IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES AND APPARATUS BELONGING THERETO
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Antoney Macaulay, of 73, Herbert Street,
New North Road, Hoxton, in the County of Middlesex, Machinist,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES AND APPARATUS
BELONGING THERETO."
Sealed the 30th May 1865, and dated the 2nd January 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Antoney Macaulay
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd January 1865.
I, THOMAS ANTONEY MACAULAY, of 73, Herbert Street, New North Road,
Hoxton, in the County of Middlesex, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES AND APPARATUS
BELONGING THERETO," to be as follows:-
First, a peculiar arrangement of mechanism for the purpose of producing
from à regular rotating shaft an irregular rotating or reciprocating motion
which imparted to the needle bar by a pitman or other suitable connection
gives the needle bar the proper motion and time to allow the shuttle to pass
through the loop, and complete the stitch.
Secondly, arranging the said mechanism in combination with this or any
other suitable motion of the needle bar, so that it will partially or wholly
suspend or cause a backward movement of the shuttle, so as to allow the
needle or thread controller to carry the thread off the shuttle, then causing

page_text: the shuttle to complete its forward movement at the same time as the needle
bar has completed its upward movement, and so draw the thread from the
reel above and the shuttle below at or about the same time. In this way
tight stitches can be made.
For the aforesaid purposes I use the following parts, two links, one end of
each fitted on two wrist pins which are rigidly secured to a disc plate and
distant from the axis of the shaft; the other two ends of the said links are
fitted to two wrist pins which are rigidily secured to an arm; one of the wrist
pins of the said arm is rigidly secured to the end of a pitman or other
equivalent thereof for carrying the motion to the needle bar. The links I
designate, one the inside link the other the outside link. The wrist pins I
desiguate as the wrist pins of the arm and the wrist pins of the disc plate.
The inside or first link is fitted to one of the wrist pins of the disc plate, and to
the inside wrist pin of the arm.
The second link is fitted to the second wrist
pin of tho disc plate and to the outside wrist pin of the arm. To an exten-
sion of the outside wrist pin of the arm, and outside the second link is rigidly
secured one end of a pitman, which is used for the purpose of carrying the
motion to the needle bar.
The operation of the aforesaid parts is as follows:-When rotary motion
is to be given to the disc plate, the two links, the arms, and its two
wrist pins are all made to revolve with the disc plate. In the rotation the
links are caused to have in addition to their rotary motion an oscillating
motion on their respective wrist pins of the disc plate, and a rotary motion on
the wrist pins of the arm, by which means the arm, its two wrist pins, with
their respective ends of the links, are caused to approach and recede from
the axis of the shaft. The arm which by its two wrist pins connects the two
links keeps them sufficiently wide apart to allow them to pass each other, and
also the arm to pass between. When motion is to be given to these parts the
disc plate is turned until the needle bar is at its upper terminus (when the
connection is from below) the outside wrist pin will then pass down until it
reaches its lower terminus, but does not reach a point in a perpendicular line
drawn through the axis of the shaft, but a point outside the said line. During
the passage of the outside wrist pin down the inside wrist pin and one end
of the inside link have approached the axis of the shaft. When the outside
wrist pin approaches the axis of the shaft, and carries the needle bar up suf-
ficiently to form a loop, the inside link and its end of the arm recedes from
the axis of the shaft, then the outside wrist pin passing the line the axis of
the shaft recedes, and carries the needle bar up to the point from which it
started, and completes the stitch. The motion actuating the shuttle or bobbin

