IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Barker, of Staleybridge, in the County of
Lancaster, Machine Maker, and Charles Davis, of Pleydell Street, in
the City of London, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SEWING MACHINES."
Sealed the 31st July 1866, and dated the 2nd February 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Barker and
Charles Davis at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 2nd February 1866.
We, GEORGE BARKER, of Staleybridge, in the County of Lancaster,
Machine Maker, and CHARLES DAVIS, of Pleydell Street, in the City of
London, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to the feed apparatus of sewing machines, and con-
sists in the peculiar manner of mounting and operating the "foot," whereby
we are enabled to vary the line of the feed in almost any direction, and this
without losing any of the efficiency of the "foot" in the operation of feeding,
it in fact operates the same in all directions; it may be of use more

page_text: particularly in feeding up the fabric or substance to be sewn in a direction
from front to back or from back to front of the machine, or it may be
laterally, but it is equally well adapted for feeding in directions intermediate
of those points. For this purpose I mount the "foot" in a small frame which is
fitted on bearings, and oscillates or moves round axially to the needle carrier and
needle which perforates the material. In this way the "foot" frame is free to
oscillate around this axis, and so dispose the claw or bottom part of the "foot"
in any direction radial from the said axis. We fix the "foot" frame
in the desired position by means of a pinching screw, fixing it to the bearings
or gudgeons round which it oscillates. In order to impart the necessary
motions to the "foot" we form the end of lever which bears it down with
elastic pressure of semicircular or other forms, so that it shall bear on it in
all its changes of position. In like manner we also form the lever which
imparts the feeding motion to the "foot" somewhat of a circular form
(described from the axis on which the "foot" turns), so that the horizontal
feeding motion may be imparted to the "foot" and claw in all its positions
in which it thus may be made to feed equally well.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Barker and Charles Davis, in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd August 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
BARKER, of Staleybridge, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, and
CHARLES DAVIS, of Pleydell Street, in the City of London, Machinist, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said George Barker and Charles Davis, Her special licence that we, the
said George Barker and Charles Davis; our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said George Barker and Charles Davis, our
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,

page_text: and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said George Barker
and Charles Davis, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our, or their, or one of their bands 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 we, the said Georgo Barker and Charles Davis,
do hereby declare the nature of our 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 Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):
:-
Our Invention relates to the feeding apparatus of sewing machines, and
consists in the peculiar manner of mounting and operating the "foot,"
whereby we are enabled to vary the line of the feed in almost any direction;
and this without losing any of the efficiency of the "foot" in the operation
of feeding, it in fact operating equally well in all directions if required; it
may be of use more particularly in feeding up the fabric or substance to be
sewn in a direction from front to back or from back to front of the machine,
or it may be laterally, but it may be equally well adapted for feeding in
directions intermediate of those points. For this purpose we mount &
"foot" in a small frame which is fitted on bearings and oscillates or moves
round axially to the needle carrier and needle which perforates the material.
In this way the "foot" frame is free to oscillate around this axis, and so
dispose the claw or bottom part of the foot in any direction radial to the
said axis. We fix the "foot" frame in the desired position by means of a
pinching screw, fixing it to the bearings or gudgeons on which it oscillates.
In order to impart the necessary motion to the foot we form the end of
the lever which bears it down with elastic pressure of semicircular or other
form, so that it shall bear on it in all its changes of position. In like manner
we also form the lever which imparts the feeding motion to the "foot"
somewhat of a circular form (described from the axis on which the "foot"
turns), so that the horizontal or feeding motion may be imparted to the
foot and claw in its several positions, in each of which it may thus be made
to feed equally as well by the ordinary feeding action of the foot presser
usually employed in the arbitrary position in which it is fixed.

page_text: Figure 1 represents what may be termed the back elevation of a sewing
machine having the parts for feeding constructed and arranged according to
our Invention. As well understood this machine is placed on a bench or
stand, of which the line a, a, indicates the surface, a table sewing surface
being further disposed and applied if required at the level of the arm .b, 'b, as
usual. The driving axis A, wheel B, and the several cams D, E, and F
thereon, together with the ends of the levers operated by them are much the
same as in machines of this kind, therefore will not require any particular
description, in fact, the parts operating the shuttle and the needle are precisely
as in ordinary, and our improvements have reference only to the feeding
movements of the machine by means of a foot disposed above the cloth or
material on which the machine is operating. To this foot we, impart
movements by which the cloth can be moved in any direction, and so vary
the line of the feed either while the machine is at work or at rest. In the
first-described arrangement of the parts for giving the feed we have arranged
them so that it shall be in three directions only, being those in which the feed
is principally required, that is to say, from the front towards the back, and
from the back towards the front, as also in a lateral direction at right angles
to the aforesaid directions.
Figure 2 represents a view of the fore ends of the arms of the machine;
Figure 3 a plan of part of the upper arm, and Figure 4 represents a partial
horizontal section showing as much of the machine only as is necessary to
explain our Invention. The upper arm H of the machine terminates in two
limbs d, d, which form the guides for the needle carrier e, which is represented
as a round rod, but which may be of any other suitable form, and the guides
differently formed if desired; on the upper and lower guides d, d, we form
cylindrical bosses or projections projecting above and below arms d, d; on
these cylindrical parts we mount and fit a forked frame I separately
represented in side view and plan; at Figure 5 the lower limb f of the fork
may be cast of a piece with I, but we screw or otherwise fix thè upper limb g
to part I. The limbs f and 9 are bored and fitted to the cylindrical pro-
jections or gudgeons on d, d, so that the frame I may move round steadily and
easily thereon as a centre. In order to fix the frame I in any position it is
furnished with a binding screw h passing through a boss on g with the point
bearing on the cylindrical gudgeon or part of d on which it rotates;; the
feeding and pressing foot i is attached to a limb or rod k, which is fitted

