IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Sellers, of the Airedale Works, Keighley,
in the County of York, Sewing Machine Manufacturer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."
Sealed the 3rd December 1869, and dated the 7th June 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Sellers at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 7th June 1869.
I WILLIAM SELLERS, of the Airedale Works, Keighley, in the
County of York, Sewing Machine Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES,'
to be as follows:-
The Invention relates to means for effecting a silent or comparatively
silent action in the feed motion of sewing machines. For this purpose
the teeth of the "feed" are applied direct to the sliding feed bar in
place of to a separate tongue. This sliding bar, towards the tooth end
of it, is drawn on with a tendency to draw it backwards and also
downwards by a spring, which I prefer to be partly coiled, and by

page_text: means of a pin it carries a small roller, or it is provided with a stud or
projection, which rofler, stud, or projection I prefer to be formed of horn
or other hard substance adapted to the purpose, and calculated as acted
on by the moving surface to prevent noise, or noise to any appreciable
extent. The side surface of a cam or tappet is capable of acting on this
small roller or the stud or other projection from the sliding bar for the
forward motion to the feed, whilst the periphery thereof or of the boss of
it or of another cam or tappet effects the desired rising motion to the
feed end of the sliding bar. A lever, as heretofore, or other suitable
means acting on the end or other suitable part of the sliding, bar
regulates the length of feed for the time desired. The part so. acted
upon, as heretofore, is by preference provided with leather or other
suitably elastic material adapted to prevent noise by contact. This end
of the sliding bar is. formed with studs to slide in grooves, or is other-
wise guided to admit of a slight rocking motion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Sellers in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 7th December 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SELLERS, of the Airedale Works, Keighley, in the County of York,
Sewing Machine Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters. Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Sellers, Her special licence, that I,
the said William Sellers, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said William Sellers, 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 William Sellers,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under

page_text: 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
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Sellers, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
The Invention relates to means for effecting a silent or com-
paratively silent action in the feed motion of sewing machines, and the
improvements are particularly applicable to that class of sewing
machines called the Wheeler and Wilson principle. For this purpose
the teeth of the feed are applied direct to the sliding feed bar in place of
to a separate tongue, and this sliding bar is by means of a spring acted
upon towards the tooth end of it with a tendency to draw it backwards
and downwards. The spring so acting I prefer to be partly coiled.
The sliding bar, by means of a set screw, carries a small roller, which
I prefer to be formed of horn or other hard substance adapted to the
purpose, and calculated as acted upon by an actuating surface for the
forward or feed motion to prevent noise, or noise to any appreciable
extent. I prefer a roller, as in the event of wear on any one part of
its periphery by slackening the set screw another part may be brought
into position to be acted upon, and by tightening the screw it may be
there held till a fresh adjustment is needed, but a stud or other pro-
jection will answer the same purpose; but in all cases I prefer that the
surface or surfaces acted upon be formed of horn or some suitable
hard material adapted when acted upon to produce as little noise as
possible. The side surface of a cam or tappet acts on the small roller
or the stud or other projection from the sliding bar to effect the desired
forward motion to the "feed," whilst the periphery of another cam or
tappet acting on the under side or surface of the roller or stud or
other projection effects the desired lifting motion to the feed; but
this lifting motion may be effected by the periphery of the same cam
that effects the forward motion, acting directly on the sliding bar
or a projection therefrom, or it may be effected by the form of the
boss of the cam or tappet. A lever, as heretofore, or other suitable
means acting on the end or other suitable part acting on the end or

page_text: provided with leather or other suitable elastic material adapted to
prevent noise by contact, and this end of the sliding bar is provided
with studs to slide in grooves, or is otherwise guided to admit of a
slight rocking motion to it.
But that the Invention may be fully understood I will, by the aid of
the accompanying Drawings, proceed to describe means pursued by me
in carrying the same into effect.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a plan view, Figure 2 a front view, and Figure 3 a
side or end view of parts of a sewing machine constructed upon the
Wheeler and Wilson principle with my improvements applied to it;
Figures 4, 5, and 6 show parts separately. In each of the Figures the
same letters indicate corresponding parts.
a, a, shows part of the main framing; b, the main axis, receiving.
motion by means of a strap or band acting, as is well understood, from
a treadle motion or otherwise on the pulley c affixed to that axis b; dis
the sliding bar, which is capable of sliding in the grooves formed for it
in the upper part of the standards a², a², and at one end this bar has
formed on it the feed teeth d', whilst near the other end it is provided
with studs d', which are capable of sliding in grooves provided for the
purpose in the standard a', such studs acting as a fulcrum to admit of a
rocking motion or a lifting motion to the fore or feed end of. the sliding
bar; e is a roller of hard material, such as horn or other suitable
substance, affixed by a set screw e¹ to the bar d, so as for the time, by
preference, to be prevented from rotation on its axis or set screw e¹. The
bar d is acted upon by the spring with a tendency to draw the feed
end of it in a direction backwards and downwards, and the forward
motion to the feed end of the sliding bar dis effected by means of the side
surface of the cam or tappet g, when according to the position of the
regulating lever in relation to the end of the bar d the side surface of
the cam or tappet 9 is permitted to act on the roller e or other part of
the bar d, whilst the lifting motion to the feed end of the bar d is,
according to the arrangement. shewn, effected as desired by the outer
surface or periphery of the cam or tappet i acting on the under side of
the roller e, but, as already stated, it may be effected by the outer

page_text: periphery of the cam or tappet g acting directly on the under side of
the bar d, or otherwise. The regulating lever turns upon a stud h¹
carried by the top plate j, as is well understood.
Having thus described my Invention, and means which I adopt in
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that what
I claim is, the method of arranging and operating the feed motion of
sewing machines, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Sellers, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.