IMгдоVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Imray and George Gatton Melhuisb
Hardingham, both of 28, Great George Street, Westminster, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineers, for the Invention of "IMгдоVEMENTS
IN SEWING MACHINES."
Sealed the 14th January 1870, and dated the 19th July 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Imray and
George Gatton Melhuish Hardingham at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 19th July 1869.
We, JOHN IMRAY and GEORGE GATTON MELHUISH HARDINGHAM,
both of 28, Great George Street, Westminster, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
In lock-stitch machines as ordinarily constructed for working with
a shuttle the under thread has to be wound on a small spool or bobbin.
One of the objects of our Invention is so to construct a sewing
machine that the under thread can be taken direct from an ordinary
[Price 8d.]

page_text: reel. For this purpose we place two rods with their axes in the same
straight line fixed at their outer ends, and having between their inner
points an interval through which a thread can pass. We provide a
reel casc consisting of two disc ends united by a central tube which
can slide freely on the two rods and pass through the hole of an ordinary
cotton reel; and we make this case so that it can be readily opened
and closed for replacing a reel, with an adjustable spring for tightening
the reel. We make one of the rods moveable, so that it can be with-
drawn or turned aside whilst a reel is changed, and then restored to
its proper position for working. This mode of mounting a reel so as
to slide on rods is well known, and we do not consider it part of our
Invention except in combination with the apparatus which we now
proceed to describe.
The reel case is caused to moved to and fro on the rods by an
instrument like a shuttle driver worked by a cam, eccentric, or other
suitable mechanism so as at each stroke to pass through a loop of the
needle thread expanded in the following manner-We fix a plate
transversely to the axis of the reel and near the middle point of its
stroke, that is, nearly in the plane of the 'needle chase and of the
interval between the ends of the two rods. This plate has an aperture
large enough for the reel case to pass freely through, and slots for the
passage of hooks which are formed on the points of levers mounted
on the plate. These levers are actuated by cams or otherwise, so as
to have movements of the following character:-In one position all
their points are close together and facing the small loop formed in the
thread by the partial ascent of the needle; this loop being formed
the points of the levers are moved forward so as to enter it; the levers
are then caused to turn on their respective pivots so as to separate their
points and thus to expand the loop to a triangle, square, or polygon,
through which the reel case is passed; the levers are then retracted
out of the loop, which is drawn up tight by means of apparatus for
taking up slack; the points of the levers are then caused to converge
and enter a fresh loop, and the action is repeated. We apply this
apparatus to an ordinary lock-stitch sewing machine which works with
a shuttle in the following manner-We cut a transverse groove in the
shuttle race so as to give free space for the movement of the hook
levers as they expand the loop of the thread and retreat out of it,
and we place in this groove the plate on which the levers are mounted.

page_text: With this arrangement the shuttle requires no wedge-shaped end, and
it may be made to form a stitch in its passage in both. directions.
The following is another construction of apparatus for expanding the
loop of the needle thread so as to allow the shuttle or reel case to pass
through it-We fix close to the needle chase a plate with a circular
aperture, in which we mount a hollow cylinder or tube so that it is
free to revolve and also to slide to and fro therein. The end of the tube
projecting through the plate is notched so as to form a hook at one
part of its circumference. By suitable gearing we cause the tube to
revolve, or to perform a partial revolution and then return; and also
to have a reciprocating movement in the direction of its axis; so as to
work in the following manner:-A small loop being formed in the
needle thread by the partial ascent of the needle, the tube is moved
forward so that its hook enters this loop; it is then caused to revolve,
its hook holding the loop of the thread, which it winds round the
circumference of the tube; the shuttle or reel containing the under
thread is then passed through the tube and loop; the tube is then
retracted so as to release the loop which is tightened up, and then
turned backwards or onwards so as to present its hook ready to enter
the next loop, and the action is repeated.
In order that the shuttle or reel may form a stitch by passing through
a loop of the upper thread in both directions we employ the following
construction:-By means of gearing we drive from the main shaft of
the machine a secondary shaft or wheel at half the velocity of the main
shaft. This shaft or wheel works a cam which actuates the shuttle or
reel driver; thus during one revolution of the main shaft the shuttle
or reel is caused to make its stroke in the one direction, and during the
next revolution of the main shaft it is caused to make its return stroke.
Otherwise the desired movement may be effected without the gearing
for reducing speed in the following manner:-On the main shaft of the
machine we fix a disc or plate having a continuous cam groove formed
in its face; this cam groove consists of two loops, an inner and an
outer one. Corresponding parts of each loop are concentric with the
shaft, the one having a greater radius than the other, and each loop
branches by a spiral curvature into the other, the two spiral branches
crossing each other. A roller or slide attached to a lever connected
with the shuttle or reel driver is inserted into this groove, which by its
rotation causes the roller or slide during the one revolution to approach

page_text: the centre and to remain at a certain distance from it, and during the
next revolution to recede from the centre and to remain at a greater
distance from it. Thus the shuttle or reel is during the one revolution
passed in the one direction through a loop and retained at the one end
of its stroke till another loop is formed; it is then during the next
revolution passed in the other direction through the loop, and retained
at the other end of its stroke till a third loop is formed, when the action
is repeated.
For taking up the slack of the loop formed, for the passage of the
shuttle or reel we use the following construction:-On the needle arm
or other convenient part of the machine we mount a lever or radius,
which is made to vibrate through a moderate arc by means of a cam or
other convenient mechanism. On the outer-end of this radius we mount
a roller, or we give a hooked form to the end of the radius, and we fix a
cylindrical surface concentric with the axis of the radius, so that the
roller or hook passes round its exterior. When it is desired to cause the
roller or hook to vibrate through an arc of considerable extent we work
the radius not directly from the cam but by an intermediate lever or
radius of greater length.mounted on a pivot farther from the cylindrical
surface than its centre. The lever is connected to the radius by. a. pin
working in a slot, and the lever being caused to vibrate through a
certain arc causes the radius to vibrate through a greater arc. The
thread in its course from the reel to the needle is passed' round the
roller or hook point. When the radius causes the roller or hook to move
round the cylindrical periphery the thread taken with it is laid double
thereon, and thus slack is drawn up equivalent to double the length of
the arc through which the roller or hook vibrates. The return stroke of
the radius gives off this slack so as to permit the next loop to be
expanded.
The following is another construction of apparatus for taking up the
slack of the thread:--We fix a pin or roller between two, guide eyes
and pass the thread through the eyes and under or over the pin. or
roller. We fix two other pins or mount two rollers on a vibrating
arm, and pass the thread over or under them. In one position. of this
vibrating arm the pins or rollers which it carries are close to and nearly
in the same straight line with the guide eyes and fixed pin or roller.
When the arm vibrates so as to move its pins. or rollers to a certain
distance from these each of the pins or. rollers drawing up a loop a

