摘要:
The carriage of a home knitting machine is provided with a reader operable independently of any movement of the carriage of the machine for reading out patterning instructions on a programmed card prior to knitting, an electronic memory for storing the signals read from the card, and means for recalling the stored signals from the memory in synchronization with movement of the carriage during knitting and for causing the operation of needle selectors on the carriage in accordance with the recalled signals to provide for the formation in a fabric of a pattern defined on the card.
摘要:
A home knitting machine is provided with a reader for reading out patterning instructions on a programmed card, an electronic memory for storing signals read from the card, means enabling an operator to select a needle to knit a particular column of a design unit and to thereby fix the overall position of a design in a width of fabric to be knit, and means for recalling the stored signals from the memory in synchronization with movement of the carriage during knitting and for causing the operations of needle selectors on the carriage in accordance with the recalled signals.
摘要:
An electronic home knitting machine which functions pursuant to patterning instructions on a program card and in response to the operation of control devices by an operator causing needle actuators on the carriage of the machine to be selectively operated and fabric unit in a prescribed manner on the machine is provided with an acutely discriminating adaptive card reader for detecting instruction marks on the card and means operable to indicate to an operator an error in the reading of the card.
摘要:
A home knitting machine is provided with electronic control means which function pursuant to patterning instructions on a program card and in response to the operation of row controlling switch means by an operator causing needle actuators on the carriage of the machine to be selectively operated and fabric knitted in a prescribed manner on the machine.
摘要:
A bobbin thread run-out detector having a light source and means for directing a beam of light toward a set of retro-reflecting reflectors on the bobbin and toward a reference reflecting spot on the loop taker. Bobbin thread wound around the bobbin is interposed between the light source and the retro-reflecting reflectors. When a sufficient quantity of thread has been consumed to expose the indentations to the source of light, the light is reflected to a photodetector. Light from the source is also intermittently reflected onto the photodetector by the reflecting spot on the loop taker during each revolution of the loop taker. An electronic circuit compares the light received by the photodetector from the bobbin with the light received from the reflecting spot on the loop taker. When the quantity of light reflected from the bobbin changes relative to the quantity of light reflected from the loop taker a low bobbin thread alarm is activated to warn the operator of the impending exhaustion of bobbin thread.
摘要:
A home knitting machine is provided with electronic control means which function pursuant to patterning instructions on a program card and in response to the operation of control devices by an operator causing needle actuators on the carriage of the machine to be selectively operated and fabric knitted in a prescribed manner on the machine.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the InventionThe invention relates to automatic knitting machinery and has particular application to home knitting machines which can be programmed to produce prescribed patterns on a fabric.2. Description of the Prior ArtAutomated home knitting machines are now well known and are exemplified by the machines of the following Patents and applications:U.s. pat. No. 3,885,405 -- issued May 27, 1975French Pat. No. 2,212,830 -- Reg. July 23, 1972Japanese Application No. 85853, laid open Nov. 13, 1973Although such machines can be programmed to produce various patterns in knitted fabric, there are a variety of desirable control functions pertaining to the formation of patterned fabric which the existing machines can not be programmed to perform automatically. Furthermore, existing machines do not permit the operator to exercise a large measure of control over the knitting of the fabric after the initial programming.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn order to remedy the deficiencies of the prior art machines, electronic control means are provided in a home knitting machine enabling the machine to perform automatically a variety of control functions which an operator may prescribe by suitably marking a program card to be read by the machine and/or by operating various control instrumentalities, preferably located on the carriage of the machine, and enabling the operator after the machine has been programmed to exercise easily close control over the knitting of fabric on the machine.More particularly, the machine of the invention is rendered capable of reading and executing instructions which an operator may prescribe by marking the card, including instructions defining a design configuration for fabric to be knit on the machine, size delineating instructions for a unit design area to be formed repetitively in the fabric, instructions specifying that each unit design area be expanded an integral number of times, either horizontally or vertically or in both directions in the fabric, instructions directing that in conjunction with the unit design areas, mirror images thereof also be formed in courses or wales or in both courses and wales of the fabric, and an instruction directing a particular number of wales to be knit as selvedge without the design configuration at opposite side edges of the fabric. The machine is also provided with switches which offer an operator an alternative to the use of certain instructions on the program card. With such switches he can cause the machine to expand the unit design areas, produce mirror images, knit a selected number of wales of selvedge, invert the design configuration and background specified on the card, reverse the left-right orientation of a design configuration as prescribed on the program card and repeat a design row in fabric being knit. In addition, the machine is adapted to execute supplementary and/or modifying instructions in response to the actuation of switch means by an operator including instructions specifying the placement of a pattern between the side edges of a fabric to be knit on the machine, and an instruction directing the formation of selvedge in punch lace fabric with both the yarn and thread used in knitting the punch lace construction.The machine includes a liquid crystal display which provides an operator with meaningful information enabling him to better control the knitting of designs and to prevent defects due to operating error. The display informs an operator of the row of the program card being knit, of the number of times a given row has been selected for vertical multiplication, of the fact that the machine has been readied for automatic knitting before a card has been read properly where such is the case, of a failure by the operator to select a particular needle for a wale corresponding to an end column of a designated unit design area on the program card, and of the condition of the power supply.
摘要:
A button attaching device is provided with a bifurcated needle holding member which can be utilized to adjust the spacing between a pair of needles, and with a needle cover which attaches to the bifurcated member to protect one from injury by the needles and form a unit that can be conveniently carried on the person of a user.
摘要:
A home knitting machine is provided with electronic control means which function pursuant to patterning instructions on a program card and in response to the operation of control devices by an operator causing needle actuators on the carriage of the machine to be selectively operated and fabric knitted in a prescribed manner on the machine.