US2344370A - Illuminated knitting needle - Google Patents

Description

March M, 1944. s. SHAPIRO ILLUMINATED KNITTING NEEDLE Filed March 2'7, 1942 Patented 14,- 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ILLUMINATED KNITTING NEEDLE Samuel Shapiro, Brooklyn, N. Y. Almlicai ion March 27. 1942, Serial No. 436,474

' 1 Claim. (01. 24o-a4s) This invention relates to knitting needles, and more particularly to an illuminated knitting needle. light, or because of poor eyesight, in clearly seeing the point of a knitting needle, and it is necessary for them to therefore to work under strong light, which is disadvantageous and in many cases uncomfortable. Moreover, due to present war conditions, it may be desirable for a knitter to continue knitting during black-outs, real or practice, and to be able to see the work without the use of any light discernible more than a few feet away.

An object of this invention is therefore to provide a knitting needle and its attachments, which may be used during black-outs or which may be used in dim light without straining the eyes and without discomfort and inconvenience to the user. I 1

A further object is to provide a simple, light and inexpensive mechanism which will convey light to the point of the needle and only to that point where the stitches need to be seen.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a needle embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the needle unit;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

While I have shown a single needle, it will be appreciated that the unit may be used either with two units of this type or with one needle of this type and one conventional needle.

My unit in consists of the conventionally shaped needle H made of Lucite or some similar plastic which has the characteristic of transmitting light through it without emitting light except at the end or tip thereof l2. At the blunt end 01' he needle is mounted a lighting unit I! comprising a housing I! which may be of any convenient shape and construction but which may be made of light materials having a threaded end It tapered at its inner edge at IT.

A chuck I; having a bore I9 is provided to receive the end 20 of the needle. A collar 2| having an aperture 22 is adapted to force the Many people have diiiiculty "in poorchuck inwardly against the tapered inner portion I1 to firmly fix the needle in the chuck. At the opposite end 25 the housing I5 is in ternally threaded at 25 to receive the plug 21 in which is mounted the light bulb 28 and-the wires 29 leading thereto. The wires 29 may be very light in weight and of any convenient length. The wires 29 lead to the conventional battery unit 30 mounted on the clamp 3|. 'The battery unit comprises a housing 32 havin spring contacts of the conventional type, a battery (not shown), and a screw plug 33.

It will be readily seen that by screwing up the plug 33, the battery may be brought into contact with the contacts to close the circuit and to light the bulb 28. The efllciency of the device may be increased by furnishing a lining 24 of material which will not readily absorb light. It may be a separate lining or a non-absorbent paint.

It will be seen that when the plug 33 is closed up to light the light 28, the light will be transmitted through the needle II to the tip I2 thereof, so that the end of the needle will be plainly visible even in the dark from a distance of several feet and the knitter will be readily able to see the point of the needle and the stitches without the help of exterior light.

The clamp 3| may be positioned on the knitter's forearm or on the arm of a chair, or in any convenient position and should be resilient in construction for convenience.

It will also be appreciated that because of the nature of the chuck I8, the needle ll may be extracted therefrom for use without the lighting means by loosening the collar 2| and loosening the pressure on the chuck.

I claim:

The combination with a knitting needle having a tip end and a blunt end made of plastic having the characteristic of transmitting light therethrough, of a lighting means positioned adjacent the blunt end of said needle, said lighting means including a housing, an adjustable chuck engaging the blunt end of said needle. a light in said housing, a battery source, a flexible wire running from said housing to the battery source, and means for positioning said battery source on the arm of the knitter or adjacent said knitter. a

SAMUEL

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