IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS FOR WORKING SEWING MACHINES."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Edwards, of Aldershot, in the County of Hants,
for an Invention of "IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS FOR WORKING SEWING
MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Edwards at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th April 1880.
JAMES EDWARDS, of Aldershot, in the County of Hants.
MENTS FOR WORKING SEWING MACHINES.”
IMPROVED ARRANGE-
This Invention consists in improved arrangements applicable for driving sowing
machines.
In carrying out my Invention I adopt mainly the following arrangements :—
Tho cloth or other fabric to be sewed being spread out on a table the end or part
to be sewn enters between two rollers, and the machine is then pushed along slowly
in the direction it is required to sow. A disc or roller (covered with india rubber)
of about two inches in diameter and two inches long is revolved by the friction of
pushing the machine along and pressing it down on a table or bench. A toothed
wheel of, say, half the diameter is carried on the same axle and close to the
roller.
The above mentioned wheel gears with another of about 3/4 of an inch in diameter,
having a roller on the same axle of, say, twice its diameter and about two inches
long. This roller being set as low in the fittings as possible, but so as to be clear
of the table, the object of this second roller being to reverse the motion of the first
and pass the cloth over it and under a roller held thereto by a spring from an arm
above. Another wheel on the same axle as the first mentioned roller, with diameter,
say, of two inches, gears with a small wheel (of one inch circumference) above it.
This small wheel is fitted on an axle about 6 inches long, and at the other end
carries a wheel of about 12 times the circumference of the small one to increase the
speed. This largest wheel gears with a small one behind it, set rather lower than
in a line with the centre, the circumference of this small wheel to be also about
one inch, and on its axle are eccentrics and cams, etc., for producing the motion of
the needle and shuttle or rotating hook. A wheel is placed on the shaft on which
are the eccentrics and cams gearing with another wheel of the same diameter, and
having an axle extending to abreast of the needle, having situate there an arm
מ.
"
7

page_text: revolving and striking the under side of the cloth so as to move it on when the needle
is raised. Another roller might be held here from the arm above if necessary. These
last mentioned wheels should be of the same diameter, and such as to put the arm
clear of the shuttle or rotating hook, and should be behind the needle. The cloth
would be gathered up in a small double when the needle would be in the cloth, but
would be straightened out by the arm when raised.
Various means of producing the tuotion of needle and shuttle, or hook or "looper"
can be employed, and arrangements for change of stitch could be made by intro-
ducing a larger or smaller wheel on the one gearing on the top of the one to the
left of the first roller. If the machine should slide along the table and not drive
the wheels, and so forth, the friction could be increased by laying down an india
rubber pad about a foot wide and, say, five or six feet in length, and pushing the
machine along on the top of it. Two or three castors would havo to be placed
about the foot to prevent it catching too much on the table. Also volute spring to
regulate the tension might be used.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Edwards in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th October
1880.
JAMES EDWARDS, of Aldershot, in the County of Hants.
MENTS FOR WORKING SEWING MACHINES."
"IMPROVED ARRANGE-,
This Invention consists in improved arrangements for working sewing machines
The cloth or other fabric to be sewed being spread out on a table the end or part
to be sewn enters between two rollers, and the machine is then pushed along slowly
in the direction it is required to sew. A disc or roller of about two inches in
diameter and two inches long, covered with india rubber, is revolved by the friction
of pushing the machine along and pressing it down on a table or bench. A toothed
wheel of, say, half the diameter is carried on the same axle close to the disc or
roller. The above mentioned wheel gears into another of about 3 of an inch in
diameter, having a roller on the same axle of, say, twice its diameter and about two
inches long. This roller being set as low in the fittings as possible, but so as to be
clear of the table, the object of this second roller being to reverse the motion of the
first and pass the cloth over it and under a roller held thereto by a spring from an
arm above. Another wheel, which may slide right or left on the same axle as the
first mentioned roller, with diameter, say, of two inches, gears with a small wheel,
say, half an inch in diameter for smallest stitch, rising to about two inches in
diameter for largest stitch. This small wheel is fitted on an axle about four to six
inches long, and at the other end carries a wheel of about twelve times the circum-
ference (or, say, six inches in diameter) of the smallest one to increase the speed.
