Abstract: The present unitary needle selection device is operable to selectively position the knitting needles of a circular knitting machine in either knit, tuck or welt positions. The needle selection device includes a pair of side-by-side stacks of selector slides or cams supported for individual horizontal sliding movement between innermost active and outermost inactive radial positions. The inner ends of the selector slides are aligned with selector butts of selector jacks and a pattern drum is supported for indexable rotation adjacent the outer ends of the selector slides. Pairs of vertically aligned rows of pattern combs are supported in spaced-apart relationship on the pattern drum and the pattern butts are vertically aligned and movable into engagement with the outer ends of the corresponding side-by-side stacks of selector slides.

Abstract: The present yarn feeding device includes a rotating yarn feed wheel with at least one frictional yarn engaging and driving surface of predetermined width around the peripheral surface thereof, and yarn guides are provided for directing two runs of the yarn into engagement therewith. Movable yarn guides are provided for varying the degree of circumferential engagement of the individual runs of the yarn with the frictional yarn driving surface so that the degree of engagement is sufficient to cause the yarn to be fed when the knitting machine makes a demand for yarn and so that the degree of engagement is insufficient to cause the yarn to be fed when the knitting machine ceases to make a demand for yarn. A pair of manually movable yarn guide members is supported in spaced relationship from the outer circumference of the frictional yarn driving surface.

Abstract: The present feeding device operates to wrap walewise extending yarns about selected groups of needles of a circular knitting machine. First and second cooperating sliders are supported for radial sliding movement in radial slots in a dial coaxial and rotatable with the needle cylinder. A yarn wrapping arm is pivotally supported on the second slider for movement in a radial path across the needle circle. The first slider is operative to move the wrapping arm in an arcuate path about its axis. Pattern cams are provided in the dial for imparting such movement to the first and second sliders.

Abstract: This fabric includes a repeating pattern of courses containing wales of jersey stitch loops and eyelets in selected sinker wales between the jersey stitch loops, and a repeating pattern of courses containing wales of jersey stitch loops knit with a pair of plated yarns and with one of the yarns forming terry loops in selected sinker wales between the jersey stitch loops. The eyelets and terry loops are each formed by pelerine points with only the outer ends of the pelerine points being used to form the terry loops while the inner and outer portions of the pelerine points are used to form the eyelets. The eyelets provide ventilation to the knit fabric while the terry loops provide an attractive pattern and moisture-absorbing characteristics to the knit fabric. The method is carried out on a circular knitting machine including multiple knitting stations, a cylinder with cylinder needles, and pelerine points carried by the dial.

Abstract: A single safety device to automatically stop a conventional circular knitting machine in the event of failure of the belt used to drive a pair of fabric advancing rollers of the machine while the fabric is being knit, and/or to stop the machine in the event of failure to secure the so-advanced fabric to the rotary shaft upon which the fabric is normally rolled to sequentially form individual rolls of fabric on the machine.

Abstract: Sliding latch needles used in slots of rotary cylinders of circular knitting machines wherein the latches are subject to centrifugal force which moves the latches radially outwardly of the needle slots away from their proper position relative to the needle hooks. The hooks are provided with apertures extending completely through the same and through which the latches extend from the rear side of the hook to abut against the hook and thereby to retain the latches from movement away from the hook.

Abstract: Self actuating yarn feeding apparatus to feed yarn to a circular knitting machine when the machine makes a demand for the yarn and to cease feeding the yarn when the machine ceases demand for the yarn. The yarn is in variable circumferentially extending drive contact with the periphery of a frictionally surfaced rotating yarn feed wheel to feed the yarn to the machine. The arrangement being such that when there is a lack of demand for the yarn the degree of contact between wheel and yarn is not sufficient to feed the yarn and when there is demand for the yarn the degree of contact between wheel and yarn is sufficient to feed the yarn to the machine. The yarn extending through a yarn eyelet movable back and forth along a circular pathway in response to demand and lack of demand for the yarn by the machine to vary the degree of contact between wheel and yarn.

Abstract: Self actuated positive yarn feeding apparatus for use with circular knitting machines for the positive feeding of yarns to the machines in response to and for the time that a demand for yarn is created by the knitting action of the needles of the machines, and wherein feeding of the yarn is discontinued in response to a lack of demand for yarn by the machines. Wheels having adjacent horizontally extending circumferential zones of high and of low friction surfaces are provided wherein only the high friction surfaces feed the yarn. A movable pair of yarn guiding eyelets is positioned between a fixed pair of yarn guiding eyelets and the wheel with the yarn threaded, in turn, through a fixed eyelet, then through a movable eyelet, then around the wheel, then through the other movable eyelet, and finally through the other fixed eyelet. The movable eyelets acts to shift the yarn between the high and the low friction surfaces in response to demand for yarn by the machines.

Abstract: Two-piece yarn carrier for feeding yarn to the circle of cylinder latch needles of multi-feed circular knitting machines, the carriers comprising a yarn guide having a yarn feeding aperture therein and a guard plate secured to the yarn guide, the guard plate overlapping the yarn guide and being interposed between the yarn guide and the circle of needles. The guard plate overlaps and covers the exit end of the yarn feeding aperture to keep needle hooks and latches out of the yarn feeding aperture. The guard plate also returns prematurely closing latches of needles back to their opened position.

Abstract: Improvement in sliver feeding devices for use with circular knitting machines to make sliver knitted fabric, wherein the device has comber and doffer drums each of which is covered with spirally extending wrappings of card wire cloths, wherein the wrappings on the doffer drum comprises a single individual card wire cloth extending in a single spiral, and wherein the wrappings on the comber drum comprise a plurality of individual card wire cloths extending in a plural spiral.

Abstract: Yarn feeding and changing apparatus for multi-feed sinker top circular knitting machines having a single circle of needles, wherein a yarn striper box is placed within the needle circle at each feed of the machine to provide a circle of boxes, and wherein a remotely programmed yarn selector is provided within the circle of boxes, the yarn selector and the circle of needles rotating in unison relative to the circle of yarn boxes. Each striper box is provided with a plurality of yarn feeding fingers and with a rocker, a control jack, and a clamp and cutter individual to each finger, the jacks controlling the rockers to move the fingers between feeding and idle positions. The yarn selector acts on the jacks to provide a yarn selection individual to each of the boxes. Each clamp and cutter is partially opened by its related rocker when its related yarn finger is moved to idle position and is thereafter fully opened and closed by the yarn selector.

Abstract: Multi-feed circular knitting machine having three level selecting means for lever operated needles. The needles have radially extending pivotally movable levers individually associated therewith in such manner that rocking movements of said levers act to raise and to lower the needles, and there are movable control members individually associated with the levers to rock the same in one direction to raise the needles from welt to tuck and to knit levels. There is a needle raise cam engageable with the control members to lower the same thereby to rock the levers to raise the needles and there is a needle lowering cam engageable with the levers thereby to rock the same in the opposite direction to lower the needles. The levers act to multiply the movement imparted to them by the needle raise and lowering cams thereby to move the needles along pathways which are steeper than the cam faces.