page_text: quantity of slack is taken up equal to four times the distance to which
the pins or rollers are moved. By introducing one or more additional
pins or rollers between the guide eyes and on the vibrating arm the
quantity of thread tightened up may be rendered six-fold or a greater
number of times the length of the stroke of the vibrating arm.
For raising and lowering the pressing plate of sewing machines we
employ the following construction-We fix the pressing plate to a bent
lever mounted on an axis in the presser arm, and apply a spring so as to
bear the plate down upon the machine table. When it is desired to hold
the pressing plate up its lever is engaged with a catch from which it can
be readily released by the finger when it is desired that the pressing
plate shall bear upon the fabric. We also employ the following con-
struction: We attach the pressing plate to a rod or bar guided to move
vertically in the fixed arm and pressed down by a spring.
To the
upper end of the rod or bar we joint a finger catch by which the rod
can be raised. When it is raised its full height the finger catch turning
upon its joint, or a projection on it, catches over a stop which holds the
rod up when the fingers are removed. Upon pressing down the finger
catch it is disengaged from the stop, and the spring causes the pressing
plate to bear on the fabric.
In certain sewing machines, particularly in those where the fabric is
placed on or round an arm, it is convenient to feed not only in a direction.
transverse to the arm but also in the same direction as it. The feed
apparatus which we employ for this purpose is constructed as follows:-
We fix the serrated feeding surface to a lever which is mounted on a
pivot with sufficient freedom to permit it to vibrate horizontally and
vertically, and also to reciprocate backwards and forwards. We fix a
cam on the main shaft of the machine and cause the feed lever to be
pressed against it by a spring. This cam is formed so as to give the
proper up-and-down motion to the serrated feeding surface. We also.
fix on the main shaft a body cam-shaped both on the circumference
and on the face, or two separate cams so shaped.
So far this construction of feed apparatus is well known and we do not
consider it part of our Invention except in combination with the apparatus
for varying the direction and amount of feed, which we now proceed to
describe. On the feed lever we mount on an axis a body cam-shaped both
on the face and on the circumference, and capable of being turned round

page_text: by hand and of being secured in any desired position on its axis by a
tightening screw or other convenient means. This body can be adjusted
so that its circumference or its face may bear against the circum-
ference or the face of the cams on the main shaft, contact being
maintained in either case by springs acting on the feed lever. In the
one case, when the main shaft revolves, the feed lever is caused to
reciprocate backwards and forwards, and thus to feed in one direction,
in the other case the feed lever is caused to vibrate on its pivot and
thus to feed in a direction transverse to the former. The surfaces of
the cams mounted on the feed lever are so shaped that by turning them
more or less round the stroke of the lever can be varied, and thus the
feed can be adjusted to the required length of stitch.
In order to prevent sewing machines from being driven in the wrong
direction we employ a ratchet clutch of the following construction,
which may be applied to any wheel, pulley, or shaft through which
rotary motion is communicated:-One of these parts may be a shaft
giving motion, and the other a wheel or pulley or coupling on a shaft
for receiving motion. We mount such wheel, pulley, or coupling so that
it can revolve freely on the driving shaft, and form it with a recess, into
which we insert a snail or ratchet wheel, which is fixed on the driving
shaft, and which can turn freely within the recess. Between the outer
circumference of this wheel and the periphery of the recess we insert one
or more rollers larger than the space at the top of the snail or of any
ratchet tooth, and smaller than the space at the bottom of the same.
The surface of the snail or of each ratchet tooth is so inclined that when
the shaft revolves in the required direction the rollers become pinched
or gripped between it and the periphery of the recess, and the friction so
produced causes the recessed pulley, wheel, or coupling to revolve with
the shaft. When the shaft revolves in the opposite direction the rollers
are relieved from the grip of the inclined surfaces, and cease to drive the
pulley, wheel, or coupling. Instead of making the recess circular, and
the wheel which is inserted in it of snail or ratchet form, the recess
may be made of the form of an inside snail or ratchet, and the wheel
circular.
In machines where the motion is communicated through such a
ratchet clutch by a strap or band or by friction gearing we mount the
bearing of the shaft on a rod or column so that it may slide to and fro,
and thus the tightness of the strap or band or the friction of the gearing

page_text: may be regulated as required, the sliding bearing being retained in
position on the rod or column by a set screw or other convenient means.
In sewing machines which form a chain stitch, that is to say, where
the needle at each stroke is made to pass through a loop of the preceding
stitch, we adopt the following construction:-Immediately under the
plate through which the needle passes we mount two levers on vertical
pivots, with hooked ends vibrating in horizontal arcs so adjusted that
the points of the hooks pass just clear of the needle. These levers are
caused to vibrate simultaneously by cams or other connections from the
main shaft of the machine, their vibrations being properly timed to those
of the needle arm. When the needle after having descended to its full
extent begins to ascend a slack is formed in the thread at the side of
the needle, the points of the hooks are then made to enter the space
between the thread and the needle and to move outwards in opposite
directions so as to expand the loop of the thread caught by them into
a triangular form; the needle meanwhile ascends, and the fabric is fed
onwards away from the hooks so as to clongate the triangular loop
through which the needle passes in its next descent; the hooks then
move backwards out of the loop, which they leave free, and which is
drawn up by the continued descent of the needle, and the hooks entering
again between the needle and the thread form a fresh loop, when the
action is repeated. This mechanism may be applied with any feed
motion, but for the sake of simplicity we prefer to combine the feed
motion with it in the following manner-We cause the hooks to be
actuated by a lever having a to-and-fro movement in the direction of the
feed and its opposite, and having also an up-and-down movement, so that
while it moves in the one direction to expand the hooks it raises and
pushes forward a serrated feeder, and when it moves back drawing in
the hooks it returns at a lower level, and permits the serrated feeder to
sink below the surface of the plate clear of the fabric, and to be drawn
back by a spring against a stop, which may be adjusted backwards or
forwards to give a longer or shorter stitch.
For machines of this kind worked by hand, in order to avoid
multiplying gear, we adopt the following construction-We place the
driving handle on a wheel mounted on a horizontal axis. In the face
of this wheel we form an undulating groove, which receives a roller
mounted on the needle arm or on a short arm projecting from it. Thus
when the wheel revolves the needle arın is caused to make as many

