Needle

An improved needle having a pointed end and a pusher end with an eye adjacent the pusher end and wherein the pusher end zone is provided with a rounded nose portion to distribute pressure in sewing over a larger surface of a user's finger and wherein the nose portion is of no greater diameter than the maximum cross sectional area of the needle and wherein the nose portion may define a recess and include a plug captivated in the recess.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to an improved needle. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
As is perhaps well known, in sewing, thimbles are often used to push a 
needle through cloth because of the relative sharpness of the pushing end 
of the needle. In the past, numerous prior art patents have provided 
members with enlarged end zones to spread the load, such as small tacks, 
etc. Representative prior art is that of U.S. Pat. No. 2,611,168 which is 
for a plastic and metal headed pin; U.S. Pat. No. 3,728,763 which includes 
an enlarged end of a pin but which, deliberately cannot be pulled through 
cloth as in sewing; U.S. Pat. No. 3,154,229 which is of a hooked needle 
with an enlarged head 2 which is not for sewing but is, in reality, a 
hook. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,205,757 and 3,386,328 are for thumbtacks or nails 
which typically have enlarged heads. 
OBJECTS OF THIS INVENTION 
It is an object of this invention to provide a needle which can be used 
without a thimble and which includes a tapered shank tapering to a pointed 
end from a pusher end with a thread passageway and which has an end zone 
which is provided with a smoothly rounded end, and which may have an 
axially facing recess and in which there is captivated a plug. The plug 
may be of a yieldable or rubbery material or a plastic, such as nylon or 
other suitable compounds. The mouth of the recess may be crimped or folded 
over into captivating engagement of the plug. 
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved needle, (i.e., a 
small slender metal instrument with an eye for thread at one end for 
sewing and which may be utilized in so doing without the need of a 
thimble,) wherein a plug is captivatingly engaged in the pusher end of the 
needle without enlargement of the diameter of the pusher end of the 
needle. The device is to be distinguished from a pin which is a small 
pointed piece of wire with a head and not used for sewing. It is also to 
be distinguished from a tack which is a small, short sharp pointed nail. 
The present device does not have a head in the sense that a neck is 
provided or an enlarged outer terminal end is provided. 
In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent 
hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with reference to 
the accompanying drawings in which:

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like 
or corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 12 
generally designates a needle having a shank portion 14 which tapers to a 
pointed end 16 and a pusher end 18 having a through opening 20 to 
accommodate passage of a thread. The end 18 is best considered as a zone 
outwardly beyond the thread passage 20 and, as seen in FIG. 2, it includes 
an axially extending recess 22 terminating at a mouth 24 which merges and 
blends in a fair curve as at 26 with the surface of the end zone so that 
the entire length of the needle is a smooth straight line as opposed to a 
bulbous enlarged end zone. Within the recess a plug 30 is captivated. In 
the embodiment shown, the plug is generally semi-spherical in an axially 
protruding portion 32 which includes a body which is in the recess, and 
which body may be of suitable material, such as plastic or other rubbery 
material. Preferably the floor of the recess 37 includes a central raised 
portion defining what can aptly be described as an outer deeper annular 
portion of the recess for gripping the plug once compressed into it. In 
the preferred embodiment the mouth may be crimped slightly defining a 
slight angular depression or ring 41 represented by the dotted line for 
gripping the rim. 
In use, it is seen that the device is a needle with a "soft" pushing end 
and which does not include an enlarged bulbous zone so that it can pass 
through cloth readily in sewing. 
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 the sewing needle 12' has an end zone 22' 
between the eye and the distal pusher end 18' which is not of reduced 
cross sectional area and is not distally tapered in configuration but 
which is of full cross sectional area equal to that of the maximum cross 
sectional area of the needle substantially completely to the end and which 
is no greater in area than the maximum cross sectional area so as to 
prevent an obstruction in passing through cloth in sewing, with the top 
end or brink edge being rounded and smooth as at 24' to present a pusher 
surface 26' of substantial area as a pad to be pushed upon by the end of 
the finger of a user.