Abstract: A pivoted latch needly having stem segments or budge portions of a height of eleven tenths of a millimeter and a length of at least eight millimeters.

Abstract: A knitting needle assembly suitable for use with a heavy yarn knitting apparatus. The assembly comprises an attachment of a suitable plastics material removably attached to a butt of a conventional knitting needle of a steel material. The attachment has a generally cylindrical configuration and preferably includes an inner member and a cylindrical outer member rotatably mounted on the inner member. Thus, the knitting needle presents a reduced friction against cams on a carriage of the machine.

Abstract: A knitting machine comprising a needle bed and a plurality of grooves in the needle bed for receiving knitting needles with a hooked knitting needle positioned in each of the grooves. Each of the knitting needles has an associated plate guided in the same groove. The plate includes a longitudinally extended finger directed toward the hook of the needle. The needle includes a shank portion having a recess therein below the hook of the needle for receiving the finger of the plate with the plate being moveable longitudinally and transversely with respect to the needle for widening a stitch formed therearound.

Abstract: A needle for a knitting machine comprising a needle shank having a needle foot thereon which has a substantially rectangular cross section and at least one longitudinal groove formed in one side face thereof. The invention also relates to a method for producing such a needle.

Abstract: A feed device for feeding yarn or other textile material, the device comprising a hollow member through the interior of which textile material may be passed, feed means for feeding the textile material to the said interior, reciprocating means for reciprocating the hollow member towards and away from the feed means, fluid jet means for directing at least one fluid jet onto the textile material being fed to the hollow member so as to tension the said textile material, and pressure supply means which are arranged to supply a pressure fluid to the said interior to entrain the textile material therethrough during a predetermined portion only of the reciprocation of the hollow member, the pressure supply means also supplying the fluid jet means with an intermittently varying fluid pressure which is respectively reduced and increased, so as to reduce and increase the said tension, in accordance with whether or not the textile material is being entrained through the said interior.

Abstract: A latched needle having a hook portion and associated pivoted latch, the hook portion being connected to a shank portion leading to a butt portion for engagement by an operating cam. Proceeding along the shank portion from the latch pivot towards the butt portion, the shank portion has an increase in depth over part of its length and in respect of this part the transverse cross-section is modified to present asymmetry about a median plane parallel to the side faces of the shank portion as by cutting part of the thickness of the shank portion away over part of the depth to produce a stepped shape in transverse cross-section.

Abstract: A loop-forming instrument relates to knitting machines wherein cam assemblies are used for displacing the loop-forming instruments, and includes a stem having a working end, portions of variable cross-section, a butt, a tail and a portion widening towards the working end. Disposed in the stem, intermediate of the butt and the widening portion, is a portion of constant cross-section abruptly changing to a narrowed part of the widening portion, the width thereof being considerably less than the width of the portion of constant cross-section. This makes it possible to strengthen the butt, to minimize concentration of stress in the working end set up in the moving loop-forming instrument and, thereby, to prolong the useful life thereof.

Abstract: Needle bar for warp knitting machines with a number of needles individually set into slits of the bar and having shafts cranked to such an extent that the head section of each needle is in alignment with the shaft section accommodated by the slit. Slackening of the needles will thus not influence the needle spacing.

Abstract: A knitting machine needle is provided for a dial and cylinder circular knitting machine having the needle shank integral with the needle hook portion, the shank having one or more cutouts which are provided with and defined by straight edges. The cutouts are all spaced from the needle butt or butts, to provide full needle shank depth beneath each butt. Where the needle is provided with end butts only, it may have an intermediate full depth portion to provide strength and stability. A spring may be provided on a side of the shank and have one end anchored to the shank, the spring being located as close as possible to the needle hook, and underlying the butt closest to the needle hook, or at least the forward portion of the shank if there is no forward butt.

Abstract: A knitting machine needle is provided for a dial and cylinder circular knitting machine having the needle shank integral with the needle hook portion, the shank having one or more cutouts which are located at both the front and back thereof. The cutouts are defined by edges which include arcuate portions, or only straight edge portions wherein the edges are in part inclined to the needle longitudinal axis; further a spring may be provided on the side of the shank and have one end anchored to the shank, the spring being located as close as possible to the needle hook, and underlying the butt closest to the needle hook, or at least the forward portion of the shank if there is no forward butt. Such spring may also be positioned on a needle having front and back cutouts with edges at 90.degree. to each other.

Abstract: A circular knitting machine comprises a needle cylinder, centered on a vertical axis, formed with a multiplicity of vertical guide grooves for respective knitting needles which have heels riding on an upper ramp surface formed by one or more lifting cams on a stationary support about which the cylinder rotates. A lower ramp surface acts upon the needles through respective hairpin springs, the two ramp surfaces diverging in the first part and converging in the second part of a descending cam section whereby a force stored in the springs at the beginning of a downstroke motion accelerates the descent of the needles toward the end of that stroke.

Abstract: The body of the needle has at least one lateral opening to relieve stress, absorb shock, and dampen vibrations. The opening or openings are located so as not to extend to the top or bottom of the latch needle body.

Abstract: A knitting machine needle is divided into a hook portion, a shank portion, and a butt portion. The shank portion has a front section of constant width and a rear section that has at least one undulation, also of constant width.

Abstract: Knitting needle especially for circular knitting machines, having a shock-absorbing shank. The knitting needle is torsionally twisted through a certain angle in the region of its butt. The torsional twist, on the one hand, takes up the clearance in the needle trick of the needle carrier, and on the other hand, permits springing of the needle in the region of the butt, by its impact on the raising or sinker cam of a cam box system, which leads to damping the impact force. This springing of the needle also diminishes the angle of the twist, thus enabling the effecting of a line contact of a corresponding part of the butt with the cam edge. The friction between twisted needle stem or shank and its trick prevents the throwing off of the needle, thus reducing the stress to which the needles and the cam edges are exposed. The reduction of the impact force also reduces still other forces which affect the needle in the needle trick.

Abstract: An improved needle for use in knitting machines is disclosed herein. The improved needle can operate at higher speeds than prior art needles without undue needle breakage. The needles are of the type which have a hook and latch at one end, a shaft extending from the hook and a needle foot protruding outwardly from the shaft. The foot is adapted to ride in a needle foot guide channel which causes the needle to move in an axial direction. The improved needle has a shoe covering at least a portion of the needle foot. The shoe is fabricated from a material which has a shear modulus of at least one million pounds per square inch and a loss tangent greater than 0.01. The shoe may be fabricated from a metal or a metal-elastomer composite.

Abstract: A shockless needle for circular knitting machines, wherein the needle is slidably mounted in a trick and is provided with a butt which periodically engages a needle-sliding cam. The butt extends radially from the needle in a direction at least substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the needle. The needle or jack of the invention is provided at the location of the butt with a relief in order to decrease the thickness and thus the stiffness of the needle and also simultaneously increase the clearance between the butt portion and the confronting thick walls. In another embodiment, the walls of the trick of the knitting machine at the location confronting the needle butt are recessed in order to increase the clearance between the butt portion and trick walls and to provide space for the sidewise deflection of the needle when the needle is momentarily bent when its butt is engaged by the needle-sliding cam.

Abstract: A shockless needle for circular knitting machines wherein the needle is slidably mounted in a trick, and is provided with a butt which periodically engages a needle-sliding cam. The butt extends laterally from the needle in a direction at least substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the needle, the needle being pre-sprung in the location of the butt so that the opposite sides of the needle at such location engage the corresponding confronting sides of the trick.