Precision Fukuhara Works, Ltd.

Takao Shibata

Masatoshi Sawazaki

Kiyoshi Hayashi

Yoji Kawase

Koji Tsuchiya

Yoshiaki Igarashi

Kozo Taniguchi

Shozo Yorisue

Yukiari Iida

Hiromasa Nagai

Shinji Hashihiro

Masaru Enishi

Tashio Noguchi

Yoshihiro Aramaki

Naganori Ueda

Haruka Sakamoto

Kazuhiro Nishikawa

A needle-selecting actuator (,) is surrounded by an intermediate ring (,) at the top, a lower ring (,) at the bottom, a needle cylinder (,) inside, and a cover (,) outside. A cylindrical chamber (,) is formed between the needle-selecting actuator (,) and the cover (,). The cover (,) is equipped with a ventilator fan (,) for feeding the air into the cylindrical chamber (,). The cylindrical chamber (,) has an opening (,) through which the air passes. The outside air is fed into the cylindrical chamber (,) through the means of ventilation/suction (,), and passes through said opening (,) to cool the needle cylinder (,) and its peripheral working components.

Cooling apparatus for knitting components

A double knit circular knitting machine is provided having a first needle bed in which transfer needles are mounted and a second bed in which ordinary needles devoid of transfer function are mounted in a double density to that of the transfer needles for knitting a high density fabric in any one of several predetermined patterns. A method of knitting high density fabric is provided utilizing such transfer and ordinary needles to form courses of stitch loops and, as dictated by the pattern, to transfer stitch loops from selected transfer needles to correspondingly selected ordinary needles.

Knitting machine for and method of knitting high density fabrics

An electronic pattern circular knitting machine and method are provided in which a first encoder is operatively associated with the needle cylinder with which it rotates synchronously and generates a pulse signal for each knitting needle and transmits that signal to a central controller for the knitting machine, in which is stored a datum position for the first encoder, for comparison with pre-stored pattern data to calculate the position of each knitting needle; in which a second encoder is operatively associated with a dial and its cam system, the movement of which changes the knitting timing, for generation and transmission of a position signal to the central controller for comparison with a stored corresponding position to the datum position of the first encoder and a determination of whether the knitting timing has been changed and if so, to adjust automatically the needle selection timing.

Method of and apparatus for controlling an electronic pattern circular knitting machine

A jacquard pattern control mechanism for a circular knitting machine is provided in which a plurality of rocker bar supporting members are each slidable in one of the grooves along which one of the knitting elements move, a plurality of elongate rocker bars are pivotally mounted on one of unsaid plurality of rocker bar supporting members for movement about a medial pivot, the opposite end portions of the rocker bars being selectively movable between operative and inoperative positions and having magnetically attractable sections thereon, magnet attracting devices are operatively associated with the opposite end portions of the elongate rocker bars for selectively attracting one of the magnetically attractable sections at opposite ends of the rocker bars to pivot the rocker bars and selectively move one of the opposite end portions thereof to the other operative position and the other opposite end portion thereof to the inoperative position, the magnetic attracting devices comprising a permanent magnet and a pair of electromagnets disposed on opposite sides of the permanent magnet and connected in series, the permanent magnet having an extension extending outwardly towards the rocker bars and having a pair of wing portions extending outwardly from the center portion of the extension, generally parallel to the rocker bar supporting members and having outer sections disposed in attractable relation to the magnetically attractable sections at opposite ends of the rocker bars.

Jacquard pattern control mechanism for a circular knitting machine

Yarn feeding and changing mechanism for circular knitting machine includes a plurality of yarn feed fingers selectively movable between operative and inoperative positions to feed yarn to the needles only when in operative position. A first rocking jack is connected to each yarn feed finger for moving the yarn feed fingers between operative and inoperative positions, and a slider member is connected to each first rocking jack. A second rocking jack is connected to each slider member and a plurality of pivotable selection members are provided for imparting rocking movement to the second rocking jacks in a predetermined pattern. The yarn feed fingers are thus moved from the operative to the inoperative position while a yarn catcher and cutter catches the yarn and cuts the yarn to form a free end which is held while the yarn feed finger is moved to the inoperative position, is in the inoperative position and is moved to the operative position by way of an extended position to present the held free end portion of the yarn to the needles for knitting into the fabric instead of being cut into waste.

Yarn feeding and changing mechanism for a circular knitting machine

A knitting machine and needle selection mechanism is provided including a piezoelectric body movable between upper, lower and neutral positions corresponding to knit, tuck and welt positions of the knitting needles, a first driving circuit for displacing the piezoelectric body upwardly, a second driving circuit for displacing the piezoelectric body downardly, a third driving circuit for displacing the piezoelectric body to the neutral position, and a control device for controlling the driving circuits in accordance with a pre-set program.

Piezoelectric needle selection device for knitting machines

A jacquard pattern control mechanism for a circular knitting machine in which knitting instrumentalities are selected in accordance with a jacquard pattern and are moved between three positions, namely, welt, tuck and knit positions, by a selector jack, a rocker base, a rocker bar pivotally mounted on the rocker base and control cams for controlling the knitting instrumentality, selector jack, rocker base and rocker bar and electromagnetic selection mechanisms that attract selected portions of the rocker bar to determine to which position the knitting instrumentality will be moved, and wherein the selection mechanisms are more compact and have shorter strokes to permit selection of all types of knitting instrumentalities and all three positions without reducing the number of yarn feeds.

