IMPROVEMENTS IN. SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Galloway Weir, of Carlisle Street, Soho,
in the County of Middlesex, Sewing Machine Manufacturer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN. SEWING MACHINES.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Galloway
Weir at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 19th August 1873.
I, JAMES GALLOWAY WEIR, of Carlisle Street, Soho, in the County
6.of Middlesex, Sewing Machine Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to sewing machines of the class known as shuttle
machines, wherein the stitching is performed by the co-operation of a
O needle and shuttle. And the chief object of the said Invention is the
construction of these machines to perform their work silently or nearly
so, instead of making a disagreeable noise, which has heretofore been the
invariable accompaniment of machines of this class.

page_text: These improvements are more particularly designed for application to
machines which have an upper horizontal shaft for operating the needle
bar and an under horizontal shaft for operating the feed motion and
shuttle. And I prefer to use a feed motion similar to that described in
the Specification of Letters Patent bearing date the 23rd February 1872,
No. 580.
My said Invention consists chiefly in peculiar mechanism for impart-
ing to the shuttle a to-and-fro motion in a straight line across the path
of the needle. The shuttle carrier or bed is fitted to slide freely upon a
straight rod or bar, which extends transversely across the machine below
the cloth plate, and which is properly secured at its ends in the part of the
frame or stand whereon the said cloth plate is supported. The said shuttle
bed or carrier is jointed at the back to a lever, which vibrates horizontally
across the machine and imparts the required to-and-fro motion to the
said shuttle bed or carrier upon the aforesaid straight rod or bar.
The essential feature of this part of my Invention is the contrivance
whereby I adapt this vibrating lever to the required straight or rectilinear
motion of the shuttle. It is obvious that if this lever had a fixed
fulcrum its end, which is attached to the shuttle bed or carrier, would
move in the arc of a circle, and unless some special form of joint were
used to connect the said lever to the bed or carrier the latter and
the shuttle would be compelled to move in the same arc, and there-
But I
"fore could not work upon the aforesaid straight rod or bar.
overcome this difficulty and obtain the desired rectilinear movement of
the shuttle by having the fulcrum of the said lever upon the end of a
short link or arm which is fitted to oscillate or vibrate upon a fulcrum
pin fixed.in a block formed or secured upon the stand or base of the
machine. The said lever, a short distance from its fulcrum, is formed
with jaws which embrace- an eccentric fixed on the under shaft of the
machine, the said shaft being geared with the driving wheel at the back
of the machine.
From the above description it will be obvious that the motion of the
shuttle will be smooth and regular, free from jerking, and almost noise-
less, and will remain so until any of the parts become so much worn as
to leave play or slackness between them. But the only parts where the
wear would be appreciable are the surfaces of the aforesaid eccentric and
jaws. And I provide for compensation for the wear of these parts by
making the saiḍ jaws separate from eacli other but united by screws

page_text: which allow them to be set closer together when they or the eccentric
shall be so much worn as to require such adjustment.
In order to still further diminish the noise of the working of the
machine the aforesaid shuttle bed or carrier which slides to and fro upon
the straight rod or bar as above described is made of vulcanite instead of
iron or other metal as heretofore.
The feed or length of stitch of these machines is adjusted or regulated
by a screw,
and a part of my Invention consists in using, in combination
with the said screw and the other parts of the feed motion described in
the said former Specification a stud or pin which prevents any possibility
of turning the said screw too far inward.
Both the upper and under horizontal shafts of the machine are geared
by toothed pinions to a central toothed wheel on the driving wheel, and
instead of making the teeth of these wheels straight across the periphery*
as heretofore, I make them oblique to their axes, and thereby render the
working of the machine still more smooth and noiseless.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Galloway Weir in the Great Seal.
Patent Office on the 10th February 1874.
TO ALL' TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES'
GALLOWAY WEIR, of Carlisle Street, Soho, in the County of Middlesex,
Sewing Machine Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Galloway Weir, Her special
licence that I, the said James Galloway Weir, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Galloway Weir, 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 Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention

page_text: for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said James Galloway Weir, my executors or admini-
strators, 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 James Galloway Weir, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner 1
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawing forming a part of this Specification :-
My Invention relates to sewing machines of the class known as shuttle
machines, wherein the stitching is performed by the co-operation of a 1
needle and shuttle, and the chief object of the said Invention is the
construction of these machines to perform their work without the dis-
agreeable noise which has heretofore been the invariable accompanyment
of machines of this class.
.
My said Invention consists first in peculiar mechanism for imparting a
to the shuttle a to-and-fro motion in a straight line across the path of
the needle and to a contrivance whereby I compensate for the wearing
of parts of the said mechanism.
These improvements are more particularly designed for application to
machines which have an upper horizontal shaft for operating the needle
bar and an under horizontal shaft for operating the feed motion and
shuttle. And I prefer to use a feed motion similar to that described
in the Specification of Letters Patent bearing date the Twenty-third
February, Anno Domini, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two,
Number Five hundred and eighty.
The manner in which my said Invention is applied to these machines
is clearly shown in the accompanying Drawing, wherein,―
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sewing machine, and Figure 2 is a
plan of the same (with the cloth plate removed) and partly in horizontal
section on the line x, x, Figure 1.
'
Figure 3 is a plan of the shuttle operating mechanism detached.

