US3287936A

US3287936A - Straight bar knitting machines

Info

Publication number: US3287936A
Application number: US418666A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bentley William; Dennis A Cozens; Barry C Strong
Original assignee: William Cotton Ltd
Current assignee: William Cotton Ltd
Priority date: 1963-12-19
Filing date: 1964-12-16
Publication date: 1966-11-29
Anticipated expiration: 1983-11-29
Also published as: DE1585498B1; GB1024049A

Description

Nov. 29, 1966 w. BENTLEY ETAI- 3,287,936

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 16, 1964 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 NOV- 29 1956 w. BENTLEY ET AL 3,287,936

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Deo. 16, 1964 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 l" aan QQ /42 44/ Nov. 29, 1966 W. BENTLEY ET AL STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed neo. 1e, 1964 8 Sheets-Sheet Z5 F/GST Nov. 29, 1966 y w. BENTLEY ET Al- 3,287,935

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 16, 1964 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Nov. 29, 1966 w. BENTLEY ETAI- 3,287,936

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 1e, 1964 u 8 sheets-sheet 5 D zQONDU (l5 NDL) Q6 BLOG@ INDLR H" Q 2X5 BL K SNDLR NL @Non 2x 5 BLOCK ZEQS @N255 INDLQ e555mm @NDUZ m04 J NO f/,Ifz/l /D (l Nov. 29, 1966 w. BNTLEY ETAL 3,287,936

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES -Filed Dec. 16, 1964 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 NOV 29 1966 w. BENTLEY EVAL 3,287,936

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 16, 1964 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 NOV. 29, 1966 W- BENTLEY ET AL STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES 8 Sheets-Sheet a Filed Dec. 16, 1964 United States Patent O 3,287,936 STRAIGHT BAR KNITTDIG MACHINES Wiliiam Bentley, Woodhouse Eaves, near Loughborough, Dennis A. Cozens, Leicester, and Barry C. Strong, Thurmaston, Leicester, England, assignors to William Cotton Limited Filed Dec. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 418,666 Claims priority, appiication Great Britain, Dec. 19, 1963, 50,289/ 63 Claims. (Cl. 66-82) This invention is for improvements in or relating to straight bar knitting machines of the type having plating carriers which are controlled to have varying amplitudes of traverse, for plating patterns, by adjustable screw nuts having end stops.

With this mechanism each change of width for the plated Iarea in any given course is etiected by racking of the end stops with the result that the range of possible patterns is usually limited to any in which narrowing or widening of the pattern is effected in progressive manner course by course.

An object of the invention is :to provide end stop means for plating lcarriers in such improved manner that narrowing or widening of patterns can be effected in bulk in any given courses.

The invention provides -a straight bar knitting machine of the type referred to havin-g a plurality ot spacer blocks carried by :the adjustable screw nut end stops, mounting means mounting the spacer blocks for displacement into and out of operative position with portions thereof aligned with the screw nut end stops at the inward side thereof, and selection means providing for the displacements to be effected in selective manner. By this means the plating carriers can be controlled if required only by rack adjustment of the adjustable screw nuts or by only selective operation of the spacer blocks, or by both these means in any individual courses. The spacer blocks are conveniently of equal thicknesses, and pivotally displaceable into and out of operative positions.

Racking mechanism for the adjustable lead screws mounting the screw nut end stops may be adapted to provide for any small number of racks thereof in any given racking stroke, such as one, two or three racks. In any given courses the amplitude control of the plating carrier may be accomplished by a selection between any one of said small number of racks, or by a selection between displacement o'f lany of the spacer blocks, or by a combination selection between the racks and between the displacements of the spacer blocks.

All selections may be made from stored information on a program carrier such as for example as a punched chart, there being reader means such, for example, as feelers to detect holes in the chart, and motion transmitting means such as solenoids operable from the feeler or other reader means to displace the spacer blocks or operate the racking means for the required selections thereof.

The above and other features of the invention set out in the appended claims are incorporated in the construction which will now be described, as a specific embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE l is a front veiw of relevant parts of Cottons Patent straight bar knitting machine showing plating carrier control mechanism according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view through the machine.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a displaceable spacer block mechanism in the machine.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is `a rear view of racking mechanism for adjustable screw nut stops in the machine.

f1ice FIGURE 6 is an end view of the lower part of FIG- URE 5.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged view of a program carrier and reader means for control of the spacer blocks and racking mechanism.

