IM- PROVEMENTS IN SEWING AND EMBROIDERING MACHINES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of No. 11, Wellington Street,
Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN SEWING AND EMBROIDERING MACHINES." A communication
from abroad by Emile Cornely, of Paris, France.
Sealed the 4th July 1876, and dated the 19th January 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Gedge at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th January 1876.
WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING AND EMBROIDERING
MACHINES." A communication to me from abroad by Emile Cornely, of Paris,
France.
The principle of this Invention consists,―
Firstly. In laying a supplementary thread around the needle or the needle thread
of a sewing and embroidering machine by means of a thread carrier, which revolves
around the needle always in the same direction.
Secondly. In laying said thread around the needle or the needle thread, either at
each stitch or at each alternate stitch of the machine.
This Invention relates only to those sewing machines which work with a single
needle. When the thread is laid around the needle at each stitch it produces an
ornamental seam, which, according to the colours of the threads may be varied at
pleasure. But in machines in which a double feed is employed, or in which the
needle makes a transversal movement so as to produce a zig-zag or overseaming
stitch, the thread may be laid around the needle each second or alternate stitch, so
that it will appear only at one of the edges of said zig-zag overseaming or button-
hole stitch, thereby rendering said stitch more solid and producing a fine pearly edge.
The laying of the thread around the needle may be effected either above or below
the cloth, and to show the manner in which this may be executed on any known
machine I will illustrate and describe my Invention when applied to my over-
seaming and embroidering machine for which I have obtained Letters Patent,
dated the 11 July 1873, No. 2395.
I will first describe my Invention when the thread is laid around the needle
above the cloth as represented in the accompanying Drawings, Figs. 1, 2, and 3,
Sheets I., II., and III.

page_text: Fig. 1 represents a side view of that part of the machine which is above the cloth
plate; Fig. 2 represents an end view.
The machine itself being fully described in the Specification to the Letters Patent
above cited I will limit my description principally to the mechanism which serves
to lay a second thread around the needle.
A represents the auxiliary shaft of the machine which is driven from the main
shaft by means of a pinion gearing into the toothed wheel d, which has double the
diameter of the former, and the shaft A makes thus one revolution only to two
revolutions of the machine. The wheel d¹ by means of the excentric pin a¹
secured to the slide E drives the pitman F and the rod FI on which the screw
gear G (Fig. 3) is secured; which drives a similar horizontal screw gear G', and thus
produces a zig-zag or overseaming stitch. The disk C is secured to the end of the
shaft A, and a grooved cain H, which cau slide freely on said shaft, is provided
with a pin b, which enters into a corresponding hole in the disk C; thus the cam H
will turn with the shaft A, but can at the same time slide thereon longitudinally. The
friction roller C turns upon a pin in the fixed arm I, and extends into the groove of
cam H, and as the shaft A revolves, it causes the cam H to slide to and from
the disk C; thus the pin bat certain intervals engages the cam I, striking against
one of the teeth 2, and turning it until the pin b is withdrawn by the action of the
roller c on cam H. The cam I is secured to separate shaft (g), which may extend
into the hollow end of the shaft A, and which is supported by the bracket K. The
pinion h, which is secured to the same shaft (g), drives the pinions i, u, h, t, and the
wheels N and M, which latter turns around the centre line of the needle bar, and
carries the thread carrier O, which lays the second thread around the needle. The
thread carrier O is secured to the hub of the wheel M, 'and 'is pivoted 'to the arm Q
by means of the lever (y), so that it can be raised and turned on the pin Z to pass
the thread through the eye at the lower end. The lower end of the thread carrier
extends into the circular foot w and fits closely against the nipple.
The spool R is supported by the spool holder S, which latter is also secured to
the wheel M and the thread, shown in red lines, passes from said spool into the
eye at the end of the thread holder, and as the latter turns by means of the
mechanism above described it lays its thread around the needle or around the
needle thread. The shape of the groove in cam H, as well as the number of teeth
on the disk I, determine the intervals at which the second thread is laid around
the needle; in the arrangement shown in the Drawings said thread is laid around
the needle each alternate stitch, for at each revolution of the shaft A the cam H
and its pin b turns the cam I half of a turn, and the wheel M and thread
carrier O an entire revolution, as the wheel L is of double the diameter of the
wheel M.
