Yarn Dispenser

The purpose of the invention is to temporarily store and to dispense embroidery floss, a fine yarn used in needlework (candlewicking, cross stitching, etc.) projects. Floss is sold by the skein, a single loop of approximately 11.5 inches in circumference and is bound in the middle by paper bands containing dye lot information.

Once the bands are removed they are prone to loss, and the skein tends to unravel and to tangle with use and storage. All existing storage devices either fail to allow for orderly dispensing, require rewinding on a spindle or require precutting of the floss into uniform lengths.

The use of the yarn dispenser described herein eliminates the above problems by storing a complete skein in a secure holder and allowing the user to withdraw only the amount needed at the time.

FIG. 1 shows the assembled yarn dispenser in perspective.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective drawing illustrating the construction, features and application of the invention.

The yarn dispenser, as depicted in FIG. 1 is an opaque plastic container consisting of two identical halves (1&2) which snap together. A hole (3) in each end allows embroidery floss (4) to be pulled from a skein held within. Circular windows (5) allow the user to see the color and amount of floss inside. When assembled the outside dimensions are as follows: lengt=6.5 inches; width=0.0875 inch and height=0.625 inch. The walls of the yarn dispenser are 0.0625 inch thick.

The interior and exterior finish is smooth except for an abraded area (6) which allows the user to record the floss dye lot number with a pencil or other erasable marker.

FIG. 2 depicts the internal construction, assembly and operation of the yarn dispenser.

To assemble and use the device, two bushings (7&8) are placed over the bottom halves to the axles (9&10) molded to the outer shell (11) and located 0.625 inch from each end. The bushings have an inside diameter of 0.25 inch, and an outside diameter of 0.375 inch. Their height is 0.46875 inch. The axles have an outside diameter of 0.1875 inch. A skein of floss (12) is then placed over the bushings, with the outside strand of the skein extending beyond an end wall, in line with the off-set dispensing hole (13). The top half (14) is then placed down over the bottom half (11) allowing the axle halves to snap together forming a friction bond sufficiently tight to hold the two halves together and loose enough to allow the user to disassemble the unit when desired.

Once assembled in the above manner, the skein of floss fits snugly over the bushings (7&8), which fit loosely on the axles (9&10), allowing free rotation of the skein as the exposed strand is drawn out through the end hole by the user.