US2503576A

US2503576A - Knitting needle

Info

Publication number: US2503576A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1950-04-11
Anticipated expiration: 1967-04-11

Description

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0 7 3 :1\1\|.d md ../,llnmd F Patented pr. 11, 195' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KNITTING NEEDLE Samuel Baylin, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Application April 17, 1946, Serial No. 662,779

(Cl. Bti- 117) 2 Claims. l

The invention relates to a method of making knitting needles and the like, as described in the present specication and illustrated in the accompanying drawings that form a part of the same.

The invention consists essentially in eiiecting aiiare to one end of a needle shank for the purpose of combining with a needle head to complete the needle, or to form its own head, as pointed out broadly and specically in the claims for novelty following a description containing an explanation in detail of acceptable forms of the invention.

The objects of the invention are to devise a method for economically making a needle head at one end of a needle shank; to increase the production of needles by eliminating many steps that are ordinarily required; to effect a positive head to a needle shank which will forma part or become integral with the needle shank; to furnish a method that may be used for putting heads on solid or hollow needle shanks; and generally to provide a method for making needles that will be simple and economical to manufacture.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 illustrates the first step in the assembly of the head and shank of the needle.

Figure 2 illustrates the application of the head to the shank.

Figure 3 illustrates the head as squeezed on to the needle shank.

Figure 4 is a side illustration of the completed needle.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional View as taken on the line 5-5 in Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a top plan View of the needle.

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail of a modified form of head that may be used in the assembly.

Figure 8 illustrates a method of forming a head in one end of a needle shank, and illustrates tools forthe purpose.

Figure 9 illustrates this portion in its final stage and in the formation of the head.

Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmentary View i1- lustrating an end of a rneedle shank introduced in a washer type of head, preparatory to the compression stage.

Figure 11 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the compression of the head and needle together.

Figures 12 and 13 illustrate a further modification in the formation of a head to a needle shank.

Figures 14 and 15 illustrate a further modication for assembling the head to the needle shank.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the various gures.

Referring to the drawings, the body of the needle shank is made in the usual manner, hav-` ing a pointed end, and its other end is compressed in any suitable manner for the purpose of forming a flare, and this flare may be either the head of the needle or may form a means for aiding in securing the needle shank to a predetermined type of head.

It is lobvious that many different styles of heads may be made in this manner without departing from the formation of the flare at'one end of the needle shank, regardless whether the needle is of the solid or hollow type.

The material used to make the needle and theA accompanying head may of course be changed according to circumstances, but an acceptable material could be such metals as aluminum or magnesium.

The method of applying a head to aneedle shank is illustrated in Figures l to 6, and in this form it will be noted the needle Shanks are hollow, but of course they could be solid. One end of the needle shank, as indicated by the numeral 20, is introduced into an aperture 2| of a predetermined type of head 22 having a downwardly converging wall 23 and a top wall 24.`

The end of the needle shank is introduced in the head 22 and abuts the under surface of the top wall 2li. A punch or other pressure means is applied to the head 22, which will have the effect of depressing the central portion of the top wall 24 and simultaneously causing the wall 25 of the needle shank end adjacent to its upper portion, to flare outwardly and seat itself around the depressed portion of the top wall, at the same time, the downwardly converging wall 23 of the head 22 compresses the needle shank wall, causing the ends of the converging wall 23 to freeze the said needle shank wall in the indentation 26 developed by such action, thus finishing a solidly positioned head on the needle shank.

In Figures 8 and 9, the hollow needle shank 2l is shown as being engaged by a die 28 and a punch 29, the latter adapted to engage with the open end of the needle and by pressure, will are the circumferential edge 3U outwardly and laterally to form a flange 3l, and this flange 3| becomes the head of the needle.

In Figures 10 and 1l, a washer type of head 32 is applied to one end 33 of a hollow needle shank, and by means of dies, pressure is exerted through the top of the hollow needle and to the washer, the result being that the nare 34 thus formed on the needle end will overlap the circumferential edge of the orifice in the washer through which the needle shank is introduced, and the washer itself will be shrunk to the needle end. thereby completing the operation. In this method, the washer is really a flange which encircles the needle end .to become its head and leaving a free passage through the shank.

In Figures 12 and 13 the same procedure is followed as for. the previously described applications of thehead, but in this case the head 35 is so formed as to serve as a tool in itself when pressure is applied, and the interior formation is such that a locking recess 36 is provided to receive the ared top extremity of the needle shank 31 caused when pressure is exerted upon same. Naturally, the lower portion of the needle head is formed and shrunk on to the needle shank by a suitable die.

In Figures 14 and 15 is shown a somewhat similar shank and head, with the exception that the stem 38 of the head 39 projects below the bottom wall of the head and into the hollow needle shank for a considerable distance.

It will be noted from the aforegoing that prior to securing the needle head to the needle shank it is not necessary for the end of the needle shank to snugly t in the orifice of the head. The orifice of the head may be considerably larger in diameter than the circumference of the needle shank and when pressure is applied to the head and the shank the distortion thus created forces the skirt portion of the head to be impressed into the surface of the needle shank as well as upsetting the end of the needle shank and thereby completing a permanent fastening of the head on the needle shank.

It will be seen from the various modifications as hereinabove described, that the upper end of the needle shank is flared or otherwise distorted to form a gripping surface with the head to be applied, or the distortion is increased so as to cause the flare to extend laterally and exteri- 4 orly to the shank body in order to make its own head.

What I claim is:

1. A knitting needle comprising a metal shank and a separately formed hollow metal head having a top wall and inwardly inclined side wall deiining an aperture in the underside in which the butt end of said shank is fitted, the said needle being characterized in that, during assembly of said shank and head, the top wall of said head is centrally depressed to flare outwardly the butt end of said shank, and to force the wall of said head against said shank, thereby distorting the metal shank and locking the parts together.

2. A knitting needle comprising a shank in the form of a hollow metal tube, and a separately formed hollow metal head having a top Wall and inwardly inclined side wall defining an aperture in the underside in which the butt end of the shank is fitted, the said needle being characterized in that, during assembly of the shank and head, the top wall ofthe metal head is centrally depressed to flare outwardly the butt end of the hollow metal tube, and to force the Wall of the metal head against the shank, thereby distorting the shank and locking the parts together.

l `eAMuEL BAYLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS4