The Invention of the Sewing Machine Part 17

The style of the head changed very little during these years (see figs.

26 and 27). Both a table style with iron legs and a cabinet model were made: the head was usually mounted to st.i.tch from left to right. In 1861, the company introduced the famous gla.s.s presser foot, patented on March 5 of that year by J. L. Hyde. The presser foot was made of metal but shaped like an open [?] into which was slid a small gla.s.s plate, with a hole for the needle descent. The gla.s.s allowed the seamstress to observe the st.i.tching and to produce very close-edge st.i.tching. It remained a favorite of many women for years. In 1876, the new No. 8 machine was introduced and a new series of serial numbers was initiated. It is, therefore, imperative to know that the machine is one of the earlier style machines before using the following list of serial numbers to date the machines, approximately as follows:

_Serial Number_ _Year_

1-200 1851 201-650 1852 651-1449 1853 1450-2205 1854 2206-3376 1855 3377-5586 1856 5587-10177 1857 10178-18155 1858 18156-39461 1859 39462-64563 1860 64564-83119 1861 83120-111321 1862 111322-141099 1863 141100-181161 1864 181161-220318 1865 220319-270450 1866 270451-308505 1867 308506-357856 1868 357857-436722 1869 436723-519930 1870 519931-648456 1871 648457-822545 1872 822546-941735 1873 941736-1034563 1874 1034564-1318303 1875 1138304-1247300 1876

Records of the second series of serial numbers dating from 1876 are not available.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 130.--WHITE SEWING MACHINE. Although the White sewing machines date from 1876, Thomas H. White had been busy in the manufacture of sewing machines for many years prior to this. White is known to have been a.s.sociated with Barker in the manufacture of the Brattleboro machine and later with Grout in producing one of the several New England machines. In 1866 he moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and began manufacturing machines for sale under special trade names through selling organizations. In 1876, the White Sewing Machine Company was formed and machines were sold under the White name.

The machine ill.u.s.trated is a standard lockst.i.tch machine, which would have been set into a sewing-machine table and operated by a treadle. The small handle was used to start the wheel, and thus the st.i.tching operation, in the forward direction. This machine bears the serial number 28241 and the following patents: "Mar. 14, 1876, May 2, 1876, Oct. 24, 1876, Jan. 16, 1877, Mar. 20, 1877, Mar. 27, 1877," which are primarily the patents of D'Arcy Porter and George W. Baker.

The machines of the 1870s may be dated approximately as follows:

_Serial Number_ _Year_

1-9000 1876 9000-27000 1877 27001-45000 1878 45001-63000 1879

(Smithsonian photo 48329-H.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 131.--WILLc.o.x AND GIBBS SEWING MACHINE, serial number 296572, of about 1878. From 1857 to the turn of the century, the style of the Willc.o.x and Gibbs sewing machine changed very little (fig.

39). It was the most popular and the most reliable of the many chainst.i.tch machines. In addition to the basic mechanical patents, Gibbs also patented the design of the sewing-machine head in 1860. In the specifications, he described it as an open ring set on a base or pedestal. The lower part of the open section supported the cloth plate.

The design of the head, intentionally or not, formed a perfect letter G, the initial of the inventor. Later the machine head as a letter G was incorporated into the company's trademark. Additional patents were also granted to James Willc.o.x for a leg and treadle design and to Charles Willc.o.x for mechanical improvements.

It has not been possible to secure information on records of serial numbers from the late 1870s through the 1920s to aid in dating machines of that period. For the preceding years, however, the machines may be dated approximately as follows:

_Serial Number_ _Year_

1-10000 1857 10001-20000 1858 20001-30000 1859 30001-40000 1860 40001-50000 1861 50001-60000 1862 60001-70000 1863 70001-80000 1864 80001-90000 1865 90001-100000 1866 100001-115000 1867 115001-130000 1868 130001-145000 1869 145001-160000 1870 160001-190127 1871 190128-223766 1872 223767-239647 1873 239648-253357 1874 253358-267879 1875 267880-279637 1876

Although the Willc.o.x and Gibbs company is still in existence, for the past several decades the company has limited itself to the production of specialized manufacturing machines rather than family machines.

(Smithsonian photo 58986.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 132.--ILl.u.s.tRATION from _Knights American Mechanical Dictionary_, vol. 3, p. 2122. The 68 sewing-machine st.i.tches in use by 1882 are as follows:

SINGLE THREAD

1. Running st.i.tch.

2. Back st.i.tch.

3. Fast st.i.tch.

4. Chainst.i.tch.

5. Coiled-loop chainst.i.tch.

6. Knitted-loop chainst.i.tch.

7. Knotted-loop chainst.i.tch.

8. Loop enchained by second alternate st.i.tch.

9. Each loop locks and enchains alternate loops.

10. Staple st.i.tch (for waxed threads only).

TWO THREADS

11. Double-needle chainst.i.tch.

12. Double-thread chainst.i.tch (one needle).

13. Double-looped chainst.i.tch.

14. Chain with interlocking thread.

15. Under-thread through its own loop.

16. Two needles penetrate fabric from opposite sides.

17. Two needles working from the same side.

18. Double interlocking loop.

19. Lockst.i.tch.

20. Twist in needle thread.

21. Double twist in needle thread.

22. Twist in shuttle thread.

23. Double twist in shuttle thread.

24. Knot st.i.tch, shuttle thread knotted at every st.i.tch.

25. Knot st.i.tch, shuttle thread knotted at every other st.i.tch.

26. Knot st.i.tch, shuttle thread through the needle thread loop and knotted around the loop.

27. Shuttle thread pulled to the surface and interlocked with succeeding st.i.tch to form an embroidery st.i.tch.

28. Wire-lock st.i.tch, thread locked in place with wire.