US3793850A — Patterning system for a multi-feed circular knitt…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 385 words

A multi-feed circular knitting machine comprising, in combination; an axially tricked cylinder co-axial with respect to the knitting head of the machine; individually operable needlecontrolling jacks which are accomodated in tricks in the cylinder and are furnished with patterning butts, one butt per jack, said butts on successive jacks being so relatively offset laterally in a multiplicity of superimposed planes, as to form right around the machine circumferentially spaced inclined lines of the butts, the lateral offsetting corresponding with the pitch of the pattern jacks circumferentially of the machine; groups of individually movable selector cam slides, one group in advance of each feed arranged around the knitting head, and for each group of selector cam slides, programmed control means including an apertured programming element functioning at a speed related to that of the machine for selectively operating the said slides in advance of the relevant feed for effecting selective actuation of the jacks in accordance with pre-determined patterning requirements; the machine being characterized in that the vertical pitch of the said patterning butts on successive jacks is such that the lower edge of the butt on any one jack is spaced vertically from the corresponding edge of the butt on the next jack a distance equal only to the vertical pitch of the butts, whereby an individual jack can only be lifted by any one selector cam slide a distance equivalent to the said vertical pitch; and in that each of the selector cam slides in the group at a selector station in advance of each feed is operable by an air pressure system and the supply of air under pressure to these slides is controlled by said apertured programming element movable in timed relation with the rotation of the knitting head of the machine whereby the selector cam slides are air operated selectively, the air pressure system including fluidic elements each consisting of a single laminate section having therein a cavity to receive one of the selector cam slides, twice as many of these fluidic elements as there are patterning butts in each inclined line of such butts being stacked one above the other to form a vertical block at each selecting station, each fluidic element having a sensing orifice in alignment with a channel or line of information in the apertured programming element.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 385 words

A multi-feed circular knitting machine comprising, in combination; an axially tricked cylinder co-axial with respect to the knitting head of the machine; individually operable needlecontrolling jacks which are accomodated in tricks in the cylinder and are furnished with patterning butts, one butt per jack, said butts on successive jacks being so relatively offset laterally in a multiplicity of superimposed planes, as to form right around the machine circumferentially spaced inclined lines of the butts, the lateral offsetting corresponding with the pitch of the pattern jacks circumferentially of the machine; groups of individually movable selector cam slides, one group in advance of each feed arranged around the knitting head, and for each group of selector cam slides, programmed control means including an apertured programming element functioning at a speed related to that of the machine for selectively operating the said slides in advance of the relevant feed for effecting selective actuation of the jacks in accordance with pre-determined patterning requirements; the machine being characterized in that the vertical pitch of the said patterning butts on successive jacks is such that the lower edge of the butt on any one jack is spaced vertically from the corresponding edge of the butt on the next jack a distance equal only to the vertical pitch of the butts, whereby an individual jack can only be lifted by any one selector cam slide a distance equivalent to the said vertical pitch; and in that each of the selector cam slides in the group at a selector station in advance of each feed is operable by an air pressure system and the supply of air under pressure to these slides is controlled by said apertured programming element movable in timed relation with the rotation of the knitting head of the machine whereby the selector cam slides are air operated selectively, the air pressure system including fluidic elements each consisting of a single laminate section having therein a cavity to receive one of the selector cam slides, twice as many of these fluidic elements as there are patterning butts in each inclined line of such butts being stacked one above the other to form a vertical block at each selecting station, each fluidic element having a sensing orifice in alignment with a channel or line of information in the apertured programming element.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 216 words

A multi-feed circular knitting machine according to claim 1, said apertured programming element being a punched programming tape, and wherein the sensing orifices detect the presence or absence of holes in said punched programming tape which extends around a vertical tape guide having a mainly convex front face fitted into a concave face of the vertical block of stacked fluidic elements, said tape guide having formed therein an exhaust duct and a vErtical series of as many air exhaust slots as there are fluidic elements in the stack, these slots being aligned with the lines of information in the punched tape and communicating with the interior of the exhaust duct common to them all, and wherein a vertical air feed tube in communication with a source of low pressure air extends up through the block of fluidic elements and has formed in its wall as many air feed holes as there are fluidic elements in the stack, said air feed holes being in alignment both with the corresponding air exhause slots and the respective sensing orifices, and the outer ends of the latter terminating in the concave face of the vertical block whilst their inner ends lead into channels freely communicating with the inner butt ends of the selector cam slides in the respective fluidic elements.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 50 words

A circular knitting machine according to claim 2, wherein air under low pressure is fed into the blocks of stacked fluidic elements at the selector stations from an annular chamber formed in a fixed plate which surrounds a rotary cylinder wherein are accommodated the instruments furnished with the patterning butts.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 133 words

A multi-feed circular knitting machine according to claim 1, wherein the selector cam slides in the group at each selector station are arranged in superimposed pairs, the first slide of each such pair having an operative end adapted by engagement with patterning butts, to raise corresponding needles to tucking height only, whereas, the second slide of the pair has an operative end which, together with the operative end of the first slide, causes patterning butts to be lifted sufficiently far as to cause corresponding needles to be raised to clearing height, the arrangement being such that the first cam slide is movable into its operative position independently of the second cam slide, which latter remains stationary, whereas whenever the second slide is rendered operative the first slide is also rendered operative together therewith.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 92 words

A multi-feed circular knitting machine in accordance with claim 1, said apertured programming element being a punched tape, and wherein for driving an endless loop of said punched tape at each selector station there is provided a driveable roller having sprocket teeth for engagement in drive holes in the tape loop, the said rollers at adjacent selector stations being mounted in a removable cassette and wherein at least one of the driveable sprocket rollers in the cassette is driven from a cylinder driving gear through the medium of a train of gearing.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1977-02-25	1977-08-27	1978-02-26	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1981-02-25	1981-08-27	1982-02-26	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1985-02-25	1985-08-27	1986-02-26	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Patterning system for a multi-feed circular knitting machine

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