Improved Needle-threading Device for Sewing Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION. ·
Improved Needle-threading Device for Sewing Machines.
I, WILLIAM NICHOLSON, of 18, Weston Street, Bolton, in the County of Lancaster,
Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows, that is to
say
It has for its object the production of means which may be secured to a sewing-
machine to facilitate the threading of the needle in same, said means being so
constructed that they may be readily brought into use by automatically adjusting
themselves to the eye of the needle while they may further be arranged to be fit
upon almost any of the varied classes or kinds of-machines.
To attain the object of my invention I make use of an adjustable thread guide
having a tapering groove leading up to the eye of the needle, said groove preferably
opening upwards. This grooved piece I secure to a slotted bracket which allows its
adjustment vertically, said slotted bracket being also secured to another piece slotted
for adjustment horizontally upon bearings mounted to slide and rotate upon a pivotal
axis.
This pivotal axis may be the ordinary arm of the machines presser foot or it may .
be secured upon a hinged piece mounted upon said presser foot arm.
•
The pivotal bearings are supported by a yielding spring which forces them against
a cam-piece mounted above them, in order that when they are rotated the cain-piece
will force them downward causing their spring to yield so that as the pivotal piece
is being brought into contact with the needle bar it will come into contact with this
latter in such a manner that the grooved piece is brought in line with the eye of the
needle.
To better insure this alignment of the grooved piece and needle eye, the outer end
of the former has a notch (preferably slightly bevelled) formed in it to receive said
needle, while bifurcations are formed on parts above said grooved piece also to lay
hold of said needle.
Parts constructed as above described may be used in connection with machines
requiring threading at the end, front or other position and when such threading
operation is effected they may be turned out of position where they are eutirely out
of the way of the user.
1000

page_text: same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :-
It has for its object the production of means which may be secured to a sewing
machine to facilitate the threading of the needle in saune said means being so
constructed that they may be readily brought into use by automatically adjusting
themselves to the eye of the needle while they may be further arranged to be fit
upon almost any of the varied classes or kinds of machines.
In the accompanying sheets of drawings, which are illustrative of my said inven-
tion:-
Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of the head of a sewing machine and certain of
the parts in connection therewith showing my improved device mounted in position.
Figs. 2 and 3 represent end elevation and sectional plan respectively of parts
Illustrated by Figure 1.
Fig. 4 represents a similar view to Fig. 1, but shows the needle threading device
moved out of its operating position.
Fig. 5 represents a perspective view of a portion of my said needle threading
device.
Figs. 6, 7 and 8 represent similar views to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 respectively, but are
illustrative of a modification of iny said invention.
Fig. 9 represents a similar view to Fig. 6 but shows the device moved out of its
operating position.
•
Similar letters and figures of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several
views.
To attain the object of my invention, I make use of an adjustable thread guide a
which has a tapering groove b made lengthwise in it with its opening in at the upper
surface of said.guide a. This guide a is secured to a stem or shank c which supports
it by passing through an opening in the part d so that by its fixing screw d' it may
be held when adjusted in any vertical position on said part d. This rotary part d is
mounted to move freely upon the fixing sleeve f (which is secured upon the presser
foot bar by the screw ), so that it may be turned out of position as shown by
Fig. 4, or into position for enabling the groove b to be opposite the edge of the
needle gas shown by Fig. 1, in which latter position the thread is passed along the
groove b so that its pointed end is thereby guided to pass through the needle's eye as
desired. The part of the part a is preferably formed to be higher than the part a
as shown in the drawings.
The rotary part d is made to be held in either of the two positions above described,
by its arin entering notches made in the annular flange fl on the sleevef, its spring h
holding saine in its said notches at one time while at another it yields to allow it to
move from one notch to the other.
To enable the guide to automatically adjust itself after once being properly fixed,
so that whether the needle bar g is exactly high enough or slightly too low relatively
with the other parts, the inclined part in the upper surface of the part d will come
into contact with the lower end of the needle bar gl so as to be forced by this latter
to descend beneath it (at which time its spring will yield) and so the groove b in
the guide a will be brought level with or opposite to the eye in the needle g, because
in its first adjustment the guide a is fixed by its shank cin the part d in the proper
position relatively with the positions of the needle's eye and the end of the needle
bar g¹.
As further security for the adjustment of the guide a the part d has a groove d' a
also has the guide another groove a¹ to receive the upper and lower parts of the
needle g when in position for use to guide the thread, an adjusting screw being
also preferably employed for the said upper part of the needle to come into contact
with, while the part à may be adjusted on the shank c by means of the set screw a³
and slots a³.
d
When desired the rotary part & may be made in two parts as shown by Figs. 6,7,8
and 9, in which case the part d which receives the shank c has an arm n which passes.
through the part m in which it is beld by the adjusting hoops o, o', by which means

page_text: the guide a may be moved and held at a greater or less distance from the bar & as
the position of the needle bar g relatively with the bar & may require.
Again by the arm n having flattened parts upon it for contact with the retaining
spring p the guide a may be moved into a raised position as shown by Fig. 9, as
well as turned upon the bark the spring p retaining the arm n in its respective
positions for holding the guide a in either of the positions referred to. In this
arrangement the part is held in either of its positions by means of a projecting
part 9 on the part f taking within indents 9 made in said part m.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what
I claim is
"
1. A thread guide for sewing macliines, the same being constructed to have a
tapering groove as a guide for the thread and a groove to receive the needle in
combination with adjustable bearings for carrying such thread guide, and other parts
of said sewing machine substantially as specified.
2. A thread guide formed as described, yielding and adjustable bearings for same,
springs for allowing the movements of the parts and means for securing these parts
in position together with the other devices of a sewing machine substantially us
herein set forth.
3. A thread guide formed' as described, bearings for such guide constructed to
enable its adjustment in the vertical plane and a sewing machine in combination the
same being constructed and arranged substantially as specified.
4. A thread guide formed as described, bearings for such guide constructed to
enable its adjustment in the horizontal plane and a sewing machine, in combination
the same being constructed and arranged substantially as herein specified.
5: A needle threading device for a sewing machine, the same being constructed and
arranged to operate substantially as herein specified, with reference to Figs. 1 to 5
(inclusive) of the drawings.
6. A needle threading device for a sewing machine, the same being constructed and
arranged to operate substantially as herein specified, with reference to Figs. 6 to 9
(inclusive) of the drawings.