IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Francis Bradbury, of Crumpsall House,
near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Gentleman, and
Henry Lomax, of Over Darwen, in the County aforesaid, Sewing
Machine Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING
MACHINES."
Sealed the 18th February 1876, and dated the 21st October 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Francis
Bradbury and Henry Lomax at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 21st October 1875.
We, GEORGE FRANCIS BRADBURY, of Crumpsall House, near Man-
chester, in the County of Lancaster, Gentleman, and HENRY LOMAX,
of Over Darwen, in the County aforesaid, Sewing Machine Maker, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SEWING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the shuttles of sewing machines, and has
for its object certain improvements connected with what is known as

page_text: the "spring guard" of the shuttle, the guard being a contrivance for
holding the thread during a portion of the return movement of the
shuttle, from becoming entangled with the needle, and to ensure its
being retained on the proper side of the needle; and also to improve-
ments in the "thread slot" on the top side of the shuttle, and to an
improvement in the needle hole plate of sewing machines.
The spring shuttle guard as heretofore constructed consisted of a blade
spring, one end of which was fixed to the shuttle, the other end being
bent, and the bent portion entering a hole in the upper side of the
shuttle. The spring guard so constructed held the thread at a point
near its free end during a portion of the return movement of the shuttle,
and the distance from the needle to the holding or nipping point of the
spring determined the amount or length of thread loose, or not actually
under control during the portion of the shuttle's movement on its return
from one side of the needle to an equal distance on the other side of the
needle, and spring guards so constructed were liable to be strained by
being sprung out by the operator during the act of lifting out the
shuttle by the aforesaid spring guard.
Spring shuttle guards according to this Invention terminate at their
free ends in the form of a hook, which is received within a hole or slot
in the shuttle, and so much larger than the hook as to admit of the
necessary "play" or action of the spring. By preference we bend the
spring over the heel end of the shuttle, and its hooked end is received
within a hole or slot in the heel end of the shuttle, the hook preventing
the spring from being forced out of position and strained by the operator :
lifting out the shuttle by the aforesaid spring guard.
When the spring guard is extended round to the heel of the shuttle
the thread is nipped by a portion of the spring nearer to the needle, there
is consequently less quantity or length of thread loose or not under
control on the leading portion of the return movement of the shuttle;
or the hooked end of the spring shuttle guard may be received within
a notch formed in the heel end of the shuttle, so as to admit of the
thread being slipped under the guard, thereby facilitating the threading
up of the shuttle.
The thread slot at one end is curved, which curve extends across and

page_text: thread may be passed through the slot and under the guard at one
operation.
The hole for the passage of the needle through the needle plate has
heretofore been bored or formed vertically through such plate, and as it
is very desirable the needle should pass through the plate as near as
possible to the shuttle the practice is to so adjust the hole of the needle
plate to the shuttle that the needle shall pass through the hole at the
side thereof nearest the shuttle; thus the whole diameter of the needle
hole is not available, and the needle is consequently apt to strike the
edge of the hole or on the plate, damaging the latter, and frequently
injuring or breaking the needle. We construct such plates having the
needle hole formed therethrough obliquely, the angle or bevil of the
hole being such as to admit of the needle entering the centre or middle
of the hole on the top or face of the plate and emerging at a point close
to the shuttle, so avoiding damage to the plate or breakage of the
needle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Francis Bradbury and Henry Lomax
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st April 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
FRANCIS BRADBURY, of Crumpsall House, near Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Gentleman, and HENRY LOMAX, of Over Darwen,
in the County aforesaid, Sewing Machine Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said George Francis Bradbury
and Henry Lomax, Her special licence that we, the said George
Francis Bradbury and Henry Lomax, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said George Francis Bradbury and
Heury Lomax, 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

page_text: 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 George Francis Bradbury and Henry Lomax,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 George Francis Bradbury and
Henry Lomax, 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:
This Invention relates to the shuttles for sewing machines, and has
for its object certain improvements connected with what is known as
the "spring guard" of the shuttle, the guard being a contrivance for
holding the thread during a portion of the return movement of the
shuttle, from becoming entangled with the needle, and to insure its
being retained on the proper side of the needle; and also to improve-
ments in the "thread slot" on the top side of the shuttle, and to an
improvement in the needle hole plate of sewing machines.
The spring shuttle guard as heretofore constructed consisted of a blade
spring, one end of which was fixed to the shuttle, the other end being
bent, and the bent portion entering a hole in the upper side of the
shuttle. The spring guard so constructed held the thread at a point
near its free end during a portion of the return movement of the shuttle,
and the distance from the needle to the holding or nipping point of the
spring determined the amount or length of thread loose, or not actually
under control during the portion of the shuttle's movement on its return
from one side of the needle to to an equal distance on the other side of
the needle, and spring guards so constructed were liable to be strained by
the operator during the act of lifting out the shuttle by the aforesaid
spring guard.

