Page 1 Advertisements Column 2

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4682, 2 May 1883, Page 1

Business Notioes E_ GABITES. JNoVBLTIES FOB THB ©EASON. New Dresses Silks and Velvets Laoe and Fanoy Goods Blaok and Coloured Velveteens. Clothing— Large Shipments. Ohoioe Millinery. Blankets and Flannels, ftc. E 9 (jfABITBS, VIOTOBIA BTBBBT J« !• 15 BO W N XS BOW DBLXVBBING BBST NEWCASTLE SCREENED COALS, AHD BBBT BLAOK PINB FIBEWOOD, Shobt Lengths, In large or small quantities, At Gbbatlt Bbduobd Batbs. J. T. BBOWN, Timber and Coal Merohant, Ohbibtohuboh amd Sydenham. 6220 Cbioketand Juawn Aennib. enobmous beduotions. Wholbsalb Pbiobs. IMMENSE STOOK. Oarefully Selected.) Must be sold. Good full-sizo oane-handle bats at 12s 6d. W. 88108, Opposite Bank of New Zealand. 7175 NOT QUITE SO DECISIVE A 8 II WAS, BUT A LITTLE MOBB OVERWHELMING. WB Challenge the representative of the Singer Sewing Machine Company, or any of the jurors on Sewing Maohines at the Exhibition who voted for the report coming from that body to controvert the following statement of faots. Messrs Meddings, Cunnington, Dale, and Kirk, we oall upon you to defend your report. H. 0. FISKE ft 00. Ohristohuroh International Exhibition. June 16th, 1882. Bbfobt of Committee ob Expbbts. To H. C. Fiske and Co. DEAR SIB, — In accordance with your request, we have examined the New Davis and the Now Singer Sewing Maohineß, for the purpose of comparing them. In our comparison we have taken into consideration — 1. The mechanical prinoiple involved. 2. The quality of the material used. 3. The degree of workmanship exhibited. 4. Ihe faoility for doing a good and varied class of work. After taking both machines asunder, carefully examining every piece, and fully testing their capabilities, we have no hesitation In saying that we oonsider the Davis far the superior machine ef the two. Our reasons are as follows : — In both maohines the same method is adopted for aotuating the needle bar I—viz.,1 — viz., a orank with roller working in a cam. This cam in the Davis machine is out out of a solid piece of steel and hardened, while in the Singer it is not only very much lighter, but is made of common cast iron. The feed apparatus of the two maohines are very dissimilar. That of the Singer iB the usual slip feed. The Davis has the vertical feed peouliar to itself. In this arrangement the presser foot holds the material i firmly down till the needle has reaohed its lowest point. The pressure is then relieved and transmitted to the feed bar. Feed bar, needle, and material are then, by a very simple contrivance, moved forward simultaneously the required length of stitch. Motion is given to the shuttle in Davis' maohine as follows s— An eccentrio at the wheel end of the main spindle gives motion to a vertical lever. This in turn transmits it through a ball joint of ingenious construction to the only moving part nnder the machine, a pivotted lever having at its end an adjustable shuttle carrier. In the Singer Maohine a pair of mitre wheels drive a vertical spindle, having at its lower end a orank. A connecting rod from this orank mores a sliding shuttle carrier. It will be seen that in the Davis there. are between the main spindle and the shuttle four points of friotion, the pivot oarrying the vertioal lever, the eooentric, the boll joint, and the pivot of horizontal lever. The two prinoipal movements the eccentrio and ball joint, are adjustable, and the partß moßt liablo to wear are made of hardened steel. To compais the same work the Singer employs as points of friction the teeth of the mitre wheels, the two journals of vertical spindle, the two ends of the connecting rod, and the sliding shuttle oarrier. None of these places are adjustable. The small wheels are oommon cast iron, having a certain amount of backlash, and consequent tendency to rattle and break. The connecting rod ia a thin bar of iron, with a hole in eaoh end. The ond which runs on the orank pin is one of the prinoipal joints in the maohine, having a considerable amount of work to do with small bearing surface, making it very liable to wear, while, as before remarked, there are no means of compensating for any wear. It will be noticed that the shuttlo of the Singer Maohine is oarried in a slide, to whioh a lateral strain is given by the driving rod, causing a certain amount of friction, while in the Davis it is carried by the lever quito free from friotion. I With the exception of the small roller working the needle bar, there is not a single pieoe in the Singer Maohine, not even excepting the shuttle, that cannot be cut with an ordinary pocket knife, and there are no means of adjusting any wearing part. In the Davis, not only are most of the pieoes made of steel, and tempered, but at every essential point means are provided for taking up any wear. On this point, we may say that where we had any doubt about the quality of the material employed the piece was broken and the froe* ture carefully examined. Having examined the meohanioal arrangements of the two maohines, we tested their adaptability for work, and we notioed the very peouliar feed tt the Davis. In this respeot we have been forced to the conclusion that for all purposes, sewing from the thinnest muslin to even through a metal spoon, the Davis has ne parallel for grasp, or for avoiding that puokering often the effect of the pressure on a fore motion feed. We must in oommon honesty express our astonishment at the range and variety of work accomplished by the Davis, which we are satisfied cannot be done by the Singer. In summarising our report, we repeat that we have no hesitation in saying that we regard the Davis as very superior to the Singer in workmanship, material, and the meohanioal principles involved, and alao in performing a greater ranee of work. We found the Davis to work with equal eaae from the lightest to the heaviest fabric JOHN LEB SOOTT (Scott Bros.) Meohanioal Engineer. T. GLUYAS PASCOB, Manager of the Kaiapoi Olothing Faotory. GEO. P. ANTHONY, Meohanioal Export, from Nettlefold's Birmingham. 67&