If it is desired that the second thread should be laid around the needle at each
stitch then the arm I can be raised by unscrewing screw 20, and the friction roller c
can be brought to bear against the face 3 of cam H, whereby the cam I and the
thread O will turn with the machine without interruption. If on the contrary
the second thread is to be suppressed altogether, so that the machine makes the
ordinary embroidering or zig-zag stitch, then the arm I can be adjusted so that
the roller C will bear against the face 4 of the cam H; thus the pin b will not
come in contact with cam I, and the entire mechanism of the second thread
remains stationary.
I will now describe the mechanism which may serve for laying the second
thread around the needle below the cloth, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 (Sheets IV.
and V.).
Fig. 4 represents a side view of that part of the machine which is below the
cloth plate or table; Fig. 5 represents a plan thereof.
For laying the second thread around the needle below the cloth plate 'a
mechanisin may be employed which resembles somewhat that of my braiding
machine for which Letters Patent were granted to me, dated 8th January 1874,
No. 107; but with the difference that the braiding disk described in the Specifi-

page_text: cation to the said Letters Patent receives a continuous or intermittent rotary
notion by the action of the main shaft. For this purpose a pinion h is secured to
the auxiliary shaft A (Fig. 4, section a) which drives pinion i, shaft T, pinions u,
k, t, t, and wheels L and M, which latter turns freely upon the frame piece X of
the looper U and carries upon its crown or rim y the disk Z through which the
second thread is passed, which is laid around the needle, as shown in red lines.
The spool holder S is secured to the hub of the wheel M and turns with it in the
same manner as explained and shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.
If the machine is to be employed only for zig-zag or for overseaming work the
nechanism shown and described in Figs. 1 and 2, as cam H, pin b, disk C, and
cam I may be entirely dispensed with, and a wheel L, twice as large as the wheel M,
inay be employed. Said wheel L is provided with teeth only on half of its circum-
ference, while the other half is smooth, so that during one half of its revolution
the wheel M will make a full turn, while during the other half of its revolution
the wheel M and disk (y) will remain stationary, and thus the thread will be laid
around the needle only each alternate stitch of the machine. To prevent the
wheel M from moving while the teeth of the wheel L are acting upon it I have
provided both wheels on their lower faces with circular rims or flanges 21
and 22, the circle 21 being convex and fitting into the concave circle 22, thus pre-
venting the wheel M from turning until the flange 21 has passed beyond that of 22,
at which moment the teeth of the wheel L commence acting again upon those of
wheel M.
In section 6, Fig. 4, I have shown a detailed view of the wheel M and thread
guide Z. For working on light goods such as muslins it is necessary that the
central hole through which the needle passes should be upon a stationary plate
instead of being in the turning disk Z, as shown in Fig. 4.
For this purpose
I
have fitted a conical thimble m upon the upper end of the cylindrical looper
frame X, and in the upper face of which a small hole is drilled for the passage of
the needle, while the disk z with its thread guide is as before secured to the rim (y)
of the wheel M around the cone m. The wheels 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, serve to transmit
the oscillating movement of the screw gear G¹ to the universal feed and to the sewing
mechanism of the machine.
If desired the several wheels and gearing may be made so as to lay the second
thread each third, fourth, fifth, etc., stitch around the needle.
This machine can thus make six different kinds of stitches.
1st. The ordinary sewing or chain stitch.
2nd. The zig-zag or overseaming stitch.
3rd. The ordinary sewing stitch, interlaced with the second revolving thread at
each stitch.
4th. The ordinary sewing stitch, interlaced with the second revolving thread at
each alternate stitch.
5th. The overseaming stitch, interlaced with the second revolving thread at
each stitch.
6th. The overseaming stitch, interlaced with the second revolving thread at each
alternate stitch.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Edward Gedge in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
July 1876.
WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING AND EMBROIDERING
MACHINES." A communication to ine from abroad by Emile Cornely, of Paris,
France

page_text: The principle of this invention consists,
1°. In laying or winding a supplementary or second thread around the single
needle or needle thread of a sewing or embroidering machine by means of a thread
carrier, which revolves around the needle or the needle thread alway in the same
direction.
2°. In laying or winding said second thread around the single needle of a sewing
or embroidering machine either at each stitch or at each second or alternate stitchi
of the machine.