page_text: strokes as there are undulations in the groove. Besides this groove,
which undulates to and from the centre of the wheel, we form on the
wheel another groove undulating in the direction of the axis on which
the wheel revolves, and also a groove undulating in the plane of rotation,
the number of undulations in these being the same as in the former
groove. In these last-named grooves are inserted rollers mounted
on the end of a lever, which works the hooks above described for
forming the loop and also the feed. In some cases, instead of working
the needle arm and the hook and feed lever by grooves as above
described, we move them in the one direction by means of undulating
projections on the wheel, their return strokes being effected by springs.
We prefer to form the grooves by chill casting the wheel on an iron
mould having the proper form of these surfaces. By this construction
great simplicity of mechanism is secured, and we are enabled to make
machines of small size and little weight so as to be portable. In order
still further to reduce weight we prefer to make both the needle arm
and the presser arm of steel or other wire; and instead of mounting the
needle arm on an axis or rocking shaft we connect it to the fixed frame
of the machine by a spring, which may be part of the wire itself beaten
out flat. The presser arm may in like manner be attached by a spring,
the presser foot being formed in one with the arm. For raising the
presser foot an upright rod is fixed immediately under the presser arm
near the back part of the machine, and a nut is screwed or a screw-
shaped ferule is mounted on the top of this rod. On turning the nut or
ferule the presser arm is raised and supported on the nut or ferule, the
presser foot being thus kept up from the table. When the nut or ferule
is turned back the presser arm is released, and the spring by which it is
fixed to the frame causes the presser foot to bear on the fabric. The
presser foot may also be raised by passing the presser arm over the
driving wheel, and mounting on it an eccentric or cam, which may be
turned by hand so as to bear upon the wheel and thereby raise the arm.
We prefer in such portable machines to make the base a thin wrought
iron or other metallic plate fixed on wood, spaces being formed in the
wood for the free working of the hook and feed gear below the plate.
We enclose such a portable machine in a light wooden or other box or
bag like a reticule, the base of the machine forming the bottom of the
box or bag and hinged to it. The machine may be placed on the knee,
and held firmly there by a strap or cord passing under the foot, motion
being given by hand to a winch on the driving wheel. For convenience

page_text: of packing we prefer to joint the winch handle to the wheel with a
spring joint like that of a knife blade, and to make the wheel concave
so that the handle when not in use may be folded down into the con-
cavity. The reel containing the thread used in stitching being placed
on a pin standing up from the base of the machine the thread is led
through eyes on the needle arm and twined several times round the
arm to give the required amount of tension.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said John Imray and George Gatton Melhuish Har-
dingham in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th January 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME. we, JOHN
IMRAY and GEORGE GATTON MELHUISH HARDINGHAM, both of 28,
Great George Street, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said John Imray and George Gatton Melhuish
Hardingham, Her special licence that we, the said John Imray and
George Gatton Melhuish Hardingham, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Imray and George
Gatton Melhuish Hardingham, 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 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 John Imray and
George Gatton Melhuish Hardingham, our executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our, 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 per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office

page_text: within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW. YE, that we, the said John Imray and George Gatton
Melhuish Hardingham, do hereby declare the nature of. our said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
In lock-stitch machines as ordinarily constructed for working with a
shuttle the under thread has to be wound on a small spool or bobbin.
One of the objects of our Invention is so to construct a sewing
machine that the under thread can be taken direct from an ordinary reel.
For this purpose we place two rods with their axes in the same straight
line, fixed at their outer ends, and having between their inner points an
interval through which a thread can pass. We provide a reel case
consisting of two disc ends united by a central tube, which can slide
freely on the two rods and pass through the hole of an ordinary cotton
reel; and we make this case so that it can be readily opened and closed
for replacing a reel with an adjustable spring for tightening the reel.
We make one of the rods moveable, so that it can be withdrawn or
turned aside whilst a reel is changed, and then restored to its proper
position for working. This mode of mounting a reel so as to slide on
rods is well known, and we do not consider it part of our Invention
except in combination with the apparatus which we now proceed to
describe.
The reel case is caused to move to and fro on the rods by an
instrument like a shuttle driver worked by a cam, eccentric, or other
suitable mechanism, so as at each stroke to pass through a loop of the
needle thread expanded in the following manner:-We fix a plate
transversely to the axis of the reel, and near the middle point of its
stroke, that is, nearly in the plane of the needle chase and of the
interval between the ends of the two rods. This plate has an aper-
ture large enough for the reel case to pass freely through, and slots
for the passage of hooks which are formed on the points of levers
mounted on the plate. These levers are actuated by cams or otherwise,
so as to have movements of the following character:-In one position
all their points are close together and facing the small loop formed in
the thread by the partial ascent of the needle; this loop being formed,
the points of the levers are moved forward so as to enter it; the levers
are then caused to turn on their respective pivots, so as to separate their

page_text: points, and thus to expand the loop to a triangle, square, or polygon,
through which the reel case is passed; the levers are then retracted out
of the loop, which is drawn up tight by means of apparatus for taking
up slack; the points of the levers are then caused to converge and
enter a fresh loop, and the action is repeated. We apply this apparatus
to an ordinary lock-stitch sewing machine which works with a shuttle
in the following manner:-We cut a transverse groove in the shuttle
race, so as to give free space for the movement of the hook levers as
they expand the loop of the thread and retreat out of it, and we place in
With this
this groove the plate on which the levers are mounted.
arrangement the shuttle requires no wedge-shaped end, and it be
made to form a stitch in its passage in both directions.
may
The following is another construction of apparatus for expanding the
loop of the needle thread so as to allow the shuttle or reel case to pass
through it. We fix close to the needle chase a plate with a circular
aperture, in which we mount a hollow cylinder or tube so that it is free
to revolve and also to slide to and fro therein. The end of the tube
projecting through the plate is notched so as to form a hook at one part
of its circumference. By suitable gearing we cause the tube to revolve
or to perform a partial revolution, and then return, and also to have a
reciprocating movement in the direction of its axis, so as to work in the
following manner:A small loop being formed in the needle thread by
the partial ascent of the needle the tube is moved forward so that its
hook enters this loop; it is then caused to revolve, its hook holding the
loop of the thread, which it winds round the circumference of the tube;
the shuttle or recl containing the under thread is then passed through
the tube and loop; the tube is then retracted so as to release the loop,
which is tightened up, and then turned backwards or onwards so as to
present its hook ready to enter the next loop, and the action is repeated.
In order that the shuttle or reel may form a stitch by passing through
a loop of the upper thread in both directions we employ the following
construction By means of gearing we drive from the main shaft of the
machine a secondary shaft or wheel at half the velocity of the main
shaft. This shaft or wheel works a cam which actuates the shuttle or
reel driver. Thus during one revolution of the main shaft the shuttle or
reel is caused to make its stroke in the one direction, and during the
next revolution of the main shaft it is caused to make its return stroke.
Otherwise the desired movement may be effected without the gearing for

page_text: reducing speed in the following manner:-On-the main shaft of the
machine we fix a disc or plate having a continuous cam groove formed
in its face. This. cam groove consists of two loops, an inner and an
outer.one. Corresponding parts of each loop are concentric with the
shaft, the one having a greater radius than the other, and each loop
branches by a spiral curvature into the other, the two spiral branches
crossing each other. A roller or slide attached to a lever connected with
the shuttle or reel driver is inserted into this groove, which by its
rotation causes the roller or slide during the one revolution to approach
the centre and to remain at a certain distance from it, and during the
next revolution to recede from the centre and to remain at a greater
distance from it. Thus the shuttle or reel is during the one revolution
passed in the one direction through a loop and retained at the one end of
its stroke till another loop is formed; it is then during the next
revolution passed in the other direction through the loop and retained at
the other end of its stroke till a third loop is formed, when the action is
repcated.
For taking up the slack of the loop formed for the passage of the
shuttle or reel we use the following construction--On the needle arm
or other convenient part of the machine we mount a lever or radius,
which is made to vibrate through a moderate arc by means of a cain or
other convenient mechanism. On the outer end of this radius we mount
a roller, or we give a hooked form to the end of the radius; and we fix
a cylindrical surface concentric with the axis of the radius, so that the
roller or hook passes round its exterior. When it is desired to cause the
roller or hook to vibrate through an arc of considerable extent we work
the radius not directly from the cam, but by an intermediate lever or
radius of greater length mounted on a pivot farther from the cylindrical
surface than its centre. The lever is connected to the radius by a pin
working in a slot, and the lever being caused to vibrate through a
certain arc causes the radius to vibrate through a greater arc. The
thread in its course from the reel to the needle is passed round the
roller or hook point. When the radius causes the roller or hook to
move round the cylindrical periphery the thread taken with it is laid
double thereon, and thus slack is drawn up equivalent to double the
length of the arc through which the roller or hook vibrates. The return
stroke of the radius gives off this slack so as to permit the next loop to
be expanded.

page_text: The following is another construction of apparatus for taking up
the slack of the thread:--We fix a pin or roller between two guide
eyes, and pass the thread through the eyes and under or over the pin
or roller. We fix two other pins or mount two rollers on a vibrating
arm, and pass the thread over or under them. In one position of this
vibrating arm the pins or rollers which it carries are close to and nearly
in the same straight line with the guide eyes and fixed pin or roller.
When the arm vibrates so as to move its pins or rollers to a certain
distance from these, each of the pins or rollers drawing up a loop a
quantity of slack is taken up equal to four times the distance to which
the pins or rollers are moved. By introducing one or more additional
pins or rollers between the guide eyes and on the vibrating arm the
quantity of thread tightened up may be rendered six-fold or a greater
number of times the length of the stroke of the vibrating arm.
For raising and lowering the pressing plate of sewing machines we
employ the following construction:-We fix the pressing plate to a
bent lever mounted on an axis in the fixed arm, and apply a spring so
as to bear the plate down upon the machine table. When it is desired
to hold the pressing plate up its lever is engaged with a catch, from
which it can be readily released by the finger when it is desired that
the pressing plate shall bear upon the fabric.
We also employ the following construction:-Wc attach the pressing
plate to a rod or bar guided to move vertically in the fixed arm and
pressed down by a spring. To the upper end of the rod or bar we
joint a finger catch, by which the rod can be raised. When it is raised
its full height the finger catch turning upon its joint or a projection on
it catches over a stop which holds the rod up when the fingers are
removed. Upon pressing down the finger catch it is disengaged
from the stop, and the spring causes the pressing plate to bear on the
fabric.
In certain sewing machines, particularly in those where the fabric
is placed on or round an arm, it is convenient to feed not only in a
direction transverse to the arm but also in the same direction as it.
The feed apparatus which we employ for this purpose is constructed
as follows: We fix the serrated feeding surface to a lever, which is
mounted on a pivot with sufficient freedom to permit it to vibrate
horizontally and vertically, and also to reciprocate backwards and
forwards. We fix a cam on the main shaft of the machine and cause

page_text: the feed lever to be pressed against it by a spring. This cam is formed
so as to give the proper up-and-down motion to the serrated feeding
surface. We also fix on the main shaft a body cam-shaped both on
the circumference and on the face, or two separate cams so shaped.
So far this construction of feed apparatus is well known, and we do
not consider it part of our Invention, except in combination with the
apparatus for varying the direction and amount of feed, which we now
proceed to describe. On the feed lever we mount on an axis a body
cam-shaped, both on the face and on the circumference, and capable
of being turned round by hand and of being secured in any desired
position on its axis by a tightening screw or other convenient means.
This body can be adjusted so that its circumference or its face may
bear against the circumference or the face of the cams on the main
shaft, contact being maintained in either case by springs acting on
the feed lever. In the one case when the main shaft revolves the
feed lever is caused to reciprocate backwards and forwards, and thus to
feed in one direction; in the other case the feed lever is caused to
vibrate on its pivot, and thus to feed in a direction transverse to the
former. The surfaces of the cams mounted on the feed lever are so
shaped that by turning them more or less round the stroke of the feed
lever can be varied, and thus the feed can be adjusted to the required
length of stitch.
In order to prevent sewing machines being driven in the wrong
direction we employ a ratchet clutch of the following construction,
which may be applied to any wheel, pulley, or shaft through which
rotary motion is communicated;-One of these parts may be a shaft
giving motion, and the other a wheel or pulley or coupling on a shaft
for receiving motion. We mount such wheel, pulley, or coupling so
that it can revolve freely on the driving shaft, and form it with a recess,
into which we insert a snail or ratchet wheel which is fixed on the driving
shaft, and which can turn freely within the recess. Between the outer
circumference of this wheel and the periphery of the recess we insert
one or more rollers larger than the space at the top of the snail or of
any ratchet tooth, and smaller than the space at the bottom of the same.
The surface of the snail or of each ratchet tooth is so inclined that when
the shaft revolves in the required direction the rollers become pinched
or gripped between it and the periphery of the recess, and the friction
so produced causes the recessed pulley, wheel, or coupling to revolve

