Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
~(:116~3378
The present invention relates to a patterning system
in a straight knitting machine9 and particularly to a system
for carrying out a method of selecting the needles of a knit-
ting machine, particularly a household hand-knitting machine,
and more particularly a method of selecting needles of a
knitting machine in order to effec~ operation of the needles
in accordance with a recorded pattern by reading out the re-
cording medium wherein a profile of the pattern to be knitted
is permanently ~tored.
A conventional needle-selecting method is one whereby
a profile of the pattern to be knitted is recorded in a card
in the form of multistage punched hole configurations. ~he
punched hole~ of each stage are mechanically detected and me-
chanicalIy recorded in a mechanica:L memory in the form of a
group of needle selecting signals. ~he desired needle group
may then be selectively actuated in response to carriage
movement
Such conventional needle-selecting methods are dis-
ad~antageous in that the recording operation nece~sitates mi-
nute attention because the punch holes mu~t be arranged inpredetermined positions on the card in order to produce a pro-
file of the pattern to be knitted. In other word~, the profile
representing the unit pattern to be knitted must first be sepa-
rated beforehand into profile modules (corresponding to the
respective aforementioned punched holes, or minimum composite
units of the pattern) which mu~t be sequentiall~ arranged for
proper recording
That is, the profile indicating the whole unit pat-
tern mu~t be digitally recorded in the form of profile module~,
each corresponding to one needle. Such methods o~ needle ~e-
lection, however, have an important drawback in that the num-
ber of needles in one group employed in knitting a unit pattern
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cannot be altered, whereby the size of the unit pattern
cannot be freely changed.
According to the present invention there is provided
a pat-terning system in a straight krLitting machine having a
main body provided thereon with a needle bed for knitting
needles and a carriage slidably mounted on said needle bed,
comprising, in combination, needle selection means including
an electromagnet for selectively operating said knitting nee-
dles, control circuit mean~ including an erasable temporary
storage for seleotive energization of said electromagnet, a
program providing mean~ provided on the main body for providing
signals representative of data for needle selection, and input
mean~ for providing control signals for conditioning the con-
trol circuit means, lhe program providing means including a
program carrier carrying thereon a needle selection program,
a support on the main body for removably mounting thereon the
program carrier and adapted to be driven to rotate around a
longitudinal axis thereof to incrementally feed the program
carrier in one or the other direction, a scanner mounted for
movement in a predetermined path between both of the two po-
sitions in response to each of directional movement~ of the
carriage, the scanner having thereon a sensor means for reading
the needle selection program on the progra~ ca~rier on the
support, and pulse generating means for generating an interval
pulse by an increment of the scanner movement to provide a
predetermlned number of pulses upon a scanner movement between
- the two end position~.
Other objects and various advantages and features of
the invention will become apparent by reference to the following
description taken in connection with the appended claims and
the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof.
In the drawing~:
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~ ig. 1 is a schema.tic plan view of the whole hand-
operated k~itting machine according to the present invention;
Fig~ 2 is an elevational view o~ the knitting machine
llustrating a pxogram pro~iding means and an electronic wall
on the main body;
~ ig. 3 is a partly exploded plan view of said program
pro~iding mean~;
: ~igo 4 i~ a sectional view illu~trating the knitting
machine inoluding the program providing means and a electro-
magpet for needle selection;
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Fig. 5 is a plan view of the carriage partially cut away;
Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the carriage partially
cut-away;
Fig. 7 is a sectional view of Fig. 6 taken along the
line VII-VII;
Fig. 8 is a sectional view of Fig. 6 taken along the
line VIII-VIII;
; Fig. 9 is a sectional view of Fig. 8 taken along line
IX-IX; and
Figs.10 and 11 are a block~diagram and a time chart~
respectively,illustrating electric and electronic construc-
tions.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED E~BODIMENT
. . . _
Referring now to Fig. 1, on a control panel 3 of main
body X with needle bed x, are provided a program providing
means A for providing a needle selection program including
a program carrier 1 carrying thereon a needle selection
program and a scanner 2 for optically scanning the knitting
pattern recorded on the program carrier 1, and operating
means adapted to operate various kinds of mechanisms, which
will be described later, besides the program providing means
A on the control panel 3 of the main body X with the needle bed
x. Further, behind the needle bed x of the machine, there
are provided a control box B including various kinds of
electric or electronic circuits as described later, and a
pair of left and right boundary members 4Q and 4r~ shiftable
along a longitudinal direction of the needle bed x, adapted
to define a range in which needle election is to be effective
by setting them at desired positions of the longitudinal
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direction. There are provided a pair of left and right
needle selecting mechanisms Cl and Cr, each having an
electromagnet for needle selection use, on the carriage Y
with a predetermined spacing therebetween along a longitudi-
nal direction. Either one of the left and right needleselecting mechanisms Cl and Cr are adapted to effectively
actuate the needles (not shown in Fig. 1) aligned in the
needle bed x by means of electro-magnetic force responsive
to electric signals obtained through scanning of said
knitting pattern.
