Singer MemoMatic 328 knitting machine was released to the market in 1978. It is a standard-gauge (4.5 mm) knitting machine with 200 needles.
I have not had a chance to work with this machine yet so the pictures below were provided by someone else and published here with permission.
It closely resembles Singer/Studio 326 knitting machines (but with some updated features) with the full size built knit leader on the left-hand side of the machine, the punch-card reading mechanism in the middle of the needle bed and the storage tray (a two-compartment box as in the case of 328 model) on the right-hand side of the needle bed.
The updated features judging by the pictures below are:
– slot (and not a roll) for the knit leader
– two-compartment box and not a tray to store tools
– button on the carriage to release the carriage of the main bed if the carriage gets stuck (so called “jam release lever”).
– The position of the built-in row counter is in between the knit-leader and the punch-card reading mechanism.
The official brochure for the Singer/Silver Reed/Studio knitting machines under model number 328 also states that the punchcard reader has an L knob the punch card will advance every other row. Thus, you will get a 2x elongated pattern.
Additionally, the brochure mentions an auxiliary feeding cam. It is used to knit with bulky yarn to feed knit leader paper every other row (because the gauge would roughly be 2x fo the bulkier yarn).
the sinker plate has a built-in weaving brush, which is especially useful for cast-on with a picot edge.
I still need to double-check if earlier models of Singer punchcard machines have the three latter options.
Studio also has similar models of knitting machines with punch-card-reading capabilities without (model 210, 321) and with built-in knit-leader: 260K, 3XX series (e.g., 326, 327, mod. 360K), and 700 mod, to name a few.
Punch-card knitting machines from Brother with built-in knit leader are KH871, KH881 and KH891. Brother knitting machines without knit leader are KH800, KH810, KH820, KH830, KH836, KH838, KH840, KH860, KH864, KH868, KH880, KH 890, KH892 and KH894.
