GB2135701A - Circular knitting machine for the production of high pile knitted fabrics - Google Patents

Abstract

The machine has, one behind another in the direction of rotation of the needle cylinder, a first patterning device 68 for selecting fibre-receiving knitting elements, a combing-in zone 70 for combing fibres into the fibre- receiving knitting elements in track 69, a second patterning device 73 for selecting knitting elements, a first yarn guide 77 for inserting a first base yarn into at least some of the knitting elements passing by it on track 76 and a loop-sinking station 78, the second patterning device being able to select both the fibre-receiving knitting elements and also the knitting elements which receive no fibres for receiving the first base yarn. Elements not selected at 73 may knit a second base yarn at 75. Alternatively a similar effect is produced by feeding the two yarns in successive knitting systems. Elements not selected at the second device may alternatively tuck with the second base yarn. An additional combing-in zone may be provided upstream of 68. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Circular knitting machine for the production of high pile knitted fabrics The invention relates to a circular knitting machine of the kind defined in the preamble of claim 1.

The possible applications of knitted fabrics having combed in fibres, so-called artificial furs or pile fabrics, having during years become ever more and more varied. Moreover, whereas formerly artificial furs with a continuous covering of fibres were mainly sought after, there is today a constantly increasing demand for artificial furs which are produced in a sculptured (high/low) style and in which fibre-free areas composed of a ground fabric only alternate with areas having fibres (DEMOS 28 04 068).

In both types of fabrics, striped or jacquard patterns were produced by combing fibres or flock having different characteristics, e.g. colours, into a flat ground fabric. It was not possible, however, to provide ground fabrics with any desired structural patterns, e.g. 1:1 tuck or 1:1 knitted patterns, in order thereby to control characteristics of the artificial furs other than mere colour characteristics e.g. their inherent stability or their appearance. This is essentially due to the fact that, in all known circular knitting machines for the production of fur fabrics, the means for feeding the base yarns and the knitting parts required for forming the loops are in each case so arranged behind one or more combing-in zones for the fibres that a base thread is also fed automatically to all the fibre-receiving needles.

If the combing-in of the fibres takes place while the needles are in the knitting position (DE-OS 23 43 886), then the old loops formed in a previous knitting cycle will already have been slid down during the combing-in procedure to parts of the needles shanks located below the hook regions of these needles. This produces the result that the base yarn must be inserted in all the fibre-receiving needles if, when the old loops are subsequently knocked down, laddering is to be avoided. Irrespective of whether latch needles, bearded needles, tubular needles, compound (tubular) needles or slide needles are used, the ground fabric cannot therefore be provided with tuck patterns at least within the fibre-cohtaining regions.

Also, when using such known circular knitting machines in which the fibres are combed into the needles that are in the tuck position (AT-PS 348 086, US-PS 3 052 111, EP-OS 51 059), such patterns cannot be produced. Since, regardless of what kind of needle is used in any individual case, all the fibrereceiving needles are so operated before or after passing through the combing-in zone that the old loops slide over the opened latches or tongues on the needle shanks or are otherwise located so far below the needle hooks that a laddering is produced on subsequent knocking over of the old loops, in so far as a needle hook has taken up no base yarn. Consequently, no tuck stitch or other linkage pattern can be obtained in the fibrecontaining regions of the ground fabric.

Due to the limitations referred to which are necessary for technical knitting reasons or which are determined by knitting machine technology, structural patterns in the ground fabric have hitherto been restricted to the fibre-free regions of the ground fabrics (EP-OS 51 059) or have been obtainable only by selecting the fibre-receiving needles in the ratio of 1 :1, 2:2 or the like, so that the number of fibre-receiving needles is certainly greatly reduced, which is undesirable. It is indeed also already possible to control the characteristics of the ground fabric by means of additional laid-in lining threads (DE-OS 28 04068), but the desired multiplicity of structural patterns is not thereby ensured.

The problems referred to in regard to the structural ground fabric patterns are particularly obvious in the production of those knitted fabrics which must have a jacquard pattern as well as a sculptured (high/low) pattern in the pile-covered region.

