[0001] This invention relates to a knitting needle driving mechanism of a knitting machine.
[0002] More specifically, this invention relates to a knitting needle driving mechanism
of a knitting machine capable of knitting a predetermined pattern by causing or removing
engagement between rising cams for applying a sliding movement to a plurality of knitting
needles arranged on a needle bed of the knitting machine and rising cam butts of the
knitting needles or rising cam butts of jacks engaging with lower ends of the knitting
needles on the basis of a predetermined knitting plan emitted from a controller of
a knitting machine main body.
[0003] In a jacquard knitting machine such as a jacquard circular knitting machine, a jacquard
flat knitting machine or the like, a knitting needle driving mechanism for transmitting
a patterning procedure memorized in a pattern procedure memory such as a pin drum,
a tape, a floppy disk or the like for upward or downward movement of the knitting
needle has been heretofore used. For example, as illustrated in Figure 12, a jacquard
circular knitting machine is usually comprised of a knitting cylinder 2 having a plurality
of knitting needles 3, yarn feed devices 8, and a knitting needle driving mechanism
1 for transmitting a patterning procedure memorized in a patterning procedure memory
4 for vertical movement of the knittintg needles. The knitting cylinder 2 is rotated
through a transmitting mechanism 7 by a motor 6. The rotation of the knitting cylinder,
more exactly, the rotational angle of the knitting cylinder, is detected by a decoder
5 and transmitted to the patterning procedure memory 4. A knitting procedure corresponding
to the rotational angle of the knitting cylinder 2 is transferred from the patterning
procedure memory 4 to the knitting needle driving mechanism 1. A plurality of yarn
9 is fed through the yarn feed devices 8 to the knitting needles 3.
[0004] As a knitting needle driving mechanism now in wide use, there is known the knitting
needle driving mechanism as shown in Fig. 13, a main portion of which is comprised
of a plurality of plates 50 arranged slidably in parallel to each other. In this mechanism,
the sliding movement of the plates 50 is based on pins on the pin drum or signals
emitted from the computer memory. When a plate 50 moves toward a center of the knitting
cylinder 52, a jack 51 engaging with the lower end of the knitting needle moves toward
the center of the knitting clyinder, so that a cam butt provided on the lower portion
of the jack 51 is disengaged from a rising cam 54. Accordingly, by controlling the
sliding movement of the plate 50 by the pins or signals emitted from the memory, the
vertical movement of the corresponding knitting needle is controlled and a knit cloth
having the predetermined pattern can be produced.
[0005] At present, a high speed drive jacquard knitting machine is desired, and it is necessary
to speed up the response of the knitting needle driving mechanism to achieve such
a high speed drive knitting machine. However, there is a limit to the increase that
can be made in the response speed or the sliding speed of the plates in a knitting
needle driving mechanism having the constitution where the plates are slid, such as
the known knitting needle driving mechanism. It is possible to obtain a high speed
knitting machine by increasing the number of the plates slid at the ordinary sliding
speed, but the knitting needle driving mechanism then becomes too large, due to the
increased number of plates, so that it becomes difficult to arrange the knitting needle
driving mechanism in a narrow space outside the knitting machine.
[0006] The same applicant as the applicant of the present application proposed a knitting
needle driving mechanism provided with a plurality of fingers having one end which
can be swung, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 60-224845. This
knitting needle driving mechanism has a rapid response speed compared to the conventional
known knitting needle driving mechanism now in wide use, and further is useful in
that the knitting needle driving mechanism can be made smaller and the power consumption
thereof decreased.
[0007] However, in the knitting needle driving mechanism having the sliding type fingers
and the swing type fingers as described hereinbefore, the movement of the fingers
is caused by applying an attraction force or repelling force from an electromagnet.
That is, the sliding movements or the swinging movements of the fingers are performed
by applying an electric current to the poles of the electromagnets in such a manner
that the poles of the electromagnets are changed from plus to minus, respectively,
or vice versa. Therefore, the response speed of the knitting needle driving mechanism
activated by the electromagnet has a limit caused by a function of the electromagnet
itself, and an optimum high speed of the electromagnet is around 80 cycles per second.
Further since the power consumption efficiency of the electromagnet is about 1% and
the remainder of the electric current is consumed as heat or the like, there is a
problem in that the total consumption of the electric power is extremely high when
the knitting needle driving mechanism having the electromagnet is used.
[0008] Consequently, although the knitting needle driving mechanism having the electromagnet
can be used for, e.g., a circular knitting machine for knitting socks, which machine
has 240 knitting needles and a rotational speed of 220 r.p.m, it is impossible to
apply this knitting needle driving mechanism to a circular knitting machine for knitting
panty-hose, wherein the machine has 400 knitting needles and a rotational speed of
from 400 r.p.m to 1,000 r.p.m. Therefore, in the existing circumstances, the conventional
knitting needle driving mechanism has been used for knitting panty-hose by decreasing
the rotational speed of the circular knitting machine to a speed corresponding to
an ordinary response speed of the conventional knitting needle driving mechanism.
[0009] Accordingly, a knitting needle driving mechanism having a high response speed, small
size, and low electric power consumption is strongly desired to enable the creation
of a high speed jacquard knitting machine.
[0010] The object of the present invention is to provide a knitting needle driving mechanism
having a high response speed, small size, and low electric power consumption for a
knitting machine which eliminates the above disadvantage of the conventional known
knitting needle driving mechanism.
[0011] A knitting needle driving mechanism according to the present invention is comprised
of a housing, and a plurality of fingers supported in the housing by the rear ends
thereof and arranged substantially superimposed at intervals along a sliding direction
of the knitting needles. The finger is comprised of a plate having one end provided
with an attaching portion to be attached to the housing and another end provided with
a guiding portion for guiding a finger butt of the knitting needle or a finger butt
of the jack, and a piezo-electric element attached to a face or to both faces of the
plate and connected to the controller by means of lead wires.
[0012] The finger is bent in either an upward direction or a downward direction, or in both
directions, about a fulcrum, which is the attaching portion of the finger, to cause
or remove engagement between the guiding portion of a front end of the finger and
the finger butt of the knitting needle or the finger butt of the jack, when a pulse
is input from the controller to the piezo-electric element in accordance with the
procedure corresponding to the predetermined pattern, whereby the formation or the
release of engagement between the rising cam and the rising cam butt of the knitting
needle or the rising cam butt of the jack is caused by the formation or release of
engagement between the guiding portion of the finger and the finger butt of the knitting
needle or the finger butt of the jack, and the sliding movement of the knitting needle
is thereby defined.
[0013] In a circular knitting machine, the needle bed, i.e., a knitting cylinder, is rotated
on a frame of the knitting machine, and the knitting needle driving mechanism is fixed
to the frame of the knitting machine. Therefore, when the knitting needle driving
mechanism according to the present invention is used in the circular knitting machine,
it is necessary to constitute the knitting needle driving mechanism in such a manner
that the guiding portion of the finger advances towards or retreats from a moving
locus of the finger butt of the knitting needle or the finger butt of the jack engaging
with a lower end of the knitting needle by the swing motion of the finger, before
the corresponding knitting needle moves in front of the knitting needle driving mechanism.
[0014] It is apparent that the knitting needle driving mechanism according to the present
invention can be used in a flat knitting machine. In a flat knitting machine, the
needle belt is fixed on a frame of the knitting machine, and a slider including the
knitting needle driving mechanism and a yarn feed device slides along the needle bed.
Therefore, when the knitting needle driving mechanism according to the present invention
is used in the flat knitting machine, it is necessary to constitute the knitting needle
driving machine in such a manner that the guiding portion of the finger previously
advances toward or retreats from a position where the guiding portion of the finger
engages with the finger butt of the knitting needle or the finger butt of the jack
engaging with a flower end of the knitting needle by the swinging motion of the finger,
before the knitting needle driving mechanism slides in front of the corresponding
knitting needle.
[0015] It is preferable that at least one opening is arranged on a portion of the plate
of the finger which is provided with the piezo-electric element. Since a weight of
the plate having the opening becomes very light, the plate becomes more flexible,
so that the plate can be bent by a lower electric voltage. Further, since the piezo-electric
element is affixed to the plate with an adhesive, e.g., adhesives of an epoxy group,
it is possible to obtain a firm adhesion when the opening is provided on the plate.
Most preferably, the piezo-electric element is affixed to both faces of the plate.
[0016] Any kind of piezo-electric element can be used so long as the piezo-electric element
is an element having an inverse piezo-electric effect. Preferably a piezo-electric
element of a ceramic constituted from a barium titanate or the like is used, to ensure
that a lot quantity of the piezo-electric element having a staple quality can be obtained
on an industrial scale. Since it is possible to make the piezo-electric element having
a high electrostrictive strain by using a thinner plate, preferably a piezo-electric
element having a thickness in the order of from 100 µm to 200 µm is used. Further
the piezo-electric element may have an elongated shape. A silver paste or the like
is baked on both faces of the piezo-electric element to form the electrodes, and these
electrodes are connected through lead lines to the controller, respectively.
