Improvements in Needles.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 30th Oct., 1890-Accepted, 6th Dec., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Needles.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE Artist Fitzroy Square London do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Improvements in sewing needles to be formed of incorrodable metal the colour of
gold, far more enduring than steel, it will not soil or iron mould linen they will be
of great advantage to the near sighted aged, or blind, as they are easy to thread,
simply by touch, by looping the thread and drawing it over the head or side of the
eve which is so formed that the thread passes through a spring slip, that closes on
the thread holding it secure, enabling it to pass through the cloth without catching,
the manufacture is cheap, the needle head is first formed as a double pronged fork
tapering to the ends, one longer than the other to bend over to form the eye, passing
at the end inside the short fork forming a spring slip that will not catch in the
cloth.
I prefer these needles should be formed of phosphor bronze, delta metal,
aluminium bronze or other metals of similar character, but steel may be used if
desired.
Dated this 27th day of January 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Needles.
I ALEXANDER MELVILLE of 6 Fitzroy Square London in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman 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 relates to improvements in the manufacture of needles of that kind
which admit the thread to the eye without threading in the ordinary way. The
threading performed by simply looping the thread and drawing it over the head
or side of the eye so formed that the thread passes through the slip or spring which
closes after the passage of the thread in a manner to close the eye completely
and avoid catching in the material through which it passes in the operation of
sewing.
I make such needles of steel, or steel coated with an incorrodible metal, in the
manner hereinafter described reference being had to the accompanying drawings
in which
Figure 1 is a view of a complete needle to admit the thread laterally.
Figure 2 is a view of the blank from which the needle is to be formed.
Figure 3 is a view of Figure 2 after closing over the projecting prong.
Figure 4 is a view of a blank with a longer prong to produce an eye to admit the
thread at the end as shown in Figure 5.
In producing these needles the manufacture is simple and economical. A wire of
the usual form either of steel or other metal is split or cut at one end into the form
of a two pronged fork, one prong being shorter than the other as shown in Figure 2.
The long prong a is bent over to b to bring the extremity within the shorter prong
a3 shown in Figure 3 thus forming the eye of the needle. Figures 4 and 5 show a
modification of my invention in which the shorter prong & extending beyond the long
prong a forms a catch against which the looped thread catches ready to admit the
thread to the eye from the end of the needle instead of laterally; the projecting part
thus formed in no way hindering the sewing operation.

page_text: The needle thus formed is hardened and tempered and the point is finished in the
usual way.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
The manufacture of split eyed needles by bending a long prong to come within
a shorter prong with or without a part of the shorter prong projecting to facilitate
the threading operation substantially as described and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
D: 9041 J
1900
ALEXANDER MELVILLE.