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Elias Howe patents the lockstitch sewing machine

When
1846
Where
United States
Episodes
1

Elias Howe received the first United States patent for a lockstitch sewing machine on September 10, 1846. His design refined earlier concepts, though he faced challenges in securing investors for production.

Episodes

  1. 1846-09-10 · United StatesPatent Award

    Elias Howe received the first US patent for a lockstitch sewing machine on September 10, 1846.

Background and detail

Background. Elias Howe Jr. was an American inventor known for creating the modern lockstitch sewing machine. He originated significant refinements to the design concepts of his predecessors, leading to his patent award in 1846.

Patent Details. On September 10, 1846, Howe was awarded U.S. patent 4750 for a sewing machine using a lockstitch design. This was the first United States patent for a sewing machine using this specific design.

Financial Challenges. Despite securing his patent, Howe had considerable difficulty finding investors in the United States to finance production of his invention. His elder brother Amasa Bemis Howe traveled to England in October 1846 to seek financing.

People involved

Sources

  1. Elias Howe Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-30

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.