An adjustable needle-craft implement comprises an elongated graspable barrel having a longitudinally extending bore communicating between opposed ends of the barrel. The barrel includes a longitudinally extending plurality of mutually spaced apart transverse slots communicating with said bore's interior and form a barrel indexing rack. An elongated hollow cylinder supports a hollow tubular needle at one end thereof. The cylinder has a resiliently mounted cylinder indexing rack with transversely extending processes thereof that are adapted to be engagable in selective axial register with corresponding ones of the transverse slots in the barrel indexing rack. The cylinder is adapted to be received internally of the bore, in releasably lockable, longitudinally slidable relation therewith. The cylinder indexing rack is normally biased into releasable, selectively adjustable, mutually interfering axial register with an adjacently aligned portion of the barrel rack to thereby secure the cylinder and the barrel in mutually interlocked relation. The cylinder indexing rack is selectively operable against the bias, to disengage the interengaged cylinder and barrel racks to thereby enable selective longitudinal sliding adjustment of the mutually relative positioning of the cylinder and the barrel. In this way, the implement is adapted to adjustably position ones of selected portions of the needle's length beyond an adjacent end of the barrel, corresponding to selected ones of a predetermined plurality of relative positions of the barrel and the cylinder.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to needle-craft implements, and especially to ones 
suited for use in rug hooking or embroidery work or the like, for forming 
loops in yarns or threads that are decoratively secured to a web of 
supporting fabric. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Implements of this general type typically include a handle with a needle 
along which yarn or thread can be extended. The needle is pointed at one 
end to facilitate its passage through the web of fabric that forms the rug 
backing, or embroidery foundation, etc, as the case may be. The purpose of 
these implements is to thereby facilitate the formation of yarn or thread 
loops that are then used in ways peculiar to the particular form of 
needle-craft under consideration. 
In the case of an exemplary embroidery tool, such an implement might have a 
tubular needle mounted in outwardly extending relation from the end of a 
graspable handle. The handle is hollow and communicates interiorly with 
the hollow tubular needle, so as to accommodate the passage of thread from 
an opening in the opposite end of the handle, through the interior 
thereof, and into the interior of the tubular needle. A lateral opening or 
"eye" extending through the tubular wall of the needle, proximal to the 
end thereof that is furthest removed from the handle, is adapted to pass 
the thread from the interior of the needle, to the exterior thereof. 
In any case, it will be appreciated that the size of the loop formed upon 
each passage of the needle through the web of fabric, will be determined 
by the distance beyond the opposed web surface that the needle extends. 
From the aesthetic point of view, uniformity of loop size is highly 
desirable. To this end, a number of attempts have been made to adjustably 
limit the extent to which the needle is free to penetrate the web. In one 
approach, small sleeves are provided with the implement. These sleeves are 
adapted to fit in secure frictional engagement over the outside of the 
tubular needle, and to abut against the fabric web once the needle has 
advanced to the limit of its intended penetration through the web. The 
sleeves are available in a variety of different lengths, to provide the 
user with an option in selecting various, corresponding loop sizes. For a 
number of reasons, this arrangement is not desirable. Firstly, the sleeves 
are separate pieces that can be easily lost, or at least frustratingly 
misplaced. Secondly, fitting the sleeve over the tube requires manual 
dexterity and close attention, if one is to avoid undesired contact with 
the pointed end of the needle. 
Accordingly, a number of adjustment mechanisms have been developed in which 
provision has sought to have been made for adjustably locating the needle 
along the axis of the holder. This is done so that the holder in effect 
provides an adjustable means for abutting against the fabric web. In this 
way there is provided a selectively consistent, passive limit on the 
distance the needle travels through the web on each stroke. An example of 
one such device is set out in U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,445, while another is 
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,306,510. 
One objection to such prior art devices is that they can, over time, become 
easily maladjusted in the course of normal use. Moreover, their infinite 
variability of positioning is neither necessary for the purposes of 
needle-craft nor, from the point of view of the user wishing to duplicate 
a previous adjustment setting, even desirable. In addition, the required 
rotational adjustment is both tedious, and in some cases may even be 
positively irritating to sufferers of such debilitating conditions as 
arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome. This short-coming is especially 
pronounced when the needle must be withdrawn and re-extended for and 
following use, (as is done in the interests of safety and for the 
protection of the needle from physical damage when not in use). Finally, 
the indexing marking can also be very demanding on a user's visual acuity. 
