100 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



under side of the material to be sewed ; this shuttle carries a quantity 

 of thread upon a spool, which it supplies as the seam progressess. 

 The needle on retiring draws up the loop, and thus closes the seam, 

 which on the upper or face side of the work presents the appearance 

 of what is called a " row of stitching," and on the under, a close resem- 

 blance, but differing slightly. The return, or rotation of the shut- 

 tle in its orbit, is a matter of course, and the work thus goes on con- 

 tinuously and with great rapidity. 



The feed, or the progressive movement of the material to be 

 sewed under the needle, is accomplished in various ways : generally, 

 however, by means of the friction of a feeding wheel, whose roughen- 

 ed surface creates sufficient adhesion to move the material forward at 

 the requisite intervals. This feed is effected by the ordinary means 

 of a racket- wheel and click or paul, the latter being capable of ad- 

 justment through shifting levers, so as to give a longer or shorter stitch, 

 at the will of the operator, or the requirements of the work. 



The superiority of machine sewing over hand sewing is evident 

 from the following statement. Whenever a " needle-full of thread " 

 is employed, either by machine or by hand, it is passed into the work 

 with the needle, and drawn through until it closes up the seam, and 

 this operation is repeated, stitch by stitch, until the " needle-full " is 

 used up, and has been worn in exact proportion to the number of 

 stitches taken, and must then be fastened off. It is then renewed to 

 undergo the, same operation, the "fastening off" not unfrequently be- 

 ing carelessly done, the unequally worn, and sometimes worn out 

 thread being incapable of producing work bearing any comparison 

 with the work of a machine, which wears only as much of thread as 

 is necessary to make the stitch, and goes on without "fastening off' 

 until the seam is finished, whether it be the " side seam " of a pair of 

 pants, or the main sail of a man-of-war. 



The sewing-machine, although its use has become general within 

 a comparatively recent period, is an old invention. The needle with 

 the eye in the centre, and double-pointed, is beautifully employed in 

 the embroidery machine, which is an old French invention. This 

 machine worked upon cloth as many as sixty similar figures or flow- 

 ers at the same time; the whole being directed by one hand, who by 

 the aid of a pentagraphic guide on a prepared pattern, pointed the 

 needles to their appropriate place of entrance, and returned them with 

 unerring certainty and exactitude. The earliest form of stitch made 

 use of was the " chain stitch," which is still employed for ornamental 

 purposes, but is not approved of where strength or durability is re- 

 quired, as it will " run " if the thread breaks, and may be all '' run 

 out " by drawing upon one end of the thread. The next stitch in or- 

 der was the " running stitch," and was accomplished by means of a 

 needle having an eye in the middle and points at each end. It has 

 been extensively used for the cheaper kinds of work, such as bags, 

 &c., but cannot be with propriety employed where durability is re- 

 quired, as it does not draw the work well together, and if a thread 

 breaks, it runs each way to a ruinous extent. The next form of 