3°. In certain improvements of the crank handle of sewing or embroidering
machines, by which the stop motion of the machine can be operated by hand instead
of operating it by the foot.
When the thread is laid around the needle while the latter makes the ordinary
sewing and embroidering stitch a highly ornamental seam, is produced which can
be employed for a great variety of goods. But when it is employed in a macbine
which makes the overseaming or cross stitch, the second thread may be wound
around the needle every second stitch; it will then appear only on one edge of the
overseaming stitch, thus making a very firm, solid, and highly ornamental edging
work, which can be employed for edging all sorts of goods such as curtains, etc.
The second thread may be wound around the needle, either above or below the
cloth.
I will first describe this Invention when applied above the cloth plate to the
overseaming zig-zag and embroidering machine with universal feed motion, for which
Letters Patent were granted to me, dated the 11th July 1873, No. 2395, but it
may be equally well applied to any other sewing, overseaming, and embroidering
machine.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawing Figure 1 represents a side view, and
Figure 2 a top view of those parts of the machine which are above the cloth plate,
and the general construction of the machine being known I will confine my
description to those parts which principally relate to this Invention.
A indicates the auxiliary shaft of the machine which is driven from the main
shaft by means of a pinion gearing into the toothed wheel d¹, which has double the
diameter of the former, and the shaft A makes thus one revolution only to each two
revolutions of the main shaft. The wheel d¹ by means of the eccentric pin a,
which is screwed to the slide E, drives the pitman F and the rod F¹ upon which the
screw gear G (Figure 4) is secured, which drives a similar horizontal screw gear G¹
(Figure 4), and thus produces the zig-zag or overseaming stitch. The disk C is secured
to the end of the shaft A, and a grooved cam H, which can slide freely on said shaft
is provided with a pin b, which enters into a corresponding hole in the disk C; thus
the cam H will turn with the shaft A, but can at the same time slide thereon
longitudinally. The friction roller C turns on a stud in the fixed arm 1' and extends
into the groove of the cam H, and as the shaft A revolves it causes the cam H. to
slide to and from the disk C. Thus the pin b, at certain intervals engages the cam
I and strikes against one of its teeth 2 and turns it until the pin b is withdrawn
from it by the action of roller c on cam H. The cam I is secured to a separate
shaft g, which extends into the hollow end of the shaft A and which is supported
by the bracket K. The pinion h, which is secured to the shaft g, drives the pinions
i, u, k, t, and the wheels L and M, which latter being moveable upon the hub of the
needle bar of the machine turns upon the axis of the needle and carries the thread
carrier O, which thus lays the second thread around the needle. The thread carrier
O is secured to the hub of the wheel M, and is pivoted to the arm Q by means of
the lever y, so that it can be raised and swung upon the stud z to pass the thread
through the eye at its lower end. The lower end of the thread carrier O extends
into the circular feed surface w, and fits closely to the nipple x in which the needle
hook of the machine slides.
The spool R which (shown in red) supplies the second thread is supported by the
spool holder S (Figure 2), which latter is also secured to the hub of the wheel M,
and the thread marked in red lines passes from the spool R through the eye at the

page_text: lower end of the thread carrier O, which in turning around the needle lays the
thread around it. The shape of the groove of cam H, as well as the number of
teeth on cam I, determine the intervals at which the thread is laid around the
needle. In the arrangement shown in the Drawings said thread is laid around the
needle each alternate stitch, for at each revolution of the shaft A the cam H and
the pin b turn the cam I half a turn and the wheel M and thread carrier O an
entire revolution as the wheel L has double the diameter of the wheel M.
If it is desired that the second thread should be laid around the needle at each
stitch then the arm I¹ can be raised and the friction roller c can be brought to bear
against the face 3 of the cam H, whereby the cam I and the thread carrier O will turn
with the machine without interruption. If on the contrary a second thread is to
be suppressed altogether, so that the machine makes only the ordinary embroidering or
zig-zag stitch then the arm I¹ can be adjusted so that the roller c will bear against
the face 4 of the cam H, thus the pin b will not come in contact with the cam I
and the entire mechanism of the second thread will remain stationary.
