Figure 18. — A Morev and Johnson sewing machine 

 as illustrated in Scientific American, January 27, 1849. 

 (Smithsonian photo 45771.) 



rollers, which supported the endless clothholder, 

 carried a ratchet wheel advanced by the action of a 

 pawl connected to the end of the crankshaft by a 

 small crankpin, whose position or distance from the 

 axis of rotation of the shaft could be adjusted. 



By this adjustment the extent of the vertical travel 

 of the impelling pawl was regulated to control the 

 length of the stitch. A spring catch kept the ratchet 

 wheel in place at the end of each forward rotation of 

 the wheel by the pawl. A roller placed over the end- 

 less belt at its middle roller pressed the cloth onto the 

 wire points. A curved piece of metal was bent over 

 and down upon the top of the belt so that the cloth, as 

 it was sewed, was carried toward and against the piece 

 by the belt. The cloth rose upon and over the piece 

 and was separated from the points. When the ma- 

 chine was in motion the cloth was carried forward, 

 passed under the needle, was stitched, and finally, 

 passed the separator and off the belt. A vertically 

 reciprocating, straight, eye-pointed needle, a hori- 

 zontal supporting surface, and a yielding cloth presser 

 were all used, but none were claimed as part of the 

 patent. These were later specifically claimed in re- 

 issues of this patent. Bachelder's one specific claim, 

 the endless feed belt, was not limited to belt feeding 



*-*?"* 



Figure 19. — Bachelder's patent model, 1849. 

 (Smithsonian photo 45572). 



only. As he explained in the patent, a revolving 

 table or a cylinder might be substituted. 



Bachelder did not manufacture machines, but his 

 patent was sold in the mid-1850s to I. M. Singer. 37 

 It eventually became one of the most important 

 patents to be contributed to the "Sewing-Machine 

 Combination," a patent pool, which is discussed in 

 more detail on pages 41 and 42. 



While new ideas and inventors continued to provide 

 the answers to some of the sewing-machine problems, 

 Elias Howe began a series of patent suits to sustain 

 the rights that he felt were his. Since his interest 

 had never been in constructing machines for sale, 

 it was absolutely essential for Howe to protect his 

 royalty rights in order to realize any return from his 

 patent. He was reported 3S to have supervised the 

 construction of 14 sewing machines at a shop 39 on 

 Gold Street in New York toward the close of 1850. 

 Sworn contemporary testimony indicates that the 

 machines were of no practical use. 40 Elias stated, in 



3 ; The exact date is not known; however, it was prior to 1856 

 as the patent was included in the sewing-machine patent pool 

 formed that year. 



3S James Parton, History of the Sewing Machine, p. 12, (origi- 

 nally published in the Atlantic Monthly, May 1867), later reprinted 

 by the Howe Machine Company as a separate. 



3» Sewing Machine 7 unes (Feb. 25, 1907), vol. 17, no. 382, p. 1, 

 "His [Bonata's] shop was on Gold Street, New York, near the 

 Bartholf shop, where Howe was building some of his early 

 machines." 



*o Sewing Machine News, vol. 3, no. 5, p. 5, Sept. 1881 Jan. 

 1882. "History of the Sewing Machine." 



23 



