History
Mechanical Development of the Sewing Machine
It is interesting to note the mechanical progress of the sewing machine from the time of Howe's invention.
Although it actually sewed and represented a forward step in the progress of civilization, Howe's ponderous first machine was operated by a hand crank and probably made all of 200 stitches per minute. It had a curved eye-pointed needle on the end of a lever.
The shuttle carrying the lower, or bobbin thread through the needle thread loop was driven in its race by two strikers carried on the ends of vibrating arms, operated by two cams. The cloth was suspended by pins from the edge of a thin, steel rib called a baster plate, which had holes engaged by teeth of a small, intermittingly moving pinion. By this clumsy method, the material was fed through the machine.
Howe's first invention was followed by a machine that operated by a foot treadle and reached the amazing speed of 600 stitches per minute. Subsequent refinements were made in the form of a flat cloth plate; cam-operated needle lever and shuttle; and a simple, though efficient, feed mechanism. Howe, proud of his new shining machines, had his picture embossed on a large circular brass nameplate, which was sunk into the cloth plate. Around the edge appeared the words, "Elias Howe, Inventor and Maker, New York."In 1881, one of the first special machines, that is, a machine designed and built for a specific operation was introduced by the Union Special Machine Company for seaming fabric bags. Toward the end of the 19th century, both plain sewing and special machines were being built for manufacturing purposes, and speeds from 2,000 to 2,500 stitches per minute were obtained.
In the 1890s, refined stitch forming mechanisms and thread handling means were invented for the use of fine looper threads, which greatly improved the appearance of the 401 stitch, thus the "Double Locked" stitch came into a class by itself and was accepted for many operations hitherto done on lockstitch machines. This made possible the Feed-Up-The-Arm Cylinder machine which produced a beautiful double felled seam held by two rows of stitches. This machine operated at the unheard of speed of 3,000 stitches per minute. This first 2- needle cylinder machine for tubular work, along with its companion 2-needle flatbed machine, was immediately accepted by manufacturers for the production of shirts and other articles of apparel.
The machine of the 1890s had 110 bushings, the bearings being in the bed casting itself. Crude tools were used, and tolerances, by today's standards, were coarse. Repairs were made by reaming new bearing surfaces in the bed casting and installing oversize shafts.
Howe's first shuttle machine completed in 1845
Complete interchangeability of parts was not thought of at the time. Lubrication was crude, but as slow speeds were in vogue, this was not a major matter. It was not until the middle 1920s that tools were improved, permitting finer tolerances.
While there had been some improvement in plain sewing machines, that is, single-needle machines producing the lock stitch Type 301, it was not until midway through the 1930s that any distinct steps were taken to produce plain sewers which could take their place alongside the modern special machines available at the time. Taking advantage of the lessons learned in the development of the modern special machines, engineers designed and placed on the market a plain sewing machine comparable to other types of sewing equipment.
Further refinements, including automatic·lubrication and the development of needle cooling, made possible still higher speeds and greater durability so that now one hundred years after the first practical sewing machine was invented — speeds of 5,000 stitches per minute are common, and the limit is not yet reached.
While there had been some improvement in plain sewing machines, that is, single-needle machines producing the lock stitch Type 301, it was not until midway through the 1930s that any distinct steps were taken to produce plain sewers which could take their place alongside the modern special machines available at the time. Taking advantage of the lessons learned in the development of the modern special machines, engineers designed and placed on the market a plain sewing machine comparable to other types of sewing equipment.
Further refinements, including automatic·lubrication and the development of needle cooling, made possible still higher speeds and greater durability so that now one hundred years after the first practical sewing machine was invented — speeds of 5,000 stitches per minute are common, and the limit is not yet reached.
