US3309040A - Reversible spool unit for knitting yarn - Google Patents

Description

March 14, 1967 D. D. STANCIL 3,309,040

REVERSIBLE SPOOL UNIT FOR KNITTING YARN Filed Oct. 18, 1965 K H INVENTOR Dimple D. Sfancil BY 5 .FZ-f 5 j u dfiz 5 4/9645 A OR M EYS United States Patent Ofifice 3,309,040 Patented Mar. 14, 1967 3,309,040 REVERSHBLE SPOOL UNIT FOR KNITTING YARN Dimple Dee Stancil, 4404 E. 3rd St, Stockton, Calif. 95206 Filed Oct. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 497,260 3 Claims. (Cl. 242-139) This invention relates to domestic or in-the-home knitting operations, and particularly to knitting operations of the type which require the use of two runs of yarn from separate spools in order to knit the desired article.

In the course of such a knitting operation, the runs of yarn recurringly become crossed at a point between the spools and the knitter. When this occurs, it has heretofore been necessary for the knitter to manually pick up the spools of yarn and reverse their positions (on the floor or table as the case may be) in order to eliminate the crossed arrangement of said runs of yarn and as necessary to proceed with the knitting.

It is the major object of this invention to eliminate the inconvenience and loss of time to the knitter occasioned by the present yarn-uncrossing method, by providing a unitadapted to upstand on the floor in front of the knitter-which supports a pair of spools of yarn in transversely spaced relation, and is provided with means whereby when desired such spools may be quickly and easily reversed in position by foot action and'without the knitter having to change her position or temporarily lay down the article being knit.

A further object of the invention is to provide a reversible spool unit for knitting yarn which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture, and convenience of use.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a practical, reliable, and durable reversible spool unit for knitting yarn and one which is exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the reversible spool unit, showing the spools empty.

FIG. 2 is a somewhat enlarged transverse sectional elevation of the spool unit, taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the spool unit, showing the runs of yarn leading uncrossed from their respective spools.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of the spool unit, showing the runs of yarn as crossed, and illustrating the method of uncrossing said runs.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional elevation of one of the spools and its mounting means.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings :and to the characters of reference marked thereon, the reversible spool unit consists of a supporting base of stoollike form, indicated generally at 1, which comprises a top or platform 2 supported at a suitable height from the floor by legs 3.

Turnably supported in and upstanding from the platform 2 is a rotary post 4 which on its upper end is fitted with a rigid cross bar 5; said cross bar being fixed on the post for rotation therewith.

The cross bar 5 extends transversely equal distances on opposite sides of the post 4, and adjacent each end such cross bar supports an upstanding spindle 6 which is preferably threaded on its upper end.

Freely turnable on each spindle 6 is a spool 7 on which the yarn is wound before the spool is placed on the spindle. The base flange of the spool when mounted on the spindle 6 rests on an anti-friction disc 8 so as to allow the spool to turn freely and with a minimum of resistance.

Each such spool 7 is removably held on its spindle 6 by means of a cap nut 9 mounted on the spindle at its upper end; the nut being of such form that it may be readily manipulated by hand.

In order to rotate the post 4 and the unitary cross bar 5 through a degree are when necessary to reverse the positions of the spools 7, the following arrangement is provided:

Disposed mainly in front of the base 1 and ajacent the floor, is a pair of transversely spaced foot pedals 10 which project at their rear ends under the platform 2; said foot pedals being transversely pivotally mounted at their front ends on a cross rod 11 end-supported by L-shaped hangers 12 depending from said platform 2.

At their inner or free ends the foot pedals 10 are connected to the ends of a relatively taut, flexible but nonstretchable cord 13 which is wrapped about and secured at a suitable point to a vertical axis pulley 14. This pulley is fixed on the lower end of the post 4 directly below the platform 2, as shown in FIG. 2. The cord 13- between the pulley 14 and the foot pedals 10is guided through suitably positioned, direction-changing eyes 15 mounted on and depending from the platform 2. With this arrangement, the end portions of the cord can extend vertically to corresponding foot pedals, While the intermediate portion of the cord extends about the pulley in a horizontal plane.

