INGENUITY AND LUXURY 



serves as a model for most modern sewing-machines, 

 it may be more fully described here. "A straight 

 shaft in the overhanging arm imparted the motion 

 to the needle, and the shuttle was driven in its race 

 below the feed-table by a mechanism deriving its 

 motion from the shaft by means of gearing. The feed 

 consisted of an iron wheel with a corrugated surface, 

 the top of which was slightly elevated above the level 

 surface of the table. By an intermittent motion the 

 feed carried the cloth forward between stitches with- 

 out injury to the fabric. This device permitted the 

 cloth to be turned in any direction by the operator 

 while sewing, which was impossible with the styles 

 of feed which perforated the goods. The material 

 was held in place by a presser-foot alongside the 

 needle. This presser-foot embraced an important 

 feature possessed by no other sewing-machine up to 

 that time the yielding spring, which would permit of 

 passage over seams, and adjust itself automatically to 

 any thickness of cloth. In addition to this original lock- 

 stitch machine, Mr. Singer afterwards contrived several 

 inventions which contributed materially toward the im- 

 provement of the sewing-machine. He produced a 

 sewing-machine which used the single chain stitch, and 

 also a double chain-stitch machine for ornamental work 

 and embroidery." 



THE PERFECTED MACHINE AND ITS CONQUEST 



"The sewing-machine had now arrived at a stage 

 when all its essential features had been discovered by 

 inventors and so far perfected as to demonstrate their 



[98] 



