Abstract: The circular knitting machine, for manufacturing open fabric, has a thread clamping and cutting device arranged inside the needle cylinder and there is a thread engagement element which is controllably movable from the inside of the needle cylinder toward the outside, and vice versa, in the needle cylinder region which faces the dial, so as to engage the threads at the end of their knitting and so as to carry the threads to undergo the action of a presser element, and a cutting element.

Abstract: The machine has needles accommodated in grooves defined in a needle-holder element. The needles are controllably movable along the related groove from an extraction position, in which the tip of the needles protrudes from the related groove to grip at least one thread fed by a thread guide, to a retracted position, in which the tip of the needles is retracted in the related groove to form a loop of knitting with the engaged thread, and vice versa. A plurality of sinkers are arranged alternated with the needles, each sinker being arranged laterally to a needle. Each of the sinkers has an end which is located proximate to the tip of the related needle in retracted position and has a tip directed toward the bottom of the related groove and curved toward the related needle. Actuation elements act on each sinker to insert their tip in the loop being formed on the related needle proximate to the retracted-position.

Abstract: The machine has a needle holder element which has a plurality of grooves. Each groove accommodates at least one needle and one selector which faces, with one of its longitudinal ends, the base of the needle. Each needle has at least one heel which protrudes from the related groove of the needle holder element and is engageable in paths defined by cams which face the needle holder element, in order to actuate the needles with a reciprocating longitudinal motion along the grooves for forming knitting. Each needle is oscillable in a plane which is substantially parallel to the sides of the related groove for the passage of its heel from a position in which it is sunk in the groove to an extracted position in which it protrudes from the related groove.

Abstract: The device includes at least one selection lever, one end whereof is arranged laterally facing the needle cylinder at the level of a heel of selection elements accommodated in the grooves of the needle cylinder below the selectors or sub-needles. The selection lever is movable towards or away from the needle cylinder from a first position, in which its end engages the heel of the selection elements, to a second position in which it does not interfere with said heel. The end of the selection lever has a rising portion which in the first position raises the selection element when the needle cylinder rotates with respect to the selection lever. As an effect of this lifting, the overlying selector is engaged by a lifting cam arranged facing the needle cylinder so that the overlying needle is moved to knit.

Abstract: The process has: a first step of formation of an elastic border, a second step of formation of a tubular body of knitting starting from the elastic border for a preset number of complete rows, a third step in which a first group of needles and a second group of needles of the machine, which operate on mutually angularly spaced portions of the tubular body, are excluded from working to define a pair of missing portions which constitute the leg apertures of the briefs; the needles excluded from working gradually increase in number for a widening of the missing portions. In the second step, during the knitting of the last complete rows of the tubular body, a preset number of needles, which operate in the mutually angularly spaced regions, and, in the third step, a preset number of needles proximate to the first group and to the second group of needles, are fed with yarn and with elastic thread for the formation of an elastic border around the leg apertures.

Abstract: This device for the selection of the needles comprises a selector accommodated below a needle in a same groove of a needle bed of the machine. The selector is controllably movable from an extraction position, in which a heel thereof protrudes from the groove to engage with selection cams facing said needle bed, to a sunk position, in which the heel is accommodated in the groove so as to not engage with the selection cams. Between the selector and the bottom of the groove an elastic element is interposed which keeps the selector in the extraction position and a sinking cam is provided, rigidly associated with the selection cams, which causes the passage of the selector from the extraction position to the sunk position in contrast with the elastic element. A rod is engageable with the elastic element to keep the selector in the sunk position and actuators controllably act on the rod to cause disengagement thereof from the elastic element so as to obtain the passage of the selector to the extraction position.

Abstract: This device for supporting cops in circular knitting machines, particularly in fixed needle cylinder knitting machines, comprises a plurality of frames which are arranged close together around the machine axis and carry the machine feed cops. Each frame is translatable parallel to itself along a direction having a substantially parallel component to the machine axis from a first raised working position to a second depressed position away from the machine axis to enable a floor-based operator to get at the cops of one frame when the latter occupies the second position; the device also comprises hooks for locking the frames in the first position.

Abstract: The device comprises a small plate elastically flexible, longitudinally flanked by a needle for plain knitting, or purl knitting, and movable in a direction longitudinal with respect to it. The needle has on one of its sides an inclined area with which at least one inclined area engages, defined by a bend of the small plate at the moment of its motion relatively to the needle. In this manner an elastic flexing of the small plate is obtained moving away from the needle which defines a loop within which a needle for purl or plain knitting can be inserted, in order to transfer a loop of knitting retained around the loop.

Abstract: Needle selecting device in a circular knitting machine of the type having oscillating needle pusher jacks. The selection is effected by engaging teeth of a toothed selection disk with corresponding pattern butts of respective needle pusher jacks. The jacks are moved into an inoperative position where the jacks are not raised and do not lift the overlying needles to a thread pick up position at a given feed. The toothed disk is rotated by a coaxial entraining disk at a rotational speed such as to achieve substantially a rolling action between the needle cylinder and toothed disk. The disk is angularly displaceable with respect to the entraining disk between an angular position corresponding to engagement and an angular position of no engagement.

Abstract: A circular knitting machine for manufacturing knitted fabrics having patterning effects with a device for increasing the size of the pattern obtainable on the fabric, comrising a needle cylinder provided with needles and needle pushers and at least one pattern drum disposed peripherally with respect to the needle cylinder and provided with a plurality of variously disposed teeth for operating the selection of the needle pushers and needles according to the pattern to be reproduced. The drum is disposed to roll on the needle cylinder and has the teeth disposed at a pitch equal to that of the needles of the needle cylinder. The machine also comprises means for driving the pattern drum which give it a rotational speed about its own axis and a revolving speed about the needle cylinder such that two facing generatrixes of the cylinder and drum become mutually phase displaced after each complete revolution of the drum about the cylinder.

Abstract: A thread feed device for a circular knitting machine of the type having a fixed needle cylinder and needle dial and rotatable cams, for manufacturing open fabric. The needle cylinder and needle dial have a needle-free sector and the feed device comprises a stationary support for a plurality of thread spools, and a plurality of thread guides and levers arranged adjacent the needle-free sector. The thread guides and the levers associated therewith are selectively pivotable between a position in which they feed a selected thread to the needles and a position in which they hold the thread in a non-feeding position. Each thread is fed to the needles by means of a rotatable hooked member which entrains the thread around the needle cylinder. Each thread after being fed to the needles and having been knitted thereby is cut before reaching the needle-free sector.