page_text: in the shuttle, and so much larger than the hook as to admit of the
necessary "play" or action of the spring. By preference we bend the
spring over the heel end of the shuttle, and its hooked end is received
within a hole or slot in the heel end of the shuttle, the hook preventing
the spring from being forced out of position and strained by the operator
lifting out the shuttle by the aforesaid spring guard.
When the spring guard is extended round to the heel of the shuttle
the thread is nipped by a portion of the spring nearer to the needle, there
is consequently less quantity or length of thread loose, or not under
control on the leading portion of the return movement of the shuttle;
or the hooked end of the spring shuttle guard may be received within a
notch formed in the heel end of the shuttle, so as to admit of the thread
being slipped under the guard, thereby facilitating the threading up of
the shuttle.
The thread slot at one end is curved, which curve extends across and
to the opposite side of the spring guard of the shuttle, so that the
thread may be passed through the slot and under the guard at one
operation.
The hole for the passage of the needle through the needle plate has
heretofore been bored or formed vertically through such plate, and it
is very desirable the needle should pass through the plate as near as
possible to the shuttle the practise is to adjust the hole of the needle
plate to the shuttle that the needle shall pass through the hole at the
side thereof nearest the shuttle; thus the whole diameter of the needle
is not available, and the needly is consequently apt to strike the edge
of the hole or on the plate, damaging the latter, and frequently injuring
or breaking the needle. We construct such plate having the needle
hole formed therethrough obliquely, the angle or bevel of the hole
being such as to admit of the needle entering the centre or middle
of the hole on the top or face of the plate and emerging at a point close
to the shuttle, so avoiding damage to the plate or breakage of the
needle.
Such being the nature and object of this our said Invention we will
now proceed to describe the same in detail, and in order that the
Invention may be clearly understood we have hereunto annexed a Sheet
of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the several views
with figures and letters of reference.

page_text: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a shuttle having our improvements
applied; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of shuttle with spring arrangement made
according to the modification; Fig. 4 is a plan view of needle plate with
oblique eye or hole therethrough; Fig. 5 is a side elevation thereof in
section.
A is the shuttle; B, the spring guard, its free end terminating in a
hook C received within a hole or slot D formed in the heel end of the
shuttle A. At E, Fig. 3, is a notch in lieu of the hole D for receipt of
the hooked end of the spring, so that the thread may readily be slipped
under the guard so as to facilitate "threading up" the shuttle.
The thread slot F is continued and curved as shewn at H, the curve
extending to the opposite side of the spring B, so that the thread may
be passed through the slot and under the guard at one operation.
The hole 1 for the passage of the needle 2 through the needle plate 3
is bored or formed obliquely, the bend or angle of the hole being such
as to admit of the needle entering the centre or middle of the hole on
the top or face 4 of the plate, and emerging at a point close to the
shuttle.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of this my
said Invention, together with the manner in which the same is to be or
may be performed or carried into practical effect, we would for the
purpose of clearly defining our improvements state that the spring B is
old, the thread slot F is old, the needle hole in the needle plate is old; 2
what we claim as new is,-
Firstly. The spring B, when its free end is provided with and
terminates in a hook C, received within a hole or slot D, as and for the
purpose described and illustrated.
Secondly. The spring B, terminating in a hook C, received within a 3
notch E as shewn at Fig. 3, as and for the purpose described.
Thirdly. The thread slot F when provided with curved termination H,
as and for the purpose described.

page_text: Lastly. The use of needle plates having oblique hole for the passage
of the needle, as herein described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Lomax, for and on behalf
of myself and the said George Francis Bradbury, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Witness,
WALTER BRIERLEY,
Patent Agent,
Halifax & Blackburn.
HENRY LOMAX. (L.S.)