AN IMPROVED SEWING MACHINE
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert McLaren Young, of Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, for the Invention of " AN IMPROVED SEWING
MACHINE."
Sealed the 15th Februuary 1876, and dated the 21st August 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert McLaren
Young at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 21st August 1875.
I, ROBERT MCLAREN YOUNG, of Liverpool, in the County of Lan-
caster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED SEWING MACHINE," to be as follows :—
This Invention relates chiefly to that kind of sewing machine in which
the overhead stitch is worked. It consists,-
1st. Of a main shaft driven in any convenient manner.
2nd. In a second shaft in bearings in the upper frame of the machine
driven with any suitable mechanism from the main shaft, such as by
linkwork or frictional gearing, in such manner that it shall rock back-
•

page_text: Was a rarus througu about three-niths of a revolution each way
for cach revolution of the driving shaft.
3rd. This shaft has a crank at the end.
4th. Underneath the shaft and crank is another shaft with a crank
precisely similar to the upper one, the two shafts and cranks being in
the same vertical planc. Both cranks have their crank pins working in
holes in a rod, to be hereafter described, called the hooker. By this
means every point in the said hooker describes, when working, a
segment of a circular path, while the rod continues constantly in a
perpendicular position. Other motions will accomplish the object
required, but I prefer this onc.
5th. The needle is a simple bar of steel pointed at the end, and having
a notch on its upper surface. I usually thicken the needle at the
notch, not merely to strengthen it, but to enable the hooker to catch
the thread more easily without cutting or abrading it against the side of
the needle. The swelling is a gradual one, so as not to catch the hooker.
The needle holder works horizontally in guides by means of an eccentric,
cam, or crank on the driving shaft.
6th. The hooker before mentioned has a forked hook at its lowest
extremity, and a steel spring resting on the forked hook, but capable of
being forced apart from said hook by a gentle pressure.
7th. A long arm, connected by link motion or otherwise with the
driving shaft has a finger at the end for whipping off the thread, as will,
be afterwards described.
8th. The feed motion is composed of a travelling frame running on
"vecd" friction pulleys, and having other small pulleys above working
in a slot in the frame, so as to keep it pressed down on the friction
pulleys. The "veed" pulleys work on shafts perpendicular to the main
driving shaft of the machine, and connected to and run from the latter
by a ratchet and pawl mechanism. The bag or other material to be a
stitched is stretched on a temple having hooks at each end to hold it.
The bolt fastening the temple to the travelling frame is usually the same
that keeps the two parts of the temple together, and holds them stiff.
I usually have at least two of these travelling frames and temples to
cach machine, so that while one is in operation the operator can be 3
stretching a bag on the other to be slid into position in turn.

page_text: 9th. The mode of operating the machine is as follows:-The sacking
or other material to be sewn is slid with its temple and frame into the
machine till its end is almost in a line with the needle, just missing it.
The needle is now pushed forward, and the thread (just long enough to
sew the particular seam) is held at one end near the needle, and its end
is laid over the notch. The hooker now descends in its circular path,
the spring covers the notch, while at the same time the hooks pass
below the thread; in the meantime the needle begins reciprocating
backwards, leaving the thread grasped in the hooker, which now rises,
carries the thread over the stuff, which in the meantime has been
advanced by the feed motion onc stitch, bringing it in front of the
needle. The hooker now descends in its circular path, deposits the
thread in the notch, and continues its descent slightly while the needle
is reciprocating forward. When the motion of the hooker is reversed,
the needle has carried the thread in the notch beyond the reach of the
hooks, and having pierced the cloth, carries the thread through with it.
In the meantime the hooker has again stepped over the material to be
seamed, and takes the thread from the needle as before. The long finger
now catches the loop thus formed, and flying out (being pivotted at its
other end) whips the long loose end of the thread through the hole in
the material to be sewn, and lets it lic in a circular trough or hang
down loose. The feed motion again advances the stuff a stitch, and the
operation is continued as before.
10th. The whole apparatus, with slight modification, can be turned
on its side if desirable, so as to cause the needle to work vertically,
but I prefer the horizontal arrangement of needle, except in rare
instances.

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Robert M'Laren Young, Her
special licence, that I, the said Robert McLaren Young, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as the said Robert &
McLaren Young, my 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 Ircland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "AN IMPROVED SEWING MACHINE," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Robert McLaren Young, my exc-
cutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the naturo 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 immc-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert McLaren Young, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
three Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters of reference
mauled thereon..

page_text: ⋅
and 2. In these A a is the crank or eccentric on the main shaft A; D is
a toothed segment gearing into wheels B* and O* on shafts B and C, the
latter to be presently described, segment D being driven by eccentric
rod A' working on the pin D', the distance of the centre of D' from
the pivot D* upon which D turns being greater than the radius or half
stroke of the crank or eccentric A. a.
3rd. On shaft B is the crank B b, and on a shaft C in bearings ver-
tically below B is a crank Cb exactly similar to crank B b, cach being
fixed, 'as shown, at the end of its respective shaft.
4th. These cranks have their crank pins each working in bearings in
a vertical rod E, hereafter described, called the hooker. By this means
when the cranks are put in motion at equal speed by the segment D
acting on the toothed pinions B, C, every portion of the hooker E must
describe a circular path, the hooker itself continuing to maintain a
vertical position. Many other parallel motions will accomplish this
duty, but I prefer the one described.
5th. The needle F is a simple bar of steel pointed at one end, and
having a notch Fa on its upper surface. I usually thicken the needle
round the notch, not merely to strengthen it, but to enable the hooker,
as hereafter described, to catch the thread casily without shearing it.
The swelling is a gradual one, so as not to catch the hooker. The
needle is fixed in a needle bar Fb in the usual manner, and the needle
bar or hooker is driven from the main shaft by crank or eccentric A.* and
rod A d, the said needle bar or holder being guided horizontally by means
of guide bars F c.
6th. The hooker E before mentioned has a forked hook a at its lowest
extremity, and a steel spring 6 fixed to the back of the said hooker.
This spring passes over and lies on a pawl c, the bottom of which is
made concave, so as exactly to fit the surface of the needle, and thus
always bend the thread as it passes between the pawl and needle, so that
it will naturally fall into the notch instead of being cut by the upper
part of the needle. The pawl cannot fall below the jaws of the hooker,
but rests upon them when not pressed upward by the pressure of the
needlc.
7th. A long arm G, connected by link motion or otherwise with the