page_text: a is the stand or frame of the said machine; b is the cloth plate; c is
the upper shaft which operates the needle bar; and d is the under shaft.
which operates the feed mechanism. The said shafts are geared with the .
wheel e by the pinions f, g, in the usual manner:.
The shuttle carrier or bed is fitted to slide freely upon a straight
rod or bar i, which extends transversly across the machine below the
cloth plate, as clearly shewn in Figure 2, and which is properly secured
at its ends in the parts a¹ of the frame or stand a whereon the cloth
plate bis supported. The said shuttle bed or carrier is jointed at h¹² to
a lever j, which vibrates horizontally across the machine and imparts
the required to-and-fro motion to the shuttle bed or carrier / upon the
aforesaid straight rod or bar i.
h
The essential feature of this part of my Invention is the contrivance
whereby I adapt this vibrating lever to the required straight or rectilinear
motion of the shuttle. It is obvious that if this lever had a fixed
fulcrum its end, which is attached to the shuttle bed or carrier,. would.
move in the arc of a circle, and unless some special form of joint were
used to connect the said lever to the bed or carrier h, the latter and the
shuttle would be compelled to move in the same arc, and therefore could
O not work upon the aforesaid straight rod or bar. But I overcome this
difficulty and obtain the desired rectilinear movement of the shuttle by
the following contrivance, the effect of which will be best understood by
reference to Figure 3:-The fulcrum k of the said lever is a pin or bolt
secured in the outer end of a short lever arm 7, which is fitted to oscillate
5. or vibrate upon a pin or stud m fixed in the stand or base of the machine
or in a block attached to the same. As the shuttle carrier moves from
one end to the other of the bar i the fulcrum k of the lever j, moving
in a short are around the fulcrum m, permits the extremity of the lever
j to move with the shuttle carrier in a straight line. The various
O positions assumed by the parts of this mechanism are shown by the
dotted lines in Figure 3. Motion is imparted to the lever j as follows:-
The said lever is formed with jaws j', which embrace an excentric n fixed
on the under shaft d of the machine; and the said excentric, as it rotates
with the shaft by its action on the jaws 7, imparts a positive to-and-fro
5 motion to the said lever. The working surfaces of the said excentric
and jaws should be of hardened steel or other suitably hardened metal
to render them durable. And as long as these and the other parts of
this mechanism are kept in good condition the shuttle will move to and
:

page_text: fro with great smoothness without jerking at the termination of its stroke
in either direction, and the entire mechanism will work noiselessly or
nearly so. The only parts whose wearing would produce any appreciable
effect upon the working of this mechanism are the aforesaid surfaces of
the excentric and jaws. I therefore provide a contrivance as above
specified to compensate for the wearing of these parts, that is to say, I
make slits or divisions o in the said lever extending far enough from the
aperture in which the excentric works to give the jaws j¹ considerable
elasticity and a capability of adjustment toward and away from each
other. And I provide these split portions of the lever with screws p
or other means whereby the adjustment of the said jaws may be readily
effected, so that when they or the excentric shall be so much worn as to
impair the. smoothness of the working, the said jaws may be closed or
brought up to their bearing upon the excentric, and thereby immediately
restore these parts of the mechanism to their proper condition. Instead
of the aforesaid excentric I may employ a crank for actuating the
lever j.
The feed or length of stitch of these machines is adjusted or regulated
by a screw q, and I use, in combination with the said screw, a stud or
pin which prevents any possibility of turning the said screw too far
inward.
..
I prefer that the toothed wheel and pinions e, f, g, whereby the shafts
c, d, are geared in connection with the driving wheel should have
oblique or inclined teeth, as clearly shown in Figure 3. Wheels with
this form of tooth will be found to work more smoothly and with less
noise than the ordinary wheels, but I do not limit myself to any parti-
cular construction of these wheels.
It will be obvious that the lever j and its moving fulcrum must be
arranged to ensure the proper co-operation of the shuttle with the needle
• and feed mechanism and their actuating devices. The relative position
of these various parts being well understood by those familiar with the
construction of sewing machines, and being moreover clearly shewn in
the Drawing needs no further explanation.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I wish it understood that although the said Inven-
tion is very advantageously applied to a machine of the construction
herein specified and shewn, yet I do not claim or limit myself to any

page_text: particular construction of the parts of the machine except as I have
herein set forth, that is to say, I claim,―
First. The shuttle operating mechanism consisting of a lover which
has a moving fulcrum and is connected with a shuttle carrier sliding on
a straight rod or bar, and is moved to and fro by an excentric or other-
wise as herein set forth and for the purpose specified.
Second. The contrivance for adjusting the jaws of the said lever to
compensate for the wearing of the working surfaces of the same and of
the excentric as herein set forth.
Third. The arrangement of a shuttle operating lever, which has a
moving fulcrum to co-operate with the other working parts of the sewing
machine as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Galloway Weir, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of February
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
0
Witness,
H. J. NOONE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
JAMES G. WEIR. (L.S.)