Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Coil holder or support – Mounted coil holder or spindle
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-17
2001-10-23
Mansen, Michael R. (Department: 3653)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Coil holder or support
Mounted coil holder or spindle
C242S127000, C242S139000, C242S597700
Reexamination Certificate
active
06305637
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a handcraft apparatus for holding and dispensing yarn for knitting and crocheting. The apparatus presents an inexpensive and easy to use device for the tangle free delivery of yarn as required by the user.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
When knitting or crocheting, the yarn is typically drawn from a ball or skein placed on the floor. Significant drawbacks are inherent in this situation. The ball or skein is largely uncontrolled allowing them to roll or move around thus requiring the knitter to periodically stop and retrieve them. In addition, certain pets, particularly of the feline persuasion, are known to consider such things as a ball of yarn as playthings and will engage the artisan in games of fetch or keep-away requiring the knitter or crocheter to stop their craft-work and vie for control of the yarn. With the uncontrolled unraveling of the yarn, from whatever cause, tangling invariably occurs causing further disruption to the process.
It is recognized by knitters and crocheters that yarn is more likely to tangle if used from the skein as purchased than if it is unwound from its original skein and rewound on a spool of some sort For some knitters and crocheters, it is preferable to rewind the yarn even though this introduces an extra step in the knitting or crocheting process. There is therefore an opportunity for significant time savings if yarn can be used directly in skein form. For this reason, most of the inventions developed to solve these problems are intended to work with yarns in skein form.
The inventions that have been made to address these primary problems typically involve the insertion of a rod through the skein with the rod being either horizontally or vertically mounted so as to allow rotation of the skein. The goal with these devices is basically to control the movement of the skein to prevent or at least minimize tangling of the yarn and to control the rate of delivery of the yarn.
The simplest of these devices is depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,059,243 to Hartley which discloses a base member with hinged and foldable end members with a horizontal rod positioned between the end members. The rod is inserted through the skein and the yarn simply pulled off as needed.
A step-up is the device depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,457 to Johnson which encloses the skein-carrying rod or spindle inside top and bottom semi-cylindrical shells. The bottom portion acts as a base holding the spindle and skein. The top portion, which includes a carry handle, closes over the bottom portion.
The device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,655 to McCarthy, supports the skein vertically and is intended to provide a device which can be used with any size or skein configuration and includes a guide mechanism to route yarn to the user.
All of these devices achieve some measure of success; however, there is still a need for a device that is easy and convenient to use while holding and controlling the yarn during the dispensing operation.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an apparatus for holding and dispensing yarn for knitting or crocheting. The invention is designed to deliver yarn from a skein without tangling. Yarn is drawn from the skein by the user as needed. The device is configured to sit on a level surface such as a table top or floor in close proximity to the user.
In the preferred embodiment, the dispenser includes a base member having a recess or cavity at its approximate center for the attachment of a support member. In one embodiment of the invention, the upper end of the support member has a tapered tip. In another embodiment, the upper end of the support member has a rounded tip. A spool, which includes a tube having a closed upper end is lowered onto the support so that the closed upper end of the tube rests on the end of the support member so that the tube can rotate about the support member as yarn is drawn from the spool. A platform for holding the skein is attached to the lower portion of the tube. In one embodiment, the platform sits atop a platform support member attached to the tube which forms a shoulder to help support the platform.
The elements are sized so that the inner diameter of the tube is slightly greater than the diameter of the support member. Additionally, the overall length of the tube is most preferably slightly less than the length of the support member. The tube length above the platform should be sufficient to pass completely through a skein of yarn. The outer diameter of the tube must be sufficiently small to pass through a skein of yarn. The diameter of the platform should be approximately the diameter of the largest skein to be placed thereon.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the support member is removable from the base. This gives the user the ability to interchange support members and spools as the need arises. This also facilitates the storage or transport of the dispenser.
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for the continuous uninterrupted dispensing of yarn which is easy and convenient to use. A further object is to provide an apparatus which can be easily assembled and disassembled should storage or transportation of the device be desired. These and other objects, advantages, and benefits are accomplished according to the devices of the following descriptions of the preferred embodiments of the present invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 441454 (1890-11-01), Vileyn
patent: 2246713 (1941-06-01), Benson
patent: 2254468 (1941-09-01), Benson
patent: 2847172 (1958-08-01), Salkield
patent: 3302899 (1967-02-01), Keyser
patent: 4010600 (1977-03-01), Poole et al.
patent: 4112711 (1978-09-01), Tripp
patent: 4634077 (1987-01-01), Wilson
patent: 5042737 (1991-08-01), Sigle et al.
patent: 5842655 (1998-12-01), McCarthy
patent: 5975458 (1999-11-01), Goldthreate
patent: 2 135 346-A (1984-08-01), None
Back Diana
Baker & Daniels
Mansen Michael R.
LandOfFree
Yarn dispensing apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Yarn dispensing apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Yarn dispensing apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2563266