IMPROVEMENTS IN NEEDLES FOR KNITTING AND SEWING
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
NEEDLES FOR KNITTING AND SEWING." A communication from abroad by
Samuel Peberdy and Heury Howson, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
United States of America.
ealed the 30th November 1877, and dated the 21st June 1877
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st June 1877.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN NEEDLES FOR KNITTING AND SEWING." A
communication from abroad by Samuel Peberdy and Henry Howson, both of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
This Invention relates to improvements in the needle for which Letters Patent,
No. 1418, were granted to me on behalf of the said Samuel Peberdy and Henry
Howson, dated April 19, 1875, the object of the present Invention being to remedy
some of the defects of the said Patented needle, whilst at the same time retaining its
advantages.
In carrying out this Invention in order to effect this object, the hook describedin
the Specification of the said former Letters Patent is dispensed with, and the lever is
made of pecuilar construction, being composed of two arms united by a bend. The
lever is adapted to a slot in the stem, one arm being pivoted to the said stem at a
point between the outer end of the other arm, which is of increased length, and the
bend.
The preponderance of weight in this lever being at the bend it will have a
tendency to assume a position in which the point of the longer arm is elevated,
below which the bent end of the lever is prevented from falling by a small bar
which extends across the slot, and against which the longer arm bears.
On passing the new loop over the end of the needle in one direction, as soon as it
passes rearward from a point above the pivot, it depresses the longer arm, the end
of which is lodged in a groove in the stem. The moment the loop has passed from

page_text: the lever however the bent end of the latter will fall, and the two arms will present
a throat, into which the loop when pushed in a contrary direction will pass, and
this loop will raise the bent end of the lever and cause the end of the longer arm to
enter the groove in the stem, so that the old loop can be drawn from the needle.
While this improved needle possesses all the advantages of the Patented needle,
it is much less bulky, owing to the absence of the hook on the stem, and hence can
be used for finer work.
It possesses another important advantage, for it can be used on work for which
the Patented needle would be impracticable, owing to its bulk, that is, for " top
work," as it is technically termed, in which the stitches have to be taken from one
needle to another, so as to narrow fabrics or knit fancy hosiery.
The point of the improved needle can be introduced into a stitch on another
needle, and this stitch.can take its place in the bend of the lever.
Although the Invention has thus far been described as applied to a needle for
knitting, it can be combined with an ordinary sewing needle, such needle being
pointed at one end, and provided at the opposite end with the above-described lever,
which takes the place of the eye of an ordinary needle, for the thread can be simply
placed within the throat of the lever, where it will be retained, as the pull on the
thread in using the needle will always be in such a direction as to tend to keep the
longer arm of the lever in the groove of the stem.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st
December 1877.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN NEEDLES FOR KNITTING AND SEWING." A
communication from abroad by Samuel Peberdy and Henry Howson, both of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States America.
The said Invention relates to improvements herein-after described in the needle.
for which Letters Patent were granted to me on behalf of the said Samuel Peberdy
and Henry Howson, dated April One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five,
No. 1418, and it has for its object remedying some of the defects of the said needle,
whilst at the same time retaining its advantages.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the several
Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the corresponding Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents an elevation of a needle con-
structed according to the said former Invention, and which I shall first briefly
describe, in order to facilitate the explanation of the improvements which form the
subject of the present Invention.
At the outer end of the stem A of the needle is a hook a, to which is loosely
pivoted a lever D, having two arms d, d'. The new loop n, which has been received
on the stem of the needle, is moved outwards, and lodged in the bend of the hook,
and this will depress the arm d of the lever, so that the loop m of the knitted fabric
can be passed over the lever and from the needle. The stitches of knitted fabric will
not fall from these needles in case the thread breaks, or on the accidental absence of

page_text: a new loop, for when this accident occurs the old loop can be moved to and fro on
the stem and beneath the lever without leaving the end of the needle. The hook
at the end of the stem of each needle however rendered the latter so cumbrous that
that it could not be used on fine work, which defect it is the object of the present
Invention to remedy.
The improvements will be understood by reference to Figures 2 and 3 of the
Drawings, which represent sectional elevations of a needle constructed according to
the present Invention, the two Figures shewing the parts in different positions.
It will be observed that the objectionable hook of the old needle is dispensed with,
and that the lever (marked D¹) is of peculiar construction, being composed of two
arms and i, united at the bend p. The lever is adapted to a slot k in the stem A,
and its arm is pivoted to the said stem at a point a between the outer end of the
arm i and the bend p.
The preponderance of weight in this lever being at the head p it will have a
tendency to assume the position shown in Figure 2, below which the bent end of
the lever is prevented from falling by a small bar w, which extends across the slot /,
and against which the arm i bears.
On passing the new loop n over the end of the needle in the direction of the
arrow, Figure 2, as soon as it passes rearward from a point above the pivot x, it
depresses the arm i, the end of which becomes lodged in a groove in the stem, as
shown in Figure 3. The moment the loop has passed from the lever however in
the direction of the arrow the bent end of the lever will fall, and the two arms
will present a throat, into which the loop, when pushed in a direction contrary to
that indicated by the arrow, will pass, and this loop will raise the bent end of the
lever, and cause the end of the arm i to enter the groove l in the stem, so that the
old loop can be drawn from the needle.
While this improved needle possesses all the advantages of the needle constructed
according to the said former Invention, it is much less bulky, owing to the absence
of the hook on the stem, and hence can be used for finer work.
It also possesses another important advantage, for it can be used on work for
which the old needle would be impracticable, owing to its bulk, videlicet, what is
technically termed "top work," in which the stitches have to be taken from one
needle to another, so as to narrow fabrics or knit fancy hosiery.
The point of the improved needle can be introduced into a stitch on another
needle, and this stitch can take its place in the bend of the lever.!
Figures 4 and 5 represent respectively a side and a sectional elevotion of a needle
illustrating a modification of the preceding arrangement, the lever being shown in
two different positions in the respective Figures.
The stem A is provided at its extremity with a shoulder q¹ for the loop to bear
against, so that the whole strain of the thread when the loop is at the bend p of the
lever D¹ shall not be entirely on the latter. The stop for the lever consists of an
incline w, which arrests the downward motion of the lever.
The needle operates generally in the manner herein-before described with reference
to the arrangement illustrated by Figures 2 and 3.
Although the Invention has thus far been described as applied to a needle for
knitting, may be combined with an ordinary sewing needle, as shewn in Figure C.
This needle (marked A) is pointed at one end t, and provided at the opposite end
with the above-described lever D¹, which takes the place of the eye of an ordinary
needle, the thread being simply placed within the throat of the lever, where it will
be retained, as the pull on the thread in using the needle is always in the direction
of the arrow, and this pull tends to maintain the arm i of the lever in the groove
of the stein A.
It will be understood that the needles illustrated in the Drawings are exaggerated
in size.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original and

page_text: therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
First. A knitting needle in which a lever composed of two arms united at a bend
is combined with and pivoted to a slotted stem, substantially as herein-before
described.
Second. A sewing needle, consisting of a stem pointed at one end, and provided
at the other end with the said lever, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this my Specifi-
cation set my hand and seal, the Thirtieth day of November, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)