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 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE.
ELIAS HOWE, JR., OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTs.
M PROWEMENT IN SEw NG-MACHIN ES.
Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 4,750, dlated September 10, 1846.

To (ul? whom it mrty concern : | metallic plate from whichthese wires project
Be it known that I, Er.IAs Howe, Jr., of las numerous holes through it, which answer
Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and the purposeofrack-teeth in enabling the plate
State of Massachusetts, have inwented a new to be moved forward by means of a pinion
and useful machine for sewing seams in cloth as the Stitches are taken. Tlne (listance to
i orother articles requiring to be sewed; and which said plate is noved, and consequently
I do hereby declarethat thefollowing is a full the length of the stitches, may be regulated
and exact description thereof. at pleasure.
In sewing a seam with my machine twc In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is
threads are employed, one of which threads is a front elevation of the machine; Fig. 2, a
carried through thecloth by means of a curved endelevation thereof, and Fig. 3 a top view.
meedle, the pointed end of which is to pass The other figures represent sections and parts
through said cloth. The needle used hasthe. im detail, which will be presently explained.
eye tlat is to receivethethread within a small A. A istle bedor base of the machine, and
distance-say, an eighth of an inch-of its in BB standardsrisingtherefrom, which sustain
ner or pointed end. The other or outer erid the main shaft and other parts of the appa
of the needle is held by an arm that wibrates ratus. *
on a piwot or joint pin, and the curvature of C Cis the main shaft, which carriesthe cams
the needle is such as to correspond with the that operate the needle, the shuttle-drivers,
length of the arm as its radius. When the and other parts of the nachine. D is a fly
threadiscarried through thecloth, whichmay wheel, and E a winch, on saidshaft.
be dome to the distance ofabout three-fourths F is a bobbim on which the Silk is wound.
of an inch, the thread will be stretched abowe that is to supply the needle. *
the curved needle, something in the manner (; is the needle-arm, that carries the curved
of a bow-3tring, leaving a small opem space mecdle (t. This is seem most distinctly in the
between the two. Asmall shuttle carryinga end elevation, Fig. 2.. The thread from the
lobbim filled with silkor thr?ad is then madle bobbim Flasses round a small friction-rolier,
to pass entirely through this opem space be b, or round a smooth groove in the situation
tween the needle and the thread which it car of Said roller, them up through the eye of the
ries, and when the shuttle is returned, which ncedleate,whicheyeissituatedneartothence
isdone by means of a picker-staffor shuttle dle-point. The cloth is stuck on the points
driver, the thread which was carried in by the dd, that project from the metallic plate H,
i needle is surrounded by that received from which I wilcall the * baster-plate.” Thisplate
| the shuttle, and as the needle is drawn out it is shown most distinctly in the top wiew, Fig.
forces that which was received from the shut 3. When the threide is carried through the
tle into the body of the cloth, and as this op cloth by the needle a, the upper portion of
eration is repeated a seam is formed which said thread will be above the needle ani will
lasom each side of the cloth the same appear allow the point of the shuttle (to be presently
ance as that given by stitching, with this pe described) to pass between them. To enable
culiarity, that the thread shown on one side it to enter readily, the needle, after entering
of the cloth is exclusively that which was the cloth, is immediately drawl back to a
given out by the needle, and the threadseem short distatnce, which opcns the loop slight?y.
on the othersideisexclusivelythat which was The cam which operates the needle-arm be
given out by shuttle. It will therefore be img so formed as to cause such drawing back,
seen that a stitch is made ateveryback-and the shuttle will, 'im order to giwe itself the
forth movementoftheshuttle, Thetwothick which mecessary room, draw a portion of the thread
nesses of cloth that are to be sewed are held throughlad been given out by the needle
the ?loth, said thread having bech
upon pointed wires which project ont from a
metallic plate, like the teethofa comh, butat left in a loop or. slack state for that purpose.
a considlerable distance from each other-Say | Fig. 4 representsa part of the same portion
three-fourths of an inch, more orless-these of the machine that is shown'in-Fig. 2, but
pointed wires sustining the loth and th with the needle-arni down and with thendedle
sweringtle purposeofordinary basting. The passed through the c?oth. fisthe'cloth, (seen
 2 4,750

im section, but not shown in any of the other effected by the regulating-screwn, Fig. 3, that
figures.) e" is the loop or slackthread formed moves a pin back and forth that serves asa
on the outside of the cloth, and which is to be stop to said arm. The pin is represented by
drawnthroughitby the passing of the shuttle. the doto, Fig: 6, and is seen ato, Figs. 2 ant
I in the respective figures istheshuttle box 3. pisa spring that retainstheratchet-wheel.
