IMPROVE- MENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Harwood, of Blackburn, in the County of
Lancaster, Sewing Machine Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."
Scaled the 2nd October 1868, and dated the 3rd April 1868..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Harwood at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 3rd April 1868.
I, JOHN HARWOOD, of Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Sewing:
Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for:
"IMPROVEMENTS IN IN SEWING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to an improved construction and.
arrangement of mechanism employed in such machines for embroidering,.
which I effect by means of a shaft attached to and worked by the cross.
On
arm actuating a second shaft placed under the stationary arm.

page_text: the end of the last-mentioned shaft is or are one or more projections or
notches which enter or work in the teeth of a star wheel on a cross
shaft passing through the end of the arm in which the foot presser
works, and on the said shaft is an eccentric for actuating the
embroidering fingers, such fingers being held in position for the passage
of the needle by means of a catch and wheel on the eccentric shaft
above mentioned.
Secondly. To an improved "tuck maker," which consists of a spiked
wheel fixed on the end of a spindle passing through a boss on the foot
presser, through which boss a set screw passes so as to adjust and fix
the tuck marker spindle and wheel thereon to mark any desired width
of tuck. I thus dispense with the cumbersome apparatus heretofore
employed for this purpose.
Thirdly. To the construction of a "trimmer" which consists of a groove
cut in a strip of a metal in which the braid is received, and an adjusting
slide and screw so as to adjust the trimmer to any width of braid
required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Harwood in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd October 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HARWOOD, of Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Sewing Machine
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Harwood, Her special licence that
I, the said John Harwood, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Harwood, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thercafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,

page_text: 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
John Harwood, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Harwood, 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
following statement :-
This Invention relates, firstly, to an improved construction and
arrangement of mechanism employed in such machines for embroidering,
which I effect by means of a shaft attached to and worked by the cross
arm actuating a second shaft placed under the stationary arm. Оц
the end of the last-mentioned shaft is or are one or more projections or
notches which enter or work in the teeth of a star wheel on a cross
shaft passing through the end of the arm in which the foot presser
works and on the said shaft are eccentrics for actuating the embroidering
fingers.
Secondly. To an improved "tuck marker," which consists of a
spiked wheel fixed on the end of a spindle passing through a boss on
the foot presser, through which boss a set screw passes so as to adjust and
fix the tuck marker spindle and wheel thereon to mark any desired
width of tuck. I thus dispense with the cumbersome apparatus hereto-
fore employed for this purpose.
Thirdly. To the construction of a "trimmer," which consists of a
groove cut in a strip of metal in which the braid is received, and an
adjusting slide and screw so as to adjust the trimmer to any width of
braid required.
Such being the nature and object of this my said Invention, I will
now proceed to describe the same fully, and in order that the samo
may be clearly understood I have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings,

page_text: the same letter referring to the same part in the various views or
Figures.
At Fig. 1 is sectional view of such part of a sewing machine as this
Invention relates to. A is the shaft or lever attached to and actuated
by the cross or rocking arm B.; on the end of the shaft or lever is or arc
one or more projections or notches which enter or work in the teeth of
the star wheel C placed on the stud D, on which stud is also a disc F
having projections G thereon; these act on the upper ends of the
-embroidering.fingers H and open the said fingers, and the embroidering
cords from the bobbins I are crossed, and by a stitch securing to the
fabric, the projections G having passed the fingers are closed by force
of gravity, the lower part being weighted or made stouter, as shewn
at J, causing them to swing on the pin or joint a towards cach other
(or a spring may be fixed as shewn at A³ for this purpose), another stitch
is inserted when the cords are thus again .crossed by the closing of the
fingers.
On reference to Fig. 2 which is detail figure of disc, shaft, or lever,
and star wheel for actuating the same, it will be seen that the number
of teeth in the said wheel is double the number of projections on the
disc, so that the fingers are opened every alternate, stroke, thus admitting
the inscrtion of a stitch when the embroidering cords are crossed on
the opening of the said fingers and when crossed by the closing thereof.
At Fig. 3, as a modification of this Invention, I have shewn disc on
which bobbins containing embroidery cords are mounted, the shaft or
lever imparting by means of the wheel C rotary motion thereto, the
cords in their passage through the eye are by the rotation doubled or
twisted around each other, and from thence under the needle and secured
to the fabric.
At K, Fig. 4, is shewn tuck marker consisting of a spiked wheel
working at the end of spindle M, which is passed through foot presse
and secured by set screw.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of my
said Invention, together with the manner in which the same is to b
or may be performed or carried into practical effect, I would remark
in conclusion that I claim as my Invention the construction o

page_text: mechanism for and method of actuating the embroidering apparatus
and the tuck marker as herein described and illustrated in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Harwood, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Thirtieth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-cight.
Witness,
A. B.,
Blackburn.
JOHN HARWOOD. (L.s.)