Fiddlebase
THE BARTRAM & FANTON
MANUFACTURING COMPANY
1867 - 1874
Danbury, county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut
Bartram & Fanton sewing machines were first manufactured in 1867 under the patents of W. B. Bartram, notably his patent US 60.669 January 1, 1867.
Three machines were exhibited at The Eleventh Exhibition of the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanics Association in 1869 where they were awarded a bronze medal. They were compared favorably to the Willcox & Gibbs machine, which they resembled. Bartram received additional patents in the early seventies and also manufactured lock-stitch machines.
Bronze Medal at Boston Exhibition 1869
International Prize: Paris 1867 Bronze
Bartram & Fanton Manufacturing Company Band
BARTRAM'S US PATENTS
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US 50.870 Walker B. Bartram
Button-Hole Sewing Machine
...My invention consists of certain improvements attached to a sewing machine, to adapt it to making button-holes...
...The general construction of the machine to which my improvements are represented as being attached is that of the well-know in Wheeler & Wilson sewing machine...
Assignor to himself and Henry B. Fanton
November 7, 1865
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USRE 2.245 Walker B. Bartram
Button-Hole Sewing Machine
The invention consists, first, in working by machinery stitches across an end of a button hole slit at right angles to its length, for the purpose of staying and strengthening said button-hole; second, in stitching by machinery button-holes having no rounded opening at the end of the slit cut in the fabric and in perfectly finishing the same at the ends of the slit and fastening the ends of the thread with out using a hand-needle; third, in devices which enable me to work button-holes with round ends; fourth, in the adaptation of devices for accomplishing these purposes.
Button-holes may be divided into two classes:
first, those which have round ends, such as are commonly made in garments constructed of thick cloth, in which it is also common to enlarge one end of the button-hole in the form of an eyelet, for the better accommodation of the shank of the button;
second, those which are made with square ends and commonly strengthened and finished by stitches which pass from one side over to the other in the form of a bar across each end. These are seen in garments of linen or other thin fabrics.
May 15, 1866
Specification forming part of Letters Patent
US 50.870 November 7, 1865
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US 54.670 Walker B. Bartram
May 15, 1866
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US 54.671 Walker B. Bartram
May 15, 1866
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US 60.669 Walker B. Bartram
January 1, 1867
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US 62.520 Walker B. Bartram
March 5, 1867
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US 83.592 Walker B. Bartram
Sewing Machine Guide
My invention consists in the combination and arrangement of a series of flexible metallic blades for holding and guiding two strips or pieces of cloth in such manner, in a sewing machine, that the under strip shall be fed along to the needle faster than the upper, so that, when the two are united together by the thread, the lower strip will form a series of gathers, securely attached to the upper strip by the stitches formed by the machine.
November 3, 1868
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US 91.898 Walker B. Bartram
Sewing Machine Attachment
My invention consists of a swinging braid-carrier, mounted upon the presser-foot and operated by the needle-arm and it may be applied to any class of sewing machines...
... Many sewing machines are now provided with what is known as the glass foot and this consists of a suitable skeleton-foot, with a glass centre, which may be readily removed and replaced with the hemming or other attachments. For the convenience of persons whose sewing machines may be provided with said glass foot, I can make my invention with the foot A fashioned to slide into the seat of the glass foot...
June 29, 1869
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US 104.247 Walker B. Bartram
Sewing Machine
My invention relates to that class of sewing machines in which an eye-pointed needle and shuttle are used to interlace the threads and the invention consists in a novel construction, combination and arrangement of the shuttle and the mechanism for operating the same.
June 14, 1870
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US 130.557 Walker B. Bartram
Sewing Machine
My invention relates to that class of sewing machines in which a rotary hook is employed to take the loops of needle-thread and pass them over a disk bobbin or spool to interlace the two threads and it consists in certain novel combinations which have for their object to produce a simple and efficient rotary-hook machine...
August 20, 1872
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DATING
BARTRAM & FANTON Mfg. Co.
Using serial numbers, the company sewing machines may be approximately dated as follows:
0001....................................................
+ 2.958 1867
2.958....................................................
1868
3.958....................................................
1869
4.958....................................................
1870
5.957....................................................
+ 1.004 1871
6.961....................................................
+ 1.000 1872
7.961....................................................
+ 1.000 1873
8.961....................................................
+ 250 1874
9.211....................................................
source:
The Invention of the Sewing Machine by Grace Rogers Cooper