GB2147918A - Knitting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for hand knitting comprises hooked pins 5 arranged in two spaced parallel rows on a frame 1 with a slot 3 between the rows for the passage of knitted material. The pins 5 are formed with grooves 7 to receive a knitting hook and to facilitate the entry of the latter into the grooves sloping surfaces 11 of the frame are formed with lead-in grooves 3. In an alternative embodiment the pins which comprise base members forming the lead-in grooves are independently and detachably clipped onto longitudinal bars of the frame. The frame may have selectable detent positions round pivots 15. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Knitting apparatus This invention is concerned with knitting apparatus particularly apparatus for knitting by hand.

It is known to provide a knitting apparatus (particularly for use by children) comprising an elongate frame member, conveniently made of plastics material, having a slot extending lengthwise of the frame member (the slot extending completely through the frame member) and the latter being provided with two rows of pins arranged to extend upwardly from the frame member at evenly spaced localities along the opposite sides of the slot.

The pins each have a groove extending along the pin at a locality opposite to the slot and the pins have a hooked formation, each hook being formed by a small plate-like member which caps the grooved portion of each pin.

In using the known apparatus the wool (or other cord-like material) to be used in the knitting operation is first passed around the required number of upstanding pins in the two rows thereof twice (the free end of the wool being anchored eg. to one of the pins) and, by means of a suitable hand-held hook, the second strand is raised over the hooked portion of each pin in turn to form a stitch loop around each pin. The wool is then laid around the pins again and the loops are lifted over the newly laid strand and the process is repeated to form a knitted fabric which passes downwardly through the slot as the operation proceeds. Conveniently the upstanding pins are spaced from each other by spaces approximately equal to the width of the pins.

Attempts have been made to utilise apparatus as just described as an aid to enable handicapped people to knit. However, the known apparatus is flimsy and the frame is likely to bend when gripped. Furthermore, particularly with certain types of disabiiity, the knitter finds it difficult to locate the hook correctly in the groove of each pin in order to engage the stitch loop surrounding that pin.

For example a person having poor co-ordination of hand movement is likely to insert the hook through the gap between the adjacent pins instead of into the groove in the pin, so that, when the hook is raised, the stitch loops are puiled off the pins and the stitches are 'dropped'.

With a view to overcoming or minimising the above-mentioned difficulties, it is proposed to provide a substantially rigid frame member, preferably of die-cast aluminium, with sloping upper faces so formed that the thickness (depth) of the frame member increases from the outside edge to the slot which is surrounded by the upstanding pins.

The sloping faces are provided with grooves which lead into the grooves in the corresponding pins thus providing lead-in guides to help the user locate the hook in the grooves in the pins and thus facilitate the formation of the stitches.

With a view to providing further improvements in the aforesaid knitting apparatus it is proposed to provide an apparatus in which what are described previously as upstanding (hooked) pins (which pins are integrally formed with a slotted frame-member) are replaced by a plurality of separately formed hooked teeth, which are conveniently manufactured, by an injection moulding technique, from a plastics material, preferably Nylon 6.

The teeth are assembled in the apparatus by being clipped over a pair of tooth supporting bars which are arranged to lie parallel to each other and provide, between them, a slot through which the knitting passes. The tooth supporting bars are conveniently made from an extruded aluminium hollow profile of generally rectangular cross-section cut to appropriate length, opposite end portions of the bars being secured in rectangular housings in the form of depressions formed in a pair of end plates, thus providing a rigid tooth-supporting structure of good torsional rigidity and which is unlikely to distort under hand pressure during the knitting operation. The end plates just referred to may conveniently be formed by zinc die-castings.

The tooth-supporting structure is conveniently pivotally supported in a support frame in a manner generally similar to that described above. However, with a view to providing for ease of assembly, cheapness of manufacture, and robustness, the support frame preferably comprises a pair of support end plates, again made by a zinc die-casting process and shaped to receive opposite end portions of a wooden base-plate to which the end plates are secured. The end plates are also provided, during the die-casting process, with pivot pins for the tooth-supporting structure and with a locating member for locating the same in one of three different positions of tilt relatively to the support frame.

Thus an apparatus in accordance with the present invention may be assembled from a very few cheaply produced, but strong and light, components. Sets of teeth of different pitch may be provided to provide for different sized stitches in knitted articles made on the apparatus. The teeth may be clipped on to the two supporting bars either in staggered or opposed relationship. Gaps may be left between adjacent teeth if required to provide readily for different stitch patterns.

There will now be given, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a more detailed description of an apparatus, illustrative of the invention. It is to be clearly understood that this apparatus is selected for description by way of exemplification, and not by way of limitation, of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of apparatus according to the invention having a die-cast aluminium frame: Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the appratus having replaceable knitting teeth; and Figure 3 is a view, chiefly in longitudinal cross section on the line Ill-Ill in Figure 2, of one end portion of the illustrative apparatus.

As will be seen in Figure 1, the apparatus comprises an elongate frame member 1, preferably of die-cast aluminium, having a slot 3 extending lengthwise of the frame member, the groove extending completely through the frame member. Upstanding from the frame member, at opposite sides of the slot 3, are two rows of spaced pins 5 having grooves 7 extending lengthwise of the pins (ie.

heightwise) at outwardly facing sides thereof.

The pins are hooked as shown in the drawing, the hooked formation being provided by small plate-like portions 9 which cap the upper ends of the grooves 7. The frame member 1 is provided with sloping upper surfaces 11 (ie.

the depth, or thickness, of the frame member increases from its outside edges to the slot 3) in which are formed grooves 1 3 leading into the corresponding grooves 7 in the pins 5.

