Abstract: The invention provides hosiery including a panty portion that is asymmetrical. The hosiery provides a comfortable fit for a variety of different sizes including larger sizes and maternity.

Abstract: A double-bed circular knitting machine with device for correcting automatically variations of the distance between the needle cylinder and the dial, comprising a supporting structure which supports, so that it can rotate about its own vertically oriented axis, a needle cylinder and a dial, which is arranged above and coaxially to the needle cylinder. Elements are provided for feeding threads to the needles, the machine comprising a device for correcting automatically the variations of the distance between the needle cylinder and the dial.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device for varying the length of stitches on circular hosiery and knitting machines, which includes means for rigidly anchoring the cylinder to the cylinder support, vertical guide means of the sinker bed with respect to the cylinder, and means for changing the height of the sinker bed to several positions between the two lowered and raised limit positions, in order to vary the level of the stitch formation plane defined by the sinkers in relation to the needles on the cylinder that remain in a fixed position. The invention involves also a circular knitting machine incorporating such a device.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device for varying the length of stitches on circular hosiery and knitting machines, which includes means for rigidly anchoring the cylinder to the cylinder support, vertical guide means of the sinker bed with respect to the cylinder, and means for changing the height of the sinker bed to several positions between the two lowered and raised limit positions, in order to vary the level of the stitch formation plane defined by the sinkers in relation to the needles on the cylinder that remain in a fixed position. The invention involves also a circular knitting machine incorporating such a device.

Abstract: A stitch cam for a circular knitting machine using needles having operating butts of a predetermined height, includes a support body having a front facing surface, a first cam plate fixedly attached to the front facing surface, and a second cam plate movably attached to the fixed cam plate. When assembled, the first and second cam plates define a closed cam track having a spacing sized for accommodating the operating butt of the needles. The movable cam plate includes a pin for engaging a spiral cam cylinder of the support body to provide linear motion of the movable cam plate relative to the first cam plate to alter the position of at least a portion of the closed cam track in order to selectively raise and lower the stitch level of the needles in a circular knitting machine.

Abstract: A first and second indexing gauge for use in positioning air blowing units relative to the needles of a circular sliver knitting machine. An air blowing unit is attached to the machine so as to be both vertically and rotationally adjusted relative to the knitting cylinder. Once the machine has been initially calibrated, the first and second indexing gauges can be used to quickly and easily reposition the air blowing units relative to the needles so as to allow the machine to knit a different fabric and/or pattern with minimal down time and wasted raw materials.

Abstract: A method of and circular knitting machine for producing a knit fabric having more uniform stitches including yarn feeders feeding a plurality of yarns to stitch forming instrumentalities, the spacing of which affects stitch length and which is subject to change during operation of the knitting machine, a sensor for sensing the tension in the plurality of yarns which changes with changes in the spacing of the stitch forming instrumentalities, and generating a signal indicative of the average tension in the yarns, a comparator for comparing the sensor signal with a pre-set desired tension, a convertor for converting the comparison result into a drive signal, and an adjuster adjusting the spacing of the stitch forming instrumentalities responsive to the drive signal.

Abstract: A circular knitting machine has a needle cylinder (7) and a dial (25) which define a comb distance (x). One of these two needle carriers and a respective cam (9, 27) are displaceably supported in a frame of the circular knitting machine. To prevent unwanted changes in the comb distance during temperature fluctuations, a compensating structural component part (30) is provided which is coupled with the displaceable needle carrier, usually the dial and the cam assigned to the latter and constructed and arranged in such a way that the unwanted changes in the comb distance are compensated for automatically by correspondingly dimensioned thermal expansion or upsetting of the compensating structural component part.

Abstract: An automatic stitch adjusting mechanism for use in a multiple knitting station circular knitting machine having a plurality of knitting needles supported in a rotating needle cylinder for vertical movement parallel to the axis of rotation of the needle cylinder is disclosed. A plurality of raising cams engage the needles for raising the needles. A plurality of stitch cams engage the needles for lowering the needles. The stitch cams are vertically movable for adjusting the size of the formed stitch. The automatic stitch adjusting mechanism includes a plurality of vertically movable stitch cam control members operatively connected to respective stitch cams. A drive motor connected by a belt and clutch mechanism to the stitch cam control members adjusts the vertical position of the control members and clutch mechanisms retain the control members in their adjusted positions.

