Improvements in Sewing Machine Needles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 8th July, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sewing Machine Needles.
I, LEO JONAS, of 74 Schmidt Strasse Berlin Germany, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention and in what manner the same performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following Specification:-
Hitherto considerable difficulty has been experienced in threading the needles of
sewing machines particularly in the case of shortsighted and elderly persons.
Many attempts have been made to obviate this disadvantage for instance by
making a second much larger eye to the needle and connecting this eye to the
smaller needle eye by means of a slit. By means of this device the threading of
the needle is doubtlessly facilitated but at the same time the needle itself is
weakened to a great extent, by the larger eye, and cannot stand the necessary
wear and tear to which machine needles are subjected for any length of time.
By my present invention I have provided a device by means of which a needle
may if necessary be threaded in the dark and which in no way weakens the shaft of
the said needle.
According to my invention I split the needle from a point advantageously just
below the enlarged end which fits into the socket of the needle bar, down to the
eye and causes the split end to be kept close to the shaft or shank of the needle by
means of a spring attached to the needle and adapted to press against the split
part.
In order to make this Specification more easily intelligible reference is had to the
accompanying drawing in which similar letters denote similar parts throughout the
several views.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a needle made according to my invention,
Fig. 2 is a similar elevation showing a modified form of the spring.
Fig. 3 shows the split end bent round to form together with the spring a
convenient entrance for the thread.
Fig. 4 shows the end of the part split off somewhat enlarged.
Fig. 5 shows the arrangement of two springs and
Fig. 6 shows a needle having 4 springs.
In Fig. 1 the needle A is split at c from the top down to the eye b, the part A¹
being held in position against A by means of a retaining spring d attached to the
upper end a of the needle. In order to thread a needle of this kind it is only
necessary to pass the thread under the end of the spring d and then down the slit c
into the eye b. In Fig. 2 the spring d is shown slightly curved. In Fig. 3 the end
of the needle half A' is bent round at fand the spring d turned outwards so that a
convenient entrance is thus formed for the thread.
In Fig. 4 the top of the part A¹ of the needle is enlarged at which increases
the pressure of the spring d against it to a certain extent. Fig. 5 shows the
arrangement of two springs d d and Fig. 6 shows how 4 springs d d may be
employed if it is considered advisable to strengthen the needle to such an
extent.
It will thus be seen that by means of my invention the strength of the needle is
in no way impaired or at most only to a very slight degree whilst the threading of
the same is facilitated to such an extent that as previously stated the needle could
easily be threaded in the dark.
I do not confine myself to any particular number of springs nor to the shape of
the same nor to the form of the upper end of the part A.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and the manner of performing the same, what I claim is :-
A sewing machine needle A having a slit cut in from one side at the upper part
of the shank and extending down the said shank to the eye in combination with
retaining spring or springs attached to the upper part of the said needle and
adapted to press against the part A¹ substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 14th day of April 1893.