Treadle

This page is a work in progress.  As I am researching information about my machine, I am capturing it here.

This machine was purchased at a Goodwill in August 2013.

My machine was manufactured by the National Sewing Machine Company and rebadged as the Charles Williams Stores.

Dating my machine:

• National Sewing Machine company was formed in 1890 and was the consolidation of the June and the Eldredge Companies.  It went out of business in 1953.
• National Sewing Machine company would manufacture machines and sell them branded with catalog companies.  My machine is branded with Charles Williams Stores.  Charles Williams stores were purchased on Oct 1, 1928 from Bellas Hess stores.  (reference here).  I also found a reference that the store was in business from 1859 to 1929.
• I read that National machines mimicked Singer machines.  Singer introduced a vibrating shuttle machine in 1885 and then updated it to the vibrating shuttle 2 in 1887.  (reference here).
• I found a picture of the machine on Needlebar of National machines.  My machine looks like the photo of a Vibrating Top Tension ( VB-TT Type 5) about halfway down the page.  This describes as (Arrow) New model shape. Low bobbin winder and a size of 14 1/2" x 6 13/16".  The body shape is rounded, the stitch control is in the pillar and the upper tension is 'top leaf'.  A vibrating shuttle machine means there are two slide plates (front to back) and the shuttle moves in an arc. Serial number under the front slide plate, on later machines it will be under the machine bed.   The shuttle houses the bobbin.
• archive.org  (google archive.org eaton) has catalogs from a company called Eaton online.  I've not yet confirmed National made machines for Eaton but you can see a machine that looks like mine on page 289 in the 1912-1913 catalog, on page 214 in Spring 2013 and also in the 1905 on page 199.   This clip of the catalog page is from 1913.

• Here are references to Sears models - I see several that look like mine especially once called the Home Queen.

Here are links about the manufacturer:

• Sewmuse.co.uk
• Needlebar

History of the sewing machine from Project Gutenberg.
Although not helpful for my machine hunting, some cool photos for sure!

Other blogs on a hunt for information:

• Tanit Isis Sews
• Sweetleaf