Knitting Patents (Class 700/141)
  • Patent number: 7272462
    Abstract: A method for creating pattern instructions for an electronic patterning control of a knitting machine to enable the knitting machine to knit fabric having a desired pictorial image as part of the knitted structure, the pictorial image being created by a series of consecutive courses each having knitted stitches formed of a first yarn having a first visual characteristic interspersed with knitted stitches formed of a second yarn having a second visual characteristic, adjacent knitted stitches of the second yarn that are separated by one or more knitted stitches of the first yarn being connected by a float loop spanning said one or more knitted stitches of the first yarn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: HBI Branded Apparel Enterprises, LLC
    Inventors: John Smedley, Andrew Ratcliffe
  • Patent number: 7218988
    Abstract: A carriage which completes one course of knitting to the knitting end of a fabric is stopped. Knitting in a next course is performed when the carriage reverses its moving direction and re-starts its movement. Since the knitting yarn is not knitted to the fabric until a carrier brought by the carriage reaches a position of a knitting needle holding the stitch of the fabric at the knitting end, the knitting yarn existing in a feeding path between a yarn feeding mechanism and the carrier is excessively increased and a slack is generated. Since a distance between a yarn feeding port formed at a carrier's frontal end and the knitting needle at the fabric-knitting end is also reduced, the knitting yarn is further increased excessively. The further-excessively-increased knitting yarn is taken in by a yarn feeding means by reversing a servomotor, and further pulled in by a rewinding arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Shima Seiki Manufacturing Limited
    Inventors: Toshiaki Morita, Hirokazu Nishitani, Masanori Inumaki
  • Patent number: 7212881
    Abstract: Both sleeves and front and back bodies are joined using gores such that the gores between the front body and both front sleeves become larger than the gores between the back body and both back sleeves. The knitted fabric is rotated such that, for example, the border between the front side and the backside of the left sleeve is positioned between front and back needle beds. In this state, the left sleeve is joined to the front body. The knitted fabric is rotated again such that the border between the front side and the backside of the right sleeve is positioned between the front and back needle beds for joining the right sleeve to the front body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Shima Seiki Manufacturing, Ltd.
    Inventor: Okamoto Kazuyoshi
  • Patent number: 7203566
    Abstract: A gore as a portion of a continuous elongated knitted fabric in a wale direction like a flared skirt is used. A knitted fabric formed by connecting a plurality of the gores in a course direction is designed. At the time of designing a pattern spread over a plurality of gores, the pattern is designed on the outer shape image as a composite image of the gores, and the design is divided into gores. At the time of assigning the pattern to the gores, it is checked whether any narrowing course is present in the pattern. If any narrowing course is present, on the upper side of the narrowing course, the left and right borders of the pattern are shifted toward the center of the knitted fabric, by the amount corresponding to the number of narrowing stitches from the center of the knitted fabric or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Shima Seiki Manufacturing, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Terai, Kenji Nishida
  • Patent number: 7197371
    Abstract: When a target area 4 is designated at an end of a knitted fabric or the like, by sliding the target area 4, the target area 4 is deformed into a target area 5. The design of the knitted fabric is inputted to the target area 5. After the design, the target area 5 is returned to the original position to create a target area 6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Shima Seiki Manufacturing, Ltd.
    Inventors: Terai Koichi, Nishida Kenji
  • Patent number: 7181309
    Abstract: A body and both sleeves are knitted into cylindrical shapes, respectively, up to the underarm positions. Then, sleeve caps for both sleeves are knitted by flechage knitting such that the front sleeve caps become narrower than the back sleeve caps. Both sleeves are connected to the body using gores. The gores between the front body and both front sleeves are larger than the gores between the back body and both back sleeves. Then, the front body and the back body are knitted such that the knitting width of the front body becomes smaller than the knitting width of the back body. The front body and the back body are joined to both sleeves, and upper ends of the front body and the back body are joined together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Shima Seiki Manufacturing, Ltd.
