1851 Singer's Sewing Machine Patent Model

Object Details

Description

Sewing Machine Patent Model Patent No. 8,294, issued August 12, 1851

Isaac Merritt Singer of New York, New York

The eighth child of poor German immigrants, Isaac Singer was born on October 27, 1811, in Pittstown, New York. As a young man he worked as a mechanic and cabinetmaker. For a time he was an actor and formed his own theatrical troupe, The Merritt Players.” Needing a steadier income, Singer worked for a plant in Fredericksburg, Ohio, that manufactured wooden type for printers. Seeing the need for a better type-carving machine, he invented an improved one.

In June 1850, Singer and a partner took the machine to Boston looking for financial support. He rented display space in the workshop of Orson C. Phelps. Here Singer became intrigued with the sewing machine that Phelps was building for John A. Lerow and Sherburne C. Blodgett. Analyzing the flaws of the Lerow and Blodgett sewing machine, Singer devised a machine that used a shuttle that moved in a straight path—as opposed to theirs, which moved around in a complete circle. He visualized replacing their curved horizontal needle with a straight, vertically moving needle. Phelps approved of Singer’s ideas and Isaac worked on perfecting his machine.

For his first patent model, Isaac Singer submitted a commercial sewing machine. He was granted Patent No. 8,294, on August 12, 1851. These commercial sewing machines were built in Orson C. Phelps’s machine shop in Boston. The head, base cams, and gear wheels of the machine were made of cast iron; to fit together, these parts had to be filed and ground by hand. The machine made a lockstitch by using a straight, eye-pointed needle and a reciprocating shuttle. The specific patent claims allowed were for: 1) the additional forward motion of the shuttle to tighten the stitch; 2) the use of a friction pad to control the tension of the thread from the spool; and 3) placing the spool of thread on an adjustable arm to permit thread to be used as needed.

Always the showman, Singer relished exhibiting his invention at social gatherings and was masterful in convincing the women present that the sewing machine was a tool they could learn to use. The machine was transported in its packing crate, which served as a stand; it contained a wooden treadle that allowed the seamstress to power the machine with her feet, leaving both hands free to guide the cloth. This early, heavy-duty Singer machine was designed for use in the manufacturing trades rather than in the home.

model constructed

before 1851-08-12

patent date

1851-08-12

ID Number

TE.T06054

accession number

48865

catalog number

T06054.000

patent number

008294

inventor

Singer, Isaac M.

Object Name

sewing machine patent model

Physical Description

iron (mechanisms material)

metal (overall material)

Measurements

overall: 16 in x 17 in x 12 in; 40.64 cm x 43.18 cm x 30.48 cm

Related Publication

Kendrick, Kathleen M. and Peter C. Liebhold. Smithsonian Treasures of American History

Janssen, Barbara Suit. Icons of invention : American patent models

Janssen, Barbara Suit. Patent Models Index

Sewer, Andy; Allison, David; Liebhold, Peter; Davis, Nancy; Franz, Kathleen G.. American Enterprise: A History of Business in America

National Museum of American History. Treasures of American History online exhibition

Related Web Publication

http://americanhistory.si.edu/treasures

Related Publication

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

National Treasures exhibit

Patent Models

American Enterprise

Textiles

Patent Models, Sewing Machines

Exhibition

American Enterprise

Exhibition Location

National Museum of American History

National Museum of American History

subject

Patent Models

Invention

Record ID

nmah_1071133

Metadata Usage (Object Detail Text)

CC0