Abstract:
A knot tying tool and support form which assists a person in tying a perfectly-formed necktie knot. The Y-shaped tool has two arms and a handle with a slot for insertion of the tail end of a necktie. It is molded from a lightweight plastic material, and it remains within the knot after the knot is tied, without being noticeable or bulky. The tool can be molded with a raised area that pushes out the center of the knot.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to neckties and to a tool for tying a necktie knot and supporting the necktie knot formed thereby. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   A necktie is a long strip of fabric with a wider head portion and a narrower tail end. After the necktie is tied around a wearer&#39;s neck, the necktie ideally will have a knot with a generally triangular shape, and the head portion will cover the tail portion of the necktie. Neckties occupy an important part of a man&#39;s wardrobe. They are always used with a business suit and often are the most memorable accessory a man can wear, as neckties are made in a variety of patterns and colors, reflecting the wearer&#39;s taste. As a result, the tie must be properly tied so that the knot is aesthetically pleasing, with a neat, balanced, and uniform shape. 
   Unfortunately, the tying of such knots seems to have become a lost art, and necktie wearers find themselves often having to retie knots, sometimes repeatedly, to form a satisfactory knot. As a result, more and more men have turned to clip-on ties with pre-formed knots. However, such ties have an artificial appearance and are provided in a limited choice of colors and fabrics. 
   Other devices have been proposed for supporting or forming necktie knots, including various hangers, hooks, zippers, and chains. Some of the devices are part of a necktie “package,” some remain in the knot, and some are removed after a knot is tied. However, all have drawbacks; some are complicated or cumbersome, others result in a bulky knot, and still others are uncomfortable to wear. None of the prior art devices has the simplicity and advantages of the present invention. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The knot tying tool of the present invention is designed to assist a person with tying a perfect Windsor knot with a neat, balanced, and uniform shape. The tool remains within the knot while the tie is worn, where it provides support for the finished knot. 
   The tool is generally Y-shaped, with two arms of uniform length, width and thickness, attached to a handle with a vertical slot for insertion of the tail end of a necktie. The tool has generally flat arms, with the handle configured with a slight curvature (towards the wearer&#39;s body). 
   The tool is molded from a lightweight plastic material, such as polyethylene. It can be made in different sizes, depending on the length of the necktie and the size of the knot preferred. 
   An object of the present invention is to provide a tool which is easy to use, yet allows a user to tie a perfect knot. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide a lightweight, inexpensive tool to facilitate tying of a perfect knot on the first try, without the need to retie the knot. 
   Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a tool that has a raised area to make the center of the knot “stand out.” 
   A still further object of the present invention is to provide a tool that is not noticeable to the wearer or to others when it is present within a necktie knot. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a front plan view of the knot tying tool of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a side plan view of the knot tying tool of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the handle and slot, taken along line  3 - 3  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 4  is a front plan view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a front plan view of yet another alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIGS. 6A-E  are a series of perspective views showing how the knot tying tool is used to aid in the tying of a perfect knot. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , the necktie knot tying tool  1  of the present invention is generally Y-shaped, with a handle  2  having a slot  3  formed therein. The slot  3  is sized to hold the tail of a necktie. Extending upwards from the handle  2  are arms  4  and  5 , which form a V-shaped notch between them. The arms  4  and  5  are typically formed with a V-shaped hollowed-out area  6 , which helps keep the tool  1  light in weight and slightly flexible. The arms  4  and  5  are equal in length, width, and thickness. A ridge  7  formed on the body of the tool  1  between the handle  2  and the arms  4  and  5  pushes out the center of a knot formed with the tool  1 . The tool  1  is generally molded from a lightweight plastic material, such as polyethylene. It can be made in different sizes, depending on the length of the necktie and the size of the knot preferred. Typical tools can vary from approximately 2¼ inches to 3 inches in length, and from approximately 1½ to 2¼ in width at the widest point. The tool  1  is molded with rounded, smooth edges, so that no pulled threads or runs in the tie will result from its use. 
   As shown in  FIG. 2 , the tool  1  has generally flat arms  4 , ( 5 ) while the handle  2  is configured with a slight curvature (towards the wearer&#39;s body). The upper end and the lower end of the tool  1  are slightly less thick than the middle portion of the tool  1 , which is approximately one-fourth inch thick. The ridge  7  is a raised area on the front of the tool  1 , which pushes out the center of the knot formed with the tool  1 . 
   The cross-sectional view of  FIG. 3  shows the handle  2  of the tool  1 , with the slot  3  formed therein. The slot  3  is wide enough to accommodate insertion of the tail end of the tie. 
     FIG. 4  shows an alternate embodiment of the knot tying tool  11 , which is molded with a handle  12  having a slot  13 , arms  14  and  15 , and ridge  16 . The arms  4 ,  5  are solid. This embodiment should be less expensive to mold than the tool  1  shown in  FIG. 1 , but it will likely be slightly heavier. 
     FIG. 5  shows an alternate embodiment of the knot tying tool  21 , which is molded with legs  22  and  23  having an open slot  24  between them. It would likely be molded with solid arms  25  and  26 , like the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , with ridge  27 . In use, the tail end of the tie would be pulled into the slot  24 , rather than slid into the slot  3  or  13 , as shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 4 . 
     FIGS. 6A through 6E  show how the knot tying tool  1  of the present invention is used. As shown in  FIG. 6A , a necktie  30  is placed around the wearer&#39;s neck, with the tail end  31  over the wearer&#39;s left side hanging approximately 12 to 18 inches shorter than the wider head  32  of the necktie  30 . Because the tail end  31  stays in place, the head  32  will never end up too short, and no retying will be necessary. Pull the tail end  31  through the slot  3  in the handle  2 , from the front to the back, over the arm  5  of the tool  1 , and pull the tool  1  up towards the neck. Make sure the arm  5  of the tool  1  stayed covered. As shown in  FIG. 6B , cover arm  4  with the necktie  30 , pulling the necktie  30  across the front of the tool  1 , to the side of the tool  1 , then around its back side, bringing the necktie  30  along the side of the tool  1  with arm  4 . Take the head  32  of the necktie  30  up and pull it over the arm  4  of the tool  1  from the front, covering arm  4  with another layer of material, then bring the head  32  down through the notch between arms  4  and  5 . As shown in  FIG. 6C , pull the necktie  30  out to the side of arm  4 , thereby wrapping arm  4  firmly, and then bring the head  32  across the front of the tool  1  to the side of the tool  1  with arm  5 . As shown in  FIG. 6D , pull the head  32  of the necktie  30  to the back of the tool  1  behind arm  5 , then bring it straight up between the arms  4  and  5 , then bring the head  32  of the necktie  30  straight down over the front of the tool  1 , over the notch between the arms  4  and  5 , and downwards behind the loop of necktie  30  (created in  FIG. 6C , which is typically held open with an index finger) and over the tail end  31 . As shown in  FIG. 6E , the head  32  of the necktie  30  has been pulled down evenly until it is the appropriate length and holds the tool  1  firmly in place. The knot  33  that has been formed can be tightened according to preference. The necktie  30  conceals the handle  2  and the arms  4  and  5  of the knot tying tool  1 . The ridge  7  pushes the center of the knot  33  forward and keeps it from flattening out. 
   Although the knot tying tool of the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be understood, by those skilled in the art, that additions, modifications, substitutions, deletions and other changes not specifically described are possible, and that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrative and not as self-limiting.