US3831402A — Knitting machine encoder

Claim 1

Independent Claim 720 words

Apparatus for use in a knitting machine having a needle cylinder holding a plurality of needles to which strands of material are fed from feeders during relative rotation between the needle cylinder and feeders to knit a predetermined one of a plurality of different patterns the knitting of each of which requires different numbers of revolutions of relative rotation between the needle cylinder and feeders with the feeders associated with each other in groups of any one of a plurality of different sizes, wherein said apparatus comprises encoder means for providing signals which vary with variations in the relative position of the needle cylinder and feeders and for providing revolution signals which vary with revolutions of relative rotation between the needle cylinder and the feeders, said encoder means includes a first code track having a plurality of zones of a first characteristic and a plurality of zones of a second characteristic, each of said zones of said first code track being of the same longitudinal extent, a second code track having a plurality of zones of the first characteristic and a plurality of zones of a second characteristic, each of said zones of a first characteristic of said second code track being of the same longitudinal extent as one of said zones of a first characteristic of said first code track and each of said zones of a second characteristic of said second code track being of a longitudinal extent which is at least twice as great as the longitudinal extent of one of said zones of a second characteristic of said first code track, first reader means for cooperating with each of said zones of the first characteristic of said first code track in turn to provide a signal of a first level during relative rotation between the needle cylinder and feeders for a first predetermined number of revolutions and for cooperating with each of said zones of the second characteristic of said first code track in turn to provide a signal of a second level during relative rotation between the needle cylinder and feeders for the first predetermined number of revolutions, and second reader means for cooperating with each of said zones of a first characteristic of said second code track in turn to provide a signal of a first level during relative rotation between the needle cylinder and feeders for the first predetermined number of revolutions and for cooperating with each of said zones of the second characteristic of said second code track in turn to provide a signal of a second level during relative rotation between the needle cylinder and feeders for a second predetermined number of revolutions which is at least twice as great as said first predetermined number of revolutions, control means for receiving signals from said encoder means and for effecting activation of the needles during relative rotation between the needle cylinder and feeders, said control means including revolution register means activated in response to revolutioN signals from said encoder means for providing a series of coded revolution count signals each of which is indicative of a revolution of relative movement between the needle cylinder and feeders and for sequentially repeating said series of coded revolution count signals each time a predetermined number of revolutions of relative rotation occurs between the needle cylinder and feeders during operation of the knitting machine, means for effecting a knitting of a selected one of the plurality of patterns each time said series of coded revolution count signals is repeated by said revolution register means, and selector means for varying the predetermined number of revolutions required to effect a repetition of said series of coded revolution count signals by said revolution register means to enable the knitting machine to knit patterns requiring different numbers of revolutions of relative rotation between the needle cylinder and feeders, said selector means including switching means for effecting a transmittal of signals from said first reader means to said revolution register means during the knitting of a pattern requiring a first predetermined number of revolutions of relative movement between the needle cylinder and feeders and for effecting transmittal of signals from said second reader means to said revolution register means during the knitting of a pattern requiring a second predetermined number of revolutions of relative movement between the needle cylinder and feeders.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 720 words

