Circular knitting machine with knitting function

Abstract

A circular knitting machine includes a needle cylinder rotating around a vertical axis and a sinker ring rotating with the needle cylinder. The needle cylinder has in its outer edge portion vertically controllable tip needles with needle hooks opened downwards as loop-forming elements, and for each tip needle, a surrounding sinker supporting the loop-formation is held movable in the radial direction on the sinker ring. Further, for each tip needle on the needle cylinder, a press sinker is kept on the sinker ring horizontally in radial direction, to close the hook tip of the tip needle by pressing the needle tip to the needle shaft. The press sinkers are each disposed on the sinker ring between two adjacent surrounding sinkers. The circular knitting machine allows needle wear to be reduced and a selection between weft knitting and warp knitting as loop-forming techniques is enabled in a single machine.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A circular knitting machine, comprising:
 a needle cylinder rotating around a vertical axis; and   a sinker ring rotating with said needle cylinder;   said needle cylinder having an outer edge portion and vertically controllable tip needles in said outer edge portion, said tip needles having needle hooks opened downwards as loop-forming elements and needle shafts;   a surrounding sinker supporting loop-formation being held movably in a radial direction on said sinker ring for each respective tip needle on said needle cylinder;   a press sinker held movably in the radial direction on said sinker ring for each respective tip needle on said needle cylinder to allow a closing of said needle hooks of said tip needle by pressing to said needle shaft; and   said press sinkers each being disposed between two adjacent surrounding sinkers.   
     
     
         16 . The circular knitting machine according to  claim 15 , wherein said press sinkers on said sinker ring are disposed between said adjacent surrounding sinkers on both sides substantially without clearance. 
     
     
         17 . The circular knitting machine according to  claim 15 , which further comprises separating bars extended between said adjacent surrounding sinkers, said press sinkers each being guided on said sinker ring on said separating bars. 
     
     
         18 . The circular knitting machine according to  claim 15 , wherein said surrounding sinkers have a side profile facing said needle and two horizontal support planes in side profile with an intermediate nose protruding in the radial direction. 
     
     
         19 . The circular knitting machine according to  claim 15 , which further comprises a control device for individually controlling a radial displacement of at least one of said surrounding sinkers or said press sinkers. 
     
     
         20 . The circular knitting machine according to  claim 19 , wherein said control device is configured to control said radial displacement of one or more of said surrounding sinkers or of all of said surrounding sinkers for guiding a new yarn toward said needle shaft before a retraction of respective tip needles to permit said tip needle to form loops of a weft knitted fabric. 
     
     
         21 . The circular knitting machine according to  claim 19 , wherein said control device is configured to control said radial displacement of one or more surrounding sinkers or of all surrounding sinkers for guiding a new yarn past said needle shaft before a retraction of respective tip needles in a radial direction and thus for providing a yarn loop to permit said tip needle to form loops of a warp knitted fabric. 
     
     
         22 . The circular knitting machine according to  claim 15 , which further comprises:
 a plurality of yarn feeders;   said tip needles cooperating in a joint loop formation for a supplied yarn and each forming a loop-forming system; and   each loop-forming system being adjustable in advance causing said tip needles to form loops either according to a weft knitting principle or a warp knitting principle.   
     
     
         23 . The circular knitting machine according to  claim 22 , which further comprises:
 a sinker lock for guiding control feet of said surrounding sinkers and said press sinkers;   said sinker lock configured to be changed for forming loops at said loop-forming systems either according to the weft knitting principle or the warp knitting principle.   
     
     
         24 . The circular knitting machine according to  claim 15 , which further comprises:
 a plurality of yarn feeders;   said tip needles cooperating in a joint loop-formation for a supplied yarn and each forming a loop-forming system; and   each loop-forming system being adjustable in advance causing said tip needles to form loops, catch a supplied yarn or remain in a circular run.   
     
     
         25 . The circular knitting machine according to  claim 22 , which further comprises a control device for controlling each loop-forming system to cause said tip needles to form the loops according to the weft knitting principle or the warp knitting principle or catch a supplied yarn or remain in a circular run. 
     
     
         26 . The circular knitting machine according to  claim 22 , wherein said tip needles of a loop-forming system carrying out a catching process are retracted earlier than in the loop forming process, causing said press sinkers to close said hooks of respective tip needles only when both a supplied yarn and a previous loop have been received within said hook. 
     
     
         27 . The circular knitting machine according to  claim 22 , wherein said press sinkers belonging to said tip needles of a loop-forming system performing a catching process are not moved so close to said hook of a respective needle that they close said hook, so that both a supplied yarn and a previous loop are received within said hook. 
     
     
         28 . The circular knitting machine according to  claim 15 , wherein said tip needle includes an upper needle part with a nose protruding to a side and a lower control foot part with a recess for receiving said nose of said needle part.