Employees

Sewing machines During the American Civil War

Machine-made button holes

The American Annual Cyclopedia And Register of Important Events Of the Year 1862. Volume II, New York. D. Appleton & Company, 443 & 445 Broadway, 1863. page 702-703

(Note: When a device was patented, a working model had to be submitted in order to obtain the patent. We know the described machine existed, but we don't know how soon Wheeler and Wilson put it into production.)

Sewing Machines.

The attention devoted by inventors to this branch of manufacture, has developed may important and valuable improvements. Among the improvements recently introduced by many of the sewing machine manufacturers, is a device for braiding; a small hole is made in the cloth presser near the opening for the needle, and the braid is led through this from a spool, so that the said braid can be stitched to the fabric in any configuration desired; the fabric being guided to the figure or pattern mark upon it.

The sewing machine of Messrs.. Wilcox and Gibbs has also been improved so that it runs without being heard; the noise in sewing arises almost entirely from the feeding device where the metallic surfaces come suddenly together. In this machine the noise is prevented by the introduction of compressed leather at certain places in the feeding mechanism, and in practice this feed is found to be much more durable than those heretofore in use.

In the same machine a simple device is employed for determining the position of the hemmer; this consists of a small pin entering a hole in the bed, so that the hemmer cannot be misplaced and the stitching will always be on the proper part of the folded hem.

An important improvement in sewing machines was patented Nov. 11th, 1862 by J.A. & H.A. House, which is now the property of the Wheeler & Wilson Sewing Machine Co. It is designed specially for the working of button and eyelet holes, although the range of the invention easily adapts the peculiar stitch claimed to various other purposes, in fact it may fairly be said to supply the link which was needed to make the chain of automatic movements in all classes of sewing complete.

For many years it has been the constant study of inventors to produce a machine which would throw a stitch over the edge of any fabric, so as to cover or bind it. The great sewing machine corporations of this country had expended many thousands of dollars in vain attempts to realize what was finally voted by almost all an impossibility, though acknowledged to be a necessity.

There had previously been several partially successful machines designed for this purpose invented and patented, but as the inventors always appeared to entertain the idea that the fabric must be moved under or around stationary needles, the machines, though ingenious, were of no practical value, it being found impracticable to form a perfect eyelet or rounded end of the button hole.

The idea of holding the fabric stationary and moving the needles around it, at the same time throwing what may be termed a double loop interlacing stitch over the edge of the hole, finally occurred to the Messrs. House, and they, after several attempts, succeeded in producing the machine mentioned. The motive power or machinery to move the needles, one of which is straight and pierce with three eyes at the point, while the other is curved and has two eyes, is entirely below the bed plate. The straight needle is attached to an arm or shank which projects through a slot, above the bed plate, and this is fastened to a mandrel working from below; underneath the bed plate is a disk upon which are placed the spools, tensions, &c., and working through which in a slot is the curved needle or finger as it is called.

The cloth or garment in which the button or eyelet hole is to be worked, being punched, is placed upon the bed plate, the hole being directly over the slot, and the end of the needle shank projecting through it. The cloth is then pressed down upon the plate by what is called a foot or lever, and securely confined. On turning the crank, the needle shank rises, and then in its downward motion carries the straight needle directly through the edge of the fabric. The curved needle or finger which works through the hole brings its thread up over the edge of the cloth. This thread is caught by the straight needle in its downward course, then the finger draws down below the fabric and takes a loop from the straight needle, and ascending gives a loop again to the straight needle, thus forming a double interlacing stitch.

The disk, which is the most important portion of the machine, is mounted on a traveling carriage moved backward and forward by a screw.

When the operator starts the machine, the needles being at the lower end of the button hole are moved along the edge or straight side, by the screw feed; on reaching the end, the screw feed is disconnected from the disk by a switch, and a gripe or rotating movement carries the needle around the end of the hole, forming a perfect crescent; so soon as this half circle is complete, the switch again pushes the screw into position, and this by a reverse motion drives the needles down the other side of the hole to the point of departure, forming a complete button hole. The size of the button hole is readily regulated by an index attached to the machine, and it will work a hole two inches in length, or an eyelet of less than an eight.

An ordinary skillful operator will, with the assistance of two girls to finish or tie the ends, work one thousand fine button holes an inch and a quarter in length in ten hours, and all exactly alike. By the hand not more than forty can be made by the most accomplished operator in the same time.

As stated, the range of this stitch is not confined to button-hole making, but includes the sewing of sails, tents, awnings, indeed all classes of work requiring two straight or selvage edges to be bound securely and smoothly together.