Apparatus for use in a knitting machine having a needle cylinder holding a plurality of needles to which strands of material are fed from feeders during relative rotation between the needle cylinder and feeders to knit a predetermined one of a plurality of different patterns the knitting of each of which requires different numbers of revolutions of relative rotation between the needle cylinder and feeders with the feeders associated with each other in groups of any one of a plurality of different sizes, wherein said apparatus comprises encoder means for providing signals which vary with variations in the relative position of the needle cylinder and feeders and for providing revolution signals which vary with revolutions of relative rotation between the needle cylinder and the feeders, said encoder means includes a first code track having a plurality of zones of a first characteristic and a plurality of zones of a second characteristic, each of said zones of said first code track being of the same longitudinal extent, a second code track having a plurality of zones of the first characteristic and a plurality of zones of a second characteristic, each of said zones of a first characteristic of said second code track being of the same longitudinal extent as one of said zones of a first characteristic of said first code track and each of said zones of a second characteristic of said second code track being of a longitudinal extent which is at least twice as great as the longitudinal extent of one of said zones of a second characteristic of said first code track, first reader means for cooperating with each of said zones of the first characteristic of said first code track in turn to provide a signal of a first level during relative rotation between the needle cylinder and feeders for a first predetermined number of revolutions and for cooperating with each of said zones of the second characteristic of said first code track in turn to provide a signal of a second level during relative rotation between the needle cylinder and feeders for the first predetermined number of revolutions, and second reader means for cooperating with each of said zones of a first characteristic of said second code track in turn to provide a signal of a first level during relative rotation between the needle cylinder and feeders for the first predetermined number of revolutions and for cooperating with each of said zones of the second characteristic of said second code track in turn to provide a signal of a second level during relative rotation between the needle cylinder and feeders for a second predetermined number of revolutions which is at least twice as great as said first predetermined number of revolutions, control means for receiving signals from said encoder means and for effecting activation of the needles during relative rotation between the needle cylinder and feeders, said control means including revolution register means activated in response to revolutioN signals from said encoder means for providing a series of coded revolution count signals each of which is indicative of a revolution of relative movement between the needle cylinder and feeders and for sequentially repeating said series of coded revolution count signals each time a predetermined number of revolutions of relative rotation occurs between the needle cylinder and feeders during operation of the knitting machine, means for effecting a knitting of a selected one of the plurality of patterns each time said series of coded revolution count signals is repeated by said revolution register means, and selector means for varying the predetermined number of revolutions required to effect a repetition of said series of coded revolution count signals by said revolution register means to enable the knitting machine to knit patterns requiring different numbers of revolutions of relative rotation between the needle cylinder and feeders, said selector means including switching means for effecting a transmittal of signals from said first reader means to said revolution register means during the knitting of a pattern requiring a first predetermined number of revolutions of relative movement between the needle cylinder and feeders and for effecting transmittal of signals from said second reader means to said revolution register means during the knitting of a pattern requiring a second predetermined number of revolutions of relative movement between the needle cylinder and feeders.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 88 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said encoder means further includes means for providing feeder signals which vary as a function of relative movement between the needle cylinder and feeders, said control means further including feeder register means activated in response to feeder signals from said encoder means for providing a series of coded feeder count signals which are indicative of the feeder in which a predetermined needle on the needle cylinder is located during a revolution of relative movement between the needle cylinder and feeders.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 396 words

A knitting machine for use in knitting a selected one of a plurality of patterns, said machine comprising a needle cylinder, a plurality of needles disposed on said needle cylinder in a circular array which begins with a first needle and ends with a last needle, a plurality of feeders disposed about said needle cylinder for feeding strands of material to said needles, actuator means in each of said feeders for effecting operation of said needles to knit the strands of material into a pattern, drive means for effecting relative rotation between said feeders and said needle cylinder and for effecting sequential cooperation between each of said feeders and each of said needles in turn such that each of said feeders is associated in turn with each of said needles on said needle cylinder, encoder means for providing signals which vary with variations in the relative position of said needle cylinder and feeders, said encoder means including first circular code track means, first reader means cooperating with said first circular code track means to provide binary coded feeder signals which vary with relative movement between said feeders and needle cylinder, second circular code track means distinct from said first circular code track means, and second reader means distinct from said first reader means cooperating with second circular code track means to provide binary coded revolution signals which vary with relative movement between said feeders and needle cylinder, control means for receiving signals from said encoder means and for effecting activation of said actuator means to knit a pattern during relative movement between said needle cylinder and feeders, said control means including feeder register means activated in response to feeder signals from said first reader means means for arithmetically operating on said binary coded feeder signals to provide a series of binary coded feeder count signals indicative of the particular feeder wiTh which said first needle is associated during relative rotation between said needle cylinder and feeders and which binary coded feeder count signals vary in response to a change in the feeder with which said first needle is associated, said control means including revolution register means activated in response to said binary coded revolution signals from said second reader means for providing a series of coded revolution count signals each of which is indicative of a revolution of relative movement between the needle cylinder and feeders.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 396 words

