Abstract: The needle has an openable eye and is of use in a lacing stage of a tridimensional weaving of a composite reinforcement element, for driving out rigid rods and replacing them with loops of wire or thread. The needle has an axial aperture (13) at the end of the needle in the vicinity of the eye and the inner end of the aperture (13) is open and connected to the exterior through a passageway (14) which is oblique relative to the axis of the body of the needle (8) and laterally opens out through an orifice (15) in the vicinity of the eye (12), between the eye and the end of the needle.

Abstract: A fish bait applicator that has a finger grip with a light reflective, textured surface and has a attachment port to attach the applicator to the equipment or clothing of the user. The fingergrip also causes the applicator to float in water. There is a shaft with one end connected to the fingergrip. The shaft has on the other end a hook with a sharpened leading edge. There is a latch means that pivots over the hook to restrict access to the hook and to reduce the change of a leader loop from being dislodged from the hook when the applicator is being pulled back through the bait. There is a recess in the shaft to receive the latch means when the latch means is not in place over the hook. There is a latch means port into which the latch means is pivotally mounted.

Abstract: A self-threading needle includes a slot extending from the outer surface into the eye of the needle that is continuous and uninterrupted for the entire length thereof. The slot is highly angled so that the thread, once in the eye, is not likely to exit that eye via the slot. The slot includes various wall shapes, such as curved, straight or compound.

Abstract: A sewing implement is provided comprising a metallic needle fixedly attached to a short length of fibrous thread wherein the needle and thread are attached by a film of plastic coating which extends over the entire length of the needle and a portion of the adjacently disposed end of said thread.

Abstract: A trocar, used to introduce wound drain catheters is disclosed. The trocar have a reduce cross sectional area that allows the trocar to be bent by the user to a desired configuration.

Abstract: A needle for forming the longitudinal stitching seam of a necktie has a needle point to which a wire is attached, the wire being capable of being rolled up on the needle spool of the necktie sewing machine. To reduce the complexity of the device required to thread a yarn into the needle point, the latter is formed with a hook whose outer surface is flush with the surface of the needle point and beneath which is provided a recess extending beyond the hook in the direction of the wire.

Abstract: Apparatus for threading a thread through the eye of a needle, including thread holder for receiving a holding a portion of the thread, needle receiver for receiving the needle and presenting the eye of the needle for threading, threader for engaging and threading the portion of the thread through and out of the eye of the needle to thread the needle, and in one embodiment holder for temporarily holding the portion of the thread threaded through the eye of the needle prior to withdrawal of the threaded needle from the needle receiver to prevent inadvertent unthreading of the needle.

Abstract: A pleating machine having a frame supporting two pairs of rollers formed with intermeshing teeth. Each pair is comprised of upper and lower intermeshing rollers, with a roller of the first pair intermeshing with a roller of the second pair to form a continuous train of gears. Each roller is provided with registering circumferential grooves along the length thereof. A needle having a pointed tip end and an eye end is disposed in "floating" relation in the machine with its pointed end positioned between the first pair of rollers (entrance rollers) and with its eye end extending just beyond the second pair of rollers. The needle is provided with a predetermined length which extends from the pointed tip to the eye end of the needle which is disposed proximate an arc prescribed by rotation of a point on the outer periphery of the lower of the second set (exit) of rollers.

Abstract: A flossing device to floss bacterial plaque off tooth structures, including teeth and osseous implanted abutments, said flossing device comprising a leader with affixed cord. The leader is provided with a hook portion, preferably formed by and integral with the leader; the leader being bent back upon itself at an acute angle which permits ready insertion of the leader between adjacent tooth structures and which permits ready access to the leader as the free end of the hook effectively hooks about the tooth structure and extends outward of the tooth structure for convenient grasping by the user, upon retraction of the leader. The terminal free end of the hook may be enlarged and blunted for secure grasping. The flossing cord is singular, being constructed of a multiplicity of braided strands for entrapment and removal of plaque from the tooth structures.

