Yarn changing apparatus for circular knitting machine

A yarn changing apparatus for a multi-feed circular knitting machine having a plurality of individual yarn feed fingers arranged adjacent to each other and selectively moveable to an operative position wherein yarn feeding to a needle is performed and a nonoperative position wherein yarn feeding is terminated and comprising

• (a) lever arm means being operatively connected to said yarn feeding fingers,
• (b) vertically moveable sliders operatively connected to said lever arm means and slidable between raised and lowered positions to move said lever arm means and yarn feeding fingers connected thereto so as to place said yarn feeding fingers in operative and nonoperative positions,
• (c) vertically moveable rocking jacks pivotally connected to said sliders, each rocking jack having respective upper and lower selection butts, guide butts and cancelling butts,
• (d) remotely programmed selection unit means being rotatable synchronously with the needle cylinder around the axis of the knitting machine and being operative with said rocking jacks for aiding in moving said lever arm means and said connected yard feeding fingers between operative and nonoperative positions, said selection unit means including selection means engageable with respective selection butts for pivoting said rocking jacks, and upper and lower electromagnetic block units positioned adjacent said selection means and each being individually and selectively energizable by instructions generated from an information program, said upper electromagnetic block unit being operable for moving said selection means into engagement with upper selection butts for pivotably moving said rocking jack lower end inward, said lower electromagnetic block unit being operable for moving said selection means into engagement with lower selection butts for pivotably moving said rocking jack upper end inward,
• (e) raising cam means engageable with said lower cancelling butts when said lower end is pivoted inward for raising said rocking jack, and
• (f) lowering cam means engageable with said upper cancelling butts when said upper end is pivoted inward for lowering said rocking jack,
• wherein selective controlled movement of said selection means by selective energization of said upper and lower electromagnetic block units provides selective pivotable movement of said rocking jacks to pivotably move said cancelling butts into engagement with either said raising or lowering cam means so as to move said yarn feeding fingers into either operative or nonoperative positions.