Iм. PROVEMENT IN PACKING OR PUTTING-UP NEEDLES FOR SALE AND IN CASES OR RECEPTACLES FOR NEEDLES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Zaccheus Shrimpton, of Redditch,
in the
County of Worcester, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "Iм.
PROVEMENT IN PACKING OR PUTTING-UP NEEDLES FOR SALE AND IN CASES
OR RECEPTACLES FOR NEEDLES."
Sealed the 23rd March 1869, and dated the 3rd October 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Zaccheus Shrimpton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 3rd October 1868.
I, ZACCHEUS SHRIMPTON, of Redditch, in the County of Worcester,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IN CASES
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PACKING OR PUTTING-UP NEEDLES FOR SALE, AND
OR RECEPTACLES FOR NEEDLES," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in enclosing needles within the hollow or tube
which is ordinarily pierced through a reel upon which cotton, thread, or
other sewing materials is usually sold; and in adapting the real to this
purpose the said hollow or tube must be rendered impervious to damp,
to effect which it may be lined with paper of the kind employed for

page_text: needle wrappers, or with thin metal or other suitable lining material,
and one of the open ends of the hollow or tube being covered by a
label prevents the escape of the needles at that end whilst the other
end is closed by a removable cap, made by preference of thin metal
attached by a single pivot or pin to the reel. This cap is formed with
a small stud to enable the cap to be turned by the finger upon its pivot
so as to uncover that end of the tube when it is required to insert or
to take out a needle. Or the bottom end of the tube may be closed
with a small emery or other cushion. Again the tube may be lined
with a thin glass tube either with or without bottom, and these glass
tubes may likewise be employed for putting up quarters or other
numbers of needles without being inserted into reels, and their open
ends may be closed with cork or other description of stopper, and if
made flat in section these glass tubes would enable the needles to be
seen without exposing them to the air and would at the same time
allow a sufficient surface for a label. Again I propose to make these
tubes in coloured glass so that by practice the required size of needle
might be selected readily by persons of impaired vision by a reference
to the colour of the tube.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Zaccheus Shrimpton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd April 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ZACCHEUS
SHRIMPTON, of Redditch, in the County of Worcester, Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of October, 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 me, the said Zaccheus Shrimpton, Her
special license that I, the said Zaccheus Shrimpton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Zaccheus
Shrimpton, my 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 lawfuly might

page_text: make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PACKING OR PUTTING-UP NEEDLES FOR SALE,
AND IN CASES OR RECEPTACLES FOR NEEDLES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Zaccheus Shrimpton, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, 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 Zaccheus Shrimpton, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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:
This Invention consists in enclosing needles within the hollow or tube
which is ordinarily pierced through a reel upon which cotton, thread, or
other sewing, embroidering, or other similar material is usually sold;
and in adapting the reel to this purpose the said hollow or tube must
be rendered impervious to damp, to effect which it may be lined with
paper or with thin metal, or other suitable lining material, and one of
the open ends of the hollow or tube being covered by a label prevents
the escape of the needles at that end whilst the other end is closed by
a removeable cap, made by preference of thin metal attached by a single
pivot or pin to the reel. This cap is formed with a small stud to enable
the cap to be turned by the finger upon its pivot so as to uncover that
end of the tube when it is required to insert or to take out a needle. Or
the bottom end of the tube may be closed with a small emery or other
cushion. Again the tube may be lined with a thin glass tube either
with or without bottom, and these glass tubes may likewise be employed
for putting up quarters or other numbers of needles without being
inserted into reels and their open ends may be closed with cork or other
description of stopper and if made flat in section, these glass tubes would
enable the needles to be seen without exposing them to the air and
would at the same time allow a sufficient surface for a label. Again I
propose to make these tubes in colored glass, so that by practice the
required size of needle might be selected readily by persons of impaired
vision by a reference to the colour of the tube,

