A Brief History of the Industrial Sewing Machine

Sewing has been around for many years. BoneIt was down to a fellow American Elias Howe who
needles were discovered from as long ago as the Icegot credit for the invention of the sewing machine. In
age. It wasn't until the last 200 years and the advent of1846 he designed and patented a machine which he
the Industrial Revolution that sewing using a machinemade, while a friend helped him financially, so he could
came about.concentrate all his efforts on the industrial sewing
Industrial sewing machines were a turning point in themachine. Howe tried to market his machine in England
history of the industrial age. Industrial sewing machinesbut on his arrival back to the United States in 1849 he
changed the way clothing was made and also morerealised that his machine had been copied by others.
importantly the speed in which garments could beHe sought financial backing and took the companies
produced.who copied his ideas to court. It wasn't until 1854 that
The industrial sewing machine changed the way ahe won his cases, which turned out to be a landmark
whole industry operated. It increased the speed ofcase in the history of patent law.
production which couldn't be matched by hand.Howe's main competitor to his machines was a man
Industrial sewing machines as early as the 1900s hadnames Isaac M Singer. Singer's industrial sewing
zig-zag stitching and used a swing needle. Thesemachine design received a patent in 1851. The main
features would not appear in the home sewingdifference between this machine and the other
machines until much later.industrial sewing machines was that it had a arm which
The industrial sewing machines origins stem fromoverhung a flat table and dropped the needle down.
England, France and also the United States ofThis allowed stitching from any direction.
America. Many countries can claim to have a hand inWith so many patents being made towards industrial
the development of one of the most vital pieces ofsewing machines during the 1850's Howe and Singer
equipment that is used world wide. The truth is that lotsdecided to create a "Patent Pool" along with two other
of countries do all play a role in the advancements ofmanufacturers. Due to the 1860s when the civil war
the industrial sewing machine. The first patent for anhad broken out production of huge orders of civil war
industrial sewing machine was in 1790 by a man calleduniforms were required. This drove demand for
Thomas Saint. This sewing machine would allowindustrial sewing machines and lead to Howe and
leather and canvas to be stitched. Like many earlySinger becoming the first millionaire inventors.
industrial sewing machines that followed this machineThe Design and Production of the Industrial Sewing
copied the action of the human arm when sewing. ItMachine
wasn't until 1807 when a new innovation by twoIndustrial sewing machines require a large sturdy frame
Englishman, William and Edward Chapman saw anusually made from iron or strong steel. A variety of
industrial sewing machine with the eye of the needle atdifferent metals could be used to produce the actual
the bottom of the needle and not at the top.sewing machine fittings. The main criteria being that the
Industrial sewing machines were becoming so good atparts are durable enough to last long enough as
their job that they started to require less people in theindustrial sewing machines are used for long hours and
industrial factories where these sewing machinesas a result the parts need to be strong enough to take
were being used. A patent by the Frenchman,this demand.
Bartheleémy Thimmonier's, increasedIndustrial sewing machines are often designed with a
production of the French Armies uniform. As a resultsingle function in mind unlike home sewing machines.
over 160 tailors were not required so they rioted,The industrial variety of the sewing machines are
destroying all the machines and almost killingmuch heavier than the home version of the sewing
Thimmonier in the process. The patent he producedmachine due to the parts used in them which was
allowed for a industrial sewing machine to cross stitchdiscussed earlier.
using a curved needle.A companies requirements are often very different.
In 1834, Walter Hunt an American, created an industrialThe machine they may require could be specific to
sewing machine that produced a locked stitch fromwhat they produce. It is often important to get a
underneath the machine with a second thread. Hunt isspecialist to see which type of industrial sewing
also credited with inventing the safety pin. This industrialmachine would fulfill their requirements.
sewing machine design was however never patented.