The scanner 2 is mounted for movement in a predeter-
mined path between two end positions thereof and adapted to
be moved between both of said two positions in response to
each of said carriage movements in either direction, and
scans a needle selection program recorded on the program
carrier l during carriage mov;r~lent along the defined range
to output electric signals in accordance with said scanning
operàtion, and the processing thereafter of said output
electric signal can be electronically effected by a control
20 circuit. Power may be supplied to the electric components
of either one of needle selecting mechanisms Cl and Cr for
effectLng the knitting operation effectively from the machine
body X through the current collector means D arranged
longitudinally on the back of the carriage Y. In this
enbodiment, the mechanism located ahead in terms of carriage
movement is supplied with power. Only the needles positioned
in the range defined by said boundary members 4~ and 4r will
be actuated selectively. (In this range, however, needles
at rest positions are not subjected to the needle selection.)
~:96~3371~
significant construc-tion of said program providing
means ~ will be described below referring to Figs.2 through
4.
A support 5 for holding the afore-mentioned program
carrier 1 in a U-shaped configuration and for incrementally
feeding same in a direction, is mounted in parallel.with
: sald needle bed x, rotatably on a frame 6. Front and rear
guide bars 71 and 72 are mounted horizontally on the frame 6
under the support 5, the scanner 2 is mounted on the frame 6
so as to run along the longi~udinal direction..
Namely, as illustrated in Fig. 4, the guide bars 71 and
72 slidably engagetransverse holes 91 and 92 provided at the
front and rear portions of a scanning member 8.
At the top end of the scanner is provided a photo-
electric detecting mechanism, that is, a pipe scanner 10
: with a luminous element and a light sensitive element to
convert into an electric signal, the reflective light which
is emitted from said luminous element and is reflected from
one face of the program carrier 1, and the pipe scanner 10
serves to scan the program carrier 1 from side to side.
In space between the left and right perforations 1'adapted to engage pins of a known pin drum to the program
carrier 1, a column 111 for recording a desired knitting
pattern thereon and columns 112 and 113 for recording
desired function marks thereon are formed by section divid-
ing lines drawn in the color similar to that of said
luminous element mounted on the scanner 10 and not dis-
criminated by said light sensitive element (for example,
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red, when a red luminous diode is employed as the luminous
element).
In the column 111 for recording a knitting pattern
thereon, a ver~ical line of said section dividing lines
corresponds to the division line of each wale, while a
transverse line of same corresponds to a division of each
knitting operation stage, and numerals indicating said wale
and said course are given in a coLor similar to that em-
pl~yed in the section dividing line, in positions outside
,
the column.
- According to a more detailed description, the column 11
may be formed so that the minimum section thereof corresponds
to one stitch, to wit, one section in its transverse
arrangement corresponds to each wale, while one section in
its vertical arrangement corresponds to each course, and
in knitting the unit pattern involv:ing a given number of
wales at the transverse line as one group unit, the desired
pattern will be obtained by drawing a picture corresponding
to the unit pattern to be knitted in the area defined by
the vertical line at the extreme left and another vertical
line positioned rom the former by the given number of
wales and in black as illustrated in Fig. 2, by means of
appropriate writing tools.
For example, when the operation for knitting the unit
pattern involving 24 wales is intended by selecting 24
needles as one group unit, a desired picture can be drawn
in the space defined by the vertical line at the extreme
left end and the other vertical line as distant as to 24
lines to the right from the former.
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In the process, so long as the profile of the picture
is within the predetermined area as described above, the
picture may generally be drawn by a writing tool without
inking in said minimum sections one by one. This is because
reading out is effected b~ sampling each unit section.
In effecting the desired functional operation, appropriate
unit sections of the columns 112 and 113 for recording
function marks therein are to be completely inked in-
When the program carrier 1 may be, for example, shifted
to a desired position the program carrier l is automaticallyfed by one increment after the scanner 2 has completed one
scanning stroke as will be described later, the unit section
as a function mark corresponding to a signal source is inked
in (for example, in black) to provide instructions that the
needle selecting operation should be suspended substantially
during scanning a~ter that time, or the program carrier 1
is to be automatically returned to a predetermined position,
or an appropriate alarm is to be actuated.
As stated above, the knitting pattern indicating the
unit pattern to be knitted may be inked in black on the
column 111 of the program carrier 1, and the scanner 2 scans
the inked knitting pattern from side to side along each
transverse row. Thus, the electric signals derived by the
scanning operation draw a mode of the knitting pattern of
the unit section at the transverse stage, or a rectangular
wave is formed in accor~ance with the mode generated by
scanning of the knitting pattern, as shown in Fig. 11[1].