[0017] As described hereinbefore, the piezo-electric element is usually affixed to both
faces of the plate of the finger by an adhesive. Of course, it is possible to cause
the finger to bend about the fulcrum of the housing by using a finger having one piezo-electric
element on one face thereof. Further, it is possible to decrease an electric voltage
to the imput to the piezo-electric element when the piezo-electric element is used
on both faces of the finger, compared to the case wherein one piezo-electric element
is affixed on one face of the finger. Note, when two piezo-electric elements are used
for one finger, it is necessary to arrange the two piezo-electric elements on the
plate of the finger in such a manner that an orientation between a plus electrode
and a minus electrode of each piezo-electric element is in the same direction.
[0018] The number of fingers in the knitting needle driving mechanism according to the present
invention may be determined in accordance with a required knitting pattern. Since
the piezo-electric element has a rapid response speed and it is possible to input
a pulse with high frequency to the element, when a pulse of 240 cycles, for example,
is input to the element, the knitting needle driving element can drive the knitting
needle at a high speed of three times the speed (usually 80 cycles) of a conventional
known knitting needle driving mechanism operated by electromagnets. This means that
the number of fingers can be decreased to one-third of the number of fingers used
in the conventional knitting needle driving mechanism. Further, if the knitting needle
driving mechanism according to the present invention which has the same number of
fingers as the number of fingers of the conventional knitting needle driving mechanism
is used, it is possible to knit a jacquard cloth having a complicated pattern such
as a three time pattern, compared with a pattern knitted by using the conventional
knitting needle driving mechanism, and it is possible to use this knitting needle
driving mechanism with a knitting machine in which a product of the number of knitting
needles and a rotational speed of the knitting cylinder is three times that of the
conventional knitting machine.
[0019] Since the finger of the knitting needle driving mechanism according to the present
invention is constituted by a thin plate and the piezo-electric element, the height
necessary for arranging one finger in the driving mechanism becomes very small and,
further, the width of the driving mechanism also becomes very small. Therefore, when
the same number of fingers are used in the driving mechanism, the total volume of
the driving mechanism becomes very compact. As described hereinbefore, since the knitting
needle driving mechanism according to the present invention has a compact volume and
a high response speed, this driving mechanism can be also used in a circular knitting
machine for knitting panty-hose, in which space it is impossible to attach the conventional
knitting needle driving mechanism using the electromagnets with reference to a space
to be arranged with the latter driving mechanism.
[0020] Preferably the plate of the finger is of stainless steel and the guiding portion
of the finger is formed as a different member made of a hardened steel having a thicker
thickness than that of the plate. A rear end of the finger of the stainless steel
is held to the housing, and the guiding member made of the hardened steel is connected
to a front end of the plate. It is possible to adopt various methods for connecting
the guiding member to the end of the finger. For example, the guiding member may be
connected to the end of the finger by an adhesive, a rivet or the like. Further, it
may be possible to achieve the connection between them by providing a groove by which
a front end of the plate can be inserted at a rear end of the guiding member.
[0021] Since the guiding member usually impacts on the finger butt of the knitting needle
or the jack, abrasion of the guiding member is severe. Further it is necessary to
ensure the engagement between the guiding member and the finger butt. To counteract
the above, the guiding member should be made of hardened steel and have a thick thickness.
Preferably, the guiding member has a thickness of about 1 mm.
[0022] Preferably, the shape of the end of the finger near to the knitting needle is formed
as a hill shape or half hill shape in the plane parallel to the plate of the finger,
and it is preferable to make the engagement between the finger butt and the guiding
portion of finger along an inclined face of the finger so that the finger butt can
be smoothly pushed toward the needle bed of the knitting machine.
[0023] The controller connected to the piezo-electric elements is a device for memorizing
a pattern procedure and inputting a pulse to the plurality of piezo-electric elements
on the basis of the memorized pattern procedure, respectively. Since this device is
a familiar device in the art, a further detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.
[0024] Each guiding portion of the plurality of fingers is moved upward or downward on the
basis of a signal emitted from the controller to each piezo-electric element of the
corresponding finger.
[0025] A length of the amplitude of the upward and downward movement of the guiding portion
of the finger is deter mined in accordance with a height of the rising cam butt in
the direction parallel to the movement of the knitting needle. A length of from 1.5
mm to 2.0 mm is usually adopted as the length of amplitude of the upward and downward
movement of the guiding portion of the finger.