Abstract: A bearded needle for bookbinding machines, embroidery machines and other similar machines comprising a needle shank having a neck portion, a beard, and a needle head supporting the beard. The needle head is connected to the neck portion and has an essentially conical needle tip. The beard and the shank are connected to the needle head to form a needle eye having a rounded fillet at the side of the eye facing the needle tip. The needle tip has a portion in a region of the fillet which has an upright essentially rectangular configuration with rounded edges and two narrow sides each having a center with the longitudinal plane of symmetry intersecting the centers of the narrow sides. The needle head at least in a region of the needle eye has a first laterally smooth taper thereby forming a thread travel area on each side of the longitudinal plane of symmetry.

Abstract: A method for attaching a button to a piece of fabric or clothing is provided. The method includes the step of pre-threading a two or four-holed button with a piece of tying thread connected at both ends to a pair of needles and then inserting the needles through the fabric or clothing in order to attach the button. Once the needles are pulled through the fabric, a double knot is tied close to the fabric on the needle end side and the needles are then discarded by cutting the thread at a point adjacent to the fabric. The method enables the offsetting of the button from the fabric or garment and also avoids the complications of having to thread the button holes and the fabric sequentially as part of the attachment process.

Abstract: A sewing assembly including a needle, a loop secured to the trailing end of the needle, and a driver member in the form of a thimble adapted to fit on and over the finger of the user and including a hook portion extending upwardly from the main body portion of the thimble and adapted to be inserted into the seat defined by the crotch defined at the juncture of the forward end of the loop with the trailing end of the needle. The loop thus coacts with the needle to facilitate ready threading of the sewing assembly, to define a seat for receipt of the hook portion of the driving member, and to provide cam surfaces to guide the hook portion into firm seating engagement with the seat at the trailing end of the needle. In an alternate form, the driver member is in the form of a finger ring and the hook portion extends upwardly from the main body of the ring.

Abstract: A drawstring restringing system comprises a notched flexible rod having a flexible end cap for securing a drawstring to the rod to facilitate restringing of the drawstring through a channel in a garment.

Abstract: A sewing needle has a closed loop of a resilient filament secured to its rear end. In unstressed condition the filament has an open configuration allowing a sewing thread to be easily passed through it. As the needle is pulled through fabric the loop collapses under the forces imposed on its sides by the fabric.

Abstract: A mechanical needle carrier is provided which can grasp and carry a surgical needle through a cannula, position the needle and set a stitch at the remote location and then release the needle and be withdrawn from the cannula.

Abstract: The invention features an apparatus and method for extracting snags from fabric. The apparatus comprises a barrel-shaped housing having a plurality of extracting elements slideably disposed therein. The user of the device can select the proper extractor for the particular fabric. The device is compact and easy to use. The method of the invention requires that the extractor pierce the fabric from the underside; capture the snag in an extracting loop; twisting and entwining the snag in the loop; and then withdrawing the loop in order to pull the snag through the fabric to the underside thereof.

Abstract: The invention is a tool for use in grasping yarn during the making of needlepoint with a mesh having openings through which yarn is stitched including a handle having first and second ends located on a longitudinal axis; a member extending from the first end of the handle along the longitudinal axis; and a yarn grasping head joined to an end of the member at a position remote from the first end of the handle, the yarn grasping head having first and second bifurcations extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis, the bifurcations respectively having first and second ends and being joined together at one end to form a vertex for grasping yarn in the vertex, the bifurcations being spaced apart from each other by a substantially constant distance along the longitudinal axis except in proximity to the vertex to form an opening through which yarn can pass for grasping within the vertex, each bifurcation being deflectable to permit deflection toward the other bifurcation when engaging an opening in the mesh

Abstract: An improved surgical needle. The needle comprises a plurality of curves which provide for improved control while suturing.