FIGURE 8 is .a diagrammatic illustration of two patterns by way of example made by the machine.

FIGURE 9 is ra plan view of a side part of modied stop control means for the machine.

FIGURE 10 is a side view of the modified stop control means.

FIGURE ll is a view of the modified side control means from the rear of the machine.

Referring to FIGURE 1 the machine is represented by a frame l. which in this instance is for a machine having nine sections of which eight are knitting sections and the ninth is a central control section but there is illustrated only knitting sections 1S, 2S, 3S and 9S which are the only sections embodying mechanism relevant to the invention.

The machine has the

usual bars

2, 3, 4 of

bearded needles

5, 6 and 7.

The machine has usual thread carrier bars such `as the one shown at 8 and having plating thread carriers such as shown at 9, 10. f

For traversing the thread carrier bars such as 8 they lare releasably connect-able by fingers such as 11 to a friction box 12 on `a drive bar 13, the latter being driven through a connection 14 -between it and the usual draw lever 1S, from the usual draw lever 1S, from the usual draw cam 16.

The needles such as 7 in FIGURE 2 are operated for knitting in the usual way through cam follower mechanism represented lat 17 from usual cams on the main cam shaft 18.

In addition to these parts the machine in general is f substantially as disclosed in our British Patent No. 960,- 816 Iand U.S. Patent No. 3,141,316. Particularly the machine has a program carrier `and reader means, for full details of which reference is directed to said patent, and which is illustrated in the division 9S of the present FIGURE 1. This mechanism includes a racked drum 19 on which there is la punched card which is read by electric reader means 20 for programming courses and fashionings and other operations of the machine, as dis closed in said patent.

Additionally the machine has, in sections 1S and 3S, adjustable screw nut stops 2l, 22 mounted on

lead screws

23, 24 which are supported by supports such as 25, 26, 27 and are racked round each by its own racking mechanism for inwardly and outwardly adjusting the screw nut stops independently of each other.

These stops 21, 22 are for the purpose of controlling the amplitude of thread carrier traverse for which purpose the friction box 12 has connected to its stop bars 2S, 29 on which there .are spaced adjustable stops 3G, 31 for engagement with the screw nut stops 21, 22 respectively.

The screw nut stops 21, 22 carry respectively a plurality, in the illustrated arrangement our, of spacer blocks 31 to 34 and 35 to 38, see particularly FIGURE 4 for the screw nut stop 22 and spacer blocks 35 to 3S.

For the sake of clarity the following description will be in relation to this screw nut stop 22 and spacer blocks 3S to 3S by way of example, bearing in mind that 'a similar description applies to the other screw nut stop 21 and its spacer yblocks 31 to 34, `and parts associated with this latter mechanism corresponding to parts to be described associated with the screw nut stop 22 will be given like reference numerals raised to the i'irst degree where practicable in FIGURE 1.

The spacer blocks 35 to 38 are displaceabie into and out of the path of the stop 31 on the carrier stop bar 28. For this purpose `the spacer blocks are in the form of pivoted fingers pivoted on axle 39, FIGURES 3 and 4, carried by a bracket 40 attached to the screw nut stop 22.

Fingers

35 and 37 have depending tail portions such as 37a in FIGURE 3, which are connected by links such as 41 to cores such as y42 of solenoids shown in FIGURE 4 at 43, 44 mounted on the screw nut stop 22.

The other two spacer blocks 36, 3S have rear tail portions, such as 38a in FIGURE 3, which are connected by links such as 45 to the cores such as 46 of solenoids which in FIGURE 4 are shown at 47, 48. These solenoids `43, 44, 47, 48 are for selective operation to select different spacer blocks to be operative at different times.

Adjustable screws, such as at 49 in FIGURE 3, are carried by the spacer blocks for locating them accurately in their operative positions.

Racking means for the lead screw 24 on which the screw nut stop 22 is mounted comprises, see particularly FIGURE 5, racking means for -a shaft 50 which is connected to the lead screw lby bevel gearing comprising a bevel gear 51 on shaft 50, a bevel pinion 52 meshing with the bevel wheel 51 and mounted on a spindle 53, a bevel gear 54 also on the spindle 53 and meshing with a bevel gear 55, the latter being mounted on 4a spindle 56 on which there is ya further bevel gear 57 meshing with a bevel gear 58 on the lead screw 24.

For racking the shaft 50 it has on it two ratchet wheels 59, 60 (see also FIGURE 6 for ratchet wheel 59) with teeth in opposite directions.

