AN IMPROVED STITCH FOR SEWING OR STITCHING TOGETHER STRAW, BRAID, OR SIMILAR ARTICLES, AND MACHINERY FOR MAKING THE SAME
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes, of the Firm of Hughes
and Son, Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED STITCH FOR SEWING OR STITCHING TOGETHER
STRAW, BRAID, OR SIMILAR ARTICLES, AND MACHINERY FOR MAKING THE
SAME." A communication from abroad by Nathan Adolphus
Baldwin, of Milford, County of New Haven, United States of
America.
Sealed the 2nd October 1869, and dated the 10th April 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas
Hughes at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 10th April 1869.
I, EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son,
Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED STITCH FOR SEWING OR
STITCHING TOGETHER STRAW, BRAID, OR SIMILAR ARTICLES, AND MACHINERY FOR
MAKING THE SAME," a communication to me from abroad by Nathan
Adolphus Baldwin, of Milford, County of New Haven, United States of
America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved stitch for sewing straw, braid,

page_text: or similar material where it is desirable that the stitch should pass
through one thickness, and but partially through the other, and to an
apparatus or machine for making the said stitch, and the Invention
consists, ―
First. In passing the needle and its thread through the under layer
or thickness, partially through the upper layer or thickness, and out
through the under layer or thickness, forming a stitch, either by a chain
made from the needle thread or by the interlacing of a second
thread.
Second. In the arrangement of sewing mechanism so that the needle
will work in a line parallel to the material to be sewn, and combining
with the needle, so working a device which shall bend the work down in
front of the needle, so that the needle will pass first through the material
nearest to it, then partially through the other, then again through the
first, the stitch being formed after such passage through the two
materials.
To enable others to construct and use these improvements I will fully
describe the same, as illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, in
which Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate the process of forming the stitch; Fig. 3
being a side view, and Fig. 4 a top view of the machine.
I will first describe the stitch which constitutes the first part of the
Invention and is represented in Fig. 2.
a is the inner or lower braid; b, the outer or upper braid. In sewing
braid, as for the manufacture of hats or head coverings, it is essential to
good work that the stitch does not come through upon the outer side, I
therefore bend the two braids as seen in Fig. 1, so that a needle running
parallel with the braids will pass first through the lower layer a at
one point, then partially through the other layer b, then out through
the under layer, and without passing to the external surface of the
outer braid. The needle carrying a thread in the usual manner is
interlaced with a second thread, as in Fig. 2, to form the stitches A, or
may be formed into a chain from the needle thread itself. This completes
the first part of the Invention.
I will now describe the mechanisms for making the stitch. A' is the
bed plate constructed so as to form the work table B, the needle bar
operated by the eccentric C, the said bar moving in a line parallel with
the surface of the work table and carrying in its end a needle d. In a
race D at right angles to the movement of the needle bar I arrange a

page_text: shuttle E operated by a cam F, or in any other well-known manner, the
said shuttle lying with its flat side up, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4, and so as
to pass under the needle at the proper time to take the needle thread; Ft
is the presser foot operated by a cam G, so that before the needle passes
forward the said presser foot will pass down and press the braid, as
seen in Fig. 1, so that the needle as it moves forward will pass into the
two braids, as seen in Fig. 1. Any suitable feeding device for otherwise
may be applied to give the proper intermittent movement to the braid
whilst being sewn. The presser foot rises after each stitch and falls for
the next and so on.
It will be observed by those skilled in the use of sewing machines
that various devices may be employed for forming the stitch, operating
the needle, and feeding the material, this Invention consisting
in the arrangement of the needle so as to move in a line parallel with
the material being sewn, combined with an apparatus for forcing the
material into position for the passage of the needle through it, I do
not therefore wish to be understood as confining myself to the particular
mechanism herein described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 9th October 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents,
123, Chancery Lane, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Edward Thomas Hughes,
Her special licence that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Edward Thomas Hughes, 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

page_text: 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 STITCH FOR SEWING OR STITCHING
TOGETHER STRAW, BRAID, OR SIMILAR ARTICLES, AND MACHINERY FOR MAKING
THE SAME,' a communication to me from abroad by Nathan Adolphus
Baldwin, of Milford, County of New Haven, United States of America,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Thomas
Hughes, 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 Edward Thomas Hughes, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement and accompanying Sheet of Drawings (that
is to say):-
This Invention relates to an improved stitch for sewing straw, braid,
or similar material where it is desirable that the stitch should pass
through one thickness and but partially through the other, and to an
apparatus or machine for making the said stitch, and the Invention
consists,―
First. In passing the needle and its thread through the under layer
or thickness, partially through the upper layer or thickness, and out
through the under layer or thickness, forming a stitch, either by a chain
made from the needle thread or by the interlacing of a second thread.
Second. In the arrangement of sewing mechanism so that the
needle will work in a line parallel to the material to be sewed, and
combining with the needle, so working a device which shall bend the
work down in front of the needle, so that the needle will pass first through
the material nearest to it, then partially through the other, then again
through the first, the stitch being formed after such passage through
the two materials.
To enable others to construct and use these improvements I will fully
describe the same, as illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
in which Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate the process of forming the stitch;
Fig. 3 being a side view, and Fig. 4 a top view of the machine.

page_text: I will first describe the stitch which constitutes the first part of the
Invention and is represented in Fig. 2.
a is the inner or lower braid; 6 the outer or upper braid. In sewing
braid as for the manufacture of hats or head coverings it is essential to
good work that the stitch does not come through upon the outer side,
I therefore bend the two braids as seen in Fig. 1, so that a needle
running parallel with the braids will pass first through the lower layer
a at one point, then partially through the other layer b, then out through
the under layer and without passing to the external surface of the outer
braid. The needle carrying a thread in the usual manner is interlaced
with a second thread, as in Fig. 2, to form the stitches A, or may be
formed into a chain from the needle thread itself. This completes the
first part of the Invention.
I will now describe the mechanism for making the stitch. A¹ is
the bed plate constructed so as to form the work table B, the needle
bar operated by an excentric C, the said bar moving in a line parallel
with the surface of the work table and carrying in its end a needle d.
In a race D at right angles to the movement of the needle bar I arrange
a shuttle E operated by a cam F, or in any other well-known manner,
the said shuttle lying with its flat side up, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4, and
so as to pass under the needle at the proper time to take the needle
thread; F is the presser foot operated by a cam G, so that before the
needle passes forward the said presser foot will pass down and press
the braid, as seen in Fig. 1, so that the needle as it moves forwards will
pass into the two braids. Any suitable feeding device for otherwise
may be applied to give the proper intermittent movement to the braid
while being sewed. The presser foot rises after each stitch and falls for
the next and so on.
It will be observed by those skilled in the use of sewing machines that
various devices may be employed for forming the stitch, operating the
needle, and feeding the material, this Invention consisting in the
arrangement of the needle so as to move in a line parallel with the
material being sewed combined with an apparatus for forcing the material
into position for the passage of the needle through it, I do not therefore
wish to be understood as confining myself to the particular mechanism
herein described.
Having fully described this Invention, what I claim as new and
useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,―

page_text: First. A stitch formed by passing the needle into or through the
material when the material is bent into such form that the needle passes
twice through one material, taking partly through the other material in
its passage, substantially as described.
Second. The arrangement in a sewing machine of the needle so as to
move in a line parallel with the material being sewed, combined with
an apparatus operating to present the material to the needle, substantially
as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of October, in
the year of our Lord 1869.