CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NEEDLES
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Luke
HEBERT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil Engineer, sond
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most. Excellent. Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under. the Great Seal of Great Britain; bearing date. at
Westminster, the Seventeenth day-of. August,. in the fourth year of Her reign,
did; for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant.unto me, the said
Luke Hebert,, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that. I, the said 'Luke Hebert, my exors, admors; and assigns, or such others
as I;.. the said Luke Hébert, my exors, adñiors,. or. assigns; should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within' England, Wales, and the Town of.. Berwick-upon-Tweed,
my: Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NEEDLES;"
in which said Letters Patent is contained. a proviso that I, the said Luke
Hebert, shall cause a particular description. of. the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her
said Majesty's High. Court of Chancery, within..six: calendar months next--and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and
by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in. compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Luke Hebert; do hereby declare that the nature of, my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described

page_text: and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon (that is to say):-
<<
My improvements consist in certain new processes for perfecting the form
and polishing the eyes of needles, and are designed to supercede the present
defective process called drilling through," and likewise to remove the burs
and sharp edges which are commonly left in the eyes of needles after being
"countersunk" in the ordinary manner. I take a hank of wire; whether of
steel, iron, brass, or other metal or alloy,, is not material, so that it be of a
tough and elastic quality, and of such a size or number as will pass very freely
through the eyes of the needles intended to be operated upon. This wire I
cut into separate lengths of thirty inches, more or less. Then each of these
lengths, for about one half of its extent,. I form into a helical coil (by winding
it round a steel pin or mandril), as shewn in the Drawing, Figure 1, where
a, a, represents the plain or unaltered portion of a length of wire, and b, b, the
helical portion. On the plain portion of the wire I then spit from two hun-
dred to four hundred needles, according to their size, as shewn at c, c, first
putting on to the wire a little washer d to prevent the needles passing
between the coils of the helix as they are being spitted in the usual manner.
"When a sufficient number of needles have been spitted and arranged in a
close even row, they are placed between the jaws of a clamp and screwed
fast therein. This clamp, as delineated at Figures 2, 3, and 4, much resembles
a large hinge joint, e, e, being two flaps of cast iron pannelled in their inner
sides with hard wood, as shewn at f, f, and jointed together at, g. The upper
portion of each wooden pannel is covered with a strip of leather h, h, glued or
cemented thereto, so as to form elastic paddings between which the needles
may be held firmly in their vertical position when the opposite limbs, of. the
clamp are drawn together by turning the screw i, the end of which is tapped
into a hole at j. As the fixing of the needles very accurately in the clamp is
essential to the perfection of the work, I employ a simple frame delineated
delineated at Figures 5, 6, and 7, for that purpose. It consists of a bottom
plate k, having an upright bearing 7, 1, on each side, on. the top of which are
placed hinged forceps m, m, for holding the straight part of the wire distended
between them, with the needles hanging thereon, one end of the wire a, a,
being put between one of the forceps and screwed fast, then the other end is
drawn out tightly and horizontally and also screwed fast.. The needles are
thus placed in an even and horizontal line. An open clamp is then brought
underneath the needles, with the centre line of the joint coinciding with the
vertical plane of the needles. The clamp with this joint lying in contact with

page_text: the plate has only to be closed and screwed up, which causes all the needles
to become firmly fixed with their eyes at precisely the same distance above the
edges of the clamps, the operation only taking a few seconds to perform
with the utmost accuracy. A number of clamps (usually six) thus charged
with needles are then introduced into a rectangular cast-iron frame, shewn at
n, n, in Figures 8, 9, 10, the sides of which are grooved internally for the
reception of the edges of the clamps, which are slided down the
grooves and
thereby become fixed in parallel lines. Thus prepared, the next manipulation
is to draw out the compact helices into nearly straight lines, so that after
their extension the elasticity of the wires shall cause them partially .to
reassume the helical figure, that is, having only a slight degree of curl, never-
theless so uniform as to appear circular when viewed endways. The helical
wires thus reduced to a very slight degree of curl may now by the exertion of
a moderate force be drawn through the eyes of each row of needles, but owing
to the irregularities and asperities usually left in the eyes, there results a
liability of having the wire cut or broken in first drawing the helices through..
To prevent this occurrence it is advisable at this stage of the process to
lubricate the wires or eyes with an oily semi-fluid paste (herein-after described),
which permits each helix to slip or rub its way through the eyes with such
diminished resistance as to be comparatively easy. To facilitate the applica-
tion of this paste a very narrow channel or gutter is mado along the upper
edges of the clamps close to the eyes of the needles, and this gutter is by
means of a brush charged with the semi-fluid paste filled with the same, from
which the semi-fluid composition is drawn by capillary attraction and the
alternating motion of the helical wire into the eyes of the needles. Thus is
prepared a frame containing six clamps holding together about two thousand
needles ready to be operated upon. For this purpose the frame is to be depo-
sited in the working machine represented at Figures 9 and 10, in connection
with the frame and clamps just described, which will be readily distinguished
therefrom by the letters of reference, n, n, being the portable frame of
clamps, and o, o, projecting pieces which hold the frame firmly in its place:
Just above the plane of the frame of clamps is a rectangular frame q, I
which slides in rebates or grooves r, r, made in the sides of the fixed frame s, s.
On one end of the sliding frame are fixed six pins or studs t, t, on to which
are hooked the looped ends of the helical wires. At the other end of the
sliding frame, and exactly opposite to the pins, are six self-adjusting tension
hooks u, u, as separately shewn, of the full size, at Figure 11 and Figure 12;
and herein-after described. The sliding frame might of course be put in alter-
nating motion directly by the arm of the operator, but to prevent jerks and

