FR2527237A1 - DEVICE FOR DRIVING A MECHANICAL ACTUATOR ACCORDING TO THE CONTROLS OF A PROGRAMMABLE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT - Google Patents

Abstract

THE DEVICE INCLUDES AN ELECTRO-MAGNET 15, OF WHICH THE ANCHOR 16 IS ARTICULATED TO THE CORE AND ARRANGED VERTICALLY, AND A VERTICALLY MOBILE ELEMENT 5 WHICH IS PROVIDED WITH A HORIZONTAL ARM 10 TO WHICH IS FIXED A METAL WIRE 11 FOR DRIVING A ACTUATOR AND WHICH IS SUBJECT TO ELASTIC ORGANS 25 ACTING ON IT FROM TOP TO BOTTOM. IN ITS EXTREME UPPER POSITION P, THE MOBILE ELEMENT 5 IS HANGED BY AN ANCHOR 17 JOINTLY WITH THE ANCHOR 16. BY A CURRENT PULSE, THE COIL 27 OF THE ELECTRO-MAGNET 15 IS EXCITED, WHICH CAUSES THE RELEASE OF THE 'MOBILE ELEMENT 5 WHICH MOVES DOWN, THIS INVOLVES THE ACTUATOR ACTUATION BY MEANS OF METAL WIRE 11. A CAM 21 ACTING ON THE LOWER END OF MOBILE ELEMENT 5, RETURNS THE LATTER IN ITS EXTREME POSITION UPPER P OR THE SAME MOBILE ELEMENT 5 IS AGAIN HANGED BY THE ANKLE 17. THE DEVICE OF THE PRESENT INVENTION IS UNIVERSAL, THAT IS TO SAY IT CAN BE CONTROLLED BY ANY TYPE OF CONTROL UNIT 28 AND THAT IT CAN BE ASSOCIATED WITH ANY TYPE OF ACTUATOR.

Description

The present invention relates to a device

  driving a mechanical actuator according to the

  commands of a programmable electronic control unit, particularly suitable for straight automatic knitting machines. Following a logical evolution of automatic rectilinear knitting machines, the Applicant has

  replaced, in those machines, the program

  Mechanical engineering (which involved the use of suitable levers with metal wires sliding in ducts, which intervened to control corresponding mechanical actuators)

  by a programmable electronic control unit.

  We already know knitting machines that

  operate a computerized electronic control unit

  corn; in these machines it is provided by each actuator

  mechanical an electromagnet intended to intervene directly

on the latter.

  The solution mentioned above entails the use of

  the use of electromagnets of different dimensions (depending on the power required to operate the corresponding actuator), causes difficulties in setting up said electromagnets (which must be arranged in the most disparate areas of the machine )

  and furthermore entails a remarkable entanglement of

  electrical cables connecting the electromagnets to the

  control, all of which has a negative impact

  on the cost price of the machine and its maintenance.

  The object of the present invention is to provide a device having a conformation such that it can

  be controlled by an electronic control unit pro-

  grammar and which, by its implementation, is able to control in turn the mechanical drive members of the corresponding mechanical actuator provided in a

automatic hosiery machine.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a universal device, that is to say that can be controlled by any type of control unit and that

  can be associated with any type of mechanical actuator.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a device whose conformation allows its implementation

  in place in any part of the machine of good-

crocheted.

  The above aims are achieved according to the present

  the invention, by a device for driving an action

  mechanically according to the commands of a control unit

  the programmable electronics, in which said action

  neur is driven by a wire sliding in a sheath whose ends are fixed to fixed supports, characterized in that it comprises: an electromagnet whose coil is connected to said control unit; a

  vertically movable element between two

  mes, respectively upper and lower, provided with a

  console-shaped arm to which the end of the

  said wire not interested by said actuator; an anchor, actuated by the anchor of the electromagnet, movable between two extreme positions, the first of which is defined by

  first elastic members associated with the same ankle

  the and the second by the excitement of the coil of electricity

  magnet, this ankle being intended, in its first

  first position, to hang said movable element, this last

  to deny being in its extreme superior position; second

  my elastic members acting on said movable member

  force towards the extreme lower position

-3-

  re of the latter; interception bodies from the

  lower unit of said movable member, when the latter is in its lower extreme position, intended to bring the same movable member in its upper extreme position.

  From the foregoing, it appears that the

  positive of the present invention is an interface between the control unit and the mechanical actuator; moreover, the same device is universal since the coil thereon is controlled by current pulses (which do not require special control units) and furthermore it can be associated with any type of actuator mechanics regardless of the then

  requested for the training of the latter (in fact

  it is sufficient to intervene on the elastic members

sliding on the moving element).

  Other features of the present invention

  will be more clearly apparent from the description

  cut that follows, given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1 and 2 are side sectional views of the device respectively in its working position and rest; and

  FIG. 3 is a view from above of detail A of FIG.

gure 1.

  Referring in particular to Figure 1, there is indicated in 1 a support angle bracket, fixed con nue to the bearing structure, not shown, an automatic knitting machine, the vertical flange 2 is

  provided with a vertical groove 3 in which is free-

  introduced the vertical rod 4 of a movable member 5; by a plate 6, fastened to the rod 2 by means of clamping elements 7, the rod 4 is prevented from coming out from the side, from

the throat 3.

  The rod 4 is subject to a spring 25 (action

  on it from top to bottom), is provided at its

  upper part of a transverse hole 8 and at its lower part is provided with a roller 9 mounted crazy on the same rod. At the free end of the horizontal arm 10 of the element 5 is fixed an end of a wire

  '11 which passes freely first through a hole 12

  ge in the horizontal flange 13 of the support 1, and then in a sheath 14 whose ends are fixed to

  fixed supports (in the figures the end

  mité 14 fixed in known manner to the wing 13); the other end of the wire, 11 leads to a mechanical actuator (not shown being of known type) of said machine

straight automatic hosiery.