ortrough, within which the shuttle is moved in place as the claw is taking a new hold. q
back and forth by means of the picker-staves isa spring for holding the arm Sagainst the
or shuttle-drivers J. J. In Fig. 5 I havegiven (3.
| atop view of thisbox with theshuttle Kwithin Insewing with thismachine, thethread from
it. This shuttleisin its general construction the bobbin Fispassed overa notch?”, Fig.1, at.
similar to the largershuttle used in weaving, theupperendofthe needle-arm, andis returned
and its spoolg is capable of containing an or through the notch ”. It tlen passes down in
dinary skein of silk. The shuttle-box Isis. front of saidarm, thenaround the rollerb, and
represented as made convex on its under side, through the needle-eye. To regulate the giw
by which it is adapted to admita baster-plate ing out of the threadfrom the bobbin, friction
that may be in a curved form, although for ismade on it by the semicircular clasp 8, that
most purposesa straight baster-plate may be ismade to presson it by a spring, t, regulated
üsed. The pieces marked i i arelight Springs by a tempering - screw. Before the needle
above the shuttle, which bear slightly upon it passes through the cloth the thread, which ex
and serve to steady its motion. The shuttle
drivers work on joint-pins, asshowmat.j, Fig. tends from the needle-eye to said cloth, is
2, there bcing a corresponding fixture for the form theorloop
rais?d drawm up by a lifting-pin, so asto
or slack, which is subsequently
drivers On the other side. to be drawn in by thu passing of the shuttle
L, Fig. 3, isthecam that operates the shut between the thread and the needle.
tle-drivers, on the upper ends of which driv W, Figs. 1 and 2, is a lifting-rod, from the
ers there may be friction-rollersj" j". The side of which projects the lifting-pin t. The
cam L. acts upom the shuttle-drivers alter lifting-rod is attachcd at itsupper end to :
nately. crank-arna, v, which works on a shaft, w, and
M, Fig. 5, is a sliding box fitted into the this shaft is made to wibrate by means of the
shuttle-box and moved back and forth in the cami a on the Cam-shaft. „This calm operates
rear of the shuttle by one of the drivers, and. on a friction-roller, y, on a short arm on the
N is a corresponding. sliding piece moved by inner end of the shaft r. The lifting - rod
the other driver and adapted to tle fore or stands in front of a plate, X, Figs. 1 and 2,
nointed end of the shuttle. The needle-arm whichisattachcd atitsupper cnd to the frame
isattached to the rock-shaft O, Fig. 1, which of the machine, and between the lower end of
wibrates on a center pin or pivots, and from this plate and the shuttle-box the clotl is to
this shaft rises an arm, P, that carries a pii pass. The plate Xis furnished with a hinge:
and friction-roller, k, which enters a space, 1,
in thecam Q,which space operates as a zigzag jointatitsupperend, im order thatits distance
from the shuttle-box may be regulated to suit,
groove, and is of course so formed as to give cloth of different thicknesses.
the proper wibration to the needle-arm. There
i is agroove or narrow channel made across the i in Y,place.
Fig. 1, is a set-screw, by which it is held.
From the back part of the lifting
bottom of the shuttle-box to receive the nee rod proceeds a guide-pin, z, that moves the.
dle, in order that itsupper part may be even lifting-rod laterally, so asto govern the action
with said bottomandallow the shuttle to pass of the lifting-pin u. This guide-pin works
freely overit. against guide-piecesa"b", affixed on the front
The baster-plate H, Fig. 3, which receives of the plate X. The dotted lines show the
the cloth to be sewed, isfurnished with a row groove formed by the pieces ("b", along which
of small holes, m m, drilled at a regular dis the guide-pin Is to pass. The lifting-roci is
tance from each other, Serving the purpose of carried toward the pieceb, by means ofa spira?