The basic problem with which this invention is concerned is to improve the circular knitting machine of the kind initially indicated so that the ground fabric can be provided with many different structural patterns (jacquard patterns) both in the regions covered with fibres and also in the fibrefree regions thereof, without the possibility of laddering occurring or unfilled loops being obtained in the fibre-containing regions. The characteristic features of claim 1 are provided in order to soive this problem. Further advantageous features ensue from the sub-claims.

In the circular knitting machine according to the invention, the selection of the fibre-receiving needles takes place only after the combing-in zone has been passed through. As a result of this, the special advantages are obtained that many structural patterns (jacquard patterns) can be produced without laddering or unfilled loops or any restrictions in regard to the fibre-receiving needles having to be allowed for and that the range of applications of knitted fabric with combed-in fibres can be substantially enlarged.

The invention will be described below in more detail with reference to constructional embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a circular knitting machine for producing knitted fabrics; Figure 2 shows an example of the needles used in the circular knitting machine according to Figure 1; Figures 3, 6, 7, 8 and 10 illustrate diagrammatically examples of the operation of the circular knitting machines according to the invention; and Figures 4, 5, 9 and 11 are schematic stitch diagrams of the knitted fabrics produced by the circular knitting machines according to Figures 3, 6,7,8 and 10.

Figure 1 shows a circular knitting machine with needles 1, for example latch needles, and sinkers 2 which are mounted side-by-side and alternatively in the slots of a rotatable needle cylinder 3. The sinkers 2 are pivotally mounted in a circumferential groove in the needle cylinder and are each provided in a conventional manner with a projection 4 and a knocking over edge 5. They are moved forwards and backwards by members 7 and 8 mounted on a cylinder 6 and located respectively above and below the swivel axes of the sinkers 2. The sinkers 2 can be held radially by a surrounding spring (not shown).

Above the needles 1 is arranged at least one combing-in wheel 9 or carding device which defines a combing-in zone and by means of which fibres can be combed into the needles 1. Since, when pivoted sinkers 2 are used, no additional cam plate for a sinker cam is required, the combing-in wheel 9 may be arranged, as desired, either a shorter or a greater distance above the needle cylinder 1 so that the needles 1 can be guided into an intermediate position or into the knitting position during the combing-in operation.

In the circular knitting machine according to Figure 1 , the needles 1 are, during the combing-in operation, in an intermediate position in which their hooks 10 are opened according to Figure 2 so far that bundles of fibres 11 can be combed in and the latches 1 2 can be prevented by the old loops 13, a covering or the like from an uncontrolled closing of the hooks 1 0. The previously formed loops 1 3 are, however, still in a region between the hooks 10 and the free ends of the opened latches 12, i.e. not beyond the latches 12 and not slid down the parts of the shanks of the needles located below them.Since there are a number of positions in which these requirements are fulfilled, e.g. even the tuck position, all these possible positions will be referred to hereinafter as the intermediate position. When using bearded needles (US-PS 3 052 1 1 1), as well as tubular needles and slide needles and other knitting elements suitable for loop-forming, the same holds good, namely that, when the bundle of fibres 11 is combed in, the hook must be open and the old loops 1 3 must still be located in the region of the hooks.If, however the combing-in wheel 9 is arranged so high above the needle cylinder 3 that the needles are located in the knitting position during the combing-in operation, then, when the combing-in operation takes place, the old loops will have already slid below the latches 1 2 on the parts of the needle shanks that are situated below the said latches as shown in Figure 2 by a loop 1 3a indicated in broken lines.

The needles 1 are slidably mounted in the needle cylinder and are provided with high butts 14 (shown in broken lines) or with low butts 1 5 (shown in full iines), which are controllable by cam parts 1 6 or 1 7 mounted on the cylinder 6 cam.

Needles with high or low butts 14,1 5 are distributed over the circumference of the needle cylinder 3 for example in the ratio 1:1, 2:2 or the like.

The further details of such circular knitting machines are known and therefore need not be explained (DE-OS 23 43 886, 2430 824, 26 42 079).