Abstract: The stitching device is used for stitching work, for instance, on upholstery or mattresses and includes a hollow needle (1), and intermediate piece (2), and a guide tube (3) for a push rod. Laterally on the intermediate piece there is attached a magazine (14) in which a stack of pins (5) is located. On the magazine there is also provided a handle (6) and a holder (7) for a thread bobbin (71). The thread (F) goes through the entire stack of pins and emerges the needle (1) laterally at the bottom. During operation, the needle (1) is pushed through the object to be sewn until its point protrudes at the bottom of the object. By pressure on the bottom (33), the push rod is operated and pushes a single pin (5) out of the lower opening of the needle with the needle pulling the thread along therewith. Now the needle can be pulled out of the object--with the pin (5) holding the thusly formed loop on the bottom side of the object.

Abstract: Easy-threading sewing needles, in two embodiments, for hand needles and sewing machine needles are disclosed, as well as a method for making the easy-threading structure. The needles have eyes defined by sidewalls, one of which is slit along a plane which passes from the outer surface into the eye and divides the sidewall into an elongated inner clip member and a conforming retaining member. The clip member is mechanically spring-biased against the retainer but may be resiliently bent inward to open the slit by pressing a thread loop against the outside of the sidewall. The clip springs back against the mating surface of the retainer as soon as the thread enters the eye and the pressure is removed. The machine needle includes an off-center eye and the thread trap formed on the thinner sidewall, the point of the needle being formed off-center under the eye and a smooth shoulder projecting outward just under the entrance to the slit.

Abstract: A button attaching device is provided with a bifurcated needle holding member which can be utilized to adjust the spacing between a pair of needles, and with a needle cover which attaches to the bifurcated member to protect one from injury by the needles and form a unit that can be conveniently carried on the person of a user.

Abstract: A button attaching tool is provided with a base, a pair of needles which have collapsible and expandable thread receiving eyes and which project from the base for use in penetrating a layer of material and the holes of a button to be attached to the material, and a member for stripping the material and button from the needles.

Abstract: A button sewing device is provided with a base; a pair of needles which carry collapsible thread formed loops, and project from the base for use in penetrating a layer of material and the holes of a button to be attached to the material; and with elastomeric material over the base compressible by pressure on the material to which the button is to be attached, and expandable to raise such material and thereby cause the loops to be opened above the button for receiving a thread bundle.

Abstract: A cloth snag repair tool is described for removing snags from one side of a cloth. The tool includes a shaft having a length between 60 mm and 90 mm and a maximum diameter between 0.635 mm and 1.65 mm. The shaft has a cloth penetration surface section beginning at a pointed forward end. The cloth penetration surface section has low frictional surface characteristics to enable the shaft to be initially easily inserted into the cloth at a snag location without substantially disturbing the snag. The shaft has a frictional surface section intermediate the cloth penetration surface section and a rear end. The frictional surface section has high surface characteristics to engage and frictionally draw the snag through the cloth as the shaft is forced through the cloth. In a preferred form, the frictional surface section is machine roughened with diamond shaped knurls covering between one third and two thirds the length of the shaft.

Abstract: A lacing needle is disclosed herein that includes a pair of wire portions connected together at the ends. The wire portions are straight and parallel with each other, defining an elongated aperture or eye between them. The portions may be spread apart for threading leather lacing between them. The lacing may be drawn along the eye until bearing against the end opposite the point. The lacing is then trimmed flush with the side of the needle, with friction retaining it to the needle. The needle is made by bending a straight piece of wire in half, then joining the ends.

Abstract: An embroidery needle comprising a hollow handle member within which is received a spring biased push-rod operating member. A push-button is carried at one end of the rod and a clasp is threaded to the other end. The clasp includes expandable spring fingers which close on each other to form a clutch or vise grip on the end of a needle carried thereby. The needle supports one or more boot gauge members for gauging the height of an embroidery loop to be formed. An axial passageway extends through the entire assembly to allow the embroidery thread to be passed therethrough to the eye of the needle.