This demonstrates that the electric signal obtained by the
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scanning has no one to-one correspondence with the needle
to be actuated and the function mark recorded on the columns
112 and 113 also may be read out by said scanner 2 as in the
knitting pattern. Therefore, it is converted into an
electric signal in the same electric system. However, one
o~ two different electric signals is converted to a digital
electric signal having one-to-one correspondence with the
needle~by a sampling pulse obtained during the scanning by
the scanner 2 from a sampling pulse generator as will be
described later, and the other is separated from the former..
. A flat through-hole 12 is formed between the transverse
holes 91 and 91 on the scanning member 8 of the scanner
member 2, and a pulse plate 13 which is mounted in horizontal
with said frame 6, between the guide bars il and 72' lies
through the through-hole 12.
The fixed member 13 is provided at its rear end with
slots 141 for sampiing the electric signal obtained by
scanning the program carrier so that each of the slots 14,
corresponds to one ~lni~ ~section in the transverse row of
the column 111 and is provided at its front end with slots
142, 143 for sampling the function mark so that each
of the slots 142 and 143 corresponds to one unit section in
the transverse row of the column 112 and 113.
On the scanning member 8 of the scanner 2, there are
provided a sampling pulse generator al adapted to produce
predetermined pulses for sampling the electric signal
obtained by scanning the program carrier through optically
reading out the slot 141, at the rear end of the fixed
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member 13 during scanning movement, and a sampling pulse
generator a2, adapted to produce a sampling pulse for
sampling the func-tion mark by optically reading out the
slots 142, 143, at the front end thereof as well
(Fig. 2).
Above and under the through-hole 12 passing through
the fixed member 13, luminous elements, 151 and 152, and a
light sensitive elements, 161 and 162, are provided oppo-
: sitely to each other at the position corresponding to the
rear slots 1~1 and the front~slQts, 141 and 142, through the
hole 12.
However, the sampling pulse generator al (more parti-
cularly the light sensitive element 161 constituting said
pulse generator al), serves to output one pulse each ~ime
when the scanner 2 scans the unit section in the column 111
of the program carrier 1 while the sampling pulse generator
a2 may be adapted to output one pulse each time when the
scanner 2 scans the unit section in the column,~l2 and 113,
as illustratea in Fig. 11[1~.
Automatic incremental feeding of the program carrier 1,
will be described below:
Switch members, 171 and 17r, are mounted at both
ends of said frame 6, and when the left switch member 17,
is actuated by a left depression plate 18.~ on the scanning
member 8 and the right switch member 17r is actuated ~y a
right depression plate 18r, an electromagnetic device (not
shown) mounted in the control box ~ urges the support 5 to
rotate by one increment.
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A ferromagnetic member 19 is provided at the front
portion (carriage side) of the scanning member 8 and the
front head of said ferromagnetic member 19 is slidably en-
gaged in guide slot 20' provided in a power supply wall 20
S extending over almost at a full length behind the needle bed
of the machine body X, and the front of said head is exposed .
to the front face of the power supply wall 20. On the other
~hand, on the carriage Y, magnet 22 is mounted and provided
; with magnetic plates 23.1 and 232, which are mounted on its
upper and lower surface at ai~osition flush with the magnet
22 in the center of a casing 21 made of non-magnetic material -
: which is mounted in the rear side of the carriage.
If the ferromagnetic member 19 is caused to attract~
the magnetic plates 231 and 232 during the running of the
carriage Y,~the scanner 2 starts to run together with the
carriage Y. The scanning is completed by releasing the
contact segment.l9 from attraction of the magnetic plates
231 and 232 when it reaches the left or the right ends
of the guide slot 20'. This indicates that the scanner 2
. will.travel along with the carriage left to right or vice
versa only between the guide slots 20', irrelevant of the
carriage travelling outside of the limited range. Thus, the
knitting pattern on the program carrier 1 is read out as a
digital electric signal, one number of which is equivalent to
the unit section of the column 111, as illustrated in Fig. 1.
ll[III]. This digital electric signal is stored in the
storage MEM (see Fig. 10 of which details will be described
.
later independently. Thus, the digital electric signal stored
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1~61! 3378
is read out each time when the carriage travels left to right
or vice versa activating either one of the two needle select-
ing mechanisms, Cl and Cr, installed in both end sides of
the carriage,which is responsive to the running time of the
carriage Y. Therefore, one active needle selecting mechanism,
Cl or Cr~ for effecting the selective operation is controlled
by said digital electric signal in accordance with the number
contents (1 or 0). With respect to the timing pulse generat-
ing mechanism, it will be explained at below referring to
Figs. 4 thru 7.