There remains a need in the art, therefore, for an adjustable needle-craft 
implement which facilitates easily reproducible adjustment settings, that 
can be accomplished without taxing the physical or visual abilities of 
expected users, while at the same time positively locking the needle at 
the desired setting so that any need for repeated readjustment during 
normal use, is substantially reduced. Moreover, it is highly desirable 
from a safety point of view that the needle be amenable to ready and 
convenient retraction/extension relative to the barrel of the implement, 
in order to encourage users to handle and store their implements safely. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the present invention, therefore, there is provided an 
adjustable needle-craft implement which comprises an elongated graspable 
barrel having a longitudinally extending bore communicating between 
opposed ends thereof. The barrel includes a longitudinally extending 
plurality of mutually spaced apart transverse slots communicating with the 
bore's interior and thereby forming a barrel indexing rack. 
The implement also includes an elongated hollow cylinder supporting a 
hollow tubular needle at one end thereof. The cylinder has a resiliently 
mounted cylinder indexing rack with transversely extending processes 
adapted to be engagable in selective axial register with corresponding 
ones of the transverse slots in the barrel indexing rack. 
The cylinder is adapted to be received internally of the bore, in 
releasably lockable, longitudinally slidable relation therewith. With the 
cylinder positioned within the bore, the cylinder indexing rack is 
normally biased into releasable, selectively adjustable, mutually 
interfering axial register with an adjacently aligned portion of said 
barrel rack to thereby secure the cylinder and the barrel in mutually 
interlocked relation. The cylinder is, however, selectively operable 
against that bias, to disengage the inter-engaged cylinder and barrel 
racks to thereby enable selective longitudinal sliding adjustment of the 
mutually relative positioning of the cylinder and the barrel. 
In accordance with the forgoing, the implement is adapted to adjustably 
position ones of selected portions of the needle's length beyond an 
adjacent end of the barrel, corresponding to selected ones of a 
predetermined plurality of relative positions of the barrel and the 
cylinder. 
In a preferred form, the elongated hollow cylinder has a resilient lever 
member attached thereto in elastically deformable relation. The lever has 
the cylinder indexing rack arranged thereon in spaced apart relation from 
the lever's attachment to the cylinder. The lever normally resiliently 
biases the cylinder rack into selectively adjustable axial register with 
the adjacently aligned portion of the barrel rack. In this way, the 
cylinder and the barrel are normally secured in mutually interlocked 
relation. The lever is, however, selectively operable to be elastically 
deformed against the bias, and to thereby disengage the inter-engaged 
cylinder and barrel racks to enable relative longitudinal adjustment of 
the mutually relative positioning of the barrel and cylinder, with 
collateral axial re-positioning of the needles extension relative to the 
end of the barrel through which it is extendable.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the appended drawings, there is illustrated an 
adjustable needle-craft implement 1, comprising an elongated graspable 
barrel 2, having a longitudinally extending bore 3, communicating between 
opposed ends 4 and 5, of barrel 2. Barrel 2 includes a longitudinally 
extending plurality of mutually spaced apart transverse slots 6 
communicating with the bore's interior and forming a barrel indexing rack, 
collectively indicated by reference numeral 7. 
Elongated hollow cylinder 8, supports a hollow tubular needle 9, at one end 
10, thereof. Cylinder 8, has a resiliently mounted cylinder indexing rack 
11, with transversely extending processes 12, adapted to be engagable in 
selective axial register with corresponding ones of the transverse slots 
6, in indexing rack 7 of barrel 2. 
Cylinder 8 is adapted to be received internally of the bore 3, in 
releasably lockable, longitudinally slidable relation therewith. The 
cylinder indexing rack 11 is normally biased into releasable, selectively 
adjustable, mutually interfering axial register with an adjacently aligned 
portion of the barrel rack 7, to thereby secure cylinder 8 and barrel 2 in 
mutually interlocked relation. Cylinder 8 is selectively operable against 
the bias, to disengage the inter-engaged cylinder and barrel racks 11 and 
7 respectively, to thereby enable selective longitudinal sliding 
adjustment in the mutually relative positioning of cylinder 8 and barrel 
2. 
