AN IMPROVED DIAL OR INDICATING NEEDLE CASE
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Maurice Demmer, of No. 91, Boulevart de
Sébastopol, in the City of Paris, in the Empire of France, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED DIAL OR INDICATING
NEEDLE CASE."
Sealed the 27th November 1868, and dated the 17th June 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Maurice Demmer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th June 1868.
I, MAURICE DEMMER, of No. 91, Boulevart de Sébastopol, in the City
of Paris, in the Empire of France, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED DIAL OR INDICATING NEEDLE
CASE," to be as follows:-
My improved dial or indicating needle case consists of a cylindrical
tube of metal, wood, ivory, bone, or other substance, and may be carved,

page_text: enameled, covered with a skin of some sort or otherwise embellished,
the two ends of which are closed with caps of a similar material, which
may be screwed, soldered, or attached by any suitable means. In the
interior of this cylinder a number of small tubes are arranged for the
purpose of receiving the different sized needles; these tubes are soldered
together round a metal shaft, the two ends of which form the axes on
which the tubes turn freely, the lower one in the lower cap and the
upper one in the upper cap, this latter axis terminates in a rivet head.
The lower ends of the tubes are closed by being mounted on a circular
metal plate, whilst the upper extremities terminate in cones having in
their centres small openings for admitting of the passage of a single
needle at a time. The upper cap is also provided with a small opening
so arranged as to correspond with those of the tubes. At the upper end
of the shaft, before alluded to, and to its axis is attached a small metal
piece in the form of an arrow, which may be turned at will with the
shaft, and moves on the face of the upper cap, at the same time
revolving the tubes in the interior of the case. On the surface of
this cap is a dial bearing the numbers of the needles corresponding
with those contained in the tubes, so that by turning the arrow head
towards the number of the needle desired, the tube containing those
needles is brought opposite the opening in the cap, and by slightly
inclining the case a needle will leave it. Instead of having the upper
cap fixed it may be made to move in the direction required by being
loose, and in lieu of the numbers being on the surface they may be
placed round the circumference. In order to prevent needles escaping
from the case whilst in the pocket the arrow is provided with a small
projection which closes, when desired, the opening through which the
needles make their exit; and by pointing the arrow between two
numbers it indicates that the case is closed and that the needles cannot
escape..
The means of indicating the numbers of the needles may be modified
by having on the side of the case a graduated scale, bearing a number
of figures equivalent to that of the tubes contained in the case, and in
place of the arrow I employ a small metal blade forming a spring, the
object of which is to close the opening in the upper cap by means of
the boss as before. In the centre of the scale is a groove for receiving a
slide which servos as an indicator, at the same time giving the necessary

page_text: motion to the tubes in the same manner as does the arrow which it
replaces. The interior part of the slide forms a sort of pincers which
nip a spiral shaft passing round the tubes, and the ends of which shaft
are fixed to the bottom plate of the tubes, and to the top of the latter
so that in moving the slide which is forced to follow the direction of
the shaft, the tubes turn on their axes in such wise that when the slide
is opposite a number the opening of the tube bearing this number is
brought opposite the opening in the cap.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Maurice Demmer in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 11th December 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MAURICE
DEMMER, of No. 91, Boulevart de Sébastopol, in the City of Paris, in the
Empire of France, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Maurice Demmer, Her special licence that I,
the said Maurice Demmer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Maurice Demmer, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED DIAL OR INDICATING
NEEDLE CASE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Maurice Demmer, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.