The invention will be described below with reference to a circular knitting machine, the needles.1 of which have the form of latch needles.

Moreover, the needle tracks shown in Figures 3, 6, 7, 8 and 10 indicate those tracks which the heads of the latch needles describe during the movements past the knitting systems brought about by the rotation of the needle cylinder 3. The tracks shown in solid lines are those traversed by the heads of all the needles, while those shown in broken lines are traversed only by the heads of the selected needles. The tracks are obtained with the aid of raising and withdrawal cam parts (known per se) which are mounted in the cylinder 6 cam.

These cam parts which have beem ommitted from the drawings for the sake of simplicity, act in known manner on the butts of the needles and/or of jacks associated therewith. The patterning devices shown diagrammatically in the drawings may be associated with the needles and/or with jacks. When using other kinds of needles instead of the latch needles, tracks differing from those shown in Figures 3, 6, 7, 8 and 10 will be described by the heads of the needles.

In the embodiment according to Figure 3, the needles entering in the non-knit or miss or run through positions from the left first reach a branching point 1 9 in the region of which there is arranged a first paterning device 20 which guides selected needles to an ascending track 21, while the remaining needles remain in the miss position.

After the needles which follow the track 21 have been raised into the intermediate position, they are guided in this position through a combing-in zone 22 in order to comb fibres into their open hooks, and are then fed to a further branching point 23 to which also the needles which contain no fibres are raised along a track 24 after having been first moved, while in the miss position, past the combing-in zone 22. A second patterning device 25, which is arranged at the branching point 23, acts on the butts of the needles in such a manner that for example the high butts 14 are guided into an ascending track 26, while the lower butts 1 5 remain at first in the intermediate position on a track 27. The needles which follow the track 26 are raised into a knitting position, i.e.

they are raised so far that the old loops 1 3 that are still located in the hook region slide over the latches 12 onto the shanks of the needles, as shown in Figure 2 for the loop 13a, before a first base yarn is presented to them by means of a first thread guide 28. The needles which are following the track 26 are then moved back again so that they receive the base yarn in their hooks, after which they are moved along, together with the needles following the track 27, to a position 29 and are finally moved together with the lastmentioned needles along a track 31 leading through a loop-sinking station 30. Moreover, the needles following the track 27 may be already somewhat withdrawn before the position 29 (Figure 3) in order to ensure that they do not also receive the base yarn.The general direction of the movement of the needles brought about by the rotation of the needle cylinder 3 is indicated by an arrow P.

The tracks 21, 24, 26, 27 and 31 are for example associated with a first knitting system S1. In the following knitting system S2, first of all only one track 32 which leads to an intermediate position is provided for all the needles. This track ends at a branching point 33 at which is arranged a third patterning device 34 corresponding to the second patterning device 25 and by means of which, for example, the needles that were previously following the track 27 are guided to a track 35 and those that were previously following the track 26 are guided to a track 36.The track 35 corresponds to the track 26 and drives the corresponding needles into the knitting position, so that the old loops slide down over their latches before a second base thread is laid in the hooks of the needles by means of a second thread guide 37, while the track 36 corresponds to the track 27. Next, both kinds of needles are brought together at a position 38 and into a common track 40 leading through the loop-sinking station 39.

The next two knitting systems may have needle paths which correspond in pairs or are so offset that, in the first system the needles with low butts and in the second system those with high butts receive a base yarn. Alternatively, the paths 32, 36, the branching point 33 and the patterning device 34 may also be arranged at the run through level.

According to Figure 3, in the system S1 only those needles which follow the track 26 form a loop and consequently, for example, have high butts. All other needles, however, pass through the system S1 without forming loops, but also without knocking over the old loops, since these needles, while in the intermediate position, have not yet released the old loops and the first yarn guide 28 is so arranged that the needles cannot receive the first base yarn. In the system S2 on the other hand all those needles, e.g. needles with low butts, which in the system S1 have formed no loops, form a loop, while the remaining needles retain their loops, since they are raised by the track 32 at most into the intermediate position.

