Rotary Shuttle
All material copyright David G. Best 2002 - 2009 All Rights Reserved.
Rotary Shuttle No.1
1879 to 1884
Introduced in 1879 the Rotary was awarded a Gold medal at the Paris Exhibition of that year and by 1886 the Rotary in its various forms had been awarded 15 other gold medals/first prizes.
Designed for Domestic use it had the tension discs on top of the arm and a very angular shape. Only produced as a treadle, it was claimed the machine could produce 2000 stitches per minute and had the nick name the "Lightening Sewer".
Price 1884: £6 without cover, drop-leaf or drawer.
Rotary Shuttle No.2/B2
1882 to March 1905
The Rotary No. 2 was developed as a manufacturing machine with a higher arm than the Rotary No. 1. In 1885 the Rotary No.2 still had the same angular shape as the Rotary but the tension discs were repositioned on the needle head. As well as the standard treadle it was available with Ward's Patent Rotary Treadle which had a cycle action (illustrated right). Bradbury's were the only suppliers of this style of treadle.
By 1887 the No.2 had become the B2 Rotary Shuttle with a smoother more rounded shape (see illustration below) and it was available with step or wheel feed.
The B2 machines have the Duke Trade Mark on the base of the pillar and two patent dates on top of the arm, 13th September 1880 and 18th December 1882. The 1880 patent related to the mechanism for operating the needle, shuttle, and feed in rotary-shuttle machines.
The 1882 patent was a modification of the earlier patent making it better adapted at sewing coarse as well as fine threads so that instead of the shuttle thread receiving one turn of twist for each rotation of the shuttle, twist was not given in either direction
Later machines c1898 are once again badged Bradbury's No.2 Rotary and have a gold and red decal with the Duke on the bed but do not have the patent dates. Patents in UK are for 14 years so presumably machines without the patent dates were produced after 1897.
While most machines had a coffin top the lidded type as per the Family No. 1 existed. On later machines the table had straight edges and various drawer combinations were available including a version with three large drawers. The No.2 Rotary could also be fitted in a three quarter parlour cabinet made of walnut priced at £12 10s 0d.
Price 1884: £7 without cover, drop-leaf or drawers or £8 17s with them.
Price 1888: £7 and wheel feed was 10s extra.
Price 1905: £9 7s 6d with leaf and three standard drawers.
Photographs of Rotary No.2 & B2 Machines
Threading & Oiling of Rotary No.2/B2 Machine
Rotary Shuttle No. 3 1883 - 1885
This machine had the same head as the No. 2 but had drawers and a leaf table. It cost £8 17s 0d (with cover) and was £1 more expensive than the No. 2.
INDEX of BRADBURY SEWING MACHINES
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