Abstract: A picker device having an up-picker mechanism (A) and a down-picker mechanism (B) for increasing and decreasing stitches in knitting a heel portion and a toe portion of hosiery. When the knitting of the heel portion or the toe portion is started, a short butt (2a) of a knitting needle in a knitting level comes in contact with a front end portion (17a or 18a) of an up-picker (17 or 18) as a knitting cylinder alternately rotates forward and backward. The up-picker (17 or 18) is thereby rotated horizontally and a rear end portion (17b or 18b) of the up-picker (17 or 18) is guided by an inclined guide slot (20a or 20b), so that the rear end portion (17b or 18b) is lowered and thus thus the front end portion (17a or 18a) of the up-picker (17 or 18) is raised. The knitting needle (2) is thereby raised from above a stitch cam (9a or 9b) to a position above a center cam (8), whereby the knitting needle (2) is moved to a non-knitting level and thus one stitch is decreased.

Abstract: In a stitch density adjusting device of a circular knitting machine for knitting stockings, panty hose, tights and so on, a needle cylinder is moved up and down for adjusting the density of the stitches being formed. In order to move the needle cylinder up and down, a knitting control unit having a knitting program set therein supplies a control signal to a reversible pulse motor which causes the needle cylinder to move through a movement transmission mechanism. The temperature rise in the knitting head due to friction is detected by sensor in the head and compared with a set value in a comparator which delivers a temperature difference signal to the knitting control unit. The control unit operates to compensate for the temperature rise by controlling the pulse motor.