Abstract: In a circular knitting machine of the type designed to knit a tubular fabric, a plurality of circumferentially spaced knitting needles are reciprocal in an inclined mode between a latch clearing position and a stitch forming position. The needle cylinder is provided with circumferentially inclined slots or grooves within which the knitting needles reciprocate in angularly offset relation from the vertical. Cam rings forming the cam track are rotated in a horizontal plane upon operation of the knitting machine to reciprocate the knitting needles in their angularly offset orientation.

Abstract: A shockless needle for circular knitting machines, wherein the needle is slidably mounted in a trick and is provided with a butt which periodically engages a needle-sliding cam. The butt extends radially from the needle in a direction at least substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the needle. The needle or jack of the invention is provided at the location of the butt with a relief in order to decrease the thickness and thus the stiffness of the needle and also simultaneously increase the clearance between the butt portion and the confronting thick walls. In another embodiment, the walls of the trick of the knitting machine at the location confronting the needle butt are recessed in order to increase the clearance between the butt portion and trick walls and to provide space for the sidewise deflection of the needle when the needle is momentarily bent when its butt is engaged by the needle-sliding cam.

Abstract: To permit selective needle projection, under control of a patterning arrangement, the needle jacks are made for rocking movement about an axis transverse to the direction of needle projection during knitting, and the camming system for the needle jacks is formed with two tracks, located one above the other (by a deeper cut, or camming elements of different heights) or, longitudinally staggered, one adjacent to the other, the cam tracks being arranged for selected projection of the needles to tuck or knit position; the needle jacks having either a butt projecting far enough to selectively engage either of the superimposed cam tracks, depending on the extent of rocking of the needle jack about the fulcrum, or the needle jack being formed with two butts, one on either side of the fulcrum, and selectively engaging the adjacent cam tracks, depending on the direction of rocking of the jack from a center position.