IMPROVEMENTS IN THIMBLES
Year: 1885

page_text: COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THIMBLES" (a communication to me from abroad by William Patrick Slensby of
Brooklyn in the County of Kings, in the state of New York, United States of
America, Manufacturer,) 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 a thread cutting attachment to a thimble, and consists
in forming the cutter out of the substance of the thimble by causing a tongue to
project therefrom, said tongue being bent from the body of the thimble, all as
hereinafter more fully described.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side view of the improved thimble.
Figure 2 is a central vertical section of the same, on the line cc, figure 1.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section of the same, on the line d d, figure 2. Figure 4
is a perspective view thereof, and Figure 5 is a detail view of the thread cut by
the same.
In the drawing the letter A represents a suitable thimble. In one side of this
thimble, is formed, by a shaped or other incision, a tongue B, the free end of
which is bent outwardly, as shown in figures 2 and 3. By this means cutting
edges are formed between the edges of the tongue B and the edges of the incision
in the thimble itself from which the tongue was cut. Thus in figure 3 the cutting
edges are marked a, b, e and f. The thimble is used in the ordinary manner.
When a thread is to be cut it is simply inserted between the free end of the
tongue B and the body of the thimble, and is thereby clamped by said tongue, so
that a gentle pull on the thread will cause it to separate. Inasmuch as the cutting
of the thread is not, or need not be, produced by drawing it along the cutting
edges, but by clamping it by means of the tongue and then pulling it, the thread is
not cut clean across, as it would be by shears or a knife, but is dismembered in a
tapering fashion, as is shown in figure 5, thereby leaving the thread in best form for
insertion in the eye of a needle. This saves a sewer much trouble in threading
needles, and is a great advantage for that reason alone.

page_text: The invention is also of use because the cutter is at all times in convenient
position, and when used will tend to draw the thimble tight upon the finger instead
of tending to displace it, as is the case with cutters on thimbles that have hereto-
fore been proposed.
What is meant by "the body of the thimble" in this specification is the round
body of metal which constitutes the thimble proper, or any round piece of metal
which may be attached thereto and from which the tongue B is made to project.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I would observe that
I do not broadly claim a thimble with a cutting attachment thereon but I declare
that what I claim is
1st The thimble A having the tongue B formed by an incision out of its round
body, said tongue being bent outwardly to form the cutting edges a, b, and e t,
substantially as described.
2nd The thimble A, combined with the cutting tongue B which is bent and
formed out of the round body of the thimble as-specified.