This largest wheel gears with a small one behind it, set rather lower than in a
line with the centre when on the Wheeler and Wilson, or similar systems, and
higher in those of the Singer or similar system. The diameter of this small wheel
to be also about, say, 1, an inch, and on its axlo are eccentrics and cams, or bevel
or other wheels, etc., for producing the motion of the needle and shuttle or rotating
hook. When applied to Wheeler and Wilson or similar systems a wheel is placed
on the shaft on which are the eccentrics and cams gearing with another wheel of
the same diameter, and having axle extending to abreast the needle, and situated
there an arm revolving and striking the under side of the cloth so as to move it on
when the needle is raised. Another roller or presser foot might be held here from
the arm above if necessary. These last mentioned wheels should be of the same
diameter, and such as to put the arm clear of the shuttle or rotating hook, and
should be behind the needle. The cloth would be gathered up in a small double
when the needle would be in the clotb, but would be straightened out by the arm
when raised. Various means of producing the motion of needle and shuttle, or hook
or "looper" can be employed, and arrangements for change of stitch could be made
by introducing a larger or smaller wheel on the one gearing on the top of the one
to the left of the first roller. If the machine should slide along the table and not
drive the wheels, and so forth, the friction could be increased by laying down an
india rubber pad about a foot wide and, say, five or six feet in length, and pushing
the machine along on the top of it. Castors would have to be placed about the foot
to prevent it catching too much on the table. Also volute or other spring to
regulate the tension might be used.
2
Having thus far described the nature of the said Invention, and incidentally
intimated in what manner the same is to be performed, I will now proceed (aided
by the accompanying Drawings) to further and particularly describe and ascertain
in what manner the same is to be performed or carried out in practice, that is
to say,
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.

page_text: a is the friction roller covered with india-rubber mounted on shaft c. On this
shaft is toothed wheel & gearing into toothed wheel on the spindle, carrying
which is a roller e, said roller e being clear of the table on which the machine
works. On this roller rests another roller e', fixed by fitting f to the machine, a
spring g pressing against said arm or fitting, and holding the roller on to the cloth
which passes between it and onto the lower roller e. On the shaft c is also fitted
toothed wheel h, which gears into one of the toothed wheels i, i, i, fixed on spindle or
shaft, said shaft carrying the large toothed wheel Z, which gears into toothed
wheel m, driving the mechanism actuating the shuttle and for passing the cloth on
after being sewn, and also the toothed wheel n which actuates the needlo; o, castors
or rollers to facilitate the movement of the machine. The action of the machine is
as follows:-The cloth to be sewn is placed in position on the frame of the machino
and between the rollers e, e¹. The machine is pushed forward, and the friction
roller a revolves, driving by means of the toothed wheels d and d' the roller e, but
in reverse direction to that of the friction roller a. At the same time the wheel h
takes into one of the wheels i on shaft &, driving the large toothed wheel Z and the
small toothed wheels m and n, which actuate the shuttle and the needle respectively,
the cloth or material being thus sewn as the machine travels along the table or
board on which the cloth is placed. The cloth is gradually brought up under the
needle in manner well understood. I may here observe that although I have
shewn my Invention in the Drawing accompanying this Specification, for con-
venience of illustration, shown my Invention applied to the Singer sewing machine,
yet, as will be obvious to any practical man, same may be applied to the Wheeler
and Wilson or other machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and object of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed or carried out in
practice, I hereby declare that I claim the Invention of "Improved Arrangements
for Working Sewing Machines," substantially as herein before set forth and
described and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings, in which Invention tho
important and peculiar feature is the arrangement of mechanism whereby the
machine is operated by being moved along so as to draw on or feed the cloth or
fabric, at the same time effecting the sewing or stitching, substantially as heroin-
before set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Edwards, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.