US2539479A - Knitting device - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 30, 1951 RQBERTSQN 2,539,479

KNITTING DEVICE Filed Jan. 21, 1949 INVENTOR LOU/E H. ROBERTSON ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 30, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KNITTING DEVICE Louie H. RObertsomElizabeth, N. J.

Application January 21, 1949, Serial No. 71,847

6 Claims.

This invention relates in general to a knitting device and, in particular, to a hand knitting devlce.

In the art of knitting it is well known that hand knit articles are highly prized and that they are, in general, much preferred over the relatively cheaper machine knit articles. Unfortunately, hand knitting has always been a tedious process and a highly skilled art requiring near perfection for the production of satisfactory results.

Now in accordance with the present invention there is provided a hand knitting device whereby a hand knit article of the finest workmanship can be made in a minimum of time by a worker with a relativelysmall amount of experience.

An object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a hand knitting device characterized by easy and convenient use to produce a knit article of excellent quality.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a hand knitting device comprising a frame on which knitting can be built and a primary knitting member, or needle, adapted t feed and gu de a knitting thread on and about the arms of the frame.

Additional objects of the invention as well as its construction, use, and operation will in part be obvious and will, in part, become apparent from the following description and in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of a knitting frame such as, for example, a coil according to one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the coil shown in Figure .1;

Figure 3 is 'afront elevation of :a 'primaryknltting'member adapted for use in conjunction with a knitting frame according to this invention;

Figure 4 is a side elevation in cross section of the primary knitting member shown in Figure 3, taken along the line -4;

Figure 5 is a front elevation of a knitting device in operation according to one embodiment of the invention, with a partially completed flat-knit article thereon;

Figure 6 is an end cross section of the member shown in Figure 1, taken along the line 6--.6; and

Figure '7 is a side elevation of a primary knitting member according to another embodiment of the invention.

The secondary knitting member or frame ll shown in F gure 1 comprises a relatively sturdy coil or the like, cons sting of a rod-like member l2 in the form of a circle, oval, rounded rectangle,

or the like, characterized by ending in two substantially parallel, adjacent arms [3, terminating in opposing directions and overlapping at least partially over their lengths. The ends or tips T4 of these arms are tapered to smoothly curved points 35 whereby they are adapted to receive threads of a'knit article being formed thereon.

The coil II is constructed of a durable and relatively stiff, self-supporting material such as metal, wood, natural or synthetic .plastic, .hard rubber, or the like, and is characterized by being at least sufficlently flexible to permit the arms l3 to retain themselves in an adjacent position one alongside the other and yet to be reversed in relationship by a simple twisting operation. As shown in the figure, these arms may be slightly operated or they may, if desired, lie substantially together.

This primary knitting member or needle shown in Figures3 and 4 comprises an elongated, atleast partially hollow, tube-like member or shank 2| having a curved or head member 22 integrally extending from one end thereof, and optionally extending at an angle therefrom. This head member 22, like shank 2! is hollow, and the hollow or passage 23 therein is a common passage extending substantially through the length of head 22 and opti nally at least partially through the length of shaft 2 I, terminating in opening 24 substantially at the tip of head member 22 and terminating at the other end in opening 26, op .tionally at the opposite end of shank 2|. For

ease of use and operation, the tip of the head member is preferably smoothly, but not sharply pointed, whereby it is adapted to be inserted between adiacent threads or under loops of knitting threads.

In F gure '7 there is shovvnanother embodiment of the structure of the primary knitting member or needle wherein the rearward opening 25 of the passage is short of the end of the shank, and wherein the base end of the shank or shaft is optionally enlarged and shaped as a handle for the purpose of easy use and o eration.

Referring again to Figures 1 and 2, there are shown therein preferred features of a specific embodiment of the frame or coil of this invent on.

