Abstract: A yarn feed mechanism for a knitting machine incorporates a power operated yarn feed device, for example motor-driven rollers, a yarn take-up device, for example one or more pivotally mounted yarn take-up yarns, and a yarn restraining device, for example one or more yarn tensioning devices. The yarn feed mechanism is arranged so that yarn to be knitted follows a path from the yarn feed device through the yarn restraining device to the yarn take-up device and then to needles of the knitting machine.

Abstract: To facilitate control of a presser foot between knocking over bits in a flat V-bed knitting machine, at least some of the knocking over bits have inner edges whose lower portions have a smooth profile and are inwardly inclined, in the downward direction, with respect to the knocking over bits of the opposite needle bed.

Abstract: A flat knitting machine including a presser foot assembly comprising a support mounted on the machine for movement along the needle array of the machine and at least one presser foot mounted on the support. The assembly includes a supporting arm carried on the support and itself carrying a slider on which a presser foot is mounted, the supporting arm providing a structure for effecting guided displacement of the slider up-and-down in relation to the needles. Resilient means, such as one or more springs, are arranged to urge the slider and presser foot down, away from the support, so that the presser foot can ride up on the supporting arm against the pressure of the resilient means and thus the whole of the presser foot extending from in advance of the rising needles to the rear of the fully raised needle position is resiliently mounted in the machine.

Abstract: A presser foot device for a knitting machine includes a blade-like support which, when mounted in the knitting machine, extends downwardly with respect to the needles of the machine, a presser element carried by the support near its lower edge, and a channel-like protective element which enfolds the lower edges of the blade-like support to protect it. The channel-like protective element may include two laminas one at each side of the blade-like support and extending at least as low as the lower edge of the blade-like support, and at least one connecting member joining the laminas and extending between them below the lower edge of the blade-like support.

Abstract: A presser foot, for a knitting machine having independently operable needles located in opposed needle beds, has a leading portion and a trailing portion extending rearwardly from the leading portion. The leading portion comprises a member with a smooth surface adapted to contact knitted loops when the presser foot is in use, the forward part of this smooth surface being higher than the rearward part and the two parts having a smooth transition between them. This member is adapted to resist deformation by the forces applied by knitted loops and is so shaped that the inclination of the forward part of said smooth surface which first contacts the knitted loops during relative movement of machine needles and presser foot, in use, is inclined to the direction of said relative movement at an angle less than 35.degree..

Abstract: In a flat V-bed knitting machine with independently operable needles there is provided a presser foot device comprising a presser foot carriage arranged for movement along the needle beds of the machine in synchronism with needle operation, and a support element extending down towards the gap between the walls of the needle beds and resiliently mounted in relation to the carriage for up-and-down movement.

Abstract: A presser foot for a knitting machine with independently operable needles has a cross-section which is triangular or approximately triangular.The presser foot may comprise two elements of strip-like form, for example of metallic sheet material, extending side-by-side in the longitudinal direction of the presser foot. These two elements are arranged so that longitudinally extending edges thereof which are intended to press on knitted loops and to be the lower longitudinally extending edges of the elements, in use, are more widely separated than the longitudinally extending edges of the elements located above them and intended to be the higher longitudinally extending edges, in use.

Abstract: A composite structure such as an aircraft brake disc has a matrix material reinforced by knitted panels of fabric arranged in a stack. The panels are knitted directly into the desired disc shape so that there is no fabric waste, by knitting a helix of fabric on a flat-bed weft knitting machine having a patterning mechanism which allows shaping and a presser foot or sinkers to hold the knitting down on the needles. The helix of fabric can be closed down to constitute the stack of disc panels directly or it can be separated into discrete disc panels by knitting in draw threads connecting successive windings of the helix. The disc panels may be knitted from oxidised acrylic yarn and then heated to carbonise the yarn. A stack of carbon fibre fabric panels may be embedded in a carbon matrix by carbon vapor deposition to form a brake disc.

Abstract: A yarn take-up mechanism for a knitting machine, especially a flat V-bed knitting machine comprises a yarn take-up arm pivotally mounted at one end on a stanchion and urged by a spring to pivot so that its other end moves away from the stanchion. Said other end of the arm carries a movable yarn guide and the yarn path in the take-up mechanism is from a fixed yarn guide on the stanchion through the movable yarn guide and back to the other fixed guide on the stanchion, the fixed guides being close together and adjacent the location of the movable guide when it is in the position closest to the stanchion. The end of the take-up arm carrying the movable yarn guide is flexible whereas the remainder of the arm is stiff.