page_text: as will be afterwards described. The plan I at present prefer to work
this arm is by a cam Ae and pin Gf in the bar Ge acting in guides G d.
This bar by the link Gc actuates the arm or bell crank G b attached to
the same pivot Ga that the arm G is attached, as shown.
8th. The feed motion is composed of a travelling frame I running on
"veed" friction pulleys J. Sundry small friction pulleys I a working in
a slot in frame I keep the latter pressed down on the friction pulleys.
The "vccd "pulleys J work on shafts Ja perpendicular to the driving
shaft of the machine, and connected to and run from the latter by ratchet´
and pawl mechanism, shown best on Figures 3 and 4.
с
9th. Numerous modes of driving the pulleys J could be used, all
nearly equally good; the one I prefer being as follows:-On the shaft A
I place the cam Ah, in which the pin Jh works. This pin is connected
by link Jc with the crank Jf on the shaft Ja. On this shaft the link J d
is keyed, and the pawl J c, actuated by the said link, drives the ratchet
wheel J b, running loose on shaft Ja, but rigidly secured to the pulley J.
The arm K joins the various ratchet pawls J c, J c, together, and thus
saves the necessity for a long shaft J a for each pulley J. It will occa-
sionally be found however that the link K and the remaining ratchet
wheels can be dispensed with, one being quite sufficient to feed the
machine. The machine is of course fed at the time when the noodle is
withdrawn back as far as it will go.
10th. The bag or other material to be stitched is usually stretched on
a temple having hooks at each end to hold it. The bolt fastening the
temple to the travelling frame is usually the same that keeps the two
parts of the temple together, and holds them stiff. I usually have at
least two of these travelling frames or temples to cach machine, so that
while one is in operation the attendant can be stretching a bag upon the
other to be slid into position in turn.
11th. The mode of operating the machine is as follows:-The sacking
or other material to be sewn is slid with its templo and frame into the
machine till its end is almost on a line with the needle, just missing it.
The needle is now pushed forward, and the thread (just long enough to
sow the particular scam) is held at one end near the needic, and its end
is laid over the notch. The hooker now descends in its circular path,
the spring covers the notch, while at the same time the hooks pass
below the thread; in the meantime the needle begins reciprocating

page_text: backwards, leaving the thread grasped in the hooker, which now rises,
carries the thread over the stuff, which, in the meantime has been
advanced by the feed motion one stitch, bringing it in front of the
needle. The hooker now descends in its circular path, deposits the
5 thread in the notch, and continues its descent slightly while the needle
is reciprocating forward. When the motion of the hooker is reversed,
the needle has carried the thread in the notch beyond the reach of the
hooks, and having pierced the cloth carries the thread through with it.
In the meantime the hooker has again stepped over the material to be
seamed, and takes the thread from the needle as before. The long finger.
now catches the loop thus formed, and flying out (being pivotted at its
other end) whips the long loose end of the thread through the hole in
the material to be sewn, and lets it lic in a circular trough or bang
down loose. The feed motion again advances the stuff a stitch, and the
operation is continued as before.
12th. The whole apparatus, with slight modification, can be turned
on its side if desirable, so as to cause the needle to work vertically,
but I prefer the horizontal arrangement of needle, except in rare
instances.
Having now set forth my Invention, and explained the manner of
carrying it into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim as
my Invention or the exclusive use of the several parts herein-before
described and referred to, except when the same are used in and for the
purposes of my said Invention, but what I do claim is,-
1st. The mode of sewing by a machine in which the thread is carried
through the article in the notch Fa of the needle F, and then lifted
therefrom and carried round by a hooker E and deposited in the
notch Fa again, the loose end of the thread being at the same time
drawn out by other mechanism.
2nd. The use of a horizontal needle with a notch in its upper side in
sewing machines, substantially as described.
3rd. The arrangement of hooker E and spring 6 for grasping the
thread, carrying it over the article to be sewn, and leaving it in
position.
4th. The arrangement for driving the hooker E, shewn in Figs. 1
and 2, for use in sewing machines, substantially as described and shown.

page_text: 5th. The arrangement of feed motion, substantially as described, or
any mere modification thereof.
.
6th. The plan of stretching the bags or other articles to be sewn on
temples, so that they can be stretched at leisure and fitted in succession
into the machine, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert McLaren Young, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of February, in
the year of our Lord 1876.
ROBERT Mº LAREN YOUNG. (L.S.)
Witness,
EDWARD G. COLTON,
Clerk to W. P. Thompson,
Patent Agent,
6, Lord Street,
Liverpool.