page_text: other inequalities of motion I consider it preferable to operate through the
agency of a crank. On each side of the sliding frame is a stout pin v, v, on
which is centred one of the ends of the connecting rods w, w, the other ends
being jointed to the crank x,y,is a fly wheel on the axis of the crank, and
za handle for turning it round: The pressure of the helical coils by their
reciprocating motion through the eyes of the needles has the effect of reducing
the curl nearer to a straight line, and consequently of lengthening out-the
wires. To obviate the inconvenience which would, arise from the wires, being
in a slack state, the before mentioned self-adjusting tension hooks are em
ployed. One of these is shewn in section at Figure 11; and in-plan at
Figure 12. It consists of a brass.rack 1, having at one extremity, a hook-2,
and at the other, a head plate, 3. This-rack slides in a square channel made
in a piece of brass 4, which is screwed to the sliding frame 9 (Figure 9). To
the upper party is jointed a pall. 5, acted' upon by a spring 6, which forces
the pall into the teeth. of a rack! Between the frame-9 and the head plate-3
is a helical spring 7,-shewn in its compressed state.... By referring to Figure.9
the action of this look will be rendered intelligible. As the wires are drawn
through the eyes-of-the needles, by the hooks it, that part of the wire between
the needles and the tension hooks becomes slackened, and the helical spring
thus relieved of the compressing force-expands and draws it again tight, and
the pall dropping into the teeth of the rack obviously prevents the return of
the wire in its previously slack state: * 1
The needles: being fixed in the working machine, I proceed to describe its
operation. The first part of the process consists in supplying the pasty
composition used for cutting and polishing the eyes. This is done by
drawing, over the heads of the needles (which project about one eighth of
an inch above the clamps) a brush charged with this composition, which
fills the gutters. By turning the bandle the helical wires are drawn
backwards and forwards, and, carrying with them in their passage through
the eyes of the needles a portion of the-composition, produces the..cutting
and polishing effect. The constituents of this composition may be,,con-
siderably varied, but the compositions, which I find to be the most efficacious
I will now describe. One of these consists of a mixture of oxide of tin
(called putty of tin) and olive oil, in such proportions as to be of the, con-
sistence of cream-at ordinary-temperatures (about sixty-degrees Fahrenheit).
Another mixture I have employed is composed of olive oil and colcothar, or
crocus martis, in the same proportions as the materials in the last mixture.
These powders,should be finely levigated and washed in order to produce a
high polish, and soft soap diluted either with water or oil may be substituted

page_text: for the oil in the above recipes. My present experience leads me to prefer
the mixture of crocus martis and oil. The powers, of attrition possessed by
these compositions are such, that from one to three minutes action is sufficient
to remove the original steel surface of the eyes and to render them very
smooth and highly polished. After the needles have been thus operated upon,.
the wires are detached from the sliding frame by pressing upon the plate 12,
Figures 11 and 12, and at the same time pushing inwards the head plate 3,.
the wire is slackened, when the same:may be readily unhooked. This detach-
ment of the wires is the work of a moment; the thumb and fore finger of one
hand being employed to slacken. each wire whilst the other unhooks them.
The frame of clamps is then removed froni the working, machine, the clamps
opened by unscrewing, and the needles taken out...The heads of the needles
being now covered with the pasty .composition, they are cleansed from the
same by the usual process adopted by needle manufacturers after the glazing
operation, that is, by washing them in a weak solution of soap, and afterwards
in fair water; which being done, they may be dried either in a warm bath .or.
by shaking them up with warm dry sawdust. It is almost needless to
observe, that during the several processes that I have described, other needles
are being prepared for undergoing.similar operations.
Although I give preference.to the arrangement of machinery just described,
the principle upon which it operates admits of various modifications that may be
found advantageous under particular circumstances. For this reason I will
proceed, to give one or more illustrations of such modifications. In one of these
the needles, instead of being placed in straight horizontal lines, are arranged in
curved lines with their heads abutting against.semicircular rims of metal, as
shewn at a in the diagram,. Figure 13; b, b, being the wire which passes
through the eyes of .the needles, the extremities of which wire are attached to
an oscillating beam c. A series of these rims provided with needles in a
similar manner are piled.one. upon the other, and are supported in a vertical
position by two iron rods d, d, passing, through them. By means of nuts on
the ends of these rods, the rims or plates are screwed firmly together, which
holds the needles in their radial position. The beam :c by its oscillations.
causes the wires b, b, to be drawn backwards and forwards through the eyes
of the needles. Another modification is illustrated by the diagrams, Figures
14 and 15. It consists of an assemblage of circular plates of metal like that
shewn in plan at Figure 14. A number of these is made to slide horizontally
upon a tube or rod e, and between each pair of these plates, as at f, is
placed a sufficient quantity of needles in a radial position, with their heads
abutting against the tube or rod e (as shewn in Fig. 14). By pressing

page_text: together these plates by screws or otherwise the needles are held firmly in their
position. To secure which more effectually in the present as well as in the
last-described arrangement, the faces of the plates are partially covered with
leather. The axis may be put into motion by the mechanism before described,
or by any other that may be suitable.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the mode of
carrying the same into effect, I desire it to be understood that my claims to
invention under this Patent are as follows:-
First, I claim the construction and employment of the machinery described
for perfecting the form and polishing the eyes of needles, by drawing wires
through them whilst fixed in straight or curved lines.
Second, I claim the use of wires for the above purposes, to which has been
given either a helical or undulating figure.
Third, I claim in conjunction with wires, whether straight, helical, or
undulating, the use of the compositions described, or any other suitable
cutting or polishing material or mixture, whether in a fluid, semi-fluid, or
dry state.
In witness whereof, I, the said Luke Hebert, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand oight hundred and forty-one