IMPROVEMENTS IN NEEDLE CASES.
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Avery, of Redditch, in the County of
Worcester, Needle Manufacturer, and Albert Fenton, of the sanie
Place, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN NEEDLE
CASES.'
Sealed the 11th May 1869, and dated the 19th November 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Avery and
Albert Fenton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 19th November 1868.
We, WILLIAM AVERY, of Redditch, in the County of Worcester,
Needle Manufacturer, and ALBERT FENTON, of the same Place, Machinist,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
NEEDLE CASES," to be as follows, that is to say:
We form a quiver or flat case to receive a packet of needles, one end
of the case being open for such purpose. At or near the bottom end of
the case in one side is cut a slot in which works a thumb bit attached to
a clip or holder, into which the end of the needle packet is inserted, so
that to expose or extract the needles the thumb bit is pressed and slides

page_text: upwards in its slot, taking up partly out of the case the needle packet,
which is pressed down into its place when required. In forming these
cases of thin metal we stamp the two halves or shells, so that when put
together they may slide in grooves upon or in each other for the purpose
of readily putting into the holder a fresh packet of needles.
By another arrangement we form the two shells or halves of the case
so as to slide within each other, as described, but attach the back portion
to the needle packet clip by means of a hinge joint or otherwise, so that
to expose or extract the needles the back part is slid up a certain
distance and will then fall back, enabling the needles readily to be
extracted from the case or packet. Or we form the back part or half of
the flat case as a lid or cover, hinged at the bottom end and opening
outwards, the needle packet clip being secured to its bottom end at right
angles thereto. Thus upon opening the hinged lid or cover the needle
packet clip also opens outward, forcing forwards and out from the case
the needle packet or packets, the action of closing down the lid or cover
securely fastening up the case, which may be assisted by a snap or catch.
Again, we form an outer sheath, packet, or case, secured by a tongue
piece or other suitable means, and inside this case are arranged two or
more cases or packets for needles, which are worked upwards and partly
out of the outer case when required by means of a crank upon a small
rivet or centre, having a thumb bit working in a curved slot formed in
the side of the case, one packet being attached to each end of the crank.
The motion of the thumb bit alternately raises one packet and depresses
the other as required, and when four packets are used we arrange a
double action of the crank described in the outer case.
We also propose to form an outer cover, sheath, or case, into the bottom
and open end of which is slid the inner or needle sheath or case. The
outer case has a portion of its length cut across but not severed from the
back part, which acts as a hinge, the cut or top part severing as the lid
or cover; an elastic spring is secured to the inner case and the outer
one, so as to keep the inner case always in position to expose the needles.
The inner needle case is pulled down a slight distance by means of a
suitable tab or tail piece in order to permit the lid or cover to fall back
Upon releasing the tab piece the force of the spring forces up the needle
case for use.
By another method we form the case as a double sheath folding up in
the middle; one half of case receives the needle packet and the other

page_text: half receives the tail of the head or cover of the case for securing and
fastening up the same by means of an elastic spring connected to the
one half of the case and the head or cover, so that when the parts are
closed the cover passes over the needle sheath and is held down there-
upon by the spring; or we form a folding-up case, the one part forming
the needle sheath and the other being double hinged to form a flap piece
which merely folds over the needle sheath, being held there in position
by a slight elastic spring secured to the side edges of the flap portion.
We propose to make our improved needle cases of paper, metal, or
other suitable material, and by enlarging some of the cases or sheaths
described we are enabled to arrange a series of packets or sizes of needles
in one case.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Avery and Albert Fenton in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 19th May 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
AVERY, of Redditch, in the County of Worcester, Needle Manufacturer,
and ALBERT FENTON, of the same Place, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said William Avery and Albert
Fenton, Her special license that we, the said William Avery and Albert
Fenton, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we,
the said William Avery and Albert Fenton, our 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," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that we, the said William Avery and Albert
Fenton, by an instrument in writing under our 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

