Pattern band for multicolor circular knitting machines

Claim 3

A method as defined in claim 1, comprising the further step of axially moving the pattern band through a distance at least equal to the fixed segment after the termination of each cycle of N scans.

Claim 4

For use with a circular knitting machine, apparatus for registering, along a fixed-length axial segment of a continuous, elongated pattern band, a pattern of mechanical indicia (e.g., punched holes) representative of the actual distribution of at least three colors along a selected path of a multicolor pattern sample, which comprises: means for comparing regions of a color pattern with a selectable one of N reference colors where N is the number of colors along the selected path, the reference colors corresponding individually to the colors along such path; means for generating a control signal upon each coincidence of a color pattern region and a reference color; normally unactuated registration means positionable opposite the pattern band segment and operable in a selectable one of N modes individually corresponding to the N reference colors for pressing mechanical indicia of the selected reference color on the opposed region of the pattern band segment; means for synchronously scanning the comparing means over the selected path and the registration means over the pattern band segment N times in succession to position the registration band over a region of the segment corresponding uniquely to a region of the selected path during each scan; means operative during each of the N scans for selecting a different reference color of the comparing means and for selecting the corresponding mode of the registration means; and means responsive to the occurrence of each control signal for actuating the registration means to press the selected mechanical indicia of the registration means on the opposed region of the pattern band segment.

Claim 5

For use with a circular knitting machine, apparatus for registering, along a fixed-length axial segment of a continuous, elongated pattern band, a pattern of mechanical indicia (e.g., punched holes) representative of the actual distribution of at least three colors along a selected path of a multicolor pattern sample, which comprises: means for comparing regions of a color pattern with a selectable one of N reference colors where N is the number of colors along the selected path, the reference colors corresponding individually to the colors along such path; means for generating a control signal upon each coincidence of a color pattern region and a reference color; normally unactuated registration means positionable opposite the pattern band segment and operable in a selectable one of N modes individually corresponding to the N reference colors for pressing mechanical indicia of the selected reference color on the opposed region of the pattern band segment; means for synchronously scanning the comparing means over the selected path and the registration means over the pattern band segment N times in succession to position the registration band over a region of the segment corresponding uniquely to a region of the selected path during each scan; means operative during each of the N scans for selecting a different reference color of the comparing means and for selecting the corresponding mode of the registration means; and means responsive to the occurrence of each control signal for actuating the registration means to press the selected mechanical indicia of the registration means on the opposed region of the pattern band segment.

Claim 6

Apparatus as defined in claim 3, further comprising means operative at the end of each cycle of N scans for axially indexing the pattern band through a distance at least equal to the fixed length to expose a new segment of the pattern band to a succeeding scan cycle of the registration means.