GB2212922A - Course length measurement - Google Patents

Abstract

An instrument for measuring the length of a knitted course of yarn 12 comprises a winding cylinder on which the yarn can be wound substantially helically and indicator means indicating how much yarn has been wound. The instrument can be realised as a pocket model, allowing a long length of yarn to be measured on a small, pocket sized instrument, or a bench model. The indicator means may be a tape measure wound around the cylinder, or electronic shaft encoder means. The winding cylinder may have a helical groove into which the yarn is laid by a linearly movable guide. <IMAGE>

Description

COURSE LENGTH MEASUREMENT This invention relates to the measurement of course length in knitting.

"Course length" is the length of yarn that has been knitted into a course of stitches. A weight of ten grammes is hung on the yarn to remove the knitting crimp - this weight is insufficient to remove the crimp of the yarn Per se.

Clearly, the length of yarn can be supported from a clip and its straightened out length measured with a metre rule. Conventional laboratory course length measuring instruments comprise a vertically disposed metre rule with a clip at the top for holding the yarn, and a ten gramme weight which can be attached to the other end of the yarn.

While such apparatus is clearly of extreme simplicity and has substantially nothing that can go wrong, it is not portable.

The present invention provides course length measuring apparatus which is portable.

The invention comprises a course length measuring instrument comprising a winding cylinder on which the yarn can be wound substantially helically and indicator means indicating how much yarn has been so wound.

The instrument may comprise a helical guide for the yarn, which may comprise a groove.

The instrument may comprise helically disposed graduations, and may comprise a tape measure wound helically on a mandrel.

The instrument may comprise a spindle on which the winding cylinder is rotatably mounted, and may then comprise a winding handle adapted to wind the winding cylinder. The instrument may be a hand held instrument and may have a holding handle at one end of the spindle, the winding handle on the winding cylinder being on the end thereof remote from the said holding handle.

The instrument may then be a pocket instrument and of pen-like shape and size, the winding cylinder having a screw-thread-like yarn guide groove.

The winding handle may be deployable from a stowed position to a winding position - in a pocket instrument, the stowed winding handle could well double as a pocket clip.

The instrument may, however, be a bench instrument and have a stand holding the spindle horizontally.

The instrument may comprise a yarn laying guide which, during winding the yarn, moves uniformly from end to end of the winding cylinder to lay the yarn uniformly helically thereon. In an instrument of the kind having a spindle on which the winding cylinder is rotatably mounted, said yarn laying guide may be traversed along said winding cylinder by interaction-with a helical guide. A guide rod may extend parallei to said winding cylinder on which said yarn laying guide is slidably mounted.

The instrument may also comprise a weight adapted to tension the yarn remove knitting crimp, and means for stowing the weight.

The instrument may also comprise yarn clip means for the yarn end.

In an instrument of the kind having a spindle on which the winding cylinder is rotatably mounted, there may be provided counting means for counting the number of rotations of the winding cylinder to indicate the length of yarn wound thereon. Said counting means may comprise shaft encoder means. The circumference and pitch of the helical turns of yarn on the winding cylinder may be such that one complete turn of yarn on the cylinder is in length a complete standard unit of length (such as a centimetre or an inch) or a simple fraction of multiple thereof. The instrument may comprise length indicating means displaying the length of one turn of yarn on the cylinder multiplied by the number of turns counted by the counting means.

The instrument may be adapted to measure at least a metre of yarn while being portable - even pocketable - in size.

Embodiments of course length measuring instruments according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment, Figure 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment, Figure 2A is a fragmentary view of part of the instrument of Figure 2, and Figure 3 is a perspective view of a third embodiment.

The drawings illustrate course length measuring instruments comprising a winding cylinder 11 on which the yarn 12 can be wound substantially helically and indicator means 13 indicating how much yarn has been wound.

The drawings illustrate a helical guide 14 for the yarn 12. In Figure 1 the helical guide 14 is a groove, as it is also in Figure 3. In Figure 2, the helical guide 14 is an edge as shown in Figure 2A.

In Figures 1 and 2 the indicator means 13 comprise helically disposed graduations. In each case, the instrument comprises a tape measure 15 wound helically on a mandrel 16. The groove 14, the helical guide of Figure 1, comprises a narrow gap left between the edges of the tape measure 15. The edge, the helical guide of Figure 2, is one edge of the tape measure 15 which is overlapped on the opposite edge on the next turn.

The instrument of Figure 1 is a hand held and hand wound instrument.

Figures 2 and 3 illustrate instruments comprising a spindle 17 on which the winding cylinder 11 is rotatably mounted. The cylinder 11 has a winding handle 18 adapted to wind the winding cylinder.

Figure 3 illustrates a hand-held instrument having a holding handle 19 on one end of the spindle 17, the winding handle 18 on the winding cylinder being on the end thereof remote from the said holding handle.

