IMPROVE- MENTS IN SEWING MACHINES, AND THE MEANS OF GIVING MOTION THERETO
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Cyrus Symons, of George Street, Blackfriars
Road, in the County of Surrey, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SEWING MACHINES, AND THE MEANS OF GIVING MOTION THERETO
Sealed the 21st March 1865, and dated the 27th September 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Cyrus Symons at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th September 1864.
I, HENRY CYRUS SYMONS, of George Street, Blackfriars Road, in the County
of Surrey, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES, AND THE MEANS OF GIVING MOTION
THERETO," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to manufacturing and domestic sewing machines,
and to improvements in the details of sewing machines already in use, whereby
they may be made more simple and effective.
For feeding the work in machines, I employ an upper feed motion having a
leg and claw actuated by a lever, which pushes, lifts, and retains the leg, the
pulling down and pressing being effected by a spring; this lever, which I name
the feed lever, may be worked by a revolving cam movement, but I prefer to
work it direct from the needle slide, which is fitted with two projections ;"

page_text: the one in its descent strikes down one end of the feed lever and causes the
other end to come in contact with the leg and lift it; the other projection in
its ascent strikes the end of the feed lever up again and brings the other end
against the leg so as to force it outwards and lock it, thus feeding in the work
and holding it untill the needle again descends. This feed motion is not only
valuable for plain work, but also where it is desired to move the work to a
pattern in a circle or in any direction; to render it suitable for such work I
mount it upon a case fitted on to.a-portion of the frame formed cylindrically
around the needle slide, and-free-to turn in any direction and yet receive motion
as before described. By connecting the feeder case with a ratchet cam or
tappet movement various figures may be worked by self-acting means. For.
some work a feed wheel is better adapted than the leg before described, and I
then employ a bar or holder fixed to the feeder case, the wheel being actuated
from the projections on the needle slide.
For viewing the loop and stitch whilst forming, so as to be able to adjust the
shuttle and thread, I place glass slides or covers to the shuttle box. In order
to, secure the face of a shuttle to its, work, I support the back by an adjust-
able piece and detain the thread loop by a finger piece while the shuttle
enters it.
For adjusting the needle relatively to the shuttle, I use an independant
needle holder attached to the slide by set screws, or I make the shuttle box
face or arm detached from the machine and adjustable by screws or bolts.
For better regulating the tension of the shuttle thread, I make its reel with
one end or trunion enlarged, and the bearing in which it revolves a groove in.
the point-end of the shuttle; a moveable plate covers the trunion; the thread
passes over the plate; and above it is a spring and screw which determines
the pressure both on the thread and trunion.
For regulating the tension of the needle thread and taking up the slack,
I employ a thread lifter with a, tension spring attached to it by a screw,, and.
secure one end, of the lifter on an adjustable pin to the machine,, motion, being
given to the other end in the usual way.
For facilitating the working of chain-stitch machines,; and for allowing the
operator to see the loop or stitch when forming, and for threading the looper
(when making a chain stitch with more than one thread) without removing the
fabric from the table, I, sometimes employ the following arrangements:-At
the base of the machine. I make bearings;, to which are fitted a rocking shaft, with
one end having an arm turned up to carry the looper near the needle, and at the
other-end another arm. turned up to the driving shaft, where two cams inipart
the requisite action for the looper in the forward; and a spring in the backward

