IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alonzo Kimball, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark
North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING
MACHINES,"
Sealed the 6th September 1867, and dated the 11th March 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alonzo Kimball at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th March 1867.
I, ALONZO KIMBALL, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SEWING MACHINES," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to sewing machines with needles and shuttles
reciprocating vertically and horizontally respectively, and the improvements
have been designed more particularly with the view of obtaining a satisfactorily
working machine of stronger make than ordinary for use in sewing sails,
bagging, and other heavy work. The improvements are, however, also
advantageously applicable to sewing machines of ordinary proportions.
The Invention comprises in the first place the application of a cross grooved
cam on the revolving shaft which works he needle slide to act through an

page_text: adjustable lever and connecting rod on a sliding frame carrying the needle
slide, in order to change the position of the needle horizontally at each stitch
and so produce zig-zag sewing.
A second improvement consists in adapting to the zig-zag movements the
peculiarities relating to the "sewing action "that are described as the second
improvement in the Specification of Letters Patent already granted to the
present applicant, dated 23 July 1866 (No. 1908). The controlling lever
which acts on the needle thread is arranged at the side, being centred on a
fulcrum pin on a plate which is adjustable. The slide which acts on the
controlling lever is also arranged at the side, but has a part projecting inwards
over the revolving shaft to carry the antifriction roller that is acted upon by
the thread action cam. The tension of the thread is regulated by being passed
round a pin and between two discs on the pin, the discs being compressed by
a blade spring which can be adjusted by a screw. The thread is also made
to pass between a pair of spring plates near the bobbin (which last may be
quite loose) and thereby slack is prevented occurring near the needle slide and
adjacent working parts.
Athird improvementconsistsinapplyingaspring pressingplate to bear upon
the part of thecloth or material that is approaching the needle, this plate being
fitted with a screw for adjusting its pressure.
A fourth improvement relates to the feed motion, and consists in fixing a
pointed pin in connection with the ordinary toothed feeder, such pin passing up
into two or more plies of cloth or material, and preventing their relative
displacement whilst moving forward. A groove is made over the pin in the
pressing plate constituting the second improvement.
A fifth improvement also relates to the feed motion, and consists in con-
structing the parts so as from a vibrating driving action to obtain the
well-known "four motion" feed in a positive and satisfactory manner. The
toothed feeder ordog is carried bya feed leverwith a slot to move longitudinally
and also to turn on a fulcrum pin. The forward motion is imparted to the
feed lever by the action of a vibrating wiper or cam directly on a vertical
projection on the under side of the lever; the lifting motion is impárted
through an intermediate piece hinged to the framing and acted on directly
by the vibrating wiper or cam; the can first lifts this and with it the feed
lever, it next moves the feed lever forward and in doing so carries a step on
its under side clear of the intermediate piece which causes the feed lever to
drop a little. This temporarily prevents the return backwards of the feed lever
by the action of its spring on the return of the cam, the feed lever continues
however to be supported by the intermediate piece, but this in its turnfalls

page_text: as the cam reaches the end of the backward movement, and the feed lever
has its step then free to move back over the intermediate piece. The length
of stitch is as usual adjusted by means of a screw stop which limits the backward
movement of the feed lever. The return movements of all the parts are effected
by springs. The vibrating wiper or cam is actuated by a cam on a revolving
shaft through an adjustable lever.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alonzo Kimball in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALONZO
KIMBALL, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alonzo Kimball, Her special licence that I, the said Alonzo Kimball,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alonzo
Kimball, 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," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Alonzo Kimball, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alonzo Kimball, do hereby declare
the nature of niy 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 in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, that
is to say:-
My said Invention relates to sewing machines with needles and shuttles
reciprocating vertically and horizontally respectively, and my improvements