The instrument illustrated in Figure 3 is in fact adapted as a pocket instrument, being of pen-like shape and size, the winding cylinder having its yarn guide groove 14 being screw-thread-like. The winding handle 18 is deployable from a stowed position (broken line) to a winding position (full line). In the stowed position, the winding handle (being spring-biassed towards the stowed position, for example, in known manner) doubles as a pocket clip and also serves as a clip to retain one end of the yarn being measured.

Figure 2 illustrates a bench instrument having a stand 21 holding the spindle 17 horizontally.

Figure 3 illustrates an instrument having a yarn-laying guide 22 which, during winding the yarn, moves uniformly from end to end of the winding cylinder 11 to lay the yarn 12 in the groove 14. The arrangement comprises a guide rod 23 on which the guide 22, mounted on a sleeve 24, slides, it having a groove runner 25 interacting with the groove 14 ahead of the portion being laid with yarn 12.

The instrument also comprises a weight 26 adapted to tension the yarn 12 to remove knitting crimp. The weight 26 is itself in the form of a clip which can grip the yarn. The weight 26 can be stored together with spare weights in a recess 27 in the base of the stand 21 of Figure 2.

While the winding handle 18 of Figure 3 serves as a clip for the yarn end, different clip means 28 of any suitable kind, e.g. spring loaded or magnetic are provided in the instruments Figures 1 and 2.

A counter 29 is mounted on the stand 21 of the instrument shown in Figure 2, the star wheel thereof being notched by a spike 31 projecting from the winding cylinder 11.

The pen-like instrument of Figure 3 can have an electronic counter operated from a shaft encoder - the electronics can be of the size found for example in ball-point pens which incorporate a digital clock, the battery being contained inside the holding handle 19.

Preferably, where no continuous graduations are provided as they are in the arrangements of Figures 1 and 2 or where a counter is provided as in Figures 2 and 3, the circumference and pitch of the helical turns of yarn 12 on the winding cylinder 11 are such that one complete turn of yarn 12 on the cylinder 11 is in length a complete standard unit of length (such as a centimetre or inch) or a simple fraction or small multiple thereof.

The digitial display 31 of the shaft encoder of the instrument of Figure 3 is in any event adapted to dispaly the length of one turn of yarn 12 on the cylinder 11 multiplied by the number-of turns counted by the counting means.

Within a relatively small size, whereof each dimension is much less than 1 metre, the instruments illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 can all be adapted to measure lengths of yarn of a metre or more.

Claims (21)

1. A course length measuring instrument comprising a winding cylinder on which the yarn can be wound substantially helically and indicator means indicating how much yarn has been so wound.

2. An instrument according to claim 1, comprising a helical guide for the yarn.

3. An instrument according to claim 1 or claim 2, said guide comprising a groove.

4. An instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising helically disposed graduations.

5. An instrument according to claim 4, comprising a tape measure wound helically on a mandrel.

6. An instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising a spindle on which the winding cylinder is rotatably mounted.

7. An instrument according to claim 6, comprising a winding handle adapted to wind the winding cylinder.

8. An instrument according to claim 7, the instrument being a hand held instrument having a holding handle at one end of the spindle, the winding handle on the winding cylinder being on the end thereof remote from the said holding handle.

9. An instrument according to claim 8, being a pocket instrument and of pen-like shape and size, the winding cylinder having a screw-thread-like yarn guide groove.

10. An instrument according to any one of claims 7 to 9, in which the winding handle is deployable from a stowed position to a winding position and, in a hand held instrument, doubling as a pocket clip.

11. An instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 8, being a bench instrument and having a stand holding the spindle horizontally.

12. An instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising a yarn laying guide which, during winding the yarn, moves uniformly from end to end of the winding cylinder to lay the yarn uniformly helically thereon.

13. An'instrument according to claim 12, of the kind having a spindle on which the winding cylinder is rotatably mounted, said yarn laying guide being traversed along said winding cylinder by interaction with a helical guide.

14. An instrument according to claim 13, comprising a guide rod extending parallel to said winding cylinder on which said yarn laying guide is slidably mounted.

15. An instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 14, comprising a weight adapted to tension the yarn to remove knitting crimp and means for stowing said weight.

16. An instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 15, comprising yarn clip means for the yarn end.

17. An instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 16, of the kind having a spindle on which the winding cylinder is rotatably mounted, and counting means for counting the number of rotations of the winding cylinder to indicate the length of yarn wound thereon.

18. An instrument according to claim 17, said counting means comprising shaft encoder means.

19. An instrument according to claim 17 or claim 18, in which the circumference and pitch of the helical turns of the yarn on the winding cylinder are such that one complete turn of yarn on the cylinder is in length a complete standard unit of length (such as a centimeter or an inch) or a simple fraction or small multiple thereof.

20. An instrument according to any one of claims 17 to 19, comprising length indicating means displaying length of one turn of yarn on the cylinder multiplied by the number of turns counted by the counting means.

21. An instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 21, adapted to measure a length of at least one metre of yarn.