ThayerRags

I obtained another “Potential Quilt Piecing Machine”, in case I ever decide to make a quilt out of old carpet remnants or surplus entry rugs. My wife is already looking forward to a patch-work entry rug for her shop if I can ever figure out how it works and get it to sewing again.

I still don’t understand all I know about it, but near as I can tell, it’s a Singer 35-1 Carpet Sewing Machine. I downloaded the parts manual and User Manual and things seem to match up. It has a size 26 curved needle and a looper (both look in good shape) that makes a 2-thread chain stitch using two spools of thread. The tensions are on the spools of thread instead of having separate tension assemblies. The thread take-up lever is on the looper thread instead of the needle thread, so it’s going to have a rather large learning curve for me, I’m afraid. It originally came with some extra parts that included 4 carpet guides and a couple of looper threading wires, so I’m going to have to try to improvise too.

It’s got the number 450 stamped into the arm above the Singer badge, so I don’t know if that’s a serial number or what. There’s not any tag on it that says 35-1 (or 35K1) either. The newest patent date on it is APR.15.84.

CD in Oklahoma

SteveH

wow, just wow..... That is way too cool!! I am glad that did not fall into the hands of a "steampunk" person. lord knows what they would have made that into..

Rodney

There's a guy with a booth at the old Yard Birds department store between Centralia and Chehalis. Yard Birds is long gone, now the building has a grocery store in one end and most of the rest is a swap meet/ antique mall where vendors have separate stalls. He has a carpet sewing machine similar to that. He won't part with it. I'll try to remember to bring a camera next time I go there and see if I can get a picture of it for here.
Rodney

ThayerRags

Further research on the Singer 35-1 Carpet Sewing Machine (thanks to Needlebar and the Smithsonian Library) indicates that the machine was designed by Joseph Hesse and bought by Singer in 1880, and Singer began production that year at their factory in Elizabeth, NJ. The 35-1 was also made at one point in Bridgeport CT. The same machine, called a 35K1, was manufactured as late as the 1950s in Scotland. The 35-1 was soon replaced with the improved 35-2 that had disc-type tension assemblies for each thread. One of the machines, I believe the 35K2 was manufactured as late as the mid 1960s in England.

The Singer badge on my machine is the early American version used by Singer manufacturing as early as 1875. It has the words “THE SINGER MFG Co N.Y.” on it, so presumably it was made in America and not the UK. Having the early Trade Mark on it indicates that it may have been made early in Elizabeth New Jersey. Most American-made machines, especially the ones made at Bridgeport, had serial numbers that generally included a W with 6 digits, and I can’t find a number like that on my machine anywhere. Of course, I still have some cleaning to do, but it’s not where the serial number appears on other machines. The number 450 is stamped where the serial number would normally be, but I’m still not sure it is a serial number. I don’t believe that it’s the part number, because that’s listed as 7951. It doesn’t have the normal brass model tag riveted on it either, or any signs of rivet holes.

The way it was used was that two pieces of carpet are joined by suspending them under tension with top sides together with the two edges at about shoulder height, and the machine is placed on the upper edges for sewing. The machine came with a large group of parts and accessories for the buyer to construct the rigging necessary to use the machine. The Smithsonian has a good photo of the rigging for the Class 35 machines.

CD in Oklahoma

SteveH

CD, I would say that is a serial number. It appears that each number was stamped separately, whereas a part number or the like would be a unified stamp. Way cool. This may be VERY early.

ThayerRags

That’s what I’m thinking too, but I’m proceeding with caution to try to prove or disprove it.

For a comparison with a later model, JudyTheSewer spotted one that looks to me like the Singer 35-2, on the Reno Nevada Craig’s List. It has the disc-type tension assemblies. I can’t read the brass tag on it.

An interesting feature of my machine is the spoked wheel on the end that will be down at the bottom of the machine when in use. The wheel has a belt that goes up to a pulley connected to the hand crank apparatus (it’s missing on mine, but will have one). Some photos that I’ve seen show it as a loop, while others show it as a figure 8. The wheel would turn in opposite directions from one setup to the other. As far as I can tell, the purpose of the wheel and belt is for operating the machine. Other than a weight to hold the machine upright, I can’t see any other use for it. Since the hand crank becomes positioned on the opposite side of the carpets (according to the User Manual) when placed on the work, evidently, the machine can be operated with the wheel on one side or with the crank on the other side. If so, it wouldn’t matter which way the wheel turned, as long as the operator turned it the correct way for sewing. I wonder if a figure 8 arrangement was simply to tighten up a loose belt instead of having to shorten the belt?

CD in Oklahoma

SteveH

Except that a figure 8 would reverse the direction of rotation...

ThayerRags

That wouldn't be a problem, as long as you remembered which way you needed to turn it....

CD in Oklahoma

Cogito

Lordy that is one fine looking odd contraption lol. Can you share a bit of background as to how you came to be its new proud owner? Purely for the interest in exciting stories ya know. Appears it might be pretty uncommon if not rare, eh?

ThayerRags

No romantic story to it......
I saw it on that auction site.....

CD in Oklahoma