Means for controlling the movement of yarn carriers along with a

Abstract

An apparatus for selectively controlling yarn carriers for movement along with a carriage in a flat knitting machine. A trick location detector is provided on the carriage for detecting varying positions, expressed in terms of the number of tricks from one or the other tricked end of a needle bed, of the carriage on the needle bed during its run thereon. Coupling plungers in a plunger box on the carriage are controlled by solenoids in such a way that the plungers each is actuated to slide to its operative position relative to one of the yarn carriers for engagement therewith so that the yarn carrier so engaged by the plunger is carried along by the carriage over the predetermined distance. A control unit is provided which includes, among others, a trick position setting device adapted to memorize predetermined signalling positions based on color data, each such position expressed in terms of the number of tricks counted from one or the other tricked end of the needle bed, for energizing and deenergizing the solenoids. There are provided solenoid drive circuits which are controlled through arithmetical operation of the values detected by the trick location detector and the data stored in the trick position setting device, so that the coupling plungers may be selectively controlled for engagement with and disengagement from the yarn carriers.