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

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.

Model Constructed: before 1849-05-08Patent Date: 1849-05-08

Inventor: Bachelder, John

Location: Currently not on view

Place Invented: United States: Massachusetts, Boston

Classified: Patent ModelsInvention

Subject:

See more items in: Home and Community Life: Textiles, Clothing & Accessories, Patent Models, Sewing Machines, Work, Industry & Manufacturing, Sewing Machines, Textiles, Patent Models

Exhibition:

Exhibition Location:

Related Web Publication: http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollections/HST/Cooper/CF/view.cfm

Related Publication: A Nation of Nations, Janssen, Barbara Suit. Patent Models Index, Cooper, Grace Rogers. The Sewing Machine: Its Invention and Development

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: TE.T06051Catalog Number: T06051.000Patent Number: 006439Accession Number: 89797

Object Name: sewing machine patent modelObject 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

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ab-85b7-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_1071137

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