USRE4884E - Improvement in needles - Google Patents

Description

GEORGE COOPER.

Needles.

No 4 884 ReissuedApril30',1872.

7161229880.; 1- Inventor 'the thim I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

. GEORGE COOPER, or 'rnonrsovvi' LLE, oonnno'rxoncr, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO CHARLES W. CLIFFORD- lMPROVEMEN T IN NEEDLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 149, dated January 22, 1861 reissue No. 4,884, dated April 30, 1872. I

skilled in the art to make and use my improvements 1 will proceed to describe the construction, referring to the drawing, in which the same letters indicate like parts in each of the figures l It has long been desired to make what is called a self-threading sewing-needle. or one in which the thread could be introduced into the eye through the adjacent part of the needle, instead'of insertin g it in theordinary way by pushing it endwis e through the eye.

- In the patent granted to Benjamin Garvey, May 12, 1857, there is shown invarious forms a needle intended to admit of this self-threading operation; but it is objectionable, and has proved so by experiment, for various reasons, amongwhich maybementioned lack of strength to resist the thrust of the thimble, 'a considerable part of the metal being cut away to form a notch, into which the bight of the thread descends onits way to the elastic gate or spring slit, through which it is to be pressed into the eyeand also the 'fact that the smooth outline of the needle is destroyed hymn notch, which catches in the cloth during the act of sewin The forms of his needle, shown in Garv'eys 3 and- 4, are comparatively free last objection, but they are especial- 1y liable to the former one-namely, want of strength Fig. 3-because the whole thrust of. b is taken against asmall extended 10 part of the butt of the needle; and Fig. 4, because the needle is slit or bisected for more than half its length. Again, the weakening of the needle, which necessarily results from making any opening into the e, requires, in needies for most purposes, to e compensated in some way; and this'is not done an Garve s' needle, the eye of which is formed in the m ddle or axial line of the needle, as in the common sewing-needle. Because of these and,

.B, depre other objections, Garveys needle has never, to my knowledge, gone into practical use.

There is also shown in the patent granted to -S. H. Roper Nov. 4, 1856, a needle in which the longitudinal axis-of the eye ison. one side of the longitudinal-axis of the needle and an opening is formed through the thin side of the metal to permit-the bight of the thread to pass intothe eye; but such opening is out at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the needle,

:and its edges would interfere with the free passage of'the needle through the cloth if une0fitr0l-led.

The nature of my invention consists in' certain improvements by which an opening is formed through the metal on one side of the eye to permit the bight of the thread to pass in while the strength of the needle and its general efliciency in use are not impaired.

' In the accompanying drawing, A is the needie and B is the spring or lap-joint.

I will nowdescribe the mode which I prefer for making my improved needle: The part 0,.

shown in' the drawing, forming the eye, is

drawn out straight; the cap at B, at the head or termination of the body of the needle, is formed into the desired shape by mechanical means, and the end of the part0 is turned over and under the lip atB, so that by holding the needle between'the thumb and fingers in the ordinary way for threading the needle, and

laying the thread over and brin tag the parts together between the thumb an finger of the otherhand drawing I it down to the lap-jointssing the spring or that portion of the eye under the lap, the thread is admitted intothee.

It .Will ing this selI-threading'capacity not on y admite alwa s of rapid and easy threading, but is especia ly convenient for the use of those whose sight is impaired.

. It will beobserved that in the drewin the eye is formed on one side of the centero the needle, or with itslon gitndinal axis on one side of the longitudinal axis of the needle, thus leaving a preponderance of metal on the side gpgosite to that-in which the opening is proed for the thread to be pressed in. .By this obvious that such a needlei haw-- construction I gain about as much strengthen one side of the eye as I lose by forming the opening on the other; and in practice, owing, as I believe,'mainly to this construction, my needles are not liable to break any more than common sewing-needles.

I have described the mode which I prefer of making my improved needle, but it will be obvious that a needle possessing all thepeculiar features of construction and operation above described,as' giving to my. needle its novelty and its value, maybe made by any mechanical means or method which may be found most economical and convenient.

I have contemplated making needles with a solid eyc,'hav-in g a slit cut diagonally through the metal on one side of the eye so as to admit the thread into the eye, without any depression at the joint. Such needles would possess some of the advantages herein referred to, but I consider them far less perfect than needles in which the joint is opened to admit the thread and closed again by the elasticity of the parts.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, ist 1. A sewing-needle having the contour or outline of the common sewing-needle, but with a passage extending diagonally towards the.

needle point through the metal on one side of the eye'toadmit the thread into the eye,--suhstantially as described.

2. A sewing-needle having the contour moutline of the common sewing-needle, but

formed with a spring. lap-joint in the side ol' the eye to admit a thread past the edge into the eye of the needle, when the spring part oi. the needle presses by its elasticity up against the under side of the standing part to close and keep closed the eye after the thread has been inserted, substantially as described.

3. A sewing-needle havingthe longitudinal axis of the eye on one side of the longitudinal axis of the needle, andfiwith a passage cxtend ing diagonally through the metal on one side of the eye to admit the thread into the. eye, substantially as described.

4. A sewing-needle having the longitudinal axis of the eye on one side of the longitudinal axis of the needle, and with a spring joint in the side of the eye, so that the thread may be inserted by depressing the spring part of the needle, the elasticity of which part causes it to close up the joint after the. thread has passed into the eye, subs-tz'nitially as described; GlQOll-G-E (J00 PE 1.

Witnesses:

' WILLARD-BRAQG,

ALEXANDERMeUoY.

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