The current collector means D carries magnet 25 and
non-magnetic segment 26 both of which are sandwiched together
between two upper and lower metallic plate 241 and 242 f
a fexromagnetic and conductive material, respectively, and
15 is generally formed as a single elongated strip by mounting
a reflective plate 27 over the full length of the back surface
of the magnet 25 and non-magnetic segment 26 between the
metallic plates 241 and 242, and is slidably mounted in the
elongated sleeve 21' of said casing 21 provided on the
carriage Y, in a pre-determined range, and the back face
thereof (Fig. 7) is exposed to the opening of the back face
of the sleeve 21'
The exposed face (back face) of said reflective plate
27 is light-sensitive and a plurality of rectangular holes 27'
forming a non-reflective face are provided over the full
length of the exposed face with the same spacing as a pitch
of the needles 28 arranged on the needle bed x.
On the other hand, on the power supply wall 20, a
plurality of timing pulse generators 29 (that is a combination
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of the luminous element and light-sensitive element) are
arranged with a spacing shorter than the length of the
reflective plate 27, for obtaining a timing pulse responsive
to the running time of the carriage Y by irradiating the
light against the reflective plate 27 and detecting the light
reflected from the latter.
It is understood that at least one of the timing pulse
generators 29 is necessarily opposed to the reflective plate
27, which is moved during the movement of the carriage Y.
Therefore, timing pulses are fed out from the timing pulse
generators 29 as illustrated in Fig. ll[V] each time the
carriage Y is shifted by one increment of the needle.
The timing pulse generators 27, which produce the timing
pulses alternately at each running turn along the pre-deter-
mined length of the carriage Y, is connected to a single
output system. The timing pulses would be sequentially fed out
from the pulse generators regardless of the setting Position,of
the carriage Y as if the timing pulses were supplied from the
same timing pulse generator.
Therefore, the digital electric signal stored in the
storage MEM can be read out in accordance with the running
time of the carriage Y regardless of the carriage position.
Since the digital electric signals are stored in the
storage MEM separately in accordance with the running
direction of the scanning member with the carriage movement
as described above, reading out of the signal is to be
effected along its running direction.
A mechanism for detecting the running direction of the
carriage Y is provided in the machine along the running
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~i6~3~1
direction of the carriage in order to store the digital
electric signals into the storage ~EM and reading out the
signals therefrom.
As described above, the upper and lower metallic plates
241 and 242 of the current collector means D always have a
magnetic force, and projections 241, and 242, provided at
multiple positions of the rear end thereof, normally
attracted to a conductive and magnetic elongated plate 30,
attached to the full front surface of the power supply wall
20 through a dielectric materia~l.
As stated previously, the current collector assembly D
is engaged with the sleeve 21' of the casing 21 to allow free
sliding movement of same within the predetermined range
limit. After the current collector assembly D is permitted
to slide to the most right position of the casing 21, same
is shifted by following the leftward running of the carriage
Y while similarly, after the current collector assembly D is
slid to the most left position reversely,same is shifted by
following the rightward running of the carriage Y.
That is, the current collector assembly D is reversed
to the right or left relative to the casing 21 in accordance
with reversion of the running direction of the carriage Y.
As illustrated in detail in Fig. 7, a die 31~ is
attached to the upper left facing of the current collector
assembly D and a resilient switch 33 and a terminal 34 are
provided at the inside of a cavity 32 Q ~here the die 31Q is
received in the casing 21. If the carriage Y moves to the
left, the die 31 Q disengages from the switch 33 which,
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in time, parts from the terminal 34 due to the current
collector assembly D being biassed to the right to lead same
into an electrical non-conductive condition, while if the
carriage Y is shifted to the righ-t, the switch 33 comes in
contact with the terminal 34 due to the current collector
assembly D being biassed to the left to lead same into an
electrical conductive condition.
The terminal 34 is connected to a carriage panel 42
which also functions as a ground plate. To wit, the carriage
panel 42 is electrically connéctèd by way of the needle
bed x, a pipe provided along the needle bed x, a rail in-
serted into the pipe to guide the carriage Y along the needle
bed ~ to the negative pole of a direct current source, which
is provided on the main body X, such as a transformer, a
rectifier and a smoothing condenser combined to obtain a
direct current power source from a commercially available
alternate current.
Therefore, the switch 33 and terminal 34 function as
a limit switch and accordingly, constitute a detector means
_ for detecting the current moving direction of the carriage.
