Improvements in Sewing Needles, Darning Needles, or the like..
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 12th Oct., 1891--Accepted, 14th Nov., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sewing Needles, Darning Needles, or the like..
I WILLIAM EDWARDS of 52 Spencer Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to sewing needles darning needles or the like, and is
designed with the object of enabling the cotton or thread to be passed or slipped
into the eye, without reeving or threading in the manner hitherto necessary in the
case of needles with solid eyes.
My improved needle differs essentially from ordinary needles in the shape of
the eye, which I propose to make somewhat in the shape of a protected hook, the
pointed or sharpened end of the hook being bent so as to run slightly under the
side shank, similar to the swivel hook of a watch chain, with the difference that
the rounded or lower portion goes under instead of over the movable shank; in
the case of the needle this shank is immovable.
For the purpose of feeding the needle, the cotton or thread is laid over the side
of the needle in loop form and slid along so that, when it comes to the hook portion,
with a little pressure it slips into its place in the hook.
Without departing from the nature of my invention, it is obvious that a slight
deviation may be made, for instance, the end of the hook may be turned inwards
or slightly curled and the shank left straight, so that an aperture is left between
the shank and the hook end, thus, in each case, it will be readily seen that, by
bending the hook in or under the shank, the shauk acts as a protector and prevents
the hook from catching in the work, the hook end being curled also effects a similar
purpose. To obtain greater strength, the hook may be made thicker than the
shank, the pliability of the steel or other metal will allow sufficient spring for the
cotton or thread, etcetera, to be pulled or slipped in.
The shank, if found preferable, may be entirely dispensed with, and the end of
the hook would then bear close against the back of the needle thus giving it support
when being pushed through the material operated upon, or the shank and the hook
may both be turned inwards and, if preferable, curled or rolled.
Dated this 20th day of January 1890.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sewing Needles, Darning Needles, or the like.
I. WILLIAM EDWARDS of 52 Spencer Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Civil Engineer, 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 sewing needles or the like for hand or machine sewing
and is designed with the object of enabling the cotton, thread or other material to be
passed or slipped into the eye without reeving or threading in the manner hitherto
necessary in the case of needles with solid eyes. I am aware that needles have
been heretofore constructed, which may be threaded without reeving, but they
possessed certain disadvantages (such as difficulty in threading, liability to
break the thread or the needle itself, etcetera) from which my invention is free.
[ Price 837

page_text: My improved needle differs essentially from other needles in the formation of
the eye, which is made in the shape of a protected hook, the claw of the hook
being so bent, and made to lie, under or against a projecting tongue on the shank
of the needle or in close proximity to the shank itself, as to prevent the said claw
from catching or tearing the work during the operation of sewing. By forming
the eye in this way, the thread can be easily slipped into the eye, by the exertion
of a very slight pull and without any experienced manipulation or danger of
breaking the thread, and as the claw touches or nearly touches the tongue or
the shank of the needle, as the case may be, the hook is supported and prevented
from being abnormally bent when the needle is pushed through the material or
fabric which is being sewn.
In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention :-
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 show examples of my improved needles for sewing
by hand.
Figures 5 and 6 show examples of my improved needles for use in sewing
machines.
Similar letters indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
In the example shown in Figure 1 for hand sewing, the cyc B is made in the
shape of a protected hook, the springy tongue or claw of the eye being bent so
as to run slightly under and touching or almost touching the projecting tongue c of
the shank. The tongue c acts as a protector, and prevents the claw c¹ from
catching or tearing the work when the needle is drawn through the fabric. To
thread the needle, the cotton, thread or other material d is laid over the shank in
loop form, and slid along, so that, when it comes to the claw c', it can, by being
pulled, be forced between the claw c¹ and the tongue c into the eye, the pliability
or elasticity of the said claw or tongue or both, allowing sufficient spring to enable
the thread to pass between, and the thread cannot accidentally slip out again during
the operation of sewing, as any amount of pulling of the looped thread against the
end of the eye will not release the thread.
The needle in Figure 2 is similar to that shown in the preceding figure, but with
this difference, that the shank c is bent or curled as well as the claw c¹ and the
space between the said shank and claw through which the thread is pulled into the
eye is arranged diagonally.
In the example shown in Figure 3, the claw c' is turned or bent abruptly, and
the tongue c is made rather shorter than that in the preceding example, so as to
leave a narrow space between the claw and the end of the tongue. In Figure 4,
the tongue is dispensed with, and the claw c', which is bent less abruptly than
in either of the preceding examples, comes into close proximity to the shank
of the needle; leaving a narrow space for the passage of the thread to be pulled
into the cyc.
bis
Figures 5 and 6 show needles for sewing machines with eyes near the point. The
formation of the eye in these is equally applicable to needles for hand sewing. In
the latter figure, the part c is rounded off, and the claw c¹ is so bent that it lies in
close proximity to the rounded portion which thus forms a support for the claw c
when the needle is being pushed through the fabric. A very narrow space
left for the passage of the thread. In Figure 5, the tongue c and the claw c' are
similarly bent or curled and touch or almost touch one another, thus giving the
needle support at the weakest part. In all these examples, the claw cis
protected, either by being bent or curled, or by being bent under or against
the tongue c, whereby it cannot catch in the fabric during the operation of
sewing.
The elastic or springy nature of the claw or hook c¹ (and the tongue c wher
provided) enable the thread, when placed on the needle in loop form, to be pulled
into the eye and the said claw and tongue spring back and resume their normal
positions when the thread has passed into the eye, whereby the thread is prevented
from accidentally slipping out.

page_text: 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
1. The improvement in needles, which consists in forming the eye in the shape
of a protected hook, the claw c of the hook being bent and made to lie under or
against a projecting tongue c on the shank of the needle or in close proximity to
the shank itself, whereby the claw is prevented from catching or tearing the work
during the operation of sewing, and the thread is easily slipped into the eye, without
recving, or threading in the manner hitherto necessary in the case of solid eyes,
substantially as described:
2. The herein described several arrangements of forming the eyes of needles
substantially as herein described and shown on the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of October 1891.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, and London, Patent Agents.