AN IMPROVED SEWING MACHINE
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Elizabeth Norman, of Bayswater, in the County
of Middlesex, Widow, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED SEWING
MACHINE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Elizabeth Norman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with her Petition, on the
1st August 1872. .
I; ELIZABETH NORMAN, of Bayswater, in the County of Middlesex,
Widow, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for “An
IMPROVED SEWING MACHINE," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved sewing machine of simple and
inexpensive construction, and consisting of a vertical tube, supported by
a bracket, arm, or other suitable means, and enclosing the needle rod,

page_text: which is capable of free up-and-down motion therein. The presser foot
is held in position by a second bracket, or works in suitable bearings
forming part of the first. A third bracket or lever secured at its upper
end to the bottom of the needle rod passes through a hole or slot in the
cloth plate or table, and is pivotted at its lower end to a looper, by
preference constructed of three parts or pieces, suitably formed and secured
to each other (but it may be made of one piece, or of two pieces, of the
same shape), and pivotted at a second place (which forms its centre of
motion) to a downward projecting bracket secured under and to the
cloth plate, the pivots being placed in such relative positions as to cause
the looper to reciprocate in a perpendicular plane across the direction of
the feed at each motion of the needle rod.
By the above construction the needle in its descent passes between
two of the three pieces, which two meet in a forward point; but on the
backward movement of the looper caused by the further depression of
the needle rod the needle emerges at the point of the looper from between
the two pieces; but when the needle rod begins to ascend, the point
enters the loop of thread at the side of the needle, and spreads it out,
the needle at the same time rising outside the two pieces until, when it
reaches its highest point, it, is again. directly over the space or opening
between the two pieces, ready to descend between them at. the next
stroke, and engage with the preceding loop already spread out by them,
and held by the third piece (which is formed as a spring), and so form
what is, known as a chain or tambour stitch.
It is preferred (for simplicity of construction) that the needle rod should
be operated by a direct downward pressure upon a flattened or suitably
shaped part, or handle; at its top (but, this motion may be also: obtained:
by a lever, wheel, or any other suitable, mechanical arrangement in
common use to effect a similar motion) the recovery or upward motion
being caused by a helical spring enclosed by the tube.
The bobbin, or reel is placed upon, a projecting limb at the upper
part of the needle rod, and the- tension obtained by a.spiral spring and
nut.
The fabric, is, guided and fed by wheels, one of which receives-motion.

page_text: its upward motion, and transmits it to the other or others (the acting.
surface of which may be either serrated or smooth), the length of the
stitch being regulated by a screw or other suitable adjustment, or 'the
guiding and feeding arrangements may be placed under the cloth plate
of the machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Elizabeth Norman in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 31st January 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ELIZABETIE
NORMAN, of Bayswater, in the County of Middlesex, Widow, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Elizabeth Norman, Her special licence
that I, the said Elizabeth Norman, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Elizabeth Norman, 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 "AN
IMPROVED SEWING MACHINE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Elizabeth Norman, my executors or administrators, by an in-
strument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said In-
vention, 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.
:

page_text: same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement in writing, and on reference being
had to the accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to an improved method of constructing and
arranging a sewing machine of a simple and inexpensive kind, the
material part consisting in the use of an improved looper, as herein-after
described.
On the accompanying Drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation,
and Figure 2 a plan view thereof. The needle rod a is enclosed by and
is capable of free up-and-down motion in a vertical tube 6, supported by
or forming part of the arm c, which is secured to the cloth or bed plate p,
or held in its position by any other suitable arrangement.
It may in cases where a very cheap and simple machine is required,
be operated by a direct downward pressure upon its top, a flattened or
suitably shaped part or handle d being there provided, and the recovery
or upward motion caused by a helical spring e enclosed by the tube,
both as shewn in red in Figure 1, the spring being only partly shown,
or by the employment of other suitable means.
For machines of ordinary use,, where rapid and easy action is required,
I employ an eccentric and lever motion, as shewn at f, g, being operated
by a hand wheel h, the bolt i forming the centre of motion of the lever g,
see Figure 1, and serving also to hold the sides of the arm c together (sce
Figure 2). The speed with which the machine works may be increased
by employing a second wheel, worked by the first or by any other suit-
able mechanical arrangement of the kind usually employed, as is well
known in sewing machines.
My improved looper, shown at j (see Figures 3), I construct of three
parts or pieces, k, l, m, formed as shewn on the accompanying Drawings,
and rivetted or otherwise secured to each other. This construction of
looper I have found to work well, but it may be modified by forming it of
two pieces, or of one, if cut out of solid metal; in some cases the shape
may be somewhat varied, while its action herein described is preserved. It
is pivotted at n, its centre of motion, to a downward projecting bracket o,
secured to the plate p, and receives its motion citler from the eccentric f