Sewing Machine Production

From "The Encyclopedia of Early American Sewing Machines"
Page 191
"Wheeler & Wilson was one of the most successful companies of the 19th century and was one of the original three members of the Sewing Machine Combination (the others were Singer and Grover & Baker)." (Singer bought W & W in 1905)

"Family machines produced by the company showed a gradual change in outward appearance as time progressed, but they all used Wilson's stationary bobbin to form a lockstich." "Figures..... show the most commonly found models made for home use. This machine was produced in huge quantities from 1856 through 1875." Estimates that around 1,000,000 machines of this model were produced. Based on the table on page 267 the following estimates are interesting.

In 1863 they produced 103,740 machines
In 1862 they produced 92,828 machines In 1861 they produced 119,190 machines

Page 16
summary: In 1856 the Sewing Machine Combination was formed whereby Wheeler & Wilson, Singer, Grover & Baker, and Elias Howe (until 1867) created a pool of shared patents needed to produce a machine which was practical for home and manufacturing use. The Combination pool lasted 20 years.

Interesting that the major manufacturers shared patents and that the number of machines produced during and before the CW is impressive.

The following info is from "The Encyclopedia of Early American Sewing Machines" compiled by C. Bays.

Data found in Appendix 1. "Some Data From One Hundred years of American Commerce."

During the years 1859 through 1864, the two major sewing machine manufacturers produced the following quantities of machines. (Many other companies were also producing machines during this time.)

Wheeler and Wilson =163,006
Singer = 102,011

For a total of 265,017 sewing machines produced between 1859 thru 1864..

Wheeler produced 18,556 machines in 1861 and increased the production to 28,202 the following year, and to 29,778 in 1863. 40,062 were produced in 1864.

Singer produced an estimated 16,000 in 1861, an actual quantity of 18,396 in 1862, 20,030 in 1863, and 23,632 in 1864.

Sewing Machine newspaper advertisement

XENIA TORCHLIGHT, 28 December 1864, p. 3

"The Acme of Perfection. - The more extensive the inspection of different sewing machines in the market, the more fixed becomes the conviction that the Grover & Baker covers the whole ground. A manufacturer who has just spent three days in examining them all, assures us that while some of the various machines appear to have one individual point of excellence, the Grover & Baker possesses not only that, but all the others in combination. The Grover & Baker machine Depot, at the Barr House, Xenia O., tucks, gathers, hems, fells, braids, and embroiders.
There is not an operation performed by hand that this does not perform. Nothing is easier than to make assertions. Calling a machine the best in the market does not make it so. Personal examination is the test. We have seen people stimulated by flaming advertisements, who had carefully tested the vaunted merits of other machines, but they invariably purchased Grover & Baker's. The Grover & Baker machine is as easily kept in order as a spinning wheel. One half the machines in use are death or disease to the females who use them. For a few minutes they may not weary, but half a day's work upon them is ruinously exhausting.
Not so with the Grover & Baker. In this we speak by the card. The propelling power required is the mere weight of the foot. This in itself tells a volume. When we add that the noise made in running is scarce louder than the purr of a well-pleased grimalkin, and that there is no complicated machinery or intricate springs to get out of order, it will be seen that the Grover & Baker is something reliable and worth having. Hundreds of women are annually destroyed by the laborious treadle of sewing machines. It will be seen by any one who examines Grover & Baker's that this does not apply in their case.
Mrs Mary L. Hill Agent for Greene County. Barr House Xenia Ohio. Please call and see. Instructions gratis."

Sewing Machine: Confederate use on shoes

O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XXIII/2 [S# 35]

Correspondence, Orders, And Returns Relating To Operations In Kentucky, Middle And East Tennessee, North Alabama, And Southwest Virginia, From January 21 To August 10, 1863.

CONFEDERATE CORRESPONDENCE. ETC.--#6 RICHMOND, VA., April 15, 1863. His Excellency JEFFERSON DAVIS,

President:

SIR: In obedience to your orders, dated March 12, 1863, which are filed herewith (marked Exhibit A), I proceeded to Montgomery, Ala., to Atlanta, Ga., and to Tullahoma, Tenn., the headquarters of the army, and returned by the same route. I have the honor to submit the following report:
(snipped)
Major Cunningham, clothing quartermaster at Atlanta, informs me that he is employing about 40 shoemakers, and makes 150 pairs of shoes a day, and that with 60 additional shoemakers he could make 500 pairs daily. I examined his establishment. The leather is rolled by machinery, and the sides split likewise, which effects a great saving. The soles are cut out by a machine, and all the sewing done by sewing-machines. The shoes present a neat appearance, and can be sold for $450 per pair.
(snipped)
These are the results of my observations in the Army of Tennessee. * * * * * * * * * * Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. PRESTON JOHNSTON, Colonel and Aide-de-Camp