page_text: is similarly arranged, but having a greater or less traverse as any given case.
may require. It can be obtained substantially the same by dispensing with
one of the links, and using instead thereof grooves or other guides for the
inside wrist pin of the arm; or the motion can be produced by rigidly secur-
ing the outside wrist pin of the arm to the pitman or its equivalent, and
guiding the outside wrist pin in a groove, then guiding the inside wrist pin by
a link or groove.
Another part of my Invention relates to a thread controlling device. To
any convenient part of the machinė is secured a support or bracket; to this.
support or bracket is fixed a stud on which is fitted a lever or rocker having
oscillating motion given to it by the needle bar or any other convenient moving
part of the machine. On a stud secured to this rocker is fitted a bush having
an extension which I call a thread lever. An extension of this rocker carries
the thread lever down for the purpose of paying off sufficient thread to admit
the shuttle. The thread lever is kept in contact with the rocker by a spring-
with sufficient force to pull in the stitch, but if the thread receives an undue
resistance, then by the upward motion of the rocker before the thread lever
reaches its stop or highest point an extra force is given to the spring, one end
of which is held by the rocker and the other by the bush, or its extension, so
that the greater the resistance offered the thread the greater the force given
the spring to overcome such resistance. The rocker coming in contact with
the thread lever releases the spring from its extra tension. When the thread
lever reaches its lowest point it passes a stationary eye, through which eye the
thread passes doubled; and from thence single through the eye of the thread
lever, and as the thread lever passes the stationary eye it takes from the
length of thread through which the shuttle passes. As the thread lever travels
up it passes the stationary eye and pays out to the shuttle again. Béfore the
action of the thread lever is felt on the thread which surrounds the shuttle
the shuttle has passed through the loop and is not liable to be pulled up by
the thread to the throat or needle plate.
Another part of my Invention consists in the thread controller being in
continual motion, and the stop placed at either side of the eye of the thread
lever, thus causing a slight slackness to the thread and releasing the strain on
the needle.
Another part of my Invention relates to the means of transmitting motion
from one shaft to another. For this purpose I employ two excentrics on each
shaft, a bar being placed between them which fills the vertical space and con-
nects each excentric of the one shaft with the excentric of the other, thereby
keeping the parts of each shaft always in the same relative position. A band

page_text: or strap passes over a wheel on each shaft, the motion being taken from a
large wheel suspended to a part of the frame of the machine.
Another part of my Invention consists in making the framework which con-
tains the parallel shafts, and the part known as the driving wheel bracket, all
of one piece, either by being bolted together or cast solid. This enables the
boles to be bored parallel with each other, the part containing the lower shaft
being under the platform admitted from behind.
Another part of my Invention consists in making the shuttle race or box
separate from the platform of the machine, but fixed at an angle from the
line of the shafts. This gives strength to the platform, which were the
shuttle race or box cut out of it would become weak and liable to break.
Another part of my Invention relates to the shuttle when such shuttle is
actuated by a rock shaft, and consists in making such rock shaft, the cam,
and cranks for actuating the feed in one piece, and either suspended on
centres or fitted in bearings.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Antoney Macaulay in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 1st July 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
ANTONEY MACAULAY, of 73, Herbert Street, New North Road, Hoxton, in the
County of Middlesex, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Thomas Antoney Macaulay, Her special licence
that I, the said Thomas Antoney Macaulay, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Antoney Macaulay, 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 AND
APPARATUS BELONGING THERETO," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Thomas Antoney Macaulay, my executors or administrators, by an

page_text: 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 Thomas Antoney Macaulay do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention consists, firstly, in the adaptation to sewing machines of a
novel mechanical arrangement for driving the vertical or sewing needle, and
the shuttle, the object being to produce from a regular rotation of a shaft an
irregular reciprocating motion specially suited to the needs of the vertical
needle and the shuttle.
Seco ly, in an improvement in the construction of the framework which
facilitates the obtaining of perfect parallelism in the horizontal shaft above
and below the table.
And, lastly, in a novel construction of thread controller.
In Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 shews the improved
machine in side elevation, certain portions being in section the better to shew
the working parts; Fig. 2, is a sectional plan view shewing the arrangement
below the table for driving the shuttle; and Fig. 3, is a front elevation partly
in section, the section being taken through the shuttle race; and Fig. 4, shews
the shuttle race and shuttle driver in plan view; Fig. 5, shews in side eleva-
tion the apparatus for feeding the cloth; and Fig. 6, is a plan view of the
thread controller. A, A, is the table of the machine; it is cast with a
rectangular opening to receive the slotted plate B, which is dropped therein
and secured by screws (see Fig. 1.) This plate forms the shuttle race, and
supports the work under operation. By its use the necessity for extending.
the race from one side of the table A to the other (to facilitate the planing of
the race) is avoided, and the tendency of the casting to break under rough
treatment in the line of the race is avoided. The table A is also slotted, as
shewn at Fig. 2, to allow of the attachment thereto of a hollow casting C, C,
which, while it performs the part of the ordinary bracket arm for carrying the
needle and presser bars, the thread controller, and the shaft and gearing for
working the needle bar, provides also the bearings for the longitudinal shaft
which gives motion to the shuttle and feed by extending below the table.
The chief object in extending this casting below the table, as shewn at Fig. 1,