Dealing first with the ratchet wheel 59, it has associated with it a stationary .bluif plate 61, FIGURES and 6, on which there rides a peg 62 projecting from a pawl 63 carried by an arm 64 projecting from a boss 65 on the shaft 50. Projecting from the other side of the boss 65 is a fork arm 66. To the outer sides of this fork arm 66 there is connected by a pivot 67 a pair of rack arms 68, 69 which are adjustable for length by screw means 70, 71. An intermediate rack arm 72 engages in the cleft of the fork arm 66 and is mounted on the pivot 67. A spring 73 connects between a iixed bracket 74 and a lug 75 projecting from the boss 65 biasing the pawl 63 into its inoperative position resting on the bluff plate 61. One of the prongs of the fork -arm 66 has an extension 66a which bears against an adjustable screw carried by a frame bar 76 for locating the pawl in its inoperative position.

The shaft 50 is supported by a frame-like bracket 77 secured at its upper end to the top back rail 7-8 and at its lower end to the lower back rail 79.

The rack arms 68, 69 and 72 extend downwardly from the fork arm 66 in a manner for their lower ends to be disposed adjacent the free end of 4a cam follower lever 80. This cam follower lever 80 is pivoted at 81 (FIG- URE 2) to a fixed bracket 82 and it has a cam follower roller 83 engaging a cam 84 on the main cam shaft 18.

'Ihe free end of the cam follower lever 80 is connected by a spring 85 to the top back rail 78 and at the extreme free end it has a laterally projecting peg 86.

Each of the rack arms 68, 72, FIGURE 6, is formed with a

recess

87, 88, 89 each suitable for receiving the peg 86 and the three recesses being of three diierent lengths. The three rack arms 63, 69 and 72 are normally disposed as shown in FIGURE 6 with the recesses 87, 88, `89 clear of the peg 86 and the latter has a continuous reciprocating motion imparted to it by the cam 84.

For engaging any one of the three rack arms 68, 69, 72 with the peg 86 there is a bell crank finger such as 90 -behind each rack arm and pivotally mounted at 91 to part of the frame 77 and having at one end a nose 90a for engaging its associated rack arm and at the other end a link 92 connected to the core 93 of a solenoid such as 94 for the arm 68. Two further solenoids 194, 294 are seen in FIGURE 5 for the other two arms 69, 72.

Control of the rack arms is assisted by springs such as 168, FIGURE 6, connecting between the arms and a bracket 7 4a.

It will thus be seen that by selectively energizing any one of the solenods any one of the rack arms can be brought into engagement with the peg 86 and, since the

recesses

87, 88, 89 are of different lengths the different rack arms will cause racking of the rack wheel 59 and consequently of the lead screw 24 to different extents. These extents correspond to adjustment of the thread carrier for one, two or three needle pitch distances.

These adjustments are in one direction, and similar adjustments in reverse are effected by the other ratchet wheel 60 which is operated in the same manner as the ratchet wheel 59 for which purpose it has associated with it similar mechanism to that which is associated with the ratchet wheel 59. For the purpose of identification those mechanisms associated with ratchet wheel 60 which are equivalent to those associated with the ratchet wheel 59 are allocated the same reference numerals with the addition of the letter a, where practicable in FIGURES l and 5.

To ensure accuracy in operation of the two racking mechanisms, both pawls are caused to move otf their buff plates to engage the ratchet wheels simultaneously, the pawl that is not required to actually rack the wheel being moved to this position by the associated middle rack arm 72a or 721, having a bent end such as 172, FIGURE 6, mounting an adjustable screw 72b which is engageable by the peg 86 when the rack arm is in its inoperative position.

The aforesaid solenoids are all operable from stored information as from holes in a punched chart for controlling plating by the plating carrier to produce desired plating patterns.

For example there may be

drums

95, 96 FIGURES 1 and 7, having an endless band 97 thereon formed with punched holes in at least twenty columns set out for example as follows from left to right: Outward rack one needle, inward rack one needle, outward rack two needles, inward rack two needles, outward rack three needles. inward rack three needles, displace No. 1 block, displace No. 2 block, displace No. 3 block, displace No, 4 block. These ten columns would be for say screw nut stop 21; and the remaining ten columns would correspond for screw nut stop 22. Holes would be punched in the card at positions to suit the pattern requirements.

