Abstract: In a flatbed knitting machine having one or more carriages movable reciprocally or, on a closed path with respect to one or two needle beds, control data is conveyed to the or each carriage by light or other electromagnetic radiation or acoustically, one or more data transmitters being located externally of the needle bed or beds and the carriage having means for processing and storing data relating to at least one knitting course. The transmission zone is screened or otherwise shielded against interference. The transmitted signals may be modulated in various ways and alarm and timing control arrangements are described.

Abstract: A flat bed knitting machine with either a reciprocal or a rotatable carriage has a pattern mechanism in which needles are carried on a needle bed, each needle being operatively associated with a pattern sinker and a selection sinker having first and second parts, which parts can be connected together in a variety of relative positions. The rear portion of the first selector sinker part overlies the front portion of the second, and the connection is effected over these portions, the front portion of the first part being shaped so as to be depressible by the pattern sinker to permit the connection to be changed. The second selector sinker part has a butt or cam element operably engageable by cam means carried by the carriage and the first selector part has one or two such butts.

Abstract: A double flat-bed knitting machine comprises four needle beds disposed in two mutually opposed pairs which are themselves disposed each in two mutually bisecting planes. A slide carrying cam means is arranged for actuating the needles of the four needle beds, and the needles are double-headed tongue needles. The machine further comprises transfer plates in the needle beds remote from a knitware take-off point.

Abstract: A flat knitting machine has a bobbin carrier rotatably supporting yarn bobbins from which yarns are led off to a rotary carriage through a protective device in the form of a channel member or tube for each yarn, to reduce the effects of air resistance and material attraction between the yarns. Deflector pulleys can be provided to increase the lengths of yarn within the protective device and yarn breakage detectors can be positioned at the entries to and exits from the device.

Abstract: A pattern mechanism for a flat knitting machine, has pattern sinkers lowered into and raised from the needle bed by pattern levers, or pattern sinkers movable in the direction of needle movement, the pattern levers, or the pattern sinkers movable in the needle direction having feet in staggered formation. At each passage of a selection point on a cam means, the pattern levers are lowered to the needle bed and held in, half in, or fully out in accordance with the particular pattern by strip-like control members, or the pattern sinkers movable in the needle direction are controlled by lifting members. The control members are on levers in the cam means movable by respective eccentrics, or cams, or by the pattern lever feet between two of the feet located successively in the direction of movement of the cam means and are retained in selected positions by electromagnetically controlled levers.

Abstract: A flat knitting machine based on a flat Vee-bed arrangement has four opposed needle beds comprising front and back main needle beds and front and back auxiliary needle beds located above the main beds. A carriage traversible the length of the beds includes a cam assembly for imparting knitting and loop transferring motions to the needles in all the beds. By selective co-operation of the several beds flat and tubular knitted fabrics of any known design can be produced.

Abstract: A hood movable in the direction in which pinching of the operator's hand would occur extends across the stationary part and between the stationary part and the movable part of a straight knitting machine such that a machine stopping mechanism can be triggered by movement of the hood by impact of the hood by the operator's hand to insure stopping of the machine prior to the machine movable part reaching the stationary part covered by the hood.

Abstract: A hood which is mounted to and shields a slide which in turn is longitudinally movable on a straight knitting machine, has contact devices for triggering a stopping mechanism for the knitting machine slide on the end faces of the hood as viewed in the direction in which the slide travels, with the hood being displaceable longitudinally relative to the slide through a distance corresponding to at least the braking distance of the slide after the stopping mechanism is triggered.

Abstract: A straight knitting machine comprises needles in a needle bed and cam means for actuating the needles for casting on, loop forming and stitch transfer, during which operations the needles are selected by lowering or lifting the needles into or out of the needle bed so that a foot of each needle completely or partially projects from the needle bed, or is withdrawn completely into the needle bed and is thus selectively engaged by lifting portions of the cam means. The needles are raised by spring means and are pressed into the needle bed by pressure strips mounted on a slide. A selector element is associated with each slot in the needle bed for transmitting control movements from the pressure strips to the needles and a shaft of each needle is retained in an intermediate member. The intermediate members are provided with fixed feet arranged in rows for engagement by the pressure strips and with a further foot movable selectively into different rows for engagement by the pressure strips.

Abstract: A shift device for the needle bed of a straight knitting machine comprises an indexing disc having a periphery movable substantially at right angles to the intended direction of shift of the needle bed and stoppable in selected positions. A plurality of eccentric indexing boss means adjustably mounted on the disc periphery for eccentric displacement about spindles extending radially of the disc, and a guide channel is securable to the needle bed oriented in the direction of the disc periphery. The width of the guide channel substantially corresponds to the diameter of each eccentric boss means and the eccentric boss means engage in the guide channel for establishing a predetermined shift of the guide channel substantially at right angles to the peripheral movement of the disc in accordance with the eccentricity of the boss means.

Abstract: A flat knitting machine has two opposed needle beds and rigid loop expanders are provided on the needles. Loop transferring cam sets mounted on the traversing machine carriage include a transfer cam having at least three noses of which at least one is higher than the others. The higher nose lifts the needles sufficiently for the knitted loops held on the needles of one bed to be expanded on the loop expanders and the other noses complete transfer of the loops to the needles in the other bed. The loops open the latches of the receiving needles as they are transferred.

Abstract: A flat knitting machine comprises a needle bed and a carriage traversible along the needle bed. Stitch cams presettable in a plurality of different positions according to a desired knitting pattern are provided, and an adjustably positioned ramp in the needle bed fixed to a slide is adapted to displace a cooperating stitch cam into a selected position. Means are provided on the carriage for clamping the stitch cam in the position to which it has been displaced by the ramp and a slide to which the ramp is attached is raisable by control cam means preceding knitting cams in the carriage.

Abstract: A straight knitting machine includes a plurality of sliding heads 1 driven around a guide track 2 by chain and sprocket means 3, 5. A plurality of holders 8 for yarn spools 9 are positioned above their associated sliding heads and are driven around guide tracks 10, 11 by chain and sprocket means 12, 14 coupled to the same drive shaft 15 as the chain and sprocket means 3, 5. Electrical connections for safety switches and thread delivery motors are made by sliding contacts on the heads 1 which engage stationary contacts on the straight portions of the guide path.