Yarn Dancer

Abstract

An electronic device incorporates a swift winder, an electronic thread feeder, and an electronic ball winder in one portable unit. A three-way switch selectively runs either the thread feeder or ball winder. A foot pedal controls the rate at which the thread feeder operates and the foot pedal comprises part of the unit. The unit houses a drawer where the swift winder and tool accessories are placed.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The yarn dancer pertains to the yarn or textile industry and comprising a unit incorporating several tools electronically operated.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Well known swift winders have been used to place a hank of yarn that is used to make a ball of yarn. This is normally sold by itself in the same fashion that a ball winder is sold. Ball winders are known to be electronically operated or manually operated. Ball winders are sold alone and have been known to have a clamp to allow it to be clamped to the edge of a table or any platform. No known device has incorporated both a swift winder and an electronic ball winder as a unit especially when combined with an electronic thread feeder.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a device used to hold a hank of yarn while it is being wound off by a ball winder making a ball of yarn. The device further incorporates an electronic thread feeder as well as making the ball winder electronically operated. The unit further incorporates a storage drawer to house components of the swift winder as well as a retaining system that retains a pair of arms of the swift winder. A 3-way switch allows the user to turn off the unit, operate the ball winder in conjunction with a foot pedal, or operate the thread feeder in conjunction with the same foot pedal.

The invention further incorporates a mechanical yarn counter so that one can measure the length of yarn being fed through the electronic thread feeder. Several eyelets are set before the yarn counter to keep any number of strings separated. As the strings pass through the mechanical counter, the strings pass through one eyelet and through the motorized feeder, which is controller by the foot pedal.

The invention further incorporates a dividing compartment that houses all the electronics components such as a pair of motors, the 3-way switch, a female plug, and a power socket. A separate box houses the foot pedal as well as its male plug that is attached to the foot pedal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an isometric right side view of the yarn dancer or unit.

FIG. 2 shows an isometric left side view of the yarn dancer or unit.

FIG. 3 shows a backside view of the unit.

FIG. 4 shows an isometric view of the unit opened.

FIG. 5 shows a top view of the unit opened.

FIG. 6 shows a front view of the unit opened.

FIG. 7 shows a right side view of the unit opened.

FIG. 8 shows an isometric view of the box housing the pedal and its male plug.

FIG. 9 shows an isometric view of the unit closed and its drawer opened.

FIG. 10 shows an isometric view of the unit opened and the swift winder set on top of a platform.

FIG. 11 shows an isometric view of the unit opened and the swift cone set on the ball winder.

FIG. 12 shows a front close up view of the electronic thread feeder and its components.

FIG. 13 shows an isometric view of the base of the unit and its compartment housing electrical components.

FIG. 14 shows a top view of the base of the unit and top view of the compartment.

FIG. 15 shows a close-up top view of the mechanical counter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows the yarn dancer or unit 10 closed up. The unit 10 is comprised of a base 12 and a main cover 11. The cover 11 includes a main handle 13 and a pair of hinges 12c as seen on FIG. 2. The main cover 11 has an arched shape on the outside thus forming an arched cavity 12f from within the cover as seen in FIG. 4. The unit 10 further incorporates a drawer 12a having a drawer handle 12m. The main cover 11 and the drawer 12a share two latching systems 12b to keep the drawer 12a and the main cover 11 closed. As shown in FIG. 4, the main cover 11 is divided into three compartments 12f by two shallow dividers 12n to keep balls of yarn, not shown, separated. Of course, the number of compartments and dividers can be changed as part of increasing or decreasing the number of balls of yarn used.

As shown in FIG. 2, the base 12 contains a pair of arm supports 12g projecting from the back of the base 12 so as to support a pair of swift arms 30a, 30b. Each of the swift arms is penetrated by a threaded fastener 12h that also projects from the back of the base 12. A wing nut 12j keeps the swing arms 30a, 30b fixed against the base 12 to be part of the unit for storage or carrying around.

