THE BOYE NEEDLE COMPANY
Chicago, Illinois
Manufacturers frequently made display materials available to retailers to help encourage increased sales of the company's product. The Boye Needle Company product display not only displayed sewing machine needles, shuttles and bobbins in an attractive dispenser, but also included a chart to help determine the appropriate size accessory needed for different makes of sewing machines.
From the Collections of The Henry Ford
Boye Needle was founded in 1906 when James H. Boye and two businessmen from the sewing machine business joined forces. Boye Needle Company was launched with a patented, revolving cabinet called the “Rotary Case," which housed sewing machine needles, shuttles and bobbins suitable for a variety of home sewing machines. This was a tremendous innovation at the time as consumers had difficulty finding the correct needles and other replacement parts for their sewing machines.
The Rotary Case was very successful and supported Boye’s expansion into sewing machine parts and accessories such as belts, oil and screwdrivers along with sewing needles and sewing notions. In 1917, Boye introduced the first complete line of crochet hooks made in America. Through years of development, Boye became recognized as the premier supplier of crochet hooks and knitting needles. Today, the Boye brand is housed under Creative Simple Solutions (CSS) Industries and continues to create innovative products.
A History of the James Boye Commodity Cabinet
by Claire Sherwell and Bill Grewe
With grateful thanks to Chrys Gunther and Dave of Suffolk
The original name for the Boye rotary needle case as used by the inventor, James H Boye, was Commodity Cabinet, rather than needle case. Having a simple to use merchant display cabinet was a big selling point for Boye's traveling salesmen. Boye display cases were made in great numbers, with most outlasting the stores in which they were used. Inside the display cases tubes or packets contained needles, shuttles, bobbins or other merchandise. These cabinets were designed for ease of use and to prevent the accidental mixing of items. Such cabinets and cases weren't available in Europe or Australia.
Wooden Case
Boye initially designed and patented a commodity cabinet as early as 1903 in Minneapolis, MN. His main idea was to provide an improved needle case and index to assist in providing the correct needle for different American badged sewing machines.
At that time, Boye said needles were sold under about 150 machine names and it was well known that many of these used the same needle. In fact the 'main machines' on the market used only 12 different types of needles. So Boye began with an index of these names and needle types pasted into the lid of a box holding color-coded tubes or boxes (he suggested blue, green, red and yellow). This first box was rectangular with a hinged lid. As an example, if you looked for an "Ajax" machine it would have a red mark indicating that the proper make of needle would be in the row of red-topped boxes/tubes. It would be easy to replace a needle case in the correct area due to the color-coding.
US PATENTS
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US 747.368 James H. Boye
Needle Case
My invention has for its object to provide an improved needle-case and index therefor and to this end it consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims. It is a fact well known by those familiar with the subject that there are on the market machines sold under about one hundred and fifty different names. A great many of these sewing machines use the same kind of needle. In fact, about twelve different makes of needles supply the larger number of the sewing machines on the market. In accordance with my invention I have rovided an index by means of which the make of needle used by any sewing machine on the list may be quickly determined and I further provide a case for holding needle containing tubes or boxes,in which such tubes are so arranged and which tubes are so marked that the required make of needle may be quickly found.
December 22, 1903
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US 823.202 James H. Boye
Commodity Cabinet
My invention relates particularly to commodity-cabinets for use in storing various small articles of merchandise in a manner to enable them to be readily accessible to the merchant in making sales, the device being particularly designed to prevent confusion and loss of time in the finding of small articles.
assignor to The Boye Needle Company
(Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois)
June 12, 1906
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US 838.945 James H. Boye
Sewing Machine Needle Chart
My object is to provide a novel and improved chart which will enable one to determine quickly and with certainty the trade name of any standard sewing machine needle.
assignor to The Boye Needle Company
(Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois)
December 18, 1906
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US ?
July 6, 1907
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US 859.196 James H. Boye
Commodity Cabinet
My invention relates particularly to commodity cabinets adapted for storing small articles, such as needles, to enable the same to be readily found by the sales clerks in stores. My primary object is to provide means for preventing the accidental mixing of the articles in the various receptacles or compartments of the commodity carrier of such a cabinet.
assignor to The Boye Needle Company
(Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois)
July 9, 1907
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US 870.219 James H. Boye
Sewing Machine Attachment
My invention relates particularly to attachments serving to adapt sewing machines for various kinds of work, such as hemstitching, shirring, tucking, ruffling. My primary object is to provide universal attaching means for the various devices indicated, whereby a single attaching means may serve for securing various devices to one machine, or may serve for securing the same device to any one of numerous types of machines.
assignor to The Boye Needle Company
(Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois)
November 5, 1908
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US 877.290 James H. Boye
Commodity Cabinet
My invention relates particularly to commodity cabinets of the general type set forth in my application No. 334.284, filed September 12, 1906, (US 859.196) such cabinets being adapted for storing small articles, such as needles, bobbins, etc., to enable the same to be readily found by the sales clerks in stores. My primary object is to provide an improved cabinet, simple in construction, easy of operation and provided with simple and efficient means for preventing accidental mixing of the articles in the various receptacles or compartments of the commodity carrier or commodity-holder.