Abstract: A circular knitting machine with needles having operating butts of predetermined height includes a stitch cam unit for raising and lowering the needles by engaging the operating butts. The cam system includes a support body and a needle raising cam block having upper and lower cam members fixed to the support body and having corresponding upwardly inclined lower and upper butt engaging surfaces which are spaced from each other a distance substantially corresponding to the dimensions of the predetermined height of the needle butts. The upper cam member also includes a downwardly inclined lower butt engaging surface extending from the top portion of the upwardly inclined lower butt engaging surface for engagement with the needle butts. A stitch cam member has a downwardly inclined lower butt engaging surface cooperating with the downwardly inclined lower butt engaging surface of the needle raising cam.

Abstract: The articles are formed on individual arcs of needles (13, 15) facing each other on the two bars of the cylinder (11) and of the plate (10), the articles having rows formed partly by the needles of one bar and partly by the needles of the other bar, and having two successive yarn feeds (344, 345); means for guiding and switching (458, 459) the position of the two yarns supply them to the needles at two angles and exchange their positions at each reversal of the entrainment thereof by the selective entraining means comprising pairs of hooks (342, 343; 349, 350) carried by two counter-rotating apparatuses (26; 32).

Abstract: This knitting machines includes a device for adjusting the stitch density and for offsetting the stitch cam with respect to adjacent knitting cams. The device comprises a stitch cam associated with a knitting cam supporting structure which is arranged facing a needle supporting element and is movable relatively thereto actuate the needles by means of the knitting cams. The stitch cam is controllably movable relatively to the knitting cam supporting structure along a direction which is substantially parallel to the axis of the engaged needles. The stitch cam is furthermore controllably movable relatiely to the knitting cam supporting structure along a direction which is substantially parallel to the tangent to the path of the knitting cam supporting structure in the motion relative to the needle supporting element to anticipate or delay the engagement of the stitch cam with the needles.

Abstract: A control system which allows a plurality of shapes to be knitted by a simple change of profile cam (80). The profile cam (80) controls in a desired variable manner the feed rate of elastic or ground yarns to control the shape of a garment. The shape can also be controlled by further profile cams (200, 202, 204) to control both elastic and ground yarns and in a dial and cylinder circular knitting machine to alter the dial height while the machine is in motion, thereby further controlling the width of a garment.

Abstract: Several pairs of tubular articles are formed on two circular fixed fronts of needles using threads reciprocating transfer mechanism. The articles are alternatively formed by the two fronts by using sets of needles whose number may also vary. By using adjacent sets of needles, the two tubular, leg-shaped articles of each pair are successively formed to make up a body, that is, the panties portion for a pantyhose garment.

Abstract: Weft double knitted fabric has a looped structure with some knitted loops drawn in one direction and other knitted loops drawn in an opposite direction. Yarns of some courses are drawn into knitted loops in both directions to form knit stitches on both faces of the fabric. Yarns of other courses are drawn into knitted loops in a first direction only to form knit stitches on one face only of the fabric. Yarns of still other courses are drawn into knitted loops in the second direction only to form knitted stitches on the other face only of the fabric. An inlay yarn is formed exclusively into tuck stitches extending in both directions, with different yarns drawn through the tuck stitches to form knit stitches on opposite faces of the fabric.

Abstract: A simple and easily manufactured assembly plate for receiving cam parts of a knitting machine in a predetermined position and in which the assembly plate is easily positioned in a knitting machine. The plate is provided with positioning projections, pins or the like which properly position the cam parts and which are formed by simple stamping procedures or by casting or extruding plastic materials.

Abstract: A circular knitting machine has needle beds; a cylinder and a dial, and means to drive the cylinder and dial including three assemblies symmetrically arranged about three planes which intersect on a line substantially coincident with the machine axis, the assemblies thereby acting to center the cylinder and dial. It is preferred for the assemblies to include shafts and intermediate gears connecting the shafts to crown gears on the cylinder and dial, and for the cylinder to be axially adjustable by means in each assembly relative to the dial.

Abstract: A lock for circular knitting machines. According to the invention, a lock or cam comprises a fixed lock element supporting or carrying cams defining the guide tracks for the knitting needle heels, causing the outgoing and re-entering movements of said needles; such cams are secured to a slider movable between extreme positions within a guide of said fixed lock element. The slider has a threaded portion engaging a first screw thread of a manually operable adjusting element for the slider stroke, which adjusting element is provided with a second screw thread in opposite direction to the former; this second screw thread screwing in a threaded seat of the fixed lock element, so that at a rotation of said adjusting element there would correspond an overall displacement of the cam carrying slider equal to the sum of the displacement of said slider relative to the adjusting element and of that of the latter relative to said fixed element.