IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHODS OF UNITING THE EDGES OF KNIT GOODS AND OF OTHER GOODS BY A WELT-COVERED SEAM BY SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, of the Firm of Brandon and
Morgan-Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings,
London, and 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE METHODS OF UNITING THE EDGES OF KNIT GOODS AND OF OTHER GOODS
BY A WELT-COVERED SEAM BY SEWING MACHINES." A communication from
abroad by John Bigelow, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America,
Gentleman.
Sealed the 4th August 1876, and dated the 17th February 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morgan-Brown at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th February 1876.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 13, Rue Gaillon,
Paris. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHODS OF UNITING THE EDGES OF KNIT GOODS
AND OF OTHER GOODS BY A WELT-COVERED SEAM BY SEWING MACHINES."
This Invention of improvements in the methods of uniting the edges of knit
goods and of other goods by a welt-covered seam by sewing machines consists in
supplying a want long felt, viz., to unite the edges of knit hosiery and other goods,
bagging, gloves, leatherwork, carpet, sails, &c. by an elastic stitch of non-elactic
thread. The general practice hitherto has been to do this work by hand, which is
inconvenient on many accounts, notably on the score of delay and expense.
Attempt has been made to sew this class of work by machinery. One instance of
this is found in United States Arnold's Patent, of June 21, 1870, where it was
essayed to apply to this purpose the American button-hole machine. This, how-
ever, produced a stitch too harsh and too little elastic to answer the purpose.
Attempt also has been made to provide a more clastic bond of union, and to this
end Kilbourn devised a method the effectuating of which necessitates the use of
the machine patented to him November 20, 1866, United States. This method
requires the edges of the goods to be provided with loops which are hung on pins
projecting from what may be termed a baster plate in the path of a curved
vibratory needle which travels along the row of loops. The thread by this operation
was interwoven with the loops in a form resembling the diamond or overseaming
stitch. The objections, however, to this method of joining knit goods are many.
The operation is made dependent on selvage loops, and the stitches, if they may
be called stitches, are governed by the number of loops. Only straight seams can

page_text: be formed, and these seams are necessarily of limited length unless the machine be
frequently stopped, and the work frequently removed from and readjusted to the
pins. These and other objections that might be noted render the above method
practicably unavailable, except perhaps to a very limited degree and as applied to
a small and high priced class of goods.
seain, which
It is proposed here to use what may be called the diamond overstitch
is applied in a manner altogether novel, that is to say, by sewing with a vertically
reciprocating needle directly through the two thicknesses of goods along their edges
placed upon a flat horizontal cloth plate, and fed along under the needle pro-
gressively with formation of the stitches (which in no sense are dependent on
selvage loops), said needle passing alternately directly through the goods and
outside the same, so as to form the diamond overstitch seam, uniting the edges
in a fine compact seam, which at the same time possesses all needed flexibility and
elasticity.
I will now more particularly describe the Invention,―
The two pieces of goods are laid one on the other, having their edges that are to
be united in line. The best seam is made with plain selvage or clean cut edges.
They are placed on the cloth plate of the sewing machine, and are then sewed together
with an overstitch, the needle passing alternately directly through the two thick-
nesses of goods and outside the same. The goods are fed along progressively with
the formation of the stitches, the size of which is regulated in the usual way. The
elasticity of the stitch is regulated by the extent of lateral throw in setting the stitch
and by the speed of the feed.
Any sewing machine with a few slight modifications which do not interfere with
its ordinary work, can be used to carry my Invention into effect. Any overseaming
machine capable of sewing a zig-zag or irregular stitch may be used in uniting the
edges by an alternate stitch inside and outside the goods as aforesaid. One
machine adapted for the purpose of my present Invention will be found in Letters
Patent, No. 141,987, August 19, 1873, United States.
The edges may be united with all the ease and rapidity attained in sewing with
the ordinary sewing machine. The method is adapted to all classes of goods and
its use results in a notable economy, both of time and money, withal producing
better, more uniform, and more satisfactory work than has heretofore been
practicable. It also relates to seams of cloth, leather, or any other suitable material
made by placing the two edges to be united one over the other, and then alter-
nately stitching within and without the edge; afterwards flattening out the seam
so that the edges will abut.