As shown in FIG. 4, the unit 10 is shown opened with all its components set accordingly. The unit 10 includes a pedal container 20 which houses a foot pedal 20a with its male plug 20b as seen in FIG. 8. The pedal container 20 utilizes a latch system 20c to keep the pedal container 20 closed. The unit 10 includes a main support 12e where the pedal container 20 sits on top. The pedal container 20 can be prevented from shifting by being held on top of the main support 12e with hook and loop fasteners or any other fastener method that will prevent the pedal container 20 from moving. On top of the main support 12e sits a ball winder 19 that is fixed to the main support 12e. The ball winder 19 includes a cylinder support 19a, a thread guide 19b, and a pulley 19c. The pulley 19c drives cylinder support 19a to spin it as commonly known in ordinary ball winders. It should be noted that the inner mechanism of the ball winder 19 is not the crux of the invention but it is envisioned that that the cylinder support 19a is driven by inner mesh gears turned by the pulley 19c that is driven by a winder motor 27 containing a motor pulley 27a. As seen in FIGS. 4 and 7, the ball winder 19 is driven by a pulley 19c and a belt 19d passing through the motor pulley 27a.

The main support 12e further holds an electronic thread feeder 22 as seen in FIGS. 4-6 and 12, a cone support 23 fastened to the main support 12e with a fastener 23a as shown in FIG. 11, and a mechanical thread counter 28 fixed to the main support 12e as seen in FIGS. 5, 6, and 15. The cone support 23 allows a ball winder cone 17 to be frictionally fixed for storing away the ball winder cone 17 and allowing the cover 11 to be fully closed. A three-way switch 18 also sits on top of the main support 12e to selectively operate the electronic thread feeder 22, the electronic ball winder 19, or to turn the unit 10 off as seen in FIG. 5. When switched to the electronic thread feeder 22, the rate at which the thread feeder 22 rotates, is controlled by the user pressing on the pedal 20a similar to how an electronic sewing machine is operated.

As shown in FIG. 5, three eyelets 21 project from the main support 12e before the thread counter 28 and an additional eyelet 21 projects from the main support 12e after the thread counter 28. In this particular unit 10, up to three threads can be used to feed through the yarn counter 28 and go through the electronic thread feeder 22. As seen in FIG. 12, the electronic thread feeder 22 includes a pair of covers 22a, 22b that are pivotable relative to the main support 12e via hinges 22f. A first roller 22c is in direct contact with a second roller 22d. It should be noted that a thread or threads, not shown, will pass between the rollers 22c, 22d as the user crochets a garment. The first roller 22c contains an annular flange 22e and the first roller 22c is fixed to a motor shaft 25a operated by an electric feeder motor 25 as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. The electric motor 25 is controlled by the foot pedal 20a so as to control the rate at which the rollers 22c, 22d rotate. The foot pedal 20a gives the crocheter control of the rate at which the thread or threads pass through the rollers 22c, 22d. The second roller 22d is rotatably fixed to the main support 12e with a pivot shaft 26 projecting from the main support 12e. When operating the electronic thread feeder 22, the covers 22a, 22b protect the user and enclose the rollers 22c, 22d.

As shown in FIG. 9, the unit 10 is shown with its drawer 12a opened and housing the cross-bases 30c, 30d of the swift winder 30 as well as the pegs 30e that assemble the swift winder. It is noted that the swift winder 30 alone is not the crux of the invention and that other design configurations of collapsible swift winders can be used. To use the swift winder 30, the swift winder 30 can be placed on the main support 12e in the same location the pedal container 20 was located or set aside off the main unit 10 as desired.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the base 12 contains a divider 30c spaced away from the main support 12e and above the drawer 12a to create an electronics compartment to house all electronic components such as the feeder motor 25, the winder motor 27, the 3-way switch 18, the power socket 12d, a battery tray 12q, a female socket 14 which is connectable with the male plug 20b, and all the necessary wiring, not shown, needed to make the electronic components function together. The battery tray 12q is accessible by a battery cover 12p located outside the unit 10, mainly on the backside of the unit 10. It should be noted that the unit 10 can optionally be equipped with the battery tray 12q and its battery cover 12p so that the unit 10 can be made portable and not be tethered between a wall outlet and the power socket 12d.

As shown in FIG. 15, the yarn counter 28 comprises a mechanical number indicator 28a which tracks the length of yarn passing through the rollers 28c, 28d. The yarn counter 28 further includes an elongated slot 28b accessing the pair o roller 28c, 28d of which one operates the mechanical number indicator. The yarn counter 28 further includes a reset button 28e so as to zero the number indicator 28a. Although the invention envisions to use this mechanical number indicator 28a, other types of indicators can be used such as those that are in digital form having a digital display as well as use sensors in lieu of rollers to track the length of yarn passing through.