[0026] The finger butt of the knitting needle or the jack strikes on the guiding portion
of the finger supported by the rear end thereof from a lateral direction, i.e. the
direction substantially perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of the finger, and
in a plane including the finger. Therefore, if the finger butt can not move smoothly
toward the needle bed, due to a problem in the knitting needle or the jack, it could
be seriously damaged by the strong force pushing the finger in the lateral direction.
To solve this problem, preferably the housing includes a needle bed opposing member
elongated in a direction parallel to the sliding direction of the knitting kneedle
in the needle bed at a place adjacent to the guiding portion of a plurality of fingers.
The needle bed opposing member is provided with a pair of finger-guiding faces for
slidably supporting both side faces of the guiding portion of the finger through the
predetermined space in the direction perpendicular to a plane including the plate
of the finger, and at least one finger butt guiding face extending from the finger
guiding face in the direction parallel to the swinging direction of the finger and
in the direction away from the guiding portion of the finger. The finger butt guiding
face may be formed as a face parallel to the above-mentioned lateral direction, as
a face extending from the parallel face, e.g., going toward the needle bed, or as
a face extending from the parallel face, e.g., going away from the needle bed. Thus
when the finger butt of the knitting needle or the jack jumps out in the direction
away from the needle bed during a knitting operation, it is possible to push the finger
butt into a suitable position by means of the needle bed opposing member having the
finger guiding face and finger butt guiding face. Further, since the guiding portion
of the finger is supported in the lateral direction by the finger guiding face of
the needle bed opposing member, even if there is problem in pushing the finger butt
toward the needle bed, the finger is not damaged.
[0027] The power consumption efficiency of the knitting needle driving mechanism according
to the present invention is high, i.e., about 70%, and this value is one to several
tens higher than power consumption efficiency of the conventional knitting needle
driving mechanism using the electromagnet.
[0028] The following is a description of some specific embodiments of the inventuon, reference
being made to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a partially sectioned front elevation view of an embodiment of a knitting
needle driving mechanism according to the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a side view of the knitting needle driving mechanism illustrated in Fig.
1;
Fig. 3 is a plan view of a finger in the knitting needle driving mechanism illustrated
in Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the finger illustrated in Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a relationship of a position between the
finger and a needle bed opposing member;
Fig. 6 is a front elevation view of an operational state of the finger when a pulse
is not input to a piezo-electric element;
Fig. 7 is a front elevation view of an operational state of the finger when a pulse
is input to the piezo-electric element and the finger is bent;
Fig. 8 is a plan view of another embodiment of the finger according to the present
invention;
Fig. 9 is a front elevation view of the finger illustrated in Fig. 8;
Fig. 10 is a plan view of still other embodiment of the finger according to the present
invention;
Fig. 11 is a front elevation view of the finger illustrated in Fig. 10;
Fig. 12 is a perspective view of an example of a conventional known jacquard circular
knitting machine; and
Fig. 13 is a partial cross-sectional side view of a conventional known knitting needle
driving mechanism.
[0029] Before proceeding to the detailed description of the various specific embodiments
illustrated, it should be noted that although the knitting needle driving mechanism
of the embodiments is described in conjunction with a circular knitting machine, it
will be apparent that the knitting needle driving mechanism is equally applicable
to a flat knitting machine.
[0030] As illustrated in Fig. 1,the knitting needle driving mechanism 1 of the embodiment
is comprised of a plurality of fingers 10 and a housing 30 accommodating the fingers
10. In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1, eight fingers are superimposed in the
direction parallel to an axis of a knitting cylinder as well as a sliding direction
of the knitting needle in a state having spaces between each finger. The housing 30
has a rectangular shape constituted by a rear wall 31, front wall 32, an upper wall
33, and a lower wall 34. A rear end 12 (see Fig. 3) of each finger 10 is supported
in the rear wall 31 and the rear end 12, i.e, the attaching portion, serves as a fulcrum
of a bending motion of the finger 10.
[0031] As illustrated in Fig. 2, the front wall 32 is provided with an opening 30 through
which guiding elements 20 arranged on each end of each finger 10 can protrude, and
grooves 36 having a width corresponding to a rising distance and a descending distance
of the guiding element caused by the bending motions of the fingers, respectively,
and arranged on a vertical wall of the opening 30.
