Electronic needle selecting means for circular knitting machines

Claim 2

An electronic needle selecting device for a circular knitting machine having a slotted needle cylinder and a circle of needles disposed in and independently movable lengthwise of said cylinder slots, a circle of jacks disposed in said cylinder slots below said needles and independently movable lengthwise of said slots to raise said needles, said jacks also being rockable in said cylinder slots about individual fulcrums intermediate their ends and having butts above their fulcrums, a jack raise cam to engage said jack butts to raise said jacks and said needles from a first to a second level, a jack aligning cam acting upon said jacks below their fulcrums to rock the jacks so that their said butts are moved radially outwardly of said cylinder slots into the path of said jack raise cam, selectively pulsed electromagnetic means thereafter acting upon said jacks below their fulcrums to rock selected ones of said jacks so that their butts are moved radially inwardly of said cylinder slots, said jack raise cam thereafter raising only those of said jacks which have not been so selected and rocked by said electromagnetic means, and permanent magnetic means adapted to exert force upon said jacks above and below their said fulcrums prior to, during and after the selecting action of said electromagnetic means upon said jacks, said force acting upon all of said jacks above and below said fulcrums prior to said selecting action on said jacks to maintain the latter in the position to which they are rocked by said jack aligning cam.

Claim 3

Device as in claim 1 wherein the force exerted by said permanent magnetic means upon said jacks during said selecting action is less than the force being exerted thereon by said permanent magnetic means prior to said selecting action, whereby said selecting action by said electromagnetic means overcomes said lesser force being exerted upon said jacks as selected ones of the latter are rocked about their said fulcrums by said electromagnetic means.

Claim 4

Device as in claim 2 wherein the force exerted by said permanent magnetic means upon said jacks after said selecting action is greater than the force being exerted thereon by said permanent magnetic means during said selecting action, and wherein said greater force acts upon said selected jacks below their said fulcrums to rock the same so that their said butts are moved radially inwardly of said cylinder slots out of the path of said jack raise cam.

Claim 5

Device as in claim 2 wherein the force exerted by said permanent magnetic means upon said jacks after said selecting action is greater than the force being exerted thereon by said permanent magnetic means during said selecting action, and wherein said greater force acts upon those of said jacks which were not selected by said electromagnetic means to maintain the latter in the position to which they were rocked by said jack aligning cam, said greater force acting upon said non-selected jacks above their said fulcrums.

Claim 6

An electronic needle selecting device for a circular knitting machine having a slotted needle cylinder and a circle of needles disposed in and independently movable lengthwise of said cylinder slots, a circle of jacks disposed in said cylinder slots below said needles and independently movable lengthwise of said slots to raise said needles, said jacks also being rockable in said cylinder slots about individual fulcrums intermediate their ends and having butts above their fulcrums, a jack raise cam to engage said jack butts to raise said jacks and said needles from a first to a second level, a jack aligning cam acting upon said jacks below their fulcrums to rock the jacks so that their said butts are moved radially outwardly of said cylinder slots into the path of said jack raise cam, and selectively pulsed electromagnetic means thereafter acting upon said jacks below their fulcrums to rock selected ones of said jacks so that their butts are moved radially inwardly of said cylinder slots, said jack raise cam thereafter raising only those of said jacks which have not been so selected and rocked by said electromagnetic means, certain spaced ones of said jacks having radially extending selecting butts at a first level below their fulcrums while certain other spaced ones of said jacks have radially extending selecting butts at a second level below their fulcrums, said electromagnetic means comprising a first electromagnet acting solely upon said first level selecting butts to rock selected ones of said certain spaced jacks and also comprising a second electromagnet acting solely upon said second level selecting jack butts to rock selected ones of said certain other spaced jacks, said certain spaced jacks not having selecting butts at said second level and said certain other spaced jacks not having selecting butts at said first level.

Claim 7

An electronic needle selecting device for a circular knitting machine having a slotted needle cylinder and a circle of needles disposed in and independently movable lengthwise of said cylinder slots, a circle of jacks disposed in said cylinder slots below said needles and independently movable lengthwise of said slots to raise said needles, said jacks also being rockable in said cylinder slots about individual fulcrums intermediate their ends and having butts above their fulcrums, a jack raise cam to engage said jack butts to raise said jacks and said needles from a first to a second level, a jack aligning cam acting upon said jacks below their fulcrums to rock the jacks so that their said butts are moved radially outwardly of said cylinder slots into the path of said jack raise cam, and selectively pulsed electromagnetic means thereafter acting upon said jacks below their fulcrums to rock selected ones of said jacks so that their butts are moved radially inwardly of said cylinder slots, said jack raise cam thereafter raising only those of said jacks which have not been so selected and rocked by said electromagnetic means, certain spaced ones of said jacks having radially extending selecting butts at a first level below their fulcrums while certain other spaced ones of said jacks have radially extending selecting butts at a second level below their fulcrums, said electromagnetic means comprising a first electromagnet acting solely upon said first level selecting butts to rock selected ones of said certain spaced jacks and also comprising a second electromagnet acting solely upon said second level selecting jack butts to rock selected ones of said certain other spaced jacks, said certain spaced jacks not having selecting butts at said second level and said certain other spaced jacks not having selecting butts at said first level.