IMPROVEMENTS IN HOOKS FOR THREADING NEEDLES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Daniel Fobes, of Cambridge, in the County of
Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, one of the United States of
America, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HOOKS FOR THREADING
NEEDLES."- A. communication from Henry Wells, residing in
Waburn. in said Massachusetts.
1
Scaled the 30th October 1874, and dated the 22nd July 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Daniel Fobes at tho
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd July 1874.
I, DANIEL FOBES, of Cambridge, in the County of Middlesex, and
State of Massachusetts, one of the United States of America, do hereby.
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HOOKS FOR'
THREADING NEEDLES," a communication, to be as follows:-
It is the object of this Invention to produce a hook which can be used
in the delicate operation of threading needles of all kinds, not only such.
as are used in ordinary sewing, but also all varieties of sewing machinė

page_text: needles. The hook, which is operated by any suitable device for holding
and guiding it, is to be passed through the eye of the needle, and
catching the thread is drawn back through the cyc, thus threading the
needle. Such a hook must necessarily be very small and tolerably
strong. All hooks of this size now manufactured are bent over into the
hook shape, and when made sufficiently small to serve the purpose above
mentioned are necessarily weak and easily unbent. They are also difficult
to manufacture, owing to the extreme delicacy of the operation, for it
must be remembered that these hooks are intended for use in connection
with the finest needles manufactured.
In this Invention the hook is perfectly flat, and the notch which gives
it the shape and character of a hook is cut out of the flat metal, so that
no bending is required, thus great strength is obtained, and all un-
bending or "straightening out" is impossible for the simple reason that
the hook never was bent into its proper shape, but was cut out of solid 1
metal. The ordinary way of making my flat hook is to run a wire
through a machine which will flatten it, and then cut the notches in the
edge of the flattened wire at proper distances apart. The hooks are then.
ready to be cut off; but the said hooks may be flattened after they are
shaped or notched, or a portion only may be flattened, the entering or 2
hooked end, as desired.
Any suitable mechanism may be used for inserting the hook into the
eye of the needle, which may be a sewing needle or a sewing machine
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Daniel Fobes in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 20th January 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DANIEL
FOBES, of Cambridge, in the County of Middlesex, and State of Massa-.
chusetts, one of the United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and

page_text: "
grant unto me, the said Daniel Fobes, Her special licence that the
said Daniel Fobes, my exécutors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Daniel Fobes, my executors, administrators,.
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
5. 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 HOOKS FOR THREADING
NEEDLES,' a communication to me from Henry Wells, a person resident...
in Waburn, in said Massachusetts, upon the condition (amongst others).
that I, the said Daniel Fobes, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said -
Invention, and in what manner the same. was to be performed, 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.
..
L
:
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Daniel Fobes, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
.
i
It is the object of this. Invention to produce a hook which can be used
in the delicate operation of threading needles of all kinds, not only such
as are used in ordinary sewing, but also all varietics of sewing machino
needles. The hook, which is operated by any suitable device for holding.
and guiding it, is to be passed through the cye of the needle, and
catching the thread is drawn back through the eye, thus threading the
needle. Such a hook must necessarily be very small and tolerably
strong. All hooks of this size now manufactured are bent over into the
hook shape, and when made sufficiently small to serve the purpose are
necessarily weak and easily unbent. They are also difficult to manufacture,
owing to the extreme delicacy of the operation, for it must be remembered
that these hooks are intended for use in connection with the finest
needles manufactured.
In this Invention the hook is perfectly flat, and the notch which gives
it the shape and character of a hook is cut out of flat metal, so that no

page_text: bending is required, thus great strength is obtained, and all unbending:
or "straightening out" is impossible for the simple reason that the
hook never was bent into its shape, but was cut out of solid metal. The
ordinary way of making this hook is to run a wire through a machine
which will flatten it, and then cut notches in the edge of the flattened
wire at proper distances apart. The hooks are then ready to be
cut off.
In the Drawing Figure One represents the completed hook, and
Figure Two shows the notched strip of flattened wire ready to be cut.
into hooks.
If desired the hooks may be flattened after they are shaped or
notched, or a portion only, the entering or hooked end, may be
flattened.
Any suitable mechanism may be used for inserting the hook into the
eye of the needle, which may be a sewing needle or a sewing machine
needle.
Having described the Invention, what is claimed as new is,-
First. A hook to be used in threading needles, which is made flat
during a part or the whole of its length, the notch giving it. the hook
shape being cut out bodily from the metal, substantially as described..
Second. A hook for threading needles cut from a notched strip of
flattened wire, as and for the purpose herein specified.
DANIEL FOBES. (L.s.)