Muv

Rain has recently started a thread about how to fix stop motion screws, and I mentioned that I particularly liked machines that didn't have them. This led on to me enthusing about German machines because they have so many ingenious features. They make Singers seem a bit pedestrian. Rain and Miriam said they were interested in hearing more, so here goes!

I know there are a few German machines lurking about on the opposite side of the Atlantic, so please feel free to post pictures here. Meanwhile I will put up pictures of my machines to show you why I find them so fascinating.

The first machine that I will show you is the Little Vesta. Photos showing the whole machine are at post 46 of the thread Vintage Sewing Machine Shop Machine Photos. The photos below show the wheel and how the shaft is driven. The main central cog links to the upper cog which drives the shaft. The smaller cog to the left drives the bobbin winder, which is pushed into place when in use so that the cog engages with the teeth on the inside of the wheel.

To disengage the shaft when winding bobbins, the metal stud (at the right of centre in the first photo) is pulled out. It is on a spring. Then it needs to be rotated 180 degrees and the tiny pin on the back of the stud keeps it in place in the out position. This is just about visible (I hope) in the second picture. By doing this a larger pin is pulled out from the hole in the large central cog (the hole is visible in the third picture), disconnecting the large cog from the wheel.

I hope you enjoy squinting at these photos. Tomorrow I will post more photos of this machine showing more fascinating features.

I should have been a sewing machine salesman in the 1920s.