Pattern control mechanisms for knitting machines

Claim 2

In a pattern unit for a knitting machine having a plurality of needles, a pattern butt associated with each needle, the pattern butts being divided into a plurality of groups arranged in common planes, the pattern unit comprising a plurality of selectors each associated with one group of pattern butts and movable between butt-engaging and butt-missing positions, wherein the improvement comprises: a plurality of spaced apart parallel horizontal shafts disposed in a common vertical plane which is parallel to the instantaneous path of said butts in the region of said selectors, said shafts being adapted for rotation about their longitudinal axes, said selectors being generally L-shaped each having a tip on one end of one leg and affixed at the end of the other leg to one of said shafts for movement therewith, said tips being arranged in a common vertical center line in a plane substantially parallel to said plane containing said shafts, said tips being adapted to engage different groups of said pattern butts, a plurality of vertically spaced apart rocker arms each affixed at one end to one of said shafts and extending substantially horizontally away from said shafts, the opposite end of each said rocker arm being a distance away from its associated shaft sufficient to insure that when movement is imparted to said rocker arm to move the shaft which in turn moves the associated selector tip between said butt-missing and buttengaging positions said movement is essentially a rectilinear motion parallel to the movement of said needles in their tricks, said movement causes said shaft to rotate about its longitudinal axis, and imparts a movement to said selector tip which is substantially normal to the movement of said needles in their tricks and substantially coplanar with the movement of the butts.

Claim 3

A pattern unit as defined in claim 1, further characterized in that each of said selectors extends substantially vertically upward from its associated shaft by effectively the same distance, and said distance is sufficiently large for the movement of said tip resulting from said movement of said rocker arm to be effectively in a horizontal plane of a group of butts with which it is adapted to engage.

Claim 4

A pattern unit as defined in claim 2 wherein said rocker shafts are spaced apart in the direction of movement of said needles in their tricks.

Claim 5

A pattern unit for a knitting machine having a plurality of needles, a pattern butt associated with each needle, the pattern butts being divided into a plurality of groups arranged in common planes, the pattern unit comprising a plurality of selectors each associated with one group of pattern butts and movable between butt-engaging and butt-missing positions, wherein the imprOvement comprises: a plurality of spaced apart parallel horizontal shafts disposed in a common vertical plane which is inclined at an acute angle to the instantaneous path of movement of said butts in the region of said selectors, said shafts being adapted for rotation about their longitudinal axes, said selectors being generally L-shaped each having a tip on one end of one leg and affixed at the end of the other leg to one of said shafts for movement therewith, said tips being arranged in a common vertical center line in a plane substantially parallel to said plane containing said shafts, said tips being adapted to engage different groups of said pattern butts, a plurality of vertically spaced apart rocker arms each affixed at one end to one of said shafts and extending substantially horizontally away from said shafts, the opposite end of each said rocker arm being a distance away from its associated shaft sufficient to insure that when movement is imparted to said rocker arm to move the shaft which in turn moves the associated selector tip between said butt-missing and butt-engaging positions said movement is essentially a rectilinear motion parallel to the movement of said needles in their tricks, said movement causes said shaft to rotate about its longitudinal axis, and imparts a movement to said selector tip which is substantially normal to the movement of the needles in their tricks and substantially coplanar with the movement of the butts.

Claim 6

A pattern unit for a knitting machine having a plurality of needles, a pattern butt associated with each needle, the pattern butts being divided into a plurality of groups arranged in common planes, the pattern unit comprising a plurality of selectors each associated with one group of pattern butts and movable between butt-engaging and butt-missing positions, wherein the imprOvement comprises: a plurality of spaced apart parallel horizontal shafts disposed in a common vertical plane which is inclined at an acute angle to the instantaneous path of movement of said butts in the region of said selectors, said shafts being adapted for rotation about their longitudinal axes, said selectors being generally L-shaped each having a tip on one end of one leg and affixed at the end of the other leg to one of said shafts for movement therewith, said tips being arranged in a common vertical center line in a plane substantially parallel to said plane containing said shafts, said tips being adapted to engage different groups of said pattern butts, a plurality of vertically spaced apart rocker arms each affixed at one end to one of said shafts and extending substantially horizontally away from said shafts, the opposite end of each said rocker arm being a distance away from its associated shaft sufficient to insure that when movement is imparted to said rocker arm to move the shaft which in turn moves the associated selector tip between said butt-missing and butt-engaging positions said movement is essentially a rectilinear motion parallel to the movement of said needles in their tricks, said movement causes said shaft to rotate about its longitudinal axis, and imparts a movement to said selector tip which is substantially normal to the movement of the needles in their tricks and substantially coplanar with the movement of the butts.