To use the ball winder 19, the user would place a hank of yarn on the swift winder 30 and thread it through the yarn guide 19b, which is adjacent to the ball winder cone 17 and fixed thereto as it is well known. The yarn guide 19b comprises a coiled rod that is fixed to the ball winder 19 but could as well be rotatable relative to the yarn guide so as to collapse the yarn guide 19b before closing the main cover 11 or be fixed separate from the ball winder 19 permanently fixed or rotatably fixed.

Other modifications would be apparent. The arms 30a, 30b of the swift winder 30 although set on the back of the base 12 could as well be made shorter to fit in the drawer thus avoiding to integrate the pair of arm supports 12g, the fastener 12h, and the wing nut 12j. The arms 30a, 30b, although shown in one size on the back of the unit, could as well be made shorter or longer in size. The arms 30a, 30b can be envisioned to be inserted into the base through a side opening on the short side of the base 12 so that the arms 30a, 30b are hidden from view and sit behind the drawer 12a. The latch systems 12b although used to connect the main cover 11 and the drawer 12a together can be replaced with four latch systems or two latch systems respectively connecting the main cover 11 and the drawer with the front panel 12k. The hinges 12c on the back of the cover 11 could as well be replaced with latches so as to make the cover removable from the base 12. The unit 10 as described above can be made to have foldable legs so that the unit can be raised or include permanent footings to raise the unit from a platform.

While no reference to specific materials has been described, it is well known to those in manufacturing, that the unit can be made from many materials especially those that are light weight so that the unit can be carried by a person.

Claims

1. A unit comprising a main base and a cover hinged to the main base; wherein the base and the cover both housing an electronic thread feeder, an electronic ball winder, and a portion of a collapsible swift winder.

2. The unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main base includes a divider and a mount support separated from the divider forming an electronics compartment.

3. The unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the main base further includes a drawer slidable from the main base and housing part of the collapsible swift winder.

4. The unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein a pair of cross supports and a threaded fastener extending from the main base; wherein the threaded fastener and the cross supports supporting the remaining portion of the collapsible swift winder; and wherein a lock fastener locking the remaining portion of the collapsible swift winder.

5. The unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a three-way switch selectively operable to turn the unit off, run the electronic thread feeder, or run the electronic ball winder.

6. The unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a foot pedal operable to control the electronic thread feeder.

7. The unit as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a container housing the foot pedal.

8. The unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a yarn counter comprising a number indicator and a reset button.

9. The unit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the yarn counter further comprises a pair of rollers and a slot; wherein one of the rollers controls the number indicator.

10. The unit as claimed in claim 9, wherein a set of three eyelets being fixed to the mount support on one side of the yarn counter, and a single eyelet being fixed to the mount support on an opposite side of the yarn counter.

11. The unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the thread feeder comprising a first roller and a second roller; wherein the first roller being supported by a feeder motor and the second roller being supported by a shaft.

12. The unit as claimed in claim 11, wherein the thread feeder further comprises a pair of covers hingable from the mount support and housing the first roller and the second roller.

13. The unit as claimed in claim 11, further including a foot pedal operable to control the feeder motor.

14. The unit as claimed in claim 13, the foot pedal including a male plug and the main base comprising a female socket connectable with the male plug.

15. The unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the electronic ball winder comprising a removable cone and the main support including a cone holder supporting the removable cone.

16. The unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the ball winder comprises a pulley, an electronic motor housed in the electronics compartment and a belt extending through the mount support from the electronic motor to the pulley.

17. A unit comprising a main base and a cover hinged to the main base; wherein the base and the cover both housing an electronic thread feeder, an electronic ball winder, and a portion of a collapsible swift winder; wherein the cover comprises at least one divider forming at least two shallow compartments.

18. The unit as claimed in claim 17, wherein the main base further includes a drawer slidable from the main base and housing part of the collapsible swift winder.

19. The unit as claimed in claim 18, wherein at least one latch connecting between the cover and the drawer keeping the cover and drawer closed.

20. The unit as claimed in claim 17, further comprising a three-way switch selectively operable to turn the unit off, run the electronic thread feeder, or run the electronic ball winder; and further comprising a foot pedal operable to control the electronic thread feeder.

21. The unit as claimed in claim 20, further comprising a battery tray within the main base and a battery cover outside the main base.