Abstract: In a knitting machine positive feed device of the type comprising a rotatable roller having a bracket mounted for free pivotable motion adjacent the roller under the control of a pair of weighted arms which are attached to the bracket, the fixed yarn guides which are disposed adjacent the opposing ends of one of said arms are supplemented by an intervening movable yard guide which is weighted for movement under the influence of gravity to take up slack in the yarn caused by any overfeed from the roller. The movable yarn guide can also be associated with a stop-motion switching device operative to turn off the knitting machine if the yarn should break.

Abstract: A knitting machine is provided with a plurality of positive feed devices for feeding yarn from a plurality of yarn packages to a plurality of feeding stations. The positive feed devices comprise a plurality of rotatable rollers associated with a driven tape running along the surfaces of the rollers and having a width less than the axial dimension of each roller, and a yarn guide comprising a bracket having eyelets to guide the yarn is mounted for free pivotal movement adjacent each roller to position a length of yarn onto the tape for positive feeding or to displace the yarn away from the tape for nonfeed thereof. The position of the yarn guide is controlled by one or more weights which are attached to the bracket at positions displaced from the bracket pivot point to urge the bracket and its eyelets into the nonfeed position under the influence of gravity.