Improvements in Bodkins.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date claimed for Patent under Sect. 103 of Act,
being date of first Foreign Application (in ( 10th Sept., 1892
United States of America),
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 20th Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left. 20th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 22nd Apr., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bodkins.
1, Paul ReverE STEVENS, of Portland, in the County of Cumberland, and
State of Maine, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
My invention relates to improvements in bodkins for running tape, ribbon, &c.,
through drawn fancy work, laces, &c., where it is desired to keep the ribbon flat
and at the same time disturb the drawn work as little as possible by using an
extremely thin bodkin.
Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same parts are
indicated by the same letters throughout the several views.
1
Figure represents a plan view of the bodkin holding a piece of ribbon.
Fig. 2 represents a section of the device shown in Fig. 1 along the line
thereof.
Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of the various parts of the bodkin ready for
assembling.
Fig. 4 represents a plan view of the blank used to make the grip-piece before it
is bent into shape, and,
Fig. 5 represents the grip-piece after it is bent into shape and ready for the
insertion of the rive'.
A represents the bodkin, which is made of one piece of resilient metal bent at a
to form two blades A' and A. The said blades are tapering, as shown, and form
at their forward end where they are connected together a blunt point, broadening
at the rear end, where they carry the ribbon, tape, &c., and all the various angles
of the exterior of the said blades are rounded, as shown. Each of these blades has
a slot a¹ and 2, respectively, therein, and one blade has a transverse slot a', adapted
to receive the dentated arm on the other blade.
A grip piece B, of the form shown in Figs. 4 and 5, is bent at b to form a double
wedge having tapering sides and rounded edges, as shown. Conical holes are
cut in these sides, into which the heads of the rivet B' are countersunk, so that
the said heads will not project above the surface of the said grip-piece. This rivet
is made of such a length that the two side plates of the clamp cannot be forced
outward beyond the required position for clamping.
The operation of the device is as follows:
The end of the ribbon is brought over the slot at, while the dentated arm and
the grip-piece B are in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.
The grip
piece is then slipped down to the position shown in full lines in the said figure at
the same time the ribbon is pressed by the teeth as into the slot a', where the ribbon
is firmly held.
It will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 2 that the thickness of the bodkin is
very slightly greater than that of the ribbon, and therefore that the said bodkin
may be readily inserted in the fine lace, open work, &c., without pressing the

page_text: threads very far apart. Moreover, it will be seen that the edges a and are well
rounded and cannot catch in the threads, while there are no rivets which protrude
or abrupt edges or crevices that can in any way catch in the threads of the material
through which the bodkin is run.
The bodkin A and grip-piece B being stamped each out of one piece of material
and then bent back, as shown, there is no fine adjustment necessary, and the artiele
is manufactured with great facility and cheapness.
I am aware that somewhat similar bodkins have been patented constructed with
two dentated jaws; but this necessitates on increased thickness of the bolkin and
prevents the device from doing very fine work and at the same time requires greater
difficulty in pushing the badkin through the open work,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what 1
claim is
1. An improved article of manufacture, to wit; a bodkin formed of two super-
imposed plates of resilient material tapering to a blunt point at one end and secured
together at or near the said end, the said plates broadening toward the opposite end
nud being provided near their bread ends with longitudinal slots for the grip-piece,
the one plate having a transverse slot near the said broad end and the other plate
having a projecting arm adapted to enter said transverse slot, together with a grip-
piece bent in the middle to form two side plates and tapering, as shown, adapted to
be moved along said longitudinal slots, and mican- for holding the two side plates
at the requisite distance from each other, substantially as and for the purposes
described.
Dated his 20th day of March 1803
F. W. BARKER,
Applicant's Agent,