IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NEEDLE CASES
Year: 1868

page_text: ⚫ LETTERS PATENT to William Avery, of the Firm of William Avery
and Son, of Redditch, in the County of Worcester, Needle Manu-
facturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF NEEDLE CASES."
Sealed the 19th June 1868, and dated the 7th January 1868. '
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Avery at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 7th January 1868.
I, WILLIAM AVERY, of the Firm of William Avery and Son, of
Redditch, in the County of Worcester, Needle Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF NEEDLE CASES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described
in manufacturing needle cases for holding packets of needles, by
which improvements the needles are protected against the injurious
effects of damp, and are also more effectually secured against injury
than in needle cases of the ordinary kind.
In making needle cases according to my Invention I employ thin
sheet brass or other thin sheet metal or alloy, which I shape into a small

page_text: flat rectangular case of a size proper to hold a packet of needles in
the following way:-I cut out two blanks by means of a press and
cutting tools, one of the said blanks being a little wider and a little
longer than the case to be formed. By means of ordinary shaping or
pressing tools I turn up the longer sides of this blank and one of
the shorter sides so as to form a trough-like edge on three sides of the
blank; the other blank I form of a nearly similar figure to that last
described but somewhat smaller. In putting the two blanks or halves
of the case together the smaller one is inserted in the larger one by
preference by a sliding motion, the concave sides being presented to
each other, and the smaller one being pushed home; in the larger one
there is formed a flat thin hollow metallic case closed at three sides and
open at the fourth. By means of pressure the two parts of the case
are closed upon one another so that they can no longer be separated;
or the case may be made out of one sheet metal blank. According
to this improvement a sheet metal blank of more than double the
width of the case to be made is employed. One half of the blank
has a length somewhat greater than the case to be made, and the
other half has a length equal to that of the case. By folding the
blank at its middle, in the direction of its length, and turning its longer
sides upon one another, and also folding up the projecting piece at the
end of one half of the blank there is formed a case similar in figure to
the one formed by the use of two blanks. A metallic flap for the
purpose of covering the tops of the needles and the open end of the
case may be hinged to the case made in either of the ways described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Avery in the Great Seal Patent Office, on
the 2nd July 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
AVERY, of the Firm of William Avery and Son, of Redditch, in the a
County of Worcester, Needle Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of January, 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 William Avery, Her special licence

page_text: that I, the said William Avery, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Avery, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all 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 THE
MANUFACTURE OF NEEDLE CASES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Avery, 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 Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Avery, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described,
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in manufacturing needle
cases for holding packets of needles, by which improvements the needles
are protected against the injurious effects of damp, and are also more
effectually secured against injury than in needle cases of the ordinary
kind.
In making needle cases according to my Invention I employ thin
sheet brass or other thin sheet metal or alloy, which I shape into a small
flat rectangular case of a size proper to hold a packet of needles in the
following way I cut out two blanks by means of a press and cutting
tools, one of the said blanks being a little wider and a little longer than
the case to be formed. By means of ordinary shaping or pressing tools
I turn up the longer sides of this blank and one of the shorter sides so
as to form a trough-like edge on three sides of the blank, the other blank
I form of a nearly similar figure to that last described, but somewhat
smaller. In putting the two blanks or halves of the case together the
smaller one is inserted in the larger one by preference by a sliding
motion, the concave sides being presented to each other, and the smaller
one being pushed home; in the larger one there is formed a flat thin

page_text: metallic case closed at three sides and open at the fourth. By means of
pressure the two parts of the case are closed upon one another so that
they can no longer be separated.
Figure 1 represents in section and elevation one of the trough-shaped
metal blanks or halves of the needle case made in the manner described,
and Figure 2 represents in section and elevation the other of the said
blanks or halves of the needle case. The trough-shaped edges of the
blank or half a are marked c, and the trough-shaped edges of the blank
or half bare marked d. The faces of the blanks a, b, are raised or
embossed, or ornamented with any desired pattern. Figure 3 represents
in front elevation, and Figure 4 in plan, a thin flat metallic case closed
at its three sides and open at its top e, made by engaging the side
trough edges c, d, of the two blanks or halves a, b, together in the
manner represented in the plan, Figure 4. The front half of the case,
Figures 3 and 4, has a different ornamental pattern upon it from that
represented in Figure 1. Figure 5 represents in front elevation, side
elevation, and plan the manner in which the two halves a, b, of the case
are engaged with one another by a sliding motion, and also shows a
After the halves
packet of needles fabout to be inserted in the case.
a, b, of the case have been engaged together the trough edges c, d, at the
sides of the case are closed upon one another so as to fix the said halves
together. The open top of the case may be provided with a hinged flap
if thought desirable. Instead of making the needle case out of two
blanks one sheet metal blank may be employed. According to this
improvement a sheet metal blank of more than double the width of the
case to be made is employed. One half of the blank has a length some-
what greater than the case to be made and the other half has a length
equal to that of the case. By folding the blank at its middle in the
direction of its length and turning its longer sides upon one another and
also folding up the projecting piece at the end of one half of the blank
there is formed a case similar in figure to the one formed by the use of
two 'blanks. Figure 6 represents the single blank from which the case
is to be made, the half of the blank, marked g, being broader and longer
than the half marked h. By folding the blank at its middle on the
dotted line i and turning the projecting side piece k and bottom piece
upon the folded side h a flat case open at top is formed as represented in
side elevation and end elevation in Figure 7, where the parts are marked
with the same letters as corresponding parts in Figure 6. Instead of
making one half of the blank both broader and longer than the other half

page_text: both halves may be of the same length, one half being broader than the
other half. Figure 8 represents a blank of this kind, g being the narrow
half and h the broad half of the blank. By folding the narrow half g at
its middle on the dotted line i and afterwards folding the side projecting
pieces k, k, upon the folded half g a flat case open at top is produced.
Figure 9 represents an end elevation and side elevation of a needle case
produced from the blank, Figure 8.
Having now described the nature of my 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 illus-
trated, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of
my Invention; but I claim as my Invention, the improvements in the
manufacture of needle cases, herein-before described and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawing, that is to say, making cases for holding
packets of needles from two blanks or pieces or from one blank or piece
of thin sheet brass or other thin sheet metal or alloy, the said blank or
blanks being made into a flat case, substantially in the manner described
and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Avery, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
WILLIAM AVERY.
(L.S.)