Process and Apparatus for Polishing the Eyes of Sewing and Sewing Machine Needles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 24th July, 1899-Accepted, 26th Aug.,
1899
Communicated from abroad by JOHANN FUNCKEN, Needle Manufacturer, of
16, Johanniterstrasse, Aachen, in the Empire of Germany.]
Process and Apparatus for Polishing the Eyes of Sewing and Sewing
Machine Needles.
!, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6 Lord Street,
Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and
Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil Engineer, 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:-
The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for polishing the eyes
of sewing needles and sewing machine needles on threads in large numbers at the
same time, which can be done better and more quickly than is the case when done
by hand.
The hand process consists of threading each separate needle by its eye on a
polishing thread, rubbing it alternately to right and left, and thus polishing the
sharp edge inside the eye.
In addition to the uncertainty of thoroughly polishing the needles, the amount
of time spent in the various manipulations incident to the threading and polishing
of each separate needle is very great. The present invention obviates such draw-
backs, and well and safely polishes the needles inserted in any desired number
at the same time.
The process is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in Figure 1.
Figures 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 shew the apparatus in elevation and various sections
thereof. a denotes the needles to be polished on the thread. Any desired
number of them can be threaded behind one another or any desired number of
polishing threads & be placed side by side. These latter lie in adjacent grooves c
which are formed at one end of the box d (Figures 1, 2 and 3). At the opposite
end of the box d the threads.b pass between the teeth of the comb e (Figures 2, 3
Across
and 6), the apertures of which are as far apart as those of the grooves c.
the middle of the box d there is a movable adjustable piece f, having on the side
turned towards the grooves c, similar grooves which are placed at the same
distance from each other as that between the teeth of the comb e and the
grooves c.
The cross pieces h and i which on the one side can be turned by the hinges k
and on the other side are firmly fixed by the catches or the like, serve for pressing
down the polishing threads b. For this purpose they have presser plates m m at
the ends of the box, the under and upper surfaces respectively of which are
roughened. In the drawing the grooves care represented inside the box d, but
they may also be placed outside it. In that case, the cross piece h would be
placed in front of the needles, whilst in the drawing it is placed behind them.
The process of thread polishing is as follows:-
The needles a are threaded in any desired number behind one another, on

page_text: any desired number of threads 6 (Figs. 1, 3, and 4) and with the latter placed in
the grooves c and the teeth of the comb e (Figs. 3 and 4); they are pressed down in
the grooves by means of the cross-pieces h and i. It is obvious that by jamming
them in thus the threads 6 can be held tightly stretched.
The cross piece f is placed parallel with the pressers h and i (Figs. 3 and 5) and
a needle inserted in each of its grooves 9 (Figs. 2, 3, and 5). The cross piece f
thus ensures that the needles a are placed straight (Figs. 2 and 3) which can then
be formly held with the clip p (Fig. 1) and after the cross piece f is moved back
(Fig. 1) all the needles inserted therein can be polished by rubbing to and fro.
When a row has been polished, they are taken to the end of the box d where the
grooves e are, where they remain hanging on the threads band can be taken off
later on after opening the cross-piece i. After the cross piece f has been put back
again, a row of needles from c is again inserted in the grooves g and the operation
is repeated.
If the grooves c are outside the box d and thus behind the cross-piece h, the
latter must be raised each time the needles are inserted in the piece f after which
it is closed again, after which the threads are strained again. The latter
operation is somewhat detailed and tedious.
In case one thread is not drawn as tight as the others, it makes no difference to
the polishing and only makes the needle on this thread stand a trifle lower
in the cross piece f and will be held like the others by the clips p and its eye is as
well finished as those of the needles on the other threads.
If the eye of one of the needles has a cutting edge, which sometimes is pro-
duced in piercing the eye, this process of thread polishing possesses this advantage,
viz. that the sharp edge of the eye cuts its thread and it can therefore be picked
out and put aside. In this way all the bad needles can be eliminated and the
thorough polishing of each separate needle is ensured.
Therefore by this method of thread polishing any number of needles can be
polished at the same time and equally well.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1) Process of thread polishing sewing and sewing-machine needles by arranging
them in any number on parallel polishing threads which are firmly clipped in
grooves and toothing and on which the needles clamped singly in parallel rows
in a holder are polished by rubbing to and fro substantially as described.
2) For carrying out the process above set forth, an apparatus consisting of a
box (d) having at the one end grooves (c) and at the other end a comb with
teeth (e), a centre cross piece (f) with the slots (9) for the purpose of holding the
needles (a) and firmly stretching the polishing threads (b) by means of the
pressers (and) and causing the needle-eyes to be rubbed to and fro on these
threads (6) by means of the clip (p), substantially as described with reference to
the accompanying drawing.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.