Page 1 Advertisements Column 6

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4747, 18 July 1883, Page 1

Business Notioes NOT QUITE BO DECISIVE AB II WAS, BUT A LITTLE MOBB OVEBWHELMING. WB Challenge the representative of the Singer Hewing Maohine Oompany, or any of the jurors on Sewing Maohines at the Bxhibition who voted for the report ooming from that body to oontrovert the following statement of facts. Messrs Meddings, Cunnington, Dale, and Kirk, we oall upon you to defend your report. H. 0. FISKE ft CO. Christchuroh International Bxhibition. June 16th, 1882. Bbpobt op Oommittkb op Expbbtb. ToH.C. Fiske and Co. DBAB SIB, — In aocordance with your request, we have examined the New Davis and the New Singer Sewing Maohines, for the purpose of oomparing them. In our comparison we have taken into consideration — 1. The meohanical principle involved. 2. Jhe quality of the material used. 8. The degree of workmanship exhibited. 4. The facility for doing a good and varied olass of work. After taking both maohineß asunder, oarefully examining every piece, and fully testing their capabilities, we have no hesitation iv saying that we consider the Davis far the superior machine 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 oam. This oam in the Davis maohine is cut out of a solid pieoe of steel and hardened, while in the Singer it is not only very much lighter, but is made of oommon cast iron. The feed apparatus of the two machines are very dissimilar. That of the Singer is the usual slip feed. The Davis has the vertioal feed peculiar to itself. In this arrangement the presser foot holds the material firmly down till the needle has reaohed ite 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 required length of stitoh. Motion is jiven 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 itthrough a ball joint of ingenious oonstruotion to the only moving part under the maohine, a pivotted lever having at its end an adjustable shuttle carrier. In the Singer Maohine a pair of mitre wheels drive a vertioal spindle, having at its lower end a orank. A connecting rod from thiß orank moves a sliding Bhuttle oarrier. It will be seen that in the Davis there are between the main epindle and the Bhuttle four points of friotion, tho pivot oarrying the_ vertical lever, the eocentrio, the ball joint, and the pivot of horizontal lever. The two prinoipal movements the eccentrio 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, tho two journals of vertical Bpindle, the two ends of the connecting rod, and the sliding shuttle carrier. None of these places are adjustable. The small wheels are common cast iron, having a certain amount of backlash, and consequent tendency to rattle and break. The connecting rod is a thin bar of iron, with a hole in each end. The end whioh 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 surfaoe, 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 shuttle of the Singer Mcohine is carried in a slide, to which a lateral strain is given by the driving rod, causing a certain amount of friction, while in the Davis it is carried by tho lever quite free from friotion. With tho exception of the small roller working the needle bar, thore is not a single pieoe in tho Singer Maohine, not even excepting the shutjtle, 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 evory 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 the material employed the piece was broken and the fracture oarefully examined. Having examined tho meohanioal arrangements of the two machines, we tested their adaptability for work, and we noticed tho very peouliar fee-5 of 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 *hat puokering often the effect ef the pressure on a fore motion feed. We must in oommon honesty exprcsß our astonishment at the range and variety of work accomplished by the Davis, whioh we are satisfied oannot be done by the Singer. In summarising our report, we repeat that we have no hesitation in saying that we regard the Davie as very superior to the Binger m workmanship, material, and the meohanioal principles involved, and also in performing a greater range of work. Wo found the Davis to work with equal ease from tho lightest to the heaviest fabric. JOHN LEE SCOIT (Soott Bros.) Meohanical Engineer. T. GLUYAS PASCOE, Manager of the Kaiapoi Clothing Factory. GEO. P. ANTHONY, Meohanioal Expert, from Nettlefold's Birmingham. 5717 FINAL NOIIOE. We Bobinson •tiriSHBB to inform all his old Oußtomers and Friends that ho has BBMOVBD THB WHOLE OF HIS LASGB STOOK OP Boots and ohoes To thoße Premises Lately occupied by MILNEB & THOMPSON, High street, Nbxt Doob to Dunning's, Fbuitbbbb. .Bee-hive JiJoot JLPepot. 864 COFFEE. GILLBSPIE'S ELEPHANI BBA»D OOFFEB HAS long been reoognised as the most suitable breakfaßt beverage, it being delioious in flavour and thoroughly wholesome. So\d by most grocers in 1, 2, 4, 7, 14 and 251 b tins, And WHOLBSALB BY ALL MBBOHANTS And at Thb Minis, High street, *17