IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Millard, of Liverpool, in the County of Lan-
caster, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING
MACHINES." A communication from abroad by W. E. Braman, of Cin-
cinnati in the State of Ohio and United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Millard at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
March 1860.
I, DAVID MILLARD, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Gentleman, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING
MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the details of sewing
machines, the object being to simplify their construction and increase their
efficiency. To this end the main shaft of the machine is now proposed to be
driven by friction gearing, the main driving pulley of which (whether
operated by a treadle or strap from any first mover) is mounted in an adjust-
able frame, carried by slotted brackets to allow of the pulley being set in
close contact with a friction pulley on the main shaft of the machine. The
slide which carries the vertical needle works in a guide suspended from a
goose-neck bracket or arm, standing over and attached to the table of the
machine, in which bracket or arm the fulcrum pin of the rock lever for ope-

page_text: rating the needle slide has its bearing. The top of the needle bar is slotted
vertically to form a guide for the stitching thread, and projecting laterally into
this slot is a loose pin, which is retained in position by means of a flat adjust-
able spring attached to the fixed guide, and over the face of which it moves
in the up-and-down traverse of the slide. This pin is intended to nip the
thread at certain points of the sewing operation, and thus prevent all undue
slackness in the vertical needle thread. To ensure this action, a stud pro-
jecting from the flat spring bears against the outer end of the pin as it moves
past it, and forcing it inwards causes it to nip the thread in the slot. For
operating the feeder, a pin on the vertical needle rock lever works in a slot
hole in a sliding bar under the table, and conveys thereto a reciprocating
motion, which the bar communicates to a peculiarly shaped sliding plate.
A recess is formed in the edge of the bar to receive and embrace a portion
of the plate, and they are so arranged that the bar may move independently
of the plate for a short distance, and then operate on the plate. The plate is
formed with an incline, against which a stud on the under side of the feeder
bears by reason of a spring, giving the feeder a tendency to move backwards.
A cam-shaped stop attached to the under side of the table is set in rear of
the feeder to limit its backward movement, the amount of which corresponding
to the length of the stitch required may be regulated by simply turning the
cam stop on its fulcrum. When the sliding plate is thrust forward, its
incline will press the feeder forward, and on its recession, the feeder will
return to its former position. Before however this takes place, the forward
end of the sliding bar will by bringing an incline on its edge to act upon the
feeder, project it through a slot in the table, and cause it to bear against the
work which lies over the slot; the sliding plate will then move forward, and
carry forward the feeder, and with it the work a distance equal to the length
of the required stitch. Simultaneously with the movement of the feeder, will
be that of a finger attached to the sliding plate, which finger is intended to
take up the loop formed by the looper or under needle, and hold it open
ready for the vertical needle to enter the loop. When this has taken place
the sliding plate retires, and the vertical needle rising, the looper will come
forward and enter the loop of the stitching thread. The looper is carried by
a rock lever, which receives its motion from a pin on the lever that works the
vertical needle, moving in a slot formed in the rear end of the lever carrying
the looper.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said David Millard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th September 1860. .
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
MILLARD, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said David Millard, Her special license that I, the said David Millard,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said David
Millard, 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," being a communication from abroad by W. E. Braman,
of Cincinnati, in the State of Ohio, and United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said David Millard, 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 David Millard, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the 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 to certain improvements in the details of sewing
machines, the object being to simplify the construction of such machines and
increase their efficiency.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 represents in side elevation a sewing
machine with the improvements forming the subject of the present Invention
applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a plan view, shewing the mechanism on the under
side of the table; and Fig. 3 is a front view (detached) of the guide box in
which the sliding bar carrying the needle and the presser stem are supported.

