Page 1 Advertisements Column 2

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4686, 7 May 1883, Page 1

Business Notioes NOT QUITE BO DECISIVE AS II WAS, BUT A LITTLE MOBB OVEBWHELMING. WB Challenge the representative of the Singer Sewing Maohine Company, or any of the jurors on Sowing Maohines at the Exhibition who veted 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 & 00. Christchuroh International Exhibition. June 16th, 1882. ' Bbpobt of Committbb or Expbbts. To H. 0. Fiske and Co. DEAB SIB, — In accordance with your request, we have examined the New Davis and the New Singer Sewing Maohineß, for the purpose of comparing them. In our comparison we havo taken into consideration — i 1. The meohanical prinoiple involved. 2. Ihe quality of the material used. 3. The degree of workmanship exhibited. 4. The faoility for doing a good and varied olass of work. After taking both maohines asunder, carefully examining every piece, and fully testing their capabilities, we nave ne hesitation In saying that we consider the Davis far -the superior maohine ef the two. Our reasons are as follows : — In both machines the same method is adopted for aotuating the needle bar — viz., a orank with roller working in a cam. This cam in the Davis maohine is cut out of a solid pieoe of steel and hardened, while in the Singer it is not only very muoh lighter, but is made of common cast iron. The feed apparatus of the two maohines are very diaaimilar. That of the Singer is the usual slip feed. The Davis has the vertical feed peouliar to itself. In this arrangement the presser foot helds the material firmly down till the needle' has reaohed its loweit 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 tbe requirod length of stitoh. Motion is given to the shuttle in Davis' maohine as follows : — An eocentrio at the wheel end of the main spindle gives motion to a vertioal lever. This in turn transmits it through a ball joint ef 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 drivo a vertisal spindle, having at ita lower end a crank. A connecting rod from this orank moves a sliding shuttle carrier. It will be seen tbat in the Davis there are between the main spindle and the shuttle four points of friotion, the pivot oarrying the vertical lever, the eccentrio, the ball joint, and the pivot of horizontal lover. The two prinoipal movements the eocentrio and ball joint, are adjustable, and the parts most liable to wear are made of hardened steel. To compass the same work the Singer employs as points of friotion 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 theae places are adjustable. The small wheels are oommon cast iron, having a cortain amount of backlaah, and consequent tendency to rattle and break. The oonneoting rod is a thin bar of iron, with a hole in eaoh end. Xhe end whioh runs on tha orank pin is one of the prinoipal joints in the maohine, having a considerable amount of work to do with small bearing surfaoe, making it very liable to wear, while, as before remarked, there are no means of compensating for any wear. It will be notioed that the shuttle of the Singer Maohine is carried in a slide, to whioh a lateral strain ia given by the driving rod, causing a certain amount of friotion, while in the Davis it is carried by the lever quite free from friotion. With the exception of the small roller working the needle bar, there is not a single piece in the Singer Maohine, not even excepting the shuttle, that cannot be cut with an ordinary pooket knife, and there are no means of adjusting any wearing part. In the Davis, not only are moat of tho pieces made of steel, and tempered, but at every essential point means are provided for taking np any wear. On this point, we may say that where we had any doubt about the quality of tho material employed the piece was broken and the fracture carefully examined. Having examined the mechanical arrangements of the two maohines, we tested their adaptability for work, and we noticed thevery peculiar feed tt the Davis. In this respeot wo have been foroed to the conclusion that for all purposes, sewing from the thinnoet muslin to even through a metal spoon, the Davia has ne parallel for grasp, or for avoidbg that puckering often the effect ef the pressure on a fore motion feed. We must in common honeaty express our astonishment at the range and variety of work accomplished by the Davis, which we are satisfied cannot be dono by the Singer. In summarising our report, we repeat that wo have no hesitation in saying that we regard the Davia as very superior to the Singer in workmanship, material, and the meohanical principles involved, and also in performing a greater range of work. We found tho Davis to work with equal ease from the lightest to the heaviest fabric. JOHN LEE SOOIT (Scott Bros.) Meohanical Engineer. T. GLUYAS PASCOE, Manager of the Kaiapoi Olothing Factory. GEO. P. ANTHONY, Meohanical Expert, from Nettlefold's Birmingham. 5717 F 0 GABITES. -CMoVELTIES FOB THE New Dresses Silks and Velvets Laoe and Fanoy Goods Blaok and Coloured Velveteens. Clothing— -Large Shipments. Choice Millinery. Blanketa and Blannela, &c. tl o 4_JTABITES, VIOTOBIA BTBEET J« X*) -OBOWN IS NOW DBLIVBBING BEST NEWCASTLE SCBEENED COALS, AND BEST BLAOK PINE FIBEWOOD, Shobt Lbnoths, In large or small quantities, At Gbbatlt Bbduobd Batbs. J. T. B B O W N, Timber and Coal Merohant, Chbistohuboh and Stdbnhah. 6220 C/BIOKBT AND JjAWN JL ENNIS. ENOBMOUS BEDUOTIONS. Wholbbalb Pbiobs. IMMENSE STOOK. Carefully Selected.) Must be sold. Good full-size oano-hundle bats at 12s 6d. W. BBIOE, Opposite Bank of New Zealand, 7175