Instructions

Pfaff 133: For light clothing, linen goods, corsetry, umbrellas, etc.
Clear Work Space 9 x 5

Pfaff 134: For light and medium-weight ready-to-wear or tailor-made
clothing, leather goods, etc.
Clear Work Space 11 x 5


General

1. Pfaff 133 and 134 single-needle, flat-bed sewing machines are organized with link take-up and horizontal
rotary hook, which is driven by bevel gears and moves counter-clockwise. These machines are ideally suited
for stitching light and medium-heavy materials.

2. Pfaff 133 standard and Model K machines (the latter organized with bobbin case opener) can be driven to a
top speed of 3,500 s. p. m., while the maximum speed of Pfaff 134 machines is about 10% less. To prevent
overheating of the needle when sewing tightly woven or heavily dressed materials, the speed must be
slightly reduced.

3. To avoid trouble, it is recommended to run the machine at about 70% of its top speed until all parts in
movable contact have become thoroughly glazed by their action upon each other. This should be the case
after two weeks daily use.

R7780

Fig. 1
Pfaff 133 on treadle stand


Engaging and Disengaging the Sewing Mechanism
(For treadle machines only)

To engage the sewing mechanism, hold the balance wheel with your left hand and tighten the stop motion nut
by turning it over from you.

To disengage the sewing mechanism for bobbin winding, turn the stop motion nut toward you.

Whether the machine is driven by foot or electric power, the balance wheel must always turn toward you
(counter-clockwise as shown by a black arrow in Fig. 3).

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 Winding the Bobbin on Power-Driven Machines

Place the spool of thread on spool pin 1 (Fig 2) and the bobbin on spindle 5. Pass the thread through eyelet 2,
between tension disc 3, and pull it through the slot in the bobbin from the inside. Press in lever 6, until the
bobbin winder pulley contacts the belt. Hold the end of the thread and slowly start the machine. Check to see
that the bobbin winder pulley rotates clockwise, as indicated by an arrow in Fig 2. Moving wound a few turns,
break off the end of the thread and continue winding at a faster pace. The bobbin winder will stop automatic-
ally when the bobbin is full. The amount of thread to be wound on the bobbin is regulated by screw 7.

Turn the screw right for more thread,
and left for less thread.

If the thread should pile up on one side of the bobbin, loosen screw 4 and adjust the tension bracket. The
tighten the screw securely.

Never use mercerized cotton in the bobbin.

Fig. 2 R7777
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 Winding the Bobbin on Treadle Machines

After Fig. 3 put the spool of thread on the pin 1, the spool on the spindle 5, bring the thread through the eyelet
2 under the pin 3, between the two tension discs 4 and from here to the outside through the slot in the side the
bobbin. Then press the bobbin 6 against the belt until the winder is locked. After the spool is full, the spooler
stops itself. Too much or too little is caused by press together or pulling apart of the spring clip lever 7 and 8. If
you press these levers together, then the coil becomes fuller, you pull it apart, then it becomes less crowded.

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 Removing the Bobbin and Threading the Bobbin Case

To change the bobbin, turn the handwheel towards you until the needle bar stands up, open with your thumb
of your left hand the holding onto the bobbin case and pull out the capsule together with the bobbin. In this
position, the bobbin cannot fall out of the bobbin case. When inserting a filled bobbin into the bobbin case,
insert the thread into the bobbin case slot X as shown in Fig. 4, pull it under the tension spring while holding the
bobbin and pull it out of the opening Y something

happens with the tension nut M (fig. 5). If you turn these in, the tension becomes stronger and weaker when
you turn it out.

If the upper tension is too light, the lower thread pulls the upper thread down to form small nodules or loops
(Fig. 6). If the upper tension is too strong, then the lower thread is pulled upward (Fig. 7) or the upper thread
rubs. Fig. 8 shows the entanglement of both threads in the middle of the fabric, as it is with proper regulation
of the tension.


Threading the Needle


After Fig. 5 brings the thread lever in the highest position. From the thread spool 1, first pass the thread through
the hole of the spool pin 2 from top to bottom through the thread tensioning holes 3 and clockwise between
the tension discs 4 via thread take-up spring 5, under the thread regulator 6, up through thread slack 7 to thread
take-up 8 traversed from right to left, down again through the Headstock nose 9 and 10, threaded into the slot
of the needle holder 11 and to strike from left to right through the needle eye 12.


