Sewing machines are incredible devices of creative ingenuity.
When Elias Howe invented the sewing machine in 1846, it was an amazing mechanical device driven by human power. The evolution of the sewing machine included foot power, hand power, and eventually electrical power.
Hand cranks, treadle devices, wheels, belts, and gears turned by the force of the users hand or foot. Sewing was resulted by the transfer of this movement across an upper and lower shaft to the various parts of the sewing machine. This movement caused the needle to rise and fall, while the hook and feed systems moved in concert.
Electrical motors were eventually introduced, but doing so required a new wave of invention. The mechanical devices previously used were replaced by the electrical motor. It was necessary to convert the electrical energy from the motor to mechanical energy within the sewing machine. The result was the use of a belt to transfer the power to the upper shaft of the sewing machine.
The electric motor made sewing faster, easier, and more reliable. It never got tired pumping or cranking. In the early years of this change over, existing sewing machine were often converted by replacing the hand cranks or treadles with motors mounted, aligned, and connected by belt to the machine. While the treadle and hand crank machines are now nostalgic treasures, they do not compare to the productive ability of the motorized sewing machine.
The electrical motors are AC motors which means they operate on standard Alternating Current from your home outlet. The term alternating describes the flow of electricity first in one direction and then in the other cycling back and forth. This electricity in the United States uses 120 volts and cycles 60 times a second. Electricity inside the motor creates a magnetic flux between coil windings and the motor core. As the voltage cycles, it causes the motor shaft to turn. Thus electric energy is converted to mechanical energy. This mechanical energy is then transferred to the sewing machine by a belt or gear drive mechanism.
Electric motors come in two types AC and DC. In both cases the electricity used to run the motor must operate in a continuous unbroken circuit or loop. If the flow of electricity in the circuit flows in one direction and then in the opposite direction, it is called alternating current. If the flow is in only one direction within the loop, it is DC or direct current. Use of a transformer can convert AC to DC or the reverse.
AC motors are used in conjunction with levers, gears, cams, and other mechanical devices to make stitches and run the sewing machine in what are known as mechanical sewing machines. For over a hundred years, this applied to all sewing machines. Even now AC driven mechanical sewing machines are used for commercial use and low end models.
More modern sewing machines including the most advanced computerized sewing machines have introduced the use of DC motors. Electronic circuits and integrated circuits are used to convert AC electricity into DC electricity. It then uses DC motors to directly control stitch functions and machine operations. This advance has enabled the modern sewing machine to achieve convenience and stitch capabilities never dreamed of before.
Understanding the power system of your sewing machine will help you understand when it is functioning properly or improperly. If the machine is not working they way you expect, understanding will help you make adjustments and repairs. - 15478
When Elias Howe invented the sewing machine in 1846, it was an amazing mechanical device driven by human power. The evolution of the sewing machine included foot power, hand power, and eventually electrical power.
Hand cranks, treadle devices, wheels, belts, and gears turned by the force of the users hand or foot. Sewing was resulted by the transfer of this movement across an upper and lower shaft to the various parts of the sewing machine. This movement caused the needle to rise and fall, while the hook and feed systems moved in concert.
Electrical motors were eventually introduced, but doing so required a new wave of invention. The mechanical devices previously used were replaced by the electrical motor. It was necessary to convert the electrical energy from the motor to mechanical energy within the sewing machine. The result was the use of a belt to transfer the power to the upper shaft of the sewing machine.
The electric motor made sewing faster, easier, and more reliable. It never got tired pumping or cranking. In the early years of this change over, existing sewing machine were often converted by replacing the hand cranks or treadles with motors mounted, aligned, and connected by belt to the machine. While the treadle and hand crank machines are now nostalgic treasures, they do not compare to the productive ability of the motorized sewing machine.
The electrical motors are AC motors which means they operate on standard Alternating Current from your home outlet. The term alternating describes the flow of electricity first in one direction and then in the other cycling back and forth. This electricity in the United States uses 120 volts and cycles 60 times a second. Electricity inside the motor creates a magnetic flux between coil windings and the motor core. As the voltage cycles, it causes the motor shaft to turn. Thus electric energy is converted to mechanical energy. This mechanical energy is then transferred to the sewing machine by a belt or gear drive mechanism.
Electric motors come in two types AC and DC. In both cases the electricity used to run the motor must operate in a continuous unbroken circuit or loop. If the flow of electricity in the circuit flows in one direction and then in the opposite direction, it is called alternating current. If the flow is in only one direction within the loop, it is DC or direct current. Use of a transformer can convert AC to DC or the reverse.
AC motors are used in conjunction with levers, gears, cams, and other mechanical devices to make stitches and run the sewing machine in what are known as mechanical sewing machines. For over a hundred years, this applied to all sewing machines. Even now AC driven mechanical sewing machines are used for commercial use and low end models.
More modern sewing machines including the most advanced computerized sewing machines have introduced the use of DC motors. Electronic circuits and integrated circuits are used to convert AC electricity into DC electricity. It then uses DC motors to directly control stitch functions and machine operations. This advance has enabled the modern sewing machine to achieve convenience and stitch capabilities never dreamed of before.
Understanding the power system of your sewing machine will help you understand when it is functioning properly or improperly. If the machine is not working they way you expect, understanding will help you make adjustments and repairs. - 15478
About the Author:
Find your free beginner's course: 7 Steps To Peak Performance For Your Sewing Machine. Now explore the Secrets Of Sewing Machine Repair. Dr. David Trumble writes several comprehensive sewing machine repair courses.