As illustrated in Fig. 5, the switch 33 and terminal 34 are
electrically connected to a contact segment 35, which is
mounted at the right portion of the back surface of the
casing 21, by way of a lead means 36. Due to the fact that
the contact segment 35 maintains contact with a conductive
plate 37 (see Figs. 2 and 4) which is mounted over the full
length of the front face of the conductive wall 20, it is
understood that the detector means d is electrically
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connected to electric and electxonic circuit elements which
are accommodated in the control box B of the machine body.
As illustrated in Fig. ll[VI], a two-value electric signal is
fed out and changed from a high level to a low level signal
and vice versa by changing the running direction of the
carriage Y.
Thus, the temporary storage MEM is controlled by the
two-value electric signal and storing and reading-out of the
digital electric signal to and from the storage is effected
in accordance with the running direction of the carriage Y.
However, the digital electrib signal read out from the
storage is to be transmitted to one of the pair of needle
selecting mechanisms Cl and Cr.
~eferring, then, to Figs ~ through 7, description will
be given as to a switch mechanism for alternately applying
the read out digital electric signal to the needle selecting
mechanisms Cl and Cr in accordance with the running direction
of the carriage Y.
As described above, the upper and lower metallic plates
241 and 242 of the current collector means D are of conductive
and magnetic material and they normally contact the conduct-
; ing band 30 of conductive material which is provided in themachine body X so that power can be supplied from the machine
body X.
; 25 The metallic plates 241 and 242, are provided, with holes
24Q and 24r, respectively, each having a predetermined length.
Conductive pieces 38~ and 38r provided in the casing 21, pass
through the holes 24 Q and 24r.
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When the current collector means D is biassed to the
right by tlle leftward running of the carriage Y, only the
righ-t conductive piece 38r is electrically connected to the
conducting band 30 of the machine body X through its contact
with the left edge of the right hole 24r. Similarly, only
the left conductive piece 38Q is electrically connected to
the conductive plate 30 by the rightward running of the
carriage Y.
As illustrated in Fig. 5, the right conductive piece
38r is normally electrically connected to an electro-magnet
40 of the left needle selecting mechanism Cl by a lead means
39, while the left conductive piece 38Q is normally electri-
cally connected to an electro-magnet 40 of the right needle
selecting mechanism Cr by a lead means 41. One end of each
electromagnet 40 is connected to a carriage base plate 42
functioning as a grounding plate.
The digital electric signal Erom the machine body X is
transmitted to the electro-magnet 40 of the left needle
selecting mechanism Cl through the right conductive piece
38r when the carriage Y is moved leftward, while same is
transmitted to the electro-magnet 40 of the left needle
selecting mechanism Cr through the left conductive piece 381
when the carriage is moved rightward. Accordingly, it is to
be understood that the conductive pieces 38~ and 38r and the
holes 24~ and 24r constitute the left and right switch means
El and Er for alternate supply of the digital electric signal.
Next, referring to Figs. 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9, the left and
right needle selecting mechanisms Cl and Cr will be described
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below. Arrangement of the components o~ the right and le~t
mechanisms is symmetrical.
The electromagnet 40 is mounted on the carriage base
plate 42. Horizontal portions 43a and 44a of the ferromagnetic
conductors 43 and 44 are mounted on the top and bottom of the
electro-magnet 40, respectively,an~ different magnetic poles
are generated at the ferromagnetic conductors 43 and 44 as a
result of the excitation of the electromagnet 40.
On the other hand, a butt guide 45 made of non-magnetic
material is attached to the under sur~ace of the carriage
base plate 42.
A butt passage 45a is formed under the butt guide 45
as depicted in Fig. 4 and the butts 28' of the needles 28 can
be received into the butt passage 45a through a side cam 46.
` 15 The width of the butt passage 45a is almost equal to
that of the butt 28'. As understood from Fig. 8, the ùpper
wall face of the butt passage 45a lowers gradually inwardly
at an outer half 45b and maintains a constant level at an
inner half 45c slightly lower than the normal position of the
butt 28' (Fig. 4).
Accordingly, while passing through the butt passage 45a
below the outer half 45b, the butt 28' is gradually depressed
in opposition to a plate spring 47 shown in Fig. 4, until the
butt 28' reaches the inner half 45c. Thereafter, the butt 28'
proceeds with its top maintaining the level slightly lower
than the normal position thereof until the butt 28' is re-
leased back to normal position by operation of the plate
spring 47.
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The magnetic conductor 43 allows the outer bottom 43d of
vertical extension 43c extending to the lower side of the
carriage base plate 42 to be inserted into the butt guide 45
and the flat bottom face of the outer lower portion 43d
thereof is flush with the inner half of the upper wall of the
butt passage 45a and is disposed in almost the center of the
butt passage 45a.
The lower edge of the central bottom portion 43e extend-
; ing to the inside from the outer lower portion 43d and formed
as a part of the vertical extension 43c is gradually inclined
inwardly and at the same time, the front of the lower edge
thereof is bevelled as illustrated in FIG. 9.
