needle descends through the aperture at u. When
the needle ascends it leaves behind its loop or slack in the usual way, which loop.
by the continued ascent of the needle is drawn up into small dimensions, but
remains below the table. The notched end v of the spring N is now slightly
moved in the direction of the arrow 4, which movement brings the notch of
the spring over the loop. The spring is then pressed up towards the table,
and the notched end v presses and holds the loop up against the table in an
open state until the descent of the needle and thread through the loop is
effected. The spring then moves in the contrary direction into its original
position while the loop is drawn up against the cloth. The movement of the
spring N is accomplished by means of the arm K, which is operated as
herein-before described. The extremity of the arm K is provided with a
pin w, which extends upwards into a slot y in the spring. The slot is straight
for a part of its distance, and oblique for the remainder, as shewn in Fig. 12.
By the movement of the arm K in the direction of the arrow 5 the pin wis
pressed against the oblique surface of the slot y, which causes the spring N
to move in the direction of the arrow 4, bringing the notched end v of the
spring over the loop. The arm K continuing its movement (the pin now
passing along the straight portion of the slot) comes in contact with the
under surface of the spring N (which is sloped or presents the form of an
inclined plane), and presses the notched end of the spring up towards the
table. By the return movement of the arm K in the direction of the arrow 6,

page_text: the pressure against the spring N is released and the spring is moved back
away from the loop.
Figures 18, 14, 15, 16, and 17 show a modification of the improvement in
which two needles are employed, and a double-looped stitch is formed upon
the fabric. [In this modification the slide 1 is dispensed with, and the cloth
is fed by the rocker J' placed above the table, as explained with reference to
Sheet II.] In place of the slide I for taking the double loop stitch a second
needle P is attached to the extremity of the arm K by means of a screw Z.
The needle P is straight, and vibrates on a line parallel or nearly parallel
with the direction in which the cloth moves. The needle P, as will be
observed by reference to the above Figures, is located immediately beneath
the table G, and the thread which supplies the needle P may be placed at
any convenient point, and guided below the table to the needle. The double
loop stitch is taken in the following manner :-The arm K which carries the
needle P is placed upon the opposite side of the machine to that on which it
is used for operating the slide, but in all other respects there is no change.
When the upper needle C is to descend with its thread through the cloth H
the under needle P occupies the position shown in Fig. 13, its loop being in
an open state to receive the thread of the upper needle C, which now descends
and passes through the loop of the needle P, as shewn in Fig. 14. The arm
Know vibrates in the direction of the arrow 1 and withdraws the needle P,
whose loop (shown in blue) is left around the needle C, and its thread (shown
red), as seen in Fig. 15. The needle C now begins to rise, and by its ascent
slackens its thread, which forms into a loop; the needle P being then
vibrated in the direction of the arrow 2 enters (with its thread) the loop of
the needle C, as shewn in Fig. 16. In this manner the loop of the needle C
is passed through the loop of the needle P, and by the subsequent rise of the
needle C the withdrawal of the needle P and the feeding of the cloth, the
ordinary well-known double-loop stitch is formed on the cloth, as shown
enlarged in Fig. 17, the red color indicating the thread of the upper needle C
and the blue color that of the needle P.
The ninth and tenth portions of the Invention are illustrated in Sheet II.,
in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the complete machine; Fig. 2 is a front
clevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a front sectional elevation, showing one of
the connecting rods; Fig. 4 is a plan of the hinged lip and its slide detached
from the machine; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the
same parts. In the following description similar letters of reference indicato
like parts in all these Figures.
A, A', A", is the frame of the machine, which may be wrought in the

