IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, of the Firm of Brandon
and Morgan-Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, South-
ampton Buildings, London, and 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."-A communi-
cation from abroad by Alfred Sumner Dinsmore, of Boston,
L
Tinited States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morgan-Brown
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 10th November 1875.
I, 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, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention of improvements in sewing machines relates to
O improvements in sewing machines for use in factories or other, places

page_text: where it is desired to unite piece goods in order to form long continuous
pieces.
In this machine the fabrics to be united are impaled on pins pro-
jecting from a horizontally moving circular baster plate or ring, toothed
at top, to be engaged and moved by toothed wheels actuated from a
worm or other gear on a rotating shaft of the sewing machine proper,
which is placed in a vertical position or so that the needle reciprocates
in substantially a horizontal plane.
The Invention consists in the combination with sewing mechanism
and toothed baster plate of mechanism for moving the baster plate and
fabric from a gear on the sewing machine shaft, and also in the com-
bination with the gear for moving the baster plate of a pawl and ratchet,
whereby the toothed wheel that engages the teeth of the baster plate
may be disengaged from its operating shaft, so that the baster plate and
fabric may be turned freely in either direction so as to bring the fabric
in position quickly to receive the action of the needle.
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 29th April 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engi-
neers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and
13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Morgan-Brown, Her special
license that I, the said William Morgan-Brown, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Morgan-
Brown, 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

page_text: Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," a communication to
me from abroad by Alfred Sumner Dinsmore, of Boston, Massachusetts,
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William Morgan-Brown, 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 cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Morgan-Brown, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to improvements in sewing machines for use
in factories or other places where it is desired to unite piece goods in
order to form long continuous pieces.
In this machine the fabrics to be united are impaled on pins pro-
jecting from a horizontally moving circular baster plate or ring, toothed
at top, to be engaged and moved by toothed wheels actuated from a
worm or other gear on a rotating shaft of the sewing machine proper,
which is placed in a vertical position or so that the needle reciprocates
in substantially a horizontal plane.
The Invention consists in the combination with sewing mechanism
and the toothed baster plate of mechanism for moving the baster plate
and fabric from a gear on the sewing machine shaft, and also in the
combination with the gear for moving the baster plate of a pawl and
ratchet, whereby the toothed wheel that engages the teeth of the baster
plate may be disengaged from its operating shaft, so that the baster
plate and fabric may be turned freely in either direction so as to bring
the fabric in position quickly to receive the action of the needle.
Figure 1 is a top view of the Invention; Figure 2 is a side view of
the baster plate with a part of its driving mechanism broken away; and
Figure 3 is a view of the pawl and ratchet and toothed wheel for driving
the baster plate.

page_text: In the Drawing A is the frame of the machine, circular in form to
support the flanged supporting ring R, on which rests and is moved the
baster plate P, provided at top with teeth, and having projecting from it
fabric holding pins p, on which the fabric is impaled and by which the
fabric is suspended. A stitch forming mechanism, preferably of Willcox
and Gibbs' class, is supported on a standard a rising from the frame A,
and is mounted with relation to the circular horizontally moving baster
plate so that the baster plate moves between the hook shaft and presser
foot, and the needle works through a needle hole made in the ring R.
The G shaped arm B of the sewing machine has its base attached to a
vertical standard a, attached to frame A by screws m or otherwise, and
the hook shaft b, provided with hook 6' for forming in connection with
an eye-pointed needle the usual chain stitch, is driven by a belt c over
its fly wheel C, the belt extending from such fly wheel to a fly wheel n
on a shaft o provided with fast and loose pulleys o¹, o², operated by
power. The shaft o is supported in a bearing o³ at the top of a standard
rising from frame A. I do not however limit myself to these devices for
moving the shaft b, as other suitable or well-known devices may be
employed instead.
The vibrating arm D, supported on arm B, is connected with needle-
carrying bar d, and the arm is vibrated through the link c¹ connected
with it and with an eccentric on the hook shaft b. On the needle bar is
a collar e, having a finger projecting from it toward the stock of the
presser foot f¹ and under a second flanged collar ƒ on such presser bar
stock; this finger as the needle bar rises acts against the collar f, and
lifts the presser foot f¹ from the fabric just as the point of the needle is
withdrawn therefrom in order to leave the fabric entirely free to be
moved by the baster plate, and the said presser foot again strikes the
fabric just as the needle is to penetrate the fabric. On the hook shaft b
is a worm gear 9 that engages a toothed wheel g¹ mounted on a stud
projecting from the standard a or other suitable support. On the collar
of this wheel g' is a toothed wheel h that engages a larger toothed
wheel h¹ on a shaft i, having an attached ratchet wheel ¹; this shaft
also carries a toothed wheel j mounted loosely thereon, but held so as to
move with the shaft by means of a pawl k¹ on the end of a pin k, having
-a milled nut so that the operator of the machine may turn the pawl by
hand.

page_text: the shaft i will move the toothed wheel, and consequently the baster
plate, so as to carry the fabric along under the needle and perform
sewing, and the spring holds the pawl in engagement, but the pawl.
may be disengaged when it is desired to move the baster plate without
moving the sewing mechanism, as is often the case to place the fabric
on the pins p, and to move it quickly in place under the needle, or to
reverse or turn back the baster plate in case of imperfection in the
sewing or seam.
When the pawl is turned away from the position shown in Figure 3
the spring 7 bears on the back side of the pawl, and holds it from the
ratchet wheel i.
The needle is supplied with thread in the usual way from a spool.
In operation two pieces of fabric to be joined or sewed together are
impaled on the pins p, the pawl k¹ being disengaged from the ratchet,
and when the fabric is properly secured on the pins the baster plate is
moved so as to bring the edge of the fabric under the needle, which
works through a throat in the ring R; then the pawl is turned to
engage the ratchet, and the machine is started, after which the
gears g, g, h, h¹, j, move the baster plate along the distance of a stitch
at each revolution of the shaft b.
The forward bearing r of the hook shaft 6 is curved to adapt it to the
curved baster plate. · ·
The fabric is entirely relieved from friction of the presser when the
baster plate is moving, and the presser foot acts as a holder to prevent
any movement of the fabric while the needle is in the cloth.
I am aware that a baster plate or cloth supporting ring has been
moved from a worm gear on a shaft not forming part of the sewing
mechanism, and connected by gearing with the baster plate, and this
worm shaft is banded with the driving shaft of the sewing machine, but
with such connections the movements of baster plate and sewing machine
are not positive at all times, and in my improvement there is a less
number of parts, and they are more compactly arranged.
Having now described the Invention, I claim,--
First. The combination of the rotating hook shaft and its worm gear
with the toothed baster plate, the toothed wheel for moving the baster
plate, and connecting gearing, substantially as described.

page_text: Second. The combination of the hook shaft and its worm gear with
the shaft I, operated from the hook shaft by gearing, its ratchet and the
toothed wheel j and pawl, and the baster plate, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
Third. The combination of the horizontally moving baster plate
with the needle bar, needle, presser bar, presser, and finger and collar f
the finger and collar holding the presser from the fabric while the feed
takes place or the baster plate is moving, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
Fourth. The combination of the frame A and its standard for sup-
porting a stitch forming mechanism with the circular and toothed baster
plate, the supporting ring, and mechanism actuated by the hook shaft
to move the baster plate, substantially as described.
In witness whereof I, the said William Morgan-Brown, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of April, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN. (L.S.)