GB2030728A - Method of Controlling a Flat Knitting Machine - Google Patents

Abstract

In knitting by a method using e.g. a flat knitting machine including an electronic patterning device, three memories, namely, a basic pattern memory, a pattern arrangement memory storing an arrangement of a basic pattern on a knitted fabric and a pattern development memory storing development and/or modification of the basic pattern, are used to put information into an operation control circuit and the output of this circuit is transmitted to a needle-selecting driving circuit so as to operate a needle selecting actuator of a knitting machine. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Method of Controlling a Flat Knitting Machine The present invention relates to a method of knitting, in particular a method using a flat knitting machine including an electronic patterning device.

In the patterning method, it is known that data representing the pattern arrangement and form on a knitted fabric can be stored on a memory medium, along with information representing the entire courses and knitting width of the fabric being made.

When patterns are stored according to this method, if it is desired to change a basic pattern or pattern position, it is necessary for the memory content, such as that of a new basic pattern or pattern arrangement, to be changed along the entire courses. Moreover, a memory device having a large storage capacity must inevitably be used for this purpose, resulting in disadvantages from the economic standpoint.

It is also known from German Patent Application P 24 46 141.4 that one or a number of basic patterns can be arranged on a knitted fabric by means of an electronic patterning device. However, modification of the basic pattern has not previously been accomplished by any known method and apparatus.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an electronic patterning method suitable for a flat knitting machine, by which basic patterns and developed patterns can be arranged at appropriate positions.

According to the present invention, a method of forming a knitted fabric is provided, which comprises reading the contents of three memory media, namely a basic pattern memory medium in which a basic pattern is recorded, a pattern arrangement memory medium in which a knitted fabric pattern arrangement is recorded and a pattern development memory medium in which the basic pattern is/are recorded, development and/or modification of transferring the information read off from the respective memory media to a storage circuit, actuating an operation control circuit based on the three memories during the operation of knitting the fabric, transferring the output of the operation control circuit to a needle-selecting driving circuit by way of a needle-selecting output circuit, operating a needle selecting mechanism according to instructions emitted from the needle-selecting driving circuit, simultaneously detecting the movement of a knitting mechanism by a needle pitch detector, transferring the output of the needle pitch detector to the operation control circuit, and performing operation control based on the output from the needle pitch detector together with signals of the three memories of the basic pattern, pattern arrangement and pattern development derived from the storage circuit.

In order that these and further features and advantages of the invention may be fully appreciated, reference is made to the following description, given by way of example in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a plan view of a basic pattern; Figure 2 shows a plan of a perforated tape of a basic pattern; Figure 3 shows a plan view of the pattern arrangement in a knitted fabric; Figure 4 shows a plan view of one embodiment of pattern development; Figure 5 shows a block diagram of a control circuit.

In the method of the present invention, three separate classes of information dealing respectively with the basic pattern, pattern arrangement and pattern development are put in by using memory media, preferably in the form of perforated tapes. Of course, the input of information may be accomplished by using means other than perforated tapes. Perforated tapes of the kind ordinarily used may be employed in carrying out the present invention. The presence or absence of the pattern is detected by the presence or absence of a perforation at a predetermined position. For example, when a pattern as shown in Figure 1 is used as the basic pattern 10, basic pattern perforations 2 are formed through a tape 1, as shown in Figure 2, and a start mark 3 and a stop mark 4 are formed before and after each set of basic pattern perforations 2.The tape 1 perforated with the basic pattern, is read by a tape reader 51 (see Figure 5) driven by a driving circuit 71 and signals from the tape reader 51 are transmitted into a discriminating circuit 54 through a reading circuit 52 and an interface circuit 53. The basic pattern input is discriminated in the discriminating circuit 54 and is stored in a storing circuit 55.

For recording of the pattern arrangement, the vertical row or wale position on which the basic pattern is located is determined with respect to each horizontai row or each course. When the pattern arrangement shown in Figure 3 is adopted for example, the basic pattern shown in Figure 1 is arranged on the third vertical row C from the left side of a knitted fabric including 13 wales A to M and on the ninth vertical row 1 from the left side of the knitted fabric.

The pattern arrangement is stored by perforations in a pattern arrangement tape 101, as shown in Figure 2. This pattern arrangement tape 101 records with respect to each vertical row whether or not the pattern should be arranged. More specifically, the perforations are provided in a binary manner in the pattern arrangement tape 101; "1" is punched at a position where the pattern is necessary and "0" is punched at a position where the pattern is not necessary. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, "O" is punched in two vertical rows, "1" is punched in three vertical rows, "0" is punched in three vertical rows, "1" is punched in three vertical rows, and "0" is then punched in three vertical rows.