page_text: ornamental form shown, or made in any other style to suit the manufacturer.
B is the ordinary needle holder, having bevelled edges, and sliding vertically
between grooves in the front portion A' of the frame; C is the needle inserted
into the lower end of the holder B, and held in place by means of a screw a.
Vertical motion is communicated to the needle slide B by means of the crank
D, which is connected with a horizontal rod E passing through the tubular
portion of the frame A" to another crank F. The latter connects with the
slide B by means of the link G and stud b; by the rotation of the crank D
the slide B is correspondingly made to rise and fall. His the fabric to bo
sewn; I is the table over which it moves; and J' is the rocker by which the
fabric is fed along for each new stitch. The rocker J' consists of a thin
circular plate serrated on its under surface. It is hinged at e to the lower end
of a flat bar, having an elbow c in the middle. This rocker holder K is held
against the front surface of the frame A' by means of two screws d, d, which
pass through the slots f. f, and screw into the frame A'. The slots f, f, allow
of a vertical movement of the rocker holder K, which movement is obtained
by means of the button L and the spring M in the following manner:-The
button L is pivoted at g to the frame A'. The longer end of the button L
projects across the face of the slide B, which carries a projecting pin h. When
the slide rises it brings the pin h in contact with the under side of the
longer end of the button L, and the latter is lifted, causing its shorter end to
descend and strike against the rocker holder K and depress it. The lower
end of the spring M is firmly attached to the extremity of the rocker J', the
opposite end bears against the inner edge of the rocker holder K, but is not
attached thereto (see Fig. 1). When the rocker holder K is depressed, it
causes the rocker J¹ to rock upon the cloth, and carry it along in the direction
of the arrow 1, and as by this movement the outer end of the rocker J' (to
which the spring M is attached) is elevated, the spring M is bent, and when
the force which depressed the rocker holder K is removed, the spring M
straightens itself or recovers its position, and in so doing it depresses the outer
end of the rocker J', causing it to rock back to its original position, and by
this movement also to lift the rocker holder back to its place. The cloth is
prevented from being carried back at the backward movement of the rocker
J' by means of the needle C, which has pierced the cloth and almost reached
the full depth of its thrust before that movement takes place. In its backward
movement the rocker J' therefore slips over the surface of the cloth. The
button L is locked and prevented from releasing its downward pressure upon
the rocker holder K by means of a latch N, which is pivoted at i to the
frame A. There is a notch k in the latch N, which receives and holds the

page_text: end of the button L when the pin h comes up in contact with L. The position
of the latch N with its notch k, the button L, and pin h at the time when the
locking of button L takes place, is shewn in Fig. 2, which represents the
needle as entirely withdrawn from the fabric, and standing at the highest
point of its ascent. The latch N is pressed against the extremity of button L
by a small spring m, which is attached at one end to the latch, and has its
opposite end resting against a pin. The release of the button L, so that the
rocker J' may rock backward and lift its holder K, is done in the following
manner-There is a projecting pin n' on the slide B, and when the slide
descends it carries the pin into contact with the projection p' on the latch
N, which is thus made to move sidewise sufficiently far to release the end of
button L from the notch k, and the instant the button is released the spring M
straightens itself, causing the rocker J' to rock backwards and lift its holder
K, as before described.
The extent of rocking movement given to the rocker J', and consequently
the length of the stitch taken, is regulated by means of the adjusting screw O,
which passes obliquely upward through the elbow c of, the rocker holder K.
The short end of the button L touches the upper extremity of the screw O
when the latter is screwed up so far as to pass through the elbow c, and the
farther through the elbow the screw O projects, the greater will be the down-
ward movement of the rocker holder K, and the further the rocker J' will
rock and carry the cloth. To lengthen the stitch, it is therefore only necessary
to screw up the adjusting screw O, while to shorten the stitch tho screw is
withdrawn.
The stitch formed by this machine is the well-known "tambour or "chain
stitch." It is done in the following manner:-The thread drawn from a spool
located as shown, or placed in any other suitable position, passes first through
and around a perforated tension button P (which is of the usual construction,
and has a flat spring p pressing against it, and secured by screw to the side
of A'), thence through the guide pin r to the guide s (which is attached to the
slide B), thence through a holo t at the extremity of the slide B, and through
the eye of the needle u, entering said eye on the back side of the needle. The
method of conducting and threading the needle is indicated by the red thread
in the Drawings. Q is a thin slide held up against the under surface of the
table by means of a screw at one end, and by the frame A at the other end;
this end v' of the slide being rounded and passed through a hole drilled in the
frame A. The screw v passes through a slot in the slide Q, the object of the
'slot being to allow a reciprocating movement of the slide Q. One portion of
the slide Q constitutes a binged lip Q', which is pivoted at w to the slide Q;

