IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes, of the Firm of Hughes
and Son, Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of “IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."
-A communication from abroad by David Whittemore, of Boston,
United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas Hughes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 3rd December 1870.
I, EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son,
Patent Agents, 123, Ohancery Lane, 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 David
Whittemore, of Boston, United States of America (to be as follows) :-
This Invention relates to sewing machines in which waxed threads
are used for boats and shoes, leather strapping, and for all other articles
in which they require to be employed.

page_text: The Invention consists in improved mechanical contrivances and
combinations for the purpose of constructing a machine of great
simplicity, of comparatively few parts, and of complete efficiency.
In a sliding rod or bar above the work to be stitched is fixed an awl for
the purpose of perforating the material, through which the needle passes
to receive the thread, and in a sliding rod or bar below a crotchet needle,
the awl being moved up and down by a connecting rod jointed to a
crank on the driving shaft of the machine, and the needle by a cranked
shaft worked by an eccentric or cam, there being lugs or projections on
the lower rod for working the presser. The needle rod or holder moves
up and down in stationary guides, but the rod carrying the awl moves
up and down in the head of the arm which moves to and fro, which
head of arm also carries the upper part of the feeder, so that it and
the awl move to and fro at the same time. The upper and lower parts
of the feeder are moved simultaneously by levers operated by a cam on
the driving shaft, there being slots and adjustable screws for regulating
the to-and-fro movement of the awl and feeder according to the required
length of the stitch. The carrier for leading the thread to and from
the needle is fixed to the bottom of a vertical rod fitted to one or more
bearings, and having at the top an arm and pin worked to and fro by
a cam on the driving shaft. The fine or coarse thread from the ball
passes through a hole in the wax trough under a wire and between
india-rubber or other scrapers to a tension pulley, from whence it passes
through the spring eyelet to the carrier, and after the hole is made by
the awl the needle passes through it in its upward movement, then the
carrier leads the thread against the needle, the hook of which as it
descends takes the thread through the hole, the awl and feeder move
the length of a stitch, the carrier returns to its former position, the
awl again descends making a hole in the material, the needle again
rises, and the motions are repeated as before forming the stitch.
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd June 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents, 35
123, Chancery Lane, in the County.of Middlesex, send greeting..

page_text: : WHEREAS Her most. Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by; Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, Her special
licence that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Thomas.
Hughes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there
after 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. David Whittemoro, of Boston, United States of America,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Thomas
Hughes, 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 causo 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 Edward Thomas Hughes, 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, that is to say:―
This Invention relates to sewing machines in which waxed threads
are used for stitching boots and shoes, harness, leather strapping, and
for all other articles or purposes in which they are required to be
employed; and consists in improved mechanical contrivances and com-
binations for the purpose of constructing a machine of great simplicity,
comparatively few parts, and of complete efficiency.
.
The manner in which this Invention is to be performed will be clearly
understood by the following particular description thereof, reference
being had to the Figures and letters on the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of one side; Figure 2 an
elevation of the front, and Figure 3 an elevation of the other side of the
improved sewing machine drawn about half size, and Figure 4 a vertical
section:representing some of the working parts.

page_text: 0
represents the framework of the machine; b, the driving shaft;
c, the driving pulleys; and d, the fly wheel. In a sliding rod e above
the work to be stitched is fixed an awl f for the purpose of perforating
the material, and in a sliding rod g below a crotchet needle л. The
rode with the awl is moved up and down by a connecting rod i jointed |
to a crank pin fixed to the front of the cam wheel k on the driving.
shaft b, and the rod g with the needle is moved up and down by a
crank on the shaft worked by the eccentric rod m in connection
with an eccentric on the shaft b, there being a lug or projection o on
the lower rod g for working the rod p carrying the cast-off q used for :
keeping the thread in the hook of the needle during the downward.
motion and for casting the loop off in the upward motion. The needle
rody moves up and down in stationary guides, but the rod e carrying
the awl moves up and down in an arm jointed by a bolt & to the
framework so that it can move to and fro, and this arm also carries tho ]
rod t, having at the bottom the presser u. The arm is connected to.
the lever o at one end of the shaft w, 'there being at the other end a
lever jointed to a lever y working on a stud 2, and at the top of
the lever y there is a stud or bowl fitted in the groove of a cam a' fixed
to the driving shaft b. The feeder 6' has at one end a notch resting on.
the top of a lever c¹ at one end of the shaft d', there being at the other
end a lever e³ connected by the rod f' to the lever x, so that both shafts
and levers in connection with them move simultaneously, and thereby,
give the awl presser and feeder to-and-fro motions at the same time,
and for regulating the to-and-fro movements according to the required
length of stitch there is a tee-headed bolt g' capable of sliding in a
guide in the lever y and in a slot in the lever x, so that as the bolt
is raised or lowered the length of the to-and-fro movements will be
either increased or diminished. The stitch made by this machine is an
ordinary chain stitch, and the carrier ¹ for leading the thread to and 3
from the needle is fixed to the bottom of a vertical rod k' having at the
top an arm and pin worked to and fro by the cam groove & in the
periphery of the cam wheel k. The thread from the ball passes through
a hole in the wax trough m³ under a wire n¹ and between india-rubber
or other scrapers o' to a tension pulley p', from whence it passes to the a
spring eyelet q' and through the eye of the carrier h¹. When the
material to be stitched is placed between the presser and feeder and.
the machine set to work the awl in its passage downwards makes a hole
in the material, the awl presser, feeder, and material moving forwards.

page_text: at the same time the length of a stitch to place the hole exactly above
the needle which passes through the hole in its upward movement, and
then the carrier leads the thread against the needle, the hook of which
as it descends takes the thread downwards through the material to the
cast-off, and then both the needle and cast-off descend to tighten and
complete the stitch. Before the awl descends to make another hole the
presser is raised by the upward movement of the rod c, the part & acting
on the cross piece u³ and raising the presser to enable the feeder, presser,
and awl to move back the length of the stitch without moving the
material, and when the awl descends the part & separates from the cross
piece u³, and the spring o' having one end in the arm r and the other
end in the rod t presses the presser on the material, which is then fed
onwards the length of the stitch, a hole being made by the awl at the
same time, after which the needle rises, the carrier places the thread to
be caught by the hook and drawn through the hole to the keeper,
which with the needle tightens and completes another stitch, and so
on continuously.
=
Having now described the nature and particulars of this said In-
vention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire
it to be understood that I claim, the improved arrangement and com-
bination of the several parts, mechanical contrivances, and movements
in the construction of sewing machines, in which waxed threads are
used, as such improvements are herein described and illustrated in
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Second day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.