page_text: between the cheeks of frame I in which it is free to rise and fall, or to
oscillate on a fulcrum l, a slot being formed in limb k to receive the fulcrum
pin forming the point of oscillation, and at same time to permit the
necessary rise and fall of k. The limb k and foot are depressed by the action
of lever L, the said limb being constantly pressed up to it by the spring m
fixed to I, the upward tendency being given by the inclined surface on back
of k on which the point of the spring presses. This spring m also presses the
limb and foot i constantly towards the needle or axis on which frame I moves
round; and so imparts the feed as will be herein-after explained. The end of
the lever L has a semicircular or extended surface so that it shall be pre-
sented to and bear on the top of the limb k in all its positions, that is to say,
in the line and dotted positions shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, and in any
position intermediate of those through which it moves. Lever L is kept up
to its cam surface by a spring p as usual; q is simply a lifting piece to raise
lever L and sustain it from off the limb k when adjusting the work; M is the
lever for imparting the feed motion, that is to say, the horizontal motion to the
foot i; the end of this lever is seen in plan, Figure 4, and separately in plan
at Figure 6, which represents as much as is necessary for the purposes of
explanation, the continuation and connection thereof with the cam actuating
it being the same as usual. It has been before said that this arrangement is
designed only for feeding in three directions; to effect this we form the outline
or surface of the end r, r, of lever M bearing on limb k of a circular form
terminating in two inclines 1 and 2, said inclines bearing respectively on
limb k, as may be required for the production of the backward or forward
feeding motions, while the lateral or side to side motion is imparted by the
motion of the lever M, while the limb k is in contact with it at point 3; tho
dotted position of the lever end r, r, in Figure 4, shows the extent of its
motion. The limb k is rounded where it effects contact with r, . It will be
observed that the action of the lever M on k, at point 3, is in the same
direction as the radial motion to and from the needle prescribed for the foot i
and limb k, and therefore it receives a direct thrust; whereas the movement
of r, r, at the parts 1 and 2 is at right angles to the radial motion required in
the foot, but which is induced by the acting surfaces 1 and 2 being inclined
to the direction of their motion and operating the backward thrust of the
limb as will be readily understood, the return movement being effected by
the spring m, as before mentioned when the limb k is freed from the pressure
of either of the inclines 1, 2. If the movement of the foot is to be uniform in
all positions intermediate of those above mentioned a different form of the

page_text: lever end r, r, will be necessary, which is represented at Figure 7, the inclines
1, 2, being continued and falling into and following more or less a circular
direction uniting with the point 3, whereby the outline point of contact of the
lever M, with the foot or limb k, shall impart thereto the same extent of
'movement radial to the needle at all points of its position in the circle in
which it moves with the frame I. Instead of one lever, with the part 'r, r,
formed as at Figure 7, two arms or levers may be employed, one to act
throughout one quarter circle of movement, the other during the other
quadrant or quarter circle, the axis of such arms or levers being so disposed
that the movements of said quadrant parts shall be at right angles to each
other; that is to say, each at an angle of forty-five degrees to the line of the
lateral or cross motion of the part r, r, before described. The arm or lever M
is mounted on an axis s, oscillating in centres, the opposite end carrying an
'arm furnished with a set or regulating screw bearing on the feed cam G, fixed
'on the axis A, by bringing up to or withdrawing this set screw from the cam
'more or less motion is imparted to the feeding gear, all as usual; in addition
to this however, or it may be substituted for such regulating screw, we
sometimes furnish the limb k with a set screw, which limits the return move-
ment effected by its spring m, and does not allow it to follow lever M, r, r,
to the extent of its motion; by this means the length of the stitch can be
easily regulated and accurately adjusted. The lever M is kept to its cam by
the action of the spring m against the foot limb k as usual, excepting when
the screw is inserted in that limb to limit its motion, when an additional spring
should be added to take effect directly on the lever M to keep it to its work.
The other parts of the machine are the same as in ordinary machines of similar
make, and therefore need not be described in detail; the needle lever P and
the rod for working the shuttle taking into their respective cam grooves D
and E as usual. Although we have described the circumferential motion of
the foot as being confined to half a circle, as being sufficient for all practical
purposes, it may be readily arranged to extend those limits if required, as will
easily be understood without further illustration.
Having described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, we declare that what we claim as our Invention to be protected by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, mounting and fitting the foot presser and limb or part carrying the
foot presser of sewing machines in a frame or holder, which moves round
the needle as its axis in the manner and for the purposes herein-before
described.

page_text: Secondly, we claim the combination of parts herein-before described and
represented in the Drawings, whereby we are enabled to cause the feeding
foot presser of sewing machines to move in any direction radial to the needle,
as and for the purposes herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Barker, for myself and on behalf
of the said Charles Davis, have hereunto set my hand and seal,
this First day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
W. CLARK,
Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
GEORGE BARKER. (L.S.)