The other ferromagnetic conductor 44 is constructed such
that through hole 44 is provided between the outer half 44b
and the inner half 44c of the vertical portion extending from
the front edge of its horizontal portion 44a. Accordingly,
the magnetism from the electromagnet 40 exerts its force to
the upper half 44b, but not to the inner half 44c.
The outer half 44b adapted to be magnetized has the same
length as the distance between two adjacent needle butts
and is positioned behind the outer bottom portion 43d of the
ferromagnetic conductor 43, extending vertically to the
position lower than the level of the lower edge of the outer
bottom portion 43d.
However, selection of the needles which permits the butt
28' to be inserted into the butt passage 45a, is effected as
described below.
The butt 28', guided through the butt passage 45a as a
result of carriage~movent, is gradually depressed in opposltion
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to the urging of the spring 47 with its forward and backwardmovement prevented, and proceeds, with its top portion kept in
contact with the lower face of the outer bottom portion 43d of
the ferromagnetic conductor 43, until the butt 28' reaches
the outer half 44b of the ferromagnetic conductor 44.
If the electromagnet 40 is excited while the butt 28'
moves along the outer half 44b having the distance t, a
magnetic circuit is formed between the ferromagnetic
conductors 43 and 44 by way of the butt 28'. As re~ult,
the butt 28' is guided backward along the outer half 44b.
As illustrated in detail in Fig. 9, the butt 28' biassed
backward is attracted to the inner half 44c, as shown by a
dotted line in Fig. 9, since a magnet piece 48 is provided
between the portion 44e of the inner half 44c (not excited by
the electromagnet 40) of the ferromagnetic conductor 44 and
the portion 43f of the ferromagnetic conductor 44. The butt
28' regains its original height due to the urging of the
spring 47 behind the central bottom portion 43e of the ferro--
magnetic conductor 43 and further proceeds to push open a
switch member normally closed by the urging of a spring 49,
thus taking the rear course.
On the other hand, when the electromagnet 40 is
excited, the butt 28' proceeds on a straight course because
it is not attracted by the inner half 44b of the ferromagnetic
conductor 44. In this way, the butt 28' proceeds on the
front side of the ferromagnetic conductor 43 by being intro-
duced to the bevel 43'e as shown by a full line, and proceeds
through the front guide passage after passing a point 44d'.
6~3378
On the vertical por-tion 43b of the ferromagnetic
conductor 43, a buffer magnet piece 51 is mounted so that its
magnetic pole is provided so as to eliminate residual
magne~sm createl~ by the electromagnet 40. In this way, it is
possible to carry out the selecting operation more effectively
by eliminating the residual magnetism still existing in the
electromagnet 40 or both ferromagnetic conductors 43 and 44
while the electromagnet is not excited.
It is noted that the needle 28 entering the butt passage
45a is subjected to the selecLing operation one by one as
stated above, but if the needle 28 entering the butt passage
45a is positioned out of the limit range of the left and right
boundary members 4¢ and 4r, the electromagnet 40 remains
unexcited. In this way, the needles are not subjected to the
selecting operation.
In the construction described above, a cavity 32r
(Fig. 5) is provided at the right portion of the casing 21
while a left cavity 32Q (Fig. 7) is provided at the left
portion of same on the bottom of the carriage Y. The piece
311 at the left portion of the current collector means D and
the piece 31r in the reversed position are provided the
casing 21.
Above the upper wall of the left and right cavities 321
and 32r in the casing 21 and substantially behind the needle
selection effecting point (the width t) of the left and right
needle selecting mechanism Cl and Cr, left and right movable
magnet pieces 52~ and 52r are provided for vertically sliding
same along guide slots thereof, respectively. The movable
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1~6~3378
magnet pieces 52 and 52r are actuated vertically by movement
of the dice 31 and 31r, respectively. The left die 31 is
raised and the right die 31r is lowered when the current
collector me~ns D is biassed at the right position while they
are moved into a reverse direction when the latter is biassed
at the left position.
On the other hand, each of the boundary members 4 and
4r, which are slidably mounted on the inclined portion of the
top end of the power supply wall 20, is provided, on its
bottom face, with a reed switch 53 and two separate contact
segments 54 electrically connected to each reed switch 53,
respecti~ely. The two separate contact segments 54 of each
boundary member is arranged on the bottom face of the inclined
portion of the power supply wall 2~ in a parallel relation to
each other. The two contact segments 54 of the boundary
member 4r contact a left conductive leaf 55 and a center
conductive leaf 55 when viewed in Fig. 4, respectively, while
the two contact segments 54 of the boundary member 4 con-
tact a left conductive leaf 55 and a right conductive leaf 55
also when viewed in Fig. 4. The contacts are kept by the
resiliency of thè contact segments. "ON" and "OFF" signals
are separately provided to the reed switches 53 of the
boundary members 4r and 4 , respectively.
