Textiles: knitting – Pattern system – Electrical signal type
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-15
2001-02-06
Worrell, Danny (Department: 3741)
Textiles: knitting
Pattern system
Electrical signal type
C700S141000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06182477
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to circular knitting machines and more particularly to a method of and apparatus for controlling an electronic pattern circular knitting machine.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electronic pattern circular knitting machines are currently in extensive use in the production of knitted fabrics of various designs from relatively simple to very complex. Typically, circular knitting machines include a rotatable needle cylinder having a multiplicity of grooves in the outer periphery parallel to the axis of rotation of the cylinder, each of which contains a knitting needle for reciprocation between a plurality of operative and inoperative positions. The rotatable needle cylinder cooperates with a rotatable, horizontal dial having a multiplicity of radial grooves in the upper surface thereof, each of which contains either a dial needle or a sinker depending on the type of knitting machine. The cylinder and dial are driven in rotation by a drive mechanism and the cylinder needles and dial needles or sinkers are moved past respective stationary cams which reciprocate the cylinder needles and dial needles or sinkers.
Since the cylinder needles and dial needles or sinkers cooperate in the knitting operation, the timing of the operation thereof is very important. Examples of such timing are synchronous and delayed. As knit patterns are changed, it is frequently necessary to change the knitting timing by changing the position of the needle cams. Of course, any change in the knitting timing must be correlated to the electronic pattern control and needle selection mechanism, which may be difficult and historically has been time consuming and expensive.
In Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 298857/1998 (Japanese Patent Application No. 113469 of 1997), it is proposed to employ an optical encoder associated with the needle cylinder for monitoring the position of each knitting needle and therefore determining changes in the timing of the needles by the cams associated with such knitting needles. While an improvement over conventional technology, this proposed arrangement has the disadvantage of only accommodating timing changes with respect to the knitting needles on the cylinder and therefore cannot accommodate timing changes with respect to dial needles or sinkers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic pattern circular knitting machine and method that automatically calculates the changed position of the dial corresponding to the needle cylinder when the knitting timing is changed.
This object is accomplished by providing an electronic pattern circular knitting machine having a controlling device for controlling the changing of the knitting timing, which device includes a first encoder operatively associated with the needle cylinder, a second encoder operatively associated with the dial, and transmission means connecting the first and second encoders, and by operating this electronic pattern circular knitting machine by initially determining the datum position of the first encoder for the knitting timing then in use and entering that datum position into the main controller for the circular knitting machine; and based on the entered datum position of the first encoder, entering the corresponding position of the second encoder into the main controller. Upon a change in the knitting timing, such as by moving the dial cam, the value of the moved position, outputted by the second encoder, is compared with the initial value stored in the main controller, and the comparison value is compared with the value of the first encoder monitoring the timing of each knitting needle on the needle cylinder and the resultant comparison is output to the needle-selection actuator to adjust automatically the needle-selection timing.
The method of the present invention further includes the following steps for each needle: determining whether the knitting timing position has been changed; if such timing has been changed, adjusting automatically the needle-selection timing on the basis of the comparison value as described above; if such timing has not been changed, determining whether the current timing is the cylinder-needle-selection timing; if so, outputting the cylinder-needle-selection data to the cylinder-needle-selection actuator; if the current timing is not the cylinder-needle-selection timing, then determining whether the current timing is the dial-needle-selection timing (or dial-sinker-selection timing); if so, then outputting the dial-needle-selection data to the dial-needle-selection actuator; and if the current timing is not the dial-needle-selection timing, returning to the first step and repeating these steps until the current timing is the dial-needle-selection timing.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3820082 (1974-06-01), Bauknecht et al.
patent: 4587812 (1986-05-01), Brega
patent: 4698987 (1987-10-01), Brega
patent: 5144818 (1992-09-01), Brandani
patent: 5186028 (1993-02-01), Kawase et al.
patent: 5862682 (1999-01-01), Maenaka et al.
patent: 6119492 (2000-09-01), Plath
patent: 10298857 (1997-04-01), None
Aramaki Yoshihiro
Shibata Takao
Alston & Bird LLP
Precision Fukuhara Works, Ltd.
Worrell Danny
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