Abstract: A yarn lifting element (28), which is provided on a positive thread regulating wheel, comprises straight yarn-bearing surfaces (34,35) whose position cannot be displaced by the yarn (2), enabling the yarn to slip in relation to the thread feeding wheel (17) when required. Said additional measure enables the positive thread regulating wheel to be used in areas which were previously excluded on account of the required synchronicity between the feeding of the thread and the consumption of the thread.

Abstract: A yarn lifting element (28), which is provided on a positive thread regulating wheel, comprises straight yarn-bearing surfaces (34,35) whose position cannot be displaced by the yarn (2), enabling the yarn to slip in relation to the thread feeding wheel (17) when required. Said additional measure enables the positive thread regulating wheel to be used in areas which were previously excluded on account of the required synchronicity between the feeding of the thread and the consumption of the thread.

Abstract: A collapsible cargo container, particular of rectangular or square cross section, has a bottom element, a top element, and side wall elements, which in the erected state for use are joined together by releasable plug-in connectors located in corner pillars at corner regions of the bottom and top elements. In the collapsed state for being shipped empty, the top element is joined to the bottom element with the same plug-in connectors, and the side wall. At least one door fits flush against adjacent side wall elements inwardly of the pillars, to permit flat folding of the container for shipment when empty.

Abstract: A thread supply device for multi-system circular knitting machines has at least one warp beam accommodated rotatablhy in a receiving frame. On the warp beam are wound the threads associated with the individual knitting systems in the form of adjacent thread winding areas with equal axial lengths and equal diameters. The warp beam is connected with a drive and driven thereby in such a way that it always delivers to the knitting systems the average thread quantitites consumed thereby during operation of the circular knitting machine irrespective of the momentary diameters of the thread winding areas.

Abstract: A yarn utilizing machine, in particular a circular knitting machine, having a plurality of yarn utilizing stations is provided with a corresponding number of supply means for the yarn. At each supply station, there is a yarn tension or yarn supply quantity monitoring device that cooperates with the yarn. This monitoring device includes a transducer cooperating with the yarn as well as a measuring circuit that emits a signal corresponding to the monitored parameter. To enable recognition of only the deviation of one parameter, independent of the absolute value of the parameter, means are provided for generating a reference value, which is dependent on the measured signals of all the measuring circuits. Each yarn utilizing station or each yarn supply means is provided with a deviation signal circuit, which has two inputs; at least a portion of the reference value is fed into one of the inputs, while at least a portion of the measured signal is fed into the other input.

Abstract: A knitting machine has at least one needle bed (1), which is equipped with needles (4) that are controlled by needle cam parts, (16), following along a needle control curve, and are guided longitudinally. Between the needles, sinkers (22) that are short in comparison with their length are supported on the needle bed, or on a sinker carrier (21) connected to it, such that they can be displaced in the longitudinal direction of the needles and essentially transversely to it, about a transverse axis. The longitudinal and transverse movements of the sinkers are controlled, in each case following along a sinker control curve, such that during at least part of the withdrawal movement of the needles, which is devoted to loop formation, they execute a projection movement contrary to this withdrawal movement.

Abstract: A yarn supply apparatus for textile machines, particularly for knitting machines, has a rotatable yarn supply means supplying yarn under essentially slipless conditions to the textile machine; a speed controlled motor coupled to the yarn supply means controls the rotation of the yarn supply means. A movable yarn tension element is positioned in the path of yarn from the yarn supply means to the textile machine and is subjected to a bias force means that determines the yarn tension. A yarn reserve zone is formed in the path of the yarn from the yarn tension element to at least one of the yarn guide elements, the size of this zone depending on the position of the yarn tension element. Coupled with the yarn tension element is a transducer that provides a signal representative of the position or movement of the yarn tension element to an electrical circuit that includes the drive motor.

Abstract: A yarn supply element (5, 150) that supplies the yarn substantially without slip and is rotatably supported has yarn guide elements (14, 15, 16; 158) and is coupled to an electric motor (3) of regulated frequency that drives it. In the yarn travel path following the yarn supply element, there are yarn tension sensing means (21) that monitor the yarn (17) unwinding from the yarn supply element and that emit and electrical signal that is supplied to a control circuit (52), which supplies the motor with a frequency signal. To assure satisfactory yarn supply even in the event of abrupt changes in yarn utilization, a device (21, 19) for forming a yarn reserve is provided along the yarn travel path following the yarn supply element. The size of the yarn reserve is dimensioned to be sufficient to cover the yarn requirement during start up of the motor. Associated with this device are means (28, 50-55) for automatically refilling the yarn reserve to an original size no later than after the startup of the motor.

Abstract: A yarn feeding apparatus for yarn-processing textile machines such as circular knitting machines has a feed element which advances the yarn with its circumference. The feed element is rotatably supported on a holder which is arranged to be secured on a carrier and has yarn guide and/or monitoring devices for the yarn being fed to and/or delivered by the feed element. The feed element is driven by a regulated electric motor disposed on the holder. To provide for yarn feeding apparatus which is both compact and inexpensive, the electric motor is a stepping motor coupled to at least one yarn feed element, which advances a yarn in a slip-free manner with its circumference, each element having its own yarn guide and monitoring devices associated with it.