As shown therein, the coil member H terminates in adjacent and oppositelydirected'arms 13 which extend overlappingly along each other. Along at least a portion of the length of arms I3 there may be recesses or grooves 34 with side or defining walls 32 and 31:3, extending back from the points 350i the arms and preferably "for a distance at least somewhat farther than the length of the armoverlap and, if desired, extending entirely around the coil I I. These grooves may lie in any desired plane, lying generally alon the front face of the coil and, if desired, facing somewhat upward or downward; however, as shown in Figure 6, a preferred embodiment of the invention contemplates that the recesses lie substantially in a common plane substantially vertically with respect to the frame member. The tips l4 and 35 of the framemember or arms l3, as shown in Figure l are preferably curved somewhat forward from the face of the coil, and thus the tip is tapered to a smooth but not sharp point extending slightly forward from the front face of the frame.

In Figure 5, the knitting device, comprising the coil ll of Figures 1 and 2 and the needle of Figures 3 and 4, is illustrated in a position of operation. According to this figure, a knitting thread or yarn 40 has been threaded through passage 23 of primary member 23 and has been intertwined into a partially completed knit article. Member .20 has then been inserted under the last formed loop 4!, carrying the working portion of the knitting thread with it, guiding the thread 36 around the tip M of arm l3.

The use and operation of the knitting device are readily apparent from the position of the respective members in Figure 5. The formation of a new loop or stitch is completed by withdrawing member 25 from under loop 4i and pulling thread 40 with an even, sure tension. Member 26 is then inserted under the next loop, between the loop and the frame and within groove 361. Member 26 is then passed therethrough to the position shown in Figure 5, with the thread once again looped around arm 13, and is again withdrawn as .be-

fore, forming a second new stitch or loop. This process, carried out in repetition, is the process corresponding to conventional purling.

To perform the operation known in the art as ,knitting the process just described is modified in that the needle, with thread at the back, is first inserted in the opposite direction (from right to left) through the loop and is then reversed to guide the thread around the tip of arm H3. The

primary member 28 is then withdrawn as before,

and the steps repeated with the next loop. This process, in repetition, corresponds to the conventional process of knitting, and the two processes in varied repetition yield a knitted and purled I article.

The starting operation or casting on is performed in much the same manner as the operation of knitting. A loop is formed around the upper arm E3, member 20 is passed therethrough from right to left and is then reversed to guide the thread under and about the tip of arm l3. The primary member is withdrawn and tension is applied to leave a second loop on the arm. This process is repeated until the desired number of stitches are cast on, whereupon the knitting and purling operations are commenced. By varying the procedures, by casting on additional stitches continuing the formation of new stitches until 4 the end of the row is reached. The unfinished stitches will then be on the upper arm, and most of the finished stitches on the lower arm. The knitted piece is then moved along the extension of the upper arm in such a manner that the completed stitches are slipped off the end of the lower arm. The frame is then turned so that the front of the knitted piece is toward the worker. The arm, which formerly was the upper and which now supports the row of incomplete stitches, becomes the lower arm. The needle is then inserted under the first stitch on the lower arm in the proper direction for a knit stitch or a purl stitch as the case may be, and the thread from the end of the needle is guided under and about the tip M of arm l3 as described above.

When th knitted piece is completed, binding 01f may be accomplished by inserting the needle tip under the first stitch, leaving a loose loop, withdrawing the needle and inserting it first through the loose loop and then under the second stitch. A loose loop is left, the needle withdrawn and again inserted first through the loose loop and then under the third stitch. This process is repeated until a single loose loop is left. The needle is then inserted through the final loose loop, the thread is broken and the loose end drawn taut.

This device is particularly adapted for the formation of circular knit articles and, in particu lar, small circular knit articles such as ties and small socks. Since the arms of the frame according to this invention are not actively used in directing of the knitting yarn, said arms are not required to be readily mobile and, accordingly, the frame may be very small in length or circumference and still have the limited degree of mobility required for use and operation.