page_text: stroke. By placing the rocking shaft on centres and giving the stroke with
one cam, the requisite cross or twist motion of the looper is effected by its
being placed on a spindle mounted on the rocking shaft arm and receiving its
twisting motion during its travel by striking a projection; or instead of on a
spindle the looper may be placed on an arm jointed to the rocking shaft at
right angles and guided by an inclined piece, screw, and spring, so as to produce
the requisite motion. By placing either of these three arrangements above
the table and the needle below it, the chain of the stitch is produced on the
upper side of the work. By employing two or more looper arms, loopers, and
needles, two or more rows of stitching are produced at the same time. For
sewing tubular.or hollow work I place the looper on the end of a rod in the
arm of the machine, and work the looper. rod from the driving shaft or from
the end of the needle lever. I sometimes effect the feeding by the needle,
which in such case is fixed to a needle holder having an oscilating motion by
means of a pin or centre joint on the needle arm; as the needle arm descends
to the bottom of its stroke, a screw and wedge piece cause it to oscilate
the length of the stitch required, the return motion being produced either by
a slide or spring.
To adapt the before-mentioned looper to the Wheeler Wilson pattern machine
I place a cam or crank pin on the end of the driving shaft to actuate the
looper arm which rocks from a double joint at the base, and the .twist motion
is obtained by an inclined projection, screw, and spring as before described. I
sometimes employ glass as a material for the table.
In applying my improvements to various kinds of work I can construct
shuttle machines as follows: The arm machine may have a disc cam to work
the needle and shuttle, or the needle slide may havé a cam plate thereon,
worked by a crank on the end of the driving shaft, and on the other or wheel
end a cylindrical cam works a vertical lever to transfer the motion to the
shuttle driver under the arm or table. To work the shuttle at right angles
with the arm machine, the cylinder cam must be replaced by the disc cam or
an edge cam and spring to keep in action a rocking lever; this rocking lever
on centres or bearings allows a shuttle machine to have its table or platform
raised, with the further advantage of the rocking lever being able to drive
two or more shuttles adjustable with their boxes to any width for two or more
rows of stitching.
My improvements, in the means of giving motion to sewing or other machines
consist of employing, instead of the ordinary connecting rod and treadle, a rod
suspended from a centre above the crank pin having a vertical slot, in wbicli
the crank pin works, the lower end is fitted with a suitable shoe, into which

page_text: the foot of the operator is placed, and being swung backwards and forwards,
the crank pin is caused to rotate in the slot, and motion conveyed by a pulley
,and line to a machine in the usual way. In some cases I suspend the rod
from a centre not directly above the crank pin and use a link or connecting
rod; this arrangement may be attached with a fly wheel to a carriage, and
.clamped to the under side of any ordinary table with the sewing machine above
it. I also sometimes employ an unequal ended bell-crank lever instead of a
pendulous rod, the lower end of which hangs near the ground, and is fitted to
receive the foot, the fulcrum pin is attached to a carriage or part of the frame
of the machine, and the short end is provided with a slot in which the crank
pin works; in this arrangement the machine may be driven by the friction of
a fly wheel with an elastic periphery, with its bearing or axle securely attached
to the bed of the machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Cyrus Symons in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 27th March 1865.
:
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
CYRUS SYMONS, of George Street, Blackfriars Road, in the County of Surrey,
Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Henry Cyrus Symons, Her special licence that I, the said
Henry Cyrus Symons, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Henry Cyrus Symons, 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 for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES, AND THE MEANS OF GIVING
MOTION THERETO," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Henry Cyrus Symons, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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

page_text: 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 Cyrus Symons, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My Invention relates to manufacturing and domestic sewing machines, and
to improvements in the details of such machines, whereby they may be made
more simple and effective; some are more particularly applicable to machines
working a loop stitch with two needles and threads, others. to lock-stitch
machines with shuttles, others to sewing machines of any description.
In the annexed Drawings I have shewn some of the improved parts sepa-
rately, others in combination.
Sheet 1 Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a looper-stitch or chain-stitch
machine; Fig. 2 is a side ditto; Fig. 3 a plan of the looper and incline for
guiding its motion. The frame of this machine is arranged to carry in the
upper part the needle head and main spindle, and in the lower part to support
the needle plate so high that the interlacing of the thread may be seen and
regulated without lifting the machine or work being stitched. This form of
frame is applicable to machines making either single thread, double thread,
or lock stitch in one or more rows, and employing one or more loopers' or
shuttles.
a is the main spindle carrying the hand wheel or driving pulley, as may be.
required, to the front end of which is fitted a crank pin working in a lori-
zontal slot in the needle bar b, and thereby giving the necessary motion to the
needle; c is a cam, fast to the main spindle, which works in the, frame d,
secured to the leg and foot e; when the full part of the cam comes in contact
with the projection in the frame at d' it pushes over the upper part of the
leg, which acts as a lever, turning on the fulcrum pin f, thereby forcing the
lower part with the foot in an opposite direction and feeding the work
forwards, a set screw at h limiting the length of stitch; the foot is kept
pressed down to the work by the spring g until the full part of the can
arriving at the top presses the upper part of the frame at d" and lifts the
foot whilst the needle is buried in the work, thereby giving the operator an
opportunity of adjusting the work; i is a rocking shaft in the base of the
machine, mounted on bearings or centres and provided with two arms, the one
m, which carries the looper or curved needle, is secured by a joint, and can be
pulled forwards from under the plate, or, if preferred, into the position shewn

