Mr. Secretary Leonard requested Mr. J. Payne Lowe to explain Singer's new sewing machine. Mr. Lowe said that since the premium was awarded by the Institute in 1851 to this machine, the shape of the eccentric piece of metal governing the vertical motion of the needle has been altered, in consequence of which thick leather and fine cambric may be sewn. An additional spring for regulating the upper tension has been added, which prevents the thread from being slack at any time while the machine is in motion. An indentation has been made on the shuttle, the object of which is to prevent great pressure on its surface and consequently the friction between its bottom part and the plate over which it passes is lessened. There has also been made an alteration in the configuration of the bobbin. It now turns on the peripheries of its wheels and will last many times longer than when made according to the old method. All parts of the machine are strong and consequently durable. The gearing is so arranged that by a continuous motion of the feet the machine will be free from all intermitting impulses. The needle having an up-and-down motion, is not so likely to strike against the throat as it would be if carried by an arm traveling in a curved line. The yielding pressure is so arranged as to permit cloth having much inequality of surface to pass readily. The tension of the under thread is regulated by holes on the shuttle. There are five ways of threading it. The upper tension is regulated by friction over a polished wire and can be altered at the will of the operator, even while the machine is in motion. The sewing done by this machine is stronger than that done by hand, for the tensions may be so arranged as to give any degree of tightness and to cause the stitches to interlock in either the upper or lower piece of cloth, thus preventing any liability of the threads cutting each other. Linen or cotton thread may be used for the under thread and silk for the upper. The under thread will not show on the surface of the goods. The length of the stitch is altered by turning a thumb-screw. By making the stitch long, adjusting the feed wheel and running the machine quickly, that kind of sewing known as "gathering" may be performed with great facility.  

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1852 NEW YORK

TWENTY-FIFTH ANNUAL FAIR

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF THE CITY OF NEW-YORK

DIPLOMA

I.M Singer, 256 Broadway, New-York, for the best sewing machine

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