Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 31st Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 31st Mar., 1888
I, JOHN DARLING of 64 Albert Road, Crosshill, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This Invention, which relates to an improved needle threader, has for its object to
pass sewing thread by means of the instrument constituting this Invention into and
through the eyes of ordinary sewing needles for the purpose of being used in sewing.
operations.
The Invention or instrument consists of a pair of tubes capable of sliding the
requisite distance one within the other telescopically. A spiral spring or its equivalent
is contained within these tubes, which by its compression tends to force them outwards.
The outer end of each tube is provided with a thumb and finger piece for the purpose
of applying the thumb and finger thereto in order to compress the spiral spring before
a threading operation is effected. From one side of the outer tube there projects a
flat casing piece in the upper part of which the hook for passing through the eye of
the needle and for catching the thread for being drawn therethrough is situated. This
hook is provided with a suitable guide for giving it the proper direction of motion
and it is acted upon by a V-piece, cam or the mechanical equivalent thereof-whereby
the requisite motion is produced on the reaction of its spiral spring from its position
of maximum compression. For the purpose of bringing the eye of the needle and
the threading hook into their proper relative positions the upper part of the instrument
is provided with a guide having a hole in it of the proper dimensions and position for
directing the eye thereof, so that the threading hook shall pass forwards through
the said eye that catches the thread and backwards out therefrom with the thread
caught. Beneath the threading hook there is a flat spring which the head of the
needle in the act of being inserted for threading depresses and at the same time
releases, it from retaining the two tubes with their contained spiral spring in their
compressed position. The effect of this release is to cause the thread guide to be
pulled downwards thereby drawing the thread over the path of the threading hook.
Dated this 31st day of March 1887.
J. H. JOHNSON, DAY & JOHNSON,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Petitioner's Agents,

page_text: An Improved Needle Threader.
I, JOHN DARLING, of 64 Albert Road, Crosshill, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Engineer, do, hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention, which relates to an improved needle threader, has for its object
to pass sewing thread by means of the instrument constituting this invention, into
and through the eyes of ordinary sewing needles for the purpose of being used in
sewing operations.
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended.
an explanatory Sheet of Drawings, in which the same reference letters are used to
indicate corresponding parts in all the Figures where shown. Figures 1 and 2 are a
front elevation and plan respectively of the needle threader in its normal position.
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the threader, corresponding to Figure 1 but
showing the actuating internal tube A¹ and the spiral spring A in their compressed
position within their outer tube A, the power and motion of which spring A" actuates
the mechanism to thread the needle n. While Figure 4 is a similar section of the
instrument to Figure 3 showing the spring A" as expanded and the needle with
the thread passed through its eye and in the act of being raised out of its
guide E, E, with the thread & in it, all these Figures being drawn to a much larger
scale than the size of the actual instrument to show the details more clearly.
Referring to these Drawings:-The invention or instrument consists of an outer
fixed tube A and an inner moving tube A' capable of sliding the requisite distance
the one A within the other A telescopically. A spiral spring A" is contained within
the tube A which, by its compression, tends to force the tube A' outwards when free
to do so to its normal position shown in Figures 1 and 4. The outer end of each
tube A and A', is provided with a thumb and finger end A2, A3, for the purpose of
applying the thumb and finger of one hand to these tubes in order to compress the
spiral spring A", before the threading operation is effected as shown in Figure 3, and
which is held in its compressed position by the catch spring a against a stop piece a¹.
From the side of the outer tube A, there projects a flat casing piece B, to which the
stop piece a¹ is attached and contains the actuating plate D, and mechanism.
the upper part of this hollow case B the hook threader for passing through the eye n¹
of the needle n and for catching the thread for being drawn therethrough, is situated
and reciprocates. This hook b is secured at its back end to the upper part of the
reciprocating plate D, provided with suitable guide slots d, and cross pins a' to
reciprocate to and fro within the case B, for giving it the proper direction of motion.
This plate D is actuated to and fro by a V slot or cam D D in it, actuated by this
and a pin c passed through vertical slots B₁ in the side of the case B, and secured to
Over

page_text: the centre of two straps C outside the case B attached by the lateral stem C' to the
lower end A³ of the moving tube A', so that when the tube A', is reciprocated within
the tube A by the finger or thumb or by the reaction of the spiral spring it gives a
double motion back and forward to the plate D and needle b, the upper slot D₁ being
slightly longer than the lower slot 111 For the purpose of bringing the eye n¹ of
the needle n and the threading hook into their proper relative positions, the central
upper part of the casing piece B has fitted to it a conoidal vertical guide E in front
of the hook & having a tube E' and hole e at its lower end for directing the eye n¹ of
the needle n in line with the hook band with the eye opposite it, within a guide e in
which the hook reciprocates so that the threading hook shall pass forwards through
the said cyo n that catches the thread t, and backward out therefrom with the thread
caught by the motion of the cam pieces D, D¹, D" and pin c; the thread t having
previously been passed across behind the needle guide el into the recesses of a thread
guide c, c, formed in the top end of the reciprocating strap C outside the casing
piece B which are attached below to the lower end of the reciprocating tube A' pushed
down by the spring A" when released. Beneath the guide e¹, and threading hook b
there is fitted the flat spring catch a which the head of the needle n in the act of being
inserted for threading depresses through the guide hole e in the bottom of the guide e¹
which at the same time releases the catch a and the two tubes A, A', from their
compressed position as shown in Figure 3. The effect of this release is to cause the
lower tube A and thread guide C, c¹ to be pulled downwards, thereby drawing the
thread over the path of the threading hook b, while it is reciprocated to and fro
through the needle eye n¹ by the cam plate D, D', D", during the same downward
action of the spring A", and tube A¹, and so draw the thread t back through tho
needle eye n' and thread it as shown in Figure 4, where the needle is shown as being
withdrawn with the thread in it.
72
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The construction or arrangement and combination of the parts of a needle
threader substantially as and for the purposes herein described in reference to and
shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. A needle threader comprising a duplex telescopic tubo A, A¹ fitted with a
spiral or equivalent spring A" in combination with a flat casing piece B, fitted with
a reciprocating hook for drawing the thread through the eye n' of the needle n said
hook being provided with a guide e, e¹, and actuated by a V-shaped cam D, D', D",
or equivalent device, within the case B, the reaction of the spring A" also actuating
the thread guide C, C, outside the case substantially as and for the purposes herein
described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Third. In a needle threader the fitting of a tubo or equivalent guide E, E, e for
directing the eye n¹ of the needle n so that the threading hook 6 shall pass forward
through it, a flat spring catch a being fitted beneath the needle n, for releasing the
spiral spring A which draws down the thread t and actuates the cam piece D, DT, D"
for reciprocating the needle hook b to and fro through the needle eye n substantially
as and for the purposes herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.