page_text: have been designed more particularly with theview of obtaining a satisfactorily
working machine of stronger make than ordiuary for use in sewing sails,
bagging, and other heavy work. My improvements are, however, also advan-
tageously applicable to sewing machines of ordinary proportions.
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood I have hereunto appended a Sheet of explanatory
Drawings, to be herein-after referred to and representing a machine for sewing
sails, bagging, or the like.
Figure 1 on the Sheet of Drawings is a sectional front end elevation;
Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation; Figure 3 is a plan shewing the under
side of the machine as inverted; Figure 4 is a plan shewing a spring pressing
plate, which constitutes one of my improvements; Figure 5 is a detached
vertical section as at a, a, in Figure 2; and Figure 6 is a detached view of
a cam used in carrying out another of my improvements. The section in
Figure 1 is as at b, b, in Figure 2; and that in Figure 2 as at c, c, in
Figure 1.
The machine represented on the Sheet of Drawings is constructed, as far as
regards the parts to which my present improvements are not applied, in a
well-known manner which will be easily understood from the Drawings, and
it will therefore be unnecessary to herein particularly describe the machine
further than as required to render my improvements intelligible.
My Invention comprises in the first place, the application of a cross-grooved
cam 1 on the horizontal revolving shaft 2, which works the needle slide 3 to
act through an adjustable lever 4 and connecting rod 5 on a sliding frame 6,7,8,
carrying the needle slide 3 in order to change the position of the needle
horizontally at each stitch, and so produce zig-zag sewing. The sliding frame
consists of a front vertical part 7 carrying the needle slide 3 in a groove, and
formed with upper and lower horizontal bars 8, which fit and work in grooves
formed in the arm casting 9, and best seen in the section, Figure 5. The inner
ends of the horizontal parts 8 of the sliding frame are fixed to an inner vertical
piece 6, which has a central hole for the passage of the revolving shaft 2, and
a lateral pin to receive the front end of the connecting rod 5; the back end
of this connecting rod 5 is jointed on a pin which can be adjusted at any part
of a slot formed in the lever 4, so as to vary the extent of the reciprocating
movement of the sliding frame, the motion of the lever 4 being invariable.
The cam 1 by which the lever 4 is actuated is formed with two grooves which
are at right angles to the axis, except at one part where they cross into each
other, as will be easily understood from Figure 6; the cam grooves act on a
pointed cod 10, formed on a pin fitted to swivel in the lever 4, and the lever 4

page_text: is by these means made to make a single movement at each revolution of the
cam,and forwards and backwardsatalterna te revolutions so that the successive
strokes of the needle are madewith the sliding frame alternatelyin its forward
and backward positions. The cam 1 is, of course, so set on the shaft 2 as to
shift the sliding frame only when the needle is in a suitablyelevated position;
the crank pin 11, which acts on the slotted cam piece 12 of the needle
slide 3, is made long enough to allow of the reciprocation of the sliding
frame 6, 7, 8.
A second improvement consists in adapting to the zig-zag movements
herein-before described the peculiarities relating to the "sewing action" that
are described as the second improvement in theSpecification of Letters Patent
granted to me,and dated 23 July 1866 (No. 1908). The controlling lever 13
which acts on the needle thread (shown in red in the Drawing) is arranged
at the side, being centred on a fulcrum pin on a plate 14 which is adjustable.
The slide 15 which acts on the controlling lever 13 is also arranged in a guide
groove at the side,but has a partprojecting inwards over the revolvingshaft2
to carry the antifriction roller 16, that is acted upon by the thread action
cam 17; the tension of the thread is regulated by being passed round a pin
and between two discs 18 on the pin, the discs being compressed by a spring
blade, the pressure of which can be adjusted by a screw nut; the thread is
also made to pass between a pair of spring plates 19 nearer the bobbin 20
(which last may be quite loose), and thereby slack is prevented occuring near
the needle slide 3 and adjacent working parts. The arrangement of spring
plates 19 shown comprises an outer plate fixed by two pins to the arm with
a spring plate pressing outwards between it and the arm and working loosely
on the pins; the thread is passed between the plates and between the two
pins.
A third improvement consists in applying a spring pressing plate 21 to
bear upon the part of the cloth or material that is approaching the needle ;
this plate being fitted with a screw 22 for adjusting its pressure; it is also
fitted with a hook overhanging the ordinary presser foot 23 so as to be lifted
along therewith. The spring pressing plate 21 is represented as fixed over a
common hemming gauge g,the turned-up edge of which is notched to allow of
its action.
Afourth improvement relates to the feed or progressive motion, and consists
in fixing a pointed pin 24 in connection with the ordinary toothed feeder 25,
such pin passing up into two or moreplies of cloth or material and preventing
their relative displacement whilst moving forward. A groove is made over the
pin 24 in the pressing plate 21 constituting the third improvement. The

