Loop Hook Orifice Threader and Beader
A uniquely shaped hook which allows a relatively large strand to be hooked securely without snagging or piercing and drawn through a relatively small orifice. The hook can be combined with an adjustable handle which will provide a point of leverage and a clip or ring that will allow the user to keep the device on the hand without holding it directly. A method of embellishing handwork using the device by which the user pre-loads one or more embellishments containing an orifice on the shaft, hooks a strand, slides the embellishment over the hook and onto the strand, and then unhooks the strand with primarily only one hand.
When threading an inherently flexible or bendable, relatively thin and narrow filamentous, fibrous, woven or spun strand-like entity, henceforth referred to herein as a strand 600, through a hole, tunnel, tube, loop, opening, or orifice, henceforth referred to herein as an orifice or an object that contains an orifice such as, but not limited to, a button, bead or charm henceforth referred to herein as an orifice object 500, it is one's natural inclination to simply push it through the orifice. This may work at times, but usually is not fast, easily accomplished, or convenient. This approach rarely works when the diameter of the strand 600 being threaded is close to or in some cases exceeds the diameter of the orifice, through which it is being threaded. This is especially true when the strand 600 is very flexible, tends to fold on itself during insertion and or compresses to form a larger diameter or consists of a cut end which frays, further increasing the diameter and stopping the strand 600 from passing through. It further becomes more difficult as the diameter of the orifice becomes smaller and the length of the orifice increases. Since pushing often proves to be of no use, many different tools have been developed for pulling a strand 600 through an orifice. These tools fall into four broad categories:
- 1. Tools which feature a closed loop such as a needle threader or an orthodontic floss threader or a needle. In order for these tools to work correctly one must have an open-ended strand to thread through the closed loop of the tool. Once the tool is threaded, it can be pulled or pushed in some way through the orifice. While these will work for an open-ended strand, they are not practical if one is seeking to thread a closed or semi-closed strand 600 through the orifice.
- 2. Tools which are, in general, open hooks and include crochet hooks, heddle threaders, and orifice threaders. These tools work by inserting the hook into an orifice, hooking a strand 600, and then retracting it through the orifice. These will pull both open and closed strands 600 through a compatible orifice size with reasonable success and with limited frustration, however, they do not work very well at all for applications outside of their intended design. For instance, they are incapable of hooking and pulling yarn through a small diameter orifice as found in many decorative beads. The hooks of these tools are often too shallow to accommodate the entire strand 600 and so the strand 600, in whole or part, slips off the hook before the threading process is complete. Those hooks that adequately accommodate the strand 600 are usually too thick to pass through the orifice. When a thin hook is required to accommodate the smaller orifice size, shafts often prematurely expand into a handle configuration that is too wide to pass through the orifice and thus do not emerge from the orifice to catch the strand 600. Hooks that are narrow and wire-like often split the strand 600 and either pierce or fray the strand 600 compromising its integrity in terms of strength and for appearance. The hook end also tends to catch on the orifice edge during retraction even when tools are being used as designed such as the frequent catching when using an orifice hook to pull spun fiber through the orifice of a spinning wheel.
- 3. Tools which are latched hooks featuring a hinged latch which closes the open hook and thereby captures the open or closed strand 600. These work well for larger applications, but are far too large for small applications such as threading small seed beads used in jewelry making. Not only does the latch hook hinge fold back on itself during insertion, which then increases the hook size, but it also has rigid construction that does not allow it to squeeze through smaller orifices. In addition, it generally features a relatively large teardrop shape further increasing the minimum orifice size.
- 4. Tools which are presently used by those skilled in the art such as a cut piece of sewing thread folded around the open or closed strand 600 to be drawn, both ends of thread brought together, threaded through an orifice, and then pulled so as to draw the strand 600 through the orifice. Since thread is thin and slippery, it is hard to grip. One then wraps the thread several times around the fingers in order to pull with adequate force to pull the strand 600 through the orifice. This may hurt the hands and can break the thread. This method is also time consuming, cumbersome, and requires two free hands to complete the process for the average practitioner. The thread is hard to see and is easily lost on the work surface or accidentally adheres to clothes or the project. Thread also tends to fold on itself significantly as it encounters resistance due to friction between it and the orifice surface and thus significantly inhibits threading the strand 600 through the orifice. The problem is exacerbated as the orifice passageway becomes longer. To counteract this problem, thread is often first inserted into a small-eyed needle to then be threaded through the orifice. This is yet another step which results in time loss and may require a needle threader to insert the thread into the eye of the needle.
