US2093631A - Knitting needle - Google Patents

Description

KNITTING NEEDLE Filed Junel, 1936 A ORNEY,

Patented Sept. 21, 1.937`

UNITED STATE KNITTING NEEDLE Ethel W. Burnham, Denver, olo.

Application June 1, 1

936, serial No. 82,913

13 claims. (c1. sis-111) This invention relates to improvementsin knitting needles of both the straight and circular type, employed in knitting ilat'or tubular articles, by either the Continental or other known methods.

It is the object of this invention to produce a knitting needle that shall be so constructed that it can be used with a crochet action instead of the usual knitting movement,'and which therefore enables the knitter to hold the thread in the left hand instead of the' right, and thereby eliminatethe movement required for throwing the loop over the needle. t

Another object is to provide a knitting needle l" having one end provided on one side with a double pronged hook, one prong of which is employed in the regular knitting operation, while the other is used in purling.

`A further object is to provide aknitting band having interchangeable points so that the knitting operation can be reversed by merely interchanging the points, thereby obviating the necessity of reversing the needle in the knitting.

A still further object is to provide a knitting needle havingone end terminating in a spherical point which prevents stitches from being accidentaliy dropped and which also prevents injury to the knitters finger if pressure is Iexerted thereon, the other end having a hook similar to a crochet hook.

The above and other objects that may appear are attained by means of a construction and an arrangement of parts that will now be described in detail, reference for this purpose being had to the accompanying drawing in which the needle has been illustrated, and in which Figure 1 is a view showing the complete needle;

Figure 2 is `a view of the left hand end portion of the needle, drawn to an enlarged scale, and partly in section; .A y Figure 3 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 2, but illustrating the right hand end of the needle; l

Figure 4 is a side elevation'o in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a view, partly in section, showing a modified form of construction;

Figure 6 shows a\rigid needle similar to that on the left end in Figure l;

Figure '7 shows a rigid needle similar to that on the right end in Figure i; and

Figure 8 is a side view of the hook .end of the needle, showing a slight modification.

The needle consists of a band having a central flexible section 5 constructed in a well known f the point shown ping stitches.

manner from wires coiled about a central flexible core, as shown in Figure l, or of two straight needles likeV those shown in Figures 6 and '7.

To each end of the flexible section a solid rigid piece `Ii is autogenously connected as by welding, 5

as illustrated in Figure 1, or by a threaded connection as shown in Figure 5. The pieces 6 are of greater diameter than the central section, and are tapered where they connect with the ends of the ends thereof.

At points marked 8'the tapered ends make an angle with the remaining portions of the parts 6 so as to prevent the formation of a sharpbend where they join the center section. A removable tip 9, preferably provided with a spherical point II), is connected with the left hand end piece 6 of the flexible central section by a threaded con-- nection, as shown in Figure 2. The piece 6 has an aiakthreaded opening, and the removable tip a threaded shank II. The joint between piece 6-- 20 and the tip 9 must be carefully made so that it will be smooth when the parts are assembled.

The piece 6 attached to the right hand end of the band 5 has a removable tip I2 attached to it by the same kind of a threaded connection shown in Figure 2. The threaded shank II of tip I2 is identical with the corresponding shank Vof tip 9 so that the tips may be interchanged.

The tip I2 terminates in a hook I3 having two prongs I4, whose shape can be clearly seen from Figures 3 and 4, in which the hook has been purposely enlarged relative to the tip for the sake of clearness. The/back I5 of the tapered shank of the hook is curved rearwardly so as to extend slightly to the rear of the tip I2 and is then forwardly inclined, forming a tapering head I6 and terminating in the point Il.

'I'he reason for providing the hook with two prongs is that one will always be in proper position for knitting and the other in position for 40 purling, when the latter is accomplished by the method in which the thread and the hooked needle are on top of the`other end of the needle.

`When it is desired to reverse the knitting the tips 9 and I2 are interchanged, whereby the di- 45 rection of the knitting can proceed in the opposite direction. If a needle having dissimilar ends is not provided with interchangeable tips, the knitting can only be reversed by reversing the needle in the knitting, which involves a considerable amount of labor and often results in drop- The spherical point I0 guards against the accidental dropping of stitches and saves the index finger of the right hand from injury if it is used to push against the lett hand end oi' the needle, as is sometimes done. It is possible to employ the needle with the spherical point III absent and the hook provided -as shown.Y

'Ihe spherical point -can also be used in the absence of the hook, or with a single hook, which modifications are contemplated.

The use oi' a hook of the crochet needle type simpliiles the knitting`operation for reasons already pointed out, and when a doubleV pronged hook is.used, the same advantage is had when purling by the method in the right hand end of theneedley are positioned on top of the left hand end.

The interchangeability of Ytips of diierent shape makes it easy to reverse the knitting. as it requires only the interchanging of the tips.

The tip 9 tapers outwardly from the joint and is several sizes smaller than the hook end, so as to facilitate the movement of the needle in the knitting, as it will feed faster andeasier by such a construction.

Instead of securing rigid pieces 6 to the ends oi the band andv then removably securing the tips 9 and I2 to` the end pieces -a construction like that shown in Figure 5 can be employed. .In this construction the 'piece B and tip 9 are com-v bined sofas to form a single rigid needle 6a and the piece 8 and hooked tip l2 are similarly combined.

When the construction shown -in Figure 5 is used one end of'the needle 6a is provided with a threaded socket for the reception of the thread- .ed end Ha of the iiexible band 5. When the tips-are to be interchanged to reverse the knitting they are unscrewed and interchanged as explained in connection with tips 9 may even have the threaded socket.

movable tips 8- and I2 arelidentical with those It is, of course, possible to embody -this invention with ordinary rigid needles, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. The parts designated as 6b are similar to that designated as 6av in Figure 5, and

The reshown in Figure 1. The method-of operation Y remains the same.

When tubular garments are knitted, a band `type needle is used,'but whenarticles like scarfs are knitted, straight needles must be used', in-

which case the -tlps are interchanged at each course.

It is to be understood that some instances l a single hook may be employed instead of a double hook, as indicated at i 8 in Figure 8.

Having described it e invention, what is claimed as new is:- v v which the thread and the prongs aocaosr 1. A pair of knitting needles, one of which has its working end provided with a spherical tip and the other needle having a two pronged hook, cooperative with the spherical tip.

2.' A pair oi.' knitting needles, one oi which has a tapered end portion removably attached thereto, and the other of which has a removable end portion whose tip is formed into a two pronged hook.

3. A pair of knitting needles having one end provided withthreaded sockets and the other ends terminating, one in a spherical point' and the otherin a hook.

4. A knitting needle having a central exible portion and rigid ends provided with unlike interchangeable tips, one oi which terminates in a spherical enlargement.

5. A knitting needle having a central flexible portion and rigid ends provided with lunlike in terchangeable tips, one of which terminates in a hook, and the othe in a spherical enlargement.

6. A knitting needle having a central flexible portion and rigid terchangeable tips, one

ends provided with unlike inoi' which terminates in a 1 double pronged hook. i

7. A knitting needle having a central flexible and a exible connection therebetween, and av two-prong-hooktip on one of the extremities,

xbeing on the same side of the extremity.

11. A knitting needle comprising a rigid shank, and a two-pronged pointed'tip on an -endv of the shank,- the'prongs being on the same yside of the shank.

12. In knittingequipmentya two-prongedhook for the knitting end of a needle, theprongs being on the same side of the hook; 1

. 13. As a new article of manufacture, av knitting4 'needle having a twopronged hook, the

prongs the needle.

beingon .the same side of ETHEL W. BURNHAM.

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