Circular knitting machine

Abstract

A circular knitting machine includes lower bricks, guiding elements attached to the lower bricks and formed with a guiding groove extending like the profile of a peak, needles, upper bricks, hooks movably connected to the upper bricks. Each of the needles includes a rear edge, a front edge, a body extending from a head to a tail, and a fin extending from the body and being movable in the guiding groove of a related one of the guiding elements so that the needle is movable up and down relative to the guiding elements as the needle is movable around the guiding element. The head of each of the needles includes a first inclined edge extending downward from the rear edge, a second inclined edge extending toward the rear edge while extending downward from the first inclined edge, and a recess defined between the second inclined edge and the front edge.

1 . A circular knitting machine including:
 lower bricks  5  arranged along a circle;   guiding elements  2  each attached to a related one of the lower bricks  5  and formed with a guiding groove  21  extending like the profile of a peak;   needles  1  each including:
 a head  11 ; 
 a tail  13 ; 
 a body  12  extending from the head  11  to the tail  13  and including a rear edge  18  and a front edge  19 ; and 
 a fin  14  extending from the body  12  and being movable in the guiding groove  21  of a related one of the guiding elements  2  so that the needle  1  is movable up and down relative to the guiding elements  2  as the needle  1  is movable around the guiding element  2 ; 
   upper bricks  3  arranged along a smaller circle; and   hooks  4  movably connected to the upper bricks  3 ;   the circular knitting machine being characterized in that the head  11  of each of the needles  1  includes a first inclined edge  15  extending downward from the rear edge  18 , a second inclined edge  16  extending toward the rear edge  18  while extending downward from the first inclined edge  15 , and a recess  17  defined between the second inclined edge  16  and the front edge  19 .   
     
     
         2 . The circular knitting machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the guiding groove  21  includes an inlet  22  and outlet  23  defined in a lower edge  24  of the guiding element  2 , wherein the inlet  22  is shaped like an inverted funnel for effectively guiding the fin  14  into the guiding groove  21 . 
     
     
         3 . The circular knitting machine according to  claim 2 , wherein the guiding groove  21  includes external and internal banks. 
     
     
         4 . The circular knitting machine according to  claim 3 , wherein the external bank of the guiding groove  21  includes:
 a first section  21   a  extending from the inlet  22  so that a first acute angle θ 1  is defined between the first section  21   a  and a horizontal line; 
 a second section  21   b  extending from the first section  21   a  so that a second acute angle θ 2  is defined between the second section  21   b  and a horizontal line, wherein the second acute angle θ 2  is larger than the first acute angle θ 1 ; and 
 a third section  21   c  extending from the second section  21   b  so that a third acute angle θ 3  is defined between the third section  21   c  and a horizontal line, wherein the third acute angle θ 3  is identical to the first acute angle θ 1 . 
 
     
     
         5 . The circular knitting machine according to  claim 4 , wherein the internal bank of the guiding groove  21  includes a first section  21   d  extending from the inlet  22 , wherein the first section  24   d  of the internal bank and the first section  24   a  of the external bank together define the inlet  22 .