page_text: The nature of my Invention will be more readily understood by
referring to the accompanying Drawings and the letters and figures
marked thereon.
Figure 1 represents a reel or spool, the dotted lines indicating the usual
tubular hole (a) passing through the same; in order to render this
tubular hole (a) impervious to damp it is. lined with paper, thin metal,
or other suitable lining material, and one of the open ends of the hollow
or tube (a) is covered with an ordinary label whilst the other end is closed
by a removeable cap, cover, or lid (b), made by preference of thin metal
and attached to the reel by a pivot or pin upon which as a centre it is
moved for the purpose of covering over or exposing the needle tube (a)
by means of a suitable thumb bit or stud (6'), which may be so formed as
to engage or catch upon a slight projection or counter stud (6), Figure 2,
which represents the top of a reel fitted as described, the cover or lid (b)
being shewn as turned back to expose the needle tube (a) when it is
required either to insert or take out needles thereform: Figure 3 is a
reel or spool in section shewing a glass or metal tube (c) inserted in the
tubular hole (a). Such glass or metal tubes may also be inserted without
bottoms if preferred, and may be closed at their upper ends with the
cover (b) already specified, or with cork, glass, or other suitable stoppers;
the bottom ends of the tubes may also be formed into small emery or
other cushions; or as shewn in section, Figure 4, the reel may be formed
with a tubular hole not passing through the entire length of the reel
but only so far down as may be requisite; again the glass or metal
tubes may be inserted loosely into the tubular holes of the reels or a
small quantity of stuck needles may be held or enclosed in a paper or
metallic wrapper and slid into such tubular holes if preferred. For
reels or spools containing crotchet cotton, I insert in the tube of the
reel one or more crotchet needles, and generally I adapt the needles to
the peculiar size or description of thread, cotton, silk, or other similar
material which the reels are to carry. As shewn in Figure 5 the reel
or spool may be countersunk as at (d) upon its top or bottom edge, and
may be fitted with a hinged cover or lid (e) for the needle tube and
provided with a thumb bit and snap or catch for opening and closing the
'same.
Figure 6 shews another method of closing the needle tube (a) by
means of a wormed metal or wood cap (f), which screws down upon
a raised screw part (g), and thus securely fastens up the needle tube;
or the top or bottom part of the reel may be slit horizontally through

page_text: a portion of its circumference or countersunk thereupon, and a thin
metal plate may be fitted to slide in and out of such slit, groove, or
recess to cover or expose the needle case, as desired; this is illustrated
in Figures 7 and 8. In a recess in the top of the reel is fitted the
sliding plate (h) slotted to work backwards and forwards upon a pin (h')
for the purpose of exposing or closing over the needle tube.
Figure 9 shews a plan or top view of a reel for illustrating another
method of ensuring the security of the metal closing or sliding caps
described, and when closed upon or over the needle tubes upon the reel
is secured a small plate spring (i) held by two stud pins () (¹), and
having a slight play upon the pin (1), so that upon closing the cover
or lid (2) will pass partially beneath the spring (i) and engage upon the.
pin (k) by means of a catch part (m).
I have described my improvements as applied to reels or spools having
a single tubular hole passing through the same, but several tubes may
be employed if preferred; or the aperture in the reel may be filled with
tubes, each capable of taking one or more needles.
This Invention further relates to the employment of the glass or metal
tubes before mentioned, for the purpose of putting up quarters or other
numbers of needles without being inserted into the tubular portions of
reels, their open ends being closed with cork or other description of
stopper; such tubes may be made either round, oval, or flat, so that
they could be labelled, whilst the needles could be readily seen through
the glass tubes without exposure to the air. Again, I propose to make
these tubes of colored glass, so that by practice the required size of
needle might be selected by persons of impaired vision by referring to
the colour of the tube.
Figures 10, 11, and 12, shew in front and side elevations and section
respectively a glass or metal tube (g) of a quiver form, and adapted as a
case or receptacle for needles (n) is a cover of metal or other suitable
material, to which is secured a stepped cushion and stopper (o) combined
formed of cork or any suitable material, (p) represent the needles which
are arranged with their eyes downwards, being stuck in the stepped or
graduating edges, as shewn; thus various sizes may be arranged and any
required size easily selected without disturbing the remainder..
Having thus described the nature and object of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same may be carried into effect, I claim,
without limiting myself to these exact details, the several "Improve-

page_text: ments in Packing or Putting-up Needles for Sale, and in Cases_or
Receptacles for Needles," as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Zaccheus Shrimpton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this First day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
ZACCHEUS SHRIMPTON. (L.S.)