page_text: pin 24 is in a socket formed for it in the feed lever 26, which has the toothed
feeder 25 adjustably fixed upon it.
A fifth improvement also relates to the feed or progressive motion, and
consists in constructing the parts so as from a vibrating driving action to
obtain the well-known "four motion" feed in a positive and satisfactory
manner. The feed lever 26 carrying the toothed feeder or dog 25 is formed
with a slot to move longitudinally, and also to turn on a fixed fulcrum pin 27.
The forward motion, or that towards the left hand in Figure 1 and downwards
in Figure 3, is imparted to the feed lever 26 by the action of a vibrating
wiper or cam 28 directly on a vertical projection 29 on the under side of the
lever. The lifting motion is imparted through an intermediate piece 30
hinged to the framing, and acted on by the vibrating wiper or cam 28. The
cam first lifts this piece 30, and with it the feed lever 26; it next moves the
feed lever forward, and in doing so carries a step 31 on its under side clear of
the intermediate piece 30, which causes the feed lever to drop a little; this
dropping of the feed lever 26 inside of the intermediate catch piece 30
temporarily prevents its return backwards by the action of its spring 33 on
the return of the cam 28; the feed lever continues however to be supported
by the intermediate piece 30, but this in its turn falls as the cam reaches the
end of its backward movement, and the feed lever has its step 31 free to move
back over the intermediate piece 30, its descent being limited by a stop 32,
on which its end comes to rest, and which is covered with leather or the like
to prevent noise. The length of stitch is as usual adjusted by means of a
screw stop 34, which limits the backward movement of the feed lever 26, a
laterally projecting piece 35 being formed or fixed on that lever to encounter
the stop 34. The return movements of all the parts are effected by springs.
The vibrating wiper or cam 58 is fast, on a rocking shaft 36, on the other end
of which there is a short lever 37, with a radial slot in it to receive a pin 38
carried by a slide 39,and adjustable thereon so as to give the lever 37 more
or less motion. The slide 39 is provided with an antifriction roller to be
acted on by a cam 40 on a vertical revolving shaft 41, receiving its motion in
the ordinary way from the horizontal revolving shaft 2 above. The small bell
crank lever 42,shown in Figure 3,is for fastening off a thread when beginning
or ending a seam. It acts by simply stopping the progressive motion for as
many stitches as maybe thought desirable,and the result is the formation of a
series of stitches in the same place, but which are independently locked in
consequence of the horizontal reciprocation of the needle.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I have to state that I do not restrict

page_text: myself to the precise details herein described or delineated; but that what
I believe to be novel and original and claim as the Invention secured to me
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1. The arranging or combining together of the details for moving the needle
horizontally to produce zig-zag sewing, substantiallyin the improved manner
herein-before described.
2. The adapting of the improved "sewing action" details to zig-zag sewing,
substantially as herein-before described.
3. The applying of a spring presser plate to bear on the material whilst
approaching to the needle, substantially as herein-before described.
4. The applying of an upwardly projecting pin in connection with the feed
details to pass through two or more plies of material and prevent their
relative displacement, substantially as herein-before described.
And 5. The constructing, arranging, and combining together of the feed
notion details, substantially in the improved manner.herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alonzo Kimball, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
A. KIMBALL. (L.8.)