It is evident that the machine can be much simplified if it is only to be employed
as a plain embroidering machine on which a second thread is to be wound around
the needle at each stitch. In this case the wheel ' may be made of the same
diameter as the wheel on the main shaft, so as to turn with the same speed as the
latter, and a gearing from said wheel may be arranged to drive the pinion M and
the revolving thread carrier by suppressing all the cams which are on the shaft A.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that this machine can make six
different stitches :-
1. The ordinary sewing or chain stitch.
2. The zig-zag or overseaming stitch.
3. The ordinary sewing or embroidering stitch interlaced with the second thread
at each stitch.
4. The ordinary sewing or embroidering stitch interlaced with the second thread
at each alternate stitch.
5. The overseaming or zig-zag stitch interlaced at each stitch with the second
thread.
6. The overseaming or zig-zag stitch interlaced with the second thread at each
alternate stitch.
I will now describe the mechanism which may serve for laying the second thread
around the needle or hook below the cloth plate.
Figure 4 represents a side view of said mechanism, and Figure 5 represents a
plan of those parts which actuate the revolving thread carrior below the plate.
The pinion h which is secured to the auxiliary shaft A (Fig. 4) drives the pinion
i, shaft T, and revolving disk or crank u which drives the pitman k by means of the
crank pin t and imparts to it a reciprocating motion; the other end of the pitman
k is secured to an oscillating lever 12 at 1, said lever turning on its shaft 13 in the
frame K of the machine; a pin 14 on pitman & acts upon the toothed wheel L, so as
to impart to it a quarter of a revolution at each second stitch which the machine
makes, in the following manner: The wheel making one revolution to every
two revolutions of the main shaft of the machine, the disk or crank u makes the
same number of turns and the strokes of the pitman k are in the same proportion.
The pin 14 describes a curved line which resembles nearest a crescent, as shown in
red dotted lines in Figure 5, that is, while the disk u turns in the direction of the
arrow and carries the crank pin from the point t to the point 15, the pin 14 of the
pitman moves on the outer circle of wheel L from the point 14 to the point 16
outside of the wheel L, which thus remains stationary, and as the disk u continues
its revolutions from the point 15 to the point t the pin 14 drops into one of the recesses
17 of the wheel L, and imparts to the latter one quarter of a turn; the wheel L
gears into the pinion M, which is four times smaller than the former, and imparts
to it an entire revolution, which thus takes place at each alternate stitch of the
machine. When the wheel L has completed its quarter of a revolution it is retained
in its position by the small friction roller or "galet" 22, which is secured to the

page_text: spring 23, and which drops into one of the recesses 17 of the wheel L. The shaft
of the wheel L is mounted upon the frame K and the pinion M upon the tube 18,
within which oscillates the looper. The thread carrier O and the spool holder S,
which carries the spool R, are secured to the hub 19 of the pinion M, and revolve
all with the latter.
As it is necessary that the second thread may be freely wound around the needle
or its thread without in any way interfering with the stitching mechanism of the
machine, the centre plate into which the needle stitches had to be perfectly isolated;
for this purpose it is made in the shape of a conical thimble m, which is secured
upon the central tube of the looper (41), and the thread carrier O can freely
revolve around it. The thread marked in red lines passes from the spool R around
the tension rod 21 (Figure 6) into the spring 25, thence into the eye of the thread
carrier O, and out between the thimble m and the cloth plate 20. In Figure 6 I
have illustrated another view of the tension rod and the passage of the thread.
Figure 7 represents a side view of the mechanism employed for laying the second
thread round the needle at each stitch of the machine from below the cloth plate.
In this case the pinion d¹ on the auxiliary shaft A of the machine is of the same
size as its driving pinion on the main shaft; it drives the pinion which is secured
to it as well as the pinions i, u, h, t, and t¹, and the two cogged wheels L and M.
The thread carrier Ŏ is secured to the hub 19 of the wheel M, which, as in the
former case, is mounted upon the central tube of the looper 41 of the machine. As
all the gearings in this machine revolve with the same speed it is evident that the
revolving thread carrier O makes an equal number of revolutions as the main
shaft of the machine, and consequently the second thread is laid round the needle
at every stitch of the machine, and thus produces an ornamental embroidering.
In the accompanying Drawings I have shown the thread by which the stitching
is done in blue lines, while the second thread, which is wound around the needle,
is shown in red lines.
