Most of us are familiar with the arrangements of an ordinary lock stitch machine, and an able paper by Mr. Edwin P. Alexander, embracing not only a good account of its history, but most of the elements of the earlier machines, has already (April 5, 1863), been read before you.  This, and sundry descriptions of such apparatus in the engineering papers, confine my remarks to the more recent improvements in three great classes of machines.  These are, briefly, plain sewing machines; sewing machines as used in factories, where they are moved by steam power; and special sewing machines, embracing many interesting forms, only recently introduced.  We have thus to consider, in the first place, the general efficiency of the machine as a plain stitcher.  Secondly, its adaptability to high rates of speed, and the provision that has been made to withstand such velocities for a reasonable time.  And, thirdly, the apparatus and means employed to effect the controlling of the motive power when applied to the machines.

To deal with the subject in this way must, I fear, involve a good deal of technical description; and I hope to be pardoned if in attempting to elucidate the more important devices, use must be made of words but seldom heard outside of a machinists’ workshop.

It appears scarcely necessary to premise that the sewing machine of twenty years ago has almost faded away, save, perhaps, in general exterior appearance; that the bell crank arms, the heart cams, the weaver’s shuttles, the spring “take ups,” rectangular needle bars, and gear wheels, have developed into very different devices for performing the various functions of those several parts.

The shuttle is perhaps the most important part of a lock stitch machine.  But what is a shuttle?  So many devices for performing the functions of the early weaver’s shuttle have been introduced of late, that the word shuttle, if it be used at all, must not be accepted as meaning “to shoot.”  We have vibrating shuttles, which are, strictly speaking, the only surviving representatives of the weaver’s shuttle in these new orders of machines; and stationary shuttles, oscillating shuttles, and revolving shuttles, besides the earlier rotating hook, in several new forms, difficult to name.  But the general acceptation of the word shuttle, as indicating those devices that pass bodily through the loop of upper thread, is, I venture to think, sufficiently correct.

Many changes have been effected in the form, size, and movements of the shuttle, and we may profitably inquire into the causes that have induced manufacturers to abandon the earlier forms.  The long, weaver’s kind of shuttle, originally used by Howe and Singer, had many drawbacks.  Mr. A.B.  Wilson’s ingenious device, the lock stitch rotating hook, was not free from corresponding faults.  The removal of these in both has led to the adoption of an entirely new class of both shuttles and revolving hooks.  It is well known that the lock stitch is formed by