IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING NEEDLES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the firm of Edwards and Co: Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 35 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of the invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SEWING NEEDLES " to be as follows:-
"
This invention relates to sewing needles of all kinds, either to be used by hand
or in sewing machines, and it has for its object a novel method of manufacture of
such needles, so that the thread can be introduced at any part of its length into
the eye of the needle, without the necessity for threading it through the latter.
When the invention is applied to hand sewing needles, the needle is made with
a longitudinal split extending from the end at the eye of the needle, through the cye
and to a sufficient distance beyond it, so that by springing open the two parts.so
formed by the split, any part of the length of the thread can be introduced into the
eye, the split beyond the oye facilitating the necessary separation.
A notch may be arranged at the outer end of the split by which the introduction
of the thread is facilitated, and this notch may either be central, or at one side of
the eye. In the latter case the outer end of the split will also be at the side of the
eye, the continuation beyond the eye being either central or in a line with such
outer end.
Or, the notch may be entirely omitted, the outer end of the split passing
diagonally to the side of the needle instead of to its end, and in such case the
thread is introduced into the eye by deflecting one of the split parts of the needle
laterally by the thread itself held under slight tension for the purpose, or by
the hand, until the split parts are sufficiently separated for the thread to enter.
Where the needles are to be used for sewing machines, the eye being near the
point, the diagonal split proceeds upward from the eye to the side of the needle,
and the continuation of the split is carried down below the eye to near the point of
the needle, in order to give the necessary flexibility to admit the thread.
In all cases the eye is so shaped that the tension of the thread when sewing
tends to close the split rather than to open it.
Dated this 20th day of March 1884.

page_text: I, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the firm of Edwards and Co: Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 35, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of the invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SEWING NEEDLES" (a communication to me from abroad by Ernst, Kratz, of
Marburg, in the Empire of Germany) and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying drawing :-
This invention relates to sewing needles of all kinds, either to be used by hand
or in sewing machines, and it has for its object a novel method of manufacture
of such needles, so that the thread can be readily introduced at any part of its
length into the eye of the needle, without the necessity of threading it through
the latter.
In the accompanying drawing, the invention is shewn applied in more or less
modified forms to different kinds of needles. In all the modifications a split bis
shewn starting from the eye cof the needle, the split b; being opposite, or nearly
opposite to another split a. by, which the thread is introduced into the eye, the
opening of the latter split being in this way greatly facilitated.
"
In the drawing the needles shewn in figures 1.to.7 are needles for hand sewing,
figures. 5 and 6, representing a needle for surgical. purposes..
Figures 8 and 9 represent sewing-machine needles.
"In order to, facilitate the. introduction of the stretched thread (see figure 2), at
the split a, a notch d may be arranged at the outer end of such split, and the
split a may be either central as shewn in figures 1, 2, 4 and 5, or lateral as shown
in figure 3, in relation to the eye.c.
"
*T,
In the cases of needles, such as represented in figures 7, 8, and 9, where the
notch is not used, the part 9 of the needle adjoining-the-split-a, must be
deflected laterally by means of the thread itself which is held under slight tension
against this part of the needle, and will enter the eye c.through the split a as soon
as the part g is sufficiently deflected.
The ends of the eyes care in all cases. so, shaped that when in use neither the
split & by which the thread is introduced, nor the split b. by which the opening is
facilitated, can be opened by the tension of the thread.
As in the manufacture of these needles it is not easy to make: the split b. by the
same usual means cimployed to, make, the, split a, the. former may sometimes be
made in the manner illustrated in figures 4. and. 5, in which. a hole e is shewn.
drilled under the eye c'from which it is separated only by a narrow bridge, while
both sides of the needle outside the eye.c and the.hole.c are hollowed longitudinally
at f, so that the narrow bridge between them is.very thin at the middlé. and. the
split b can be very easily cut through it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claiin is-
1. In a sewing needle, the combination of the split a for introducing the thread
into the eye c, with the split b starting from the eye c, substantially as and for the
purpose described and shewn.

page_text: 2. The combination of the split a for introducing the thread, with the eye c the
hole e, hollows fand split b between the eye c and hole e, substantially as described
and shewn in figures 4 and 5.
3. In a sewing needle, the combination of the lateral split a for introducing
the thread, the eye c and opening split b forming the laterally deflecting part g,
substantially as described and shewn in figures 7, 8, and 9.
EDWARDS. & Co.,
Agents for the Patentee..