  On the wing 13 is blocked an electromagnet 15

  of the type provided with an anchor 16 hinged to the core; the block

  cage of the electromagnet is such that the anchor 16 is put

in place vertically.

  The coil 27 of the electromagnet is electric-

  connected to a programmable control unit 28

(of known type).

  At the upper end of the anchor 16 is fixed a horizontal pin 17 which passes freely through a through hole 18 formed in the wing 2 in order to partially sink into the hole 8 of the rod 4, this penetration being possible in consideration of the fact

  that in the extreme extreme position taken by the

  Element 5, the hole 8 appears coaxial with the hole 18.

  The portion of the anchor 17 closest to the anchor 16 is threaded in order to engage with a

  nut 19 whose stop against the rod 2 determines the

  penetrator of the ankle 17 in the hole 8;

  the abutment mentioned above is possible (when the

  bine 27 is de-energized) due to the action of a spring 20

  disposed between the anchor 16 and the core of the electromagnet.

  Below the roller 9 is provided a cam 21

  which, when the element 5 is in its position) P, does not interfere

not cepte said pebble.

  ; The control unit 28 sends pulses of

  current to the coil 27 according to a predetermined program.

  The excitation of the coil 27 causes the nucleus

  rotation of the anchor 16 according to F; this gives rise to

  the ankle 17 out of the hole 8 which led to the

  the descent (towards S) of element 5, this descent being

  cilitated by the weight of the latter, guided by the cam, 21

  and imposed by the reaction of the spring 25 previously com-

premium.

  What has just been described leads to the transla-

  down the wire '11, which causes, as we know, the activation of the actuator associated with the same wire; The element moves gently downward since the lever 9 is accompanied by the cam 21 (which is in phase relation with the current pulse to the coil 27), which moves in the configuration

  C 1; the extreme lower position of element 5 (confi-

  working procedure of this device) has been indicated

in P 2.

  The rotation of the cam shaft causes the

  removing the element 5 and the spring 25 is armed; this removal makes the hole 8 and the hole 18 coaxial, which

  causes the element 5 to hang again by the

  city 17: upper extreme position P of the element 5

  (rest configuration of the present device).

  The electromagnet 15 has only the task of

  put the slip of the ankle 17 out of the hole 8 and therefore its power can be reduced and it can be used with any control unit

both on the market.

  The present device can operate

  any type of actuator, this does not involve any interven-

  on its constitution, except for the spring which should have dimensions suitable precisely according to the power required to drive the horn

respondent actuator.

  The present device can be arranged in any position of the machine, since

  simply involves an appropriate length of the

  Apparently wire, sheath 14 and small cables 28a are connected between the coil 27 and the control unit 28; for example one can provide a battery of these devices arranged at the rear part of the machine, which allows

  easy access during assembly and maintenance.

  A remarkable advantage of the present invention is represented by the fact that the device in question makes it possible to exploit on the one hand the advantages resulting from the electronic programming (universal character of the

  programs, cost of each program remarkably

  less than the cost of a program obtained through

  mechanical solutions) and on the other hand the

  tried for a long time (and therefore reliable and functional-

  the) in automatic knitting machines

lines.

  It is understood that the foregoing description

  -7- has been given only by way of non-limiting example and consequently any modifications and variations as regards the details of construction can be made to the device object of the invention without departing from the basic principles of it,

  as set forth in the claims which

follow. -8-

R EV E N D ICATIONS

  1 Device for driving a mechanical actuator

  according to the controls of an electronic control unit

  programmable circuit, wherein said actuator is

  dragged by a metal wire sliding in a sheath

  whose ends are fixed to fixed supports,

  characterized in that it comprises: an electromagnet> (15)

  whose coil (27) is connected to said control unit

  (28); an element (5) movable vertically between two extreme positions (P 1, P 2), respectively greater than

  lower, provided with an arm (i 0) in the form of a console

  which is fixed the end of the wire, (11) not interested by said actuator; an anchor, (17), actuated by the anchor (16)

  of the electromagnet (15), movable between two extreme positions

  mes, the first of which is defined by first elastic members (20) associated with the same peg (17) and the

  second by the excitation of the coil (27) of the electro-

  magnet (15), this ankle being intended, in its first

  position, to hook said movable element (5), this last

  deny being in its extreme upper position (P 1); of the

  second elastic members (25) acting on said ele-

  movable member (5) with a force directed towards the lower end position (P 2) thereof; means (21) for intercepting the lower end of said movable member (5) when the latter is in its extreme position

  (P 2), intended to bring back the same mobile element

  the '5) in its extreme upper position (P 1).

  2 Device according to claim 1, wherein said

  electromagnet is anchor type articulated to the core

  characterized in that the ankle (17) is

  anchor, (16) and slides freely in a through hole, (18) formed in a fixed support (2) and then enters a hole (8) in the movable element (5),

  when the latter is in its extreme position superior to

re (P 1).

  3 Device according to claim 1, characterized

  characterized in that said interception members comprise a cam (21) and a roller (9) idly mounted on the lower end of the movable element (5), the cam (21) being intended to receive the roller (9). ) when moving the movable member (5) from its upper extreme position

  (P 1) at its lowest end position (P 2).

  4 Device according to claim 2, characterized

  in that the anchor (17) is provided at its end portion integral with the anchor (16), with a stop (19).

  axially movable relative to the same peg,

  to settle the portion of the latter which must penetrate

  into the hole (8) of the movable element (5).

  Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first elastic members (20) are arranged between the anchor (16) of the electromagnet (15) and

the nucleus of the latter.