IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Johannes Heinrich Ludwig Theodor Pörtner, of
Regent Street, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."-A communication from abroad
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Johannes Heinrich
Ludwig Theodor Pörtner at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th February 1871.
I, JOHANNES HEINRICH LUDWIG THEODOR PÖRTNER, of Regent Street,
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," a communication
to me from abroad by Pollack, Schmidt, and Company, of Hamburg,
Germany, to be as follows :—
Our improvements are applied to hand sewing machines known as
that in fitted with a rotary spool hook

page_text: As now made hand sewing machines on the rotary hook principle have
the rotary hook placed and revolving in one direction, and the feed bar
in a direction at right angle to the same, so that the feed of the fabric to
be sewn takes place at right angles to the direction of the rotary hook
spindle.
Now this Invention consists in arrangement of parts, as hereafter
described, whereby the motion of the feed bar and that of the rotary
hook are caused to be in the same direction like the original treadle
machine which produces a firm, strong, and durable stich.
For this purpose the driving axle, which is caused to revolve by
means of gearing from the hand wheel, has fixed to it a bevil wheel
which gears into a bevil wheel on the hook spindle, which also carries
the eccentric actuating the feed bar. The new hand machine constructed
as before described is fitted with a needle arm carrying a bent needle
and not a straight needle as in the ordinary hand machines on the same
principle. The spool is held in its place by a spool holder consisting of
a disc on the end of a bar. A spiral or other spring presses the disc
against the spool, which can be removed on compressing the spring.
The bar has a stop which exactly limits the space required for the spool
between spool holder and spool hook.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Johannes Heinrich Ludwig Theodor Pörtner in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th August 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHANNES
HEINRICH LUDWIG THEODOR PÖRTNER, of Regent Street, in the County 2
of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of February, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in
the thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and 3
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Johannes Heinrich Ludwig
Theodor Pörtner, Her special licence that I, the said Johannes Heinrich
Ludwig Theodor Pörtner, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or

page_text: such others as I, the said Johannes Heinrich Ludwig Theodor Pörtner,
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" (a communication to me from abroad by Pollack,
Schmidt, and Company, of Hamburg, Germany,) upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Johannes Heinrich Ludwig Theodor
Pörtner, my exccutors 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
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Johannes Heinrich Ludwig Theodor
Pörtner, 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 Drawings and to the letters of reference marked
thereon, that is to say :-
The improvements are applied to hand sewing machines known as
the Wheeler and Wilson action, that is, fitted with a rotary spool hook.
As now made hand sewing machines on the rotary hook principle have
the rotary hook placed and revolving in one direction, and the feed bar
in a direction at right angles to the same, so that the feed of the fabric
to be sewn takes place at right angles to the direction of the rotary hook
spindle.
Now this Invention consists in arrangement of parts as hereafter
described, whereby the direction of the feed bar and that of the rotary
hook spindle are caused to be the same like the original treadle machine
which produces a firm, strong, and durable stitch.
For this purpose the driving axle which is caused to revolve by
means of gearing from the hand wheel, has fixed to it a bevil
wheel which gears into a bevil wheel on the hook spindle, which
also carries the eccentric cam actuating the feed bar.
The new

page_text: hand machine constructed as before described is fitted with a needle
arm carrying a bent needle and not a straight needle as in the
ordinary hand machines on the same principle. The spool is held in
its place by a spool holder consisting of a disc on the end of a bar.
A spiral or other spring presses the disc against the spool, which can ỗ
be removed on compressing the spring. The bar has a stop which
exactly limits the space required for the spool between the spool holder
and spool hook.
.
Fig. 1. is a perspective view of a sewing machine constructed according
to this Invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section across the front part of 1
the machine; and Fig. 3 is a plan of the same with the sliding covers
removed in order to shew the working parts.
a is a spindle which is worked from the hand wheel B by means of
gearing and conveys motion to the spool hook spindle c at right angles
to it by means of bevil wheel gearing d, d, as shown. The spool hook :
spindle works the feed by eccentric cam motion, as usual, but it will be
observed that the direction of the feed bar e and that of the rotary
spool hook spindle c are the same in consequence of the construction
herein shown and described, whereby a firm, strong, and durable stitch
is obtained. The needle it will be observed is bent as shown in front
view at Fig. 2, and in side view at Fig. 4. The spool is held in
its place by means of a spring on a bar g, which carrics a disc h
on its inner end and a knob on its outer end. By taking hold of
the latter the bar g may be drawn out against the spring and the spool
will then fall down and roll out of its place through the passage k.
The knob forms a stop to limit the space or clearance required for the
spool.
"
And having now described the nature of this Invention, I claim, as
applied to hand sewing machines on the so-called Wheeler and Wilson
principle.

page_text: Thirdly. The construction and arrangement of the spool holder sub-
stantially as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Johannes Heinrich Ludwig Theodor
Pörtner, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second
day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-one.
JOHANNES HEINRICH LUDWIG THEODOR PÖRTNER. (L.S.)