page_text: circular and the wheel which is inserted in it of snail or ratchet form,
the recess may be made of the form of an inside snail or ratchet and
the wheel circular. In machines where the motion is communicated
through such a ratchet clutch by a strap or band or by friction gearing,
we mount the bearing of the shaft on a rod or column so that it may
slide to and fro, and thus the tightness of the strap or band or the friction
of the gearing may be regulated as required, the sliding bearing being
retained in position on the rod or column by a set screw or other
convenient means.
In sewing machines which form a chain stitch, that is to say, where
the needle at each stroke is made to pass through a loop of the preceding
stitch, we adopt the following construction :-Immediately under the
plate through which the needle passes we mount two levers on vertical
pivots, with hooked ends vibrating in horizontal arcs so adjusted that
the points of the hooks pass just clear of the needle. These levers are
caused to vibrate simultaneously by cams or other connections from the
main shaft of the machine, their vibrations being properly timed to those
of the needle arm. When the needle after having descended to its full
extent begins to ascend a slack is formed in the thread at the side of
the needle, the points of the hooks are then made to enter the space
between the thread and the needle, and to move outwards in opposite
directions, so as to expand the loop of the thread caught by them into
u triangular form; the needle meanwhile ascends, and the fabric is fed
onward away from the hooks so as to elongate the triangular loop,
through which the needle passes in its next descent; the hooks then
move backwards out of the loop, which they leave free, and which is
drawn up by the continued descent of the needle, and the hooks entering
again between the needle and the thread form a fresh loop, when the
action is repeated. This mechanism may be applied with any feed
motion, but for the sake of simplicity we prefer to combine the feed
motion with it in the following manner:-We cause the hooks to be
actuated by a lever having a to-and-fro movement in the direction of the
feed and its opposite, and having also an up-and-down movement, so
that while it moves in the one direction to expand the hooks it raises
and pushes forward a serrated feeder, and when it moves back drawing

page_text: in the hooks it returns at a lower level, and permits the serrated feeder
to sink below the surface of the plate clear of the fabric, and to be
drawn back by a spring against a stop, which may be adjusted back-
wards or forwards to give a longer or shorter stitch. For machines of
this kind worked by hand, in order to avoid multiplying gear, we adopt
the following construction:-We place the driving handle on a wheel
mounted on a horizontal axis. In the face of this wheel we form an
undulating groove, which receives a roller mounted on the needle arm or
on a short arm projecting from it. Thus when the wheel revolves the
needle arm is caused to make as many strokes as there are undulations
in the groove. Besides the groove which undulates to and from the
centre of the wheel we form on the wheel another groove undulating in
the direction of the axis on which the wheel revolves, and also a groove
undulating in the plane of rotation, the number of undulations in these
being the same as in the former groove. In these last-named grooves
are inserted rollers mounted on the end of a lever, which works the
hooks above described for forming the loop and also the feed. In some
cases, instead of working the needle arm and the hook and feed lever
by grooves, as above described, we move them in the one direction by
means of undulating projections on the wheel, their return strokes being
effected by springs. We prefer to form the grooves or undulating
surfaces by chill casting the wheel on an iron mould having the proper
form of these surfaces. By this construction great simplicity of me-
chanism is secured, and we are enabled to make machines of small size
and little weight, so as to be portable. In order still further to reduce
weight we prefer to make both the needle arm and the presser arm of
steel or other wire. The presser arm may be attached to the fixed frame
of the machine by a spring, which may be part of the wire itself beaten
out flat, the presser foot being formed in one with the arm. For raising
the presser foot an upright rod is fixed immediately under the presser
arm near the back part of the machine, and a nut is screwed or a screw-
shaped ferule is mounted on the top of this rod. On turning the nut
or. ferule the presser arm is raised and supported on the nut or ferule,
the presser foot being thus kept up from the table. When the nut or
ferule is turned back the presser arm is released, and the spring by
which it is fixed to the frame causes the presser foot to bear on the
fabric. The presser foot may also be raised by passing the presser arm
over the driving wheel and mounting on it an eccentric or cam, which
may be turned by hand so as to bear upon the wheel, and thereby raise

page_text: We prefer in such portable machines to make the base a thin
brought-iron or other metallic plate fixed on wood, spaces being formed
in the wood for the free working of the hook and feed gear below the
plate. We enclose such a portable machine in a light wooden or other
box or bag like a reticule, the base of the machine forming the bottom of
the box or bag and hinged to it. The machine may be placed on the
knee and held firmly there by a strap or cord passing under the foot,
motion being given by hand to the winch on the driving wheel. For
convenience of packing we prefer to joint the winch handle to the wheel
with a spring joint, like that of a knife blade, and to make the wheel
concave, so that the handle when not in use may be folded down into
the concavity. The reel containing the thread used in stitching being
placed on a pin standing up from the base of the machine, the thread
is led through eyes on the needle arm and twined several times round
J mount of tancion