Abstract: A yarn feeding and guide device for knitting machines has at least one yarn feeder, which delivers the yarn arriving from a yarn package and being supplied as needed at a predetermined tension by a yarn delivery unit or fournisseur to the needles of a row of needles. The yarn feeder is disposed in a stationary manner on the machine such that it does not contact the needles of the needle row, and yarn guide elements located in the path of the yarn are associated with it.

Abstract: A knitting machine has at least one needle bed equipped with longitudinally displaceable needles controlled by a needle cam curve, and between the needles are protruding sinkers controlled by a sinker cam curve. The sinkers are movably supported in at least the longitudinal direction of the needles and being controlled such that at a given feed, after the locking in of the yarn, they are moved counter to the lowering movement of the associated needles and after casting off of the loop are moved counter to the needle raising movement. The needle and sinker cam curves have adjoining steadily curved arc portions that in the case of the needle cam curve are sinusoidal and merge steplessly with one another. To reduce noise and wear, especially at very high knitting speeds, the sinker cam curve is substantially sinusoidal, at least in the loop forming zone.

Abstract: In a knitting machine having at least one needle bed, the needle bed is equipped with needles located beside one another, which are guided in a longitudinally displaceable manner under the control of a needle cam race. Combined hold-down and knock-over sinkers that are movable both in the longitudinal direction of the needles and transversely thereto are pivotably supported between the needles, their longitudinal and transverse movement being controlled by sinker cam race surfaces.In order to attain satisfactory, relatively low-friction guidance of the needles and sinkers while operating at high speed, the apparatus is designed such that the needles are disposed on longitudinal ribs disposed spaced apart on the needle bed, and the sinkers are disposed between these ribs.

Abstract: To insure gentle latch operation, and particularly gentle opening of the latch, the last-knitted loop (36) is constrained to move in the same direction as the needles (2) by controlling movement of sinkers (7) in the same direction as the needles, at a speed slower than needle speed during the raising phase of the needles (FIGS. 5, 6), so that initial movement of the latch occurs slowly and not abruptly to permit faster knitting speeds by reducing stresses on the latch. Conversely, during closing movement of the latch (FIGS. 9, 10), initially, the loop and the needle are lowered simultaneously, the lowering speed of the loop, controlled by the sinker (7) being slower than the lowering speed of the needle. Cast-off can be improved by rapidly controlling the loop by suitable sinker movement (FIGS. 11, 12).

Abstract: To permit independent adjustment of movement of knock-over bit - jack sinker elements (3) having knock-over or casting-off heads (7), a cam box (22, 23) has an individually adjustable raising and lowering cam track (26, 28), engaging a butt (6) on the sinker element. The shaft (4) of the jack or sinker is formed as a double-arm lever (16, 17) with an intermediate fulcrum or pivot point projection (18), engaging a surface of the knitting machine, for example a cylinder groove, and two individual cam tracks (34, 35) are provided, formed on cam carriers (36, 37), of which, preferably, at least one (36) is adjustable, to provide for rocking movement of the knock-over bit - sinker jack element about the fulcrum or pivot projection independently of sliding longitudinal raising and lowering under control of the customarily provided cam structure (26, 28).

Abstract: An oil lubrication system, especially for knitting machines includes a plurality of electromagnetically driven piston pumps, one of which is assigned to each individual lubrication site operated by and exciting current pulses of adjustable pulse-recurrence frequency. Each piston pump has a scanning device which produces a receipt pulse during the working stroke when the pump piston reaches its end position. The current pulse and receipt pulse are applied to a monitoring device which provides an output signal if the receipt pulse is not applied within a certain time after the current pulse. An indicator light flashes at each current pulse and switches to a permanent signal when an output signal is produced. An oil storage vessel feeding the pumps can be provided with a filling state monitor when produces an electrical oil deficiency signal when the oil level falls below a predetermined minimum. Both the oil deficiency signal and the output signal are applied to a disconnecting unit which stops the machine.

Abstract: The supply portion to a thread supply drum is pivotally located on the holder for the drum, to pivot about an axis transverse to the axis of rotation of the drum; this supply portion carries a thread brake 24, an inlet eye 27, and a further inlet guide element 26. Preferably, the supply portion is removably located on the holder 1, for example by means of a plug-and-socket connection, a slide-in dovetail joint, or the like. Pivotal connection permits compensation for short-time tension peaks arising, for example, upon yarn drag, and combination with a stop-motion switch.

Abstract: To permit ready disassembly of thread sensing and thread brake elements from a yarn feed device, the thread sensing, thread guiding and thread brake elements are, selectively, secured to a separate attachment or housing which is connected to the holder by means of a slidable shoe-socket arrangement which, additionally, carries the contacts for the stop-motion system of the machine so that, depending on yarn being used on the machine and supplied by the device, the supply guide element can be suitably assembled to the machine without disassembly of the thread feeding devices including the thread supply drums as such; or the stop-motion switches coupled to stop-motion sensing elements can be individually maintained or replaced.