AN INSTRUMENT OR APPARATUS FOR THREADING NEEDLES."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Darling, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,.
North Britain, for an Invention of "AN INSTRUMENT OR APPARATUS FOR
THREADING NEEDLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Darling at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th March 1880.
JOHN DARLING, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain.
INSTRUMENT OR APPARATUS FOR THREADING NEEDLES."
"AN
This Invention, which relates to an instrument or apparatus for threading needles,
has for its object to enable the threading operation to be at once performed, and
thereby to avoid the tedium or uncertainty of that operation as ordinarily performed
by hand, whether in the case of threading needles for hand sewing or for threading
the needles of sewing machines.
The instrument for threading needles for hand sewing consists of a tube or
groove into which the upper part of the needle is passed when it is required to
thread the same. The needle when placed in the tube or groove is moved round
about until its eye comes opposite a spring hook, which then passes by its spring
action through the eye of the needle and through the opposite side of the tube or
groove. When in this position the loop of the thread is passed over the hook,.
which being acted upon in the opposite direction by the spring lever to which it is
attached draws the thread through the needle eye, after which the needle is pulled
out properly threaded.
The instrument or apparatus for threading the needles of a sewing machine is
substantially of the same character as that herein before described, excepting that
in this case the construction of the apparatus with the tube is not so applicable..
The instrument or apparatus may be used separately from, or it may be attached:
to, the needle or needle box of the sewing machine, down or upon which it is.
moved when it is required to thread the needle.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Darling in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th September
1880.
JOHN DARLING, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain.
INSTRUMENT OR APPARATUS FOR THREADING NEEDLES."
"AN
My said Invention has for its object to provide means by which the threading
of needles may be performed readily and without the tedium or uncertainty which
accompanies that operation when performed by hand, the said means being
applicable for threading needles for hand sewing or for threading the needles of
sewing machines.
The instrument for threading needles consists of a tube or groove for receiving
the part of the needle containing the eye when it is required to thread the same,
the eye of the said needle when so received in the tube or groove being opposite
a spring hook which then passes through the eye of the needle.
When in this
position the loop of the thread is passed over the hook, which being acted upon in
the opposite direction draws the thread through the needle eye, and the needle is
properly threaded.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying Drawings represent respectively in
longitudinal section, in plan of upper side, and in plan of underside an instrument
constructed according to my Invention (for threading needles for hand sewing),
wherein the head of the needle to be threaded is placed in a tube b, which is
preferably trumpet or cam shaped, as shewn. Upon a fulcrum 62 on the upper
side of this tube is hinged a lever c, whose tail is pressed up by a spring c² which
forces the hook d at the other end of the said lever through the hole e, so as to
project to the underside of the tube b, as shewn in full lines in Figure 1. The
needle x to be threaded is placed in the tube b, as shewn in Figure 4, the hook d
being raised into the position shewn in dotted lines in Figure 1 by depressing the
tail of the lever c. The needle is then moved round about until its eye comes
opposite the hook d which passes by its spring action through the eye of the
needle and beyond the underside of the tube b, as shewn in Figure 4. The
thread with which the needle is to be threaded is then looped over the projecting
hook d, as shewn in Figures 3 and 4, and the tail of the lever c being again
depressed, the said hook d draws the thread through the eye of the needle, as
shewn in Figure 5, and the needle may then be withdrawn from the tube b
properly threaded.
I will now describe the modification of my Invention wherein the head of the
needle to be threaded is placed in a groove instead of in a tube. Figures 6 and 7
represent in plan and elevation respectively this modified form of instrument or
apparatus for threading needles for hand sewing constructed according to my
Invention, and held in a recess in the lid of a thread or bobbin box so that its end
projects therefrom as shewn, but the said instrument may be otherwise supported
in any suitable article, or may be provided with a handle or be placed in a holder
or support made specially for the purpose. Figures 8 and 9 represent the same
ssparately in longitudinal section and plan respectively and drawn to a larger
scale. The said instrument consists of an upper part a having therein a groove b,
in which the head of the needle to be threaded is placed, and of a lower part c to
which is attached a hook d projecting upwards into a hole e opening into the
groove in the upper part a. The said upper part a constitutes a spring so
that when pressed upon it yields, and the hole e passes over the hook d so that the
said book projects beyond the said upper part a, as seen in Figure 11. In
threading a needle with this instrument the head of the needle x is placed in the
groove b, as shewn in Figure 10, and is moved round about until its eye comes
over the head of the hook d. The needle being pressed down upon the upper

page_text: part a the said upper part yields and the eye of the needle passes down over the
hook d, so that the said hook projects through and beyond the eye of the needle.
The thread with which the needle is to be threaded is then passed over the
hook d, as shewn in Figure 11, and on the downward pressure upon the part a
being removed the parts return to their normal position, and the thread f being
retained by the hook d is thereby drawn through the eye of the needle, after which
the needle is drawn away properly threaded, as shewn in Figure 12, the end of
the thread f then being released from the hook d.
Figure 13 represents the instrument as adapted for the threading of the needles
of sewing machines; the end of the said instrument is shewn in section;
Figure 14 is a front view of the said end. The said instrument is provided with
a continuation a² to be grasped by the hand, and this continuation may constitute
a bodkin or other article of utility. The instrument consists of two parts a and c,
the one part being provided with a groove b and hole e into which the hook d on
the part c passes, as described with regard to Figures 6 to 12. In using this
instrument the groove b is pressed against the needle x of the sewing machine, and
moved thereupon until the hook & comes opposite the eye of the said needle when
the part c is pressed so that it yields, as shewn in dotted lines in Figure 13, and
the hook d passes through the eye of the needle. The thread f with which the
needle is to be threaded is then engaged with the hook d, as shewn in Figure 15,
and on the pressure being removed from the part c the book d draws the thread
through the eye of the needle, and on drawing away the said instrument, as shewn
in Figure 16, the needle is threaded, and the end of the thread f is then released
from the hook d.
The groove b in the herein before described modification of the instrument or
apparatus may be either longitudinal, as in Figures 6 to 12, or transverse, as in
Figures 13 to 16, or it may be at any suitable angle, for example, the groove in
the instrument, Figures 13 to 16, may be longitudinal when the instrument is to
be used for threading needles for hand sewing.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the system, mode, or manner, in or under which the same is or may
be used, or practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what
I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,-
The instrument or apparatus for threading needles for hand sewing or the
needles of sewing machines, the said instrument or apparatus being constructed
essentially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings,
whether the hook by which the threading is effected be used in combination with
a tube for the reception of the needle, as in Figures 1 to 5, or with a groove, as in
Figures 6 to 16.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Darling, have hereunto set my hand and
l this Eleventh day of September in the year of our Lord One thousand