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Fig. 5 R7777




Drawing Up the Bobbin Thread

Hold the needle thread lightly and turn the balance wheel toward you until the needle moves down and up
again, thus catching the bobbin thread. Lay both threads back under the presser foot. Put the material into the
machine and lower the presser foot. Hold both thread ends back of the sewing foot until the machine has made
a few stitches. This is important in order to prevent that the loose ends of thread will get jammed between
bobbin case and hook.

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Never run the machine unless you have a piece of fabric under the presser foot.

Regulating the Upper Tension

The upper tension is regulated by means of tension nut M (Fig 5). Turn the tension nut right for a tighter
tension, or left for a looser tension.

If the upper tension is too weak, the bobbin thread will pull down the needle thread and lie straight along the
underside of the fabric, forming small knots or loops (Fig 6). If, on the other hand, the upper tension is too tight,
the bobbin thread will be pulled up to the surface of the fabric, or the needle thread will break (Fig 7). If the
tension is correct, both threads will interlock in the center of the material, as illustrated in Fig 8.

Fig. 8
Both tensions correctly balanced.

To facilitate the removal of the work from the machine, the tension discs are opened automatically, when the
presser bar is raised. Always remove the work by pulling it back out of the machine so that the needle will not
be bent.

Regulating the Lower Tension

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The lower tension is regulated by means of the small tension screw Z (Fig. 4) and small screwdriver. Turn the
screw right for a tighter tension, or left for a looser tension.

Selecting the Correct Needle

Pfaff 133 and 134 machines use System 133 and 134 needles, respectively.

The appearance of the finished seam is dependent on the correct relationship between needle, thread and
fabric. Select the proper needle and thread sizes from the chart below:



Needle and Thread Chart


Needle
Thread Weight Types of Fabrics
Size
Sheer fabrics, such as batiste,
Cotton 150-100 tulle, mull, etc.;
70
Silk 00 or 0 delicate linens;
and extra-fine linens
Delicate silks;
Cotton 100-80 lightweight linens,
80
Silk 0 or A calicoes, etc.;
and fine leathers
Medium-weight linens,
Cotton 150-100
90 lightweight woolens, and
Silk A or B
medium-weight leathers
Medium-weight suitings,
Cotton 150-100
100 umbrellas,
Silk B or C
and lightweight leatherwear
Cotton 150-100 Medium-heavy suitings and
110 Silk C or D coatings, corsetry, and
Linen 90-80 medium-heavy leatherwear
Cotton 150-100 Heavyweight woolens,
120 Silk D or E winter coatings, and
Linen 80-50 heavyweight leatherwear



Changing the Needle

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Raise the needle bar to its highest point. Loosen the needle set screw and pull out the old needle. Insert a new
needle into the opening of the needle clamp and push it up as far as it will go. Make sure the short groove faces
toward the balance wheel. Tighten the needle set screw securely.

Regulating the Stitch Length

The stitch length is regulated by turning thumb nut S (Fig 9). On the feed regulator lever.

Turn the thumb nut right for shorter stitches, or left for longer stitches.

The numerals on the left of the scale indicate the stitch length in millimeters.

The feed regulator lever is permanently held down in forward feeding position by spring action. When you push
the feed regulator lever up beyond the zero mark, the machine will feed in reverse. The lever will return
automatically to the forward feeding position, when released. This feature is particularly useful for backtacking.

If desired, the machine will be fitted with a small treadle which makes it possible to change from forward to
reverse stitching by foot action.

9
 Fig. 9 R7208

Regulating the Pressure on the Material

The presser foot pressure is regulated by the presser bar thumb screw. To increase the pressure, turn the
screw in, and to ease the pressure, turn it out.




Cleaning and Dismantling the Sewing Hook

The sewing hook is the most vital part of the while machine and is constantly exposed to great stress. For this
reason, it should be cleaned thoroughly from time to time.

To do this, remove the bobbin case with the bobbin and unthread the machine, Squirt ample cleaning fluid into
the hook raceway, raise the presser bar, and run the machine a short while at varying speeds. Repeat this
procedure until all lint and dust have been washed out of the hook. Then put a few drops of oil into the hook
raceway, and run the machine with a piece of fabric under the pressure foot to absorb the excess oil.

Dismantle the sewing hook only if this is absolutely necessary. Practised operators who have formed the habit
of holding the thread ends and of bringing the take-up lever to its highest point when beginning and ending a
seam respectively, will hardly encounter thread jamming in the hook raceway. Yet, admittedly, there is always
an exception to the rule.

