cal patents, Gibbs
also patented the design of the sewing-machine head in 1860. In the
specifications, he described it as an open ring set on a base or
pedestal. The lower part of the open section supported the cloth plate.
The design of the head, intentionally or not, formed a perfect letter G,
the initial of the inventor. Later the machine head as a letter G was
incorporated into the company's trademark. Additional patents were also
granted to James Willcox for a leg and treadle design and to Charles
Willcox for mechanical improvements.

It has not been possible to secure information on records of serial
numbers from the late 1870s through the 1920s to aid in dating machines
of that period. For the preceding years, however, the machines may be
dated approximately as follows:

_Serial Number_ _Year_

1-10000 1857
10001-20000 1858
20001-30000 1859
30001-40000 1860
40001-50000 1861
50001-60000 1862
60001-70000 1863
70001-80000 1864
80001-90000 1865
90001-100000 1866
100001-115000 1867
115001-130000 1868
130001-145000 1869
145001-160000 1870
160001-190127 1871
190128-223766 1872
223767-239647 1873
239648-253357 1874
253358-267879 1875
267880-279637 1876

Although the Willcox and Gibbs company is still in existence, for the
past several decades the company has limited itself to the production of
specialized manufacturing machines rather than family machines.
(Smithsonian photo 58986.)]

[Illustration]

<----

[Illustration: Figure 132.--ILLUSTRATION from _Knights American
Mechanical Dictionary_, vol. 3, p. 2122. The 68 sewing-machine stitches
in use by 1882 are as follows:

SINGLE THREAD

1. Running stitch.

2. Back stitch.

3. Fast stitch.

4. Chainstitch.

5. Coiled-loop chainstitch.

6. Knitted-loop chainstitch.

7. Knotted-loop chainstitch.

8. Loop enchained by second alternate stitch.

9. Each loop locks and enchains alternate loops.

10. Staple stitch (for waxed threads only).

TWO THREADS

11. Double-needle chainstitch.

12. Double-thread chainstitch (one needle).

13. Double-looped chainstitch.

14. Chain with interlocking thread.

15. Under-thread through its own loop.