Figure 26. — Wilson's stationary-bob- 

 bin patent model, 1852; a com- 

 mercial machine was used since 

 Wheeler, Wilson, Co. had begun 

 manufacturing machines the previ- 

 ous year. (Smithsonian photo 

 45504-B.) 



profitable enterprise involving the sewing machine. 



Wilson, with his two partners, was occupying a 

 room in the old Sun Building at 128 Fulton Street, 

 when Wheeler, on a business trip to New York Citv, 

 learned of the Wilson sewing machine. Wheeler ex- 

 amined the machine, saw its possibilities, and at 

 once contracted with E. Lee & Co. to make 500 of 

 them. At the same time he engaged Wilson to go 

 with him to Watertown, Connecticut, to perfect the 

 machine and supervise its manufacture. Meanwhile, 

 \\ ilson had been working on a substitute for the 

 shuttle. He showed his model of the device, which 

 became known as the rotary hook, to Wheeler who 

 was so convinced of its superiority that he decided to 

 develop this new machine and leave Wilson's first 

 machine to the others, who, by degrees, had become 

 its owners. 



Wilson now applied all his effort to improving the 

 rotary hook, for which he received his second patent 

 on August 12, 1851 (figs. 24 and 25). Wheeler, his 

 two partners Warren and Woodruff, and Wilson 

 now formed a new copartnership — Wheeler, Wilson, 

 and Company. They began the manufacture of the 

 machines under the patent, which combined the 

 rotary hook and a reciprocating bobbin. The rotary 

 hook extended or opened more widely the loop of 

 the needle thread, while a reciprocating bobbin 

 carried its thread through the extended loop. To 

 avoid litigation which the reciprocating bobbin might 

 have caused, Wilson contrived his third outstanding 

 invention — the stationary bobbin. This was a feature 

 of the first machine produced by the new company 



in 1851, though the patent for the stationary bobbin 

 was not issued until June 15, 1852 (fig. 26). 



In all reciprocating-shuttle machines a certain loss 

 of power is incurred in driving forward, stopping, and 

 bringing back the shuttle at each stitch; also, the 

 machines are rather noisy, owing to the striking of 

 the driver against the shuttle at each stroke. These 

 objections were removed by Wilson's rotary hook and 

 stationary bobbin. The locking of the needle thread 

 with the bobbin thread was accomplished, not by 

 driving a shuttle through the loop of the needle 

 thread, but by passing that loop under the bobbin. 

 The driving shaft carried the circular rotary hook, 

 one of the sewing machine's most beautiful con- 

 trivances. The success of the machine is indicated 

 in an article that appeared in the June 1853 issue of 

 Scientific American: 



There are 300 of these machines now in operation in 

 various parts of the country, and the work which they 

 can perform cannot be surpassed .... The time must 

 soon come when every private family that has much 

 sewing to do, will have one of these neat and perfect 

 machines; indeed many private families have them 

 now .... The price of one all complete is $125; every 

 machine is made under the eye of the inventor at the 

 company's machine shop, Watertown, Connecticut, so 

 that every one is warranted . . . agreement between 

 Mr. Howe and Messrs. Wheeler, Wilson & Co., so every 

 customer will be perfectly protected . . . . 50 



Ibid. (June 4, 1853), vol. 7, no. 38, p. 298 



28 



