AN IMPROVEMENT IN SEWING NEEDLES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Essex, of Haverstraw, in the State of New
York, United States of America, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT
IN SEWING NEEDLES."
Sealed the 26th June 1866, and dated the 9th May 1866..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Essex' at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th May 1866.
I, HENRY ESSEX, of Haverstraw, in the State of New York, United States
of America, do hereby declare the nature of the said. Invention for "Ar
IMPROVEMENT IN SEWING NEEDLES," to be as follows:-
Sewing needles are usually cylindrical and tapered at the point. The
object of my Invention is to make the needle stiffer and stronger without
increasing the amount of material employed. To effect this I give to the
body of the needle a triangular or prismatic form by dies or swages. The
point end is of the usual cylindrical and tapering form, and the eye end of
the needle is also round, the prismatic portion of the needle being, about
half its entire length, more or less. The needles are to be ground and
polished by any proper means. By experiment I have found that needles.
formed in this manner are much stronger and stiffer than cylindrical needles.

page_text: made from the same sized wire, they pass through the fabric with less
friction, and are more convenient for grasping with the fingers in sewing.
Needles have been made with triangular points, but not before with round
ends and a prismatic central portion or body, and to this my Invention
relates.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Essex in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th
November 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
Essex, of Haverstraw, in the State of New York, United States of America,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry Essex, Her special license that I, the said Henry Essex,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Henry Essex, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "An
IMPROVEMENT IN SEWING NEEDLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Henry Essex, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
sanie 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 Henry Essex, 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 Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved needle ;
"
2 shows two sides of a three-sided needle;
3 is a transverse section taken through the angular portion of a needle.
Haste like in all the Dinos

page_text: Sewing needles are usually cylindrical and tapered at the point. The
object of my Invention is to make the needle stiffer and stronger without
increasing the amount of material employed. To effect this I give to the
body of the needle a triangular or prysmatic form by dies or swages. The
point end is of the usual cylindrical and tapering form, and the eye end of
the needle is also round, the prysmatic portion of the needle being about half
its entire length, more or less. The needles are to be ground and polished
by any proper means. By experiment I have found that needles formed in
this manner are much stronger and stiffer than cylindrical needles made from
the same sized wire, they pass through the fabric with less friction, and are
more convenient for grasping with the fingers in sewing. Needles have been
made with triangular points, but not before with round ends and a prysmatic
central portion or body, and to this my Invention relates. The wire is not
intended to be reduced in bulk by the swaging, but the triangular portion
should contain about the same amount of metal as if it were round like the
other portions of the needle. The edges of the triangular portion are not
intended to be sharp, as the form is not given to make them cut the material
upon which they are used.
The Drawing fully illustrates my Invention. a being the round point; b,
the ordinary eye; and c the triangular or prysmatic body.
What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is, a sewing needle
having a cylindrical head and point and a body of triangular or prysmatic
form, substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Essex, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of May, A.D. One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witnesses,
CHAS. H. SMITH,
121, Nassau St., New York.
T. G. C. MOUNTAIN,
121, Nassau St., New York.
HENRY ESSEX. (L.B.)