IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Lomax, of Over Darwen, Machinist, and
George Francis Bradbury, of Oldham, Machinist, and Thomas
Chadwick, of Oldham, Machinist, and Thomas Singleton, of Over
Darwen, Gentleman, all in the County of Lancaster, for the In-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Lomax, Gcorge
Francis Bradbury, Thomas Chadwick, and Thomas Singleton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the
. 28th October 1873.
We, HENRY LOMAX, of Over Darwen, Machinist, and GEORGE FRANCIS
BRADBURY, of Oldham, Machinist, and THOMAS CHADWICK, of Oldham,
Machinist, and THOMAS SINGLETON, of Over Darwen, Gentleman, all in
the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
The first part of this Invention consists in an improvement which
enables the machine to sew braid on articles in any required pattern

page_text: with greater facility than heretofore. We form the table of the
machine with a groove serving to guide the braid to a hole very near to
the needle hole; the braid is brought up through the first-named hole
and is there guided by an adjustable plate. The said plate is made with
a hollow mouth, which can be slid more or less over the hole through
which the braid comes up, thus serving to regulate the size of the hole
to the width of braid to be sewn on. The article to be braided is turned
with the side to be braided next the table of the machine, and the
pattern is traced or laid upon its upper surface. The machine is worked
as in sewing, and the article is moved about according to the said
pattern.
The above improvement is for no other purpose of use or ornamen-
tation than that of sewing on braid in any required pattern.
The next part of our Invention is an improved tension for the needle
thread. It consists of a flat spring pressed against a plate by a screw;
the thread is slipped between the plate and the spring and leaves or
comes from one end of the spring at an angle; the pressure between the
plate and the spring constitutes the tension, and the angle before-named
is such that if a lump or any inequality should occur in the thread the
tendency will be to lift the end of the spring and so allow it to escape,
thus equalizing the tension.
The next part of our Invention is an improvement in the "thread
controller," and in the "take up," by which we combine the two articles
and make the combined article do the work of both more effectually.
This combined controller instead of being made rigid like an ordinary
"thread controller" is made capable of a certain amount of motion; it
is in form a sort of staple or oeillet connected with a delicate spring,
which by drawing it down at the proper time causes it to perform the
office of "take up." When the needle bar is near its highest point the
tension then upon the thrcad draws up this controller to its highest
point against a stop, it is then rigid and acts as an ordinary controller.
When the needle bar begins to descend the controller descends also by
virtue of the spring and takes up the slack thread caused by itself when
at its highest point, and when at or near its lowest point it comes in
contact with and rests upon a top feeder, that is to say, an upper feeder
working in conjunction with an ordinary lower feeder, which usually
projects through the table of the machine, and is used for moving the
work along. The before-named "top feeder" has at a certain time an

page_text: upward motion to relieve it from the cloth, and this happens at the time
the shuttle is going through the loop, the top feeder accordingly lifts
the controller at that time and allows it to give its slack thread freely
and uninterruptedly to form the shuttle loop. As soon as the shuttle
has passed through the top feeder descends and allows the spring of the
controller to come into play again. This controller can be worked
without the motion given to it by the top feeder, but it is not with quite
so beneficial a result as the shuttle has then to overcome the force of the
spring to form its loop.
.
J
The next part of our Invention consists in the manner of actuating a
certain pair of controller discs. These discs are two flat plates of metal
placed at the front of the arm of the machine, a bolt passes througli
them and also through the metal of the front of the said arm; a spring
is placed next the head of the bolt and a nut on the end next the
plates. The spring acts upon the head of the bolt and causes the plates
to be pressed together, thus creating a certain amount of drag or friction
on the thread passing between them, and serving to prevent any slack
thread hanging about the needle point. When however the shuttle is
going through its loop it is desirable that there should be no drag upon
the thread, and for this purpose the link which drives the needle bar is
allowed at the proper time to press upon the head of the bolt and so
open the discs.
"
The next part of this Invention is a means of causing the formation
of a better loop. It consists of a delicate spring acting upon the thread
at any part between the before-named "controller discs or other
equivalent for the same purpose and the needle eye. Its use is to
prevent a loop forming on both sides of the needle by causing the thread
on one side to come up along with the needle, this is found to cause the
loop on the other side of the needle to be better formed, firmer, and less
liable to curl on one side, consequently "mis-stitches" are to a greater
extent prevented.
The next part of our Invention consists in improvements in the
shuttle for the better regulating the tension upon the thread. We make
the end of the tension spring with an open slot, and this slot. either
slides on to a pin fixed in the shuttle side or not; a regulating screw.
goes through the other end of the spring and serves not only to keep the
spring in position but also to cause it to press toward the said shuttle