The reed switches 53 are disposed above the movable
magnet pieces 52Q and 52r along the lines of their movement
so that any one of the reed switches 53 can be operated by
either of the movable magnet pieces 52Q and 52r which is in
a raised posi~ion.
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Therefore, each of the reed switches 53 is turned on
by the left magnet piece 52~ during the leftward movement
oE the carriage and by the right magnet piece 52r during the
rightward movement of the carriage. As a result, the
boundary members 4~ and 4r produce pulses as shown in Fig.
ll~VII] and [VIII]. (In the waveforms illustrated in this
figure, obstructive noises such as chattering, are eliminated
for obtaining a required ~aveform.) The above-mentioned
pulses produced by the boundary members 4a and 4r indicate the
initiation or termination of~th~e needle selection by the needle
selecting mechanisms Cl and Cr. In other words, signals are
produced so that only the needles between the boundary members
4Q and 4r carry out the needle selection operation. In this
way, the boundary members 4 Q and 4r one adapted to indicate
the left and right ends of a knitting pattern and defines a
range in which needle selection is to be effective. As will
be mentioned later, one of the pair of boundary members is
adapted to constitute a reference means for selectively
determining the reference needle for knitting. The bounaary
2n members 4Q and 4r have an indicium 56 at their front to
inaicate "left" and "right", respectively, and provided
with a pointer 57. Needle indication marks 58 are impressed
on the inclined portion of the top of the power supply wall
20 in correspondence to the respective needles 28. The
points 57 and needle indication marks 58 are adapted to
indicate the exact boundary between a range in which needle
selection is to be effected and a range in which needle
selection is not effected. In this way, the needles 28 in
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a range defined by the pointer 57 provided on each of the
boundary members ~1' and 4r is subjected to needle selection
by the needle selection mechanisms Cl and Cr. As a result,
the knitted product has a pattern only on a portion when
those selected needles are concerned.
The mechanical construction can be understood by the
foregoing descriptionO Referring next to Figs. 10 and 11,
:~
the electric and electronic construction including control
circuit means for the electromagnets will be stated below.
The two-value signal(Fig'. 11[1]) from the scanning
member 2 and the sampling pulse [11] from the sampling pulse
generator al are applied together to a recording and reading
out control circuit F, wherein the signal [1] is converted to
the digital electric signal as illustrated in [III] in the
control circuit by sampling it. The digital electric signal
is stored in a predetermined address of the storage MEM
relative to the scanning direction of the scanning member 2,
that is, the running direction of the carriage Y under the
control of the recording address assigning circuit G and the
carriage running direction detecting means d.
That is, the recording address assigning circuit G
includes an up-down counter for counting the sampling pulses
from the sampling pulse generator al. The output signal [VI]
from the carriage running direction detecting means d is
adapted to effect switching of the counting operation in
accordance with the running direction of the scanner 2, and
the digital electric signal, with 60 numbers for one-stage
scanning of the column 111 on the program carrier 1, namely
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for scannin~ all the unit sections (in this example, 60 numbers
in the row is separately stored into the predetermined
address in the storage MEM for khe left and right runnings of
the scanner 2. [I] to [IV] in ~ig. 11 are time charts showing
the storing operation into the temporary storage MEM and 1V]
to [XVII] in Fig. 11 are time charts showing the reading-out
operation from the temporary storage MEM.
Reading-out of the digital electric signal which has been
stored in the memory will be described below.
The pulses 1VII] and [VIII-~ from the boundary members 4
and 4r are applied to a signal forming circuit H including a
flip-flop circuit for determining a needle selecting range,
thereby the signal [IX] may be formed in accordance with the
interval of the pulses from the ~oundary members 4 Q and 4r.
This signal [IX] is applied to an efficient timing pulse
forming circuit I comprising a gate circuit etc. whereby the
timing pulses [X] equal to the set number minus one of the
knitting needles 28 provided between the boundary member 4Q
; and 4r are fed out one by one in correspondence to one pitch
of the needle in each movement of the carriage Y.
The timing pulse [X] are applied to a carriage position
detecting circuit J including the up-down counter, where
adding or substracting operation is effected in accordance
with the running direction of the carriage Y~
The maximum counting value is optionally set by a
setting means K for setting a unit pattern knitting needle
number which functions as a setting value preset means (this
manually operable member is mounted on the operation panel 3
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of the control box B). Each time the timing pulse [X] is
added or subtrac~ed by as much as the setting number, as
illustrated in Fig. 11 [XIII], the detecting circuit takes
the same value (parallel binary electric signal) repeatedly.
