IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINE PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Darling of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Darling at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th July 1882.
:
JOHN DARLING, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINE NEEDLES, AND IN A NEW AND IMPROVED
NEEDLE THREADING DEVICE,"
12
This Invention relates in the first place to sewing machine needles, and has
for its object to form the needle in such a manner as to allow of its being more
easily threaded than those hitherto used. To effect this, I form on the upper
part of the needle and below that part which is fitted in the needle socket of
the machine, a flat projection (turned in such a position that it will pass through
the slot in the presser-foot of the sewing machine) through which projection a
hole of the required size is drilled and from this hole a slit is formed continuing
down one side of the needle to the eye of the same. When it is required to
thread the needle the thread is passed through the hole in the upper part before
mentioned and drawn down the slit into the eye, the slit springing back into
its former form after the thread has been passed along it.
The second part of this Invention relates to a new and improved needle
threading device and has for its object to facilitate the threading of ordinary
sewing needles. To carry this Invention into practice I take a piece of India-
rubber of semi-circular section and cut one of its ends square and the other
obliquely, the oblique end having a slit in it so as by its elasticity to hold a needle,
this slot is for convenience at its upper part bevilled off on its sides. To the back
of this piece of India-rubber, I cement a piece of sheet metal formed at its upper
edge with a piece cut away to form a hollow, at the centre of which hollow I form
(either out of the same piece of sheet metal or of an independent piece) an inverted
hook. I prefer to mount this needle-threader upon and at the side of the lid of a
box, or in or upon a bobbin.-When it is required to thread a needle, it is drawn
along the slit in the India-rubber, and over the hook until the said hook passes
through the eye of the needle, when the thread is passed below the hook and
the needle, lifted off the hook, brings with it the thread caught by the hook at
its loop.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Darling in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th January
1883.
JOHN DARLING, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain
" IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINE NEEDLES AND IN A NEW AND IMPROVED
NEEDLE THREADING DEVICE"
My said Invention relates in the first place to sewing machine needles and has
for its object to so form the needle as to facilitate the threading of the same, and
my Invention which relates in the second place to ordinary sewing needles has for
its object to facilitate the threading of the same by applying the needle to a device
consisting of a thread catching hook over which in the act of threading the needle,
the eye of the needle is passed; an essential feature of my present Improvements
consisting in providing a holder for keeping the needle in position during the
adjusting of the thread under the barb of the hook and a further advantage being
secured in that the hook is afforded greater protection from breakage than has
been attained hitherto in needle-threading devices.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I now
proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode or manner in or under
which the same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference being
had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon
that is to say -
Figures 1, and 2, represent on an enlarged scale the construction of sewing
machine needles in accordance with my said Invention to facilitate the threading
of the same.
Figures 3, to 18, are various modifications of the device for facilitating the
threading of ordinary sewing needles.
With reference to Figures 1, and 2, the sewing machine needle is formed, below
the rounded part a, which fits in the needle holder of the machine, with a pro-
jection a¹, in which is formed the aperture a².-From this aperture a², down the
side of the needle to the needle eye a³, there is formed a slit a*.
In threading the needle the thread is passed through the aperture a², and is
drawn down the slit a', to the needle eye a³, the thinner side of the slit at, allowing
sufficient spring for the passage of the thread downwards and returning to its
normal position when the thread has passed into the needle eye a³-I may also
form the needle with the projection a¹, in a line parallel to the direction of the
needle eye a³, in which case the direction of the aperture a², would be at right
angles thereto and the slit a*, would at its upper end be slightly twisted to enter
the aperture a², in a line with the same.
With reference to Figures 3, to 18, of the accompanying drawings which
represent various modifications of my device for threading ordinary sewing
needles. Figure 3, is a vertical section.-Figure 4, a plan, and Figure 5, an
elevation at right angles to that of Figure 3, of the first arrangement in accordance
with my said Invention.
A semi-circular piece of india-rubber has its lower part b, cut square and its
upper part b¹, cut obliquely.
The said oblique end or part of the block of india-rubber has a slit cut into it
across its centre as shewn at 62, Figure 4, into which slit the needle to be threaded
is laid, and held by the elasticity of the india rubber; the said slit is at its upper
part for convenience in guiding the thread, bevilled off on its sides as shewn at b*.-
To the back of the block of india-rubber is cemented or otherwise suitably secured
a piece of sheet metal C, the centre of which is so cut as to form a central projection
or hook c, and a guiding slot c¹.

