U.S. patent application number 14/026403 was filed with the patent office on 2015-04-02 for knot untier.
The applicant listed for this patent is Anthony Deluccia. Invention is credited to Anthony Deluccia.
Application Number | 20150090079 14/026403 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52738806 |
Filed Date | 2015-04-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150090079 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Deluccia; Anthony |
April 2, 2015 |
Knot Untier
Abstract
This discloses a knot untier. The knot untier consists of an arm
or pawl which is inserted into the knot to be untied plus, in some
embodiments, a base which resembles a credit card. The knot untier
in one embodiment is thus small enough to fit in a wallet. The knot
untier may also be hung on a keychain. The knot untier does not, as
many existing untiers do, damage most lines.
Inventors: |
Deluccia; Anthony; (New
York, NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Deluccia; Anthony |
New York |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
52738806 |
Appl. No.: |
14/026403 |
Filed: |
October 2, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
81/485 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B25B 27/14 20130101;
A43D 999/00 20130101; A43C 7/005 20130101; B65H 47/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
81/485 |
International
Class: |
B65H 47/00 20060101
B65H047/00 |
Claims
1. A knot untier comprising: a pawl part and a base part where the
pawl part connects to the base part.
2. The knot untier of claim 1, further comprising a pawl part where
the pawl comprises an arm part and a pointed part.
3. The knot untier of claim 2 where the angle the center of the
pointed part forms with the centerline of the arm part may range
from fifteen degrees to one hundred thirty five degrees.
4. The knot untier of claim 3 comprising one or more pawl
parts.
5. The knot untier of claim 4 where the base part is the size and
shape of a credit card with the pawl parts along the longer side of
the base part.
6. The knot untier of claim 3 where the base part is a
jackknife.
7. The knot untier of claim 3 where the base part is the handle of
a screwdriver.
8. The knot untier of claim 4 where the base part contains an
opening through which a user may insert fingers in order to grip
the knot untier in use.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 61/727,994, filed Nov. 19, 2012, the entirety of
which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to hand tools, and
more particularly, relating to hand tools for untying knots.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Tying and untying knots is an everyday event for nearly all
in the U S and other countries. It can be as simple an event as
tying the laces on a pair of shoes, tying a string on a package, or
tying a necktie. Most of these knots are easy to untie. However,
there are knots that would have challenged Alexander when faced
with the mythical Gordion Knot. Few of us can use Alexander's
solution of cleaving the knot with his sword. If a child has had
the laces on play shoes double-knotted, mothers want to preserve
the laces. Anyone who fishes regularly has had to untie the snarl,
knot-ball, or "bird's nest" of fishing line, often after a reel
backlash. Put speaker wires or computer wires or Christmas tree
bulbs in a box and when the box is opened months later, it is as if
the wires tied themselves together in order to make a simple job
far more difficult. The knots must be undone without damaging the
wires.
[0004] A common solution to untying such knots, if they will not
yield to efforts without tools, is to use a pointed implement, such
as, an awl or marlinspike. A number of tools using such pointed
elements have been patented. The problem with pointed elements is
that they can be improved upon. In untying tight knots, the pointed
element is pushed between strands of the knot. Then, the user must
push upwards or somehow loosen the knot. Often, that means forcing
against a strand that simply tightens the knot-ball at another
point or the pointed element damages the strands.
[0005] What is needed is a way to both loosen a strand and bring it
out of the knot-ball Extensive experimentation has shown that the
implement is greatly improved if the inserted element has a
hook-like portion. Then, the loosened strand can be pulled as the
user finds effective in untying the knot.
[0006] Furthermore, the existing inventions cannot be easily
carried in the pocket of a user's shirt or pants or in a wallet or
purse.
[0007] Accordingly, there is a need for a knot untier that contains
a hook-like implement as well as one that is small enough to be
carried in a wallet, pocket, or purse.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention consists of two main parts. One part
is the hook-like part that is used to insert between the strands of
the knot-ball. This hook-like part resembles the pawl part of a
ratchet-and-pawl mechanism. For convenience only, the hook-like
part will be called the pawl in the remainder of this disclosure
unless context would make using another term easier to comprehend.
At one end, the pawl consists of an arm or straight portion. At the
opposite end, the arm has a pointed portion that lies above the
line of the upper edge of the arm. The exact angle which the
centerline of the point forms with the long axis of the arm varies
from fifteen to one hundred thirty five degrees depending on the
particular embodiment. The second part is the base part. The pawl
in the preferred embodiment is attached to the base part.