Abstract: An eyed needle is described which comprises a pointed end and a butt end, a hole or channel bored into the butt end along the length of the needle, a flexible polymer strand formed into a loop, the ends of the loop placed into the hole or channel, and means of securing the ends of the loop in the needle.

Abstract: A needle is disclosed for the making of lace by the method known as tatting, which needle has an end segment with inwardly converging side surfaces converging toward the needle end with an eye extending therebetween. The side surfaces are shaped to facilitate transfer of a series of knots formed on the needle shaft to a doubled carrying cord passed through the needle eye.

Abstract: A needle for leading dental floss or other fibrous material through narrow apertures. A curved substantially rigid needle is provided with an eye having resilient, deformable sides for temporary expansion of the eye for ease of threading and for temporary compression in passing through narrow apertures.

Abstract: An elongated tool for making hooked rugs has a handle at a rear end portion thereof and a small rearwardly-opening hook at its front end. A shank portion extends a distance rearwardly from the hook, and between this shank portion and the handle the tool has a lengthwise extending knife edge. Methods are described for using the tool with coarse-mesh and with fine-mesh base material to produce, in each case, a hooked rug having its tuft defining strands securely interwoven with the filaments of the base material.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel combination of a sewing machine needle having a rectangular eye and a monofilament sewing thread of a synthetic material having a width to thickness ratio of approximately 3.0:1 to about 4.0:1.

Abstract: An improved needle having a pointed end and a pusher end with an eye adjacent the pusher end and wherein the pusher end zone is provided with a rounded nose portion to distribute pressure in sewing over a larger surface of a user's finger and wherein the nose portion is of no greater diameter than the maximum cross sectional area of the needle and wherein the nose portion may define a recess and include a plug captivated in the recess.

Abstract: A threading device that provides a multi-strand thread integrally connected to a wire cable needle at one or both ends thereof. The thread is formed of at least one thread filament that is folded onto itself to form a bundle of strands with filament bends at the end of the thread. At least one wire filament is also provided that is folded onto itself to form wire filament bends that are interlocked with the corresponding thread filament bends. The joined bends of the thread filament and wire filament form a tapering interlocking interconnection that extends integrally between the thread and the needle. The thread and wire strands are twisted in opposite directions about a longitudinal axis to bind the wires and strands to form an elongated integral threading device with a tapering wire cable needle at one or both ends thereof. The needle tapers from a reduced end to the cross-sectional dimension of the thread.

Abstract: A rug needle includes an elongated shank- and holding-portion which is formed from a single length of rod or wire; one of the ends thereof is formed with a hook. The shank- and holding portion includes a first straight portion leading from the hook, a hand-gripping portion integral with the first portion terminating in a second straight portion, and a longitudinal saddle portion which substantially defines a second plane and terminates in a third, substantially straight portion. The latter is variably attachable to the second portion for the planes to subtend a selectable angle with one another.

Abstract: Needle apparatus is disclosed which includes a pair of flexible members secured together at the ends of the members and biased together but separable apart to provide an eye for the needle which is substantially the length of the needle.

Abstract: A needle-suture combination is provided in which the suture has a weakened segment adjacent its attachment to the needle. The weakened segment is provided by a notch which reduces the effective cross-sectional area of the suture by a controlled amount. The weakened segment permits a surgeon to separate the needle from the suture by a sharp tug.

Abstract: A rug pointer for looping material-yarn through the apertures of backing in checkerboard pattern, and comprised generally of a manipulatable body with an adjustably extended probe and a retractile stop; the probe having a concaved notch at its lowermost terminal end adjustable to project a determined distance from the lowermost terminal end of the body; the stop having a stop shoulder and points depending therefrom in spaced relation to the probe to engage over a member of the backing to lock the yarn in position for the full extension of the loop being formed by projection of the probe with the lowermost terminal end of the body stopped against the back of the loop thus formed.