IMPROVEMENTS IN MODES OF AND APPARATUS FOR SETTING OR ADJUSTING AND FOR THREADING THE NEEDLES OF SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmund Squire Norcombe, of 146, Grove Street, in the
Borough of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MODES OF AND APPARATUS FOR SETTING OR ADJUSTING
AND FOR THREADING THE NEEDLES OF SEWING MACHINES."
Sealed the 16th September 1876, and dated the 18th March 187(
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edmund Squire Norcombe at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th March 1876.
EDMUND SQUIRE NORCOMBE, of 146, Grove Street, in the Borough of Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MODES OF AND APPARATUS FOR
SETTING OR ADJUSTING AND FOR THREADING THE NEEDLES OF SEWING MACHINES."
My apparatus may be described as follows:-A small upright frame with a con-
venient handle has a hook on its upper part, against which a spring presses, and
between these the needle is held when used. The flat spring pressing against the
flat or grooved part of the needle causes it to face in one uniform direction, even
though the needle may have been inserted between the two at a considerable angle
with it. On the lower part of the bracket a foot projects like the presser foot of a
sewing machine; this is cut away below the point which the needle would occupy
when grasped by the hook and spring above, and another spring or continuation of
the same spring on the lower side of its point of attachment presses the point of the
needle when in position so as to cause the eye to come exactly opposite a hollow
cone to be hereafter described. A somewhat similar hook to the one above, but
made preferably of sheet steel, takes the pressure of the needle point caused by the
spring, a cone of spring steel fixed to the steel plate on the foot forming the lower
hook faces, as stated before, the needle eye when the latter is in position. This cone
is made partially or wholely of spring steel, and split longitudinally entirely across
the top or on one side, and sometimes nearly or quite so at the opposite side or bottom.
This split is so arranged that the two sides touch each other, but can open with a
very moderate pressure. A sliding bracket at the top of the main bracket is fastened
to it by a set screw, and through this set screw I usually pass another smaller one
to regulate the pressure of the spring on the needle. Sometimes the flat top of the
main bracket can be made to act instead of the slider, but this plan is only applicable
when the instrument is to be used for only one special make of machine.
Davies 1

page_text: The manner of action is as follows:-Place the needle in position between the
hooks and the spring, care being taken that the eye is exactly opposite the cone of
spring steel called the threading cone. Then hold the needle with the eye at the
exact distance it should be from the needle bar or lever when set correctly, slide up
the slider till it touches the needle bar or lever, and then screw it tight. The slider
is now permanently adjusted for that machine, and need never be loosened again,
except to use with another machine. To set a needle, the slider having been pre-
viously adjusted, place the needle in position in the instrumennt, let its end enter
the needle bar or lever, and bring the latter down till it touches the slider; then
holding the instrument straight, scrow up the needle tight. To thread the needle
place the instrument on the needle as before, push it up till the slider touches the
needle bar or lever, and then the cone will be found exactly opposite the needle eye,
and a thread entering the cone will also enter the eye. The exact position of the
cone can be adjusted by a screw.
There are innumerable ways of modifying this implement; one is to make it form
part of the sewing machine itself.
On the shank of the presser foot I arrange a short stop swivelling loosely on a
pivot or portion of the shank turned cylindrical for the purpose, and kept in position
by a spring "catch." This stop is so arranged that when turned to the back or
front it will not interfere with the needle bar or lever, but if turned so as to project
out sideways it will prevent the needle bar from descending beyond a fixed point,
and will stop it exactly at that point. A screw in this stop can if desirable act the
part of the slider previously described. In or upon the presser foot pointing side-
ways horizontally straight toward the needle I construct a hollow threading conc
made of spring steel or otherwise, as previously closcribed. The positions of this
threading cone and of the stop described previously are so arranged that the needle
must when adjusted be stopped with its eye exactly opposite the conical hole. To
adjust a fresh needle therefore I have only to put a pin or fine needle through the
threading cone and the needle eye, and bring down the needle bar to the stop, and
then screw the needle tight with the set screw. Threading the needle is very easy,
as the threading cone guides the thread into the needle eye, and after passing
through it is caught by the finger and thumb on the other side; the thread can
then be extracted by letting it slide out under the steel spring.