    Inventor: Okamoto Kazuyoshi
  • Patent number: 7127321
    Abstract: Shapes of a front and a rear part of a tubular knit fabric are displayed on a monitor, and the input of a pattern across the front and rear knit fabrics is received. When a user appoint on the monitor a start point of the pattern on the knit fabric, the pattern is extended in the direction going around the front and rear knit fabrics such that the pattern is substantially continued from the start point of the pattern across both front and rear knit fabrics and on edges between the front and rear knit fabrics. The pattern extended is displayed on the monitor, laid over the shapes of the front and rear knit fabrics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Shima Seiki Manufacturing, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nishida Kenji, Terai Koichi
  • Patent number: 7113844
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to control the yarn length as appropriate in a tubular knitted fabric including a drop loop, regardless of the presence of crossover. For front and back needle beds, ones of those indicated by capitals ABC . . . among odd-numbered or even-numbered ones are allocated to a front portion thereof and the other portions indicated by lower cases abc . . . are allocated to a back portion thereof. At knitting needles ABC . . . which actually form stitch loops perform knitting operation, and knitting needles abc . . . between the knitting needles ABC perform hooking operation. A hung stitch is shook off, and the knitting yarn used for the hanging is absorbed in stitch loops at the knitting needles ABC . . . at both ends as shown in dotted lines. As shown in (b) by solid lines, the loop lengths of back stitches are shortened and the lengths of the knitting yarn at crossing portions are absorbed by the stitch loops of the back stitches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Assignee: Shima Seiki Manufacturing Limited
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Komura
  • Patent number: 7043329
    Abstract: There is disclosed a method for making a pressure garment, comprising the steps of: defining 3D shape and pressure profile characteristics of a garment; specifying a knitting pattern for the garment; calculating yarn feed data for the knitting pattern to produce the defined shape and pressure profile characteristics; and, knitting the garment according to the knitting pattern and the yarn feed data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: The University of Manchester
    Inventors: Tilak Dias, William Cooke, Anura Fernando, Dimuth Jayawarna, Najmal Hassan Chaudhury
  • Patent number: 6999837
    Abstract: A device for controlling and monitoring a yarn processing system, which comprises an electronic main control unit and at least one yarn feeding unit, and inside of which a serial communications field bus system is provided with at least one field bus for carrying out communication. At least one bi-directional event line is provided outside the field bus system in order to transmit a time critical and/or time-specific, digital and anonymous event signal for carrying out and/or confirming events. For at least one communication participant connected to the field bus system, an event specific characteristic feature of respective event signal can be defined by the software side configuration inside the field bus system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Iropa AG
    Inventors: Thomas Rundberg, Niklas Wahlgren, Lars Helge Gottfrid Tholander, Paer Josefsson
  • Patent number: 6944520
    Abstract: A communication system and a method for data exchange between machine controllers, in particular machine controllers of knitting machines, are described. The communication system and method use for communication a standard e-mail application protocol, so that any form of e-mail can be automatically transmitted by a mail client from one machine to another machine. This is particularly advantageous when one machine fails and the order processed by that machine must be forwarded by e-mail to another machine for further processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Hans-Joachim Stüwe
  • Patent number: 6931299
    Abstract: A micro-control apparatus for circular knitting machines that operates through the request of a host end including an input unit to provide operating functions, a processing unit to command input, output and communication, a communication unit to provide a communication interface and a control unit to control circular knitting machine operations. The processing unit integrates the functions of the input unit, communication unit and control unit to form the microcontroller. The processing unit thus designed can improve the overall speed and response time of circular knitting machines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Pai Lung Machinery Mill Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ping-Shih Wang
  • Patent number: 6880367
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to display an image giving a feeling close to the feeling of a knitted fabric actually knitted with a knitting yarn. Linear knitting yarn image data 1 is divided into a plurality of meshes 2. The mesh 2 is made to match a transformed mesh 3 transformed along the shape of a knitting stitch loop 4. The knitting yarn image data 1 is subjected to an image drawing processing by a mesh transforming technique to create the image of the knitting stitch loop 4. A lower section 4a and an upper section 4b are defined in a portion where the knitting stitch loops 4 are overlapped, the portion where the knitting stitch loops are overlapped is synthesized as a knitted fabric 6, and displayed. Fluffiness or the like is also reproduced, and consequently the feeling like that of an actual knitted fabric can be given.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Shima Seiki Manufacturing Limited
    Inventor: Noriyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6845284
    Abstract: A method and system for designing circularly knitted garments are provided. The method includes designing a model of the circularly knitted garment, stretching the model from a first size to a second size, and governing the stretching with one or more user definable rules. The system includes a circular knitting machine, a controller for controlling the circular knitting machine with a machine code, a tool for saving a model of the circularly knitted garment as a first output, and a conversion program for converting the first output into the machine code. The tool has a stretching function for changing a size of the first output using one or more user selected rules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: Sara Lee Corporation
    Inventors: Geoffrey Bingham, David Bruner, Jeffery Hurley
  • Patent number: 6845285
    Abstract: A knitting support system of the invention includes knitting machine adjusting data storing means (28) for storing the knitting machine adjusting data for many fabrics; search information storing means (22) in which various kinds of parameters of the fabrics are stored as search information for searching fabrics similar to that of a knitted product to be knitted from among the stored knitting machine adjusting data; searching means (24) for inputting parameters of the knitted product to be knitted as searching conditions and searching similar fabrics from among the search information stored in the search information storing means (22) in accordance with the inputted searching conditions; and output means (30) for reading and outputting the knitting machine adjusting data for the fabrics corresponding to the searched result of the searching means (24) from the knitting machine adjusting data storing means (28).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: Shima Seiko Manufacturing Limited
    Inventors: Sadatoshi Kakimoto, Gakuyuki Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20040176869
    Abstract: A method and system for designing circularly knitted garments are provided. The method includes designing a model of the circularly knitted garment, stretching the model from a first size to a second size, and governing the stretching with one or more user definable rules. The system includes a circular knitting machine, a controller for controlling the circular knitting machine with a machine code, a tool for saving a model of the circularly knitted garment as a first output, and a conversion program for converting the first output into the machine code. The tool has a stretching function for changing a size of the first output using one or more user selected rules.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2003
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Applicant: Sara Lee Corporation
    Inventors: Geoff Bingham, David Bruner, Jeffery Hurley
  • Patent number: 6688144
    Abstract: A knit design system comprising grading line directing device (24) for directing grading lines (48, 90) at locations of size changes with respect to a design (34, 86) displayed on a monitor (8); grading line setting device (28) for setting information on design modification (34, 86) with respect to the grading lines (48, 90); operating device (26) for making size changes of the design (34, 86) with reference to the grading line (48, 90) directed by the grading line directing device (24) and the modification data set by the grading line setting device (28).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Shima Seiki Mfg., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumihiro Nishikawa, Hiroyuki Okazaki, Akira Ueno
  • Publication number: 20040006406
    Abstract: A knitting support system of the invention includes knitting machine adjusting data storing means (28) for storing the knitting machine adjusting data for many fabrics; search information storing means (22) in which various kinds of parameters of the fabrics are stored as search information for searching fabrics similar to that of a knitted product to be knitted from among the stored knitting machine adjusting data; searching means (24) for inputting parameters of the knitted product to be knitted as searching conditions and searching similar fabrics from among the search information stored in the search information storing means (22) in accordance with the inputted searching conditions; and output means (30) for reading and outputting the knitting machine adjusting data for the fabrics corresponding to the searched result of the searching means (24) from the knitting machine adjusting data storing means (28).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2003
    Publication date: January 8, 2004
    Inventor: Sadatoshi Kakimoto
  • Patent number: 6668740
