Improvements in the Construction of Needles for Sewing Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 27th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Needles for Sewing Machines.
We, JULIUS MINOTT FARMER, of Number 414, Chestnut Street, Manufacturer,
and THEODORE JOHNSON FERGUSON and GUSTAV JOHN RIEMER, both of
Number 204, Grand Avenue, Manufacturers, all of the City and County of
Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, United States of America, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
―
This invention consists, essentially, in constructing a needle of the class used in
sewing machines, which needle has an eye near the point thereof, with a threading
slot communicating with said eye, said slot being formed by a cut in a plane
oblique to the longitudinal axis of the said needle and at the same time diagonal
to the said axis, starting from a point in the body above the eye on the one side of
the needle and terminating at a point below the center of the eye on the other side
of the needle, whereby the part of the metal at the cut continuous with the lower
or point end of the needle overlies and rests upon the part of the metal continuous
with the body of the needle for the entire length of said cut, and also rests upon
the undercut metal of said body above the top of the eye.
Dated this 15th day of March 1894.
JULIUS MINOTT FARMER.
THEODORE JOHNSON FERGUSON.
GUSTAV JOHN RIEMER.
Improvements in the Construction of Needles for Sewing Machines.
We, JULIUS MINOTT FARMER of Number 414 Chestnut Street Manufacturer,
and THEODORE JOHNSON FERGUSON and GUSTAV JOHN RIEMER, both of
Number 204 Grand Avenue, Manufacturers, all of the City and County of
Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, United States of America, 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 consists, essentially, in constructing a needle of the class used in
sewing machines, which needle has an eye near the point thereof, with a threading
slot communicating with said eye, said slot being formed by a cut in a plane
oblique to the longitudinal axis of the said needle and at the same time diagonal
to the said axis, starting from a point in the body above the eye on the one side of
the needle and terminating at a point below the center of the eye on the other side
of the needle, whereby the part of the metal at the cut continuous with the lower
or point end of the needle overlies and rests upon the part of the metal continuous
with the body of the needle for the entire length of said cut, and also rests upon
the undercut metal of said body above the top of the eye, all as will be more fully
described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, and subsequently
claimed.

page_text: Figure 2 is a side elevation of the lower part of the needle taken at right angle<
to Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same, taken on line 3-3 of
Figure 1.
In said drawings, A represents the shaft of the needle provided near its point
with the usual eye B. A slot C is formed in one side of the needle and extends
obliquely into the side of the needle as illustrated in the drawings, and communicates
with the eve B, this slot commencing a little above the level of the top of the eye,
and extending downwardly and obliquely inward until it intersects the eye in the
manner shown. By thus forming the slot C, a thin lip D is provided at the upper
edge of the slot and at the opposite lower edge of said slot where it enters the eye,
a similar lip E is formed upon the inner face of the wall of the eye.
passes
In threading the needle, the thread may be readily drawn over the lip D, so as
to spring said lip inwardly to admit the thread to the slot C, and then by pulling
upon the thread it will follow the slot C, raising the lip D slightly as
beneath it, and will finally slip through the slot into the eye. After the thread
enters the eye B, it will be drawn up by the tension device upon the machine, so as
to engage with the upper part of the eye above the lip E.
The shaft of the needle is preferably provided with the usual longitudinal
groove which extends upwardly from the eye, and the thread extends upward
through said groove at the side of the needle in the ordinary manner.
By this improved construction, the needle may be very easily and quickly
threaded by drawing the thread sidewise through the slot in the side of the needle
and the necessity of passing the end of the thread through the eye of the needle is
thus entirely obviated.
This improved needle will pass freely through the goods without catching upon
the fiber or thread of the same, and will therefore operate in the usual manner
when placed in the needle bar cf a sewing machine.
By the particular construction of the slot C so as to commence a little above the
level of the eye B, the lip D is caused to rest against the body of the shaft A and
is firmly supported thereby against inward pressure while at the same time being
free to swing outwardly to permit the thread to enter, said lip normally resting
snugly against the body of the needle so as to present a smooth and uniform
surface.
By reason of the nereinbefore described inward oblique cut of the slot C, shown
particularly in Figure 3, with the upper termination of said slot above the top of
the eye in the needle, as- shown in Figure 1, a great advantage is obtained in the
use of this needle over needles wherein the slot, although diagonal or oblique from
one side to the other, is yet cut through the eye on a straight line at right angles
to the length of the needle, or wherein the diagonal slot does not extend above the
top of the eye of the needle, as, in both classes of devices just named the tendency
of the needle in use is for the metal above and below said slot to yield or spring
slightly inward and outward and thereby to catch in the thread of the fabric being
sewed. With this improved needle, by reason of the inward oblique under cut of
the said diagonal or oblique slot, the part of the metal at the cut toward the point
of the needle rests upon and is supported by the part of the metal at the cut
toward the other end of the needle, and as this oblique under cut begins above the
top of the eye of the needle, the said lower part of the needle at the cut is
effectually guarded from any yield or inward spring, and further as the adjacent
edges of the metal, at said cut, are perfectly true and parallel, and the exterior
surface of the needle smooth and uniform above and below said cut, it follows that
(as there is no possibility of any inward or outward spring of the needle in use, for
reasons already given) there are no irregularities, either normal or created by use, to
T

page_text: cause any catching or interference of the needle with the fabric being sewed
through. On its downward stroke, the lower part of the needle, being under cut,
as stated, projects the upper part of the metal lying beneath it, and on the return
or upward stroke of the needle there is no outwardly projecting or outwardly sprung
portion of the metal, nor any inequality of surface to offer resistance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
A sewing machine needle provided with an eye near the point thereof and a
threading slot communicating with said eye formed by a cut, the said cut being in
a plane oblique to the longitudinal axis of the said needle and at the same time
diagonal to the said axis, starting from a point in the body above the eye on the
one side of the needle and terminating at a point below the center of the eye on the
other side of the needle, whereby the part of the metal at the cut continuous with
the lower or point end of the needle overlies and rests upon the part of the metal
continuous with the body of the needle for the entire length of said cut, and also
rests upon the under cut metal of said body above the top of the eye.
Dated this 27th day of December 1894.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.