page_text: by the dotted lines, for conveniently threading the looper; the regulating
screw n and adjustable incline o determine the amount of play upon the joint
to give the necessary cross or twist motion to the looper, the spring p serving
the double purpose of retaining the arm m. in contact with the incline o and
the roller at the end of the other arm k in contact with the driving cam l.
Fig. 4 is a front elevation, Fig. 5 is a side view, and Fig. 6 a plan of a
further modification in which a straight looper needle is employed. m is the
arm carrying the straight looper attached to the rocking shaft, in this case
without a joint. As the needle must descend between the looper thread and
looper, an instrument or thread holder q is here employed to force the thread
out from the eye of the looper and hold it until the needle has entered the
loop thus formed; the thread holder then returns, making a pause until the
loopér has entered the looped thread of the upper needle. A projecting fork
on the arm m supports and gives motion to a rod r attached to a horizontal
lever's carrying the thread holder q and swinging on a centre at t; this rod
has two adjustable nuts or collars to catch the forked arm and give motion .to
'the levers and thread holder. This straight looper is well adapted to work
with the needle feed arrangement shewn in Figs. 11, 12, 13.
Fig. 7'is a side view, and Fig. 8 a plan of another mode of moving a
curved looper. In this arrangement the arm m has a socket at its upper
end, with a spindle or pin u swivelling in it, which carries the looper, and at
its lower end is fitted with a boss. having a tooth a and tail with adjusting
screw. When the arm m vibrates, the tooth a comes in contact with the
stop y attached to the frame, and moves the spindle and looper through a part
of a circle; the return is effected by a spring. The cross or twist motion
may be given to a single thread or other looper by substituting for the tooth a
and stop y a short arm attached to the bottom of the spindle, sliding against
an incline, as o, Fig. 3.
Fig. 9 is a side, view of another somewhat similar arrangement, and Fig. 10
a plan. In this case the arm m, has a short rack fastened to it, and the short
spindle u works in a socket attached. to the frame, having a suitable pinion on
the lower end; by slackening the thumb nuts the looper can be brought over
for threading. To produce two or more rows of stitching simultaneously, two
or more loopers can be inserted in the arm m, and for varying widths of rows
two or more arms at m may be connected and adjusted to the rocking shaft.
Fig. 11 is a front, and Fig. 12 a side elevation, and Fig. 13 a plan in
section at A, B, of a. needle. feed movement. I is the needle slide with a
vertical slot in the upper part guided on a stud; 2, the crank disc and feed
cam; 3, the driving shaft; 4; the regulating stitch screw on the needle slide.