The point of connection of the cord 13 with the pulley 14 is such that-when the cross bar 5 extends transversely of the baseone pedal 10 is in raised position while the other pedal is in lowered position, as shown in FIG. 1.

When the runs 16 of the yarn become crossed, as shown in FIG. 4 (as recurs during the knitting operation) a reversal in the relative position of the pedals 10, by downward foot pressure on the raised pedal 10, will cause the pulley 14, post 4, and cross bar 5 to be rotated through an arc of 180 degrees in one direction. Such rotation will, of course, reset the cross bar 5 in a transverse position on the base but with the spools 7 thereon reversed in posi tions; i.e., with spool A occupying the position relative to the knitter originally occupied by spool B, and with the runs of yarn uncrossed.

When it is necessary to next reverse the spools, depression of the then raised pedal (which had been previously raised by the depression of the other pedal) will impart the desired return rotation of the cross bar in the opposite direction and to its initial position, again uncrossing the runs of yarn.

Prior to each operation or reversal of the described spool unit, the knitter lifts the knitting to an elevation such that the runs 16 of the yarn incline upwardly from the respective spools and so that the 1atteras they move to reversed positions-may pass under such runs without entanglement therewith.

If desired, an additional spool 7A may be mounted on top of the post 4, but such spool is merely a spare intended for the reception of a supplementary supply of yarn.

From the foregoing description, it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a reversible spool unit for knitting yarn as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the reversible spool unit for knitting yarn, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following isclaimed as new and useful and upon which Letters Patent is desired:

1. A reversible spool unit for knitting yarn compris ing a base, a post upstanding from the base, a cross bar mounted on the upper end of the post, a pair of spindles to rotatably support spools of yarn mounted onthe cross mounted on and below.the platform and applied to the. post 'below said platform to rotate the post through any are of 180 degrees.

2. A reversible spool unit, as in claim 1, in which said last named means comprises a pulley fixed on the lower end of the post,'a pair of transversely spaced separately operable foot pedals supported from the platform below the same, the pedals normally being disposed one in raised position and the other in lowered position, a relatively taut cord connected at its ends to the pedals and intermediate its ends wound about the pulley, and directionchanging guides on and depending from the platform and through which the runs of the cord pass between the pedals and the pulley.

3. A reversible spool unit, as in claim 2, in which the cross bar extends transversely'when either pedal is in raised position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,678,806 7/1928 Colman 242-129.7 2,147,483 2/ 1939 Churchill 13929 2,961,185 11/1960 Seigle 242l30 3,129,605 1 4/1964 Bonnell et al. 74-512 X FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

L. D. CHRISTIAN, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A REVERSIBLE SPOOL UNIT FOR KNITTING YARN COMPRISING A BASE, A POST UPSTANDING FROM THE BASE, A CROSS BAR MOUNTED ON THE UPPER END OF THE POST, A PAIR OF SPINDLES TO ROTATABLY SUPPORT SPOOLS OF YARN MOUNTED ON THE CROSS BAR IN DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED RELATION TO AND SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL DISTANCES FROM THE POST, THE CROSS BAR BEING FIXED ON THE POST FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, THE BASE INCLUDING A HORIZONTAL PLATFORM RAISED RELATIVE TO A SUPPORTING FLOOR, MEANS TURNABLY MOUNTING THE POST IN THE PLATFORM WITH THE POST PROJECTING THEREBELOW AND FOOT ACTUATED MEANS MOUNTED ON AND BELOW THE PLATFORM AND APPLIED TO THE POST BELOW SAID PLATFORM TO ROTATE THE POST THROUGH AN ARC OF 180 DEGREES.

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