The NeedleBar
MEMBERS' SURVEY RESULTS
The Standard Rotary
(Standard Sewing Machine Company)
From Sewing Machines we have had with manuals (from which you can get a date) to data collected via the Internet here is a very rough guide you can use to estimate the age of your Jones Sewing Machine. Jones originally in or around 1880 started with a simply numeric list of serial numbers for all their machines. On pre-1900 Singer machines if there are two serial numbers, always use the higher, longer, larger, serial number of the two to date your machine. Pre 1900, 19th Century, Victorian Singer sewing machine serial numbers.
Compiled by Gina Bisco
Thank you to Alan Quinn and the Needlebar Group for making the survey possible, as well as for their ongoing sewing machine research that so greatly benefits all of us with an interest in these old machines.
Summary of Results
One of the most fascinating aspects of Standard Rotary sewing machines made by the Standard Sewing Machine Co. is that some of them will take an attachment called a chainstitch spider which installs in place of the bobbin case and (used along with a special chainstitch needle plate) converts the machine from straight stitch to single thread chainstitch. The spider that came with my Standard Rotary serial number 770155 worked well in that machine and one with a later serial number, but it would not fit it into any of my machines with a lower serial number.
In doing this survey, I was hoping to find out whether there was a version of the chainstitch spider that would fit the earlier Standard Rotary machines. The earliest serial number for a machine in the survey that was confirmed to have a spider is 727368. Whether there is a version of the spider that will fit Standard Rotary machines with a serial number lower than 700000 remains to be discovered.
(Update August 2009. Machine #545,868 accepts and is able to use a solid center pin chainstitch spider. The use of the spider may depend on the type of hook mechanism and bobbin case the machine has. Further details in the NeedleBar Picture Library)
The earliest machine in the survey has serial number 62565. Machines with serial numbers lower than 174193 have the serial number on the flip-up plate (Photo 1). Machines with serial numbers above 182514 have the serial number on the stitch length plate (Photo 2). This serial number division also signifies a general change from the springless felt and grooved disk tension assembly (Photo 3) to the tension assembly with a spring and and a takeup spring with one free end (Photo 4). Two machines earlier than 174193 are reported as having the J tension assembly; perhaps the tension assembly was replaced with a later version sometime during their working lives.
Photo 2. Serial number on stitch length plate. |
Photo 3. Tension assembly made up of grooved disk and felt pads, no spring ('I' in the table of survey results). | Photo 4. Tension assembly with spring and takeup spring having one free end ('J' in the table of survey results). |
Another major division in the serial numbers occurs between 1065155 which is the latest reported 'slim' machine (5) and 1247790 which is the earliest reported 'stout' machine (6). This change in shape corresponds with another change in the tension assembly to one including a takeup spring with no free end (7).
Photo 6. 'Stout' |
Photo 7. Tension assembly with spring and the takeup spring has no free end--found only on 'stout' shape ('K' in the table of survey results). |
In addition, the shape change signifies a change in the shuttle race from a hollow pin to a solid pin. Therefore, stout machines require a spider with a hollow pin, and slim machines of approximate serial number 700,000 and above require a spider with a solid pin.
Photo 8. Front and back of spider with solid pin, which fits 'slim' machines having serial numbers above about 700,000. |
|
The 4 feed dog variants (Photos 10, 11, 12, 12) do not seem to be perfectly correlated with any particular serial number sets except that versions 1 and 2 are found only on 'slim' machines and version 4 is found only on 'stout' machines. Note the slight difference in configuration between versions 3 and 4: on version 3, the leg of the L-shaped feed extends only to the front edge of the needle hole; on version 4, the leg extends well beyond the front edge of the needle hole.
Photo 11. Feed dogs version 2. |
Photo 13. Feed dogs version 4. |
The two known variants of the common leafy vine decal, 'multi' (Photo 14) and 'brown/gold' (Photo 15), are both found on quite early 'slim' machines as well as much later 'stout' machines.
One person reported a confirmed Standard Rotary machine with completely different decals, a gold art deco pattern with the famous winged bobbin decal on the bed. A few others reported decals that were not the basic leafy vine decal, but of those, none were confirmed as being Standard Rotary machines made by the Standard Sewing Machine Co.
Photo 15. Leafy vine decal variant 'brown and gold' | |
One of the difficulties of this survey was that there was a very nice number of responses (over 100), but unfortunately the majority did not actually have rotary machines of the target group, i.e. those made by the Standard Sewing Machine Co.
I apologize for not realizing that there would be confusion about that, and I am very grateful for all responses, even those which I could not use.
