Anyone know anything about Improved New Companion
 

machines? I got a head only today and am trying to figure it out. So far I'm thinking it is a badged Davis? It looks exactly like some pictures I've seen online. I've also seen a reference to it a Perry Mason Improved New Companion. Was Perry Mason a store?
Thanks!

There's a joke about an 80's crime show in there, but I'm not going to touch it ;) There's also a Dr. Who joke or two...

Anyway, I've seen New Companion badged, though I don't recall off-hand an Improved New Companion. *checks ISMACS' needle list* There's an Improved New Champion made by Goodrich. *more needle list checking* There's a New Companion listed as made by New Home, and I'm pretty sure I've seen the same name as a badged Davis.

With these options, we'd need to see a couple photos of the machine and maybe the shuttle, if you have the shuttle, to know who made it.

Need picture - like FQD said, several mfg used that name.

Does it have a top tension (leaf) or the more modern type?

Davis - belt grove will be on the outside of the flywheel - square needle plate and flat end slides.

New Home had a New Companion and Improved New Companion. They used names like that all the time, and have several "New XXX" and then a "Improved New XXX"

BTW - the one shown with the reference "Perry Mason" is a later Davis machine. Notice the square needle plate and the belt on the outside of the flywheel. Davis is not the only one like that (there are very few).

This one has the square needle plate and the belt on the outside of the wheel. No shuttle though. It looks just like the one shown as the perry mason. I'll get some pics soon as I find the camera.

This Improved New Companion is a Davis Model D, pretty good description of Perry Mason and badged machines in reply:

http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stor...companion-1910

Link to Davis Model T in reply which is a 3/4 sized machine, this Improved New Companion is full sized. These Davis' use different shuttles and bobbins.


Jon

Good info diggin'! I was nearly certain I'd seen a Davis New Companion, though I don't recall having ever seen an Improved New Companion. It screams Davis (there is a slight chance it was made by National using Davis parts after they bought their back-stock when the Davis company dissolved.)

So what shuttle do they take? A National or a different one?

FQD,

Not sure what happened to any Davis parts if any were left after the factory closed. To the best of my knowledge they were not used by any other company. I suspect the company officers knew the company was closing for a few years as they issued large amounts of stock in the early 1920's and reorganized the company as a corporation of Delaware to inflate its value. In one article I've read one resident claimed fraud and the Shareholders were S.O.L.

Pic of Davis full and 3/4 sided shuttles. Measure 53mm and 48.25mm.

Jon

Ah! Thank you, I've never seen a Davis 3/4 shuttle before.

I've read from one source that National bought Davis, and another source that - clarified? - when the Davis company dissolved and the assets where sold National bought up the plant, parts, etc. It's why a sewing machine occasionally pops up that looks like a Davis but has a National name. I believe a few of them take some National parts and there was some hybridizing, but I'm not 100% sure.

Don't want to stray to far off topic but National got the "Davis" name and maybe a few others trademarked by Davis. Not sure who bought the machinery, only that it was auctioned off. A section of the Davis plant were used to make bicycle parts and Huffy bicycles a few years down the road. Davis had a tremendous bike making operation, they made as many bicycles as sewing machines. They made motorcycles as well.

Jon

I've seen evidence of National using Davis names - maybe why there is confusion as to a machine that has a "National" name but is a Davis machine - it's probably the other way around. Earlier are Davis machines with Davis names, and later you'll see the same Davis names on National machines.