Improvements in or Attachment for Thimbles used for Sewing.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Apr., 1889.
Complete Specification Left, 9th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 15th Feb., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Attachment for Thimbles used for Sewing.
I, NEWNHAM BROWNE, of 73, Cheapside, in the City of London, Fellow of the
Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN, OR ATTACHMENT FOR, THIMBLES USED FOR SEWING," which
Invention has been communicated to me by R. W. Pyne, of Kaja Factory, Purneah,
in the Empire of India to be as follows:-
According to my invention I make Thimbles with a very small pair of scissors
attached, or capable of being attached thereto, and so arranged as to be operated by
a touch of a finger adjacent to that on which the thimble is worn, which scissors are
intended to be used for cutting the thread with which the wearer may have been
working or may intend to work, or for similar purposes.
I provide a band or ring of flexible metal the two ends of which are bent outwards,
or are fitted with projecting pieces, through which passes a screw uniting the two
ends of the ring-like band and draws them together. The ring thus formed is of
such size as to fit over a thimble close to the rim, the flexibility of the ring and the
above mentioned screw enable it to be fitted to thimbles of different sizes.
On the ring, and preferably opposite or nearly opposite the screw, I attach a small
pair of scissors or shears. The tail or handle end of one of the blades is made
shorter than the other, and flat, and is riveted, screwed or soldered to the ring and
a spring may, conveniently, be attached by the same fastenings to press against the
tail end of the other blade and keep the scissors open, I make the tail end of the
moveable blade terminate in a small knob or button on which the finger may be
pressed to close the scissors.
For nse,
the ring is passed over a thimble and the screw turned until the ring is
tightened and fixed, the thimble may then be placed on the finger with the scissors
upwards or nearly so, and when the wearer desires to cut a thread she has only to
apply the scissors and operate them by a touch of the next finger on the knob or
button.
It will be obvious that, instead of the scissors being fixed to a ring they may be
fixed directly to the thimble in the same manner as to the ring.
Dated the Ninth day of Anril 1889
NEWNHAM BROWNE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Attachment for Thimbles used for Sewing.
L, NEWNHAM BROWNE, of 73, Cheapside, in the City of London, Fellow of the
Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN, OR ATTACHMENT FOR. THIMBLES USED FOR SEWING," which
invention has been communicated to me from abroad by R. W. Pyne, of Kaja
Factory, Purneah, in the Empire of India, and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly ascertained and described in and by the following
specification:-
According to my invention I make Thimbles with a very small pair of scissors, or
shears, attached, or capable of being attached, thereto, and so arranged as to be
operated by a touch of the thumb or of a finger adjacent to that on which the thimble
is worn, and which scissors are intended to be used for cutting the thread and which
the wearer may have been working or may intend to work, or for similar purposes,

page_text: and this invention is designed to afford such a ready means of severing the thread as
to prevent or lessen the temptation to bite it off.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying sheet of drawings represents a thimble with the attach-
ment secured thereto by a band preferably of spring steel. Fig. 2, is an enlarged
representation of the attachment removed from the thimble. Fig. 3, represents
details. A is the thimble. B the band of flexible metal preferably of spring steel, and
which may, conveniently, be covered or partially covered with kid or chamois leather
or the like, and the ends of which band are bent outwards.as shown at c or are fitted
with projecting pieces, through which passes a screw whereby the said .onds may be
drawn towards each other, or together, and the band clamped tightly round any
thimble, of approximately the size for which it is intended. D) is a small pair of
scissors or shears which may, conveniently, be of the form shown in the drawings,
but the shape thereof may be varied, or some well known arrangement of shears,
other than that represented and described, may be used without departing from my
invention.
As shown in the drawings one of the blades of the shears has a short tail-piece e by
which it is attached preferably by two rivets to the band B, or by which it may be
directly and permanently attached to the thimble itself. The other blade
the shears
has a longer tail-piece which I fit with a button or knob f¹ intended to be operated
by the finger or thumb. g, is a spring by which the shears are kept open when not
in actual use and which may, conveniently, be attached to the tail-piece by the same
rivet, or rivets, as fix the knob or button f¹.
For use the band is passed over the thimble and the screw turned until the ring is
tightened and fixed, and the thimble may then be placed on the finger.
The thimble, with the attachment, is intended to be worn with the shears over that
side of the middle finger nearest the index finger and inclined slightly towards the
back of the hand so as not to be in the way of the index-finger. In this position it will
be found not to interfere with the article to be sewn. The shears can be operated
when required by bending the middle finger inwards towards the palm of the hand
whereby the button will be brought within easy reach of the thumb, by which the
button is then depressed and the shears closed severing the cotton or the like to
which they may be applied. In this action the back of the hand will generally be
uppermost.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invon-
tion 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.) Constructing thimbles with a small pair of scissors, or shears, permanently
attached substantiallyias and for the purpose described.
(2.) Constructing an attachment for thimbles consisting of a small pair of scissors,
or shears, mounted on an adjustable band substantially as described and for the
purposes set forth.
Dated the Ninth day of January 1890.
NEWNHAM BROWNE.