page_text: A is the main shaft of the machine which it is now proposed to drive by
friction gearing. Keyed to this shaft is a friction pulley B, in contact with
which a driving friction pulley C is brought. The peripheries of these pullies
may be covered with vulcanized india-rubber, leather or other like substance
,suitable for ensuring friction of contact between them. The pulley C may be
operated either by a treaddle or a strap from any first mover as found most
convenient. It is mounted in an adjustable frame D carried by a fulcrum
pin supported by a slotted bracket E. This frame is secured in the desired
.position by a clamping screw a, which passes through a bolt hole in the frame
and through a segment slot in the bracket; by slacking this screw a the
driving pulley C may be readily set in close contact with the friction pulley B
on the main shaft of the machine, and the tightening of the screw will retain it
in that position. F is the table of the machine, to the underside of which the
bearings for the shaft A are bolted; G is a goose-necked bracket or arm
standing over and attached to the table of the machine. In this bracket or arm
the fulcrum pin of the rock lever H for operating the needle bar or slide I has
its bearing. This bar, which carries the vertical needle, works in a guide
box K, attached as usual to the end of the bracket arm G, and in the same
box is also mounted the presser L for holding down the work while the
stitching is proceeding. A coiled spring contained in the box gives the
presser a constant tendency to bear upon the cloth, and a loose collar / fitted to
its upper end, and furnished with a pin projecting through a hole in the box
will, when raised and turned so that the pin is thrown out of coincidence with
the hole made to receive it, retain the presser in an elevated position clear of
the work. The forward end of the lever H is forked to embrace a pin
projecting from the side of the needle bar I; the rocking therefore of that lever
through its connection with the crank pin of the shaft A will impart the
reciprocating motion to the vertical needle as usual. The top of the needle
bar I is slotted vertically to form a guide for the stitching thread; and projecting
laterally into this slot is a loose pin b, which is retained in position by means of
a flat adjustable spring cattached to the fixed guide. Over the face of this spring
the pin 6 moves in the up and down traverse of the needle bar I. This pin b is
intended to nip the thread at certain points of the sewing operation, and thus
ensure the requisite amount of slackness in the vertical needle thread below
the work to form the loop for receiving the locking thread. To ensure the
proper formation of the loop the flat spring c is fitted with a projecting stud c*
which bears against the outer end of the pin b, as that pin is carried past it
by the movement of the needle bar I. The pin 6 will thus be forced inwards
and caused to nip the thread and hold it firmly in the slot of the needle bar.

page_text: The effect of this nipping of the thread will be to apply the slack produced in
the thread below the work by the rise of the needle during the passage of the
pin 6 over the stud c to the formation of the loop, and thus ensure the entrance
of the looper M with its locking thread into the loop; N is the feeder plate,
which lies in a recess under the table, and has its roughened surface projecting
through a recess in the table as usual. For operating this feeder a pin h on
the rock lever H works in a slot hole in a bar N³, which bar slides in guides
fixed to the under side of the table. A reciprocating motion is thus conveyed
to the bar N¹, which that bar communicates to a peculiarly shaped sliding
plate N2, lying between it and the table. In the edge of the bar N¹ a recess is
made to receive and embrace a portion of the plate N° (see the detached
sectional view, Fig. 4,) which shews the bar N¹ in side elevation. . From an
inspection of this Figure it will be understood that the plate N2 and bar N¹ are
so arranged relatively to each other that the bar may move independently of
the plate for a short distance and then operate on the plate. The plate N² is
formed with an inclined edge, against which a stud n on the under side of the
feeder N bears by reason of a spring n², giving the feeder a tendency to move
backwards. A cam-shaped stop, o attached to the under side of the table by a
fulcrum pin is set in rear of the feeder to limit its backward movement, the
amount of which corresponding to the length of the stitch required may be
regulated by simply turning the cam stop on its fulcrum, so that a greater or
less radius will bear against the pin n² on the feeder. When the sliding
plate N is thrust forward its inclined edge will bear against the pin n, and
press the feeder forward, and on its recession the feeder will return to its
former position. Before, however, this takes place the forward end of the
sliding bar N will, by bringing an incline on its upper edge (see Fig. 4) to act
upon the feeder, project the roughened surface of the feeder through the slot
in the table, and cause it to bear against the work which lies over the slot,
which work is kept down by the presser foot L. The sliding plate N2 will
then advance and press forward the feeder, and with it the work a distance
equal to the length of the required stitch. Simultaneously with the movement
of the feeder will be the advance of a finger P attached to the sliding plate N²
and made adjustable thereon. This finger is slightly hooked at its forward
extremity (see the detached view, Fig. 5,) and is intended to open out the
loop formed from the locking thread of the looper or under needle M, and hold
open that loop ready for the vertical needle to enter it. When this has taken
place and the loop is secured on the stem of the vertical needle the sliding
plate N retires, and the vertical needle rising, the looper M will come forward
and enter the next following loop of the stitching thread. The looper is

page_text: carried by a horizontal rock lever M', which receives its motion from a pin on
the lever H working in a curved slot (see Fig. 2) formed in the rear end of
the lever M¹.
By the above-described arrangement it will be understood that not only is
the construction of sewing machines simplified, but their efficient action is at
the same time increased.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in
Sewing Machines," as communicated to me from abroad, 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 means above described for transmitting motion to sewing
machines.
And secondly, I claim the means above described for securing the proper
formation of the loops of the stitching and locking threads, and for working and
regulating the movements of the feeder.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Millard, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Fifteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
DAVID MILLARD. (L.S.)