page_text: is to facilitate the boring out of the bearings for the upper and lower shafts
D and E parallel to each other. The mode of attaching the casting C to the
table A is shewn in the cross section Fig. 7. The shaft D carries a band
pulley or fly wheel, and it is connected with the shaft E by a train of
gearing F. Keyed to the front end of the shaft D is a flanged disc d, shewn
detached in face view and cross section at Figures 8, for transmitting motion to
the needle bar. From the face of this disc project two fixed pins d', d', which
severally form a fulcrum for a link d². These links are shewn detached at
Fig. 9, and coupled and in section at Fig. 10. For the purpose of coupling
them a crank d³, shewn in plan and end view at Figures 11, is employed, 'and
keyed to a pin of this crank, or forming one piece therewith, is a rod d', which
connects with a coupling pin on the needle bar g.
It is this peculiar arrangement of crank motion that I employ for converting
a regular rotary motion into the irregular reciprocating motion requisite for
operating the needle. I also employ a similar mechanical arrangement for
imparting motion to the shuttle. Thus upon the shaft E, below the table, I
mount a disc e, from the face of which project two pins e¹, e', which severally
form a fulcrum for a link e. The links are coupled by a crank es, to which is
attached a rod e, for transmitting the motion of the crank to the shuttle
driver. For this purpose the rod e is jointed to the shuttle driver, as shewn
best at Fig. 3, which driver slides on a guide pin e. On the extremity.of the
longer pin of the crank e³ is fitted loosely a socket carrying a pin e', which
slides in a sleeve carried by a horizontal shaft H, having its bearings in the
casting B, which forms the shuttle race. Keyed to the shaft H is a pair of
cams h, which by their rotation serve to actuate the feed plate I (see Fig. 5)
both vertically and horizontally. This action being common to a variety of
sewing machines will be readily traced without further description by reference
to Fig, 5, which also shews the means for regulating the length of stitch.
In order that the relative actions of the needle and shuttle may be fully
understood I have in Sheet II. traced their motions in a series of diagrams
which I will now proceed to explain.
Figures 1 and 1.shew the disc d divided abitrarily into six equal divisions
to facilitate reference to the changes. in position (during a complete rotation.
of the driving shaft) of the working parts attached to the disc and employed to
operate the needle.;. Figures 2 and .2" are diagrams shewing the corresponding
motions of the needle and shuttle.; Figures 3 and 3" are diagrams illustrating
the action of the parts connected with the disce for driving the shuttle; and
Fig. 4 shews six positions which the connecting rod d* assumes in operating
the needle under the guidance of the crank d³. In completing its circuit the

