IMPROVEMENTS IN NEEDLE CASES AND WRAPPERS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur James, of Redditch, in the County of
Worcester, Needle Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN NEEDLE CASES AND WRAPPERS."
Sealed the 21st January 1868, and dated the 30th July 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur James at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th July 1867.
1, ARTHUR JAMES, of Redditch, in the County of Worcester, Needle
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN NEEDLE CASES AND WRAPPERS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, firstly, of a needle case made of paper folded and
pasted in the form of a flat tube open at both ends; one end of the flat tube
is cut away on one side, and the remaining side is made of a nearly semi-
circular figure and constitutes a flap. When the flat paper tube is folded
near its middle the before-mentioned flap can be inserted in the open end
of the tube, thus forming a flat case. The needles stuck upon paper or fabric
in the ordinary way are introduced into the open case at the end on which the
Sap is formed; the front or inner side of the case at that part being cut away,
the said cut away part having a nearly semicircular figure to permit of the
ready removal when the case is open of the needles from the paper or fabric
in which they are stuck. A piece of paper cut in the manner described, but

page_text: without having its edges pasted together, may be employed as a wrapper in
which to enclose needles.
Another part of my Invention consists in making a compound case and
wrapper in the following manner :-I take a nearly square piece of paper,
the length of the sides of which is somewhat greater than double that of the
needles to be enclosed or wrapped in it; by means of two parallel folds I
divide the paper into three nearly equal flaps or divisions; I cut away one
end of one of the outer flaps, and turning it down upon the middle flap secure
its edge to the said middle flap by paste, there is thus formed a flat tube
or case with a flap extending along one side of it. The needles stuck upon
paper or fabric are inserted in the case, the flap is folded over the case, which
case is then doubled at its middle and afterwards near its open end, when
the enclosing and wrapping up of the needles is complete.
Another part of my Invention consists of a wrapper for needles made in
the following manner :-I take a piece of paper rather more than four times
the length of the needles to be enclosed in it, and of about three times the
width which the wrapper has when folded; at a distance of about one-third
from one end two parallel cross slits are made in the paper, the said slits
extending across one-third of the paper and being situated midway between
its sides. The needles are stuck upon a piece of fabric (or paper), and
passed under the strip or band formed by the two slits described. The ends
of the fabric lie flat against the under side of the paper, and the said paper
being doubled at its middle the said ends of the fabric are enclosed and held
between the folds of the doubled paper; the doubled paper is then wrapped
up in the same way as the paper of an ordinary needle wrapper, and the
wrapping up of the needles is completed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Arthur James in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th January 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARTHUR
JAMES, of Redditch, in the County of Worcester, Needle Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give and grant unto me,

page_text: the said Arthur James, Her special licence that I, the said Arthur James,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Arthur James, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
NEEDLE CASES AND WRAPPERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Arthur James, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
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 Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Arthur James, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists, firstly, of a needle case made of paper and pasted
in the form of a flat tube open at both ends; one end of the flat tube is cut
away at one side, and the remaining side is made of a nearly semicircular
figure and constitutes a flap. When the flat paper tube is folded near its
middle the before-mentioned flap can be inserted in the open end of the tube,
thus forming a flat case. The needles stuck upon paper or fabric in the
ordinary way are introduced into the open case at the end on which the flap.
is formed, the front or inner side of the case at that part being cut away, the
said cut away part having a nearly semicircular figure to permit of the ready
removal when the case is open of the needles from the paper or fabric in
which they are stuck. A piece of paper cut in the manner described, but
without having its edges pasted together may be employed as a wrapper in
which to enclose needles.
Another part of my Invention consists in making a compound case and
wrapper in the following manner:-I take a nearly square piece of paper
the length of the sides of which is somewhat greater than double that of
the needles to be enclosed or wrapped in it; by means of two parallel folds
I divide the paper into three nearly equal flaps or divisions; I cut away one
end of one of the outer flaps, and turning it down upon the middle flap secure
its edge to the said middle flap by paste, there is thus formed a flat tube
or case with a flap extending along one side of it. The needles stuck upon