The drum is racked once per course by a ratchet wheel 98 FIGURE 7, operably associated with the drum 95 and engaged by a pawl 99 which is pivoted at 99a to a lever 100. The lever 100 is pivoted at 101 and is connected by a link 102 to a cam follower 103 engaging a cam 104 on the main cam shaft 18. Racking can be started and stopped by a solenoid 159 operable on an arm 105 to set and trip a trip arm 106 having a notch 107 which has releasable engagement with a peg 108 on the pawl 99, the trip arm being spring biased by a spring 109 connecting it to the lever 100. The solenoid 159 is operable from punched holes at suitable positions in the punched card on the aforesaid main programming drum 19 through a suitable switch of the reader means 20.

Reader means for the band 97 comprises feelers such as 110 pivoted at 111 and having arms 112, 113, 114 opposite electric switches such as 115, 116, 117 respectively which are connected to the solenoids.

For raising and lowering the feelers for each reading, a control arrn 118 pivoted at 119 has a rod 120 engaging on a tail part such as l10n of the feelers 110 and a cam follower 121 engaging an eccentric 122 on a spindle 123. The eccentric is turnable by a hand wheel 124 on the spindle 123, or the control arm 118 is controlled by a tail part 118:1 thereof which is engaged by an end 125a of a cam follower 125, the latter engaging a cam 126 on the main cam shaft 18.

With reference to FIGURE 8 the substantially triangular area at the right hand side is representative of a comparatively simple plated pattern which can be made by means only of racking of the carrier stops i.e. without selective use of the spacer blocks.

The starting width at the bottom is two needles wide i.e. with the carrier stops 21, 22 at their maximum inwardly adjustable position.

For the rst course of the triangular pattern a single outward rack of the right hand stop 22 (FIGURE 1) is selected from a hole in No. 1 column of the punched band 97 so that the plating carrier has a traverse of three needles wide. For the next course the left hand carrier stop 21 is selected by a hole in No. 1 column of the band 97 to have a single outward rack so that the plating carrier has a traverse four needles wide. For the third course the right hand carrier stop 22 is selected by a hole in No. 15 column of the band 97 to have an outward rack three needles wide so that the plating carrier traverse is now six needles wide.

This type of racking is continuous by outward racks of the carrier stops 21, 22 to suit requirements of the pattern area.

It will be appreciated that by this rack type of patterning the maximum extent to which the pattern can be changed in any given course is limited to the number of racks of the carrier stops 21, 22 so that pattern variations are limited to those in which the width of the pattern varies only in small steps from any given course to the next.

The pattern area at the left hand side of FIGURE 8 illustrates one pattern by way of example by the use of the spacer blocks in addition to the racking.

In this arrangement the minimum width is two needles distance, with all the spacer blocks (each of which in this example corresponds to ve needle pitch distances) in operation, and the carrier stops 21, 22 at maximum inward positions. However to provide for one, two or three needle racks in either direction of both stops 21, 22 the positions for the stops after being racked out three needle distances each side are considered as initial or zero positions for the stops.

Considering now No. 1 left to right pattern course (shown at the bottom of the left side pattern of FIGURE 8) in which the pattern extends three needles to the left and eight needles to the right of the minimum width, this is obtained by holes (column 17) in the band 97 causing retraction of the innermost spacer block 35 of the right hand stop 22, so that the plating carrier traverse is from the left hand zero position, through three needles distance to which the left hand stop 21 can be racked inwardly when required by a hole in column 6 of the band through the minimum two needle distance, through three needles distance to which the right hand stop 22 can be racked inwardly when required by a hole in column 16 of the band and through the ve needle distance of the retracted spacer block 35.

For No. 2 right to left course of eight needles to the right and no needles to the left of the minimum width, a hole in column 6 of the band 97 causes a three needle inward rack of the left stop 21.

For No. 3 left to right course of no needles to either 'right or left of the minimum width, the previously retracted spacer block 35 will have automatically returned, and a hole in column 16 of the band causes the right hand stop 22 to be racked inwards three needles distance.

For No. 4 right to left course of twelve needles to the left and no needles to the right of the minimum width, holes in columns 7 and 8 of the band 97 causes retraction of the two spacer blocks 33, 34 of the left hand stop 21 (which normally provide for the pattern to extend for ten plus three needles i.e. thirteen needles to the left from the minimum starting width) and one needle inward rack to the left stop 21 (to reduce from thirteen to twelve).

This type of patterning is repeated with suitable selections of the spacer blocks and with or without racking of the stops to suit the required pattern.

