IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FINISHING NEEDLES
Year: 1876

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Richard Bennett, the younger, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th July 1876.
RICHARD BENNETT, the younger, of Redditch, in the County of Worcester,
Foreman of Works. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FINISHING NEEDLES."
In the ordinary method of finishing needles the heads are rounded and the points
set by the use of rotating grinders made of stone. The blue is removed from the
heads of the needles by means of a rotating tool covered with leather and supplied
with a rough grinding material, such as emery. The first polishing process is per-
formed on a third rotating tool covered with leather and with finer emery or cutting
material. The last or final polishing is effected on another rotating tool with still
finer emery or polishing material. In conducting these operations the needles have
to be picked up and spread level upon the fingers. The head parts of the noodles
are first operated upon; the needles are then inverted and the points are operated
upon. The needles are then put down and others are similarly treated, the needles
having to be taken up and spread upon the fingers each time they are operated
upon by the grinding and polishing tools described.
My Invention consists in constructing a compound grinding and finishing tool in
the manner herein-after described whereby two or more of the operations described
may be performed on the needles without the said needles having been put down.
Much saving of time and labour is thereby effected in the finishing of needles.
Upon an axis supported at its ends in suitable bearings I mount a compound
grinding and finishing tool. The said tool is by preference made of wood, and its
several parts are cylindrical in figure excepting at one end where it is formed into
driving pulley for giving the required rapid rotatory motion to the tool. I prefer
to make the said tool of a series of cylinders of progressively diminishing diameter,
the said cylinders joining each other end to end and concentric with their common
axis. The said cylinders may either join each other directly or be separated by a
neck or part of small diameter. I cover the said cylinders with leather and attach
to the leather in the usual way emery or other grinding material. The first
cylinder, or that of largest diameter, is by preference covered with the coarsest
grinding material, the next cylinder with a grinding material less coarse, and so on.
The needles to be finished are operated upon by the several cylindrical portions of
the compound grinding or finishing tool, beginning at that having the coarsest
grinding material and proceeding to the other parts in succession. This is effected

page_text: without the necessity for the workman to put down and to take up afresh the
needles to be operated upon, as he can pass them from one portion of the compound
tool to another without removing them from his hands.
Although I prefer to make the portions of the tool-carrying grinding materials of
different degrees of fineness of different diameters yet I do not limit myself thereto,
as the several parts may have the same diameter. I prefer however to separate the
different parts by a neck, as herein-before described, or other well marked division.
The first or grinding portion of the tool may be made of stone as usual when it
is thought desirable. In this case I mount the said stone portion and the other
portions of the tool on a common axis.