Crocheting aid

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Drawing sheet — no readable text.

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blade and a threaded thumbwheel 20 bears against the

CROCHETING AID blade. By turning the wheel 20 bears against the blade. By turning the wheel 20 the displacement of the blade

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 5 (equals its pressure) can be adjusted. To prevent wheel There are many persons who have experienced how 20 from falling off accidentally, the end of bolt 21 is a physical disability inhibiting a skilled activity in which thickened in some manner. In the illustrated embodi one had attained a degree of familiarity and perfection ment a retaining clip 21a is provided which fits into a (such as playing an instrument, or crocheting colorful groove on bolt 21. (FIG. 3).

sweaters) can be a big frustration. Often it is only one As can best be seen from FIG.3there is also provided hand that refuses to follow suit whereas the other hand 10 a strip of fabric 22 preferably made of nylon or the like, is still healthy. In such cases it would be desireable to which at one end is molded between bridge 17 and assist the disabled hand by auxiliary means to play the component 18 and extends to the right ending in a cylin

drical part 22a. Glued to this end is a yarn holder 22b

MAIN OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 15 The substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of B. same has extension arms 22c ending in a half

Accordingly, it is the main object of the invention to rounded enable a person to take up crocheting in spite of having able. plate 22d. The arms 22c are elastically displac one of the hands incapacitated.

A further object is to render such means attachable to Referring now to FIG. 4, a modified construction of the disabled hand in a simple manner. 20 yarn holder 22a is shown which is divided into two Still further an object of the invention is to hold the separate members 23 and 24 that are telescopically ad crocheting yarn close to the forefinger of the disabled. justable respective to each other in order that the plate Another object is also to provide means for imitating 22d thereof can be selectively extended closer or further the resilient holding of a yarn to feed the yarn to the from the tip of the finger as individually wished by the crocheting point under a slight tension which is needed 25 person. This is accomplished by a screw thread 26 on for the crocheting process. the inner side of member 24 being engaged by a BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS threaded nut 27 supported rotatably free on a shaft 28 secured to the member 23.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention shown Thus by brushing a hand or other finger across the in use by a person with a right disabled hand. 30 exposed side of the nut, it can be rotated in either direc FIG. 2 is a top view thereof shown fragmentarily. tion for making the adjustment easily. Accordingly, a FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view on line 3-3 of FIG. knurl could be provided on the outer edge of the nut 2. teeth so to frictionally allow it to rotate still more easily, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a modified design of such knurl being transversely to the thread. the yarn holder thereof and which is adjustable in 35 The manner in which this part is attached to the hand length so as to selectively have it extend closer or fur 10 can be discerned in FIG. 1.

ther from the finger end, as wished by a person.

USE OF THE DEVICE

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other objects are achieved by a device 11 FIG. holds 1 is largely self-explanatory. The healthy hand the crocheting needle and weaves the yarn into providing in combination a lateral guidance portion to loops thereby prevent the yarn from deviating sideways; a feed resis tain amount ofdrawing on more yarn to follow. A cer tance generating portion to retard the supply of fresh the crochet needle. Thismust resistance be offered by the yarn to yarn to the crocheting needle held by the fit hand; and duced by the person holding the yarnisthread resistance normally pro a retaining portion to retain the yarn on top of the fore 45 two fingers. According to the invention this is between finger dle.

of the disabled hand close to the crocheting nee the spring blade 19; the same is dimensioned indone by such a

These and other features may be derived from a spe manner that adjustment of wheel 20 produces an ade quate range of frictional resistance between the yarn 13 cific embodiment of the invention given by way of and the flat portion of components 18.

The lateral guidance and tensoning of the yarn 13 is

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE secured by the tines at forked end 18a. The best lateral DRAWINGS position can be chosen by laying the yarn into one of the In FIG. 1, the viewer looks at a person in the process several guide grooves of 18a, Finally, part 22d holds the of knitting or crocheting. The disabled right hand is 55 yarn on top of the forefinger. It follows any position of designated by 10, the still fit one 11. A thread of yarn 13 this finger because of the light bias pressure by the arms rises from a ball of yarn on the floor, passes through the 22c.

device 18, 22b, 22c and emerges at 14 as woven fabric. It is noted that with this present crocheting aid inven A wrist band 15/16 carries a plastic bridge 17 to which tion, any handicapped person can learn to crochet from is attached a forklike component 18 preferably made of 60 a printed instructions such as is provided in pamphlets. light, but strong plastic material. FIGS. 2 and 3 give a While certain novel features of this invention have top view 2-2 and a longitudinal cross section 3-3 been shown and described and are pointed out in the respectively of that component. The forked end 18a annexed claims, it will be understood that various omis includes spaced tines. There are also guide fins 18b. An sions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details undulated thin spring blade 19, made of phosphor 65 of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made bronze or hardened spring steel fits loosely between by those skilled in the art without departing from the said fins 18b. A transverse bolt 21 anchored in compo spirit of the invention.

nent 18 passes at right angles through the middle of the what is claimed is:

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1. A crocheting aid for handicapped people compris 2. A crocheting aid as in claim 1, including means for ing a wristband with a fork mounted thereon, said fork varying the tension and frictional resistance to longitu extending forward having spaced tines at a forward dinal movement of the yarn, the last said means being end, said fork having a rear end secured transversely to mounted on the fork between the rear end and the tines said band in combination with a fabric secured to said in longitudinal alignment with said fork, wherein said band and to an aligned yarn holder at a forward end yarn extends between the last said means and the fork. 3. A crocheting aid as in claim 2, wherein the last provided with a finger hole below said holder, said yarn means comprise a longitudinal spring plate mounted on holder, fork and fabric being in longitudinal alignment the fork including a bolt secured at right angles to the when mounted in users hand with the band mounted 10 plate and passing through a hole in said plate, further about the users wrist and the users forefinger extending including a wheel threadedly mounted on said bolt over through said hole, said yarn holder including a guide for the plate for engagement therewith, whereby rotation a strand of yarn and wherein said tines comprise guiding of said wheel adjusts the pressure of the wheel on the means for said yarn, which extends through the guide plate to vary the frictional engagement of the yarn with and tines, including adjustment means for varying the 5 the fork.

length of said yarn holder. . . . .