It is to be understood that there may be any numbers of the spacer blocks to suit requirements, and the spacer blocks may be of any suitable width such as for the five needles referred to, or for seven needles for example on ner gauge machines.

It is further explained that since the selection of the spacer blocks is individual, the spacer blocks are interlocked in a manner to operate accumulatively for safety when rendered inoperative. For this purpose each spacer block, FIGURE 4, has an interlock plate 35a, 36a, 37a, 3817 secured to it, the plates being stepped and intermeshing, so that the operation of spacer block 36 in the inoperative direction carries spacer block 35 with it, and so on.

In the modified arrangement of FIGURES 9 to l1 the spacer blocks, instead of being of equal thicknesses, are of unequal thicknesses, the difference in the thicknesses being arranged according to a numerical coded system such as a binary coded system.

More specifically and as shown particularly in FIGURE 9 the adjustable screw nut stop 122 carries a zero or one needle stop bolt 142, and next adjacent to this stop bolt there is a two needle block 143 followed by an eight needle block 144 followed by a four needle block 145 followed by a sixteen needle block 146.

The two needle and eight

needle blocks

143, 144 are pivotally mounted on a l-ower guide rod 147, FIGURES 10, 11 and the four and sixteen

needle blocks

145, 146 are pivotally mounted on an upper guide rod 148, for slidable movements towards and .away from the stop bolt 142.

The blocks are biased by springs such as shown at 149, 150 in FIGURE l0 into operative position aligned with the stop bolt 142, and each block is connected by its own Bowden -cable mechanism 151454 to means operated by holes in a card.

It will be seen that the blocks can be used in any combination with each other by selection from holes in the card, the movement of the carrier stop 131 striking the nearest block and urging them against the stop bolt 142, any block which was spaced from another block, after selection, sliding along its guide rod to engage with any block which is between it and the stop bolt 142. For example with all the blocks in, this provides for a minimum pattern width; with the sixteen needle block 146 out, this will provide for sixteen needle widening of the pattern, with the four needle block 145 only out, this will prov-ide for four needle Widening, the sixteen needle block 146 sliding into engagement with the eight needle block 144; with both the sixteen needle and the four

needle blocks

146, 144 out, this will provide for a twenty needle widening, and so on to suit requirements of the pattern.

What we claim is:

1. A straight bar knitting machine having a row of needles, a thread carrier reciprocatable `along the row of needles, abutment means reciprocatable with the thread carrier, spaced limit stops providing rst inwardly directed limit stop faces for engagement by the reciprocatable abutment means, adjustable lead screw means for adjusting the spaced limit stops inwardly and outwardly to provide for small increment adjustments of the amplitude of travel of the reciprocatory abutment means and consequently ofthe thread carrier, spaced sets of movable spacer blocks carried by the spaced limit stops respectively and providing spaced sets of second inwardly directed limit stop faces, and selection control means operably associated with the spaced sets of spacer blocks to displace them selectively and bring their second inwardly directed limit stop faces selectively into regions inwardly adjacent said first inwardly directed limit stop faces, thereby providing for larger increment adjustments of the amplitude of travel of the reciprocatable abutment means and consequently of the thread carrier.

2. A straight bar knitting machine having a row of needles, a thread carrier reciprocatable along the row of needles, abutment means reciprocatable with the thread carrier, spaced screw nut limit stops providing first inwardly directed limit stop faces for engagement -by the reciprocatable abutment means, spaced lead screws mounting the spaced screw nut limit stops` and rotatable for adjusting them inwardly and outwardly, cam operated racking means connected to the spaced lead screws for rotating them to obtain small increments of adjustment of the spaced screw nut limit stops and consequently of the reciprocatable abutment means and threaded, carrier spaced sets of spacer blocks pivotally mounted on the spaced screw nut limit stops respectively and providing spaced sets of second inwardly directed limit stop faces, and selection control means operably associated with the spaced sets of spacer blocks to pivotally displace them selectively and bring their second inwardly directed limit stop faces selectively into regions inwardly adjacent said first inwardly directed limit stop faces, thereby providing for larger -increment adjustment of the amplitude of travel of the reciprocatable abutments means and consequently of the thread carrier.