page_text: so as always to lie between the spring and the plate, the pressure on the
thread being adjusted by the screw c". In threading the end of the
spring is drawn away from the plate, and the thread passed. into the
notches between the projecting parts of the plate; the spring is then let
go so as to bear on the thread. The thread is led from the tension
apparatus through suitable guide eyes to the needle. 6 is the presser
foot which is mounted on a pin at the lower end of the fixed arm.b; b is
a lever attached to the presser foot, and lying in a recess in. the arm b,
with a spring bearing against it, and thereby pressing down the presser
foot upon the machine table. At the top of the recess is a latch-shaped
projection b, which acts as a catch to hold back. the lever b, and thereby
to keep the presser foot be raised from the table when desirable.
Fig. 6 (Sheet II.) represent another construction of apparatus for
raising and lowering the presser foot. bis a bar, to the lower end of
which the presser foot is attached; this bar is guided to move vertically
against the face of the fixed arm 6 by a cover plate and screws which
pass through slots of the bar b; b' is a spring contained in one of these
slots, bearing at the upper end against one of the screws, and at the
lower end against the end of the slot, so as to press down the bar; b is a
finger catch in the form of a bent lever hinged in a slot at the top of
the bar b³. When it is desired to raise the presser foot the finger is
applied to the bent end of this lever, the bar is pulled up as far as the
slots permit, and the lever turns on its joint, so that its lower end catches
on the top edge of the coyer plate 66, as represented in Fig. 6. When it
is desired to lower the presser foot the pressure of the finger applied
downwards on the bent arm of the lever causes it to disengage itself
from the top edge of the cover plate, and the spring & then bears down
the bar and presser foot. e and e' are the two rods for guiding the icel
containing the under thread. One of these e' is fixed to a bracket a
projecting down from the table of the machine; the other rod e is
mounted on a vertical pivot by a boss and finger catch e. eis a
spring which bears against the boss By means of the finger catch
the rod e may be caused to turn on its pivot, the point of the rod
describing the dotted are. The spring e' acts on the flat face of the boss
e like the spring back of a penknife to keep the rod e in its proper
position, that is to say, in line with the fixed rod e', unless when it is
drawn aside by hand in order to place on it a reel containing the under
thread. This reel is enclosed in a case, of which Fig. 7 represents a

page_text: longitudinal section, and Fig. 8 a transverse section fis the reel; f¹ is
a tube, which passes through the hole in the reel, and which is secured to
one end of the case. The case consists of two parts, namely, the main
casing to which the tube is fixed, and a moveable part f, the lip of
which slides over the open end of the first part. This slip is slotted, and
has several notches, indicated at f³, which engage like a bayonet catch
with a stud on the main casing. f' is a spiral spring with washer placed
on the tube f¹. The moveable part of the casing has two curved slots
formed in it and a hole for the passage of the thread from the casing.
In order to charge the case with a reel the moveable part fis taken off,
the reel is placed on the tube f¹, the thread being threaded out through
the larger, in through the smaller slot, and finally out through the hole
in the part f This part is then pushed upon the main casing, and
turned a little round so as to engage the stud in one of its slots at f³:
There are several of these slots so as to suit varying lengths of reel, and
to give more or less tension to the under thread by the greater or less
compression of the spring f. The slots at fare oblique so as to make
the catch hold with greater certainty.
Fig. 9 represents a longitudinal section of a reel case constructed in
another manner, the one part of the casing f being hinged to the other
The
part f at the point f, and held closed by a snap catch at fr.
curved slots and thread hole are in this construction formed in the fixed
e¹!
part of the casing /. The tube f' is made to slide freely on the rods e,
To prevent the reel case from turning we make its lower side heavy,
or give the rods and tube a polygonal or other than circular section!
The reel and case are driven to and fro on the rods e, e¹, by arms g, g,
which
projecting from a bar g'. This bar is connected to a bent lever
is caused to reciprocate by a cam. The bar g' has in it a guide slot,
which works on a pin fixed to a bracket g³ projecting down from the
table of the machine. This guide slot is curved in such a manner that
the arms g, g, which drive the reel case travel in a line nearly straight
and parallel to the rods e, e'. The bent lever gå is mounted on a pivot
On the
and has jointed to it on one side a crescent-shaped body g'.
main shaft d is fixed a face cam g with a double looped groove in
which the crescent g' slides. The groove in the cam g³ is so formed that
during one revolution of the shaft d the lever is caused to make a
stroke in the one direction, and during the next revolution to make, a
stroke in the opposite direction. Thus in one revolution of the shaft d

page_text: the reel and case are driven from right to left, in the next 'from left
to right, and so on alternately. Instead of employing the compound
cam g³ a simple cam might be employed, it being driven by means of
gearing from the shaft d, so as to make one revolution for every two
revolutions of the shaft.
Having thus described the apparatus for driving the under thread to
and fro like a shuttle we will now describe the apparatus for expanding
the loop of the upper or needle thread to such size as to admit of the
passage of the reel case through it in forming lock-stitch.
The needle after having descended through the fabric begins to
ascend, and as is well known and understood forms a slack or bulge
in the thread by its side. The apparatus we are about to describe takes
hold of this slack or bulge, and extends it to a loop of sufficient size for
the passage of the reel and case through it. This apparatus is represented
in Figs. 2, 3, 5, 10, and 11; Fig. 10 representing a partial transverse
section through the bracket a', and Fig. 11 representing a partial trans-
verse section through the bracket g". is a plate fixed to the under side
of the machine table with a cylindrical hole in it; into this hole is fitted
a cylinder h', so that it can freely revolve and slide therein. Part of the
front edge of this cylinder is hook shaped, as represented by the dotted
lines at h. The cylinder ' is connected by segmental arms h³ and h
to a boss h; the boss his fixed on a pin, one end of which turns
.in a hole formed in the bracket a' concentric with h'; the other end
of the pin h forms a screwed bar, which is inserted in a gab in a lever .
This lever is mounted on a pin on the bracket g³, this same pin serving
as the guide for the curved slot of the bar g' already referred to. The
lever his connected by a rod 8 to the needle arm tail c³, so that the
lever vibrates in unison with the needle arm. In so vibrating its
gab working along the screwed bar " gives it the following movements:
-First, it draws or pushes he longitudinally, and when this longitudinal
movement is stopped by the bracket a' it causes h to turn upon its
axis through about three-fourths of a revolution. The cylinder h' being
rigidly connected to 4 has the same movements, and its action upon
the loop of the thread is as follows:-When the needle is at the lowest
point of its stroke the lever h lies towards the right hand. As the
needle ascends and so bulges its thread the lever moving towards
the left pushes the cylinder h¹ forward, so that the hook on its front
edge enters the bulge of the needle thread. By the continued movement

