Improvements in and connected with Needle Threaders.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in and connected with Needle Threaders.
I, THOMAS LEES, of King's Arms Hotel, Girvan, in the County of Ayr, North
Britain, Hotelkeeper, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficient apparatus
for threading needles.
In carrying out my invention I provide a base plate of any convenient shape or
material, and to which there is rivetted screwed, or otherwise fixed-or it may be
in one piece with it-an upright bar, rod, or tube. On this bar, rod, or tube:
there is carried a spiral or other suitable spring, and at its upper end there is
connected in any convenient manner a hook, or other equivalent threading device.
Over this upright rod or bar there is an outer casing having at its upper end a
recess or opening through which the threading device or hook passes. The top
end of this is so arranged that it acts as a bed and guide for the eye end of the
needle.
The operation is as follows:-The eye end of the needle is placed on the bed
above referred to and the outer casing pressed down, when the hook passes through
eye of needle. The thread is then placed in the hook or threading device and the
pressure on the outer casing taken off, when the spring becomes released and the
outer casing returns to its normal state, which action causes the hook to return
back through eye of needle, carrying with it the thread, when the needle becomes
automatically threaded.
In place of carrying the spring on the upright tube already referred to, I
might place it loosely inside the tube and have the bed and guide arrangement
for the needle also inside the tube resting on this spring and the hook in such
case would be connected to upper end of the side of this tube so that in threading
a needle, the bed and guide arrangement for the needle would be pressed on the
spring which would cause the hook to pass through eye of needle. The thread is
then caught on to hook as already explained and the spring released which causes
the bed and guide arrangement to return to its normal state, and so take the
hook back through eye of needle.
In both cases I might dispense with the spring referred to and complete the
action of the apparatus by the hand.

page_text: Improvements in and connected with Needle Threaders.
I, THOMAS LEES, of the King's Arms Hotel, Girvan, Ayrshire, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention, which has for its object to provide a simple and efficient appa-
ratus for threading needles, is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, Figure 1
being a vertical section, Figure 2 an elevation at right angles to Figure 1, and
Figure 3 a plan of one modification of the improved needle threader. Figures 4
and 5 are vertical sections corresponding to Figure 1 of the needle threader to a
larger scale, these figures shewing the needle in two different positions of the
threading operation.
Figures 6 and 7 are vertical section and plan respectively of another modifica-
tion of the needle threader.
In carrying out my invention I provide a base plate A, of any convenient shape
or material, to which is screwed or otherwise fixed an upright bar, rod or tube B,
or the tube may, as shewn, be formed integral with the base A. Within this
tube B a suitable spring, such as the spiral spring C, is placed, which rests on
that portion of the base A within the tube B, or it may be fixed to the tube B,
and at the upper end of the tube B a hook D or other equivalent threading
device is secured, as shewn at Figures 1 or 6, or in any convenient manner. Over
the tube B or rod or bar is placed a sliding tube or outer casing E, on the upper
end of which is formed the needle rest or bed E2, the tube having also an open-
ing to permit of the passage of the hook D, when the outer tube E is pressed
down against the action of the spiral spring C. The needle rest or bed E2 is,
in the example shewn at Figures 1 to 5, mado as a flat disc, but may be any
shape presenting a flat surface which aids, no matter how the needle is presented,
in turning the needle over to the position necessary to permit of the entrance
through its eye of the hook D, but the rest may be formed, as shewn at Figures 6
and 7, as a narrow recess of a breadth equal to the diameter of the needle. A
pin is passed through holes in the outer casing E to bear upon the upper end
of the spring C, the pin F also passing through a slot in the inner tube B or rod
or bar equal to the desired length of travel of the outer casing or sliding tube E
ånd serving to connect the sliding and stationary tubes E, B.
The action of the threading device is as follows:-
The eye of the needle G is placed upon the bed E3, slight oblique pressure
is then applied upon the bed E2, and the needle if not properly presented is by
this means turned over into the right position. The needle is then pushed for-
ward till the eye end bears slightly against the hood B¹ of the tube B, continued
pressure bearing down the outer casing E so that the eye of the needle is caused
to pass over the hook D to the position shewn at Figure 4. The thread is then
placed in the hook and the pressure taken off the needle bed E2, whereupon the
outer tube E returns automatically under the action of the spring to its normal
position carrying the needle upwards again over the hook D' and leaving the
thread through it in loop form, the lower end of the loop being retained by the
hook D, as shewn at Figure 5.
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 claim is:-
1. A needle threader, the several parts of which are constructed, combined and
arranged to operate, substantially as described.

page_text: 2. A needle threader, composed of a stationary rod or tube carrying the thread-
ing hook, an outer casing or tube forming the needle bed or rest, and a spring
around or within the stationary tube, and adapted to return the outer tube to
its normal position after the pressure upon it has been released, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
3. In a needle threader, the combination of the stationary tube (B) carrying
the threading hook (D), an outer casing (E) forming the needle bed or rest (E³),
and a spring (C) around or within the stationary tube (B), substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.