rack-teeth, and into these round pinion-teeth spring around its shaft, or in any other con
enter for the purpose of carrying the plate wenient mode: In the position in which the
forward to a proper distance at everystitch. apparatus is shown in Fig. 1 the lifting-pin
Fig. 6 shows the principal portion of the is partially raised, and will have lifted the
feedingapparatus as it would appear were a. thread. In raising it the guide - pin passes
vertical section made through the machine in through the groove between ("b", (show by
the linea a of Fig. 3. Risa camon the cam dotted lines,) and when at the upper enci of
shaft C, that yibrates an arm, S, carrying a this groove the needle-arm acts and carries
feeding - claw, T, that takes into a ratchet the needle through the cloth. On the side of
wheel, U, on the shaft V, whichshaft crosses the needle-arm there is a projecting piece, (",
the bed A of the machine, its fore end being the inclined edge of which, coming in contact
seen at V, Fig 1. This shaft has on it mear with the lifting-rod, pushes it laterally over
its fore end the pinion that carries the pins or theangular point ofthe piece (t", and the crank
teeth that take into the holes m. in the baster arm w descending at this moment, the lifting
and Gause it to advance between every stitch. pin is withdirawn from the thread, which is
The length of the stitch may be regulated by thereby left slack to a suficient extent fur the
regulating the play of the arm S, and thisis purpose designated.
 4,750 | 3
The shuttle (s?own separatelyin Fig.7)las Havingthus fully described the manner in
a hole, d, through its side for the thread to which I construct my nachine for sewing
pass from the spool; and a slot, f”f", is madle seans, and shown the operation thereof, what
through the side of tleshuttle-lbox to allow of I claim thereinasnew, and desire to secure by
the play of the shuttle-threadback and forth. Letters Patent, is
At the timewhen the shuttle has completed 1. The forming of the Seam by carrying a
its passage between the needle and its thread, thread through theclot?abymcans ofa curved
the needle is to be withdrawn from the cloth; needle on the end of a wibrating arm, and the
and when this is taking place, it is mecessary passing of a shuttle furnished withitsbobbin,
that the shuttle-threadshould be held firmly, inthemannersetforth, betwee? the needle and
or the withdrawing of the needle, instead of | the thread wlich it carries under a combina
drawing the shuttle-thread firmly into the tion and arrangement of parts substantially
body of the cloth and makinga perfect Seam, the same with that described.
would drawa portion ofit from the spool and 2. The lifting of the thread that passes
| cause it to passentirelythrough said cloth. through the needle-eyeby means of thelifting
In Fig. 1, g/is theouterend ofa lever which rod W, for the purpose of forming a loop of
is made to rise at the proper moment, and to loose thread that is to be subsequently draw?
(lip the thread between it and the upper edge in by the passage of the shuttle, as herein
of the slot f". Thisleveris seen in Fig. 2, its fully described, said, lifting - rod being für
fulcrum being at l'. The rod i serves to de nished with a lifting pin, u, and governed in
press the inner end of Said lewer and to raise its motions by the guide-pieccs and other de
i its outer end, the cam j” on the can-shaft per vices, arranged and operating substantiallyas
forming this ofice. described.
Thesliding box IM does not bear directly 3. The holding of tle thread that is given
against the rear end of the shuttle-box, but 0ut by the sluttle, so as to prewent its un
has a pin, m", projecting from its fore end, winding from the shuttle - bobbim after the
w?nich pim acts against the shuttle. The pin. shuttlehaspassedthrough the loop, saidthread
n" constitutesa part of a small lewer showm being lueld By means of the lever or clipping
separately in Fig. S. Thepartn' of this lever piece f, as herein made known, or in any
is received wit?nim a suitable slot in the Slid other manner that is substantially the same
ing box M, and it turns on a fulcrum-pin, p”. in its operation and result. X
When the shuttle has passed through the loop 4. The mannerofarranging ant cominung
formed by the needle-thread,itis received upom the small lewer m" w with the slidingbox M,
the pin n", and as the needle is retracted the im combination with the spring-piece Z, for
thread will be drawia taut upon said, pin. At the purpose of tiglntening the Stitch as the
this time the head of an adjustable spring needle is retracted, as described.
piece, z s", bears against tle end n' of the 5. The holding of the Cloth to be sewed by
small lewer, and the force of its pressure has theuse ofa baster-plate furmished with points
to be overeome before the thread escapes from for that purpose, and with holes enablingit to
the pin, whichit doesby drawingoveragainst operate asa rack in the manner set forth,
tle power of the spring. As the loop then therelby carrying the Cloth forward and dis
escapes, it will draw up the filling-threadfrom pensing altogether with the mecessity of hast
the shuttle'firmy against the cloth and ein ing tle parts together.
lhed it within it. The head of thc spring Z
passes through a mortise in the shuttle-box, | ELAS HOWE. J.R.
as shown lythe dot ted lines. o" is an adjust i XWitnesses:
* ing-screw by which the force of the spring Z THOS. P. ONES,
may be regulated. GEORGE FISH 1:R.