An Improved Sewing Needle.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Aug., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 16th May, 1893-Accepted, 24th June, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Sewing Needle.
I JOHN CHARLES SNELLING of 36 Eridge Road Thornton Heath Croydon in
the County of Surrey Plasterer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to produce a needle for sewing boots harness
packing and other purposes for which ordinary sewing needles are inapplicable.
Now according to this invention I form the needle somewhat like that of a
sewing machine with the eye at the point which is flattened or otherwise formed to
act as an awl as well as a needle.
The metal on one side of the eye is cut through diagonally the point of the
needle thus forming a kind of hook which is slightly below the body of the needle
to enable it to be easily withdrawn after being passed through the material to be
stitched. A groove is formed in each side of the needle towards the point to receive
the thread. The needle is formed with or secured in a suitable handle and will be
found most useful for repairing boots harness packing upholstering and many other
purposes where ordinary sewing is unavailable and it is particularly adapted for
sewing patches on boots or shoes as the needle is operated entirely from the outside
of the boot or shoe.
Dated this 16th day of August. 1899
FREDK. WALKER,
11, Furnival Street, Holborn, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Sewing Needle.
I, JOHN CHARLES SNELLING, of 36 Eridge Road, Thornton Heath, Croydon,
in the County of Surrey, Plasterer, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to produce a needle for sewing boots, harness,
packing and other purposes for which ordinary sewing needles are inapplicable.
Now according to this invention I form the needle somewhat like that of a
sewing machine with the eye at the point which is flattened or otherwise formed to
act as an awl as well as a needle.
The metal on one side of the eye is cut through diagonally the point of the
needle thus forming a kind of book which is slightly below the body of the needle
to enable it to be easily withdrawn after being passed through the material to be
stitched.
A groove is formed in each side of the needle towards the point to receive the
thread.
The needle is formed with or secured in a suitable handle and will be found
most suitable for repairing boots, harness, packing, upholstering and many other
purposes where ordinary sewing is unavailable and it is particularly adapted for
sewing patches on boots and shoes as the needle is operated entirely from the
outside of the boot or shoe. And in order that my said invention may be fully
understood I will proceed to explain the same with reference to the accompanying
sheet of drawings in which :-
Figure 1 represents side view of a sewing needle constructed according to this
invention.

page_text: Figure 2 is front view of same.
Figure 3 represents the eye of the said needle drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figure 4 is front view of same.
Figures 5 and 6 represent side and front views respectively of a packing needle
or marlin spike, also constructed according to this invention.
The same letters denote the same parts in all the figures.
a is the needle, having a handle 6 formed at one end thereof or it may be secured
into a wooden or other suitable handle bas shewn at Figures 5 and 6. The other
end of the needle is formed into a point e see Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 or the end of the
needle may be approximately chisel shaped as shewn at d. Figures 5 and 6, e is
the eye of the needle a slot f being formed from the eye e to the outside of the
needle to enable the thread to be passed into or withdrawn from the eye e.
A groove g is also formed in the needle extending from the eye e towards the
point c.
When using the needle to sew a patch on a boot for instance the thread is placed
inside the boot the needle is then passed through the patch and the boot from the
outside the thread placed in the slot and the needle drawn out bringing a loop of
the thread with it.
One end of the thread is then drawn outside the boot of sufficient length to go
all round the patch and leave enough spare thread to afford a good grip to the
operator.
The needle is again inserted through the patch and boot and again threaded and
withdrawn bringing with it a loop of the thread which was left inside the boot the
outside thread is passed through the loop and the inside thread drawn taut until
the outside thread which is also held taut is drawn below the outer surface of the
patch. The operations above described are repeated until the sewing on of the
patch is completed the stitching being precisely the same as that done by an
ordinary lock-stitch sewing machine except that the position of the threads is
reversed that is the outer thread corresponds to that carried by the shuttle and the
inside thread to that passing through the needle.
For packing and upholstery purposes these needles are also well adapted as they
are threaded and unthreaded instantly by means of the slot instead of having to pass
the thread through the eye and they may be used in confined spaces where ordinary
needles cannot be turned or the thread passed through the eye.
The needle shewn by Figures 5 and 6 is also adapted for use in splicing ropes
as the strand to be passed through the opening made by the needle is placed in
the slot and pulled through the said opening when the needle is withdrawn the
time occupied in making a splice being reduced to at least one third of that now
required to do the same work.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The improved sewing needle having the eye near the point thereof, and a slot f
communicating with the said eye the pointed end of the needle forming a hook, all
substantially as described and shewn, and for the purposes stated.
Dated this 16th day of May 1893.
FREDK. WALKER,
11, Furnival Street, Holborn, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.