Like all embroidering machines which have a universal feed, to which I mean
especially to adapt this Invention, this machine is guided by means of a crank
handle 24 (Figure 7), on which I have made an improvement which is more fully
illustrated in Figures 8 and 9.
The operator takes hold of the crank handle with the right hand, and the left
hand aids in guiding the material. As all embroidering machines are provided with
a stop motion for the purpose of arresting the machine instantaneously when sharp
angles occur in the embroidery, said stop motion was heretofore actuated by means
of the left foot while the right foot drove the fly wheel of the machine. The whole
labour of driving the machine was therefore performed with the right foot while
the left foot remained comparatively idle, which operation was very fatiguing for
the body. The construction of the crank handle has therefore been so modified
that the operator can stop the machine by a simple pression upon the handle 24,
and that he can thus employ both his feet for driving the machine, thus enabling
him to produce more work with less fatigue.
As the stop-motion may be of any construction, and as several of them have
been described in former Specifications of Patents, no description of it need be
given here, and I will only describe the mechanism of the crank handle.
The handle 24 (Figure 8) is secured to a tube 34 which can slide vertically on the
rod 27; on the upper part of the tube 34 there is a groove 28, into which extend
the pins 29 of the lever 30 which is pivoted to the crank handle 31 at 32; the end
of the lever 30 is in contact with a free vertical rod 33 which slides in the hollow
shaft 26 of the crank, and the upper end of which bears against the horizontal
lever 35 which is pivoted to the frame of the machine at 36, and which actuates
the stop motion by raising or lowering the rod 37; thus by slightly raising or
lowering the handle 24 the stop motion of the machine is actuated.
To illustrate the difference between this mechanism and the one used lieretofore,
I have represented in Figure 9 the manner of operating the stop motion by means
of the foot. This was done by a treadle connected to the lever 38 by means of

page_text: the rod 39, the lever being hinged at 40 to the frame of the machine raises or
lowers the rod 37 which operates the stop motion.
In Figure 10 I have represented a modification of the screw gear G and G¹ repre-
sented at Figure 4. Instead of employing said screw gearings, which work at right
angles to each other, a vertical screw Ġ (Figure 10) may be employed which works
within a screw nut G₁; the latter is provided with a flange 42 which is sunk into
the bed plate 43 of the machine, and is held therein by means of the circular
plate 4. Thus, when the screw rises and descends it imparts an oscillating rotary
motion to the screw nut G¹, which by means of its toothed circumference 44
transmits said oscillating motion to the feed and stitching mechanism, and thus
produces the overseaming stitch in the same manner as the screw gear represented
in Figure 4.
If it is desirable that the edging should appear more or less raised, a braid or
cord may be introduced into the cross stitching below the cloth by means of a
braiding guide which is connected to the crank of the machine, as represented at
Figure 11, by a horizontal or top view. 24 represents the crank handle; 31, the
crank which can be turned on its pivot 45. A connection rod 46 is pivoted at 47
to the crank, and a lever 48 is pivoted to the bed plate of the machine at 49.
The lever 48 is parallel to the crank 31, and is pivoted at 50 to the connection
rod 46. The free end of the latter has an eye 51 into which the braid or cord is
passed which is to be introduced into the edging, and as the crank 31 is turned
for guiding the feed motion of the machine, the eye 51 of the lever 46 will always
present the braid to the needle in the line of the feed, and will thus be sewn into
the cross stitch. The eye 51 moves in the line of a circle concentric with the
needle at any convenient distance from it.
Having now described the nature of the Invention, communicated to me as
aforesaid, what I claim as secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―
Laying a supplementary or second thread around the single needle or its thread
of a sewing or embroidering machine, by means of a revolving thread carrier which
turns always in the same direction either at each stitch or at each second or
alternate stitch of the machine, and whether said supplementary thread is laia
around the needle above or below the cloth, substantially as herein described.
I also claim the mechanism above illustrated and described for laying a second
thread around the needle without limiting myself to the disposition of the various
gearings and shafts.
I also claim the improved crank handle for guiding the universal feed, and for
enabling the operator to operate the stop motion by means of the hand instead of
the foot, substantially as herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Gedge, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
W. E. GEDGE. (L.S.)