page_text: The said hook c, shewn more particularly in Figure 3, is therefore a portion of
the sheet metal plate C, and the said hook is so twisted that its barb is brought
into proximity with the flat side b, of the block of india-rubber.
When it is required to thread a needle, the needle is drawn along the slit 6², in
the india-rubber and over the barb of the hook c, until the said hook passes through
the eye of the needle.-The thread is now passed horizontally below the barb of
the hook and the needle is then lifted upwards from off the hook dragging with it
through the eye of the needle a loop of thread which has been formed by and held
under the barb of the hook and is retained thereunder until the thread is released
from the hook by the escape of the end of the thread.
The oblique formation of the upper surface of the block of india-rubber enables
the horizontal line of thread to be more readily guided towards the hook c, and I
prefer as shewn more particularly in Figure 3, to bevel off the part 6*1, of the
block of india-rubber which is in proximity to the barb of the hook so that when
the thread is passed beneath the said barb of the hook and the needle is being with-
drawn from off the hook the thread is prevented from immediately slipping off the
barb of the hook until the needle is properly threaded, the barb of the needle being
preferably so adjusted as to project slightly inwards and over the slit 62, in the
India-rubber.
In order to add support to the back-piece or metal-guide C, I may also form the
block of india-rubber cylindrical in which case the said guide is supported in a
central position within the india-rubber.
In Figure 6, I have shewn in sectional elevation such a block of india-rubber
but I have shewn in this modification the hook c*, as distinct by itself and without
the metal guide C, described with reference to Figures 3, 4, and 5; the additional
semi-circular portion b, which is also slit in a corresponding manner to the
corresponding portion 6, of the cylindrical block of india-rubber, taking the place
of the said guide or back plate C.
In lieu of a semi-circular or other suitably shaped block of india-rubber as
described with reference to Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, I may substitute a holder of
metallic material preferably steel.
Figure 7 represents a side elevation of such a device, Figure 8, is a plan, Figure 9,
an end elevation of the same.
The spring piece or holder consists of a strip of spring steel the one end of which
is slotted as at d, and is bent into a bow as at d', the other or opposite
extremity d³, of the strip of steel being formed flat or of any other configuration
suited to adapt the device to the lid of a box or top of a bobbin as desired.―The
slotted bow of metal d, takes the place of the slitted block of india-rubber
herein before referred to in Figures 3, to 6, the hook d³, being preferably formed
out of the same strip of steel and is bent round so that the barb of the hook
projects slightly to within the slot of the spring portion d'.-When threading a
needle, the needle x is placed within the slot d, of the portion d', the eye of the
needle being placed over the barb of the hook, the thread y is laid transversely
across the top of the bow portion d', and is sprung under the barb of the hook
between the said hook and the eye of the needle, the needle being now withdrawn:
from the hook, the thread is looped and drawn through the eye of the needle, the
thread being retained by the hook until the free end of the thread escapes the hook
when the threading operation is completed.
I prefer to mount the needle threading device as constructed according to the
several modifications either upon the lid of a box for containing a bobbin or bobbins
of thread or upon a bobbin itself.
Figure 10, is a side elevation of a bobbin fitted with a needle threading device;
the said device being constructed according to a further modification of my
invention.
Figure 11, represents a plan of the same.

page_text: Figure 13, represents a side elevation of a receptacle or box for a thread bobbin,
the said receptacle being provided with a threading device constructed according to
a modification of my said Invention.
Figure 14, represents a plan of the same.
Figure 15, represents a section through the same.
Figure 16, represents on an enlarged scale a side elevation of a thimble fitted
with a needle threading device constructed according to a modification of my said
Invention
Figure 17, represents a section through the same.
Figure 18, represents in section an enlarged detail view of a needle threading
device to be attached to any convenient article.
Within the hollow part of the bobbin E, I tightly fit a metal tube e, and to the
inner side of the said tube e, I secure the needle threading device which as a
modification of my said Invention consists in the back or guide f, the hook g, and
the spring-piece h.-In threading a needle it is first drawn across the guide f₁
(whose upper edge is notched for this purpose), until the eye of the needle passes
over the hook g, and the forward part of the same passes down and is, retained
within the spring-piece h,.
When the required length of thread has been unwound from the bobbin, the
thread is passed beneath the hook g, which then projects through the eye of the
needle, and the needle is then withdrawn, when the thread still retained by the
hook g, is drawn through the needle eye.
Upon the cover i, Figures 13, 14, and 15, of the receptacle I, I fit a needle
threading device which is in general similar to that hereinbefore described with
reference to Figures 10, 11, and 12.
The back or guide f¹, of this device is formed by the part cut from the opening i¹,
through which pass the hook g', and spring-piece h¹, which are both secured to
the underside of the cover i, as more clearly shown in Figure 15.-Through the
side of the receptacle I, is drilled the hole ¹, for the passage therethrough of the
thread contained therein upon the bobbin E.-A cutter 2, being preferably formed
as shewn in Figure 13, upon the side thereof for cutting and retaining the end of
the thread. The back or guide f¹, has or may have formed in it an oblong hole
which, when the needle eye is passed through it, places it in the necessary position
for passing over the hook g¹.
The thimble represented at Figures 16, and 17, has fitted on its outer side
a modification of a needle threading device, which is formed of the spring-piece K,
secured to the thimble at its bow or closed end adjacent to the rim of the same.-
The hook g², is secured to the side of the thimble, between the ends of the spring-
piece K, In threading a needle in this device, the needle is pressed down between
the spring-piece K, so that the eye of the needle passes. over the hook g², which is
then treated in a manner similar to that herein before described.
Figure 18, as herein before referred to, is an enlarged view of the modification
of the needle threading device ready to be attached to any convenient article
and corresponds to the threading device shewn in Figures 10, 11, and 12, as
applied to a bobbin.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and the system, mode or manner in or under which the same is or
may be used or practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that
what I consider to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is :-
First. The construction of sewing machine needles to facilitate the threading
of the same substantially as herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1,
and 2, of the accompanying drawings.
-
Second. The device for facilitating the threading of ordinary sewing needles
and the application of the said device to bobbins, bobbin boxes, and other

page_text: receptacles or articles substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
the various modifications illustrated in Figures 3, to 18, of the accompanying
drawings.
In witness whereof I, the said John Darling have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Twenty-fifth day of January in the year of Our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
JOHN DARLING (L.S.)