page_text: cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar monthis next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Avery and Albert Fenton,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:
At or near
We form a quiver or flat case (a), Figure 1, to receive a packet of
needles, one end of the case being open for such purpose.
the bottom end of the case (a) in one side is cut a slot (b) in which
works a thumb bit or small stud (c) attached to a clip or holder (d),
shewn in a section of the case (a), Figure 2. Into this clip or holder (d)
the end of the needle packet (d') is inserted, so that to expose or extract
the needles the thumb bit or stud (c) is pressed and slides upwards in
the slot (b), taking up and partly out of the case (a) the needle
packet (d'), whicht pressed down into its place when required. The
edge view of Figure 1 shews the needle packet (d') exposed for the
extraction of needles therefrom. In forming these cases of thin metal
we stamp the two halves or shells, so that when put together they may
slide in grooves upon or in each other for the purpose of readily putting
into the holder a fresh packet of needles.
By another arrangement we form the two shells or halves of the
case so as to slide within each other, as described, but as illustrated in
Figure 3, which shews the case when open. We attach the back
portion (a) to the needle packet clip or holder (d) by means of a suitable
hinged joint (e), so that to expose or extract the needles the back part (a¹)
is slid up a certain distance beyond the length of the flanges (f), and
will then fall back, enabling the needles readily to be extracted from the
case or packet. To close the case the parts are brought together and
slid down into place, Figure 4, shewing the case when closed.
Or, as
shewn in Figure 5, which represents a case thrown open, we form the
back or front part as a lid or cover (g), hinged at the bottom end to the
case at (g), and opening outwards, the needle packet clip or holder (d)
being secured or hinged to the lid or cover (g). Thus upon opening the
hinged lid or cover the needle packet clip (d) also forces forwards and
partly out of the case the needle packet (d'), the action of closing down

page_text: the lid or cover securely fastening up the case, which may be assisted by,
a snap or catch (h). The closed case is shewn at Figure 6.
Again, we form an outer sheath, packet, or case (i), Figures 7, 8,
and 9, secured by a cover (k) or tongue piece, and inside this case are
arranged two or more cases or packets for needles. The Drawings shew a
sheath or case adapted for a pair of needle packet cases (l), shewn in
position in the sheath in an open top view, Figure 9. These cases (l) are
worked upwards and partly out of the sheath (i) when required by means
of a crank piece (m), shewn more clearly as attached to a pair of needle
packet cases at Figure 10. This crank piece (m) works upon a small
rivet (n) or centre secured to the outer sheath or case (i), and is provided
with a thumb bit or stud (o) working in a curved slot (o') cut in the
outer sheath or case (2), one needle case being attached to each end of
the crank piece (m), the motion of the thumb bit or stud (o) in its
slot (o) alternately raising one packet and depressing the other as
desired. In arranging a case with four packets we employ a double
action of the crank described in the outer sheath or case.
As illustrated in Figure 11, we also propose to form an outer cover,
sheath, or case (p), into the bottom and open end of which is slid the
inner or needle case (p'). The outer case (p) has a portion of its
length (r) cut across but not severed from the back part, which acts as
a hinge, the cut or top part (7) serving as a lid or cover. An elastic
spring (s) is secured to the outer case, and passing through the same is
again secured to the lower part of the inner case, as shewn in the section
Figure 11. The spring (s) keeps the inner case (p¹) always in position.
To expose the needles the inner needle case (p') is pulled down a slight
distance by means of a suitable tab or thumb piece (t) in order to permit
the lid or cover part (r) to fall back. Upon the release of the thumb'
piece (t) the force of the spring takes up the needle case for use, as
shewn in the edge view Figure (11).
Figure 12 shews, in two open views, another method of forming the
case as a double sheath folding up in the middle; one half or case (u)
receives the needle packet, and the other half (v) receives a tail piece and
the head or cover part (w), for securing and fastening up the same by
means of an elastic spring (x) connected to the one half (v) of the case
and the head or cover part (w), so that when the parts are closed the
cover (w) passes over the needle sheath (u) and is held down thereupon
by the spring; or we form a folding-up case, the one part forming the

page_text: needle sheath and the other being doubled hinged to form a flap piece,
which merely folds over the needle sheath, being held there in position
by a slight elastic spring secured to the side edges of the flap portion.
Or again, as illustrated in Figure 13, we form an outer case (y) having
a cover part (y) hinged to a pair of sliding guides (y), carrying the
needle packet or sheath in a suitable holder. To expose the needles the
cover part (y) is slid up a little way, taking by means of the guides (y)
the needle packet. To extract the needles therefrom the cover part may
be turned back upon its hinges, as shewn in the open views of Figure 13,
the closing of the case being effected by the sliding down of the parts
into place.
We propose to make our improved needle cases of paper, metal, or
other suitable material, and by enlarging some of the sheaths or cases
described we are enabled to arrange a series of packets or sizes of needles
in one case.
Having thus described the object and nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be carried into effect, we claim the
several improvements in needle cases, substantially in manner as herein
more fully set forth and specified.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Avery and Albert Fenton,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourteenth day of
May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-nine.
WILLIAM AVERY. (L.S.)
ALBERT FENTON. (L.S.)