IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THREADING NEEDLES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henri Adrien Bonneville, of the British and Foreign
Patent Offices, 24, Rue du Mont Thabor, Paris, in the Empire of
France, and 38, Porchester Terrace, Bayswater, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR THREADING NEEDLES."-A communication from Giovanni
Valania, residing at Bergamo, in the Kingdom of Italy.
Sealed the 9th April 1868, and dated the 15th October 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henri Adrien Bonneville
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition, on
the 15th October 1867.
I, HENRI ADRIEN BONNEVILLE, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices,
24, Rue du Mont Thabor, Paris, in the Empire of France, and 38, Porchester
Terrace, Bayswater, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
THREADING NEEDLES," a communication from Giovanni Valania, a person
resident at Bergamo, in the Kingdom of Italy, to be as follows:-
The Invention communicated to me relates to a small apparatus to facilitate
the threading of needles. It is composed of two little plates in metal or some
such analogous hard material, one of which is rigid and of a certain thickness,

page_text: whilst the other is much thinner, of a smaller size, and possesses a certain
amount of flexibility when it is connected at one of its extremities to the
larger plate by means of a screw. A groove proportioned to the thickness of
the needle or needles for which the apparatus is intended is made in the rigid
plate, starting from its outer edge and extending to a little hole running right
through the said plate, which hole is proportioned. to the dimension of the
eye of the needle and corresponding with the extremity of a conical. hole
made in an appendix fixed on the adverse side of the rigid plate. In order to
thread a needle it is run down the groove between the two metal plates. until
its eye comes in front of the little hole in the rigid plate, then the thread, the.
end of which is taperred off as usual, is inserted into the conical hole of the
appendix which assists its entrance, traverses the hole existing in the rigid plate
and the eye of the needle, which is then drawn from the groove carrying away
the thread with it...
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henri. Adrien Bonneville in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 11th April 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRI ADRIEN
BONNEVILLE, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices, 24, Rue du Mont
Thabor, Paris, in the Empire of France, and 38, Porchester Terrace, Bays-
water, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, Her special license that I, the said Henri
Adrien Bonneville, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time 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 APPARATUS FOR THREADING NEEDLES," a com-
munication from Giovanni Valania, a person resident at Bergamo, in the
Kingdom of Italy, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henri

page_text: Adrien Bonneville, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, 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 :-
The Invention communicated to me relates to a small apparatus to facilitate:
the threading of needles. It is composed of two little plates in metal or some
such analogous hard material, one of which is rigid and of a certain thickness,
whilst the other is much thinner, of a smaller size, and possesses a certain
amount of flexibility when it is connected at one of its extremities to the
larger plate by means of a screw. A slot proportioned to the thickness of the
needle or needles for which the apparatus is intended is made in the rigid
plate, starting from its outer edge and extending to a little hole running '
right through the said plate, which hole is proportioned to the dimension of
the eye of the needle, and corresponding with the extremity of a conical hole.
made in an appendix fixed on the adverse side of the rigid plate. In order to
thread a needle it is run down the slot between the two metal plates until its:
eye comes in front of the little hole in the rigid plate, then the thread, the end
of which, taperred off as usual, is inserted into the conical hole of the appendix,
which assists its entrance, traverses the hole existing in the rigid plate and.
the eye of the needle, which is then drawn from the slot carrying away the
thread with it..
Having thus summarily stated the said Invention, the same will now
be more fully described, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings.
Fig. 1 is a front view of the apparatus, all the parts being brought together
Fig. 2 is a view of the same from behind; Fig. 3 is a plane section of the.
same by the line a, b, Fig. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a vertical lateral section of the
same by the line c, d, Fig. 1 and 2; Figs. 5 and 6, are isolated views of the
metal plates.
Fig. 7 is a front view showing a modification of the apparatus; Fig. 8 is
a back view of the same; Fig. 9 is a side view of one of the branches by
itself of the rigid piece; Fig. 10 is a view of the pin and of the disk by
themselves; Fig. 11 is a view of the flexible piece by itself; and Fig. 12, a

page_text: view of a rigid piece in lieu of the rigid metal plate. In all these Figures
like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
The apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, is double, or disposed
for needles of two different sizes. The modification is for a needle of a single
size; g is a thick or rigid piece or metal plate; h is a thin or flexible metal
plate fixed to the other metal plate or piece by two screws i, i; j is the slot
in the rigid metal plate or piece in which the needle is slid; k is the hole in
the rigid metal plate corresponding with the eye of the needle when pushed
into the slot; is the appendix fixed on to the rigid metal plate g and carrying
the conical hole, facilitating the introduction of the end of the thread into.
the eye of the needle; m, are holes or a ring by which the apparatus is
suspended.
In the first system it will be seen that when the thread is passed through
the eye of the needle it is carried away by the needle when removed from
the slot, consequently there is necessity to cut the thread either on the reel,
or when connected with the work or stuff being sewn in order to withdraw the
thread from the apparatus.
The modification set forth in Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 is to obviate
this inconvenience, namely, that of being obliged to cut the thread whenever
the needle accidentally unthreads itself when at work. The metal plate g is in
this system replaced by a thicker piece which allows of suppressing the
appendix ; the conical hole may be made in this piece, it being thick enough.
This piece is composed of two parts or branches n, n, slightly swollen near
one of their extremities, united by two screws 0, 0, whilst their other
extremities remain free. Between these two branches n, n, is placed a pin p
which may be turned with the fingers by means of the little disk q. This pin
is slightly flattened towards its extremity and forms a sort of eccentric
lodged in two little cavities 8 existing in the branches n, n, so that by turning
with the thumb and forefinger the disk g the pin p is also turned. The
eccentric separates a little the free extremities of the two branches n, n, and
allows by withdrawing the needle from the slot to withdraw also the thread at
the same time without cutting or breaking it from the work, the thread passing
between the two open branches.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, what 1 claim as new and wish to secure by
Letters Patent is, an apparatus wherewith to thread needles composed of two
metal plates or pieces, one rigid and the other flexible, brought together, and
between which the needle is slid into a slot in the rigid metal plate furnished

page_text: with a hole corresponding with the eye of the needle, substantially as above
described.
In witness whereof I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, have hereto
set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of March, in the year of our
Lord Eighteen hundred and sixty-eight.
H. BONNEVILLE. (L.S.)