assignor to The Boye Needle Company
(Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois)
January 21, 1908
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US 878.767 James H. Boye
Needle Threader
My invention relates particularly to de vices for use in threading the needles of sewing machines, although the device is not necessarily limited to use in connection with sewing machine needles. My primary object is to provide a device of the character indicated which will enable the needle-threading operation to be per formed with facility and certainty by certain simple manipulations which require little skill or care in their performance.
assignor to The Boye Needle Company
(Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois)
February 11, 1908
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US 905.641 James H. Boye
Needle Threader
This invention relates particularly to devices for use in threading the needles of sewing machines, although the device is not necessarily limited to use in connection with sewing machine needles. The primary object is to provide a device of the character indicated which will enable the needle-threading operation to be per formed with facility and certainty by certain simple manipulations which require little skill or care in their performance.
assignor to The Boye Needle Company
(Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois)
December 1, 1908
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US 912.796 James H. Boye
Means for and Methods of Displaying Sewing Machine Belts
My invention relates particularly to a holder for and a method of displaying sewing machine belts and my primary object is to provide a simple method of displaying sewing machine belts and simple means for practicing said method and protecting the belts. Heretofore, it has been the common practice to display sewing machine belts, which are of circular cross-section, by hanging them up in stores, or by throwing them upon the counters, where they are exposed to dust and to injury from unnecessary handling and to deterioration from other causes, According to my improved method, the sewing machine belt is coiled compactly in convolute form, the convolutions lying in the same plane, the outer convolute being that the inherent resiliency of the belt will tend to maintain it in its convolute form and the belt is so held as to practically expose its several convolutions throughout their extent to view.
assignor to The Boye Needle Company
(Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois)
February 16, 1909
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US 912.797
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US 946.852
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US 946.873
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US 948.645
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US 1.004.354 James H. Boye
Needle Package
My invention relates particularly to needle-packages and my primary object is to provide more convenient means for handling and conserving needles until the contents of the package have been wholly used by the consumer.
assignor to The Boye Needle Company
(Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois)
September 26, 1911
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US 1.006.178 James H. Boye
Commodity Cabinet
My invention relates particularly to commodity-cabinets adapted to contain properly assorted_small articles of merchandise, such as needles and my primary object is to provide a simple and inexpensive cabinet of the character indicated,which is adapted to be placed on a counter or show case in a retail store and which operates in an improved manner and is adapted to conserve the time of the salesman.
assignor to The Boye Needle Company
(Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois)
October 17, 1911
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US 1.987.390 Edward D. Davis
Massage Pad
assignor to The Boye Needle Company
(Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois)
January 8, 1935
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US 2.687.630 Gustav A. Carlson
Knitting Pin
assignor to The Boye Needle Company
(Chicago, Ill, a corporation of Illinois)
August 31, 1854
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CANADIAN PATENTS
-----------------------------------------------------------------CA 110.433
February 25, 1908
-----------------------------------------------------------------CA 118.618 James Hartvick Boye
The Boye Needle Company
Priority 1909-02-15 • Filed 1909-02-15 • Granted 1909-06-01 • Published 1909-06-01
June 01, 1909
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FRENCH PATENTS
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FR 386.520 Boye Needle Co.
Priority 1908-01-24 • Filed 1908-01-24 • Granted 1908-06-16 • Published 1908-06-16
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FR 414.623 Boye Needle Co.
Priority 1910-03-05 • Filed 1910-03-05 • Granted 1910-09-07 • Published 1910-09-07
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Machines Name
American (New)
Acme
Ajax
Alamo
Alliance
Alta
Alva
American No. 7
American Union
Arlington
Belox
Bartlett
Belvidere
Ben Hur
Blade
Blue Ribbon
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C. & C.
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Columbus
Conover
Conquest
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Courier Journal
Crescent
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Damascus Grand Rotary
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Datonia
Dayton
Decorah Posten
Defender
Defiance
Demorest
Dixon
Domestic
Domestic - Rotary
Domestic Singer Style
Duplex
Eldredge - B - C - D
Elderage Rotary - Latest
Eclipse
Economy
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Edgemere
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Elgin Vibrator
Elmore
Emblem
Empire
Empress
Excelsior
Expert
Free
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Falcon
Family Friend
Famous
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Field
Fireside
Florence New
Franklin
Gold Hibbard
Golden Star
Gold Medal
Goodrich
Grand
Grant
Household
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Helping Hand
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Home and Farm
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Howe G
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Jennie June
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Leader
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Lessing
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Milwaukee
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Minnesota G. H. A. X.
Minnesota No. 1
Minnesota K. L.
Monarch
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Reliable
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Ruby
Russell
Singer - Flat Shank
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Singer R. W. & W. Style
Seamstress
Secora
Service
Sewhandy
Standard
Standard G
Twentieth Century
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Vindex
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White Vibrator - Latest
White - Old Style
Wabash
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Western Electric RotarY
Western Electric, 2 Spool
Western Electric - Automatic
Willcox & Gibbs
Willard A
Windsor B
Wheeler & Wilson No. 9
Wheeler & Wilson No. 8