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1849 - John Bachelder's Patent Model of a Sewing Machine

National Museum of American History

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Object Details

inventor
Bachelder, John
Description
Sewing Machine Patent Model . Patent No. 6439, issued May 8, 1849
John Bachelder of Boston, Massachusetts.
John Bachelder of Boston, Massachusetts, submitted this sewing machine patent model for his Patent No. 6439, which was granted on May 8, 1849. Bachelder’s machine sewed with a chain-stitch. He did not claim this chain-stitch mechanism as it was patented earlier in February in 1849 by Charles Morey and Joseph B. Johnson of Massachusetts. Instead he focused on improving the cloth feed. On this model, Bachelder used a wide continuous leather belt inserted with sharp pins to hold the cloth and enable the leather belt to move the cloth forward as it was being sewn. After being stitched, the fabric would be disengaged from the points by a curved piece of metal. This was the first patent for a continuous sewing, intermittent feeding mechanism.
Although Bachelder did not manufacture his sewing machine, his patent and later reissues of it were bought by I. M. Singer, and became one of the central patents to form the Sewing Machine Combination in 1856. This organization consisted of three sewing machine manufacturers, I. M. Singer Co., Wheeler & Wilson Co., and the Grover & Baker Co., and the inventor, Elias Howe Jr., who all agreed to pool their important patents and stop patent litigations between them. This allowed them to move ahead with manufacturing and marketing of their own sewing machine and collect license fees from other companies wanting to use their patents.
Location
Currently not on view
model constructed
before 1849-05-08
patent date
1849-05-08
ID Number
TE.T06051
catalog number
T06051.000
patent number
006439
accession number
89797
Object Name
sewing machine patent model
Object Type
Patent Model
Physical Description
wood (overall material)
metal (overall material)
leather (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 13 in x 19 in x 15 in; 33.02 cm x 48.26 cm x 38.1 cm; wt. 50 lbs
place invented
United States: Massachusetts, Boston
Related Publication
A Nation of Nations
Janssen, Barbara Suit. Patent Models Index
Cooper, Grace Rogers. The Sewing Machine: Its Invention and Development
Related Web Publication
http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollections/HST/Cooper/CF/view.cfm
See more items in
Cultural and Community Life: Textiles
Industry & Manufacturing
Work
Clothing & Accessories
Sewing Machines
Patent Models
Textiles
Patent Models, Sewing Machines
National Museum of American History
subject
Patent Models
Invention
Record ID
nmah_1071137
Usage of Metadata (Object Detail Text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ab-85b7-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

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  • Patent Models: Textile and Sewing Machines:Introduction

    American History Museum
  • Patent Models: Textile and Sewing Machines

    American History Museum
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