The frame member 1 is pivotally supported on pins 15 extending inwardly from upstanding end portions 1 7 of a support frame having a slot 21 in its base through which the knitted material can pass, and may be locked in one of three positions (either a central position as shown, or inclined somewhat towards one side or the other) for convenience in handling.

The locking means comprises a fixed pin (not shown) which extends from one of the upstanding end portions 1 7 with one of the three locating holes formed in the frame member 1. To release the frame member from the locating pin, the frame member can be displaced lengthwise of its pivot pins 1 5 against the action of a spring (not shown).

It will be appreciated that the grooves 1 3 leading into the grooves 7 in the pins are likely to facilitate the correct engagement of the knitting hook with the grooves in the pins and the sloping surfaces 11 tend to act as barriers barring unwanted entry of the hook into the spaces between the pins.

The apparatus shown in Figures 2 and 3 comprises a plurality of upstanding pins (in the form teeth 5' hereinafter described) which correspond to the pins 5 referred to previously and are arranged in two spaced parallel rows to provide a slot 3 between the rows through which slot the knitted material passes during a knitting operation.

In the illustrative apparatus the teeth 5' are detachably supported on a pair of spaced bars 1'. The bars 1' are cut from an extruded aluminium hollow profile having a generally rectangular cross-section as shown in Figure 2 to provide a rigid but light construction. Opposite end portions of the bars 1' are received in rectangular recesses or housings 2 (commensurate with the cross-sectional dimensions of the bar so as to provide a tight fit therefor) formed in end plates 4, to which the bars are firmly secured by self-tapping screws 6 extending through bores in the end plates into a split-cylindrical bead 8 provided within each bar 1'. Inwardly directed flanges 10 provide strength to the bar profile. The arrangement described provides a light but strong structure for supporting the teeth 5' which is unlikely to twist or distort during use of the apparatus.

The end-plates 4 are pivotally supported on pivots 1 5 extending from a pair of support end plates 17, these plates being secured to opposite end portions of a wooden base-plate 1 9 which end portions are received within housings 20 formed in the support end plates 1 7 and secured by screws 22.

The tooth-supporting frame. comprising the bars 1' and the end-plates 4, may be located in a selected one of three possible positions of tilt about the pivots 15, by means of a poppet 24 (Figure 3) extending from one support end plate 17 into one of three detents 26. 28, 30 formed in the adjacent end plate 4 (Figure 2).

The spacing between the support end plates 1 7 and the end plates 4 of the tooth-supporting frame is arranged to be such as to allow slight endwise movement of the frame relatively to the pivots 1 5 to allow disengagement of the poppet 24 for the detents 26, 28. 30.

a compression spring (not shown) being provided around the pivot 1 5 between the end plates 4 and 1 7 at the opposite end of the apparatus to that shown in Figure 3 to hold the poppet 24 and selected detent in engage ment.

The support end plates 1 7 are also conveniently formed by a zinc die-casting process whereby the pivot 1 5 and detent 24 may be formed integraily with the plates 1 7 (only 50% of which will be provided with the poppets 24, since they are not required on the plate 1 7 at the opposite end of the apparatus).

As will be clear from Figures 2 and 3 each hook 5' comprises an upwardly extending portion 39 terminating in an upper plate-like overhanging portion 32 providing the hook proper for retaining the wool on the hooks until lifted thereoff during the knitting operation by manipulation of a hand-held knitting hook (not shown). For guiding the latter each hook 5' is provided with a groove 7 extending along the upstanding portion 39, while a base portion 34 of each hook has a lead-in guide groove 1 3 which leads into the groove 7 for the purpose described above in relation to Figure 1. Each base portion 34 is provided with two depending legs 36 having inturned portions 38 arranged to clip around the sup port bars 1' as shown in Figure 2, and to hold the teeth firmly in place thereon. By springing apart the legs 36 slightly a tooth may be easily detached from its bar, either for repositioning to provide gaps as above-mentioned, or when it is desired to replace the teeth with teeth of a different pitch. Each groove 1 3 is formed between wall portions of the base portion 34 of each tooth 5' provided with sloping upper surfaces 11 providing barriers between the grooves 1 3 in adjacent teeth tending to bar unwanted entry of the knitting hook into spaces between the hooks 5' for the purpose described previously.

Claims (7)

1. Knitting apparatus comprising an elongate frame member having a slot extending lengthwise of the frame member and completely through the frame member and knitting pins disposed on the frame member at evenly spaced locations in two rows along opposite sides of the slot, the pins extending upwardly from the frame member and being of hooked formation and grooves extending along the pins at locations opposite to the slot for guiding a knitting hook, wherein the frame member is substantially rigid and is formed with sloping upper faces so formed that the depth of the frame member increases from the outside edge to the slot which is surrounded by the upstanding pins, the sloping faces being provided with grooves that lead into grooves in the corresponding pins thus providing lead-in guides that help the user locate the knitting hook in the grooves in the pins and thus facilitate the formation of stitches.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the frame comprises longitudinal members and end plates and the end plates are pivoted in a stand, releaseable locking means hoiding the frame in one of a number of predetermined attitudes relative to the stand.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the longitudinal members are defined by bars of non-circular section on which clip removable knitting pins.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein each knitting pin is moulded in a plastics material and comprises a body, legs depending from ends of the body to clip onto a longitudinal bar and an upstanding hook portion.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein there are also mounted on the bars dummy pins devoid of hooks.

6. Apparatus according to claim 3, 4 or 5, wherein the releaseable locking means comprises a poppet and detents.

7. Knitting apparatus substantially as here it before described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1 or Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.