Circular knitting machine with jacquard pattern control mechanism for

A circular knitting machine and a jacquard pattern control mechanism therefor is provided in which knitting instrumentalities slidably mounted in grooves in a rotating member, such as a needle cylinder, sinker cap or dial, are controlled by a rocker bar supporting member slidably mounted in each groove behind the knitting instrumentality, the rocker bar supporting member having at least one butt thereon, a rocker bar pivotally mounted on the rocker bar supporting member and having magnetically attractable sections at opposite ends thereof, a magnetic attraction device selectively attracting the magnetically attractable sections of the rocker bar to pivot the rocker bar to control the selection of knitting instrumentalities to be moved from inactive to active positions and a cam system for moving the rocker bar supporting member and selected knitting instrumentalities.

Circular knitting machine with jacquard pattern control mechanism

A method of and circular knitting machine for producing a knit fabric having more uniform stitches including yarn feeders feeding a plurality of yarns to stitch forming instrumentalities, the spacing of which affects stitch length and which is subject to change during operation of the knitting machine, a sensor for sensing the tension in the plurality of yarns which changes with changes in the spacing of the stitch forming instrumentalities, and generating a signal indicative of the average tension in the yarns, a comparator for comparing the sensor signal with a pre-set desired tension, a convertor for converting the comparison result into a drive signal, and an adjuster adjusting the spacing of the stitch forming instrumentalities responsive to the drive signal.

Method and apparatus for adjusting the stitch length on a circular

A method of and circular knitting machine for knitting jacquard pile fabric in which a ground yarn feeder section, two pile yarn feeder sections and a stitch forming section are provided and a ground loop forming sinker and a pile loop forming sinker are disposed in the same groove in the sinker cap and are individually and independently operated. The needles and sinkers are moved through the sections while forming ground yarn loops comprising a ground yarn needle loop and a ground loop forming sinker loop in the ground yarn feeder section and forming pile yarn loops in the pile yarn feeder sections. The ground loop forming sinkers are movable adjustably to push the ground yarn loops an amount sufficient to ensure that enough ground yarn is available at the needles in the stitch forming section to ensure proper stitch formation without risking yarn breakage. The ground loop forming sinkers hold the ground loops in a first sinker throat separate from the pile yarn loops to ensure stable plating in the knit fabric.

Method of manufacturing a jacquard pile fabric and sinkers used therein

A fabric take-up apparatus for a circular knitting machine includes a set of delivery rolls for flattening and delivering the flattened fabric to take-up means which winds the flattened fabric into a roll, sensing means for sensing the tension in the fabric and for generating electrical signals indicative of fluctuations in tension from a predetermined, desired tension in the fabric, variable speed drive means for driving the delivery rolls, and control means for controlling the variable speed drive means responsive to the electrical signals generated by the tension sensing means.

Fabric take-up mechanism for circular knitting machines

A method of preparing pattern information for a jacquard fabric produced on an electronically controlled knitting machine is disclosed. Yarn color information that is to be fed to yarn feeders for the courses in a knit fabric is prepared. This information is resolved into information for knitting and welting which is to be fed to different wales for each yarn feeder. Tucking information for the different colored yarns is separately prepared. This tucking information is resolved into tucking and welting pattern information. The knitting and welting information which is to be fed to different wales for each yarn feeder is combined with the separately prepared information on tucking and welting to form synthesized pattern information for knitting, welting, and tucking.

Method of preparing pattern information for jacquard fabric

An automatic stitch adjusting mechanism for use in a multiple knitting station circular knitting machine having a plurality of knitting needles supported in a rotating needle cylinder for vertical movement parallel to the axis of rotation of the needle cylinder is disclosed. A plurality of raising cams engage the needles for raising the needles. A plurality of stitch cams engage the needles for lowering the needles. The stitch cams are vertically movable for adjusting the size of the formed stitch. The automatic stitch adjusting mechanism includes a plurality of vertically movable stitch cam control members operatively connected to respective stitch cams. A drive motor connected by a belt and clutch mechanism to the stitch cam control members adjusts the vertical position of the control members and clutch mechanisms retain the control members in their adjusted positions.

Automatic stitch adjusting mechanism for circular knitting machine

An apparatus for controlling a selectable knitting machine mechanism such as needle selection mechanism or a yarn feed changeover mechanism in a knitting machine having a rotating knitting machine component such as a needle cylinder, a cam box, or a dial is disclosed. The apparatus includes at least one sensor for detecting the rotational speed of the knitting machine component and generating a periodic signal therefrom. A control mechanism cooperates with the sensor and generates a control signal to the selectable knitting machine mechanism responsive to a predetermined trigger point of the periodic signal. The control mechanism includes a mechanism for delaying the predetermined trigger point when the rotational speed of the knitting machine component is relatively slow and for advancing the predetermined trigger point when the rotational speed of the knitting machine is relatively fast. The control mechanism includes a phase-control, frequency/voltage converter.

Apparatus and method for controlling selectable knitting machine

An automatic stitch cam adjustment mechanism for a circular knitting machine is disclosed. The knitting machine includes a plurality of knitting needles supported in a rotating needle cylinder for vertical movement parallel to the axis of rotation of the needle cylinder. A plurality of cam support brackets surround the needle cylinder, and a plurality of stitch cam support members are slidably mounted on the cam support brackets for vertical movement thereon. Stitch cams are mounted on the stitch cam support members for engaging the needles and lowering the needles to a loop formation point. A drive motor is connected to each of the stitch cam support members for moving the stitch cam support members up and down. Sensors are included for (1) measuring the position of the movable support members along the vertical path of movement, (2) detecting the rotational speed of the needle cylinder, and (3) measuring a feeding characteristic of the yarn such as yarn feed tension or quantity. A controller is operatively connected to the drive motors and sensors for comparing each of the sensed values with a predetermined knitting machine operating standard and actuating the drive motors for adjusting the stitch cams as needed.

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Osaka, Japan

Takao Shibata