254 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE, 



tus consisted of a rack with pins, and at each stitch the cloth 

 moved along. The next improvement was in putting the cloth 

 on a table and feeding it by an endless feed. After that the in- 

 termittent feed was used. The feed consists of a feed bar with 

 a tongue in it. Another kind of feed is called the reciprocating 

 or four motion feed. Wilson's first invention was only a double 

 feed by moving it backwards and forwards. 



The Chairman said it always occurred to him that Mr. Wilson 

 owed his feed invention to a boy in Rhode Island. 



Mr. Wood. — With Howe's invention a shuttle was used to form 

 the lock stitch. This shuttle, two inches long, loaded with 

 thread, must be moved forward two inches, then back and for- 

 ward again. Started 1200 times and stopped 1200 times. His 

 next invention was the shuttle that moved in a circle. In Howe's 

 the needle descended through the cloth taking the thread with it. 

 The improvement consists in this : that instead of a reciprocating 

 motion a rotary one is attained. This stitch requires three yards 

 of thread to make a yard of seana. This machine is driven by 

 fetters under the table. The reciprocating action of the shuttle 

 is to throw the seam a little zig zag. With the rotary machine 

 the contrary is attained. 



Chairman. — Which of these is better for heavy cloth ? 



Mr. Wood. — Wheeler & Wilson's. 



Chairman. — Are any of these used on leather ? 



Mr. Wood. — Yes. The stitch made before Mr. Howe's was the 

 ordinary tambour stitch. (Mr. Wood here presented a piece of 

 board which illustrated the different kind of stitches.) Howe's 

 consists of two threads, one upper and the other interlocked in 

 the center. Grover & Baker's machine was patented about 1851. 

 He (Mr. Wood) presented a piece of embroidery done. by a 

 machine in France. 



Chairman. — What inventions are embraced in the sewing 

 machines in use ? 



Mr. Wood, — A. B. Howe's is the best for heavy work. Binding 

 gauges, hemming gauges, and markers have been added to them 

 and patented. In Wilson's machine, the continued action of the 

 machine on the bobbing holds it sufficiently taut. The tension 

 on the thread is obtained by a pulley. Gibbs has a machine 

 which makes the single thread loop stitch, the double stitch, and 

 the interlocked stitch. Walter Hunt is not entitled to the least 

 credit in inventing sewing machines. 



