Abstract: A weft thread laying apparatus for warp knitting machines includes a carriage with a thread guide slidably disposed therein. The carriage moves perpendicular to a pair of endless transfer chains which carry the weft thread in a longitudinal direction from a pick up area to a delivery area proximate the needle bed of the machine. The thread guide is moved in a longitudinal direction by means of a flexible guide band when the carriage is disposed in the vicinity of the endless transfer chains thereby permitting the thread guide to layer a plurality of threads around holding elements disposed on the transfer chain without requiring the carriage to move in more than one plane. The flexible guide band is moved with a cam and linkage arrangement only when the carriage is proximate the transfer chains.