Row advancing arrangement for a programmable flat bed knitting machine

Claim 1

A knitting machine comprising a carriage slidable on a needle supporting flat bed, the carriage including electromagnetic needle selecting means, a stationary programmable device including electrical lines corresponding to rows and columns in a fabric producible on the machine, means for connecting the row and column lines at selected points defining a pattern to be produced on the machine, movable contact means, means for moving the contact means into electrical contact with the row lines sequentially including motor means operably connected to the movable contact means and switch means actuable as the carriage completes its knitting movements for initiating operation of the motor means, and circuit means operable in synchronism with movement of the carriage relative to needles in the bed, such circuit means being connected with the movable contact means and with the said row and column lines for providing the electromagnetic needle selecting means with pattern control signals resulting in the reproduction in a row of fabric produced on the machine of the pattern defined in the contacted row line.