page_text: The motion of the feed cam acting on the screw 4 presses forward the lower
part of the slide as it carries the needle to the bottom of its stroke, the crank
pin as it rises lifts the needle out of the work, and when it comes to the end.
of the horizontal slot restores the slide to a vertical position ready for the
next stroke.
Fig. 14 is a front elevation, and Fig. 15 a side elevation of a shuttle.
machine. 5 is a vertical spindle, working in centres or bearings, having at
the upper end an arm and roller 6 to receive motion from a cam on the
driving shaft 3; at the lower end is another arm 7, which is cranked up at
the end to form the vertical lever 8, jointed to it, by the screw or pin 9; the
spring 10 in the tail keeps the shuttle frame 11 and shuttle against the
shuttle guide 12; the shuttle frame is held up by an adjustable. rib 13, and in.
some cases this rib is dispensed with, the frame 11 bearing upon a set nut
upon the top of lever 8, regulating the shuttle to the proper height.. The
roller 6 is represented deriving its motion from a cam on, the inner face of
the driving wheel, but I sometimes prefer to put the cam between the ribs.
of the C-shaped frame. A spring. acting, on the arm 7 is required to keep
the roller 6 in contact with the edge of its driving cam, but I sometimes use
a grooved cam instead, and the cam shewn in Fig. 6, Sheet 3, will answer
the purpose when placed on the shaft 3 at a convenient distance from the
vertical spindle 5.
.:
To convert the looper machine, Fig. 1 and 2, into a shuttle machine, I
attach a sliding rod to the arm m, and joint the upper end to the shuttle
frame so as to cause it to traverse on the rib 13, as in Figs. 14 and 15.
By substituting for the rocking shaft a spindle having at the driving end. a.
wheel to gear into one on the upper spindle, and driving by it at the needle
end a spool movement, I construct an upper end spool machine. To work.
two shuttles, another lever is jointed to arm 7 at a regulated distance from 8;
the shuttle guide 12 is removed and a rib is substituted, so as to carry a
shuttle at each side, or a double rib, as shewn in Sheet 2, Figs. 15 and 16,
which may be screwed to the frame or needle plate of sewing machine. This
vertical lever (or arm) movement and shuttle frame or frames I have de-.
scribed are applicable to the Howe or Singer pattern machine, or to the.
Wheeler Wilson, by placing the lever 7 'under the feed cam, the lever 8 being
driven from a cam on the driving shaft, and the shuttle being substituted for
a spool, and the crank worked in a curved slot or needle lever; or instead of
a curved slot a cam on the end of shaft may actuate a roller on the end of
needle lever.
Figs. 14 and. 15 also show a feed movement; 14 is a feeder or leg working

page_text: in a slot stud 15; 16, a face cam on the driving shaft, the feeding part shewn
acting against the upper part of the leg; 17, an edge cam with the lifting.
part of the foot overhanging it. a, regulating screw and spring, as in Figs. I
and 2, placed in a convenient position, produces by this movement the
stitching at right angles to that shewn in Figs. 1 and 2; this is applicable to
machines with the top driving shaft, and by fitting both movements to one
machine it is rendered double acting.
Sheet II. Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a manufacturing shuttle machine'
fitted with another arrangement for driving shuttles, which gives the facility
for adjusting the motion to suit a longer or shorter shuttle, an arrangement of
my universal feed motion, and a convenient handle for stopping and starting
such machine; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a plan;
Fig. 4, a vertical section at line A, B; Fig. 5, a horizontal section at line
C, D; Fig. 6, a cross section through the shuttle at E, F. The same figures
or letters refer to the same parts in the different views.
: A is a cam mounted on the main spindle B, which gives motion to the
short arm C attached to the upper end of the vertical spindle D, which turns
on two centres, at the lower end of which is the arm E, having a return arm
and a joint to receive the connecting rod or shuttle driver, this joint being
made to slide allows the shuttle driver to have a stroke suitable to a longer
or shorter shuttle; the other end of the connecting rod is attached to the
sliding frame F; which carries the shuttle resting upon two little guide wheels;
this frame works in a. dovetailed groove, and is readily slipped out and re-
placed by another carrying a larger or smaller shuttle, as required. By fitting
a glass slide in the shuttle box the shuttle and reel are seen when working.
By working the shuttle face inwards, as in Sheet 2, Figs. 15 and 16, by a
suitable carriage fitted in the arm, the slide or other cover is not required,
and the working and stitch forming may be seen to advantage. Instead of
the upright spindle a bell crank may be used; the roller end working in
a cam, and the other end jointed to the shuttle driver; G is the needle bar,
which receives its motion from a crank pin on the end of the main spindle B
working in the cam H. I is a cylindrical bolt, conical at the lower end, which
passes through the head of the machine and the swivelling carriage J, and can
be tightened by the hand K; the needle bar slides vertically through the
centre of this bolt, which is cut away at one part to allow of the action of the
driving cam; the cone L acts as an incline to drive the feed gear, whatever
way it may be turned, it slides on the exterior of bolt I, and receives notion
by a transverse pin, which passes through slotted holes in the bolt and the
needle bar and is caught by the latter, and carried through a part of its stroke;