    Abstract: A method for linking plain knitted fabrics includes the steps of fixing a first plain knitted fabric in a stretched state, obtaining an image including an image of a darning stitch, calculating a location of the darning stitch, repeating the above steps with a second plain knitted fabric, calculating a location of the darning stitch of the second plain knitted fabric from the obtained image, moving the first plain knitted fabric and the second plain knitted fabric relative to each other to align the darning stitches of the first and second plain knitted fabrics, moving a sewing machine needle of a sewing machine to the location of the darning stitch of the first plain knitted fabric, and linking together the darning stitches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Dan Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sadao Kawamura, Akira Isii, Takahiro Wada, Naomasa Ochi, Kimio Takeda
  • Patent number: 6665578
    Abstract: A linking method including the steps of opposing knitted fabrics to be linked to each other, stretching the opposed knitted fabrics in a course direction, stretching the opposed knitted fabrics in a wale direction, picking up an image of linking loops of each of the stretched knitted fabrics, detecting the positions of the linking loops based on a multiple gray-scale image, inserting a point needle through each of the linking loops, sewing a linking loop in the vicinity of an edge of each of the knitted fabrics, and linking together the linking loops other than the sewn linking loop by using the point needle; and an apparatus for linking knitted fabrics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Dan Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naomasa Ochi, Ryosuke Mori, Takahiro Wada
  • Patent number: 6658898
    Abstract: At least three bind-off courses are formed starting at not less than three loops, i.e., loops of the first and second knitted fabrics at side ends thereof on the side on which the knitting of a tubular fabric is finished in the region of the binding-off process, and a loop adjoining to the loop of at least either of the first and second knitted fabrics at the side end. The loop of the bind-off course formed is laid over the loop of the last course of the opposite knitted fabric in such a manner that while being formed, the respective bind-off courses can be allowed to extend in zigzag from the first knitted fabric to the second knitted fabric and vice versa, ranging over the region of the binding-off process, to be crossed with each other. As a result of this knitting, no undesirable gap is produced between the joined knitted fabrics and also an undesirable stretch of the fabric at the joints is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Shima Seiki Mfg., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuyoshi Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20030191552
    Abstract: A knit design system comprising grading line directing means (24) for directing grading lines (48, 90) at locations of size changes with respect to a design (34, 86) displayed on a monitor (8); grading line setting means (28) for setting information on design modification (34, 86) with respect to the grading lines (48, 90); operating means (26) for making size changes of the design (34, 86) with reference to the grading line (48, 90) directed by the grading line directing means (24) and the modification data set by the grading line setting means (28).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2003
    Publication date: October 9, 2003
    Inventors: Fumihiro Nishikawa, Hiroyuki Okazaki, Akira Ueno
  • Patent number: 6611730
    Abstract: A device for designing knit products to be manufactured on a knitting machine includes at least one storage device for storing data required for the production of the knit products on the knitting machine; at least one display device for displaying design images for the knit products; and at least one input device for altering the design images. Data to be exchanged between the storage, input and display devices is processed to generate at least one knit image presentation and at least one corresponding thread course presentation for display as the design images on the display device, and one of the presentations is simultaneously correspondingly altered as the other is being altered by using the input device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Assignee: H. Stoll GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Thomas Stoll, Juergen Hermann, Helmut Bruendl, Horst Fries, Hermann Weiss, Michael Haug, Karsten Stello, Gerhard Ertl
  • Patent number: 6397121
    Abstract: There are provided a process and an apparatus for detecting loop stitches of a tubular knitted fabric and an apparatus for linking the tubular knitted fabric, which can automatically detect each of loop stitches formed in the tubular knitted fabric. According to the process for detecting the loop stitches, the tubular knitted fabric is extended by inserting a penetration element through the interior of the fabric having the loop stitches, and a multi-gradation image including an image of the loop stitches of the tubular knitted fabric extended by the penetration element is picked up. The locations of the loop stitches are detected by processing the multi-gradation image. The apparatus for detecting the loop stitches includes the penetration element, an image pickup device for picking up the multi-gradation image, and a loop stitch detecting section for detecting the locations of the loop stitches by processing the multi-gradation image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: Dan Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sadao Kawamura, Akira Ishii, Takahiro Wada, Takuya Fukitsuke, Yushi Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 6338002