3. A straight bar knitting machine having a row of needles, a thread carrier reciprocatable along the row of needles, abutment means reciprocatable with the thread carrier, spaced screw nut limit stops providing iirst inwardly directed limit stop faces for engagement by the reciprocatable abutment means, spaced lead screws mounting the spaced screw nut limit stops and rotatable for adjusting them inwardly and outwardly, cam operated racking means connected to the spaced screws for rotating them to obtain small increments of adjustment of the spaced screw nut limit stops and consequently of the reciprocatable abutment means and thread carrier, rack selecting means operably associated with the cam operated racking means for controlling the direction and amplitude of the racking strokes, spaced sets of spacer blocks pivotally mounted on the spaced screw nut limit stops respectively and providing spaced sets of second inwardly directed limit stop faces, and selection control means operably associated with the spaced sets of spacer blocks to pivotally displace them selectively and bring their second inwardly directed limit stop faces selectively into regions inwardly adjacent said rst inwardly directed limit stop faces, thereby providing for larger increment adjustments of the amplitude of travel of the reciprocatable abutment means and consequently of the thread carrier.

4. A straight bar knitting machine having a row of needles, a thread carrier reciprocatable along the row of needles, abutment means reciprocatable with the thread carrier, spaced screw nut limit stops providing first n- Wardly directed limit stop faces for engagement by the reciprocatable'abutment means, spaced lead .screws mounting the spaced screw nut limit stops and rotatable for adjusting them inwardly and outwardly, lcam operated racking means connected to the spaced lead screws for rotating them to obtain small increments of adjustment of the spaced screw nut limit stops and consequently of the reciprocatable abutment means and thread carrier, said cam operated racking means comprising a pair of oppositely toothed ratchet wheels for each lead screw, a pawl co-operating with each ratchet wheel, and cam and cam follower means connected to the pawls, rack selecting means operably associated with the cam operated racking means for controlling the direction and amplitude of the racking strokes, said rack selecting means comprising a stationary control plate for each pair of oppositely toothed ratchet wheels and on and olf which the pawls ride to engage with and disengage from ratchet wheels respectively, operating arms connected to the pawls and having different length recesses providing for different length racking strokes thereof, and selecting means operably associated with the operating arms for engaging these recesses with the cam follower means selectively, spaced sets of spacer blocks pivotally mounted on the spaced screw nut limit stops respectively and providing spaced sets of second inwardly directed limit stop faces, and selection control means operably associated with the spaced sets of spacer blocks to pivotally displace them selectively and bring their second inwardly directed limit stop faces selectively into regions inwardly adjacent said first inwardly directed limit stop faces, thereby providing for larger increment adjustments of the amplitude of travel of the reciprocatable abutment means and consequently of the thread carrier.

5. A straight bar knitting machine having a row of needles, a thread carrier reciprocatable along the row of needles, abutment means reciprocatable with the thread carrier, spaced screw nut limit stops providing rst inwardly directed limit stop faces for engagement by the reciprocatable abutment means, spaced lead screws mounting the spaced limit stops and rotatable for adjusting them inwardly and outwardly, vcam operated racking means connected to the spaced lead screws for rotating them to obtain small increments of adjustment of the spaced screw nut limit stops and consequently of the reciprocatable abutment means and thread carrier, rack control means operably associated with the cam operated racking means and including rst electromagnetic devices for controlling the direction and amplitude of the racking strokes, spaced sets of spacer blocks pivotally mounted on the spaced screw nut limit st-ops respectively and providing spaced sets of second .inwardly directed limit stop faces, spacer block control means operably connected to the spaced sets of spacer blocks and including second electromagnetic devices for pivotally displacing the spacer blocks individually, and program carrier and reader means operably connected to the rst and second electromagnetic devices for controlling their operations selectively.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1956 Cobert 66-82 X 7/1964 McCarthy et al 66-89 X

Claims

1. A STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE HAVING A ROW OF NEEDLES, A THREAD CARRIER RECIPROCATABLE ALONG THE ROW OF NEEDLES, ABUTMENT MEANS RECIPROCATABLE WITH THE THREAD CARRIER, SPACED LIMIT STOPS PROVIDING FIRST INWARDLY DIRECT ED LIMIT STOP FACES FOR ENGAGEMENT BY THE RECIPROCATABLE ABUTMENT MEANS, ADJUSTABLY LEAD SCREW MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE SPACED LIMIT STOPS INWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY TO PROVIDE FOR SMALL INCREMENT ADJUSTMENTS OF THE AMPLITUDE OF TRAVEL OF THE RECIPROCATORY ABUTMENT MEANS AND CONSEQUENTLY OF THE THREAD CARRIER, SPACED SETS OF MOVABLE SPACER BLOCKS CARRIED BY THE SPACED LIMIT STOPS RESPECTIVELY AND PROVIDING