page_text: the swivelling carriage J has fitted to it the leg and claw M, the feed
lever N, jointed. on the pin Q, and the lifting lever O, jointed on.pin R. The
leg and claw M works between two cheeks, it has a slot in the upper part
guided on a pin, and is pressed down by a spring, when the needle box rises.
it causes the cone L to strike against the adjustable set screw P, thereby
pushing in the incline at the lower part of feed lever N, which forces out the
claw M and advances the work; when the needle descends, the under side
of cone L, drives down the tail of the lever O, lifts the leg and foot M. off the
work by a pin, and introduces an incline between the feed lever and carriage
so as to return it to its original position on the carriage I, which fixed in any
direction will present the levers in a position to be worked by the cone L, and
the claw will draw the work radially from the needle, and the thread may. be
passed out of the way down a hole in bolt H; when more convenient, a feed
wheel may be mounted on a slide in the carriage J, and be actuated by a feed
lever from cone L. And in order to produce work of various patterns,
suitable gear may be applied to the carriage J to give it regular or inter
mittent motion.
Fig. 7 is an elevation, Fig. 8. a. section, and Fig. 9 a plan of my arrange-
ment for giving greater control of the tension of the shuttle thread; this is
effected by making an enlarged trunion to the shuttle reel at one end s;
this drops into a bearing, the bottom of which I prefer to line with indian-
rubber or leather, and is secured by a circular plate T tightened by a screw;
tbis plate has a notch at one part, which when brought round permits the
gudgeon to pass and the reel to be taken out; Fig. 10 is a modification.of the
same in elevation; Fig. 11, a cross section; Fig. 12 is a plan; in this
arrangement the thread is passed under and around the flat spring u, held in
place by the set screw and clamp y; instead of passing through numerous
holes in the shuttle shell, the thread passes around this spring, and is kept
in place by the notches shewn; by turning round the clamp of the spring u is
easily disengaged and the tension regulated.
'>
Fig. 16 is a plan of an arrangement of shuttle driver suitable for two
shuttles adapted for making two rows of stitches at one operation; Fig. 14, a
side elevation; and Fig. 15, a cross section. 1, 1, are the cheeks of the arm,
which may be brought closer by the adjusting screws; 2 is a plate working
through openings in the cheeks connected with the shuttle driver; 3, the
brackets that retain the shuttles, having the screw holes slotted, can by
slackening the screws be set closer or wider as desired, and the needles, as
shewn at Fig. 13, being also adjusted by their clamps.
:
Figs. 17, 18, and 19 are side elevations of arrangements of my improved