page_text: side and give more or less tension to the thread, which is slipped into
the open slot and brought along between the said spring and the shuttle
side. By this arrangement if the reel in the shuttle should stick the
tendency of the thread will be to pull the spring away from the shuttle
side and thus relieve itself of a portion of the tension; also by this
arrangement the spring is at liberty to adjust itself to the thick and thin
places in the thread, thus securing a more uniform tension; a more
convenient way of threading is also obtained as the thread may be
slipped into the slot in the spring instead of having to be threaded
through a hole.
The next part of our Invention is an improved means of actuating
the shuttle. It consists of a diametrical cam and bowl; a double crank
carried by a revolving disc works in connection with the said bowl and
cam, and gives motion to the link actuating the shuttle or shuttle
carrier, and serves to produce the requisite dwell and variation in the
speed of the shuttle at different points of its movements,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Lomax, George Francis Bradbury, Thomas
Chadwick, and Thomas Singleton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th April 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, HENRY
LOMAX, of Over Darwen, Machinist, and GEORGE FRANCIS BRADBURY,
of Oldham, Machinist, and THOMAS CHADWICK, of Oldham, Machinist,
and THOMAS SINGLETON, of Over Darwen, Gentleman, all in the County
of Lancaster, send greeting.
}
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in
the thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said Henry Lomax, George
Francis Bradbury, Thomas Chadwick, and Thomas Singleton, Her
special license that we, the said Henry Lomax, George Francis
Bradbury, Thomas Chadwick, and Thomas Singleton, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Henry.

page_text: Lomax, George Francis Bradbury, Thomas Chadwick, and Thomas
Singleton, 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, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Henry Lomax, George Francis
Bradbury, Thomas Chadwick, and Thomas Singleton, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describo 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 callendar months next and immediatly after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Henry Lomax, George Francis
Bradbury, Thomas Chadwick, and Thomas Singleton, do hereby declare.
the nature of the 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 accompanying Sheet
of Drawings:-
The first part of this Invention consists in an improvement which
enables the machine to sew braid on articles with greater facility than.
heretofore. We form the table A of the machine, Figs. 3 & 6, with:
a groove B serving to guide the braid C to a hole E, Figs. 3, 4, & 5,
very near to the needle hole F; the braid is brought up through tho
hole E, and is there guided by an adjustable plate D, the said plate
being made with a hollow mouth, which can be slided more or less over
the hole E, thus serving to regulate the size of the hole to the width or
thickness of braid to be sewn on. The article to be braided is turned.
with the side to be braided next to the table of the machine, the
pattern being traced or laid upon the upper side of the fabric. The.
machine is worked as in sewing and the article moved about according
to the pattern.
.
The above improvement is intended for no other purpose of use or.-
ornamentation than that of sewing on braid in any required pattern.
The next part of this Invention is an improvement in the tension for,
the needle thread. It consists of a flat spring G, Figs. 6 & 7,.pressed.

page_text: against a plate H by a screw K, the thread M passes between the plate
and the spring, and leaves or comes from one end of the spring at.
an angle; the pressure between the plate and the spring constitutes the
tension, and the angle before named is such that if a lump or any
inequality should occur in the thread the tendency will be to slightly
lift the spring from the plate H, and so allow the lump or inequality to.
escape, the tension is thus rendered more uniform.
The next part of this Invention is a means of relieving the needlo
thread from the pressure of a certain pair of controller discs. These
discs are two plates of metal L, Figs. 6 & 7, placed at the front of the
arm of the machine, a bolt O passes through them and also through the
metal of the front of the said arm. A spring P is placed next the head
of the bolt, and a nut on the end next the plates, the spring acts upon
the bolt and causes the plates to be pressed together, thus creating a
certain amount of drag or friction on the thread passing between them,
and serving to prevent any slack thread hanging about the needle point.
When however the shuttle (or its equivalent) is going through the loop,
and it is desirable that there should be no drag upon the thread, the
link Q, which usually drives the needle bar, is allowed to press upon
the spring P and so relieve the thread from the pressure of the discs.
The next part of this Invention consists in placing a certain spring on
the needle bar, which spring shall cause the formation of a better loop
and prevent mis-stitches. The spring R is attached to the needle bar S,
and acts upon the thread in combination with the before-named
controller discs or other equivalent for the same purpose. Its use is to
prevent a loop forming on both sides of the needle by pressing upon the
thread and taking up a certain amount of slack; it thus causes the
thread on one side of the needle to come up along with the needle,
and this is found to cause the loop on the other side of the needle to be
better formed, firmer, and to curl less on one side, consequently mis-
stitches are to a greater extent prevented..
The next part of this Invention consists in improvements in the
shuttle for the better regulating of the tension upon the thread, and for
a more convenient way of threading, we make the end of the tension
spring T, Figs. 8 & 9, with an open slot U, and this slot either slides
on to a steady pin V (fixed in the shuttle side) or not. A regulating
screw W. goes through-the other end of the spring, and the head of the

page_text: 5th. The spring T with the open slot U in combination with the
teady pin V and the screw W.
6th. The open slot U in the spring T.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Lomax, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.