[0009] In the preferred embodiment the two parts resemble a credit
card which has been molded or machined to have one or two pawls
along the longer edge of the card. This resemblance to a credit
card has the other advantage that the untier can be carried in a
wallet, pocket, or purse the same way a credit card can.
[0010] The invention is not limited to the credit card base or
size. The pawl, as described herein, could be the blade of a
jackknife or could be attached to a handle such as is found on a
screwdriver. The pawl, if large enough, can be used without any
base part. How large that is will depend on the size of the knot
being untied.
[0011] This discloses two novel elements: a pawl for untying knots
and coupling the pawl to a base similar to a credit card so that
the untier can easily be carried by a user.
[0012] There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more
important features of the invention in order that the detailed
description thereof that follows may be better understood and in
order that the present contribution to the art may be better
appreciated.
[0013] Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present
invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in
the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of
presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of
the present invention when taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings. The invention is capable of other
embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways.
Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology
employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not
be regarded as limiting.
[0014] As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the
conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be
utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods
and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present
invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded
as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not
depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
[0015] For a better understanding of the invention, its operating
advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference
should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter
in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the
invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] The following drawings illustrate by way of example and are
included to provide further understanding of the invention for the
purpose of illustrative discussion of the embodiments of the
invention. No attempt is made to show structural details of the
embodiments in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental
understanding of the invention, the description taken with the
drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the
several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice.
Identical reference numerals do not necessarily indicate an
identical structure. Rather, the same reference numeral may be used
to indicate a similar feature of a feature with similar
functionality. In the drawings:
[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the Knot Untier constructed
in accordance with the principles of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a top or bottom view of the Knot Untier.
[0019] FIG. 3 is an end view of the Knot Untier, showing the end
with the pawls nearest.
[0020] FIG. 4 is an end view of the Knot Untier, showing the end
furthest from the pawls.
[0021] FIG. 5 is a side view of either side of the Knot Untier.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] As a preliminary matter, it should be noted that in this
document (including the claims), directional terms, such as,
"above", "below", "upper", "lower", etc., are used for convenience
in referring to the accompanying drawings. Additionally, it is to
be understood that the various embodiments of the invention
describe herein may be utilized in various orientations, such as,
inclined, inverted, horizontal, vertical, etc., without departing
from the principles of the invention.
[0023] In this description, references to "one embodiment" or "an
embodiment" mean that the feature being referred to is included in
at least one embodiment of the invention. Moreover, separate
references to "one embodiment" in this description do not
necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Illustrated embodiments
are not mutually exclusive, unless so stated, and except as will be
readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Thus, the
invention may include any variety of combinations and/or
integrations of the embodiments described herein.
[0024] In FIG. 1, 110 is the base of the knot untier. As can be
seen, in this embodiment, the knot untier is made from a single
solid piece, which solid can be metal, plastic, or other similar
substance. 120 is the end of the pawl. The ends are pointed to
permit the user to insert the pawl between the strands in a
knot-ball. The ends of the pawl curve upwards to permit the user to
hook a loosened strand and pull the loosened strand from the
knot-ball. In this embodiment, the pawl curves inward toward the
imaginary center line of the base. In this embodiment, there are
two pawls which here are the same. In other embodiments, the pawls
may have different curves and/or different points. In other
embodiments, the pawls may not curve but may be angular. The point
may, in other embodiments, curve back toward the far end of the
base in order to allow the pawl to hook a loosened strand. In some
embodiments, there may be only one pawl. 130 is an open center
section. When using the knot untier, this open center section
allows the user to insert one or more fingers in order to get a
good grip on the knot untier. The apertures 140 can serve any
purpose the user wishes them to serve. If the user decides to
attach the knot untier to a key chain, for example, the key chain
can pass through one or more of the apertures. In the figure, there
are six apertures. The number of apertures may, in alternate
embodiments, vary from zero to as many as the manufacturer might
wish to include.
[0025] In FIG. 2, parts are the same as in FIG. 1.
[0026] In FIG. 3, the drawing shows that the knot untier is
relatively thin. FIGS. 4 and 5 show the knot untier is relatively
thing.
[0027] A number of embodiments of the present invention have been
described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various
modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within
the scope of the following claims.
* * * * *