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 Fig. 10 R5271

Fig. 11 R5997

If thread should happen to jam in the hook raceway, try to pull it out as you turn the balance
wheel back and forth slightly. These efforts are greatly facilitated by the resilient hook gib which
is secured to the hook by only one screw as in (Fig. 10). It may help to loosen this screw, provided
it can be reached with a screwdriver.

If this action does not free the jammed thread, dismantle the sewing hook, as instructed below;

1. Tilt the machine back.

2. Loosen set screw C (Fig. 12) and pull opener finger B off its shaft. The Correct timing of the bobbin
case opener can be easily restored since the position of the opener finger on the shaft is marked
by a groove.

3. Unscrew position finger bracket A and loosen the needle set screw. Turn the balance wheel to
raise the needle bar as high as it will go so that you can pull out the needle, tilting it sideways,
and get at gib screw E.

4. Remove the bobbin case cap, unscrew the needle plate, and take out the hook gib screw.

5. Lift the front end of hook gib G (Fig. 11) and pull out the gib. Rotate the jammed hook until slot
I in the bobbin case base points upward. Replace position finger bracket A and screw it down.

6. Put a drop of oil into the hook raceway and cautiously turn the balance wheel back and forth to
free the jammed bobbin case base.

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 7. Rotate the hook until slot I (Fig. 11) is in line with the first set screw F; on thread pull-off flange
F. When in this position, seize the bobbin case base by the center stud and tilt it out of the hook.
To facilitate this step, turn the balance wheel back and forth slightly.

8. Clean the hook raceway thoroughly and remove the lint with a pointed wooden instrument, but
never with a screwdriver.

Fig 12 R7209

Reassemble the hook in the reverse order. In inserting the bobbin case base make sure there is a clearance
about 1/64 inch wide between the tip of the position finger and the bottom of slot I. This setting will result
automatically, provided the position finger bracket has not been bent by the jammed hook. Push opener finger
B (Fig. 12) onto its shaft and take care that set screw C enters the lengthwise groove in the shaft.

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 Cleaning and Oiling

When the machines leave the factory, all nickeled and polished parts, including the sewing hook, are covered
with a film of rust-preventive lubricant to protect them in transit and storage. Before you start the machine,
remove the grease with a clean rag, apply a few drops of cleaning fluid to all oiling points marked with arrows
in Figs. 13 and 14, and unthread the machine. Now run the machine with some waste cloth under the presser
foot or with the presser foot raised. Wipe the machine dry and apply a drop of Pfaff sewing machine oil to all

Fig 13 R7729

Fig 14 R6138

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points of friction. This procedure should be applied not only before starting a new machine, but also when a
machine has been either idle or constantly in use for a longer time.

Never use other lubricants, such as rape oil, glycerine and the like, because they are liable to clog the mechanism
and cause hard working of the machine.

Before you put a new machine in use, thoroughly clean the sewing hook with cleaning fluid. When a machine
is constantly in use, alternately apply a drop of cleaning fluid and a drop of oil to the hook. From time to time
unscrew the needle plate and remove the lint which has accumulated on its underside and on the feed dog.

Trouble Shooting

Machine Skips Stitches

1. Needle incorrectly inserted.
2. Wrong Needle.
3. Needle bent or too fine for the thread used.

Thread Breaks
1. Any of the above mentioned conditions may cause thread breakage.
2. Tension too tight.
3. Poor or knotty thread used.

Machine Feeds Improperly
1. Tension either too tight or too loose. (Lower tension should be slightly weaker than upper tension).

2. Needle and thread do not match fabric weight.

(Bobbin thread may be thinner, but not thicker, than needle thread).

3. Lint accumulated between tension discs or under bobbin case tension spring.

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Fig. 15 R7781

Pfaff 133 on individual power table

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 Contents

Page

General 1
Engaging and Disengaging the Sewing Mechanism 2
Winding the Bobbin on Power-Driven Machines 3
Winding the Bobbin on Treadle Machines 4
Removing the Bobbin and Threading the Bobbin Case 5
Threading the Needle 5
Drawing Up the Bobbin Thread 6
Regulating the Upper Tension 7
Regulating the Lower Tension 7
Selecting the Lower Tension 8
Needle and Thread Chart 8
Changing the Needle 8
Regulating the Stitch Length 9
Regulating the Pressure on the Material 10
Cleaning and Oiling 13
Trouble Shooting 14

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No. 7034 engl. P 864 Printed in Germany