# US 7,607,324 B2 · Jacquard device to selectively shift thread guides in a textile machine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,607,324 B2 - Document ID: US7607324B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/256,077 - Filed: 2008-10-22 - Published: 2009-04-30 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2007-10-24 - Assignees: Santoni S.P.A. - Inventors: Tiberio Lonati - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7607324B2 ## CPC - D04B 27/32: with independently-movable thread guides controlled by Jacquard mechanisms - D04B 27/02: Warp-thread guides - D04B 27/24: Thread guide bar assemblies - D04B: KNITTING ## Abstract A jacquard device (1) for selectively shifting thread-guides (2) in a knitting machine, comprising at least one supporting element (3) provided with a plurality of housing seats (4) for a plurality of thread-guides (2), a plurality of thread-guides (2) mounted onto the supporting element (3) and having at least one thread-guide portion (2b) selectively moving at least between a first and a second operating position and apt to guide a thread (7), at least one actuating element (12) for each thread-guide (2) for shifting the thread-guide portions (2b) of the thread-guides (2) between the first operating position and the second operating position, and at least one electropneumatic actuating device (15) operatively connected to the actuating element (12) for shifting the thread-guide portion (2b) of the thread-guides (2). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A jacquard device (1) for selectively shifting thread-guides (2) in a knitting machine, comprising: at least one supporting element (3) provided with a plurality of housing seats (4) for a plurality of thread-guides (2), said supporting element (3) being a thread-guide bar of jacquard type for a warp linear knitting machine and being moving with respect to at least one bed (5) of needles (6) for selectively feeding the needles (6) of said bed (5) with a thread (7), a plurality of thread-guides (2) having each at least one mounting seat (2a) where they are fixedly mounted onto said supporting element (3), and at least one thread-guide portion (2b) selectively moving at least between a first and a second operating position and apt to guide said thread (7); at least one actuating element (12) operatively acting upon at least one of said thread-guides (2) for shifting said thread-guide portion (2b) of said thread-guide (2) between said first operating position and at least said second operating position; characterized in that it further comprises: at least one electropneumatic actuating device (15) operatively connected to said actuating element (12) for shifting said actuating element (12) and thus said thread-guide portion (2b) of said thread-guide (2) between said first and said second operating position. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said electropneumatic actuating device (15) comprises at least one pneumatic device (16) having a moving element (17) connected to said actuating element (12), which can be selectively shifted between a forward and a backward position, further comprising at least one electropneumatic valve (23) operatively connected to said pneumatic device (16) for selectively shifting said moving element (17) supplying said pneumatic device (16) with compressed air. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that said pneumatic device (16) comprises a housing body (18) containing at least one sliding seat (19) which houses in a movable way said moving element (17). ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that said housing body (18) is provided on said sliding seat (19) with at least one main opening (20) apt to enable the passage of said moving element (17) or the connection of said moving element (17) to said actuating element (12). ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The device (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that said housing body (18) is equipped on said sliding seat (19) with at least one air opening (21) and with at least one second air opening (22), said first opening (21) being apt to enable the introduction of compressed air (P) into a first portion (19a) of said sliding seat (19) so as to push said moving element (17) to said forward position, and said second opening (22) being apt to enable the introduction of compressed air (Pa) into a second portion (19b) of said sliding seat (19) so as to push said moving element (17) to said backward position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The device (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that said moving element (17) is provided with at least one pushing portion (17a) on said second portion (19b) of said sliding seat (19) so as to enable compressed air (Pa) getting in from said second opening (22) to push the moving element (17) to said backward position. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that said housing body (18) is equipped with a plurality of sliding seats (19) for housing a plurality of moving elements (17). ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that it further comprises a main pneumatic supply system (28a) apt to supply at least said electropneumatic valve (23) with inlet compressed air, said electropneumatic valve (23) being equipped with at least one valve body (24) for air communicating with the outside by way of an air inlet opening (25) operatively connected to said main pneumatic supply system (28), an air outlet opening (16) operatively connected to said pneumatic device (16) on said first opening (21), and a third air exhaust opening (27). ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The device (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that it further comprises a counter-pressure pneumatic supply system (28b) operatively connected to said pneumatic device (16) on said second opening (22) so as to enable the introduction of compressed air (Pa) into said second portions (19b) of said seat (19) and to push said moving element (17) to said backward position when said electropneumatic valve (23) is able to evacuate air, said counter-pressure pneumatic supply system (28a) further comprising a pressure reducer (29) operatively arranged upstream from said second opening (22) of said pneumatic device (16). ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises at least one control device (47) operatively connected to at least one of said electropneumatic valves (23) so as to control the movement of said thread-guide portion (2b) of said thread-guide (2) in accordance with a pre-established working jacquard program. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that it further comprises an engagement element (11) associated to an actuating portion (2c) of said thread-guide (2), and in that said actuating element (12) is provided with a cam-shaped element (13) cooperating with said engagement element (11) so as to convert the movement of said actuating element (12) into a predefined movement of said actuating portion of said thread-guide (2) and thus of said thread-guide portion (2b) of said thread-guide (2). ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of said actuating elements (12) each associated to a corresponding plurality of said thread-guides (2)and a plurality of said electropneumatic actuating devices (15) each operatively connected to one of said actuating elements (12). ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The device (1) according to claim 12, characterized in that said plurality of said actuating elements (12) is arranged spaced apart on at least two rows at different heights, so that the actuating devices (12) connected to adjacent thread-guides (2) are arranged on different rows. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The device (1) according to claim 13, characterized in that said plurality of moving elements (17) of said pneumatic devices (16) is arranged spaced apart on at least two rows at different heights, so that the moving elements (17) connected to adjacent thread-guides by way of suitable actuating devices (12) are arranged on different rows. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that each housing seat (4) of the supporting element (3) is provided with side end-of-stroke portions (10) apt to determine said first and said second operating position of the thread-guide portion (2b) of the thread-guide (2), and in that it further comprises at least one covering element (30) apt to cover at least one portion of said housing seats (4) of the supporting element (3) so as to support said thread (7) and prevent the latter from getting into the housing seats (4) and interfering with the movement of the thread-guide portions (2b) of the thread-guides (2). ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The device (1) according to claim 15, characterized in that said covering element (30) is mounted on said supporting element (3) close to said side end-of-stroke portions (10) so as to cover a plurality of housing seats (4) of said thread-guides (2). ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The device (1) according to claim 15, characterized in that said covering element (30) is fitted onto corresponding engagement seats (31) made on said supporting element (3). ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The device (1) according to claim 15, characterized in that it further comprises an additional supporting element (32) for the thread (7), arranged upstream from said covering element (30) with respect to a feeding path of said thread (7). ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least one air pipe (33), at least one air passage duct (34) obtained in a body (35) and provided with an inlet seat (36), at least one connecting element (37) hollow inside and provided with two ends (37a, 37b) having an outer surface that is at least partially conical and apt to connect said air pipe (33) to said passage duct (34), and at least one seal (38) apt to be inserted into said air inlet seat (36) and having an inner surface that is at least partially conical and apt to fit into a first one (37a) of said ends of said connecting element (37). ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The device (1) according to claim 19, characterized in that it further comprises a first fastening element (39) apt to keep in position said first end (37a) of said connecting element (37) inside said inlet seat (36) of said air passage duct (34). ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The device (1) according to claim 19, characterized in that it further comprises a second fastening element (40) apt to keep in position said second end (37b) of said connecting element (37) inside said air pipe (33). ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The device (1) according to claim 21, characterized in that said first fastening element (39) is a plate provided with a plurality of openings (41) apt to house and to fasten to said body (35) a plurality of said connecting elements (37), and in that said second fastening element (40) is a second plate provided with a plurality of openings (42) apt to keep in position said plurality of connecting elements (37) inside a corresponding plurality of said air pipes (33), said second fastening element (40) being associated to said first fastening element (39) so as to make it integral with said body (35) by means of at least one sealing element (44). ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) A warp linear textile machine, characterized in that it comprises at least one jacquard device (1) for selectively shifting thread-guides (2) in accordance with claim 1. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The machine according to claim 23, characterized in that it comprises at least one bed (5) of needles (6) and at least two of said devices (1) on each needle bed (5, 5a). ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The machine according to claim 23, characterized in that it further comprises a control device operatively connected to said control device of said jacquard device (1). ### Claim 26 A method for selectively shifting thread-guides in a textile machine, comprising at least the following steps: supplying a plurality of electropneumatic actuating devices (15) with pressurized air; providing said plurality of electropneumatic actuating devices (15) with a jacquard movement program; selectively shifting by way of said electropneumatic actuating devices (15) supplied with pressurized air a plurality of actuating elements (12) in accordance with said jacquard movement program; and shifting by way of said plurality of actuating elements (12) a corresponding plurality of thread-guide portions (2b) of thread-guides (2), mounted in dedicated housing seats (4) obtained on a supporting element (3), at least between a first and a second operating position. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The method according to claim 26, characterized in that it further comprises the following steps: supplying with said compressed air a plurality of electropneumatic valves (23) being part of said electropneumatic actuating devices (15) and a plurality of pneumatic devices (16) each having at least one moving element (17) connected to one of said actuating elements (12); controlling by means of said jacquard movement program the operating of said plurality of electropneumatic valves (23); and selectively shifting, by adjusting compressed air supplied by said electropneumatic valves (23), said actuating elements (12) between a forward and a backward position, in accordance with said jacquard movement program.