In sewing leather, cloth, &c. with this seam when it is subject to considerable
chafing or rubbing, it is desirable often to furnish protection to the parts of the
thread exposed on the wearing surface. This is done in two ways, viz., by the inser-
tion of a piping or welt, by sewing a strip over the same.
The folded edge of the piping can be made to come on the inside or with the
straight threads of the same, instead of the diamond thread by reversing its
position.
If it is desirable to have a welt or piping project only on one side of the seam
and the reverse smooth, it can be easily accomplished by placing the edge of the
welt or piping even with the edge and the stitching within and without the edge,
the upper thread passing through the piping or welt, the under thread passing out-
side the same.
Instead of having a folded welt or piping I can use a single piece of leather or
any other suitable material.
As another method of protecting the exposed thread of the seam, especially when
a piping would be objectionable, I cover the seam with a strip of suitable material
sewed directly over the seam either by the zig-zag stitch or the ordinary plain
stitch.
The advantages of the welt or piping and covered seam are manifold in the pro-
tection which they afford against the wearing and chafing of the exposed part of

page_text: the seam thread. They are particularly applicable to the seams of shoes, leather,
mittens, bags, and heavy woolen goods or canvas. Still I do not limit them
to such.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Morgan-Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th August 1876.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 13, Rue Gaillon,
Paris. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHODS OF UNITING THE EDGES OF KNIT GOODS
AND OF OTHER GOODS BY A WELT-COVERED SEAM BY SEWING MACHINES." A com-
munication from abroad by John Bigelow, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States
of America, Gentleman.
This Invention of improvements in the methods of uniting the edges of knit
goods and of other goods by a welt-covered seam by sewing machines consists in
supplying a want long felt, viz., to unite the edges of knit hosiery and other goods,
baggings, gloves, leatherwork, carpet, sails, etc. by an elastic stitch of non-elastic
thread. The general practice hitherto has been to do this work by hand, which
is inconvenient on many accounts, notably on the score of delay and expense.
Attempt has been made to sew this class of work by machinery. One instance
of this is found in Arnold's United States Patent of June 21, 1870, where it was
essayed to apply to this purpose the American button-hole machine. This however
produced a stitch too harsh and too little elastic to answer the purpose. Attempt
also has been made to provide a more elastic bond of union, and to this end
Kilbourn devised a method the effectuating of which necessitates the use of the
machine patented to him in United States, November 20, 1866. This method requires
the edges of the goods to be provided with loops, which are hung on pins projecting
from what may be termed a baster plate in the path of a curved vibratory needle
which travels along the row of loops. The thread by this operation was inter-
woven with the loops in a form resembling the diamond or overseaming stitch.
The objections, however, to this method of joining knit goods are many. The
operation is made dependent on selvage loops, and the stitches, if they may be
called stitches, are governed by the number of loops. Only straight seams can be
formed, and these seams are necessarily of limited length unless the machine be
frequently stopped and the work frequently removed from and readjusted to the
pins. These and other objections that might be noted render the above method
practically unavailable, except perhaps to a very limited degree, and as applied to
a small and high priced class of goods.
It is purposed here to use what may be called the diamond overstitch seam,
which is applied in a manner altogether novel, that is to say, by sewing with a
vertically reciprocating needle directly through the two thicknesses of goods along
their edges, placed upon a flat horizontal cloth plate and fed along under the needle
progressively with formation of the stitches (which in no sense are dependent upon
selvage loops), said needle passing alternately directly through the goods and
outside the same, so as to form the diamond overstitch seam uniting the edges in
a fine compact seam, which at the same time possesses all needed flexibility and
elasticity.
I will now more particularly describe the Invention by the aid of the accom-
panying Drawngs forming a part of this Specification.
Figure 14 shows the elastic stitch as used in uniting the edges of knit goods
and hosiery and set by a double thread machine; Figure 15 shows the stitch as set
by a single thread machine for the same purpose.
The two pieces of goods are laid one on the other, having their edges that are

page_text: to be united in line. The best seam is made with plain selvage or clean cut edges.
