Singer, Isaac Merrit (1811-1875)

US inventor of domestic and industrial sewing machines. Within a few years of opening his first factory in 1851, he became the world's largest sewing-machine manufacturer (despite infringing the patent of Elias Howe), and by the late 1860s more than 100,000 Singer sewing machines were in use in the USA alone.

To make his machines available to the widest market, Singer became the first manufacturer to offer attractive installment credit terms.

Singer was born in Pittstown, New York, and became a machinist. During his early working life he patented a rock-drilling machine and later a metal- and wood-carving one. One day he was asked to carry out some repairs to a Lerow and Blodgett sewing machine. Singer decided he could add many improvements to the design. Eleven days later he produced a new model, which he patented.

Singer used the best of Howe's design and altered some of the other features. The basic mechanism was the same: as the handle turned, the needle paused at a certain point in its stroke so that the shuttle could pass through the loop formed in the cotton. When the needle continued, the threads were tightened, forming a secure stitch.