page_text: towards the left of the cylinder h' is caused to revolve and draw the
thread over its cylindrical surface, so as to loop the thread round it.
At this time the needle having reached the top of its stroke the reel
case with the under thread is passed through the cylinder from one of
the rods e, e', to the other. As the needle descends the lever moving
towards the right draws the cylinder ', so that its front edge comes
within the face of the plate h. The loop which was round the cylinder h¹
is thus thrown off it and hangs loose. The continued movement of h
towards the right causes the cylinder h' to revolve backwards, so as to
be ready to present its hook for the next loop of the needle thread when
the action is repeated. Each successive loop so expanded tightens up
the slack of the former loop.
Fig. 12 represents an elevation, and Fig. 13 represents a plan of
another construction of apparatus for expanding the loop of the needle
thread. i is a plate with a hole in it fixed to the under side of the
machine table; is a lever fixed on a spindle which is caused to
vibrate on its axis, and also to move to and fro longitudinally by suitable
cams on the main shaft of the machine. is another lever mounted on
a pin on the plate i having a slot in which a pin on the lever i¹ engages;
is a third lever which has a slot working on a pin on the plate i, and
which is jointed to the lever i'. The three levers i, ", and i have
pointed ends, which are bent forwards at right angles and project through
the hole in the plate i. When the needle begins to ascend so as to
form a bulge in its thread, the points of the three levers i', i, it, which
are then close together at are protruded through the plate i by the
longitudinal forward movement of the spindle 2, so that they all enter
the bulge of the thread. These points are then by the partial revolution
of the spindle caused to take the position represented in Fig. 12, the
thread being expanded into a quadrilateral loop, indicated by the thicker
dotted lines (the thinner dotted lines indicate the range of the vibration
of the levers). When the loop is so expanded the reel and case of the
under thread are passed through it. The levers are then retracted by
the longitudinal backward movement of the spindle, and their points
being thus drawn back within the face of the plate i the thread loop is
cast off them. The levers thus retracted are caused to return till their
points come together again at 5 when the action is repeated.
The feed apparatus represented in Figs. 5, 14, and 15, of which
Fig. 14 is a partial longitudinal section, and Fig. 15 a partial plan,

page_text: consists of a cam & fixed by a set screw on the main shaft d or on the
boss of the cam d. This cam has a groove undulating both laterally
and radially, in which a roller works; this roller is mounted on the
end of a lever k which works with a free joint on a pin k¹ projecting
down from the machine table, so that the lever / can vibrate horizontally
and rock vertically. is a spring, which bears on the lever k so as to
keep its roller at the bottom of the groove in the cam d. The other
end of the lever passes through a gab in a feed piece which has
two serrated lips projecting through slots in the machine table
immediately under the presser foot. is a pin screwed through the
side of the machine table, having fixed on it a knob outside the table,
by which it can be turned. This pin passes through the back of the
feed piece and carries a spiral spring; it has two collars, between
which the feed piece and spring are held. During each revolution of
the shaft the cam and spring cause the lever k to vibrate to and
fro horizontally and rock up and down vertically; its end acting in the
gab of gives it the movements of a "four-motion feed." By turning
the knob of the screw pin the position of the end collar of the pin
which acts as a stop to the feed piece can be adjusted to the desired
length of stitch. To the feed lever we connect apparatus for
preventing the loose loop after it has been cast off the expanding
cylinder or levers from being caught by them again.
For this purpose
the lever is extended beyond the feed piece k³ and bent round so as to
enter a gab in a bell crank 1, which is mounted on a free joint so that it
can vibrate and also rock laterally. To the upper limb of the bell
crank is jointed a finger l', which passes through a guide slot in a
bracket, and enters a corresponding slot in the plate h.
The action of this apparatus is as follows:-The end of the lever k
having the movements of the four-motion feed, that is to say, a down-
wards, a backwards, an upwards, and a forwards movement during each
revolution of the main shaft, acts by the downward movement on the
bell crank, and so draws the finger l' towards the left hand, bringing
its point clear of the needle and thread. The backwards movement of k
causes the bell crank to rock laterally, so as to throw the point of the
finger behind the needle; the upwards movement of causes the
point of to enter the slot behind the loop which has been expanded;
the forwards movement of k causes the point of to advance and
push the cast-off loop away from the needle chase. These movements

page_text: -
being in unison with those of the feed are suitably timed to the
motions of the needle, and to the casting off and catching of the
loops.
In apparatus for feeding longitudinally as well as transversely we
employ the construction represented in Fig. 16, which is a partial
sectional plan, and in Fig. 17, which is a partial elevation and section.
m is the main shaft of the machine carrying a cam m'; m² is a lever
which passes under the cam m' and is pressed up against it by a suitable
spring. The lever m² is mounted on a pin m", and has a longitudinal
slot through which the pin passes. The faces between which the lever
is held are sloped or rounded off so as to allow it to rock up and down
when acted on by the spring and cam m'. m is a serrated feed piece
forming part of the lever or attached to it. During each revolution of
the shaft m the cam m' and the spring acting on the lever cause the feed
picce m' to rise and fall. On the shaft m there is fixed another cam m
which undulates laterally and also radially. A cam m" of the same kind
is mounted by a pin in a boss at the end of the lever m², and can be
turned round by hand and held as required by a set screw m². By
suitable springs applied to the lever m² the cam m is caused to bear
against the face and the circumference of the cam m³. The lateral and
radial undulations of the two cams m³ and m" are so formed as to cause
the lever m to vibrate horizontally or to traverse longitudinally more
less on the pin m³, according to the part of the face or the circumference
of me that may be brought in contact with the cam m³. The combination
of these movements with the vertical rocking movement imparted by
the cam m' to the lever m² causes the feed piece m' to work as a four-
motion feed either transversely or longitudinally.
Fig. 18 (Sheet II.) represents a vertical section, and Fig. 19 represents
a sectional plan of apparatus constructed according to our Invention for
taking up slack of the upper-thread in sewing machines. n is a radius
caused to vibrate by a rod a' worked from a cam or other suitable
mechanism properly timed to the movement of the needle; n is another
At
radius with a slot, in which works a pin on the end of the radius n.
the end of the radius n is mounted a roller n round which the thread is
passed, a guard being provided to retain it on the roller; n is a cylin-
drical surface round which the roller n" works. The radius being
caused to vibrate through a moderate are causes the radius to vibrate
through a greater are, and to lay the doubled thread on the cylindrical

