Farm house find

dogcaught · Jan 8, 2012

No idea what this is. The only words I can find are below the fork looking thing on the platform that say oil hole around a hole. So it takes oil. This came from an old 1860's farmhouse property and was deep. Any ideas? Thanks

SODABOTTLEBOB · Jan 8, 2012

Dog ~

I'm guessing sewing machine part ~ but I have done no research yet to support it.

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oxbowbarefoot · Jan 8, 2012

I have no idea what that is. Never seen anything like it.

Bigcypresshunter · Jan 8, 2012

SODABOTTLEBOB said:
Dog ~

I'm guessing sewing machine part ~ but I have done no research yet to support it.

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Definitely sewing machine attachment.

daroofa · Jan 8, 2012

bigcypresshunter said:
SODABOTTLEBOB said:

Dog ~

I'm guessing sewing machine part ~ but I have done no research yet to support it.

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Click to expand...

Definitely sewing machine attachment.

Yep, it's a ruffler attachment.

mrs.oroblanco · Jan 8, 2012

Good call - that is exactly what it is. The newer ones look a tad different, and different machines make them a little differently, but it is a definite id. :icon_thumleft:

Beth

dogcaught · Jan 9, 2012

Thanks for the help with the ID folks. The shared knowledge by the people on the this forum is amazing!

SODABOTTLEBOB · Jan 9, 2012

As a follow up, I was hoping to post a picture of a matching ruffle attachment. But I never did find one that had the super-long "fork" part. Most were different and had a shorter fork that was more open at the end and rounded. I'm guessing again when I say it might be from an older treadle sewing machine, which I have not fully researched. If someone is familiar with this sort of stuff, it would be interesting to know what type of machine it came from and from what year(s).

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Bigcypresshunter · Jan 9, 2012

Sewing ruffle attachments is not my thing but I remember some old posts with similar attachments. http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,139989.0.html

This similar one has patent numbers if you want to search. http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,330185.0.html

SODABOTTLEBOB · Jan 9, 2012

Big Cy ~

I'm not a ruffles guy either. (Youngest of four boys). But as a babyboomer born in 1952, I do recall a lot of homemade shirts my mom used to make. Which I didn't mind when I was in Grammer School, but didn't cut the mustard by the time I entered Junior High. Thus, I had to ask my mom to stop making them for me.

The following is from your second link. Which were patent dates and not numbers. But I was able to use the dates and found the one below from January 31, 1871. Its not an exact match, but close enough to tell us that "Rufflers/Gathering Attachments" go way back. I never did find the one in question, but suspect its pretty old.

Here are a couple of links regarding the history of sewing machines. Which go back a lot farther than I would have guessed.

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General: http://www.sewalot.com/sewing_machine_history.htm

Singer: http://www.singerdirect.co.uk/singer-history.htm

Patent No. 111,458 ~ Jan 31, 1871

Bigcypresshunter · Jan 9, 2012

SODABOTTLEBOB said:
Big Cy ~

I'm not a ruffles guy either. (Youngest of four boys). But as a babyboomer born in 1952, I do recall a lot of homemade shirts my mom used to make. Which I didn't mind when I was in Grammer School, but didn't cut the mustard by the time I entered Junior High. Thus, I had to ask my mom to stop making them for me.

I was also born in 52. My Gramma used to sew all my shirts and pants when they ripped. 8) She could make that machine sing and we wasted nothing. Today is a throw away wasteful society. I really miss Grammah because I cant even sew on a button lol.