page_text: means of giving motion to sewing machines.
In Fig. 17, 4 is the table top,
on which the sewing machine stands; 5, the wheel;. 6, the crank ;. 7, a rod
or beam pendant from a fulcrum or centre attached to the table, and having
a vertical slot in which the crank pin works; the bottom end is jointed to a
plate or shoe to receive the foot of the operator; by swinging the foot back-
wards and forwards the crank pin moves in the slot and turns the fly wheel,
motion being conveyed to the machine by a line. To give facility for stopping
and starting, I employ a pulley. S with spindle and handle, round which the
driving line may be passed with one or more guide pulleys suitable for con-
veying motion to a sewing machine when set as shewn in Fig. 1, or at right
angles thereto. This swinging motion of the foot is less fatigueing-and-more
convenient than the rising and falling motion of an ordinary treadle; it is alsò
very controllable, as acting both in the forwards and backwards stroke; instead
of the rod 7 having a slot in which the crank pin works, it may be made
plain, and the crank pin be formed like an eye or staple to slide the rod, and
the-pin turn in the crank head as wheel.
Fig. 19 is another arrangement, in which, instead of a straight pendant
rod, as at Fig. 17, I employ a bent or bell-crank lever with a fulcrum attached
to the table or frame, the lower end having a shoe for the operator's foot, and
the upper a slot to work a crank or excentric pin on the main spindle of the
machine; or I sometimes interpose a connecting rod between the crank and
the short arm of the lever, as at Fig. 18; this arrangement either above or
below table for a convenient motion for attaching to a common table, and
giving motion by foot to a sewing machine.
Sheet III.: Fig. 1 is a front view,, 2 a side elevation, 3 a sectional plan,
4 a vertical section at A, B, of a looped or chain-stitch machine, adapted to
stitch neck-ties or other tabular work; and for boot or other work requiring
the needle near the end of the arm. a is the frame; b, the needle lever;
'c, the needle bar or holder united to d, an incline piece e, which in its descent
causes the needle bar to recede from the regulating stitch screw e, and thus
progress the work the length of the stitch required; the up stroke brings the
inside of the incline piece in contact with a stop f, causing the needle bar to
return the friction of the joint returning the needle bar b. The screw i.and
stop fare attached to the head of the frame, also the presser g. The arm of
the machine h contains the sliding looper rods i, and the thread catcher and
lever k, having its fulcrum at l, and both worked by the cam m, a crank pin n
is inserted in the end of the cam to drive the needle lever 6 by means of a
slot at the end; above the slot it is bent to pass through an opening in the
frame a, the sliding loopér rod i is bent down, so as to be driven by the face

page_text: 4
of cam m and the lever le to the groove in its edge.. For threading the looper
holes are made through the arm, and the looper thread is carried along or
under the arm to the tension and bobbin, which are conveniently placed
behind the machine. The upper thread has its tension on the frame a, 'and'
the thread passes through a hole in the top of the needle bar to the needle! ->
Sheet III. Fig. 5 is a-part elevation; and Fig. 6 a plan of a machine to
shew the means of working a long or short shuttle, and either at right angles
to or parallel with the driving shaft, the shuttle box being made to fix on the
frame to correspond. -1 is the needle head; 2, the frame; 3, the driving shaft;
4, the cám; 5, lever swinging on spindle 6; 7, shuttle driving rod; 8, shuttle
box; the groove in the cam for driving the shuttle is cut to suit the sweep of
the lever from the spindle 6; the lever 5 and shuttle driver 7 are jointed by a
pin or bolt, which may be set in corresponding holes, whereby the stroke is regu-
lated for either a long or short shuttle. On the lever 5 is bolted, when required,
a corresponding lever 5"; the screws 9 provide for removing the arm X and
shuttle box to a position parallel to the driving shaft, as at X", the shuttle
driver 7 is then to be jointed to the levers; the needle slide, feed, and shuttle
may be of the usual description.
Fig. 7 is a side, and 8 and 9 front views of a shuttle box; 10 is the
adjustable piece to keep the shuttle to its guide, regulated by set screws and
studs; 11, the shuttle box, may be covered by glass or other slides 12.
Fig. 9 is an arrangement for placing the shuttle on a travelling carriage 13,
having adjustments similar to Figs. 15 and 16, Sheet II.
Fig. 10 is a side view, and 11 a plan of the tension and regulator combined
for needle thread; 14 is a plate with a boss turned to fit the hole in the
machine; it is shouldered down to take a spiral spring 15, and set up by screw
and washer to the regulation required; 16 is a screw pressing on the tension
spring 17, under which, guided by suitable holes, notches, or pins, passes the
thread to the needle.
Another arrangement is shewn in the machine, Fig.
'
the crank
disc lifts an arm, which is set on a frictional joint; on the front end of the
arm is a curved pin or wire, on which a spring clip twists the thread to give
the tension.
Another arrangement applicable to Fig. 5, Sheet III., is made by forming
a grooved headed bolt set on a frictional joint; through the head of the bolt
passes a wire that can be set to a greater or shorter length; this is fitted with
a spring clip or a milled head to twist the thread, give the tension, and hold
up the slack.

page_text: Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner.in
which the same may be carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that
without confining myself to the exact details, I claim; the, general application
of the improvements, herein described to sewing machines, either separately
or in combination.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Cyrus Symonds, liave hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of March, in the year'
> of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.