page_text: by the employment of the connecting rod q, lever r (pivotted at s), and
link t, pivotted to the looper at u, or by directly, connecting the lever r
with the needle rod at the bottom or other suitable part thereof, and is
caused to reciprocate or rock in a rotary or circular direction or move-
ment, with its centre of motion at n, in a vertical plane at right angles
to that of the direction of the feed at each motion of the needle rod.
In my
Provisional Specification I mentioned that the fabric might be
guided and fed by wheels, but since the lodging of the said Specification,
I have found out that the said arrangement as therein described is not
new, nor of such practical utility as I then supposed, and I now therefore
make no claim to that part of my improvements.
In a sewing machine to which my improved looper is adapted, the
fabric may be conveniently guided and fed by a' presser foot in the
following manner :-The presser foot, as shewn at v, see Figure 4, is held
in position by a bracket w secured to or forming part of the arm c, and
is caused to feed or give motion to the fabric by a lever X (pivotted at y),
which is actuated by a cam projecition z on the wheel h, the length of
the stitch being regulated by the screw adjustment 1, see Figure 2. It
is lifted at the proper time, whilst the needle is just finishing its down-
ward stroke, and is holding the cloth by a projecting limb 2 (placed at
the upper part of the needle rod, and on which the bobbin or reel 3 is
or may be conveniently placed, the tension on the thread being regulated
by a spiral spring 4 and nuts 5), striking and depressing a small arm 6,
centred at 7 to a bracket 7* secured to c, which causes its other end to
be raised, and as the presser foot bar 8 is attached to the said arm by a
screw 8*, it is also raised, and the cam projection z immediately leaving
the screw 1 by means of the lever x, the upper part of the bar 8 is thrust
away from, the needle rod and its lower part forward, and when the
needle rod again begins to ascend, the spring q causes the bar 8 and
foot v to descend, and the projection ź again coming in contact with the
screw 1, the needle being quite clear of the cloth, the bar 8 and foot v
receive a contrary motion to that immediately above described, and are
caused to feed the fabric.

page_text: י
needle in its descent passes down between the two pieces l, m, of the
looper, which meet in a forward point. x, and are at the same time
receiving a backward motion (the beginning of which is illustrated in
Figure 1). On the further descent of the rod and backward motion of
the looper, the needle emerges at the point x from between the pieces l, m,
(Figure 1** showing the completion of this, the needle being shown in
its lowest and the looper in its most backward position), but as the needle
begins to rise, the looper also begins to receive its forward movement,
and when the needle has risen sufficiently to form a loop or slackening
of the thread on one side, the point of the looper (which is situated just
at this side of the line of the needle's motion) enters the loop, and by
the peculiar conformation of the bows, and of the projecting pieces 10, 11,
at the under side thereof, the loop is retained and spread out, being held
between the pieces k, l, by the piece k, which is formed as a spring, the
needle at the same time rising outside the piece m (see Figure 1***),
bearing the looper very slightly to one side, until when it rises suffi-
ciently high to clear it, it is again directly over the space or opening
between the pieces l, m, ready to descend between them at the next
stroke and engage with the preceding loop already spread out and held,
as above described, and so form what is known as a chain or tambour
stitch. The side movement of the looper, however, may be caused by a
slight projection, soldered to the looper itself, and catching against the
.bracket, or vice versá, or by varying the shape of the piece m.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
"An Improved Sewing Machine," together with the manner in which
the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, I
would remark in conclusion, that I do not claim as of my Invention the
various separate parts (other than the looper, which in combination
form the entire sewing machine, such parts as, for instance, the needle,
the presser foot, and the feed, and the mode of actuating them are old;
and in many cases other equivalent known parts may, as will be under-
stood by those acquainted with sewing machines, be substituted for
those employed by me, as above described, and found advantageous in
my improved sewing machine; but what I claim is,-
יגד
1

page_text: And secondly. I claim as a new and material part of my Invention
the use of the improved looper, constructed substantially as herein:
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Elizabeth Norman, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.
ELIZABETH NORMAN. (L.S.)
Witness,
BRISTOW HUNT;
Solicitor and Patent Agent,
5, Serle Street,
Lincoln's Inn.