Tableof Responses
serial number location | feed dog type | spider type | ||||
62565 | flip-up plate | slim | version 2 | grooved disk - I | none | x |
flip-up plate | slim | version 2 | grooved disk - I | none | x | |
88001 | flip-up plate | slim | version 2 | grooved disk - I | none | x |
flip-up plate | slim | version 2 | grooved disk - I | none | x | |
130272 | flip-up plate | slim | version 1 | grooved disk - I | none | none |
flip-up plate | slim | x | x | x | x | |
142353 | flip-up plate | slim | version 2 | springone free end - J | ? | x |
flip-up plate | slim | version 2 | grooveddisk - I | none | x | |
174193 | flip-up plate | slim | version 2 | grooveddisk - I | none | x |
stitch length plate | slim | version 2 | grooved disk - I | none | x | |
184101 | stitch length plate | slim | version 2 | grooveddisk - I | none | x |
stitch length plate | slim | version 2 | grooveddisk - I | none | multi | |
233010 | stitch length plate | slim | version 2 | springone free end - J | none | two tone gold and brown |
stitch length plate | slim | version 2 | grooveddisk - I | none | x | |
272939 | stitch length plate | slim | version 2 | grooveddisk - I | none | x |
stitch length plate | slim | version 2 | grooveddisk - I | none | x | |
346266 | stitch length plate | slim | version 2 | grooveddisk - I | none | none |
stitch length plate | slim | version 2 | grooved disk- I | none | x | |
445470 | stitch length plate | slim | version 2 | grooved disk - I | ? | x |
stitch length plate | slim | version 2 | grooved disk - I | x | none | |
650517 | stitch length plate | slim | version 2 | grooved disk - I | none | x |
stitch length plate | slim | version 2 | grooved disk - I | ? | x | |
677467 | stitch length plate | slim | version 2 | grooved disk - I | unknown | x |
stitch length plate | slim | version 2 | spring one free end - J | solid center pin | multi | |
748403 | stitch length plate | slim | version 2 | spring one free end - J | solid center pin | x |
stitch length plate | slim | version 2 | spring one free end - J | solid center pin | multi | |
797932 | stitch length plate | slim | version 2 | springone free end - J | none | x |
stitch length plate | slim | version 2 | springone free end - J | solid center pin | x | |
842677 | stitch length plate | slim | version 2 | springone free end - J | none | x |
stitch length plate | slim | version 2 | springone free end - J | none | x | |
936040 | stitch length plate | slim | version 2 | springone free end - J | solid center pin | x |
stitch length plate | slim | version 2 | springone free end - J | none | x | |
1065155 | stitch length plate | slim | version 3 | spring one free end - J | solid center pin | multi |
stitch length plate | stout | version 4 | spring closed loop - K | hollow pin | two tone gold and brown | |
1315331 | stitch length plate | stout | version 3 | spring closed loop - K | x | x |
stitch length plate vertical | stout | version 4 | spring closed loop - K | none | x | |
1362800 | stitch length plate | stout | version 4 | spring closed loop - K | hollow center pin | multi |
stitch length plate | stout | version 3 | spring closed loop - K | none | x | |
1581188 | stitch length plate | other (see below) | version 4 | spring closed loop - K | none | not leafy vine (Decals other: Gold only and an 'art deco' type pattern. The bed has a winged bobbin decal) |
(Other shape: 'It is a 'stout' shape but the area of the faceplate is of a rounder shape')
x = no answer given
? = answer needing to be checked
© Gina Bisco 2003. All Rights Reserved
This page may not be reproduced or distributed in part or in whole without the prior written permission of the copyright owner
International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society
- Research
Manufacturers
If your sewing machine, accessory, or ephemera has a name on it, this is the place to start. If we don't have a listing for the name, please use the search function to see if there is any mention of it on our site.
General Information
Toy Sewing Machines
About Us
- ISMACS News Magazine
ISMACS News
ISMACS News is the magazine of the International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society published four times a year for society members.
- ISMACS Membership
Joining ISMACS
The International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society is the premiere sewing machine collector's group. A quarterly magazine and access to our annual sewing machine auction are but two membership benefits.
- ISMACS Email Digest
Joining the Email Digest
The ISMACS Email Digest is the place to ask all your sewing machine questions. You will be greeted by the internet's finest people and your enquiries will be answered by leading experts.
When was my sewing machine made?
What model do I have?
Singer has recently pulled some of their dating and identification information from their website. Here you can look up your serial number and find out when your Singer Sewing Machine was made as well as what model you have.
ISMACS is an organization totally independent of all sewing-machine manufacturers, past or present and is not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned in these pages. Please Note: Do not contact any ISMACS official in an attempt to solicit a valuation - it is not possible other than by hands-on assessment and your request will be ignored.
Treadle Singer Sewing Machine Serial Numbers
All rights reserved by ISMACS INTERNATIONAL, under International and Pan American copyright conventions. Reproduction or copy of this page, in any form, in part or in whole, is strictly prohibited, without prior, written permission.