IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Martin Samuelson, of Hull, in the County of York,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."
Sealed the 15th April 1868, and dated the 15th October 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Martin Samuelson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th October 1867.
I, MARTIN SAMUELSON, of Hull, in the County of York, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to that class of sewing machines wherein a recipro-
cating shuttle is employed in conjunction with a vibrating eye pointed needle
for producing what is known as the lock stitch.
According to one mode of carrying out my Invention I propose to actuate the
shuttle by means of a rotatory crank pin in a disc on the end of the main shaft
of the machine. This pin works in a vertical differential slot in an upright lever
vibrating on a fixed centre at its lower end. In order to give a quick motion to
the shuttle whilst passing the needle at a point where there is the least stress upon
the crank pin or lever, I curve the upper portion of the said slot, and with a
view to further facilitate the quick passage of the shuttle through the loop of

page_text: the needle thread, I set the shuttle case or holder on the top of the lever at a
slight angle. In the arrangement above described the shuttle will reciprocate
in the arc of a circle, but if it be required that the shuttle should have a
rectilinear reciprocating motion, then I substitute for the vibrating slotted
lever above described a plate sliding along two horizontal guide rods, such plate
having a vertical differential or curved slot formed therein, in which works the
crank pin, and being further provided with a shuttle case or holder at the upper
end thereof. On rotating the said crank a to-and-fro horizontal motion will
be imparted to the plate or shuttle carrier and shuttle along the guide rods above
referred to.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Martin Samuelson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th April 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MARTIN
SAMUELSON, of Hull, in the County of York, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Martin Samuelson, Her special license that I, the said Martin Samuelson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Martin Samuelson, my executors, administrators, or 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 for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SEWING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Martin
Samuelson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, 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 1, the said Martin Samuelson, 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

page_text: statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings and to
the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
:-
My said Invention relates to that class of sewing machines wherein a
reciprocating shuttle is employed in conjunction with a vibrating eye pointed
needle for producing what is known as the lock stitch.
According to one mode of carrying out my Invention I propose to actuate
the shuttle by means of a rotatory crank pin in a disc on the end of the main
shaft of the machine, this pin works in a vertical differential slot in an upright
lever constituting the shuttle carrier which vibrates on a fixed center at its
lower end. In order to give a quick motion to the shuttle whilst passing the
needle at a point where there is the least stress upon the crank pin or lever
I curve the upper portion of the said slot, and with a view to further facilitate
the quick passage of the shuttle through the loop of the needle thread I set
the shuttle case or holder on the top of the lever at a slight angle. In the
arrangements above described the shuttle will reciprocate in the arc of a
circle, but if it be required that the shuttle should have a rectilinear recipro-
cating motion, then I substitute for the vibrating slotted lever above described
a plate sliding along two horizontal guide rods, such plate having a vertical
differential or curved slot formed therein in which works the crank pin and
being further provided with a shuttle case or holder at the upper end thereof.
On rotating the said crank a to-and-fro horizontal motion will be imparted
to the plate or shuttle carrier and shuttle along the guide rods above
referred to.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall
refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters
of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a side elevation of my improved sewing
machine looking on the shuttle case or holder; Figure 2 is a corresponding
plan of the same with the cloth plate removed; Figure 3 is an elevation
looking on the front or working end of the needle arm; Figures 4 and 5 are
details of the shuttle carrier detached; and Figure 6 is a slightly modified
arrangement of shuttle carrier.
A is the base or main standard of the machine carrying the driving shaft B
in suitable bearings C, C; on this shaft are keyed the driving pulley D and
duplex cam E for producing the feed motion all as heretofore constructed.
On the back end of the driving shaft there is secured a crank pin F working
in a differential slot in the end of the lever arm G connected to the rocking
shaft H which vibrates between the adjustable centres I, I, and carries the

page_text: needle arm K as is well known in this class or type of sewing machine. On
the front end of the driving shaft I attach according to my Invention a crank
pin L carried by a crank arm or disc M, the crank pin working in a vertically
disposed differential slot a made in a vibrating shuttle carrier N.
Figure 4 represents the inner face of the said shuttle carrier; and Figure 5
is a vertical section thereof at right angles to Figure 4. It vibrates on a
fixed pivot or centre pin O at the lower extremity, and has a chamber or
recess made at its upper or vibrating end for the reception of an ordinary
sewing machine shuttle b. The open or flat side of the shuttle works against
the smooth face of the metal surface or plate P in lieu of traversing to and
fro in a channel groove or shuttle race, and a vertical groove or slot should be
made in the surface P for the needle to enter when it descends below the cloth
plate in order that the shuttle may pass freely through the loop of thread
without being obstructed by the needle. The shuttle is retained in the holder or
carrier N by means of the catch Q, which when elevated to the position shewn
in the Drawings partly closes the rear or open end of the chamber or recess
which receives the shuttle, and consequently prevents the shuttle from escaping.
When it is required to remove the shuttle, however, it is simply necessary to
slacken or unscrew the thumbscrew R passing through a curved slot in the
lower portion of the catch, whereupon the catch will fall by its own weight
round the centre S, and thereby expose or open the end of the shuttle chamber
and allow the shuttle to be removed longitudinally.
I may here observe, however, that 1 do not confine or restrict myself to this
particular arrangement for confining and releasing the shuttle, neither do I
claim it as forming any part of my said Invention.
In Figure 6, I have represented the shuttle carrier N as sliding to and fro
horizontally along the parallel guide rods c, c, or in lieu of guide rods the
upper and lower edges of the carrier N may slide in V or other suitably
shaped guiding grooves. a is the differential slot in the shuttle carrier; Lis
the crank pin; and M the disc on the end of the main shaft which carries the
crank pin.
As the rest of the parts of the sewing machine are well known, and form
no portion of my Invention, it is unnecessary to refer to them here, any machanist
acquainted with this class of machinery being competent to properly apply and
adjust such parts.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-

page_text: before in part recited Letters Patent is, the peculiar construction of shuttle
carrier and the mode of actuating the same as herein-before described and
illustrated by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Martin Samuelson, have to this my
Specification set my band and seal, this Third day of April, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
MARTIN SAMUELSON. (L.s.)