Innumerable variations could be made in either of these arrangements, such for
instance as follows:-The whole bracket could be made in two parts, each slide
having a handle pivotted together in the centre like a pair of scissors or spring
pincers, and with a spring arranged that the natural tendency is for the two halves
of the bracket to be pressing against each other. It can then be pressed against a
needle, the pressure opening the slit sufficient for the needle to pass, closing after it;
the mainspring, if required, could be attached to one of the sides. Again, one of
the two sides of the horizontal groove could be hinged below, the other being fixed.
A spring would keep the hinged side in position. In the detatched mechanism
two wings of the mainspring grasping the sides would act instead of an extra
spring.
The threading cone can be varied innumerable ways, such for instance as by the
two sides being hinged together and held by a spring, or by it being made of a
single spring over a flat surface, with a guard above to keep it from being bent too
much, but the principle would be the same in all cases.
Sometimes I put a curved guide on the back of the instrument to guide the
thread into a convenient position for grasping it; this is especially useful when used
with Singer's machines. When curved needles are used I sometimes put a projec-
tion on the bottom of the foot for the needle to press against. The whole can be
stamped out of one piece of steel, and bent up to suit if desired.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edmund Squire Norcombe in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th September 1876.
EDMUND SQUIRE NORCOMBE, of 146, Grove Street, in the Borough of Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MODES OF AND APPARATUS FOR
SETTING OR ADJUSTING AND FOR THREADING THE NEEDLES OF SEWING
MACHINES."
The usual forn of my apparatus may be described as follows, reference being had
to Figures 1 to 6-A small upright frame A with a convenient handle B has a
hook C on its upper part, against which a spring D presses, and between these the
needle is held when used. The flat spring D pressing against the flat or grooved
part of the needle causes it to face in one uniforin direction, even though the needle
may have been inserted between the two at a considerable angle with it. On the
lower part of the frame A a foot E projects like the presser foot of, a sewing
machine; this is cut away below the point which the needle would occupy when
grasped by the hook and spring above, and another spring or continuation of the
same spring on the lower side of its point of attachment presses the point of the
needle when in position, so as to cause the eye to come exactly opposite a hollow
cone F, to be hereafter described. A hook G, somewhat similar to the one above,
but made preferably of sheet steel, takes the pressure of the needle caused by the
spring D, a cone F of spring steel fixed to the steel plate H on the foot forming
the lower hook G faces, as stated before, the needle eye when the latter is in
position. This cone F is made partially or wholely of spring steel, and split longi-
tudinally entirely across the top, or on one side, and sometimes nearly or quite so
at the opposite side or bottom. This split is so arranged that the two sides touch
each other, but can open with a very moderate pressure. A sliding bracket J at
the top of the main frame A is fastened to it by a set screw K, and through this set
screw I usually pass another smaller one L to regulate the pressure of the spring D
on the needle, and to hold the needle firmly whilst setting. Sometimes the flat
top of the main frame A. can be made to act instead of the slider J, but the plan is
only applicable when the instrument is to be used for only one special make of
machine.
'
-:
The manner of adjusting the implement to the sewing machine is as follows:-
Place the needle in position between the hooks C and G and the spring D, caro
being taken that the eye exactly opposite the cone F; then hold the needle with
the eye at the exact distance it should be from the needle bar or lever when set
correctly; slide up the slider J till it touches the needle bar or lever, and then
screw it tight by means of set screw K. The slider J is now permanently adjusted
for that machine, and need never be loosened again, except to use with another
machine. To set a needle, the slider J having been previously adjusted, place the
neeedle in position in the instrument. The eye being opposite the small end of the
cone, so that we can see clear through both eye and cone, let its end enter the
nedle bar or lever, and raise the instrument up till its top comes in contact with
the bottom of the needle bar or lever; then holding the instrument straight screw
up the needle tight. To thread the needle place the instrument on the needle as
before, push it up till the slider touches the needle bar or lever, and then the cone
will be found exactly opposite the needle eye, and a thread entering the cone will
also enter the eye. The exact position of the cone can be adjusted by a screw M.
