Knitting technology, Third Edition

23.8
The electronic guide bar control system
Both pattern wheels and chain links are ground to suit the pattern requirements of
a specific fabric. When a new pattern is required, it is necessary to assemble a new
pattern chain and prepare a new set of pattern wheels.
To overcome this problem, the 
Karl Mayer
EL system uses a separate linear
motor to directly shog each guide bar. The sensitive shogging movement is built-up
in 1/100 mm increments by the patterning computer. Mechanical movement, and
therefore inertia, is reduced, resulting in 30 per cent higher production speeds com-
pared to those with profiled chain links. Direct drive of the guide bar by linear drive
enables a 12 needle shog in E 28 gauge to be obtained, and the length of the pattern
repeat no longer limits the machine speed.
23.9
The development of lapping diagrams and chain notations
Lapping diagrams are drawn around horizontal rows of points that represent
needles in plan view, usually assuming the pattern mechanism to be on the right. As
the guides position themselves in the spaces between needles, the positions between
the vertical columns of points can be given chain link numbers commencing with
the ‘0’ position, which is to the right of the right-hand column of points.
Provided the direction and extent of the overlaps are correctly indicated in the
lapping diagram and chain notation, the underlaps will always be correctly posi-
tioned as each extends from the end of one overlap to the start of the next.
Figure 23.4A represents a diagrammatic plan view of a two-course repeat
sequence. S
1
and S
2
represent the swinging motions and O and U represent the
overlap and underlap shogs at each course.
In the lapping diagram (Fig. 23.4C), the first overlap will be drawn in a curve 
over a point from space ‘1’ to space ‘0’ and the second from space ‘2’ to space 
‘3’. The lapping diagram is completed by joining the overlaps to each other with
underlaps and the chain is notated as 1-0/2-3/ where-represents an overlap and / an
underlap.
The shogging movements are produced by the transition from one link to the
next, whereas the swinging motions occur whilst the push-rod roller of the guide
bar is in the centre, so that no shog is produced
.