In other words, it is considered that the carriage
position detecting circuit J addresses, in a given direction
repeatedly, the needles 28 provided between the boundary
members 4 and 4r.
The starting point of the adding or subtracting, to wit,
the reference needle for knitting, is decided b~ either one
of the boundary members 4 and 4r (usually by the boundary
member 4). In other words, the leftmost knitting needle
among the needles 28 in a range in which needle selection is
to be effective, to wit, the need:Le indicated by the pointer
57 of the left boundary member 4 1 is selected as the reference
needle for knitting. In this way, this specific needle 28
always knits the contents of column l (left end) of the
program carrier.
The output of the detecting circuit J is applied to the
storing and reading-out circuit F as a reading-out address
signal for the storage MEM only during output of the efficient
needle selecting range determining signal [IX]. The stored
digital electric signal having 12 numbers from 0 to 11 is
repeatedly read out. After the signal is fed out from the
storing and reading out control circuit F in the form of the
signal as illustrated in Fig. ll [XVl, same is applied to a
drive signal forming circuit L including an "AND" circuit to
which the efficient needle selecting range determining signal
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IX is applied, and fed out to the electromagnet ~0 of the
needle selecting mechanism C1 or Cr which effects the
efficient selecting operation by the switch means El or Er
as the two-value electric signal during output of the signal
[IX]-
Thus, as illustrated in Fig. 11 [XIV], the needles 28provided between the boundary members 4 and 4r may be
selected in one group consisting of 12 needles, in accordance
with the configuration of the knitting pattern drawn between
the minimum section at the leift end of the column 111 and
the minimum section at the right by as many as 11 sections
therefrom.
As is apparent from the foregoing description, the
column 111 on the program carrier 1 is scanned from side to
side and all the numbers of the digital electric signal obtained
through the scanning are stored in the storage MEM. Thus,
; the numbers to be read out is determined by the setting
means K for setting the unit pattern needle number. For
e~ample, when the numbers is set at 12, if recording is
effected ~rom the left end on the column 111 to the right end
of same and once stored in the storage MEM through the scanning
operation, the recorded information is not read out as a signal
for effecting the needle selecting operation. As described
above, the unit pattern knitting operation can be effected,
in the a~ore-mentioned construction, corresponding to the
knitting pattern on the program carrier 1. The machine has
such a further construction that the configuration of the
pattern to be actually knitted can be changed by operation of
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operative members provided on the control panel 3 without
changing the knitting pattern, which will be described below.
A pattern reversing means ~ from the right to the left
and vice versa is so provided that the output electric signal
; 5 can be reversed as illustrated in Fig. ll[XI] by switching
; the operation of a manually operable member from high level
to low level and vice versa. The signal [XI] is compared
with the output ~VI] of the carriage running direction
detecting means d in a comparison circuit N (wherein an
exclusive logical sum is cariiea out) so that the adding and
substructing direction of the up-down counter in the carriage
position detecting circuit J may be determined by the com-
parison signal [XII].
Thus, knitting patterns having profiles reversed to each
other can be obtained from a sing:Le needle selection program
recorded on the program carrier 1 by reversing the adding
; and subtracting direction in the above switching operation.
In this case, the above-mentioned reference needle is
also changed by the above switching operation. In other
words, the rightmost needle out of the knitting needles 28
within a range in which needle selection is to be effective,
; to wit, the specific knitting needle 28 indicated by the
pointer 57 of the right boundary member 4r, will be selected
as the reference needle to be used for knitting and will
always knit the contents of column 1 (left end) of the
program carrier 1.
However, the counting value of the carriage position
detecting circuit J is determined by the operation of the
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pattern reversing means M, in other words, according to
either signal [XIII] or [XVII] obtained in accordance with
the running direction of the carriage Y. Therefore, even if
the knitting pattern on the program carrier 1 is identical,
the pattern to be knitted can be reversed.
Next, a needle selecting mode reversing means P puts
out the electric signal similar to that of the pattern revers-
ing means M by the switching operation of the manually
- operable member. The electric signal is applied to the drive
signal forming circuit L and~the output from the drive signal
forming circuit L takes the form of the signal [XVI] or the
reversed form of same according to the operation of the
means P.
Accordingly, the mode of selecting the needles 28 can be
reversed by the means P whereby the ground pattern of the
pattern to be knitted can be changed without changing the
knitting pattern on the program carrier 1.
So far~ the storing into the storage MEM of the signal
is effected with respect to the digital electric signal con-
taining all the bits concerned with the scanning along onewhole stage and only the signal with a limitted numbers
-set in the reading-out operation is taken out to effect
the unit pattern knitting operation. However, such storing
operation can he effected with respect to only the signal
with the set numbers. In this case, all of the
stored signals are read out with the same result.
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