A pattern different from the pattern shown in Figure 1 may be formed by developing the basic pattern 10.

For example, when a developed pattern 100 as shown in Figure 4 is desired, the pattern development is stored by perforation in a pattern development tape 201. At least the following data are necessarily stored in the pattern development tape 201 and are expressed as numerical values; "clear--O", "present state-i", "addition-3" and "subtraction--5". Since the above-mentioned pattern arrangement tape 101 includes only two kinds of perforations, viz. "0" and "1", in the present embodiment, the pattern arrangement tape 101 is used also as the pattern development tape 201. More specifically, pattern development perforations are formed in an area below the corresponding pattern arrangement perforations in the pattern arrangement tape 1 01.

Of course, different pattern arrangement and pattern development tapes may be used.

When the above-mentioned basic pattern, pattern arrangement and pattern development are decided and the entire pattern of the knitted fabric is determined, the contents of the basic pattern tape 1, the pattern arrangement tape 101 and the pattern development tape 201 are stored in the storage circuit 55.

The stored contents are put into the discriminating circuit 54 through the tape reader 51, reading circuit 52 and interface circuit 53. In the circuit 54, discrimination is effected as to whether the input is the basic pattern, the pattern arrangement or the pattern development.

At the knitting operation, in a carriage (not shown) mounted on a knitting mechanism 56 which has started its movement on receipt of a start signal, the needle pitch is detected by a detector 57 mounted on the carriage to actuate a needle pitch detecting circuit 58 and a signal from this circuit 58 is put into the storage circuit 55 through the interface circuit 59 and an operation control circuit 60. Based on this input, the pattern arrangement memory is transmitted to the operation circuit and, when pattern arrangement signal "1" is emitted, based on this signal, a signal for issuance of the basic pattern signal is transmitted to the storage circuit 55 from the operation circuit and the basic pattern signal "1" is emitted from the storage circuit 55. When pattern development is required, the storage circuit 55 emits the pattern development signal.

These instructions are collected by the operation control circuit 60 and transmitted to the needle selecting output circuit 61. The output of the circuit 61 is transmitted to a needle-selecting actuator 63 through the interface circuit 59 and a needle-selecting driving circuit 62, to actuate the actuator 63 to perform the needle selection operation synchronously with the movement of the carriage of the knitting mechanism 56.

When the pattern is developed as shown in Figure 4 in the foregoing embodiment, if the pattern arrangement signal is emitted, an addition signal for the pattern development is emitted simultaneously with the subsequent needle pitch signal, and a first present state signal, a second present state signal, a first subtraction signal, a second subtraction signal and a signal of completion of the pattern development are then emitted in that sequence with subsequent needle pitch signals. Thus, one cycle of the pattern development is completed.

When the basic patterns shown in Figure 1 are sequentially formed, if various signals such as addition signals, present state signals and subtraction signals are appropriately combined as pointed out above, various modifications of the basic pattern can be formed.

According to the present invention, if one basic pattern is determined in advance, by appropriately changing the memories of the pattern arrangement and pattern development, basic patterns and developed patterns can be arranged at appropriate positions and various variations or modification of the pattern arrangement can optionally be obtained by such change of the pattern arrangement.

Claims (8)

Claims

1. A method of forming a knitted fabric, which comprises reading the contents of three memory media, namely, a basic pattern memory medium in which a basic pattern is recorded, a pattern arrangement memory medium in which a knitted fabric pattern arrangement is recorded and a pattern development memory medium in which the basic pattern is/are recorded, development and/or modification of transferring the information read off from the respective memory media to a storage circuit, actuating an operation control circuit based on the three memories during the operation of knitting the fabric, transferring the output of the operation control circuit to a needle-selecting driving circuit by way of a needle-selecting output circuit, operating a needle selecting mechanism according to instructions emitted from the needle-selecting driving circuit, simultaneously detecting the movement of a knitting mechanism by a needle pitch detector, transferring the output of the needle pitch detector to the operation control circuit, and performing operation control based on the output from the needle pitch detector together with signals of the three memories of the basic pattern, pattern arrangement and pattern development derived from the storage circuit.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the memory media are perforated tapes.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the basic pattern memory medium is a tape through which basic pattern perforations are formed.

4. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the pattern arrangement memory medium is a tape which is perforated so as to record with respect to each vertical row or wale whether or not the pattern should be arranged.

5. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the pattern development memory medium is a tape in which data representing "clear", "present state", "addition" and "subtraction" are stored, such four kinds of operation being expressed by numerical values.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

7. A knitted fabric when made by a method according to any preceding claim.

8. A flat knitting machine having a memory arrangement for forming knitted fabric by a method according to any preceding claim.