It seems reasonable to describe the mid- to late-1880's as the Golden Age of miniature sewing machine design. With odd notable exceptions, most of these incarnations were short lived at best!
Two such designs from this period featured a similar needle feed arrangement, and are highlighted here. Unlike the system used in the more successful Tabitha, "The Pixie", as it is known, together with "The Oliver", (patentee's name) both incorporated a type of feed that first appeared in much earlier models. The idea always remained under utilised, and with few exceptions, mainly confined to cheaply constructed machines.
The motion is attained by attaching the upper end of the needle - or needle carrier - to a revolving crank. At the lower end, the needle is guided through a stationary hole so that while it ascends and descends, a transverse oscillating motion is created, which in turn feeds the fabric onward.
Sadly, neither of these miniatures were great commercial successes, and today examples are extremely hard to come by.

Patent details elsewhere on site.

G.D.
October 1999.