    Abstract: An Internet inline control apparatus for knitting machines includes a producer computer processor, a user computer processor linked to the producer computer processor, an intelligent communication unit linked to the user computer processor, a human machine interface linked to the intelligent communication unit, a control unit linked to the intelligent communication unit and a peripheral device linked to the control unit. Through the apparatus, the knitting machine producer is able to monitor and directly adjust knitting machines installed at remotely located user sites through the Internet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2002
    Assignee: Pai Lung Machinery Mill Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chi-Ming Kuo
  • Patent number: 6301519
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for controlling and monitoring the cutting function of a thread cutter driven by an electric motor in looms. The monitoring of the cutting function is effected by monitoring the rotation of the motor shaft of the cutter drive. To accomplish this, a magnetic pick-up and a permanent magnet are used which are supported at relatively movable parts of the cutter drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2001
    Assignee: Dornier Gesellschaft mbH
    Inventor: Kurt Motz
  • Patent number: 6269282
    Abstract: An electronic control apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention includes serial-parallel converters, a serial data bus, an electronic processing unit, and assignment mechanisms. Each of the serial-parallel converters is connected to at least one group of mechanical actuation elements of a textile machine. Further, the plurality of serial-parallel converters is connected sequentially to the serial data bus. The electronic processing unit forms pattern data blocks from textile pattern data and transmits the pattern data blocks to the serial-parallel converters. The pattern data blocks are output in transmission cycles, by the assignment mechanisms, to mechanical actuation elements in the groups of mechanical actuation elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Wilhelm Burger, Hans-Joachim Stuewe
  • Patent number: 6233979
    Abstract: A circular knitting machine is described whose components can be adjusted to meet an order with the aid of adjustment data sets stored in a data memory and which relate to a predetermined knitting structure, yarn type, yarn thickness and quality of the knitwear to be produced and preferably arise from knitting processes already carried out on the circular knitting machine. A basic adjustment is preferably first effected on the basis of the adjustment data and can be followed by a fine adjustment with a central adjusting device for the loop size, until the desired quality is attained. (FIG. 1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: Sipra Patententwicklungs- und Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH
    Inventor: Ernst-Dieter Plath
  • Patent number: 6182477
    Abstract: An electronic pattern circular knitting machine and method are provided in which a first encoder is operatively associated with the needle cylinder with which it rotates synchronously and generates a pulse signal for each knitting needle and transmits that signal to a central controller for the knitting machine, in which is stored a datum position for the first encoder, for comparison with pre-stored pattern data to calculate the position of each knitting needle; in which a second encoder is operatively associated with a dial and its cam system, the movement of which changes the knitting timing, for generation and transmission of a position signal to the central controller for comparison with a stored corresponding position to the datum position of the first encoder and a determination of whether the knitting timing has been changed and if so, to adjust automatically the needle selection timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignee: Precision Fukuhara Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Shibata, Yoshihiro Aramaki
  • Patent number: 6185475
    Abstract: The method for manufacturing jacquard with colored image is disclosed, wherein the basic color printing theory in the printing technical is employed in the weaving of jacquard so that jacquard also has image with different gray levels by the same basic colors. Meanwhile, because of the increase number of the gray levels and the range, jacquard having the effect of colored photograph may be manufactured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignee: Sumagh Textile Company Limited
    Inventor: Jih-Lung Chung
  • Patent number: 6119050
    Abstract: A computer aided designing (CAD) apparatus for generating knitting commands accessible by knitting machines having built-in computers. The knitting commands include forming, transferring and overlapping stitches. The commands are stored on a computer retrievable memory such as a computer disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: Shima Seiki Manufacturing, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masao Okuno, Michael Caird