Many people think that the inventor of the sewing machine is Singer, in fact, 169 years ago on September 10, 1846, the U.S. Patent Office to inventor Elias Howe (Elias Howe) issued the first sewing machine patents, patent number as “US 4750 A”, patent name called “Improvement in sewing – those” (A kind of sewing machine Improvement).

Elias Howe in 1846 invention of the sewing machine

You might ask, since it is improved that it is not the first sewing machine, why this day as the sewing machine’s birthday? This is because, before that, there are a lot of people have invented a sewing machine, even the earliest can be traced back to 1755, the Germans Charles Wiesenthal won the first in the UK the patent of the sewing machine, to facilitate sewing by hand. Elias Howe, however, significant improvements were made on the sewing machine, making it the first truly modern sense of the sewing machine. He used the double chain sewing method, and a series of crucial for modern sewing machine structure, such as set in the eye of a needle tip, automatic feeding device, etc. So he is the true sense of the inventor of the sewing machine.

Double chain sewing method

How did he think of set the eye of a needle on the needle point ? His mother’s family history records a story: as a result of the house day and night work, in one night dreaming that I am unable to improve sewing machine and angered the king, the king sent soldiers to catch his crucifixion. Soldier holding a spear in the dream, the spear point is in the shape of hollow out and gave him the inspiration.

Howe patented only 27 years old.  in October 1846, his brother Amasa.Bemis.Hao sold his machine for 250 pounds to the London businessman William Thomas, who has a factory, making tights, umbrellas and suitcase.

At the same time, many people started to copy his sewing machine. Elias found Isaac Singer (which is now the founder of the “American household sewing machine”) and Walter hunt were used in the production of sewing machine he invented by double chain sewing method. To protect their patent right, he was forced to took to the court. Lawsuit lasted from 1849 to 1849, spent a lot of money and effort, finally won the lawsuit, and received the excessive royalties paid by Singer.
– Household sewing machine

In 1867, the Paris world’s fair, Hao of the sewing machine won a gold medal. That same year, he won the napoleon iii awarded the medal of honor.
In 2004, Elias Howe was inducted into the national inventors hall of fame. His invention of the sewing machine, popular in the world, walked into the thousands of lives, changed the history of the human manufacturing clothes. Today we are the world’s 70 hundreds of millions of people are enjoying the good and cheap clothing, there is no doubt that Elias, have made great contributions for this reason, everyone should for his thumb up!