Improvements in Surgical and other Needles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 17th May, 1898-Accepted, 19th Nov., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Surgical and other Needles.
I, MILTON HOMER LOWE, of 404, Missouri Avenue, Jeffersonville, in the County
of Clark and State of Indiana, United States of America, Inventor, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in needles especially adapted for surgi-
cal purposes although it may be used for other purposes the same as ordinary
needles; and the primary object that I have in view is to provide an improved
construction of the needle by which a single length of thread may be carried
by the needle instead of doubling the thread as is necessary in the ordinary form
of needle.
A further object of the invention is to construct the needle in a peculiar
manner to enable the thread attached or connected to the needle to be housed
within the eye thereof so as not to leave any projecting parts, thereby providing
for the passage of the needle and thread through a wound or the flesh to the
best advantage.
And a further object of the invention is to provide an improved construction
by which the thread may be easily and quickly passed through the eye so that
the thread may be easily attached and disconnected as desired.
To the accomplishment of these ends, my invention consists of a needle, the
butt end of which is tapered from the thread eye toward the extremity of the
needle-shank, a longitudinal bore or passage through the butt end of the needle-
shank, a transverse notch in the needle shank situated in advance of the bore or
passage, forming a broad abrupt shoulder across the plane of the bore, and having
a guide-face which extends in an inclined direction outwardly from a point at
one side of the bore or passage to the outer face of the needle shank, and a
groove in said inclined face and arranged in the plane of the bore or passage in
the butt of the needle-shank, all as will be hereinafter fully described and
claimed.
To enable others to understand my invention, I have illustrated the preferred
embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this
specification, and in which:-
Figure 1 is an elevation, on an enlarged, scale, of my improved needle looking
at the notched face thereof.
Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on the plane indicated by
the dotted line 2-2 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a cross sectional view on the plane indicated by the dotted line 3-3.
of Figure and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow.
Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to Figure 2 and showing a thread con-
nected to the longitudinal eve of the needle.
Figures 5 and 6 are enlarged views, in plan and section, of another, embodi-.
ment illustrating a groove in the needle.

page_text: Like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures of the
drawing.
Referring now by numerals to the drawing, 1 designates the needle which in
all respects save the butt end and the eye is similar to needles of ordinary con-
struction. I have shown the needle with a straight shank or shaft tenninating
in a point 2 but it will be understood that I do not restrict myself to this
particular type of the needle because the shank may terminate in a curved pointed
extremity, or any desired form may be given to the shank.
The shank or shaft of the needle is formed with a notch 3 and a longitudinal
bore or eye 4, which notch and eye or bore are formed in the head or butt end
of the needle. The notch is formed by cutting away a part of the needle from
one side or face thereof so as to produce an inclined face or bottom to the notch,
said inclined face or bottom being indicated by the numeral 5.
The inclined or sloping face 5 of the recess terminates at a point beyond the
longitudinal axis of the shank in order to enable the front end of the bore or
eye 4 to open through the needle for the passage of the thread. The butt end
of the needle is solid or integral with the shank, and this butt end is-slightly
enlarged from the butt end toward the notch 3 in the shank. The butt of the
needle terminates adjacent to the notch in an abrupt shoulder, indicated at 6,
and this shoulder constitutes a seat upon which the knotted end of the single
thread may bear. The bore or eye 4 opens through the butt end of the needle
and through the shoulder 6 and thus both ends of the bore or eye are exposed for
the free passage of the thread.
In Figures 5 and 6 the notch 3 is shown formed with a short vertical back
at the upper end of the inclined bottom 5, and the bore 4 of the needle is pro-
longed downwards to form a groove 7 in said back and partly in the inclined
bottom 5. This groove 7 is therefore in the plane of the bore or passage 4 and
its bottom end is sloped to partake of the inclination of the bottom 5 so that the
groove towards its end inclines from the back of the bore toward the outer face
of the needle shank and gradually loses itself in the inclined bottom. Said
groove facilitates the passage of the thread through the bore, and it enables
the thread to be passed conveniently through either end of said bore or passage.
In threading the needle, one end of the strand or thread 8 is passed through
the bore or eye at the butt of the needle, and the thread is pushed through
the bore in the direction of the length of the needle. The advancing end of the
thread passes through the bore and the abrupt shoulder 6 and the end of the
thread is deflected by the inclined face or bottom 5 of the notch so that the front
end of the thread may easily be grasped and knotted as at 9. The thread is
now drawn back in order to withdraw its front knotted end into the notch or
recess and so as to have said knot 9 abut against the shoulder 6 which thus
forms a seat for the knot. The knotted end of the single thread is thus disposed
to lie, practically, within the surface of the needle, so as to avoid having any
part thereof project or protrude beyond the cylindrical face of the needle. The
knotted front end of the single strand or thread is seated firmly against the
shoulder 6 so as to pull the thread through with the needle and this construction
of the needle thus enables a single knotted thread to be used to good advantage
and to be easily connected to, or detached from, the needle.
The parts are simple in construction and the needle is easily manufactured.
The knotted front end of the thread being firmly seated against the shoulder
adjacent to the butt of the needle, the thread is not liable to pull out of the 5
needle or become accidentally disconnected therefrom, and this end is attained
furthermore by arranging the knotted end of the thread practically flush with
the needle so that it will pass readily therewith through the flesh.
As before stated, the needle may be used for sewing purposes generally,
although it is especially adapted for use by surgeons in sewing wounds.
I contemplate making the needle in different sizes and shapes, and I would
therefore have it understood that I reserve the right to make such modifications
5

page_text: and alterations in the form and proportion of parts as may be suggested by
a manufacturer or by a skilled mechanic.
A double thread is particularly objectionable in a surgical needle particularly
in intestinal operations and in sewing wounds around the ears and eyes where a
double thread would come in contact with) arteries or leaders running to the
eye, sometimes causing the loss of sight and hearing.
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:
-
A surgical needle having its butt end tapered from the thread notch to the
rear extremity thereof, a transverse notch in said shank adjacent to the tapered
butt and forming an inclined face 5, and an abrupt shoulder 6 which constitutes
a seat for a knotted thread, an axial bore or passage in the butt and opening
into the notch at one side of the inclined face thereof, and a groove on the
inclined face of the notch and arranged in line with the axial bore or passage,
substantially as described.
Dated this 16th
1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.