page_text: crank pin to which the connecting rod is secured describes the irregular heart-
Suppose now the machine to be started
in the position 6 of Fig. 4, the needle
shaped figure shewn in red in Fig. 4.
while the crank pin of the rod d' is
will have pierced the work and descended to its lowest position. The con-
tinued rotation of the disc d from 6 to 1, Fig. 1, will draw up the crank pin
and rod to the position 1, Fig. 4, when the needle will be raised from the
blue position of Fig. 2 to the black position of the same Figure; this move-
ment allows the needle to. open the loop of its thread for the passage of the
shuttle through the loop, at this time the point of the shuttle will have passed
into the loop as indicated by the black position of the shuttle marked. 1 at
Fig. 2. In order however that the eye of the needle may be below the
shuttle when the body of the shuttle is passing through the loop, and thus
prevent the needle thread from binding against the shuttle, the crank pin of
the rod d' (under the continued rotation of the disc) moves to the position. 2,.
Fig. 4, whereby the needle is again depressed. The needle thread loop being
now fully open the shuttle moves to the position 2 of Fig. 2; the continued
progress of the shuttle now brings it to the red position (see Fig. 2) at which
time it has cleared the loop and is moving forward to tighten the shuttle
thread, at the same time the needle rises to the red position 3, Fig. 2, and
commences the tightening of its thread, for which purpose the crank pin and
rod. d' rise to the position 3, Fig. 4; the extreme reach of the shuttle is
attained when it arrives at the position 4, Fig. 2, and the shuttle thread
being thus tightened the shuttle is ready to commence its return movement;
in the meanwhile the needle has attained its highest position and tightened
its thread, the crank pin and rod d having reached the position 4, Fig. 4,
at the same time that the shuttle completed its forward traverse. The needle
now commences its descent for a new stitch, and the shuttle at the same time,
but with far greater speed makes its return motion; these relative motions of
the needle and shuttle are indicated by Figures 1 and 2 where the space
enclosed between 4 and 5 shews their relative progress. The continued
rotation of the discs d and e bring the needle to the lowest position corres-
ponding to the position 6 of the crank pin and rod d of Fig. 4, and the
shuttle to its farthest back position as shewn in blue at 6, Figures 2 and 2",
the shuttle and needle will then be ready to repeat the movements above
described. The drawn dotted and blue and red positions of the parts in
Figures 1 and 1 correspond to the drawn dotted blue and red positions of the
needle bar; Figures 2 and 2ª and the drawn dotted blue and red positions of
the parts in Figures 3 and 3* correspond to the positions of the shuttle indi-
cated in the like manner in Figures 2 and 2ª. From the above explanation

page_text: it will be clearly understood that the uniform rotation of the driving shaft is
converted into the variable reciprocating motion requisite for producing the
best work in the needle and shuttle machine; I would however remark that
these variable irregular reciprocating motions may be modified to suit the
special requirements of other kinds of sewing machines either by shifting the
positions of the studs on the discs, or by changing the relative lengths of the
links or the length of the coupling crank, or the angle formed by the coupling
crank arm and the connecting rod d, all which changes may be readily effected
by any competent mechanic.
I will now describe my improved construction of thread controller. Mounted
on the top of the bracket arm C¹ is a support c, into which is fixed a stud c².
Upon this stud is fitted a socket, from which projects an arm c. On the end
of this arm a socket is formed to receive the spherical end of a stud 9 which
projects from the upper part of the needle bar G. Upon the socket of the
arm c is fitted the hub of a rock lever c³, around which is wound a coiled
spring having one end fixed to the front arm of the rock lever c³, and the
other end to the adjustable ring c³, which is fastened by means of a set screw
to the socket of the arm c³. c, c, is another rock lever keyed upon the
socket of the arm c². On the front end of the lever c³ is fitted an adjustable
screw with a lock nut, and provided with a leather or other suitable cushion;
a similar cushion, but not adjustable, is also provided at the rear end of the
lever. c is an ordinary thread tension bar mounted in a suitable projection
from the needle bar cap, and having a wire thread guide at its front end
(see Fig. 3); and c is an adjustable wire thread guide secured by a set
screw to the front end of the rock lever c³. The thread is taken from the
spool J, and passed through a hole in the end of the tension bar. c' round that
bar and through a hole in one end of the wire guide c attached thereto, then
along the under side of that guide and through a second hole therein. The
thread is then passed upwards through the hole in the adjustable wire thread
guide and brought down through the second hole in the guide c³, whence it
is led to the needle. When the needle bar begins to descend from its highest
elevation it brings down the arm c, and with it the front end of the lever co,
until it comes in contact with the cushion on the rock lever c³, when it
depresses that lever and brings down the wire thread guide c, and thus sup-
plies sufficient thread to form the loop for the shuttle to pass through. On
the needle bar rising the thread is drawn up by the adjustable wire thread
guide attached to the lever c³, it being actuated by the coiled spring c³, and
should any obstruction occur in the thread, as the needle bar continues to rise,
the coiled spring will be tightened until the end of the lever c' comes in con-

page_text: tact with the cushion on the rear end of the lever c³ and pushes up the thread
guide c, thus drawing the stitch tight.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of improvements in
sewing machines and apparatus belonging thereto, 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 mechanical movement above described for operating the needle
and the shuttle of sewing machines.
Secondly, the extended bracket arm for supporting the upper and lower
driving shafts.
And, thirdly, the peculiar construction of thread controller or any mere
modification of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Antoney Macaulay, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
THOS. ANTONEY MACAULAY.