page_text: by the following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is
say:
My improved needle case, which I term a dial or indicating one,
consists of a cylindrical tube of metal, wood, ivory, bone, or other sub-
stance or material, which may be carved, enamelled, or covered with
a skin of some sort. The two ends of this case A, Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4,
are closed with caps B, B', of a similar substance, and are either screwed,
soldered, or otherwise fixed on the case. In the interior of this cylinder
a number of small tubes c are arranged for the purpose of receiving the
different sized needles; these tubes are soldered together round a metal
shaft D, the two ends of which, E, E', forming the axes of the tubes turn
freely, the lower one, E', 'in the lower cap B', and the upper one, E, in
the upper cap B; this latter axis terminates in a rivet head or button.
The lower ends of the tubes c are closed by mounting them on a circular
metal plate F, whilst the upper extremities are conical, and have in
their centres small openings for admitting of the passage of
a single
needle at a time when required. The upper cap B is also provided
with an opening K, so arranged as to correspond with the openings of
the tubes when turned or placed over one or other of them.
Above the
other end of the shaft before alluded to, and to its axis is attached a
small metal hand I in the form of an arrow, which may be turned at
will with the shaft to which it is attached, and moves on the face of
the upper cap, at the same time revolving the tubes in the interior of
the case.
On the surface of this cap is a dial bearing the numbers which
correspond with the needles in the tubes, so that by turning the arrow
head towards the number desired the tube containing the needles
designated by that number is brought opposite the opening in the cap,
and by slightly inclining the case a needle will leave it by passing
through the opening. Instead of having the upper cap fixed it may be
made to move in the direction required, and in lieu of the numbers
being on the surface they may be placed round its circumference. In
order to prevent needles escaping from the case whilst in the pocket the
arrow is provided with a small projection J, which closes when desired
the opening in the cap through which the needles make their exit, and

page_text: by pointing the arrow between two numbers it indicates that the case
is closed, and that the needles cannot therefore escape.
The means of indicating the numbers of the needles may be modified
by having on the side of the case a graduated scale L, Fig. 3, bearing a
number of figures equivalent to that of the tubes contained in the case,
and in place of the arrow I employ a small metal blade forming a
spring I, Figure 4, the object of which is to close the opening K in
the upper cap B by means of the boss J as before. In the centre of
the scale is a groove R, destined to receive a slide M, which serves as an
indicator, at the same time giving the necessary movement to the tubes c
in the interior of the case in the same manner as the arrow which it
replaces. The interior part of the slide forms a sort of pincers N, which
nip a spiral shaft P passing round the tubes, and the ends of which shaft
are fixed to the bottom plate of the tubes and to the top of the latter, so
that in moving the slide which is forced to follow the direction of the
shaft the tubes turn on their axes E, E', in suchwise that when the slide
is opposite a number the opening of the tube bearing this number is
brought opposite the opening in the cap. By this system any needle
may readily be selected for use without the fear of spilling the contents
of the case, and when no longer required the needle may be replaced by
the same means employed for withdrawing one. Instead of having the
shaft D solid it may be hollow, so as to contain the larger and coarser
kind of needles, which are withdrawn by removing the bottom cap B',
an opening being made in the plate F to allow them to pass, and in lieu
of the tubes being conical they can be closed by a flat plate pierced with
holes immediately in the centre of each tube; this plate is covered by
the cap B, which instead of having a dial on its surface is provided
with a hole corresponding with the apertures of the tubes c; in this case
the cap is made to revolve instead of the tubes, and above it is fixed by
means of a small shaft attached to the inner plate a small dial bearing
as many divisions as there are tubes, this dial prevents the cap coming
off. The tubes may also be fixed to the bottom of the case, which
instead of having a cap has merely a metal plate furnished with as
many holes as there are tubes; in the centre of this is a small axis
surrounded by a number of hinges, each of which bears a figure in
correspondence with the needles contained in the respective tubes;
each of these hinges closes a tube, so that by raising any one of them

page_text: the needle desired can be withdrawn, this simplification of my system
renders the articles cheaper.
Having now described my Invention, what I claim and desire to
secure by Letters Patent is, the dial or indicating needle case, as herein
described and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Maurice Demmer, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
E. HÉBRÉ.
KITZ
ou
MAURICE DEMMER.