page_text: paper or fabric are inserted in the case, the flap is folded over the case, which
case is then doubled at its middle and afterwards near its open end, when the
enclosing and wrapping up of the needles is complete.
Another part of my Invention consists of a wrapper for needles made in
the following manner :-I take a piece of paper rather more than four times
the length of the needles to be enclosed in it, and of about three times the
width which the wrapper has when folded; at a distance of about one-third.
from one end two parallel cross slits are made in the paper, the said slits
extending across one-third of the paper, and being situated midway between
its sides. The needles are stuck upon a piece of fabric (or paper), and
passed under the strip or band formed by the slits described; the ends of the
fabric lie flat against the under side of the paper, and the said paper being
doubled at its middle the said ends of the fabric are enclosed and held
between the folds of the doubled paper; the doubled paper is then wrapped
up in the some way as the paper of an ordinary needle wrapper, and the
wrapping up of the needles is complete.
Having explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed to describe,
with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner in which the same
is to be performed.
In making a needle case according to the first part of my Invention, I
take a blank or piece of paper of the form represented in Figure 1, the
said blank consists of a rectangular piece of paper, the tops of the side
pieces a, b, of which are cut away, and the top c² of the middle part c is made
of a nearly semicircular figure and constitutes a flap. By folding the side
pieces a, b, at the vertical lines d, e, upon the middle part c, and pasting the
edges of the said side pieces a, b, together a flat tube open at both ends is
formed as illustrated in Figure 2, the said tube having a flap c at the top
of one side and a nearly semicircular opening fat the top of the other side
of the said tube. By folding the tube, Figure 2, at about its middle, that is,
at the line g, a flat case, as represented in elevation and edge view in Figure 3,
is formed, the flap being capable of being inserted in the open end g of the
case so as to securely close the case. The needles to be held in the case are
stuck upon a piece of paper or, wrapper and enclosed in the said wrapper; or
a wrapper of other material may be used. The kind of wrapper I prefer to
use is represented in Figure 4, the needles being stuck through ridges in the
said wrapper; the needles having been stuck upon the wrapper, Figure 4,
the flap h and bottom piece i are folded upon the needles, and the needles
thus covered or wrapped up are introduced through the opening f into the
case, as illustrated in Figure 2. By now folding the case at its middle g and

page_text: inserting the flap in the open end of the case the said case is closed and
the needles are securely fixed therein. To gain access to the needles in the
case the flap is removed from the end g2 of the case, and the case opened,
as illustrated in Figure 2, when by lifting the flap h of the wrapper the
needles may be removed one by one; or the wrapper and needles may be
removed from the case. The needles stuck upon fabric or paper may be
placed in the case without a cover or wrapper; but I prefer to use a cover or
wrapper. By leaving the edges of the folded parts of the tube, Figure 2,
unpasted the said tube may be employed as a wrapper in which to enclose
needles. Instead of making the case square it may be made of an oblong
form as illustrated in Figures 5, 6, and 7; Figure 5 representing the blank;
Figure 6 the tube or case made from the said blank, and Figure 7 the folded
flat case.
Figure 8 represents the blank from which my improved compound case'
and wrapper is made. The said blank is divided into three nearly equal
flaps or divisions marked a, b, c, the top d of the outer flap a being cut away,'
as represented. The flap a is folded or turned upon the middle flap b and its
head secured by paste to the said middle flap as represented in Figure 9. A
tube e is thus formed having an opening d at top and provided with a side
flap c. The needles stuck upon fabric or paper or enclosed in the cover or
wrapper, Figure 10, in the manner described with respect to Figure 4, are
introduced through the opening d into the tube e; the side flap c is then folded
upon the said tube, and the top and bottom of the tube or case are next
folded on the lines f, g. By finally engaging or tucking the loose ends of
the case together the enclosing and wrapping up of the needles is complete.
Figure 11 represents the blank or long strip of paper from which my
improved wrapper is made. The blank or strip of paper is folded at the
cross line into two parts i, k; in the part k two parallel cross slits are
made so as to form a band or strip l. The needles are stuck upon a piece
of fabric (or paper), and the said fabric is passed through or under the band
as illustrated in Figure 12, the ends of the fabric m being situated or lying
against the under side of the part k of the paper.
The said Figure 12 represents a back and edge view of the paper with
the fabric containing the needles inserted under the band 7; by now folding
the paper, Figure 12, at the line h so as to fold the part i upon the back or
under side of the part as illustrated in Figure 13 the ends of the fabric m
upon which the needles or stuck are enclosed and held between the two
folds i, k, of the wrapper. The doubled paper, Figure 13, is folded at the
horizontal and vertical folds represented to complete the wrapping up of the

page_text: needles, as illustrated in Figures 14 and 15. Instead of employing a long
strip of paper for forming the wrapper, as represented, two pieces of paper
pasted together end to end may be used in place thereof.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do
not limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated, as the
same may be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention; but
I claim as my Invention,-
Firstly, making needle cases or wrappers substantially in the manner
herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of
the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly, making compound needle cases and wrappers substantially in
the manner herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 8, 9, and 10
of the accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly, making needle wrappers substantially in the manner herein-before
described and illustrated in Figures 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 of the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereor, I, the said Arthur James, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
JOHN E. LANGTON,
Redditch.
ARTHUR JAMES. (L.S.)