IM- PROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Lomax, of Over Darwen, in the County
of Lancaster, Sewing Machine Maker, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."
Sealed the 18th December 1874, and dated the 22nd June 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Lomax at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd June 1874.
I, HENRY LOMAX, of Over Darwen, in the County of Lancaster,
Sewing Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
:
:-
This Invention has for its object,―
Firstly. The construction and use of a self-regulating thread controller
varying in its action on the thread with the varying thickness of the
material operated upon. A guide eye is connected to and moves with
the bar of the presser foot, through which eye the needle thread is

page_text: the slotted lever which gives a rocking motion thereto, the rod or con-
necting link being suitably constructed for seating and carrying the
shuttle upon and so that it may be adjusted to the size of and for the
wear of the shuttle.
· SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Lomax in the Great Scal Patent Office
on the 22nd December 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
LOMAX, of Over Darwen, in the County of Lancaster, Sewing Machine
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eight year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Lomax, Her special
licence that I, the said Henry Lomax, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Lomax, 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, excrcise, 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
Henry Lomax, 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 Henry Lomax, 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 (that is to say) :-

page_text: This Invention has for its object,-
Firstly. The construction and use of a self-regulating thread con-
troller, varying in its action on the thread with the varying thickness
of the material operated upon. A guide eye is connected to and moves
with the bar of the presser foot, through which eye the needle thread
is passed, thence to and over a spring attached to a convenient part
of the machine, the spring retaining the thread at a proper degree of
tension during the descent of the needle.
Secondly. The construction and use of apparatus designed for con-.
trolling slack thread, and for taking up the slack on one side of the
needle when the loop for the shuttle is formed. This I effect by means
of an arm carrying guide pins and nipping discs, or the discs may have
a separate support, such arm being operated by an eccentric or its
equivalent, so as that when the necille is commencing the upward
movement and the loop for the shuttle is being formed the arm carrying
this disc shall be moved on its fulcrum, drawing up the slack thread on
one side of the needle, leaving a loop only on the other side of the said
needle.
Thirdly. The construction and use of apparatus designed for regulating
the tension on the needle thread for varying thickness of material, and
for varying the amount of slack thread required. I employ a spring
lever, one end of which rests on a pin fixed in the bar of the presser
foot, the other end of said lever excrts more or less tension on the
thread, according as such lever is caused to move more or less on its
fulcrum by varying thickness of material operated upon. The varying
the tension on the needle thread, or the varying the amount of slack
thread, I secure by the use of a bell-crank lever, one end of which rests
on a pin attached to the presser bar, the other end of such lever carrying
spring nipping discs, between which the thread is passed. The operating
on various thicknesses of material will move the said bell-crank lever
more or less on its fulcrum and so varying the amount of slack thread.
Fourthly. The construction and use of a more easy and convenient
way of carrying and actuating the shuttle. This I effect by means of a
slotted lever, the lower end of which is supported and works on a pivot
or stud; the other end of the said lever carries a pivot or stud upon
which swivels one end of a rod or connecting link; the other end of the
said rod or connecting link carries or works on a stud, roller, or slide

page_text: slack thread required. I employ a spring lever I, one end of which
rests on a pin J fixed in the bar of the presser foot; the other end of
said spring lever exerts more or less tension on the thread by putting
more or less pressure on the disc K, according as such lever is caused
to move more or less on its fulcrum K¹; by varying thickness of material
operated upon, which causes the presser foot to move or raise and lower
more or less the varying the tension on the needle thread, or the varying
the amount of slack thread, I secure by the use of a bell-crank lever L,
one end of which rests on a pin M attached to the presser bar M', the
other end of the lever L carrying spring nipping discs N, between which
the thread is passed. The operating on various thicknesses of material
will move the said bell-crank lever more or less on its fulcrum through
the action of the presser foot, as already described, and so varying the
amount of slack thread, also varying the degree of tension, according to
the thickness of material under the presser foot.
At Fig. 8 I have shewn the means designed for the earsier and more
convenient way of carrying and actuating the shuttle. This I effect by
means of a slotted lever R, the lower end of which is supported and
works on a pivot or stud R'; the other end of the said lever carries a
pivot or stud S, upon which swivels one end of a rod or connecting
link S¹; the other end of the said rod or connecting link carries and
works on a stud and roller J', see Fig. 9, or a slide piece which moves
in a slot T fixed to or formed in the table T of the machine; this slot
may be straight or curved, and guides and supports one end of the said
rod or connecting link S', the other end being carried and supported
upon the upper end of the slotted lever R, as described; this slotted
lever receives motion by means of a rotating disc W, having a stud and
roller X working in the slot Y of the lever, which gives a rocking
motion thereto, the rod or connecting link S' being suitably constructed
for seating and carrying the shuttle S2 upon, and so that it may be
adjusted by the screws a, a, to the size of and for the wear of the shuttle.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of this my
Invention, and shewn the manner in which the same may be carried
into practical effect, I would have it distinctly understood that I lay no
claim to any of the parts herein referred to or shewn in the Drawings
apart or separate from the special application, use, arrangement, and
combination described and shewn; and in the following claims I have

page_text: distinguished and pointed out the parts and combinations which I
believe to be new. I claim,-
Firstly. The guide eye A in connection and combination with the
spring C, as and for the purpose herein fully described.
Secondly. The arm D and discs F when combined and operated or
moved, as and for the purpose herein fully described.
Thirdly. The spring lever I arranged and applied so as to operate the
nipping discs or tension devices, as and for the purpose herein fully
described; and I claim, the use of the cranked lever L, shewn at Fig. 6,
applied as and for the purposes described.
Fourthly. The application and use or employment of the roller T and
slot T', as and for the purpose herein fully described and shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Lomax, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-
four.
Witness,
WALTER BRIERLEY,
Patent Agent,
Halifax & Blackburn.
HENRY LOMAX. (L.S.)