There are innumerable ways of modifying this implement; one is to make it form
part of the sewing machine itself. This is shown in Figs. 8 to 12.
On the shank of the presser foot E' I arrange a short stop N swivelling loosely
on a pivot or portion of the shank turned cylindrical for the purpose, and kept in
position by a spring "catch," as shown. This stop is so arranged that when turned
to the back or front it will not interfere with the needle bar or lever, but if turned

page_text: so as to project out sideways it will prevent the needle bar from descending beyond
a fixed point, and will stop it exactly at that point; a screw J¹ in this stop can if
desirable act the part of the slider previously described. In or upon the presser
foot E pointing sidoways horizontally straight toward the needle I construct a
hollow threading cone F¹ made of spring steel or otherwise, as previously described.
The positions of this threading cone and of the stop described previously are so
arranged that the needle must when adjusted be stopped with its eye exactly
opposite the conical hole. To adjust a fresh needle therefore I have only to put a
pin or fine needle through the threading cone and the needle eye, and bring down
the needle bar to the stop, and then screw the needle tight with the set screw, or
this action can be done by the eye without the aid of the pins. Threading the
needle is very easy, as the threading cone guides the thread into the needle eye,
and after passing through it is caught by the finger and thumb on the other side.
The thread can then be extracted by letting it slide out under the steel spring.
Innumerable variations could be made in either of these arrangements, such for
instance as follows:-The whole bracket could be made in two parts, each side
having a handle pivotted together in the centre like a pair of scissors or spring
pincers, and with a spring arranged that the natural tendency is for the two halves
of the bracket to be pressing against each other. It can then be pressed against a
needle, the pressure opening the slit sufficient for the needle to pass, closing after it.
The mainspring, if required, could be attached to one of the sides. Again one of
the two sides of the horizontal groove could be hinged below, the other being fixed.
A spring would keep the hinged side in position. In the detached mechanism
two wings of the mainspring grasping the sides would act instead of an extra
spring.
The threading cone can be varied innumerable ways, such for instance as by the
two sides being hinged together and held by a spring, or by it being made of a
single spring over a flat surface with a guard above to keep it from being bent too
much, but the principle would be the same in all cases.
Sometimes I put a curved guide on the back of the implement to guide the
thread into a convenient position for grasping it. When curved needles are used I
sometimes put a projection on the bottom of the foot for the needle to press
against. The whole can be stamped out of one piece of steel, and then bent to suit
if desired.
Another variation consists in stamping the whole out of steel steel. Fig. 7 shows
a piece so stamped, and ready to bo bent to shape.
Having now described my Invention, and the best mode known to me of carrying
it into effect, I claim as my Invention,―
1st. A needle setter and threader for sewing machines arranged (when not
forming an integral part of the machine) with a top or abutment so adjusted or
adjustable as regards height above the threading cone or its equivalent, that when
the eye of a properly adjusted needle embraced by the instrument comes opposite
the threading cone the top or abutment of the instrument will como against the
bottom of or a fixed abutment on the needle bar, lever, or holder.
2nd. The mode of setting needles of sewing machines, substantially as described.
3rd. The arrangement in needlo setters and threaders for sewing machines of a
spring abutting against the flat or grooved part of the needle and the point or
other part thereof in such manner as to regulate the angular direction of the needle
eyo.
4th. The threading cone made with the two sides to spring together, but one or
both to give way with a gentle pressure, and thus admit the thread to pass, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes described.
5th. Placing a moveable stop on the presser foot or other stationary part of a
sewing machine for arresting the descent of the needle at a given point in combina-
tion with a threading cone F', or its mechanical equivalent, for the purposes
described.

page_text: Gth. The adjustable slider J or the screw Jin stop N or their mechanical
equivalent for adjusting the distance between the bottom or abutment of the needle
bar or lever and the threading conc or its equivalent.
In witness whereof, I, said Edmund Squire Norcombe, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord
1876.
Witness,
W. P. THOMPSON,
Patent Agent,
6, Lord Street,
Liverpool.
EDMUND SQUIRE NORCOMBE. (L.S.)