Figure 93. — Hancock sewing machine, 1867. One of 

 the many inventors who turned his talents to in- 

 venting and producing a mechanically simple and 

 cheaper machine was Henry J. Hancock. His 1867 

 machine is only about six inches wide; it uses a 

 tambour-type needle, pulling a loop of thread from 

 below the stitching surface. (Smithsonian photo 

 P63197.) 



Figure 94. — Hancock sewing machine, 1868. Han- 

 cock in 1868 received both a design patent and a 

 mechanical patent now using the eye-pointed 

 needle and a hook to form the chainstitch. The 

 design was an open framework circle with a mirror 

 mounted in front of the table clamp. The purpose of 

 the designated "looking glass" was decorative only. 

 The Hancock machines were only manufactured for 

 a few years. They measure 10% inches in width, 

 slightly larger than the earlier machine. (Smithso- 

 nian photo 48328-M.) 



Figure 95. — [A.C.JHerron'spatentsewing machine, 

 1858. The manufacturer of this machine is not 

 known, but the machine was based on the patent of 

 Abial C. Herron issued August 4, 1857. All the 

 machines carry a small heart-shaped plate just 

 above the needle descent bearing the patentee's 

 name and the patent date. The patent covered an 

 improvement in the method of making the chain- 

 stitch. The machines were provided with a hand 

 crank, but were also meant to be operated by a 

 belt and treadle. No records of the extent of manu- 

 facture of this machine have been found. This 

 machine head measures 14 inches in width, about 

 standard size. (Smithsonian photo 48329-J.) 



90 