[0032] As illustrated in detail in Figs. 3 and 4, the finger 10 is comprised of a plate
of stainless steel SOS 301 and a thickness of 200 µ a guiding element 20 attached
to an end 13 opposite to the finger attaching portion 12 of the finger 10, and piezo-electric
elements 15 and 16 attached to an upper face and an under face of the plate 11. For
example, a length of the plate 11 is 40 mm and a width of a portion to which with
the piezo-electric elements are attached is 15 mm.
[0033] The guiding element 20 is made of a hardened steel having a thickness of 1 mm and
attached to the end 13 of the plate 11 by means of an adhesive. The guiding element
20 is provided with inclined faces 21a and 21b engaging with a finger butt of the
knitting needle or a finger butt of a jack engaging with a lower end of the knitting
needle, these faces having a shape such that a hill shape is formed by both inclined
faces 21a and 21b, and includes side faces 22a and 22b opposing the front walls 32
of the housing 30 as illustrated in Fig. 5.
[0034] The piezo-electric elements 15 and 16 are adhered to an upper face and an lower face
by means of an epoxy group adhesive, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. The piezo-electric
element is a ceramic plate produced by sintering a barium titanate, and having an
inverse piezo-electric effect and a thickness of 100µm. The piezo-electric element
has a rectangular shape and silver plated layers serving as electrical connections
with one end of the lead wires 17 and 18 are arranged on both surfaces thereof. The
other ends of the lead wires 17 and 18 are connected to a controller 4. It is possible
to use a lead wire connected to an upper face 15a of the piezo-electric element 15
and an under face 16a of the piezo-electric element 16, respectively. In this case,
the finger 11 may be served as an earth.
[0035] Although a plate having two piezo-electric elements 15 and 16 on both faces is illustrated
in Fig. 4, a plate having one piezo-electric element on one face thereof may be used
as illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11.
[0036] An opening 14 may be arranged in an area to which the piezo-electric element 15 and
16 of the plate 11 of the finger 10 are attached, as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9.
The shape, size and number of the openings 14 are optionally selected, and the attachment
between the piezo-electric element 15, and 16 and the plate 11 performed by the adhesive
is firmly obtained by the opening 14. The opening 14 serves also to make the weight
of plate lighter, and thus the plate 11 become more flexible.
[0037] Each plus electrode and each minus electrode of two piezo-electric element must be
arranged in the same direction when a piezo-electric element is arranged on the upper
face and the under face of the plate, respectively. For example, in Fig. 4, when the
piezo-electric element 15 is arranged on the plate 11 so that the upper face 15a
thereof is the plus electrode and the under face15 is the minus electrode, the piezo-electric
element 15 must be arranged on the plate 11 so that the upper face 16b is the plus
electrode and the under face 16a is the minus electrode.
[0038] The controller 4 is comprised of a memory memorizing a predetermined pattern knitting
plan and a device emitting pulses to plurality of piezo-electric elements on the basis
of the memorized pattern knitting plan.
[0039] Preferably a needle bed opposing member 37 extending at a place adjacent to the guiding
elements 20 of the fingers 11 in a sliding direction of the knitting needle is provided
to protect the fingers and to make smooth engagement between the guiding element 20
of the finger 11 and the finger butt of the knitting needle or the jack smooth, as
illustrated in Fig. 5. This needle bed opposing member 37 may be provided as a vertical
member of the front wall 32 of the housing 30, and includes a finger guiding face
36 and a finger butt guiding face 37. The finger guide face 36 is arranged such that
the face 36 opposes, through a small gap, a side face of the guiding element 20, so
that the guiding element 20 can slide against the finger guide face 36. The finger
butt guiding face 37 serves to previously push the finger butt protruding largely
in the direction away from the knitting cylinder into a normal position. Note, the
above needle bed opposing member is not an indispensable member in the knitting needle
driving mechanism according to the present invention.
[0040] The knitting needle driving mechanism according to the present invention can be manufactured
in a small size. For example, the knitting needle driving mechanism of the embodiment
illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 has a height of 55 mm, a width of 30 mm, and a length,
i.e., the lengthwise distance of the finger, of 50 mm. But a conventional known knitting
needle driving mechanism having the same number of fingers as that of the knitting
needle driving mechanism of the present invention, i.e., eight fingers, and operated
by electromagnets, has a height of 80 mm, a width of 45 mm, and a length of 100 mm.
That is the knitting needle driving mechanism of the present invention can be made
to have a volume of about 25% compared with a volume of the conventional known knitting
needle driving mechanism.