A knitting machine for use in knitting a selected one of a plurality of patterns, said machine comprising a needle cylinder, a plurality of needles disposed on said needle cylinder in a circular array which begins with a first needle and ends with a last needle, a plurality of feeders disposed about said needle cylinder for feeding strands of material to said needles, actuator means in each of said feeders for effecting operation of said needles to knit the strands of material into a pattern, drive means for effecting relative rotation between said feeders and said needle cylinder and for effecting sequential cooperation between each of said feeders and each of said needles in turn such that each of said feeders is associated in turn with each of said needles on said needle cylinder, encoder means for providing signals which vary with variations in the relative position of said needle cylinder and feeders, said encoder means including first circular code track means, first reader means cooperating with said first circular code track means to provide binary coded feeder signals which vary with relative movement between said feeders and needle cylinder, second circular code track means distinct from said first circular code track means, and second reader means distinct from said first reader means cooperating with second circular code track means to provide binary coded revolution signals which vary with relative movement between said feeders and needle cylinder, control means for receiving signals from said encoder means and for effecting activation of said actuator means to knit a pattern during relative movement between said needle cylinder and feeders, said control means including feeder register means activated in response to feeder signals from said first reader means means for arithmetically operating on said binary coded feeder signals to provide a series of binary coded feeder count signals indicative of the particular feeder wiTh which said first needle is associated during relative rotation between said needle cylinder and feeders and which binary coded feeder count signals vary in response to a change in the feeder with which said first needle is associated, said control means including revolution register means activated in response to said binary coded revolution signals from said second reader means for providing a series of coded revolution count signals each of which is indicative of a revolution of relative movement between the needle cylinder and feeders.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 197 words

A knitting machine as set forth in claim 3 wherein said revolution register means includes means for sequentially repeating said series of coded revolution count signals each time a predetermined number of revolutions of relative rotation occurs between the needle cylinder and feeders during operation of the knitting machine and a plurality of circuit means which are selectively activatable to conduct signals from said plurality of reader means to said revolution register means, for effecting a knitting of a selected one of the plurality of patterns each time said series of coded revolution count signals is repeated by said revolution register means, and selector means for varying the predetermined number of revolutions required to effect a repetition of said series of coded revolution count signals by said revolution counter means to enable the knitting machine to knit patterns requiring different numbers of revolutions of relative rotation between the needle cylinder and feeders, said selector means including switching means for activating predetermined combinations of said circuit means to effect a repetition of said series of revolution count signals by said revolution register means in a number of revolutions corresponding to a selected one of the plurality of patterns.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 718 words

A knitting machine for knitting any one of a plurality of different patterns, said machine comprising a needle cylinder, a plurality of spaced apart needles disposed on said needle cylinder and arranged in a circular array extending between a first needle and a last needle, a plurality of feeders disposed about said needle cylinder for feeding strands of material to said needles, said feeders being associated with each other in feeder groups comprised of a number of feeders which is variable to correspond to a selected pattern, drive means for providing relative movement between said needle cylinder and feeders to enable said first needle to be associated with each of said feeders in turn, encoder means for providing signals which vary with relative movement between said needle cylinder and feeders, said encoder means including first code track and reader means for providing needle signals which vary in response to relative movement between said needle cylinder and feeders by an extent corresponding to the spacing of adjacent needles, second code track and reader means for providing coded feeder signals which vary in response to relative movement between said needle cylinder and feeders by an extent which is a function of the spacing of adjacent feeders, said coded feeder signals being indicative of the feeder with which said first needle is associated, and third code track and reader means for providing coded revolution signals which vary in response to relative movement between said needle cylinder and feeders by an extent which is a function of one complete revolution of relative movement, said coded revolution signals being indicative of the number of revolutions of relative movement which have occurred between said needle cylinder and feeders during the knitting of a pattern, and control means for receiving said needle signals, coded feeder signals, and coded revolution signals from said encoder means and for effecting activation of said needles during relative rotation between said needle cylinder and feeders, said third code track and reader means including one code track having a plurality of zones of a first characteristic and a plurality of zones of a second Characteristic, each of said zones of said one code track being of the same longitudinal extent, another code track having a plurality of zones of a first characteristic and a plurality of zones of a second characteristic, each of said zones of a first characteristic of said other code track being of the same longitudinal extent as one of said zones of said one code track and each of said zones of a second characteristic of said other code track having a longitudinal extent which is greater than the longitudinal extent of one of said zones of a first characteristic of said other code track, a first reader for cooperating with each of said zones of the first characteristic of said one code track in turn to provide a signal of a first level during relative rotation between said needle cylinder and feeders for a first predetermined number of revolutions and for cooperating with each of said zones of the second characteristic of said one code track in turn to provide a signal of a second level during relative rotation between the needle cylinder and feeders for said first predetermined number of revolutions, and a second reader for cooperating with each of said zones of a first characteristic of said other code track in turn to provide a signal of a first level during relative rotation between said needle cylinder and feeders for said first predetermined number of revolutions and for cooperating with each of said zones of the second characteristic of said other code track in turn to provide a signal of a second level during relative rotation between the needle cylinder and feeders for a second predetermined number of revolutions which is greater than said first predetermined number of revolutions, said control means including switching means for enabling said control means to utilize signals from said first reader during the knitting of a pattern requiring a first predetermined number of revolutions of relative movement between the needle cylinder and feeders and for enabling said control means to utilize signals from said second reader during the knitting of a pattern requiring a second predetermined number of revolutions of relative movement between the needle cylinder and feeders.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 718 words