This is independent of what needles in the system S1 are introduced into the track 21 by means of the patterning device 20 and have therefore received fibres.

Figure 4 shows diagrammatically two partial rows A and B of the finished knitted fabric which complement one another to a complete row of loops. Each circle 41 therein indicates one loop and each bundle of fibres 42 a loop with fibres combed into it. In the example shown, first five adjacent needles are fed by the patterning device 20 into the track 24, then seven adjacent needles are fed by it into the track 21 and after that five adjacent needles are again fed by it into the track 24. All the needles which pass by are, however, distributed alternately to the tracks 26 and 27 by the second patterning device 25 so that only each second needle takes up the first base yarn from the yarn guide 28.As a result, there is formed in the system S1 the partial rowA in which, between each two circles 41, one needle which follows the track 27 and therefore forms no loop needs to be considered. In the system S2, the distribution to the third patterning device 34 is opposed.

Consequently only those needles which have formed no loops in the partial rowA form loops there corresponding to the partial row B of Figure 4. As shown in Figure 4, this procedure is independent of whether the needles in the system S1 have followed the track 21 or 24 and whether they have or have not picked up fibres.

Consequently, each two partial rows A and B make up a 1:1 ground fabric pattern, which likewise extends both over the regions which contain only the basic knitted fabric and are formed by the two outer groups of five loops each and also over the regions which have the additional fibres and are formed by the middle group of seven loops. Moreover, all the loops of the middle region are covered with fibres, i.e.

despite the structural pattern no unfilled loops are present. Due to the construction and arrangement of the patterning devices 25 and 34 and of the thread guides 28 and 37, structural patterns (jucquard patterns) can therefore be produced both with the needles that pick up the fibre as well as with the remaining needles, The knitted fabric described with reference to Figure 4 brings with it the advantage that the floats of the basic thread extending 1:1 over the whole width of the knitted fabric result in an increased transverse stability. This transverse stability would not be attainable if the same basic yarn were fed to all needles in system S1 or if the patterning device 25 could act on only some of the needles, for example only on the needles which carry no fibres.

If a knitted fabric is to be produced with the aid of the circular knitting machine ascending to Figure 3, the fibres of which fabric have different characteristics, e.g. colours, the knitting system S3 would advantageously be arranged in advance of the systems S1 and 52. The needles entering this system S3 from the left while they are in the run through position are guided at a branching point 44 by means of a fourth patterning device 45 according to a pattern either into a track 46 which ascends to the intermediate position or are left in a run through track 47. The needles which are raised into the intermediate position take up fibres of a first characteristic, e.g. colour, in a combing-in zone 48 and are thereafter returned to the run through track 47 without a base yarn having been previously fed to it and without it having passed through a loop-sinking point. The needles, which are guided to the next branching point 1 9 and are reselected there by means of the first patterning device 20, consequently still carry the old loops in their hooks and in addition according to the pattern carry fibres of the first characteristic.

At least some of those needles which have taken up no fibres in the combing-in zone 48 are directed by means of the patterning device 20 into the track 21, while the remaining needles travel along the track 24. This is followed by the process steps described with reference to Figure 3.

The fabric structure obtained is indicated in Figure 5. It contains a partial row C formed in this system S1 and a partial row D obtained in the system S2, which partial rows together form a complete row. In this case, the circles 49 indicate respective loops, while bundles of fibres 50 and 51 shown in solid lines and broken lines respectively indicate combed-in fibres having two different characteristics corresponding to the combing-in zones 22 and 48 respectively. The only resulting difference compared with Figure 4 is that the needles intended for picking up fibres receive them partly in the combing-in zone 48 and partly in the combing-in zone 22. So far as the control of the ground fabric is concerned there is no resulting difference, since all the needles are brought together again before the branching point 23.

If fibres of more than two characteristics are to be available for selection, further systems may be provided in the direction of travel of the needles prior to the system S3, which further systems are constructed and arranged in conformity with the system S3 and serve for combing-in fibres having further characteristics. Moreover, it would be possible to suppiy base yarns having different characteristics by means of the tread guides 28 and 37, if this is desired, for the design of the ground fabric.

Finally, ground fabrics having other structural pattern variations can be produced with the aid of the circular knitting machine according to Figure 3. For this purpose, a fifth patterning device 53 is provided, by means of which those needles which have received the yarn from the yarn guide 28 are at least partly directed into the track 54. The track 54 branches off from the track 31 at the run through level, so that the needles which are guided into it do not pass through the loop-sinking point 30 of the system S1 and consequently form no loops, but remain in the run through position until they reach the track 32.If those needles which have received the yarn from the yarn guide 28 and have followed the track 54 are directed into the path 35 in the system S2, the yarn will slide over the front surfaces of the shanks of the needles below the latches of these needles and is then laid into the ground fabric alternately in front of and behind the needles like a lining thread.

The same is true when these needles in the system S2 are raised only as far as the intermediate position and consequently the thread is bound into the ground fabric like a tuck loop. A patterning device 55 corresponding to the patterning device 53 may be provided in the system S2. A constructional example of the patterning device 53 is shown in Figure 1. In the slots in the needle cylinder there is provided beneath each needle 1 a jack 56 the lower end of which is arranged in a recess 57 in the needle cylinder and which is mounted so as to be both radiaily pivotable and also slidable in the direction of the central axis of the needle cylinder.Each jack 56 has a butt 59 which cooperates with a raising cam, a shoulder 60 which cooperates with a drawing down cam (not shown) and a coupling part 62 which cooperates with a corresponding coupling part 61 of the associated needle 1.

Associated with each jack 56 is a return spring 63 which is located rearwardly of the said jack 56.

This return spring 63 biases the jack 56 towards the working position shown in solid lines in which it is coupled with the needle 1 as shown in Figure 1, but permits a rocking movement of the jack 56 into the inoperative position, shown in broken lines, in which it is uncoupled from the needle 1.

The free end of a control spring 64 bears against the shoulder 60. While the lower end of the said control spring is fixed to the needle cylinder and cooperates in known manner with a control cam 65 and a control magnet 66 (DE-PS 1 585 211) so as to retain the associated jack 56 in the operative position or to rock it into the inoperative position in accordance with the pattern. It is thus possible, to withdraw the needles by means of the jacks 56 at least into the region of the track 31 (Figure 3) and then, by uncoupling the jacks 56 in accordance with the pattern, to cause selected needles to enter the track 54, whereas all the remaining needles are retracted again so far as the loop-sinking position 30. Instead of the control magnets 66, other control elements, and more particularly mechanical ones, may be provided.

Regardless of this, the method described above of coupling and uncoupling the needles 1 and the jacks 56 may be used at the position of the patterning device 20 for introducing selected needles into the track 21.

When using a circular knitting machine according to Figure 3, it is necessary, in order to produce a complete row, to provide two knitting systems S1 and S2, to each of which a base yarn is supplied. The same complete row can, however, be produced in a single knitting system, if two yarn guides are associated therewith.

Such a knitting system is, for example, arranged as shown in Figure 6. The needles entering from the left in the run through position first reach a branching point 67, in the region of which is provided a first patterning device 68, shown diagrammatically, which directs selected needles into a raising track 69, while leaving the remaining needles unaffected. After the needles following the track 69 have been raised into the intermediate position, they are led in this position through a combing-in zone 70 and are then guided into a path 71 by means of which also the needles that have picked up no fibres are raised.

Then, by means of the track 71 all the needles are raised to the knitting position and then moved on to a further branching point 72 at which a second patterning device 73 is located. The latter acts on the butts of the needles so that for example the needles with the low butts first remain in the knitting position, while the needles with the high butts are retracted by means of a track 74, so that they receive a first base yarn from a first yarn guide 75. The needles with low butts are, however, retracted by a second track 76 arranged behind the track 74 in the direction of movement and in addition are guided past a second yarn guide 77 in such a manner that they pick up a second base yarn. Both kinds of needles are then moved on together by means of a track 79 which passes through a loop-sinking station 78.

Assuming that some of the needles pick up only the base yarn from the yarn guide 75 and the remainder only the base yarn from the yarn guide 77, the 1:1 ground fabric pattern according to Figure 4 is again obtained. Moreover, the manner in which the fibres are bound into the loops may possibly be, but is not necessarily different from that in the constructional form according to Figure 3.

According to a third embodiment of the invention (Figure 7), the pattern according to Figure 4 can also be produced by causing the needles which are to receive the fibres to be directed at a branching point 80 by means of a first patterning device 81 in accordance with a pattern into a track 82 which leads to the knitting position in which it is conveyed through a combing-in zone 83, while the remaining needles pick up no fibres and are conveyed, together with the needles that have picked up fibres, along a track 84 beyond the combing-in zone 83.After that the needles with the high butts, for example, are diverted by a second patterning device 86 arranged at a further branching point 85 so that they are directed along a first draw-down track 87 and are led past a first yarn guide 88, for receiving a first base yarn therefrom, while the remaining needles are diverted along a second draw-down track 89 which lies beyond the track 87 in the direction of movement and are led past a second yarn guide 90 so as to pick up a second base yarn.

At a point 91 both kinds of needles are reunited by a track 93 leading through the loop-sinking station 92. In this case also, just as in Figure 3, a different method of anchoring the fibres in the ground fabric may be used.

Figure 8 shows diagrammatically the needle track arrangement of a further embodiment of the invention in which, as in Figure 3, 6 and-7, the tracks shown in solid lines are traversed by all the needles, but the tracks shown in broken lines are traversed only by selected needles. The needles in the run through position entering from the left first arrive at a branching point 95, in the region of which there is arranged a first patterning device 96, which is indicated diagrammatically and is independent of the nature of the needle butts. This patterning device 96 directs selected needles into a track 97 which slopes up to the intermediate position corresponding in this embodiment to the fibre-receiving position, while the remaining needles remain at first in the run through position in a track 98.The selected needles which, while at an intermediate position, receive fibres in a combing-in zone, as well as the needles that receive no fibres are led to a further branching point 100 which is located at the fibre-receiving level and is provided with a second patterning device 101. This patterning device 101, for example, directs the needles with high butts into a track 102 which slopes up to the knitting position, while the needles with low butts remain in the intermediate position on a track 1 03. The needles which follow the path 102 are then withdrawn so that they receive only one base yarn which is supplied by a first yarn guide 104, while the remaining needles are advanced past a second yarn guide 105 which is so arranged that only the needles that are passing by it in the intermediate position can receive the second base yarn presented thereby.At a position 106 both kinds of needles are reunited and are then removed along a path 108 leading to the loop sinking station 107.

The structural pattern obtained with the needle track arrangement ascending to Figure 8 is iilustrated diagrammatically in Figure 9 with reference to two partial rows E and F, in which each circle 109 represents a loop, each point 110 a tuck loop and each bunch of fibres 111 a loop or tuck loop with fibres combed into it.

Consequently, the pattern according to Figure 9 differs from that according to Figure 4 in that the partial row Fforms with each second needle a tuck loop and therefore both partial rows E and F make up a 1:1 tuck loop pattern. With the aid of the floats of the basic yarn over a needle each, the desired transverse stability of the knitted fabric is therefore obtained as is the case in Figure 4. In addition, the knitting system which follows the knitting system according to Figure 8 may be arranged so that those needles which have formed a tuck loop in the first knitting system, form a loop, while the remaining needles are selected for forming tuck loops.

A further constructional forms of the needle track arrangement is finally shown in Figure 10 which is, apart from the missing system S3, substantially the same as that of Figure 3 and to that extent is provided with the same reference numerals. Unlike Figure 3, additional branching points 113 and 114 are provided in the regions of the systems S1 and S2 respectively.Associated with these two branching points 11 3 and 114 are respective patterning devices 11 5 and 11 6. By means of those patterning devices 11 5 and 11 6 some of those knitting elements, which are raised in Figure 3 by the track 24 and 32, are prevented from ascending to the intermediate position and are directed instead into respective run through tracks 117 and 11 8 which end in associated drawing down tracl < s 31 and 40 respectively. In addition, instead of the two thread guides 28, 37, yarn guides 119 and 120 are provided, which are so arranged that the base yarns supplied by them are fed both to the needles moving along the track 26 and 35 and also to those moving along the tracks 27 and 36.

Figure 11 shows diagrammatically the stitch diagram for a knitted fabric produced, for example, with the aid of the needle track arrangement according to Figure 1 0. This differs from the knitted fabric according to Figure 4 or 5 in that the ground fabric consists, in each of the fibre-carrying regions, of a 1:1 tuck pattern and in the fibre-free regions on the other hand of a 1:1 ground fabric pattern. Moreover, two partial rows G and Hform a complete row in which once again loops are indicated by circles 1 21, tuck loops as points 1 22 and bundles of fibres as solid lineas 123. Unlike Figures 4, 5 and 9, all needles in the intermediate or tuck position and all needles raised into the knitting position receive the base threads from the thread guide 119 and 120.Thus also for example in the system S1, the needles can be selected in a ratio of 1:1:1 for knitting, tucking and run through, while in the system S2 all those needles receive threads which in the system S1 passed through without receiving threads.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described which may be modified in many different ways. Instead of the patterning devices described, other mechanical, electrical or electromagnetic patterning devices, or patterning devices which operate in some other way, may be provided, regardless of whether they are to be used for selecting fibre-receiving needles or for selecting those needles which are designed for forming tuck loops or floating stitches. In addition, those needle tracks which have been described with reference to Figures 6 to 8 and are characterised by the working of two base threads into one knitting system may also be replaced by needle tracks which extend over two systems so that, in accordance with Figure 3 one base thread is fed to each system.Moreover, instead of the 1:1 pattern described, other patterns such as 2:2 or the like, whether offset staggered or not offset, may be substituted. Depending on the desired pattern possibilities, the needle track arrangements may furthermore be combined with one another, in particular by connecting the needle track arrangements according to Figure 5 to 8 in series with systems corresponding to the system S3 according to Figure 3. The circular knitting machine described with reference to Figure 1 may also be modified in so far as devices other than those described may be used for combing-in the fibres. Moreover, ell the devices described may be repeated on the circumference of the needle cylinder as many times as space is available for them.

Furthermore, it is possible to find further means for controlling the combing-in procedure and/or the pattern of the ground fabric (EP-OS 51 059) and to provide further means for opening the needle latches and/or for holding them open, should this be necessary, in addition to known latch openings and known means for holding latches open.

Finally, all the embodiments described can also be used for producing knitted fabrics with closed fibre coverings and preselected structural patterns (jacquard patterns) in the ground fabric.

Claims (16)

1. Circular knitting machine with a rotatable needle cylinder having knitting elements mounted therein for the production of high-pile knitted fabrics consisting of a knitted ground fabric with fibres tightly held therein, in which machine there are provided, one behind another in the direction of rotation of the needle cylinder, a first patterning device for selecting fibre-receiving knitting elements, at least one combing-in zone for combing fibres into the fibre-receiving knitting elements, a second patterning device for selecting knitting elements, a first yarn guide for inserting a first base yarn into at least some of the knitting elements passing by it and a loop-sinking station traversed by the knitting elements, characterised in that the second patterning device (25, 73, 86, 101) and the first yarn guide (28, 77, 90, 104, 11 9) are so arranged that both the fibre-receiving knitting elements (tracks 21, 69, 82, 97) and also the knitting elements (tracks 24, 71, 84, 98) which receive no fibres can be selected for receiving the first base yarn according to a pattern before they pass through the loop-sinking station (30, 78, 92, 107).

2. Circular knitting machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the fibre-receiving knitting elements (tracks 21, 97) while passing through the combing-in zone (22, 99) are guided in an intermediate position and in this intermediate position can be fed, together with at least some of the knitting elements (tracks 24, 98) which receive no fibres, to the second patterning device (25, 101).

3. Circular knitting machine according to claim 2, characterised in that a second yarn guide (105) is so arranged that the knitting elements (track 103) which are not selected by the second patterning device (1 01) for the reception of the first base yarn receive a second base yarn before passing through the loop-sinking station (107).

4. Circular knitting machine according to claim 3, characterised in that the knitting elements which receive the first base yarn can be brought into the knitting position (track 102) before receiving the first base yarn.

5. Circular knitting machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the fibre-receiving knitting elements (track 69), while passing through the combing-in zone (70), are guided in an intermediate position and, while passing through the second patterning device (73) are guided, together with at least some of the knitting elements (track 71) which receive no fibres, in the knitting position.

6. Circular knitting machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the fibre-receiving knitting elements (track 82), while passing through the combing-in zone (83), are guided in the knitting position and in this knitting position can be fed, together with at least some of the knitting elements (track 84) which receive no fibres, to the second patterning device (86).

7. Circular knitting machine according to claim 5 or 6, characterised in that, between the second patterning device (73, 92) and the loop-sinking station (78, 92), a second thread guide (75, 88) is so arranged that a second base yarn can be introduced into those knitting elements (tracks 74, 87) which have not received the first base yarn.

8. Circular knitting machine according to at least one of claims 5 to 7, characterised in that the first patterning device (68, 81, 96), the combingin zone (70, 83, 99), the second patterning device (73, 86, 101), the two yarn guides (77, 90, 104 and 75, 88, 1 05) and the loop-sinking station (78, 92, 107) are arranged within one knitting system.

9. Circular knitting machine according to claim 2, characterised in that there are provided in the direction of rotation of the needle cylinder behind the first loop-sinking station (30) a third patterning device (34), a second yarn guide (37, 120) and a second loop-sinking station (39) and that the third patterning device (34) and the second yarn guide (37, 120) are so arranged that a second base yarn can be inserted into at least some of those knitting elements which have not received the first base yarn.

10. Circular knitting machine according to claim 9, characterised in that the first patterning device (20), the combing-in zone (22), the second patterning device (25), the first yarn guide (28, 119) and the first loop-sinking station (30) are correlated within a first knitting system (S 1) and the second patterning device (34), the second yarn guide (37, 120) and the second loop-sinking station (39) are correlated within a second knitting system (S2).

11. Circular knitting machine according to claim 9 or 10, characterised in that at least some of the knitting elements which receive the first or second base yarn can be brought into the knitting position (tracks 26, 35) before receiving the first or second base yarn.

12. Circular knitting machine according to at least one of claims 9 to 11, characterised in that the twd thread guides (119, 120) are so arranged that all the knitting elements which are guided to the second or third patterning device (25 34) receive the first or second base yarn.

13. Circular knitting machine according to at least one of claims 1 to 12, characterised in that there is arranged in the direction of rotation of the needle cylinder before the combing-in zone (22) at least one further combing-in zone (48) to which selected knitting elements (track 46) can be guided by means of a fourth patterning device (45).

14. Circular knitting machine according to at least one of claims 1 to 13, characterised in that between the first patterning device (20) and the second patterning device (25) there is arranged a patterning device (11 5) by means of which those knitting elements which receive no fibres in the first combing-in zone (22) can be advanced in accordance with a pattern to the second patterning device (25) or, while they are in the run through position, directly to the first loop-sinking station (30).

1 5. Circular knitting machine according to at least one of claims 9 to 14, characterised in that between the first loop-sinking station (30) and the third patterning device (34) there is provided a patterning device (11 6) by means of which knitting elements can be guided in accordance with a pattern to the third patterning device (34) or, while they are in the run through position, directly to the second loop-sinking station (39).

16. Circular knitting machine according to at least one of claims 1 to 15, characterised in that before the first and/or second loop-sinking stations (30 or 39) there is provided a patterning device by means of which the knitting elements can be guided in accordance with a pattern to the loop-sinking station (30 or 39) or guided so as to bypass the latter while they are in the run through position.