In summary, the above methods are not efficient or convenient and work with ever increasing difficulty when the size of the strand 600 and orifice is reduced and the ratio of the strand diameter to the orifice diameter increases. Since people have been artistically working with strands 600 to create closed loops and/or stitches and have sought to embellish the work with beads and the like, no convenient and truly effective methods have been developed to easily add beads, buttons, and embellishments to stitches. Even today the authors of knit beading books will instruct the reader to use the standard inefficient, methods such as a crochet hook or a piece of sewing thread. The solution described herein has proven to provide an optimal solution to pulling almost any strand 600 through an orifice or pushing any orifice over a strand 600, especially for smaller orifice diameters. This very useful device design, as per a search, has not been suggested, published, developed or otherwise disclosed by those who would find it most useful over the period of at least the last 100 years for this purpose nor comprised in such a way as is described below.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA key component of this invention has been termed a “Shaft Hook” 100 and a particular embodiment is detailed in
The solution to effectively and efficiently pulling a strand 600 through an orifice, is the relatively long and thin shaft hook 100
The shaft 110 results in a continuous or attached upturned hook 112 which will then cross 114 the shaft 110 again in another plane with the terminal end 116 angled away from the strand 600 as it slides down the shaft 110 and into the hook 112. Most often this angle will be slanted away from the shaft 110 as shown in
The shaft hook 100 diameter and length, as well as the hook 112, cross 114, and terminal end 116 design will vary for different purposes and applications. This particular embodiment of the shaft hook 100 will accommodate a fine sewing thread to a size 5 or 6 (bulky) yarn and can be inserted into an orifice as small as approximately 0.055″ (1.5 mm) in diameter (such as a size 6 seed bead) and as long as approximately 0.75″ (2 cm) in length. The shaft hook 100 can be manufactured to accommodate many other size ranges.
As with any hook device that is retracted through an orifice some edge catching may occur at times, as is the case with existing orifice threader hooks, but this shaft hook 100 design will effectively minimize this occurrence. Use by those skilled in the art has shown that a little practice will effectively eliminate any catching. In addition, it should be recognized to anybody skilled in the art that this unique shaft hook 100 component can be mounted on a multiplicity of different handles, arms or machine fixtures to produce devices that effect easy and efficient manual or automatic use.
A particular embodiment of this invention is the device shown in
This Loop Hook Orifice Threader and Beader device
The preferred embodiment in
The intended use of this Loop Hook Orifice Threader and Beader
The process to use the preferred embodiment
In concept, all parts of the Loop Hook Orifice Threader and Beader
Claims
1. A shaft hook (100) comprising:
- a shaft (100) having an original end and a terminal end (116); and
- near said terminal end (116) said shaft (100) turns up via a curve or a series of angles through more than one plane forming an oblong hook (112) small enough to be threaded through a desirable orifice and large enough to hold a desirable strand (600) when said strand (600) is compressed under tension; and
- will cross (114) back over said shaft (110) or said hook (112) so that said terminal end (116) does not touch said shaft (110) or said hook (112) and said terminal end (116) is not angled in the direct path of incoming said strand (600) so that said strand (600) can be hooked without splitting or piercing said strand (600); and
- the point of cross (114) will be touching or nearly touching the shaft (110) or even carved out so as to allow the cross (114) to interlock over the shaft (110) effectively creating a space and mechanism for retaining the strand (600) in the hook (112); and
- between said original end and said hook (112), said shaft (110) may be straight or have one or more curves for best suitability for orifice shape or for storage of multiple items that could be threaded onto the shaft (110) prior to placing said items onto said strand (600).
2. The device of claim 1 further comprising a springy, yet rigid and resilient material with an optimal amount of “flex” and “give” so that the terminal end (116), cross (114) and hook (112) will each “give” slightly allowing for both the smallest possible orifice diameter to be threaded and the greatest possible strand mass to be hooked with a single shaft hook (100) unit without loosing shaft hook (100) strength or integrity.
3. The device of claim 1 further comprising a handle (300) with both a handle original end and a handle terminal end to which said shaft hook (100) original end is attached at or near said handle original end.
4. The device of claim 3 further comprising a feature which allows said handle (300) to adjust in span and make the distance from said handle original end to said handle terminal end shorter or longer.
5. The device of claim 3 further comprising a feature which allows said handle original end and attached said shaft hook (100) to freely rotate while said handle terminal end remains fixed.
6. The device of claim 3 further comprising an adjustable or fixed clip or ring (400) attached to said handle (300) so that it may be worn on the hand while in use.
7. A method of using said Loop Hook Orifice Threader and Beader device (FIG. 4) which is comprised of a shaft hook (100), a handle (300) including a span adjustment and a free rotation mechanism, and a clip or ring (400) to pull said strand (600) through any orifice or to push an orifice object (500), including but not limited to beads, buttons and charms over said strand (600) comprising the steps of:
- placing said ring or clip (400) on the hand and adjusting the handle (300), both in span and orientation, so that the shaft hook (100) is in line with the thumb and index finger;
- sliding said orifice object(s) (500) on said shaft hook (100) (loading);
- rotating said shaft hook (100) upwards so that said orifice object(s) (500) are kept in place until ready to use (storing);
- rotating said shaft hook (100) downwards so that said orifice object(s) (500) may slide down said shaft (100) (readying);
- hooking said strand (600) into said hook (112) by looping said strand (600) over said shaft (110), placing tension on said strand (600) to compress it, and slide said strand (600) down the shaft (110), through the cross (114) and into the hook (112) (hooking);
- pushing said orifice object(s) (500) down said shaft (110) and over said hook (112) and onto said strand (600) while applying counter force to said handle (300) (applying);
- removing said strand (600) from said hook (112) (releasing);
- rotating said shaft hook (100) to the upwards position so that remaining said orifice object(s) (500) are kept in place on said shaft hook (100) until ready to use (storing again);
- repeating loading, storing, readying, hooking, applying, releasing, and storing again as many times as desired and in any appropriate order
- removing said device (FIG. 4) from hand.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 27, 2015
Publication Date: Sep 10, 2015
Inventor: David Douglass Kollmar (Spring Grove, PA)
Application Number: 14/634,450