This permits the adjustable positioning of ones of selected portions of 
needle 9 beyond an adjacent end 5 of the barrel 2, which portions 
correspond in length to selected ones of a predetermined plurality of 
relative positions of the barrel 2 and the cylinder 8. 
More particularly, cylinder 8 has a resilient lever member attached thereto 
in elastically deformable relation, with the lever 13 having the cylinder 
indexing rack 11, arranged thereon in spaced apart relation from lever 
attachment 14. Lever 13 normally resiliently biases cylinder rack 11 into 
selectively adjustable axial register with an adjacently aligned portion 
of barrel rack 7, to thereby secure cylinder 8 in mutually interlocked 
relation relative to barrel 2. Lever 13 is selectively operable to be 
elastically deformed against the normal bias thereof, to thereby disengage 
the inter-engaged cylinder and barrel racks 11 and 7, and to enable 
relative longitudinal adjustment of their mutually relative positioning, 
with concomitant axial re-positioning of needle 9 relative to end 5. 
In the preferred embodiment illustrated, barrel 2, includes a 
longitudinally extending elongated slot 15, formed in the side thereof and 
communicating laterally therethrouqh into the interior of the bore 3. Slot 
15 extends from an opening in a barrel edge along the longitudinal limit 
of a first end 4, of the barrel 2, to a point intermediate between that 
first end 4 of barrel 2, and an opposed second end 5 thereof. The 
transverse slots 6, extend transversely to the elongated slot 15, and 
together therewith form the barrel indexing rack 7. 
In addition, cylinder indexing rack 11, includes an exteriorly extending 
process 16 adapted to be received in slotted relation within elongated 
slot 15. Exteriorly extending process 16 terminates exteriorly of barrel 
2, in an enlarged operating surface 17, adapted to two purposes. Firstly, 
surface 17 provides a depressible operating surface for manually applying 
elastically deforming force against lever is, to thereby selectively 
disengage inter-engaged cylinder and barrel racks 7 and 11. Secondly, 
surface 17 blockingly interferes with longitudinal slot defining edges 18a 
and 18b on barrel 2, to thereby prevent exteriorly extending process 16, 
from being depressed all the way through slot 15. 
Referring now in particular to FIG. 3 of the drawings, the exteriorly 
extending process 16 is shown to be adapted to align with positional 
indicia 18 marked on barrel 2, that uniquely identify corresponding ones 
of said plurality of relative positions of barrel 2 and cylinder 8, and 
are thereby indicative of the length of the needle 9 extending beyond end 
5. 
Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 5 it can be seen that the bore 3 extends from 
a first end 4 of barrel 2 towards an opposed second end 5 thereof, 
adjacent which depends an inward diametric extension 19 of the bores wall, 
Extension 19 is operable to interferingly limit axial travel of cylinder 8 
in the direction of said second end 5. 
Also shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 is the diametrically tapering interior wall 20 
of cylinder 8. 
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5, the exterior surface 21 on barrel 2 is 
contoured to provide readily graspable surfaces. 
In operation, an operator, acting on surface 17 in the manner illustrated 
in FIG. 5, depresses lever 13 sufficiently to overcome the normal 
resilient bias thereof, and deflects the lever sufficiently to disengage 
the interacting elements of respective racks 7 and 11. The operator then 
slides surface 17 forwardly or rearwardly along the length of slot 15, to 
correspondingly retract or extend needle 9 relative to barrel end 5. If 
desired, cylinder 8 can be readily withdrawn from within bore 3 by drawing 
surface 17 rearwardly, past the longitudinal limit of barrel 2, at end 4 
thereof. 
The present implement provides a positive locking system that affords users 
a readily visible and easily adjustable device. The indicia are always 
visible to the operator and adjustment does not require the rotational 
hand movements that are needed in many of the prior art devices. Moreover, 
where prior devices relied on cooperatively threaded surfaces for 
achieving adjustability, they needed to be fairly securely frictionally 
engaged, so that they would not back off during operation of the device. 
Unfortunately, this leads to both increased effort on the operator's part, 
in adjusting the device, and increased wear on the device, which in the 
long run can result in loss of the surface friction needed to reliably 
secure the adjustment surfaces to one another. This is not a problem which 
need arise in connection with above described device. Lastly, it is noted 
that the tapered interior of the cylinder is helpful in avoiding the 
device being abused by intravenous drug users, since the tapered interior 
walls do not readily accommodate a syringe plunger.