They are placed on the cloth plate of the sewing machine and are then sewn
together with an overstitch, the needle passing alternately directly through the
two thicknesses of goods and outside the same. The goods are fed along pro-
gressively with the formation of the stitches, the size of which is regulated in the
usual way. The elasticity of the stitch is regulated by the extent of lateral throw in
setting the stitch and by the speed of the feed.
.
Any sewing machine with a few slight modifications which do not interfere with
its ordinary work, can be used to carry my Invention into effect. Any overseaming
machine capable of sewing a zig-zag or irregular stitch may be used in uniting the
edges by an alternate stitch inside and outside the goods as aforesaid. One machine
adapted for the purpose of my present Invention will be found in Letters Patent
No. 141,987, August 19, 1873, United States.
With this Invention the edges may be united with all the ease and rapidity
attained in sewing with the ordinary sewing machine. The method is adapted to
all classes of goods, and its use results in a notable economy both of money and
time, withal producing better, more uniform, and more satisfactory work than has
heretofore been practicable. It also relates to seams of cloth, leather, or any other
suitable material, made by placing the two edges to be united one over the other,
as shown in Figure 8 of the accompanying Drawings, and then alternately stitching
within and without the edge, afterwards flattening out the seam so that the edges
will abut, as shown by D, D, Figure 7.
In sewing leather, cloth, &c. with this seam when it is subject to considerable
chafing or rubbing it is desirable often to furnish protection to the parts of the
thread exposed on the wearing surface. This is done in two ways, viz., by the
insertion of a piping or welt, by sewing a strip over the same.
Figure 10 of the accompanying Drawings shows the two pieces to be united
B, B, placed in position for sewing with the welt or piping inserted, so as to project
a little beyond their edges. The sewing is then done on a machine adapted to
sew zig-zag or over-edge, as for instance, as shown in Letters Patent, United States,
No. 161,470, the needle passing alternately within and without the edges of B, B,
but each time through the piping A; Figures 1 and 2 show the upper and under
side of the seam thus made flattened out.
The folded edge of the piping can be made to come on the inside or with the
straight threads of the same instead of the diamond thread, by reversing its position 3
from that shown in Figure 10 to that shown in Figure 9.
If it is desirable to have a welt or piping project only on one side of the seam and
the reverse smooth it can be easily accomplished by placing the edge of the welt or
piping even with the edge B, B, Figure 11, and the stitching within and without
the edge. This seam flattened out presents the appearance of Figure 12, also of 4
Figures 3 and 4, which show the upper and reverse side of the same seam, the
upper thread passing through the piping or welt, the under thread passing outside
the same.
Instead of having a folded welt or piping I can use a single piece of leather or
any other suitable material, see Figures 5 and 6, if desired.
As another method of protecting the exposed thread of the seam, especially when
a piping would be objectionable, I cover the seam with a strip of suitable material C,
Figure 7, sewed directly over the seam D, D, either by the zig-zag stitch E or the
ordinary plain stitch F.
4
The advantages of the welt or piping and covered seam are manifold in the 5
protection which they afford against the wearing and chafing of the exposed part
of the seam thread, they are particularly applicable to the seams of shoes, leather,
mittens, bags, and heavy woollen goods, or canvas. Still, I do not limit them to
such, I do not claim the simple Invention of a piping or welt in a seam, nor the
plan of a seam with a strip of suitable material sewed over the same, but in a 5
stitch made by alternately stitching within and without the edge of the material

page_text: sewed and then flattening the material out so that the edges shall abut as a pro-
tection to the exposed sewing thread; but what I claim and desire to secure by
Letters Patent is,―
Firstly. The Invention of a welt or piping, substantially as and for the purposes
described.
Secondly. The covering of the seam with a strip of suitable material sewed over
the same, substantially as and for the purposes described.
Thirdly. The described improvement in the art of uniting the edges of knit
goods and hosiery by an elastic seam, which consists in sewing the two thicknesses
of goods directly together in the manner and by the means specified with the
diamond over stitch seam formed by stitches passing alternately directly through the
goods and outside of the same, as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgan-Brown, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN. (L.S.)