A knitting machine for knitting any one of a plurality of different patterns, said machine comprising a needle cylinder, a plurality of spaced apart needles disposed on said needle cylinder and arranged in a circular array extending between a first needle and a last needle, a plurality of feeders disposed about said needle cylinder for feeding strands of material to said needles, said feeders being associated with each other in feeder groups comprised of a number of feeders which is variable to correspond to a selected pattern, drive means for providing relative movement between said needle cylinder and feeders to enable said first needle to be associated with each of said feeders in turn, encoder means for providing signals which vary with relative movement between said needle cylinder and feeders, said encoder means including first code track and reader means for providing needle signals which vary in response to relative movement between said needle cylinder and feeders by an extent corresponding to the spacing of adjacent needles, second code track and reader means for providing coded feeder signals which vary in response to relative movement between said needle cylinder and feeders by an extent which is a function of the spacing of adjacent feeders, said coded feeder signals being indicative of the feeder with which said first needle is associated, and third code track and reader means for providing coded revolution signals which vary in response to relative movement between said needle cylinder and feeders by an extent which is a function of one complete revolution of relative movement, said coded revolution signals being indicative of the number of revolutions of relative movement which have occurred between said needle cylinder and feeders during the knitting of a pattern, and control means for receiving said needle signals, coded feeder signals, and coded revolution signals from said encoder means and for effecting activation of said needles during relative rotation between said needle cylinder and feeders, said third code track and reader means including one code track having a plurality of zones of a first characteristic and a plurality of zones of a second Characteristic, each of said zones of said one code track being of the same longitudinal extent, another code track having a plurality of zones of a first characteristic and a plurality of zones of a second characteristic, each of said zones of a first characteristic of said other code track being of the same longitudinal extent as one of said zones of said one code track and each of said zones of a second characteristic of said other code track having a longitudinal extent which is greater than the longitudinal extent of one of said zones of a first characteristic of said other code track, a first reader for cooperating with each of said zones of the first characteristic of said one code track in turn to provide a signal of a first level during relative rotation between said needle cylinder and feeders for a first predetermined number of revolutions and for cooperating with each of said zones of the second characteristic of said one code track in turn to provide a signal of a second level during relative rotation between the needle cylinder and feeders for said first predetermined number of revolutions, and a second reader for cooperating with each of said zones of a first characteristic of said other code track in turn to provide a signal of a first level during relative rotation between said needle cylinder and feeders for said first predetermined number of revolutions and for cooperating with each of said zones of the second characteristic of said other code track in turn to provide a signal of a second level during relative rotation between the needle cylinder and feeders for a second predetermined number of revolutions which is greater than said first predetermined number of revolutions, said control means including switching means for enabling said control means to utilize signals from said first reader during the knitting of a pattern requiring a first predetermined number of revolutions of relative movement between the needle cylinder and feeders and for enabling said control means to utilize signals from said second reader during the knitting of a pattern requiring a second predetermined number of revolutions of relative movement between the needle cylinder and feeders.

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

Knitting machine encoder

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