AN IMPROVED COMBINED NEEDLE AND THREAD HOLDER
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Maria Bounsall Rowland, of Upper Norwood, in the
County of Surrey, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED COMBINED NEEDLE
AND THREAD HOLDER."
Sealed the 6th May 1879, and dated the 14th November 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Maria Bounsall Rowland
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th November 1878.
MARIA BOUNSALL ROWLAND, of Upper Norwood, in the County of Surrey.
<< AN
IMPROVED COMBINED NEEDLE AND THREAD HOLDER."
•
My Invention has for its object to provide a supply of needles threaded with a
cotton, silk, flax, or other thread in readiness for immediate use, and so avoid the
difficulty of threading the needle experienced especially by the blind, and by
persons of weak sight.
The holder of my Invention consists of a frame or bow having a cross pin or bar
to serve as a spindle for the reel, card, or other device on which the thread is
wound, to revolve upon as the thread is drawn off for use, and of a needle case,
wrapper, or cushion of cloth or other suitable material in which the needles arc
inserted in a row with their eyes in line, the said case or cushion being attached by
one end to the frame or bow, and serving also as a wrapper for the reel when
carried in the pocket. The said case or cushion is provided with suitable eyes or
guides through which the thread is passed from the reel and through the eyes of
the row of needles, other eyes or guides being placed at intervals between the
needles to prevent them being accidentally drawn out of the cushion.
The thread runs freely through the guides and through the eyes of the needles,
and when a needle and thread are required for use, it is simply necessary to draw
out a needleful of thread, take out the end needle of the row, and sever the
thread between this needle and the next.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Maria Bounsall Rowland in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
May 1879.
MARIA BOUNSALL ROWLAND, of Upper Norwood, in the County of Surrey.
IMPROVED COMBINED NEEDLE AND THREAD HOLDER."
"CAN
My Invention has for its object to provide a supply of needles threaded with a
cotton, silk, flax, or other thread in readiness for immediate use, and so avoid the
difficulty of threading the needle experienced especially by the blind, and by
persons of weak sight.
My Invention consists of a frame, bow, or other holder, having a cross pin or bar
to serve as a spindle for the reel (or other device on which the thread is wound),
to revolve upon as the thread is drawn off for use, and of a needle case, wrapper, or
cushion of cloth or other suitable material in which the needles are inserted in a
row with their eyes in line; the said case or cushion being attached by one end to
the frame, bow, or holder, and serving also in some cases as a wrapper for the reel
when carried in the pocket. The said case or cushion is provided with suitable
eyes or guides between the needles through which the thread is passed to prevent
their being accidentally drawn out of the cushion. The thread runs freely through
the guides and through the eyes of the needles, and when a needle and thread are
required for use, it is simply necessary to take hold of the thread by the end and
draw it off the reel through the guides and needle eyes, until enough thread is
drawn off to make a "needleful;" then take out the end needle of the row, and
sever the thread between this needle and the next, leaving the end of the thread
protruding from the next needle in readiness to be similarly drawn off when another
needleful of thread is required, a fresh needle being taken each time.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figures 1, 2, and 3, show the needle and thread holder provided with different
arrangements for adapting it to hold reels of different sizes. Figure 4 shows a
needle and thread holder adapted to receive two reels of thread of different kinds,
and two rows of needles. Figures 5 and 6 show plan and elevation of a needle and
thread holder of larger size to hold two or more reels and rows of needles. Figures
7 and 7 show elevation and plan of a holder in which the reel is contained in a
box, and Figure 8 shows a similar holder adapted to receive a large number of reels
and rows of needles. Figure 9 shews a holder in which the packets of needles in
their paper cases as sold are contained in packets in the holder, instead of being
inserted in a cushion, as in the other arrangements. The same letters of reference
indicate the same parts in all the Figures. A is the frame, bow, or holder for the
reel, and B is the needle case, wrapper, or cushion attached by one end to the frame,
bow, or holder. In some cases, this holder may be a box instead of a metal frame
as hereafter described.
Referring to Figure 1, A is a spring bow of steel or other sufficiently elastic
metal provided at its extremities with two cone centres a, a, between which the
reel of thread C is held. The spring bow being flexible, admits reels of slightly
different lengths, and the centres a being inserted in the hole in the reel, the latter
is free to revolve when the thread is drawn off and is yet gripped sufficiently to
prevent it unwinding the thread accidentally. The holder B is a thin cushion
attached to the bow A as shown. It is provided with guide eyes bat intervals for
the thread to run through and with a small cleat or catch w, by which to fasten the
end of the thread and prevent it being drawn out of the needles when the holder is
carried in the pocket. A knot may be made on the end of the thread for the same
purpose. c is the thread running from reel C through the guides b, and through
the eyes of a row of needles & inserted in the cushion B.

page_text: In Figure 2, the reel holder A is of rigid metal instead of being flexible. One of
the cone centres a for the reel to turn on is fixed to one arm of the holder, and the
other is carried on an adjusting screw E which works through a nut in the other
arm of the holder, to enable the centres to be shifted for inserting reels of different
lengths. Both centres may be similarly adjustable if preferred.
In Figure 3, the centres a, one or both, are carried on stems E, which in this case
are not screwthreaded, but slide freely through the arms of the holder, and the cone
centres are pressed inwards by spiral springs on said stems.
In Figure 4, the two reels are placed on a pin F to a wooden boss, on the centre
portion of which the needle cushion B is attached, said pin being screwthreaded at
the ends to receive two knobs f which confine the reels as shown.
In Figures 5 and 6, the cushion B contains two or more rows of needles; it is
stiffened to form a base for the holder A which is a jointed metal frame standing
up vertically, and upon which two or more reels are placed in horizontal and
vertical positions. The thread from each reel is led through separate eyes b to a
different row of needles which are inserted in the cushion in opposite directions.
The holder A is a bar jointed at A³, so that it may be straightened to place the
reels upon it, and then bent down to the position shown, the end of the horizontal
portion being secured by any suitable catch to retain the reel upon it.
In Figures 7 and 70, the reel is contained in a box of pasteboard or other
material, and rotates on a pin passed through the box from end to end. The
needle cushion or holder B is attached to the lower edge of the box at one side, and
the thread is drawn from the reel and led through guides, and the eyes of the
needles as before. The box is provided with a hinged lid which may conveniently
have a pin cushion on the top surface.
Figure $ is a similar holder adapted to hold four or more reels and as many rows
of needles, the reels being separated from one another by partitions in the box, and
placed on a common spindle passing through all. The spindle may be divided in
the middle into two portions inserted from opposite ends of the box to facilitate
the renewal of one reel without disturbing the others.
Figure 9 shows a holder in which the needles are contained in the paper envelopes
or packets in which they are sold, and these are received in pockets in the wrapper
B, instead of being inserted in a cushion. The reel holder may be in any of the
forms above described, but preferably one of those shown in Figures 1, 2, 3.
Figure 10 shows an arrangement adapted for the use of dressmakers, in which
the reel is made to hang beneath one end of a weighted box cushion forming the
needle holder.
It will be obvious that the holders may be otherwise arranged without departing
from the Invention.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing the
same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
A combined needle and thread holder for ready threaded needles in which the
reel or reels is or are free to rotate in a frame or holder, and the needles are inserted
in a wrapper or holder attached to the reel holder, whilst the thread from each reel
is drawn through the eyes of a whole row of needles, substantially as shown and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Maria Bounsall Rowland, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.