In the process of circular knitting with this new device, a frame of the proper size is chosen and stitches are cast on in the desired number. The final stitch is joined to the first stitch by inserting the needle through the latter. The thread is then guided about tip Id of arm l3 in Figure 5 and the process, whether knitting or purling, is continued as previously described, until the desired length of the piece is attained. At any desired stage in the fabrication of the knitted article, circular knitting may be discontinued and fiat knitting begun. For example, a sock may be circular knitted down to the heel, the heel fiat knitted while the incomplete stitches are held at the rear of the frame, and circular knitting resumed after fiat knitting of the heel is completed.

The advantages of this new knitting device as well as variations and improvements therein will largely be apparent from the drawing and the foregoing description. For example, as an over all advantage, this device is capable of producing a high grade knit article even in the hands of a relatively unskilled worker. Inasmuch as this device operates on the novel principle in hand knitting of building a knit article on a fixed member or frame which is adapted to act only passively to receive the knitting operations, the device avoids numerous difficulties common to the prior devices and methods. Thus, the active and positive knitting' operations are all performed with member 29 which acts to direct and control'the travel of the knitting yarn, thereby permitting accurate and positive control throughout the operations. Likewise, the presence on the frame member of two arms which are firm, yet flexible, is a great aid in maintaining an even tension on the knit article, thus avoiding the frequent unevennesses characteristic of much hand knit Work.

With respect to variations according to and within this invention, it will be apparent that numerous changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. For example, the primary knitting member, or needle, may be fashioned as in Figure '7. Knitting thread from the main supply is threaded through opening 25 and emerges through opening 24. For convenience in maintaining proper tension on the knitting thread, the thumb or finger may be pressed against the thread at opening 25 when the needle point 22 is disengaged from a stitch. Pressure of thumb or finger is then released to ermit thread to feed easily through the needle. By the same token, variations of the frame member may also be made. Thus, for example, the unitary frame member may be replaced by a frame member 0r coil consisting of two or more separable parts, adapted to be assembled into a single member terminating in opposing arms. These and numerous other variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and are not to be considered as departures from the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In a knitting device frame consisting Of an elongated rod formed in a loop with the arms in opposing directions, adjacent, overlapping and substantially parallel over a significant portion of their lengths, a groove along at least one of said arms and near the tip thereof.

2. In a knitting device frame consisting of an elongated rod formed in a loop with the arms in opposing directions, adjacent, overlapping and substantially parallel over a significant portion of their lengths, a groove along each of said arms and near the tip thereof.

3. In a knitting device frame consisting of an elongated rod formed in a loop with the arms in opposing directions, adjacent, overlapping and substantially parallel over a significant portion of their lengths, a groove .along each arm for a distance at least greater than the length of overlap of said arm.

4. A knitting device comprising, in combination,

a frame consisting of an elongated rod formed in a loop with the arms in opposing directions, adjacent, overlapping and, substantially parallel over a significant portion of their lengths, and a gently pointed hollow needle adapted to receive a knitting thread therethrough and to guide said thread about the appropriate arm of the frame.

5. A knitting device comprising, in combination, a frame consisting of an elongated grooved rod formed in a loop With the arms in opposing directions, adjacent, overlapping and substantially parallel over a significant portion of their lengths, and a gently pointed hollow needle adapted to receive a knitting thread therethrough and to guide said thread into the groove under a previously formed stitch and about the appropriate arm of the frame.

6. A knitting device comprising, in combination, a frame consisting of an elongated grooved rod formed in a loop with the arms in opposing directions, adjacent, overlapping and substantially parallel over a significant portion of their lengths, and a gently pointed hollow needle bent at an angle of approximately 45 within one inch of the tip and adapted to receive a knitting thread therethrough and to guide said thread about said frame.

LOUIE H. ROBERTSON.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 606,215 Hill June 28, 1898 2,208,124 Dunn July 16, 1940 2,399,264 Semonsen Apr. 30, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 542,047 Great Britain Dec. 23, 1941,

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