US3974664A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and device for electronic scanning of control-fields of a control member on cylinder and straight bar knitting machines
Assignee: ERBA MASCHINENBAU AG
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Filing: 1974-03-25
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Granted: 1976-08-17
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Expires: 1994-03-25
Abstract
Abstract A method of and apparatus for electronic scanning of control-fields of a control member on cylinder and straight bar knitting machines, in which the boundaries of the control-fields coincide with the boundaries of the needle pitches of the machine and electronic pulses are generated which are maintained during the run of the cam across a whole needle pitch or respectively across a number of whole needle pitches. The control pulses electronically amplified are fed to an obliquely positioned electromagnet or a piezoelectric movement-element having a wedge, arranged in a cam casing close to selector members, so that those selector members which coincide with a current pulse are moved away from the tips of inoperative members, a movement which arises both from the oblique guidance of the pole edges as well as the wedge. The tips of the members to be selected are removed so far from the tips of the inoperative members that before leaving the pole edges or before the magnetic pulse ceases at that point, a separator tip of a deflector connected with the cam passes behind the tips of each member thus preselected and thus secures a small separation, whereupon the deflector by its succeeding wedge drives the member towards the butt of the needle. Thus the tip of a foot of the needle moves behind the tip of the edge of the apex of a needle deflecton device, and the latter drives the needle into operation.
Inventors
- 👤 Ernst Erb
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 01:52
CPC Classifications
D; D04; D04B; D04B15/00; D04B15/66; D04B15/68; D04B15/78
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
292 words
A needle selection mechanism for use in cylinder and straight bar knitting machines of the type including a member having a plurality of needle tracks each containing a needle movable from a non-knitting position to a knitting position, said mechanism comprising: a control member having thereon control-fields the boundaries of which coincide with the boundaries of the pitch between said needles, a portion of said control-fields representing selected needles; means for scanning said control-fields and generating control pulses representative of the dimension thereof and of at least one whole needle pitch, corresponding to said selected needles; each of said needles having associated therewith a selector member including a pointed tip, and a fulcrum means for tilting of said member to move said tip thereof from a first non-selected normal position to a second selected position; a movement element positioned for relative movement with respect to said selector members adjacent said selector members, said movement element comprising means for receiving said control pulses, for causing movement about said fulcrum means of said selector members corresponding to said selected needles, and for causing movement of the tips of said thus selected selector members, into said selected position, with respect to the remainder of said selector members; a deflector fixedly positioned with respect to said movement element and having a separator tip positioned to contact said tips of said selected selector members, and wedge means contiguous with said separator tip for moving said selected selector members toward said respective needles to cause movement of said selected needles from said non-knitting position; and a needle deflector fixedly positioned with respect to said movement element and having an apex with an edge having a tip means for contacting and moving said selected needles into said knitting position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
292 words
A needle selection mechanism for use in cylinder and straight bar knitting machines of the type including a member having a plurality of needle tracks each containing a needle movable from a non-knitting position to a knitting position, said mechanism comprising: a control member having thereon control-fields the boundaries of which coincide with the boundaries of the pitch between said needles, a portion of said control-fields representing selected needles; means for scanning said control-fields and generating control pulses representative of the dimension thereof and of at least one whole needle pitch, corresponding to said selected needles; each of said needles having associated therewith a selector member including a pointed tip, and a fulcrum means for tilting of said member to move said tip thereof from a first non-selected normal position to a second selected position; a movement element positioned for relative movement with respect to said selector members adjacent said selector members, said movement element comprising means for receiving said control pulses, for causing movement about said fulcrum means of said selector members corresponding to said selected needles, and for causing movement of the tips of said thus selected selector members, into said selected position, with respect to the remainder of said selector members; a deflector fixedly positioned with respect to said movement element and having a separator tip positioned to contact said tips of said selected selector members, and wedge means contiguous with said separator tip for moving said selected selector members toward said respective needles to cause movement of said selected needles from said non-knitting position; and a needle deflector fixedly positioned with respect to said movement element and having an apex with an edge having a tip means for contacting and moving said selected needles into said knitting position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
68 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said movement element comprises a piezoelectric element solidly positioned with respect to said deflector and having a free end having a wedge of hard metal or sintered ceramic, said wedge having a face pointed in the direction of relative movement of said member towards said selector members, said wedge face having a length equal to one needle pitch.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
54 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said movement element comprises an electromagnet having poles lying one above the other and inclined to the direction of relative movement of said selector members at an angle of from 15° to 30°, said electromagnet poles having a surface aligned oblique to said direction.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
55 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said needle deflector is pivotally mounted to be movable from a lower oblique position in which all the needles are moved, to an upper less oblique position; and wherein each said needle has a foot with a pointed tip for contact by said needle deflector.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a second needle deflector adjustable among three positions.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
112 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said knitting machine is a straight bar knitting machine having a lifting cam movable to and fro with respect to said needles, said movement element being integral with said lifting cam and having a fulcrum which coincides with a centreline of said scanning means; wherein said movement element comprises an electromagnet having poles, one edge of which coincides on a line with one boundary of a control-field as well as with the one boundary of a needle-pitch; and wherein said lifting cam and electromagnet are mounted on a block which can slide to and fro underneath a track of said lifting cam.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
59 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electromagnet pivots about said fulcrum, whereby an edge of said poles lying nearer to said selector members always is upstream and on said centreline; and wherein said poles are surrounded by a non-magnetic bonding material by which at both sides of said poles a guiding edge is formed.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said selector member has a lever portion projecting from the fulcrum thereof.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
53 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said member comprises a needle bed having a recess therein continuous with said needle tracks, a channel connected with said recess, said selector members each having a head rotatably positioned in said channel, and segments with spacer teeth mounting said selector members therein.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
50 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 1, further comprising angular separator-segments mounting said selector members in place and having transverse slots at the same pitch as said needles, and webs between said slots having bulges creating constructions to prevent involuntary passage into said slots of said selector members.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
