Flat knitting machine

Abstract: In a flat knitting machine (1) comprising a needle bed (3), a frame (2) supporting the needle bed, a carriage (4,5), and a guide member supporting and guiding the carriage for reciprocation along the needle bed, a terminal unit (10) is provided on the frane at a position corresponding to the middle of the stroke of the carriage (4,5), one end of a cable (11a,11b) for supplying power and electrical signals to the carriage (4,5) is connected to the terminals of the terminal unit, and the cable is supported by a flexible cable support structure (12a,12b). Preferably, two reciprocating carriages (4,5) are provided, each with a supported connection cable.

Description: The present invention relates to a flat knitting machine having cable support means for supporting a cable or cables for supplying power and electrical signals to the carriage or carriages. In one known flat knitting machine, such as described in EP-A-0277351, a cable connecting a controller for controlling the flat knitting machine to a terminal unit provided on the flat knitting machine to supply power and/or electrical signals to the carriage is arranged fixedly, while a movable cable connecting the carriage to the terminal unit is supported for movement to allow the movable cable freedom for movement in accordance with the reciprocating motion of the carriage. The movable cable is suspended on a cable suspension device in a zigzag configuration. The cable extends or retracts according to the movement of the carriage. No problem arises with such cable support means as long as the carriage reciprocates at a comparatively low speed. However, it is possible for the movable cable to become damaged due to its inertial movement in the reversing of the carriage when the carriage moves at a comparatively high speed or due to vibrations caused by frequent application of loads to the movable cable when the carriage reciprocates through a short stroke. A weft knitting machine provided with two carriages on a single needle bed has problems attributable to the interference between movable cables connected to the carriages and the carriages themselves. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cable system capable of supporting a movable cable or cables for supplying power and electrical signals to one or a plurality of carriages mounted on a single needle bed so that the movable cables, if there is more than one, do not interfere with each other and do not obstruct the individual movements of the carriages even when the carriages reciprocate rapidly. In accordance with the invention, there is provided a flat knitting machine comprising a needle bed, a frame supporting the needle bed, a carriage, a guide member supporting and guiding the carriage for reciprocation along the needle bed, a terminal unit provided on the frame, and a cable for supplying power and electrical signals to the carriage having one end connected to the terminal unit, characterised in that the terminal unit is positioned at the middle of the stroke of the carriage, and in that the cable is guided to the carriage by a flexible cable support structure, which is supported on a support member. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, two carriages are provided, the guide member supports and guides the two carriages for reciprocation along the needle bed, the terminal unit is positioned at the mid-point of the strokes of the two carriages, one end of each of two cables for supplying power and electrical signals to the two respective carriages is connected to the terminals of the terminal unit, the two cables are guided to the respective carriages by flexible cable support structures, and the flexible cable support structures are each capable of bending at the respective opposite outer sides of the frame. When the terminal unit is disposed at a position corresponding to the middle of the stroke of the carriage and one end of the cable connected to the carriage is connected at the other end to the terminal unit, the cable is required to move through the minimum distance and to have the minimum length. With a two carriage machine, since the cables connected to the two carriages are supported respectively on the cable support structures which are capable of bending at the opposite outer sides of the frame of the flat knitting machine, the cables do not interfere with each other and are able to move independently. A preferred embodiment of flat knitting machine according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: Figures 1 to 4 are front views of a flat knitting machine in accordance with the present invention, showing the carriages at different positions; and Figure 5 is a bottom view of a cable support structure. A flat knitting machine 1 has a needle bed 3 supported on a frame 2, and carriages 4 and 5 supported on a guide rail (not shown). The carriages 4 and 5 are moved in a reciprocating manner by a driving belt 6. The rotary force of a driving unit 7 is transmitted to the driving belt 6. Power and/or electrical signals provided by a control unit 8 are transmitted through a fixed cable 9 connected to a terminal block 10 provided on the frame of the weft knitting machine 1. The carriages 4 and 5 are connected to the terminal block 10 by cables 11a and 11b respectively. The cables 11a and 11b are supported on flexible cable support structures 12a and 12b respectively. The flexible cable support structures 12a and 12b are supported on a support member 13. Fig. 5 shows the construction of the flexible cable support structures 12a and 12b, each of the flexible cable support structures 12a and 12b being formed by fitting a projection 15 formed on each of a plurality of small webs 14 in a small bore 16 formed in the adjacent small web 14 to connect the adjacent small webs 14 together. A terminal member 17 connected to one end of the series of small webs 14 is fastened to the driving belt 6, so that the flexible cable support structure 12a (12b) is unrolled, rolled up or bent according to the turning motion of the driving belt 6, hence according to the reciprocation of the carriage 4 (5). The cables 11a and 11b are supported by the small webs 14. The flexible cable support structures 12a and 12b connected respectively to the carriages 4 and 5 are bent respectively on the opposite outer sides of the frame, and both of the flexible cable support structures 12a and 12b are supported on the support member 13 for free bending. The carriages 4 and 5 of the flat knitting machine thus constructed are able to move individually as shown in Figs. 2 to 4. In any of the modes of movement, the flexible cable support structures 12a and 12b, supporting the cables 11a and 11b connected to the carriages 4 and 5 respectively, are able to move individually without interfering with each other. As is apparent from the foregoing description, in the flat knitting machine according to the present invention, the cable for supplying power and/or electrical signals to a single carriage supported on and guided by the guide member for movement along the needle bed is provided at a position corresponding to the middle of the stroke of the carriage and the cable is then supported by the flexible cable support structure. Accordingly, the length of the cable need only be about half the stroke of the carriage even if the carriage reciprocates over the entire width of the needle bed and the bend in the cable moves within the narrowest range. When the flat knitting machine is provided with two carriages, the cables connected to the carriages are bent respectively at the opposite outer ends of the needle bed, so that the cables and the cable support structures are able to move individually without interfering with each other.

Claims: A flat knitting machine (1) comprising a needle bed (3), a frame (2) supporting the needle bed, a carriage (4 or 5), a guide member supporting and guiding the carriage for reciprocation along the needle bed, a terminal unit (10) provided on the frame (2), and a cable (11a or 11b) for supplying power and electrical signals to the carriage having one end connected to the terminal unit (10), characterised in that the terminal unit (10) is positioned at the middle of the stroke of the carriage (4 or 5), and in that the cable is guided to the carriage by a flexible cable support structure (12a or 12b), which is supported on a support member (13). A flat knitting machine (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that two carriages (4,5) are provided, the guide member supports and guides the two carriages for reciprocation along the needle bed, the terminal unit (10) is positioned at the mid-point of the strokes of the two carriages, one end of each of two cables (11a, 11b) for supplying power and electrical signals to the two respective carriages is connected to the terminals of the terminal unit (10), the two cables are guided to the respective carriages by flexible cable support structures (12a, 12b), and the flexible cable support structures (12a, 12b) are each capable of bending at the respective opposite outer sides of the frame (2). A flat knitting machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the or each said flexible cable support structure (12a, 12b) comprises a plurality of small webs (14), each said small web having a projection and a small bore so that the webs can be connected to each other by fitting each projection into the bore of an adjacent web. A flat knitting machine as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the support member (13) for supporting the flexible cable support structures (12,12b) is provided extending under the needle bed (3).

Inventors: NISHIBATA SHIGEAKI, SHIMA MASAHIRO, NISHIBATA, SHIGEAKI, SHIMA, MASAHIRO
Applicants: SHIMA SEIKI MFG, SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: D04B7
IPC codes: D04B15, D04B7