page_text: x is a flat spring attached to the slide Q, which tends to keep the latter
closed.
Reciprocating motion is communicated to the slide and its attached lip Q'
by means of the rocking shaft S, the front end of which S' is bent upwards, so
as to connect with the slide Q, while the horizontal portion of the shaft S
extends back and passes through the base of the frame A to the rear portion,
where it connects with the perpendicular vibrating rod T, T', which rises
vertically through the base, as shewn in the Drawings. The upper extremity
of this rod T is curved (see Fig. 3) so as to present a cam formation, and
upon the inner surface of the crank D there is a projecting pin y, which, by
the rotation of the crank D, is brought against the curved surface T¹ of the
rod T; the latter is thus caused to vibrate at each revolution of crank D, and
to communicate a corresponding reciprocating movement to the slide Q and its
lip Q. The spring t' attached to the frame A presses against the rod T, and
thus causes the curved surface T to hug the pin y. The front end of the
lip Q' has a notch at (sce Figures 4 and 5), through which the needle and
thread pass when they descend through the fabric and table. After the needle
lias reached its lowest point of thrust, and before it begins to rise, the slide Q
is moved (by the rotation of the crank D, as before described,) in the
direction of the arrow 2, and the notch of the lip Q' comes in contact with
the needle, which movement opens the lip Q₁ and withdraws it from the
needle and thread. As soon as the lip Q' has been sufficiently withdrawn, the
spring a causes the lip to close again, leaving the needle and thread opposite
to the front end of the lip. The needle C now begins to rise, leaving the slack
of its thread or loop behind in the usual manner; and just as the needle passes
above the surface of the table it begins to draw up its slack or loop, and at this
moment the slide Q moves back (in the direction of arrow 3) and carries the
front end of the lip Q against the loop, the effect of which is to flatten the
loop and press it up against the under surface of the table I, the needle
continuing to rise and drawing the loop in a flattened or opened state between
the upper surface of the lip Q' and the under surface of the table I until the
loop (the size of which has been diminished by the upward drawing of the
needle) has been drawn into a small nest or cavity =. This cavity is hollowed
out of the upper side of the lip Q' and just around the notch therein, through
which the needle passes in its descent, as before described. The slide Q
completes its movement in the direction of the arrow 3 just as the loop has
been drawn into its nest, and then the loop remains at rest within the nest
in an open state until the needle descends again and passes with its thread
through the open loop and through the notch. After entering the loop the

page_text: needle, by its continued descent, tightens the loop and draws it up through
the table to the lower surface of the cloth. The slide then moves again in the
direction of the arrow 2, as before described, and the same movements for the
taking of another stitch are again accomplished.
It will be observed that the action of the slide is to flatten the loop and
hold it open, and that this is done without having any instrument to enter the
loop as in other machines.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of improvements in
sewing machines, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and
explained the manner of carrying the saine into effect, I wish it to be under-
stood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,-
First, the horizontally moving serrated slide constructed and operating
substantially as herein set forth.
Secondly, the serrated foot for holding the cloth during the backward move-
ment of the feeding device.
Thirdly, feeding the cloth in sewing machines by the movement of the
table, irrespective of any particular means of imparting such movement, and
placing the loop in proper position to receive tlie needle by the movement of
the table.
Fourthly, the arrangement and method herein shown of operating the
needle P below the table for the purpose of forming the well-known doublo
loop stitch.
Fifthly, flattening and holding the loop by means of a 'spring N, arranged
and operating substantially as herein set forth.
Sixthly, feeding the cloth in sewing machines by the rocking arrangement
described with reference to Sheet II.
And, lastly, the employment of the hinged lip Q below the table, con-
structed, arranged, and operating substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, tho Twenty-first day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)