99 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control member has a surface divided in accordance with the desired knitting pattern into rows of rectangular control-fields, the boundaries of which agree in the direction of scanning exactly with the boundaries of the needle pitch, certain of said control-fields being white and the others black, said scanning means being a photoelectric element so that the white control-fields upon photoelectric reading thereof omit a current pulse, a signal which persists from one boundary of a control-field to another, or across a number of control-fields together in a row.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
41 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 11, wherein said control-fields are divided according to a single standard size the boundaries of which are rectangular and in the direction of scanning are coincident with the boundaries of the needle pitch.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control member comprises an endless belt mounted on a cylinder; a toothed belt for moving said cylinder; and a gearwheel continuously engaging said toothed belt.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said selector members are guided on one side thereof in guide slots by an endless spiral spring which is positioned in a groove.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
57 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said member comprises a needle bed having being positioned a groove, said selector members beingpositioned in said groove without play; and each having a head and an endpiece underneath which bar permanent magnets are arranged for pulling said selector members across a small airgap into said groove.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
38 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control member includes a belt having rows of said control-fields, only every other said row in the succession of rows being used for storage of the pattern.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
95 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said selector member has a rotary head forming said fulcrum means, a shank extending toward said tip, a guidepiece on said shank adjacent said tip and extending towards the bottom of the respective needle track, and adjacent said fulcrum means a foot projecting out of said needle track; and further comprising a straightener wedge means for alignment of said selector members; and wherein said deflector comprises a slider-wedge having said separator tip thereof sloping downwards for engaging said guidepiece of a selected selector member.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
41 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said movement means comprises an electromagnet having two poles arranged one above the other in the longitudinal direction of said selector members and obliquely to the direction of relative movement thereof.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
53 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 18, wherein said electromagnet remains stationary, and said magnet poles are symmetrically chamfered from the center thereof on both sides thereof in said direction, the thus chamfered pole faces forming means for, upon receipt of a pulse, pulling a selected selector member into contact therewith.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
49 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 18, wherein each said selector member has a widened head in the form of a bead with a convex surface forming means for concentrating the field of force of said two magnet poles for better attraction of said selected selector members.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
46 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 18, further comprising a raising wedge means positioned adjacent said electromagnet for engaging beneath said tips of said selector members for positioning said selector members close to said magnet poles so that only a small airgap remains therebetween.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
58 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said separator tip of said deflector is positioned beneath the line of passage of said tips of said selector members; and said separator tip has a polished knife edge, whereby said tips of selected of said selector members need be raised only slightly to be above said edge.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
89 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control member comprises an endless belt of transparent material upon which negative control-fields are formed as opaque fields in rows in accordance with a desired knitting pattern; and said scanning means comprises an adjustable scanning-head positioned outside said belt and including a light detection means, a light source positioned inside said belt, and a reflector concentrating light from said source toward said belt and light detection means; said scanning means being adjustably movable between rows on said belt.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
63 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said member comprises a needle bed having a recess beneath said needle tracks; and each said selector member includes a shank with a portion thereof bent downwardly into said recess; said recess having a face rising obliquely towards said needle tracks; said bent portion having a bevel end contacting said oblique recess face.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
54 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a pushrod movably positioned in each needle track, each pushrod having a recess therein; and wherein each said selector member comprises a rounded head positioned within a said recess of a respective pushrod and rockable therein within limits and tapering into said tip.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
44 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 25, wherein said separator tip of said deflector comprises an edge extending from said tips first obliquely downwards in the direction of movement of said pushrods and then obliquely in a direction across said needle tracks.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
35 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 25, wherein said movement means comprises an electromagnet; and wherein the portion of said selector member extending from said needle track is thicker than said rounded head.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
28 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 25, further comprising straightener face means for accurately aligning said selector members; and straightener wedge means for aligning said pushrods.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
119 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said movement means comprises a moving coil having a plunger magnet, and a winding connected to control leads and providing means for movement by positive current pulses into an operating position and by negative current pulses out of said operating position; and wherein a desired knitting pattern is provided on said control member in the form of equal groups of control-fields in rows side by side, and with no interruptions between the same groups in a given row, whereby the same signal persists from the starting boundary of one group of control-fields to the terminal boundary thereof, such that said moving coil does not have to make intermediate movements.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
44 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 29, wherein said coil is injection moulded from plastic material and has a thin wall, a cylindrical portion formed for said winding, and a cone with internal stiffening webs extending to form a small guide tube.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
56 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 30, wherein said coil is guided at one side thereof at said guide tube in a guide bush and at the other side thereof at said cylindrical portion on a pole plate; said cylindrical portion having a plurality of guide ribs fitting in recesses in said pole plate.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
42 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 31, further comprising a wedge of hard metal cemented in said guide tube; and a sheet of aluminum coating the surface of said cylindrical portion and said cone and forming means for heat dissipation.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
36 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 29, wherein each said selector member is suspended in a respective needle track on a wire forming said fulcrum means and is held therein by a ring spring.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
62 words
A needle selection mechanism as claimed in claim 29, further comprising a pushrod with a pointed foot positioned in each said needle track; and wherein each said selector member comprises a rocker arranged transversely to the respective said pushrod and supported to oscillate; and wherein said deflector comprises a separate roller, and said separator tip comprises a sharp edge on said roller.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1979-08-17 | 1980-02-16 | 1980-08-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-08-17 | 1984-02-16 | 1984-08-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-08-17 | 1988-02-16 | 1988-08-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |