EP1354088A1

EP1354088A1 - Circular knitting machine

Info

Publication number: EP1354088A1
Application number: EP01272604A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Frantisek Piskula; Jiri Zurek
Original assignee: Amtek Spol SRO
Current assignee: Amtek Spol SRO
Priority date: 2000-12-29
Filing date: 2001-12-19
Publication date: 2003-10-22
Also published as: WO2002053817A1; TW584683B

Abstract

The invention relates to a double bed and single bed circular knitting machine with a cylinder bed (3) coaxially seated on a support (2) of the cylinder bed (3) which is in its turn seated on the machine bed (1) surrounding the support of the cylinder bed in which the machine comprises means for centering the cylinder bed (3) and as the case may be, also the needle dial (19) and/or another mechanism arranged over the cylinder bed (3) and in which the cylinder bed (3) of the cylinder and the needle dial (3, 19) can be mounted into, and removed from, the machine by movements substantially normal the machine axis (6). The support (2) of the cylinder bed (3) carries removable and or slidable positioning means reaching over the bearing surface for the cylinder bed (3) on the support (2), the positioning means being removable and/or slidable below the level of the bearing surface for the cylinder bed (3) on the support (2), and the bearing surface for the cylinder bed (3) on the support (2) being made void of steps and lugs obstructing the lateral displacement of the cylinder bed (3) in the direction substantially normal to the machine axis (6).

Description

Circular knitting machine

Technical field

The invention relates to a circular knitting machine with a cylinder bed coaxially seated on a support of the cylinder bed which is in its turn seated on the machine bed surrounding the support of the cylinder bed in which the machine comprises means for centering the cylinder bed and, as the case may be, also the needle dial and/or another mechanism arranged over the cylinder bed and in which the cylinder bed or the cylinder and needle dials can be mounted into, and removed from, the machine by movements substantially normal to the machine axis.

Background art

Knitting machines with an exchangeable cylinder bed are well known to those skilled in the art. If the knitting machine comprises only one cylinder bed with no device such as for instance the striping device situated over the cylinder bed, the exchange of the cylinder bed, for instance for changing the gauge, is relatively simple. Much more complicated, however, is the situation in double bed machines in which the customary solution of the bed exchange requires an almost complete dismantling of the upper part of the machine.

A solution to this problem has been proposed for instance by patent specifications US 5.099.661 , JP1 -2131 170, and US 5.224.360 describing a more modern arrangement of knitting machines.

The cited specifications describe an arrangement in which the knitting machine is equipped with a device permitting to lift the member situated over the cylinder bed, for instance the needle dial, to an extent sufficient to remove the cylinder bed, separately or in conjunction with its superposed member, by moving it normally to the axis. The drawback of the solution consists in that the cylinder bed is as a rule seated with its lower edge in a step provided on the support of the cylinder bed so that it cannot be simply shifted out laterally To solve said problem, the patent specification DE 19653761 describes an arrangement in which the knitting machine is fitted with a device for setting the cylinder bed in axial direction, consisting for instance of assembly bars laid on the support of the cylinder bed on which the cylinder bed is laterally shifted in and out This permits the cylinder bed set in its assembly position to be shifted laterally

The drawback of this arrangement consists in the necessity of using a special device for setting a special cylinder bed position for dismantling Besides, the dish- shaped bed is in all cases mounted from the bottom side of the needle dial situated at the lower end of an axle To adjust the needle dial position, this arrangement requires to lift the support of the needle dial, by means of the position-setting device, so high as to permit the lateral shifting out (removal) of the cylinder bed

DE 195 33 844 C2 discloses an arrangement of the circular knitting machine with a cylinder bed coaxially mounted on the cylinder bed support mounted on the machine bed The machine comprises an axle situated in the upper part of the machine on whose lower end, flange-like widened, a system of bolt connections holds the support of the needle dial which is mounted on the upper side of the outer circumference of the needle dial support The machine is fitted also with means for adjusting the mutual position of the two beds Each of the two beds is adapted to be shifted out of, and into, the machine by movements substantially normal to the machine axis To remove the needle dial, the axle together with the needle dial support is sunk to its lower position in which the needle dial contacts the upper side of the cylinder bed and the connection of the lower end of the axle with the needle dial support is loosened Then there are two ways of handling the configuration needle dial - needle dial support - cylinder bed In the first variant, a handling means is attached to the machine, the connection between the needle dial and the needle dial support is loosened, the axle moves to its upper position, and the needle dial support sinks on the movable part of the handling means through the middle of the cylinder bed under the cylinder bed The handling means is then removed, the cylinder bed is loosened and moves together with the needle dial to a dismantling position on guide rails provided on the upper side of the machine bed and the cylinder bed together with the needle dial is removed from the machine by a movement normal to the axis machine. In the second variant of handling the configuration needle dial - needle dial support - cylinder bed, the needle dial support together with the needle dial remains on the upper side of the cylinder bed, the whole system moves to its dismantling position on the guide rails mounted on the upper side of the machine bed and then gets out of the machine by moving in a direction normal to the vertical machine axis.

The drawback of the solution consists in that for the dismantling of the connection of the needle dial with the axle and, as the case may be, of the connection of the needle dial support with the needle dial, a considerable number of bolts has to be loosened in a relatively limited room, which requires much toil and time. Another drawback of the solution consists in that the cylinder bed always must be set to its dismantling position on the guide rails mounted on the upper surface of the machine bed since only then the cylinder bed can be moved from the machine by a lateral movement.

The invention intends to remove or at least to minimize the described drawbacks of the known solutions and to permit a simple dismantling and reassembly of the cylinder bed and, as the case may be, of the needle dial without the necessity of lifting the cylinder bed by means of special devices. A quick and simple bed exchange depends directly on quick and exact adjustment of the mutual geometric positions of the machine parts which is also solved by the invention.

Principle of the invention

The goal of the invention has been reached by a circular knitting machine whose principle consists in that the cylinder bed support carries removable and/or slidable positioning means reaching over the bearing surface for the cylinder bed on the support, the positioning means being removable and/or slidable below the level of the bearing surface for the cylinder bed on the support, and the bearing surface for the cylinder bed on the support being made void of steps and lugs obstructing the lateral displacement of the cylinder bed in the direction substantially normal to the machine axis. Thus, the cylinder bed is after the dismantling/removal of the positioning means and/or after their displacement below the level of the lower side of the bearing surface on the cylinder bed support free to move into, and out of, the machine in the direction substantially normal to the machine axis. Above the level of the lowest place of the configuration, the axle is at the lower end of the bushing divided into an upper and a lower part, and the needle dial support is mounted on an upwards oriented surface on the lower part of the axle whose upper part protrudes above the level of the needle dial and of its support and is fixed to the lower end of the upper part of the axle. From the point of view of a quick and exact adjustability of the mutual positions which is an integral part of the problems to be solved for obtaining a quick bed exchange in circular knitting machines, it is advantageous if the cylinder bed on the support and/or the needle dial on the support and/or the bearing flange of the needle dial cams at the lower end of the bushing are fixed by a system of screws/bolts substantially parallel with the machine axis, situated in a coaxial hole in the adjusting screws for setting the position and perpendicularity of the cylinder bed and/or of the needle dial and/or of the support flange of the dish shaped needle cams. The adjusting screws can be coupled with a still another adjusting member For easy and quick removal of the needle dial, if provided, from the machine, the needle dial support situated over the cylinder bed is preferably mounted on an upwards oriented surface on the lower part of the divided axle whose upper part, seated in a bushing, is free to turn around the machine axis while the plane of division of the axle lies above the level of the lowest place/point of the configuration at the lower bushing end, and the upper end of the lower part of the axle protrudes (reaches) above the level of the needle dial and of its support For easy and quick adjustment of the correct position of the needle dial cams in relation to the other machine parts, it is advantageous if above the cylinder bed at the lower end of the bushing and adapted to be removed (dismantled) in the axial direction there is a bearing flange equipped on its circumference with a step and/or with a bearing surface for the dish shaped needle cams, and the diameter of this step and/or bearing surface corresponds with the gauge of the needle dial and with the radial position of the dish shaped needle cams related to the gauge of the needle dial It is evident that some components of the invention can be used also separately for a partial improvement of the present-day designs of circular knitting machines aimed at a quick exchange of the beds It is also evident that the invention can be applied both to double bed circular knitting machines and to single bed knitting machines.

The details of the preferred features of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

Description of the drawings

The invention is schematically shown in the drawings in which Fig. 1 is a cross section through a double bed circular knitting machine with a machine bed, a cylinder bed, and a needle dial and their seating, Fig. 1 a is a cross section through a double bed circular knitting machine with a machine bed, a cylinder bed and a needle dial and with a seating of the needle dial different from that of Fig. 1 , Fig. 2 is a cross section through the cylinder bed support and through the cylinder bed with positioning means situated on the cylinder bed support and with centering means situated on the cylinder bed, Fig. 2a is a view from above on the upper side of the cylinder bed support with positioning means shaped as a packing piece and with a fixing and adjusting screw for the cylinder bed, Fig. 3 is a cross section through the cylinder bed support with positioning means situated on the cylinder bed support and with centering means situated on the positioning means, Fig. 4 is a cross section through the cylinder bed support with the cylinder bed, with fixing and adjusting screws and with an adjusting member, and Fig. 5 is a cross section through the needle dial carrier with the needle dial of Fig. 1 , with fixing and adjusting screws, with an adjusting member, with needle dial cams and with their fixation.

Specific description

The principle of the invention will be explained with reference to the enclosed drawings of their examples of embodiment showing the details only as far as required for the understanding of the principle of the invention. The not represented part of the machine, i.e., the stand, the machine drive, and the mechanism for the knitted fabric draw-off, is well known to those skilled in the art, and is for this reason not represented here. The circular knitting machine shown as an example of embodiment in Fig 1 has a substantially vertical axis 6 On the machine bed 1_ is coaxially with the axis 6 arranged a support 2 of a cylinder bed 3 with a coaxially mounted cylinder bed 3 The support 2 of the cylinder bed 3 rotates in a bearing 25 and is driven by means of a toothed ring 26 A support 4 of cylinder needle cams 5 is mounted on the machine bed 1 coaxially with the cylinder bed 3 and with the machine axis 6 The coaxial position of the cylinder bed 3 on the support 2 of the cylinder bed 3 is maintained by positioning means The cylinder bed 3 is fixed to the support 2 by means of attachment screws 21 , see Fig 4, and its position and orthogonality are adjusted by means of adjusting screws 22 actuated by rotation by means of adjusting members 23 The cylinder bed 3 is with its bottom surface mounted on the upper surfaces of the adjusting screws 22 by whose turning the height position of the cylinder bed 3 at the respective place can be adjusted

To permit the adjusting screw 22 to be turned even with the attachment screw

21 screwed in, the adjustment member 23 fitted for instance with a hexagon for an adjustment wrench is situated under the head of the attachment screw 2 . On its upper side, the adjusting member 23 is fitted with a coupling shaped for instance as a lug and inserted into a groove provided on the lower side of the adjusting screw

22 The coupling transmits the torque and permits to turn the adjusting screw 22 However, in the axial direction, the coupling has a play by means of which even with the attachment screw 21 fully screwed in an axial play between the adjusting screw 22 and the adjusting member 23 remains maintained, the play in the threads of the adjusting screw 22 and of the attachment screw 2J. is defined, and the adjusting member 23 is firmly pressed onto the support 2 of the cylinder bed 3 and thus protects it from getting loose and changing its adjustment during the machine operation

Vertically mounted on the machine bed are upper struts 7 on whose upper end there is seated an upper box 8 which is the chief supporting member of the upper part of the machine The upper box 8 is fitted with a throat 9 carrying a bushing 10 slidably seated therein and fitted on its upper end with a thread on which there is screwed a toothed setting nut 14 fitted on its outer circumference with a gearing 14b meshing with a pinion 15 adapted to be turned by a wrench fitted to a setting member 16 situated on the lower side of the pinion 15. Arranged between the lower side of the toothed setting nut 14 and the upper side of the throat 9 is a rolling-contact bearing 14a permitting easily to turn the toothed setting nut 14 that carries a considerable load exerted by the machine parts connected with the bushing

10. Mounted in bearings 13 inside the bushing 1_0 is an axle 11_ carrying on its upper end a gear wheel 12 connected by means of a pinion 29, a shaft 28, and a pinion 27 with a toothed ring 26 of the support 2 of the cylinder bed 3.

In the example of embodiment shown in Fig. 1 , a support 18 of a needle dial 9 is mounted to the lower end of the axle 11. by means of attachment screws 24 and of not represented pins, or also by other means locking against the change of the angular position. In the example of embodiment shown in Fig. 1a, the upper part 11b of the divided axle H is rotatably mounted inside the bushing 10 on the bearings 13 while the lower part 11a of the axle 11. is fixed to the upper part 11b of the axle 11. by means of at least one attachment screw 24 parallel or coaxial with the axis 6 of the machine and, as the case may be, also by means of not represented pins or other well-known means preventing them from changing their mutual angular position. The plane of division of the axle H lies above the level of the lowest point of the configuration at/on the lower end of the bushing to, and the lower part 11a of the axle JM reaches with its upper end above the level of the needle dial 19 and of its support 18. By means of auxiliary attachment screws 24a, the support 18 of the needle dial H is fixed to an upwards oriented surface provided on the lower part 11a of the axle 11. The attachment screw or screws 24 is/are preferably used also for sinking the support 8 to the dismantling/removal position on the upper side of the cylinder bed 3; for this reason, the attachment screw/screws 24 is/are preferably screwed into the axle 1_1 or, more exactly, into its upper part 11b, by a length superior to the distance between the operative position of the support 18 of the needle dial 19 and the dismantling/removal position of the support 1_8 of the needle dial 1_9 on the cylinder bed 3. The needle dial 19 is on the support 18 mounted analogically to the cylinder bed 3 on the support 2 of the cylinder bed 3, i.e., by means of attachment screws 21, adjustment screws 22, and adjustment members 23 The lower end of the bushing 10 carries a radially arranged flange 10a having mounted thereto from below a supporting flange 36 carrying dish shaped needle cams 17. A not shown machine drive is connected to the lower end of a shaft 28 whose rotary motion is by means of pinions 27 and 29 and by means of machine parts connected with them transformed into a synchronized movement imparted to the cylinder bed 3 and to the needle dial 19. Each of the two beds 3 and 19 carries in a well known manner knitting means, as a rule needles, controlled by needle cam systems consisting of cylinder needle cams 5 and 17 related to the beds 3 and 19 respectively. The knitting means controlled by needle cam systems transform the threads led by a well-known supply system in a well-known manner into knitted fabric.

The above described device for adjusting the axial position of the needle dial 19 and of its needle dial cams 17 in relation to the cylinder bed 3 is important from the point of view of the explaining of the invention. By means of the setting member 16 a rotary motion is in a well-known manner transmitted to the pinion 15 and through it to the toothed nut 14 bearing via the rolling-contact bearing 14a on the throat 9 screwed on the thread on the upper end of the axially led bushing 10 This makes the bushing JK) radially raise or sink, and this movement is shared by members installed in and on it, in particular by the needle dial cams 17 with blocks, the gear wheel 12, the axle H, the support 18 of the needle dial 19, and the needle dial as such. This adjustment is used in particular for adjusting the length of the stitch/loop of the knitted fabric by adjusting the mutual axial position of the needle dial 1_9 and of the cylinder bed 3 The raising of the bushing 10 is used also for increasing free space for easy lateral shifting out of the two beds 3, 19 during their removal

Arranged removably and/or shiftably on the support 2 of the cylinder bed 3 are removable or shiftable positioning means reaching above the level of the bearing surface for the cylinder bed 3 on the support 2 of the cylinder bed 3 made in a preferred embodiment as packing pieces 20 screwed by attachment screws 3 _ to the inner cylinder surface of the support 2 of the cylinder bed 3, see Figs 2, 2a, 3 By loosening the attachment screws 3J. also the packing pieces 20 get loosened and can be shifted to the dismantling/removal position under the lower edge of the cylinder bed 3, i e , below the level of the bearing surface for the cylinder bed 3 on the support 2 which is made without step and lugs obstructing the lateral removal of the cylinder bed 3 so that the cylinder bed 3, once the positioning means have been set to their dismantling/removal position, can be simply shifted out laterally without the need to lift it or to set it to a particular dismantling/removal position, for instance by means of adjusting members

In the example of embodiment shown in Fig 2, the lower edge of the cylinder bed 3 lies on the bearing surface for the cylinder bed 3 on the support 2 On the inner cylindrical surface of the support 2 are by means of the screws 31 fixed positioning means shaped as packing pieces 20 against which lean in the operative position centering means 30 made preferably as screws serving to adjust the coaxiality of the cylinder bed 3 During the dismantling, the attachment screws 2J. of the cylinder bed 3 and the screws 3_1 get loosened and the packing pieces 20 are then shifted below the level of the bearing surface for the cylinder bed 3 on the support 2 of the cylinder bed 3, the cylinder needle cams 5 are removed, and the cylinder bed 3 is freely shifted laterally out of the machine

The view from above of the upper edge of the support 2 of the cylinder bed 3 with the bearing surface for the cylinder bed 3 on the support 2 in the embodiment of Fig 2, shown in Fig 2a, shows the mutual arrangement of the positioning means made as a shiftable packing piece 20, attachment screws 21 of the cylinder bed 3, adjusting screws 22, and adjusting members 23

The example of embodiment shown in Fig 3 shows another preferred arrangement in which the centering means 30 are made as screws situated on the upper part of the positioning means arranged analogically to the example of embodiment shown in Fig 2

In the example of embodiment shown in Fig 4, the position of the cylinder bed 3 in the machine is adjusted exactly so as to ensure that the knitting surface 300 of the cylinder bed 3 is normal to the axis 6 of the machine and is set exactly in its operative position Instead of usual and to those skilled in the art well known adjusting means made as packing pieces of graduated thickness this preferred embodiment of the invention uses the adjusting screw 22 situated coaxially on the attachment screw 2J_ and supported by the adjusting member 23 The example of embodiment shown in Fig 5 shows a detail of a vertical cross section of the fixing of the needle dial 19 on the support 18 of the needle dial 1_9 according to Fig 1 , and a detail of the vertical cross section through the needle cam system of the needle dial 19 In a manner quite analogical to that of the cylinder bed 3, the configuration consisting of the adjusting screw 22, the adjusting member 23, and the attachment screw 21_ is used to adjust the position of the needle dial 19 and to fix it on the lower end of the bushing 10 In the shown preferred embodiment, the attachment screws are arranged in two coaxial circles which increases the stability of the horizontal position of the needle dial 19 and prevents it from getting twisted when heated by machine operation factors The lower side of the flange 10a arranged on the lower end of the bushing 10 carries mounted thereto the supporting flange 36 of the needle dial cams 17 , the latter being fixed to the supporting flange 36 by means of screws 37 and pins 38 and leaning against a bearing surface 39 arranged on the circumference of the supporting flange 36 The diameter of the bearing surface 39 defines the radial position of the needle dial cams 17 which depends on the diameter of the knitting surface 40 of the needle dial 19 which diameter in its turn depends on the gauge of the needle dial 19 The radial position of the needle dial cams 17 can be changed simply by exchanging the supporting flange 17 depending on the used gauge of the needle dial 19 Another advantageous feature consists in the use of the system adjusting screws 22, coaxial adjusting members 23, and attachment screws 21 also for fixing and adjusting the position of the supporting flange 36 In analogy to the cylinder bed 3, the turning of the adjusting members 23 results in adjusting the adjusting screw 22 Screws 4_1 in the supporting flange 36 serve for the centering of the supporting flange 36 on the bushing 10 and by means of this for the centering of the needle dial cams j_7

The arrangement of the support 2 of the cylinder bed and of the positioning means can be advantageously used also in single bed knitting machines where the place of the needle dial 1_6 can be occupied for instance by a not represented striping device or by a system supplying threads of the knitting system, etc

The sequence of steps resulting in a state permitting freely to remove laterally the two beds 3 19 is as follows The turning of the pinion 1_5 meshing with the toothed setting nut 14, carried out by means of the setting member 16, sinks the bushing 1_0 to its lower position, or the attachment screws 24 are gradually loosened Each of these steps sets the needle dial 19 with its support 1_8 via packing pieces already inserted on the upper part of the cylinder bed 3 The attachment screws 24 are then completely unscrewed, and the support 18 with the needle dial 19, in the embodiment of Fig 1a together with the lower part 11a of the axle H, ^|S thus separated from the axle H or, to put it more exactly, from its upper part 11b The attachment screw 24 is either only one central screw, or they are only few due to the small diameter of the axle H In the embodiment of Fig 1 follows either the lifting of the bushing 10 with all the members situated in or on it, or the unscrewing of the support 18 from the needle dial 19 and the sinking of the support in the well-known manner through the middle of the cylinder bed downwards below the level of the bearing surface for the cylinder bed 3 provided on the support 2 for the cylinder bed 3 In the embodiment shown in Fig 1 a, the seating of the needle dial 19 with the support lβ_ on the upper part of the cylinder bed 3 is followed by the loosening of the auxiliary attachment screws 24a, small in number due to the small diameter of the connected parts, and in removing the lower part Ha of the axle H by moving it downwards

Before the lateral removal of the cylinder bed 3 with the needle dial 19 and with its support lβ_ the positioning means of the cylinder bed 3 and the cylinder needle cams 5 are loosened The cylinder bed 3 with the needle dial 1J9 and with its support 18 is now ready to be simply removed from the machine by a lateral movement, without any handling in a direction other than normal to the machine axis 6 Before the removal proper of the two beds 3, 9, also the embodiment of Fig 1 a permits to raise/lift the bushing with all the parts mounted in/on it, and so still more to increase the space, as a rule sufficient by itself, for the lateral removal of the two beds 3, 19 The other dismantling operations on the cylinder bed 3 or on the needle dial 1_9 are carried out outside the machine which can be quickly furnished with new beds 3 9 to be mounted into the machine in the reverse order of their removal/dismantling The described examples of embodiment serve merely to explain the invention. They can be mutually combined in a way not expressly specified, and other specific embodiments falling under the invention are also possible.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Circular knitting machine with a cylinder bed coaxially seated on a support of the cylinder bed which is in its turn seated on the machine bed surrounding the support of the cylinder bed in which the machine comprises means for centering the cylinder bed and, as the case may be, also the needle dial and/or another mechanism arranged over the cylinder bed and in which the cylinder bed or the cylinder and needle dials can be mounted into, and removed from, the machine by movements substantially normal to the machine axis, characterized by that the support (2) of the cylinder bed (3) carries removable and or slidable positioning means reaching over the bearing surface for the cylinder bed (3) on the support (2), the positioning means being removable and/or slidable below the level of the bearing surface for the cylinder bed (3) on the support (2), and the bearing surface for the cylinder bed (3) on the support (2) being made void of steps and lugs obstructing the lateral displacement of the cylinder bed (3) in the direction substantially normal to the machine axis (6).

2. Circular knitting machine as claimed in Claim 1 , characterized by that centering means (30) related to the positioning means and/or to the cylinder bed (3) are situated on the cylinder bed (3) and/or on the positioning means.

3. Circular knitting machine as claimed in any of Claims 1 or 2, characterized by that the positioning means consist of packing pieces (20) fixed to the inner side of the support (2) of the cylinder bed (3) which in the mounted state protrude above the bearing surface for the cylinder bed (3) on the support (2) and that the centring means (30) are seated in the cylinder bed (3) and/or in the protruding part of the packing pieces (20) and lean against the protruding parts of the packing pieces (20) and/or against the cylinder bed (3).

4 Circular knitting machine as claimed in Claim 3, characterized by that the packing pieces (20) are fitted with a groove parallel with the machine axis (6) and that the groove receives at least one attachment screw (31 ) in whose loosened state the related packing piece (20) is free to slide in the direction of the machine axis (6) below the level of the bearing surface for the cylinder bed (3) on the support (2)

5 Circular knitting machine as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4, characterized by that the cylinder bed (3) on the support (2) and/or the needle dial (19) on the support (18) and/or the supporting flange (36) for the needle dial cams (17) on the lower end of the bushing (10) are fixed by a system of attachment screws (21 ) substantially parallel with the machine axis (6) and situated in a coaxial aperture in adjusting screws (22) serving for adjusting the position and orthogonality of the cylinder bed (3) and/or of the needle dial (19) and/or of the supporting flange (36) of the needle dial cams (17).

6. Circular knitting machine as claimed in Claim 5, characterized by that an adjusting member (23), connected with the adjusting screw (22) by a coupling for transmitting the torque, is situated coaxially with the adjusting screws (22) and with the attachment screws (21 ) under the head of the attachment screw (21 ).

7 Circular knitting machine as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 6, characterized by that the support (18) of the needle dial (19) is situated on an upwards oriented surface on the lower part (11a) of a divided axle (11 ) whose upper part (1 1 b) is seated in the bushing (10) rotatably around the machine axis (6) and the plane of division of the axle (11 ) lies above the level of the lowest point of the configuration on the lower end of the bushing (10) and that the lower part (11 a) of the axle (1 1 ) protrudes with its upper end above the level of the needle dial (19) and of its support (18)

8. Circular knitting machine as claimed in Claim 7, characterized by that the configuration of the needle dial (19) and of its support (18) is with its top point situated below the level of the lowest point of the configuration on the lower end of the bushing (10) without needle dial cams (17) and needle cams.

9. Circular knitting machine as claimed in any of Claims 7 or 8, characterized by that the lower part (11 a) of the axle (11 ) is fixed to the upper part (11 b) of the axle (11 ) with at least one attachment screw (24) parallel with the machine axis (6).

10. Circular knitting machine as claimed in Claim 9, characterized by that at least one attachment screw (24) is in the upper part (11 b) of the axle (11 ) screwed in at a length superior to the distance between the operative and the dismantling position of the needle dial (19) and its support (18).

11. Circular knitting machine as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 10, characterized by that there is provided a supporting flange (36) situated above the cylinder bed (3) on the lower end of the bushing (10) removably in axial direction and equipped on its circumference with a step and/or with a bearing surface (39) for needle dial cams (17) and that the diameter of the step and/or of the bearing surface (39) corresponds to the gauge of the needle dial (19) and to the radial position of the needle dial cams (17).

12. Circular knitting machine with a cylinder bed coaxially seated on the machine bed surrounding the support of the cylinder bed in which the machine comprises means for centering the cylinder bed and, as the case may be, also another mechanism arranged over the cylinder bed and in which the cylinder bed or the cylinder and the needle dial can be mounted into, and removed from, the machine by movements substantially normal to the machine axis, characterized by that the cylinder bed (3) situated on the support (2) and/or the needle dial (19) situated on the support (18) and/or the supporting flange (36) of the needle dial cams (17) on the lower end of the bushing (10) are fixed by a system of attachment screws (21 ) substantially parallel with the machine axis (6) and situated in a coaxial aperture provided in the attachment screws (22) and serving to adjust the position and orthogonality of the cylinder bed (3) and/or of the needle dial (19) and/or of the supporting flange (36) of the needle dial cams (17).

13. Circular knitting machine as claimed in Claim 12, characterized by that an adjusting member (23), connected with the adjusting screw (22) by a coupling for transmitting the torque, is situated coaxially with the adjusting screws (22) and with the attachment screws (21 ) under the head of the attachment screw (21 ).

14. Circular knitting machine with a cylinder bed coaxially seated on the machine bed surrounding the support of the cylinder bed in which the machine comprises means for centering the cylinder bed and, as the case may be, also another mechanism arranged over the cylinder bed and in which the cylinder bed or the cylinder and the needle dial can be mounted into, and removed from, the machine by movements substantially normal to the machine axis, characterized by that the support (18) of the needle dial (19) is seated on an upwards oriented surface on the lower part (11a) of the divided axle (11 ) whose the upper part (11 b) is rotatably around the machine axis (6) seated in the bushing (10) and that the plane of division of the axle (11 ) lies above the level of the lowest point of the configuration on the lower end of the bushing (10) and whose the lower part (11 a) protrudes with its upper end above the level of the needle dial (19) and of its support (18)

15 Circular knitting machine as claimed in Claim 14, characterized by that the configuration of the needle dial (19) and of its support (18) is so situated that its top point lies below the level of the lowest point of the configuration on the lower end of the bushing (10)

16 Circular knitting machine as claimed in any of Claims 14 or 15, characterized by that the lower part (11 a) of the axle (11 ) is fixed to the upper part (11 b) of the axle (11 ) with at least one attachment screw (24) parallel with the machine axis (6)

17 Circular knitting machine as claimed in Claim 16, characterized by that at least one attachment screw (24) is in the upper part (11 b) of the axle (11 ) screwed in at a length superior to the distance between the operative and the dismantling position of the needle dial (19) and of its support (18).

18. Circular knitting machine with a cylinder bed coaxially seated on the machine bed surrounding the support of the cylinder bed in which the machine comprises means for centering the cylinder bed and, as the case may be, also another mechanism arranged over the cylinder bed and in which the cylinder bed or the cylinder and the needle dial can be mounted into, and removed from, the machine by movements substantially normal to the machine axis, characterized by that there is provided a supporting flange (36) situated above the cylinder bed (3) on the lower end of the bushing (10) removably in axial direction and equipped on its circumference with a step and/or with a bearing surface (39) for needle dial cams (17) and that the diameter of the step and/or of the bearing surface (39) corresponds to the gauge of the needle dial (19) and to the radial position of the needle dial cams (17) related to the gauge of the needle dial (19).

19 Circular knitting machine as claimed in Claim 18, characterized by that the supporting flange (36) is fitted with attachment screws (21 ) whose axis is substantially parallel with the machine axis (6) and with adjusting screws (22), arranged coaxially with the attachment screws (21 ) and serving for adjusting in relation to the machine axis (6) the position and orthogonality of the supporting flange (36) and of the needle dial cams (17) mounted on it and that the adjusting screws (22) are fitted with a coaxial aperture through which the attachment screws (21 ) pass