US3657905A

US3657905A - Straight bar knitting machines

Info

Publication number: US3657905A
Application number: US39822A
Authority: US
Inventors: Barry Frederick Swanwick
Original assignee: MONK SUTTON IN ASHFIELD Ltd SA
Current assignee: MONK SUTTON IN ASHFIELD Ltd SA; Sa Monk Sutton In Ashfield Ltd
Priority date: 1969-05-28
Filing date: 1970-05-22
Publication date: 1972-04-25
Anticipated expiration: 1989-04-25
Also published as: BE751112A; DE2026463A1; FR2043731A1; GB1248523A

Abstract

Control means for selectively selecting the loop transfer points in a straight bar fully fashioned knitting machine, said means comprising a series of selector elements arranged to be operated by at least one of a plurality of spade devices, said selector elements serving to move said transfer points from a normal operative position into an inoperative position. Said spade devices are formed to cause selection of said loop transfer points to perform loop transfer functions to effect garment shaping, vee neck, fancy lace, marking, doubling, pouching and cabling operations.

Description

United States Patent Swanwick [151 3,657,905 51 Apr. 25, 1972 STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Barry Frederick Swanwick, Melton Mowbray, England S. A. Monk (Sutton in Ashfield) Limited, Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, England Filed: May 22, 1970 Appl. No; 39,822

Inventor:

Assignee:

Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 28, 1969 Great Britain ..26,934/69 U.S. Cl ..66/89, 66/96 1m. Cl. ..D04b11/06 Field of Search ..66/89, 95, 154, 96

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1898 Aldridge ..66/90 11/1892 Clar'keetal. ..66/96 658,826 10/1900 Boessneck ..66/89 2,035,960 3/1936 Heintz ..66/96 2,198,846 4/1940 Tesse ..66/96 3,398,554 8/1968 Start et a1 .66/96 X 3,503,226 3/1970 Woodcock et a1 ..66/96 3,562,777 2/1971 Blood ..66/89 Primary Examiner-Ronald Feldbauml Att0rneyBaldwin, Wight & Brown 5 7 1 ABSTRACT Control means for selectively selecting; the loop transfer points in a straight bar fully fashioned knitting machine, said means comprising a series of selector elements arranged to be operated by at least one of a plurality of spade devices, said selector elements serving to move said transfer points from a normal operative position into an inoperative position. Said spade devices are formed to cause selection of said loop transfer points to perform loop transfer functions to effect garment shaping, vee neck, fancy lace, marking, doubling, pouching and cabling operations.

12 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 25 m2 SHEET 1 BF 6 W /MW We 5r 5% W7 warm PATENTEDAPR 25 I972 SHEET 3 OF 6 lllllliiill PATENTEDAPR 25 m2 SHEET 5 OF 6 P'ATENTEU APR 2 5 I972 SHEET 8 BF 6 STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES This invention relates to straight bar knitting machines having a fashioning machine supporting loop transfer points which are adapted to perform loop transfer functions to effect garmentshaping, vee neck, fancy lace, marking, doubling, pouching and cabling operations, and is concerned particularly with means for selectively controlling the operation of the loop transfer points.

All of the functions hereinbefore set out are identical in principle in that the loop transfer points engage with the corresponding needles, either singly, or in groups, or en-bloc, or in a fixed pattern, or in a selected pattern, and pick up the fabric loops of the previously knitted row of loops and transfer them sideways in either direction to the adjacent needle or by two, or three, or four needle pitches. Obviously and necessarily a loop can be transferred from a needle leaving that needle empty and thereby creating a hole in the garment or effecting narrowing of the garment, or alternatively, loops can be transferred to a needle or needles which already contain a loop or loops.

All straight bar full fashioned knitting machines are provided with a narrowing machine which is capable of being adapted to carry out the various loop transfer functions hereinbefore set out. However, a difficulty exists in providing all of these functions, and their associated selection and control mechanisms, on the narrowing machine and within the confines of the width of the knitting head. Due to the limited space available, it is necessary to retract certain machine elements when not inuse so that other elements have the necessary space in which to operate. Retraction of the machine elements which are not required can be accomplished manually, in which case the machine may have to be stopped thus loosing production time, or alternatively, retraction can be effected automatically thus necessitating additional mechanisms and controls whichare costly. These mechanisms also need to be very reliable in that any breakdowns drastically reduce the output of the machine. Safety devices therefore have to be incorporated to prevent breakages due to any malfunction of the mechanisms and this is a further and difficult complication.

It is among the objects of the present invention to overcome or substantially reduce the aforementioned disadvantagesand to provide a machine incorporating a comprehensive selection and control system operatively associated with the loop transferpoints and capable of causing said transfer points to perform any of the functions hereinbefore set out.

In putting the invention into effect, the loop transfer points will be provided, one to each needle in the needle bed, in wide trick beds each extending over half of the length of the needle bed, and being mounted on the fashioning machine so as to be moved lengthwise of the needle bed in either direction the equivalent of one, or two, or three, or four needle pitches. Such an arrangement is well known per se and was originally applied to Cottons Patent multi-head straight bar knitting machines in which selection was made by means of overhead jacquard-operated dropper elements arranged to select the loop transfer points in any desired array. In this form of selection, the transfer points were normally in a raised inoperative position and the dropper elements were such that they engaged and moved downwards, relative to the narrowing machine, the selected transfer points so that, when the narrowing machine carried out its normal dipping and loop transfer function only the selected points co-acted with their corresponding needles.

This form of selection is complicated and takes up an excessive amount of space in the vicinity of the needle bed and it is therefore further among the objects of the present invention, while adopting the known general principle of supporting and operating the loop transfer points, to provide improved selection and control means for the points.

According to the present invention, there is provided a straight bar knitting machine, comprising a series of loop transfer points mounted on the machines narrowing head to co-act with the knitting needles, means for moving the transfer points in two groups lengthwise of the needle bed to effect sideways transfer of knitted loops, and control means for selectively controlling the operation of the transfer points, wherein said control means are mounted independently of the narrowing head on the frame of the :machine and comprise a series of selector elements operatively associated with the transfer points which elements are arranged and constructed to be acted upon by any one or more of a plurality of spade devices which are operable to position the selector elements and, when the machine is in use, to cause the selected transfer points to carry out a shaping, a vee neck, a fancy lace, a marking, a doubling, a pouching, or a cabling operation of, or in, the gannent being knitted.

Preferably, the loop transfer points are slidably mounted in trick beds mounted on the narrowing head.

According to the invention furthermore, the selector elements are spring loaded to retain them individually in one of two alternative positions dependent upon the selection means, means also being provided to move the selector elements into either of the said alternative positions irrespective of the position dictated by the selection means.

According to the invention still further, the loop transfer elements are provided normally to remain in an operative position and the selector means are arranged to act upon those points which are not required to operate so that, on operation of the narrowing machine, the unrequired points are moved into an inoperative position.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which,

FIG. 1 is an elevation of one knitting bay of a fully fashioned knitting machine according to the invention and showing the narrowing machine,

FIG. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is an elevation corresponding; to FIG. 1, and showing the loop transfer points selector mechanism,

FIG. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the control mechanism for operating the spade members used for vee neck, lace selection and marking selection operations,

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the spade members used for the doubling and fashioning operations,

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the mechanism for controlling the doubling and fashioning spade membens,

FIG. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of FIG. 7, and

FIG. 9 is a section, on an enlarged scale, showing the relative positions of the narrowing head and the loop transfer points selector mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, the invention is concerned with a standard type rib/plain straight bar fully fashioned knitting machine having a set of frame needles 1 and a set of machine needles 2. FIGS. 1 to 4 of the drawings show one knitting bay of a multi-head machine and, since the construction of the machine is well known, only those parts of the machine necessary for a clear understanding of the invention are included in the drawings. It will also be appreciated that the shafts, etc., shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 extend into a control bay from which they are actuated in well known manner.

In the drawings, certain parts of the machine supporting framework are shown and these are all indicated by the reference F. 1

As can be seen from FIGS. 1, 2 and 9, there is provided a narrowing machine or head generally indicated at 3 which supports two sets of loop transfer elements 4 and 5 which are each provided to extend over half the width of the needle beds 1 and 2. In this respect, it will be appreciated that the number of loop transfer points corresponds to the number of needles in one bed.

The two sets of loop transfer points 4, 5 are each mounted for lengthwise movement in trick cut beds 6 which beds are supported in end brackets 7 and are adapted to carry out the necessary controlled movements to permit of knitted loops to be transferred sideways a predetermined number of needle pitches. For this purpose, the brackets 7 are mounted on a shaft 8 and angular movement thereof about the shaft 8, and about a fixed shaft 80 via a link 8b, in order to effect a socalled dipping operation, is effected through a lever 9, a cam follower 10 and a cam 11 mounted on the main cam shaft 12 of the machine. Sideways movement of the narrowing machine or head is effected by narrowing rods 13 which are connected to the beds 6 and extend over the length of the machine. The rods 13 are controlled by fashioning screws arranged in the control bay of the machine which screws are operable to effect longitudinal traversing movement of the trick beds 6 the equivalent of 1 four needle pitches according to the loop transfer function required. The fashion screws are racked in either direction by conventional rack and bluff mechanisms which are commanded by the machines main control as is commonly used in full fashioned straight bar knitting machines.

The loop transfer points 5 are movable individually in the grooves of the trick cut bed 6 between an operative and an inoperative position and, for this purpose, each point is provided with two spaced notches 14 and 15 which are adapted to be engaged by a spring 16 to hold the point in either of its two positions. Thus, as shown in FIG. 9, one of the points is in its operative position and the spring 16 is in engagement with the notch 14. In its inoperative position the point would be moved vertically upwards so that the spring 16 would engage the notch 15. The springs 16 are held in position on the trick cut bed 6 by means of a common retaining plate 17.

The loop transfer points 4, 5 further include, at the end remote from the loop-engaging end, an abutment face 18 and a hook or latch 19 the purpose of which will hereinafter be described.

Pivotally mounted on the machine frame F adjacent to, but independent of, the narrowing machine or head 3, is a selection and control mechanism which is generally indicated at 20. This mechanism comprises a single series of selector elements 21 which correspond in number and position to the two sets of transfer points 4, 5 and which are mounted for angular movement about a shaft 22 supported at each end of the knitting bay in end frames 23. The end frames 23 are arranged to pivot about a shaft 24 mounted in supports 25 fixed to the machine framework F. The frames 23, and thus also the selector elements 2], are mounted for angular movement about the shaft 24, this movement being imparted by a cam 26 mounted on the main cam shaft 12 of the machine through a cam follower 27, a bellcrank lever 28, a link rod 29 and an arcuate link 30.

Positioning of the selector elements 21 on the shaft 22, which has a longitudinally extending flat which enables the elements to be removed and replaced, is by means of front and rear trick cut plates 31 and 32 extending lengthwise of the fashioning head. Each selector element 21, which is formed with a head portion 33 and a tail portion 34, is angularly movable into first and second positions as hereinafter defined, each of the elements being held in either of said positions by means of an over-center leaf spring 35. The leaf springs 35 are mounted in a common trick cut bar 36 which is pivotted on a shaft 37 on a fixed centre and which is operable by a motion from the main cam shaft 12 of the machine to move the selector elements 21 en-bloc into either of said first and second positions.

The head portion 33 of each element 21 is formed with a hook or latch 38 adapted to co-act with the hook or latch 19 of its co-operating loop transfer point 5, and with two spaced projections 39 and 40 for the purpose hereinafter described.

The loop transfer points 5 are normally held in an operative position, i.e., in a position shown in FIG. 9 where they would engage and transfer loops from their co-acting needles if the narrowing machine 3 were to be operated, and the selector elements 21 are normally held in their first positions shown in full lines in FIG. 9, i.e., where their hooks or latches 38 are arranged to engage the hooks or latches 19 of the transfer points 5, as compared with their second positions shown in chain dot lines in FIG. 9 where their hooks or latches are out of alignment with the hooks or latches 19 of the transfer points.

In use, in order to effect a loop transfer function (i.e., garment shaping, vee neck, fancy lace, marking, doubling, pouching or cabling) the loop transfer points 5 are all in their lower or operative position and the hooks or latches 38 of all the selector elements 21 are in their first position in which they are arranged to engage the hooks or latches 19 of the transfer points.

According to the function which is to be carried out, one or more of a plurality of spade devices are provided to move the selector elements 21 of the transfer points required for the particular function into their second positions where they do not influence the transfer points.

The narrowing machine 3 is then operated to carry out its first dipping motion with the result that, due to selective interengagement of the selector element hooks 38 with the hooks 19 of the transfer points 5 required, the transfer points not required are moved upwardly in their trick beds 6 into an inoperative position where they are held with the springs 16 engaging the notches 15.

During the said first dip the narrowing machine 3 pauses to enable the needles to advance to the selected loop transfer points 5 and box. During this pause, the entire selector mechanism 20 is swung outwards about its pivot 24 thereby disengaging the previously engaged co-acting hooks or latches 19, 38 in order to leave space for the narrowing machine 3 to continue its downward movement to take the loops off the relevant needles, and to allow the narrowing machine to carry out its subsequent movements to complete the loop transfer function. It will be appreciated that withdrawal of the selector mechanism 20 is necessary to allow, during the loop transfer function, the trick beds 6 to move sideways to effect loop transfer without any possibility of lateral interengagement taking place between the non-selected transfer points 5 and their co-acting selector elements 21 which would result in damage to the points and/or the elements.

The selector mechanism 20 remains clear of the narrowing machine 3 until the latter has completed its loop transfer function and is returned to its normal operative or standing position. During this return movement, the non-selected transfer points 5 which were previously moved into their inoperative positions, are returned to their normal and operative positions by means of a positioning blade 41 which is pivotally mounted, via a lever 42, about a shaft 43 on the fashioning machine 3. The positioning blade 41 extends over the full length of the trick beds 6 and is caused, at the appropriate moment, to swing downwards to engage the abutment surfaces 18 on the transfer points 5 and to return them to their normal and operative positions.

Subsequently, the selector mechanism 20 is swung back into its normal position and the shaft 37 supporting the leaf springs 35 is turned to return those selector elements 21 which were previously moved into their second positions back into their first positions.

The narrowing and the selection mechanisms 3 and 20 are then ready to effect the next selected loop transfer function.

It will be understood that the mode of operation just described will be applicable to each of the functions hereinafter described.

As indicated above, spade devices are provided selectively to move the selector elements 21 into their second positions, the spade devices being provided in pairs, one device of each pair being arranged to operate over one half of the needles in the needle bed and the other device over the other half of the needles. The spade devices are in the form of flat plates which are varied in shape and length according to the particular operation they are intended to perform.

For the purpose of knitting lace patterns, two spade devices 44 and 45 which are, for example I inch long, are provided, these being attached, via clamping blocks 46, respectively to

control rods

47 and 48. As can be seen in FIG. 5, each spade device, for lacing purposes, is provided with spaced prongs 440 which correspond to the selector elements 21 they are to actuate in order to perform a particular lace pattern. In this respect, the spade devices 44, 45 are arranged to co-act with the projections 39 formed on the selector elements 21. The

control rods

47, 48 extend over the length of the machine and into the control bay where a control mechanism is provided to impart both longitudinal and angular movement to the spade devices 44, 45.

The said control mechanism is shown in FIG. 5 in relation to spade device 44, it being understood that a similar mechanism is provided to control the spade device 45. The mechanism comprises a triangular block 49 fixed to the control rod 47 and adapted to engage a bifurcated slider block 50 which is slidable in a channel member 51 extending parallel to the rod 47. In order to impart longitudinal movement to the spade device 44, the slider block 50 is formed with a screw-threaded hole to co-act with a threaded spindle 52. The spindle is rotated, by any convenient means, to cause longitudinal movement of the block 50, and thus also of the spade device 44, in either direction.

In order to impart angular movement to the spade device 44 to cause it to move selected selector elements into their second positions, an elongated gear 53 is secured to the operating rod 47 and meshes, within a bracket 54, with a toothed rack 55, the bracket 54 being fixed to a part of the machine framework F. The rack 55 has attached thereto, via a pin 56 arranged in a slot 57, a link 58 which is connected to a lever operated from a cam on, or controlled from, the main cam shaft 12 of the machine in the manner hereinbefore described so as to impart vertical movement to the link 58 and thus angular movement to the spade device 44. In this respect, it will be appreciated that the block 49 is sized so that, despite the angular movement imparted thereto, it will always remain in engagement with the slider block 50.

For the purpose of forming a vee neck in a garment piece two further spade devices 59 and 60, which are in the form of flat plates without the prongs 44a, are provided these being mounted, via clamping blocks 61, respectively on operating

rods

62 and 63. The spade devices 59, 60 in this case co-act with the projections 40 of the selector elements 21. Longitudinal and angular movement is imparted to the spade devices 59 and 60 in the manner described with reference to the spade devices 44 and 45.

In order to effect a marking operation, further spade devices 64 and 65, which are formed with a single prong 44a, are provided, these being mounted, via clamping blocks 66, respectively on

control rods

67 and 68. The spade devices 64, 65 in this case co-act with the tail portions 34 of the selector elements 21. Here again, longitudinal and angular movement is imparted to i the spade devices 64, 65 in the manner described with reference to the spade devices 44 and 45.

For the purpose of effecting doubling, or of shaping of the selvedges of a garment piece, two further spade devices 69 and 70 are provided. These devices are in the form of flat plates without prongs 44a and are each of a length to extend over half the width of the needle beds. As can be seen more particularly in FIG. 6, the spade devices 69, 70 are slidably mounted in a bifurcated bracket 71 which is fixed to and moves with the end frames 23 of the selector mechanism 20. Each spade device 69, 70 has attached to its leading edge a toothed rack 72 the main body of which is freely slidable over the top surface of the bracket 71. Straddling the rack 72 are two circular plates 73 which are interconnected by a toothed gear 74 which meshes with the rack 72. The gears 74, together with the plates 73, of the spade devices 69, 70 are fixed respectively to control rods 75 and 76. In this respect, although each spade device is illustrated as being acted upon by one

mechanism

72, 73, 74 it is envisaged that two such mechanisms will be provided for each spade device.

It will be appreciated that, in order to carry out a doubling or a fashioning operation, lengthwise movement of the spade devices 69, 70 will be effected by moving the control rods 75, 76 in an endwise direction, and forward movement to engage the tail portions 34 of the selected selector elements 21 will be effected by imparting angular movement to the control rods 75, 76

The control rods 75, 76 extend the full length of the machine and into the control bay where a mechanism is provided to impart lengthwise and angular movement thereto. In this respect, since the mechanisms in each case are identical, only one mechanism will be described with reference to the spade device 69 and its co-acting control rod 75.

The mechanism, which is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, comprises a partially cut elongated gear 77 which is fixed to the control rod 75. The gear 77 is also formed, at a position radially opposite the gear teeth, with a series of spaced webs 78. In order to impart angular motion to the rod 75, and thus forward motion of the spade device 69, the gear 77 is mounted in a bracket 79 secured to a fixed part of the machine where it meshes with a toothed rack 80. A link 81 is coupled, via a pin 82 arranged in a slot 83, to the rack 80, the link 81 being connected to a lever operated from a cam on, or controlled from, the main cam shaft 12 of the machine to effect movement of the rack and thus angular movement of the rod 75.

In order to impart lengthwise movement to the control rod 75, and thus also to the spade device 69, there is provided a slide member 84 mounted in fixed guides 85. The slide member 84 is formed with a slot 86 which receives a link 87 which is pivotally connected to the member 84 by means of a drive pin 88. The link 87 imparts oscillatory movement to the slide member 84 by the action of a cam operated linkage system operatively associated with the main cam shaft 12 of the machine. Pivotally mounted on the slide member 84 are two bellcrank levers 89 and 90 which are identical except that they face in opposite directions. The levers 89, 90 are adapted to engage the webs 78 of the gear 77 and are biassed in this respect by means of tension springs 91 and 92. Both levers are normally held in an inoperative position (as shown by lever 89) by control levers (not shown) which operate through

cables

93 and 94.

In order intermittently to move the control rod 75, and thus also the spade device 69, in one direction either

cable

93 or 94 is released so that its corresponding lever89 or 90 becomes operative and moves into a position where it enters one of the spaces between the webs 78. In this position, reciprocatory movement of the slide member 84, the stroke of which is greater than one pitch of the webs 78 and less than two pitches of the webs 78, is effective to move the control rod 75 in steps corresponding to one pitch of the webs 78.

When it is required to effect a doubling operation, for example to reduce the coursewise width of a rib welts last course to that of the body fabrics first course, the spade devices 69, 70 are placed in their outermost positions, i.e., in positions where their leading or innermost ends overlap a small number of selector elements 21. In this position, the spade devices are racked forward to move said small number of selector elements 21 into their second positions to ensure that the corresponding loop transfer elements 5 remain in their operative positions. The narrowing head 3 is then caused to operate to move inwards the loops from the selected needles one needle pitch so that a doubled loop is provided at say one-half inch from each selvedge of the fabric.

The spade devices 69, 70 are then moved inwards say a further one-half inch. This will cause further one-half inch width of transfer elements to become operative so that, on further operation of the narrowing head 3, all the loops previously transferred, plus the new loops, will be transferred inwardly to provide a doubled loop 1 inch from each selvedge of the fabric. This process is repeated at say i-inch intervals until all the transfer points 5 are operative with the result that a doubled loop is provided at intervals of one-half inch over the width of the garment piece. I

This process simulates a multi-dip system of doubling where the loop transfer elements themselves are bodily moved outwards so that their inner few points align with the outermost needles for commencing the doubling operation, and are then stepped inwards in equal increments to effect a series of doublings over the width of the fabric.

In order to carry out a garment selvedge shaping operation, i.e., narrowing, the spade devices 69, 70 are arranged with their inner ends overlapping the garment selvedges by say 1 inch, this relationship being maintained by moving the spade devices in unison with the yarn carrier traverse and/or the knitting width control members. In this position, by effecting the normal dipping operations of the narrowing head 3 using the selected loop transfer points 5, a narrowing operation is carried out in the manner well known in fully fashioned straight bar knitting machines.

It will be understood that the selection and timing of the various functions and operations is effected by the cams on the main camshaft 12 of the machine, these cams being selected for operation at the appropriate time in the usual manner by shogging of the camshaft into a secondary position. In this position, the knitting operation is halted and normal fashioning and other loop transfer motions are carried out by the narrowing machine.

From the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that the present invention provides a positive transfer point selection system in that, unlike most other selection systems, the control means select those elements which are required to be operative and not those which are required to be inoperative.

What we claim is:

l. A straight bar fully fashioned knitting machine comprising at least one needle bed, a series of knitting needles in said needle bed, a fashioning mechanism mounted relative to said knitting needles, a series of loop transfer points slidable between a normal and operative position and an inoperative position in tricks mounted on said fashioning mechanism to co-act with said knitting needles and to perform loop transfer functions, spring means for retaining said loop transfer points in either of said positions, means for moving said loop transfer points in two groups lengthwise of said needle bed to effect sideways transfer of knitted loops, a positioning blade common to all of said loop transfer points which is operative to return any of said points moved during a loop transfer operation into their normal and operative positions, and selection control means for individually and randomly selecting said loop transfer points to perform the desired loop transfer operation, said selection control means being mounted independently of said fashioning mechanism and comprising support means which are angularly movable relative to said loop transfer points, a series of selector elements mounted on said support means for angular movement individually between operative and inoperative positions, said selector elements each having means for engaging co-acting means on a corresponding one of said loop transfer points to move said corresponding point into an inoperative position, a plurality of projections on said selector elements and a plurality of spade devices which are operable selectively to act on said projections and to move at least one of said selector elements into an operative position so that, in use, only those loop transfer points which correspond to said selector elements which remain in an inoperative position are used to carry out a loop transfer function. I

2. A knitting machine as claimed in claim 1, in which said spade devices are provided in pairs, with each spade device of each of said pairs of spade devices being arranged to operate over half of the width of said needle bed.

3. A knitting machine as claimed in claim 2, in which each of said selector elements comprises a head portion and a tail portion, said head portion having a hook arranged to engage a correspondingly shaped hook on its co-acting loop transfer point, and first and second projections arranged to co-act with said first and second pairs of said spade devices, and said tail portion having an elongated projection arranged to co-act with third and fourth pairs of said spade devices.

4. A knitting machine as claimed in claim 3, including overcenter spring means for retaining said selector elements individually in their operative and inoperative positions, and means for causing all of said selector elements to be positioned in one or another of their two positions.

5. A knitting machine as claimed in claim 4, in which said first pair of spade devices are operable to effect selection of said loop transfer points to produce a vee neck formation in a garment piece, each spade device of said pair of spade devices comprising a flat plate attached to a control rod, said control rod having operatively associated therewith control mechanism means for imparting both lengthwise and angular motion to said control rod and therethrough to its co-operating spade device.

6. A knitting machine as claimed in claim 4, in which said second pair of spade devices are operable to effect selection of said loop transfer points to produce a lace pattern in a garment piece, each spade device of said second pair of spade devices comprising a flat plate formed with projecting prongs corresponding to the ones of said selector elements it is required to select, said plate being attached to a control rod having operatively associated therewith control mechanism means for imparting both lengthwise and angular motion to said control rod and therethrough to its co-operating spade device.

7. A knitting machine as claimed in claim 4, in which said third pair of spade devices are operable to effect selection of said loop transfer points to produce markings in a garment piece, each spade device of said third pair of said spade devices comprising a flat plate formed with a single prong to actuate a single one of said selector elements, said plate being attached to a control rod having operatively associated therewith control mechanism means for imparting both lengthwise and angular motion to said control rod and therethrough to its cooperating spade device.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 4, in which said fourth pair of spade devices are operable to effect selection of said loop transfer points to produce doublings in a garment piece and to effect fashioning of a garment piece, each spade device of said fourth pair of spade devices comprising a flat plate extending over half the width of said needle bed of the machine, said plate being slidable in a bifurcated bracket extending over the full width of said selection control means and being operatively coupled to a control rod which is connected to control mechanism means for imparting lengthwise and angular movement thereto.

9. A knitting machine as claimed in claim 8, in which a toothed rack is fixed to the leading edge of each spade device of said fourth pair of spade devices and is straddled by a pair of circular plates fixed to said control rod, said rack being slidable over the top surface of said bifurcated bracket and being in mesh with a toothed gear fixed to said control rod, whereby lengthwise movement of said control rod will, via said circular plates, impart lengthwise movement to the respective spade device of said fourth spade devices, and angular movement of said control rod will, via said toothed rack, impart transverse movement to the respective spade device towards and away from the tail portion of said selector elements.

10. A knitting machine as claimed in claim 8, in which said control mechanism means for imparting movement to said control rod of each spade device comprises a partially cut elongated gear fixed to said control rod and having a limited number of gear teeth, said gear being formed at a position diametrically opposite said gear teeth with spaced webs, means for imparting angular motion to said gear, and other means for imparting lengthwise step-by-step motion to said gear.

11. A knitting machine as claimed in claim 10, in which said means for imparting angular motion to said gear comprise a toothed rack in mesh with the gear, said knitting machine having a main cam control shaft, a linkage system coupling said rack to a cam on said main cam control shaft whereby on rotation of said cam said rack will impart angular turning movement to said gear.

12. A knitting machine as claimed in claim 10, in which said means for imparting lengthwise movement to said gear comprises a reciprocating slide member having mounted thereon a pair of bellcrank levers for selectively engaging the webs of said gear so that said gear, and said control rod will be selectively moved in either direction in increments corresponding to the contour of said webs.

Claims

1. A straight bar fully fashioned knitting machine comprising at least one nEedle bed, a series of knitting needles in said needle bed, a fashioning mechanism mounted relative to said knitting needles, a series of loop transfer points slidable between a normal and operative position and an inoperative position in tricks mounted on said fashioning mechanism to co-act with said knitting needles and to perform loop transfer functions, spring means for retaining said loop transfer points in either of said positions, means for moving said loop transfer points in two groups lengthwise of said needle bed to effect sideways transfer of knitted loops, a positioning blade common to all of said loop transfer points which is operative to return any of said points moved during a loop transfer operation into their normal and operative positions, and selection control means for individually and randomly selecting said loop transfer points to perform the desired loop transfer operation, said selection control means being mounted independently of said fashioning mechanism and comprising support means which are angularly movable relative to said loop transfer points, a series of selector elements mounted on said support means for angular movement individually between operative and inoperative positions, said selector elements each having means for engaging co-acting means on a corresponding one of said loop transfer points to move said corresponding point into an inoperative position, a plurality of projections on said selector elements and a plurality of spade devices which are operable selectively to act on said projections and to move at least one of said selector elements into an operative position so that, in use, only those loop transfer points which correspond to said selector elements which remain in an inoperative position are used to carry out a loop transfer function.

4. A knitting machine as claimed in claim 3, including over-center spring means for retaining said selector elements individually in their operative and inoperative positions, and means for causing all of said selector elements to be positioned in one or another of their two positions.