James Edward Allen Gibbs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is the current revision of James Edward Allen Gibbs as edited by SmackBot (Talk | contribs) at 16:17, 17 August 2007. This URL is a permanent link to this version of this page.
James Edward Allen Gibbs (1829-1902) was a farmer, inventor, and businessman from Rockbridge County in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. On June 2, 1857, he was awarded a patent for the first chain-stitch single-thread sewing machine. In partnership with James Wilcox, Gibbs became a principal in Wilcox & Gibbs Sewing Machine Company. Wilcox & Gibbs commercial sewing machines are still made and used in the 21st century.
Following his successful invention, he named his family's farm "Raphine." The name originated from an old Greek word "raphis" which means "to sew." The community of Raphine, Virginia was named in his honor.
A typical Wilcox and Gibbs machine from about 1930
| Image:Lightbulb.jpg | This article about an American engineer, inventor or industrial designer is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
