IMPROVEMENTS IN NEEDLES AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE SAME
Year: 1885

page_text: I BRYAN HINTON SMITH of the Firm of James Smith & Son of Astwood
Bank near Redditch in the County of Worcester, Needle Manufacturer do hereby
declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN NEEDLES AND IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF THE SAME and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement to be as follows that is to say :-
群
This invention has for its object improvements in needles and in the manufacture
of the same which are intended to be used principally for such purposes as threading
the shanks of buttons through material to which they are required to be attached
such for instance as leather or cloth.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practice I have appended hereunto a sheet of drawings upon which I have
illustrated on an enlarged scale several ways in which it may be worked out and
which will serve to enable any needle manufacturer to adapt the idea to needles
required for similar purposes.
Figure 1, is an elevation of the needle in its finished state showing the slot a
through which the shank of the button passes as it is threaded upon the hook or
spring side b of the eye c.
In Figure 2, the button E is shown threaded upon the eye of the needle ready
to be drawn through the leather or other material and
Figure 3, shows the same button just drawn through the material H and ready
for the withdrawal of the needle previously to securing the shank at the back of
the material H the manner of securing the button is not however a part of my
present invention.
It will be clearly seen that the long spring jaw b allows of ample spring to
allow a substantial shank to pass through without more than a very moderate
strain.
The mode of manufacture is as follows:-
1 From a length of round steel wire, pieces of sufficient length are cut each of
which will form when finished one complete needle for example say 3 inches long.
2nd The external parts of the eye are formed in dies formed by hubs in the usual
way.
3rd The internal part of the eye c is next punched out by a slotting punch under

page_text: 4th The small slot a is next cut by a circular milling tool or saw or other
suitable instrument so as to communicate with the eye or slot c. This is finished
when necessary by hand tools.
5th The point is then formed by a blow in dies made from hubs in the usual
manner. The triangular point may be made solid as shown at M or hollowed as
shown by N.
The needle is then hardened or tempered and afterwards ground up to sharpen
the edges and point and the needle is then scoured and polished.
In the examples shown by Figures 4, 5, and 6 the slots 8 and t and ware each
simple splits in the metal so that a difference in the process would simply be made
by substituting a splitting tool in 4th process for the milling tool or saw.
In the
case of Figure 4 pressure against the part y would open the slot w and in Figure 5
pressure either at r or r¹ would open the slot t.
8
In the case of Figure 6, pressure would be required at u to open the slot s in other
respects the explanation given for Figures 1, 2, and 3 would answer for each of
the other three examples.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The improvements in needles and in the manufacture of the same of the slot a
or its equivalent w, r or s for the purpose of passing the shank of the button in
and out substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.