page_text: surface n', thereby taking up a considerable amount of slack. When
the quantity of slack to be taken up is not great the radius n may be
caused to vibrate through a moderate are by the rod n' applied to it
directly, without the intermediate radius n.
Figs. 20 and 21 represent diagrammatically another mode of taking up
slack. The thread, indicated by the thick dotted line in Fig. 20, is
passed through two guide eyes or slits p, p. A pin is caused to
vibrate between these two guide eyes, so that at the one extreme of its
stroke the thread lies straight between the guide eyes, and at the other
extreme it is bent into a loop. When a greater amount of slack has to
be taken up an intermediate fixed pin p² may be employed, as represented
in Fig. 21, the thread in this case being bent into two loops.
Fig. 22 represents a section, and Fig 23 represents a sectional plan of
a ratchet clutch constructed according to our Invention for preventing
sewing machines from being driven in the wrong direction, and a mode of
mounting the shaft so as to provide for tightening a driving strap or
friction gearing. q is the shaft, mounted in a bearing q¹ which is made
to slide on a column q* and has a set screw for holding it where desired
on the column; q is the fly wheel, which turns freely on the shaft q,
and from which projects a cylindrical flange q', forming the driving
wheel or pulley. Within this flange q' there is a snail-shaped wheel q³
which is fixed on a shaft q and carries the crank pin q. Rollers q'
are placed in the spaces between the spiral or ratchet surfaces of the
snail wheel q and the inner surface of the cylindrical flange q'. When
the snail wheel q' is driven in the direction of the arrow the rollers
becoming wedged between the two surfaces cause the driving wheel to
revolve in the same direction. When the rotation of the snail wheel is
reversed the grip of the rollers is slackened so that they cease to drive
the wheel.
Figs. 24 and 25 represent longitudinal sections, Figs. 26 and 27
represent transverse sections, Fig. 28 represents a plan above the table,
and Fig. 29 represents a plan below the table of a chain stitch sewing
machine constructed according to our Invention. a is a plate fixed on
a wooden bed forming the base of the machine; b is a standard, on
which is mounted the driving wheel c. The back part of this wheel is
a quadruple cam c'. d is the needle arm, which is mounted on a hinge
at d', and fitted with a roller ; ds is a spring, which pressing on the
end of the needle arm causes the rofler d to bear against the cam c';

page_text: d is the needle, and d is a thread tension apparatus, such as we have
already described. During each revolution of the driving wheel c the
needle is caused by the cam c' to make four complete strokes. e is an
arm which carries the presser foot e¹. This arm, which may be of steel
wire, is thinned at e so as to form a spring for bearing down the presser
foot. e is a standard, at the top of which is a ferule e', having
its upper surface inclined. By turning this ferule, which is imme-
diately under the arm e, the presser foot is raised or lowered; / is the
thread reel, and the dotted line f' indicates the course of the thread
from it to the needle; is a quadruple cam groove formed in the
driving wheel c with radial and lateral undulations; y is a lever mounted
on a pin g' with sufficient freedom to allow it to rock vertically as well
as to vibrate horizontally, and g" is a spring pressing on the lever g, so
as to make a roller g, mounted on the end of that lever bear against
the bottom of the cam groove c. The other end of the lever g passes
through a gab in a feed piece /, and is then bent horizontally at g*,
and turned up vertically as a pin end at g. This pin end enters oblique
slots in two hook plates i, i, which are mounted on a pin i'. The lever g
being caused to vibrate horizontally by the lateral undulations of the
cam groove four times in each revolution of the driving wheel its pin
end working in the oblique slots of the hook plates i, i, causes them
to vibrate. In Fig. 29 one hook plate i is represented, it being under-
stood that the other has its hook and slot towards the opposite hand.
The lateral undulations of the cam groove are so timed to the radial
undulations of the cam c that when the needle begins to ascend and
thereby to bulge its thread under the table the two hooks i, i, are caused
to enter the bulge in opposite directions, and to hold a loop of the thread
till the needle again descending enters the loop. It will be understood
that before this descent of the needle the fabric has been fed onwards,
and that the thread held by it and the two hooks forms a triangular
loop, which the needle enters. The hooks are then by the movement of
the lever g retracted from the loop, which they leave free, the needle
forms a fresh bulge in its thread, which is caught by the hooks, and the
action is repeated. Thus the needle at each descent passes its thread
through the loop of the preceding stitch, producing chain stitch. The
feed piece has serrated lips projecting up through slots in the table;
it is attached to a pin h surrounded by a coiled spring. The pin '
passes through a hole in an oblique bracket h, and through a slot in a
wedge-shaped piece h³. The coiled spring between the bracket h² and

page_text: the back of the feed piece h presses it towards the needle, the head of
the pin acting as a stop against the wedge-shaped piece. This
wedge-shaped piece is attached to a rod h', which is bent up through a
slot in the plate a, and fitted with a set nut at h³. By means of this
rod and set nut the wedge-shaped piece may be moved along the
inclined face of the bracket h and set where required. The lever g
acting in the gab of the feed piece h, having a vertical rock imparted
by the radial undulations of the cam groove c², and a horizontal vibra-
tion imparted by its lateral undulations, gives the feed piece the action
of the four-motion feed, the extent of back stroke, which determines the
length of stitch, being regulated by the position of the wedge-shaped
piece h³. The handle by which the driving wheel is worked is
mounted on a joint at the end of a pin fixed in the wheel. On this
pin there is a sliding collar and a spiral spring. The faces of the
handle at the joint are flatted, and the collar k² is pressed against them
by the spring. When the machine is in use the handle is in the position
represented in Fig. 26, engaged on a stud on the driving wheel. For
convenience of packing, when the machine is not in use, the handle is
folded in, as indicated bythe dotted arc, so as to be mostly within the cavity
of the wheel c. The pressure of the collar k retains it in either position.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and in what
manner it is to be performed, we would have it understood that we
do not confine ourselves to the precise details or proportions represented
on the Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Imray and George Gatton
Melhuish Hardingham, have hereunto set our hands and scals,
this Eighteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord Onc
thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
GEORGE MESSENGER,
JOHN IMRAY.
(L.S.)
F
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM.. (L.S.)
28, Great George Street,
Westminster, S.W.