IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SEWING MACHINE NEEDLES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Smith Bartleet, of Redditch, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SEWING
MACHINE NEEDLES."
Sealed the 23rd December 1858, and dated the 14th July 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said "Robert Smith
Bartleet at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 14th July 1858.
I, ROBERT SMITH BARTLEET, of Redditch, do hereby declare that the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF SEWING MACHINE NEEDLES" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists, when the stems are smaller at one end than
the other, of forming the stems of such needles by stamping or pressing
in dies,, in place of the ordinary grinding and filing. The lies for this
purpose are made of steel, and the steel wire of the proper length is
placed between the lies, and by stamping or pressing the dics together
the desired form in the rough is obtained; and the same is then finished.
into a needle by filing and grinding. And, it also consists of forming.
the points and, grooves and impressions. for the eyes of such needles
simultaneously by stamping or pressing in dies, by which means greater

page_text: exactness and similarity of form may be obtained. I also make sewing
machine needles having points with angular sides, or with lancet points,
or with two convex sides, with or without cutting edges, and with or
without grooves or recesses for the thread. I also make sewing machine
needles with knobs at the ends. I burnish the eyes of such neeilles ly
threading them on a wire, and causing them to revolve or pass rapidly
thereon, or the needles may be stationary, and the wire made to revolve
in or pass rapidly through the cyc..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Smith Bartleot in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 10th January 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL, COME, I,
ROBERT SMITH BARTLEET, of Redditch, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Robert Smith Bartleet, Her
special licence that I, the said Robert Smith Bartlect, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert
Smith Bartlcet, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SEWING MACHINE
NEEDLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Robert Smith Bartleet, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and scal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Smith Bartloet, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say):
This Invention consists, when the stems are smaller at one end than
the other, of forming the stems of such needles by stamping or pressing
in dies, in place of the ordinary grinding and filing. The dies for this
purpose are made of steel, and the steel wire of the proper length is
placed between the dies, and by stamping or pressing the dies together
the desired form in the rough is obtained, and the same is then finished
into a needle by filing and grinding; and it also consists of forming
the points and grooves and impressions for the eyes of such needles
simultaneously by stamping or pressing in dies, by which means greater
exactness and similarity of form may be obtained. I also make sewing
machine needles having points with angular sides, or with lancet points,
or with two convex sides, with or without cutting edges, and with or
without grooves or recesses for the thread. I also make sewing machine
needles with knobs at the ends. I burnish the eyes of such needles by
threading them on a wire, and causing them to revolve or pass rapidly
thereon, or the needles may be stationary, and the wire made to revolve
in or pass rapidly through the
erc.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed
to describe the manner in which I perform the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, and Figure A 1, show a sewing machine needle partly
formed (by pressure between dies), which is smaller at one end than
other. Figure 2, shows a plan of one of two dies, by which a portion of
steel wire is pressed into the form. Figure 3, shows an end view of parts
of the two dies, with the wire between them. Heretofore, in making
sewing machine needles, where the stems have required to be of smaller
size at one end than the other, it has been usual to reduce the wire by
grinding or removing the substance at one end. Now by my. Inven-
tion T cause the wire to be pressed between dies, and thus, by compres-

page_text: pres-
sion, to form the smaller part of the steni, which will be found to be a
much more advantageous niode of working than that formerly practised.
Figure 1, shows a sewing machine needle partly formed by dies and j
sure. The fins on the sides of Figure 1, are to be removed by clipping
and filing, and the piece of wire is to be annealed or not, according to
.circumstances, when it is again to be pressed between dies suitably sunk,
according to the form of needle intended to be produced. Figure 4,
shows a longitudinal section of parts of two dies; Figure 5, plans of
the same; and Figure 6, shows piece of wire, Figure 1, after it has
been again pressed between dies, and by. which process of pressure
the cye has been formed, the grooves to the eye on cither side of the
stem have been inpressed, and the point roughly formed, and these
results have been simultaneously produced by the dies and pressure. "I
would remark,-that the form of .theso dies may be varied according to
the configuration desired to be given to the sewing inachine needles to be
shaped therein. The needles thus far formed are then to be brought into
their finished form by clipping and filing. Figure 7, shows two views of
a sewing machine needle with an angular or lancet point, or, in place of
two angular edges to the point, it may be formed with more angular
edges by having the dies sunk accordingly.
of two dies used in shaping this needle.
roughly formed by the dies, are to have the burs removed, and they are
then to be finished in the ordinary manner. Figure 9, shews two views
of a sewing machine needle, with a knob at one end to facilitate the
holding of it in the machine. These knobs or heads are solid with
the stem, and are made by forcing up the end in dies, in like manner to
those used in making solid headed pins; and the grooves, the eye, and
the rough point are to be made in dies, as before explained. The eyes
of all these sorts of sewing machine necelles are to be burnished by
revolving them on a wire, which may be smooth or roughed like a file,
or by passing them rapidly thereon, or by revolving a wire within them,
or passing a wire rapidly through them.
Figure 8, is a plan of one
These needlos, after being
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, I would
state that I am aware that dies and pressure have before been used

page_text: in the manufacture of sewing and other needles; I do not, therefore,
claim generally the use of dies and pressure in the manufacture of
ncedles. But what I claim is,-
First, the manufacture of the stems for sewing machine needles,
when smaller at one end than at the other, by means of dies and
pressure, as herein described; and,
Secondly, I claim the simultaneous making, by dies and pressure, of the
points, grooves, and impressions for the eyes of sewing machine needles;
also the making of such needles having points with angular sides, and
of sewing machine needles with knobs at the ends, and the burnishing
of the eyes of such needles with wire, either smooth or roughed as a
file.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Smith Bartleet, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
JOHN BARTLEET,
of Redditch.
ROBERT S. BARTLEET. (L.S.)