[0041] The operation of the knitting needle driving mechanism of the embodiment will be
now described with reference to Figs. 6 and 7.
[0042] Figure 6 shows a state wherein a pulse is not input to the piezo-electric element
of the finger 11, and Fig. 6 shows a state wherein a pulse is input to the piezo-electric
element. In the state illustrated in Fig. 6, the finger butt 56 of the jack 51 engages
with the guiding element 20 to push the jack 51 to the right, so that a rising cam
butt 53 arranged on a lower end of the jack 51 cannot engage with a rising cam 54,
and the jack 51 and a knitting needle engaging with an upper end of the jack 51 are
not subjected to a rising movement. Therefore a knitting loop is not formed in this
knitting needle.
[0043] In the state illustrated in Fig. 7, since the guiding element 20 of the finger 10
has not entered a moving path of the finger butt 56, the jack 51 is kept in the vertical
position, so that the rising cam butt 53 engages with the rising cam 54 to push the
jack 51 upward. Thus the knitting operation is applied to a knitting needle engaging
with the upper end of the jack 51.
1. A knitting needle driving mechanism of a knitting machine capable of knitting a
predetermined pattern by causing or removing engagement between rising cams for applying
a sliding movement to a plurality of knitting needles arranged on a needle bed of
the knitting machine and rising cam butts of the knitting needles or rising cam butts
of jacks engaging with lower ends of the knitting needles on the basis of signals
for a predetermined knitting plan emitted from a controller of a knitting machine
main body: characterized in that
said knitting needle driving mechanism is comprised of a housing, and a plurality
of fingers supported in the housing by rear ends thereof and arranged substantially
superimposed at intervals along a sliding direction of the knitting needles;
each of said plurality of fingers is comprised of a plate having one end provided
with an attaching portion to be attached to the housing and another end provided with
a guiding portion for guiding a finger butt of the knitting needle or a finger butt
of the jack, and piezo-electric element(s) attached to a face or both faces of the
plate and connected to the controller by means of lead wires;
said fingers being bent in an upward direction and a downward direction or in both
directions, about a fulcrum which is formed by the attaching portion of the finger
to cause or remove engagement between the guiding portion of a front end of the finger
and the finger butt of the knitting needle or the finger butt of the jack, when a
pulse is input from the controller to the piezo-electric element in accordance with
the procedure corresponding to the predetermined pattern, thereby the formation or
the release of engagement between the rising cam and the rising cam butt of the knitting
needle or the rising cam butt of the jack is caused by the formation or the release
of engagement between the guiding portion of the finger and the finger butt of the
knitting needle or the finger butt of the jack, and the sliding movement of the knitting
needle is thus defined.
2. A knitting needle driving mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that
said knitting machine is a circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder rotating
against a frame of the knitting machine and at least one knitting needle driving mechanism
arranged on the frame, and the knitting needle driving mechanism being constituted
such that the guiding portion of the finger advanced into or removes from a moving
locus of the finger butt of the knitting needle or the finger butt of the jack engaging
with a lower end of the knitting needle by the swing motion of the finger before the
corresponding knitting needle moves in front of the knitting needle driving mechanism.
3. A knitting needle driving mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that
said knitting machine is a flat knitting machine having a needle bed fixed to a frame
of the knitting machine and at least one knitting needle driving mechanism capable
of sliding along the needle bed, and the knitting needle driving mechanism being constituted
such that the guiding portion of the finger previously advances toward or retreats
from a position where the guiding portion of the finger engages with the finger butt
of the knitting needle or the finger butt of the jack engaging with a lower end of
the knitting needle by the swinging motion of the finger before the knitting needle
driving mechanism slides in front of the corresponding knitting needle.
4. A knitting needle driving mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized
in that said housing includes a needle bed opposing member extending at a place adjacent
to the guiding portions of the fingers in the direction parallel to the sliding direction
of the knitting needle, and said needle bed opposing member is provided with a pair
of finger guiding faces for slidably supporting both side faces of the guiding portion
of the finger in the swinging direction of the finger and at least one finger butt
guiding face extending from the finger guiding face in the direction parallel to the
swinging direction of the finger and in the direction away from the guiding portion
of the finger.
5. A knitting needle driving mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized
in that at least one opening is arranged on a portion of the plate of the finger which
is provided with the piezo-electric element.
6. A knitting needle driving mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, or claim
5, characterized in that the plate of the finger is made of a stainless steel and
the guiding portion is formed as a different member made of a hardened steel having
a thicker thickness than that of the plate and attached to the front end of the plate.