A knitting needle or knitting needle assembly may include a braided metal cable having opposite ends, with first and second cylindrical members coupled to the opposite ends, respectively. Each of the cylindrical members may have a respective longitudinal axis extending along a cylindrical body thereof. At least one of the first and second cylindrical members may be coupled to its respective end of the cable such that the cylindrical member swivels about its longitudinal axis with respect to the cable to permit relative rotation between the respective cylindrical member and the cable. Additionally, the cylindrical member may define a first radially extending surface that prevents axial translation of the cable with respect to the cylindrical member while permitting relative rotation of the cylindrical member about the cable.

A knitting needle or knitting needle assembly may include a braided metal cable having opposite ends, with first and second cylindrical members coupled to the opposite ends, respectively. Each of the cylindrical members may have a respective longitudinal axis extending along a cylindrical body thereof. At least one of the first and second cylindrical members may be coupled to its respective end of the cable such that the cylindrical member swivels about its longitudinal axis with respect to the cable to permit relative rotation between the respective cylindrical member and the cable. Additionally, the cylindrical member may define a first radially extending surface that prevents axial translation of the cable with respect to the cylindrical member while permitting relative rotation of the cylindrical member about the cable.

An open-type knitting machine for the open and width-variable web production with a fabric take-down and/or collecting assembly, including a basement and a knitting head provided with a needle-holding element having a plurality of needles arranged around a central axis. A first active needle and a last active needle of the plurality delimit between them a dead zone of the needle-holding element without active needles, and an operating zone shaped as an arc of circle and provided with active needles for producing a partially tubular knitted fabric. A take-down and/or collecting assembly for the knitted fabric under production is arranged downstream from the knitting head with respect to a feeding direction of the knitted fabric. The knit-ting machine further comprises devices for adjusting the angular position of the take-down and/or collecting assembly with respect to the dead zone of the needle-holding element around the central axis.

A method includes the steps of: a) providing a needle bed body and insertion sheets, wherein the needle bed body is provided with slots, the needle bed body has a first datum plane and a second datum plane, each insertion sheet has a first and second portions at two ends thereof and corresponding to the first datum plane and the second datum plane; b) measuring sizes of the inserting sheets and the bottom of the slot and milling each slot when needed; c) measuring sizes of the first datum plane and second datum plane and machining the first and second datum planes when needed; and d) inserting the insertion sheets into the slots with making the first and second portions attached on the first and second datum planes, respectively.

A method includes the steps of: a) providing a needle bed body and insertion sheets, wherein the needle bed body is provided with slots, the needle bed body has a first datum plane and a second datum plane, each insertion sheet has a first and second portions at two ends thereof and corresponding to the first datum plane and the second datum plane; b) measuring sizes of the inserting sheets and the bottom of the slot and milling each slot when needed; c) measuring sizes of the first datum plane and second datum plane and machining the first and second datum planes when needed; and d) inserting the insertion sheets into the slots with making the first and second portions attached on the first and second datum planes, respectively.

An open-type circular knitting machine for the open and width-variable web production with a knitted fabric take-down and/or collecting assembly, including: a basement, knitting head and take-down and/or collecting assembly for the fabric. The head is equipped with a needle-holding element having a plurality of needles arranged around a central axis; a first and last active needle delimit a dead zone of the element without needles, and an arc-shaped operating zone with active needles. The head has a control device connected to the active needles to selectively actuate them to produce an open knitted fabric extending between two side edges making up two selvedges of the fabric. The assembly is downstream from the head with respect to feeding direction of the fabric, configured for rotating integral or coordinated with the element during production. Further, at least a first cutting device, configured for progressively cutting and/or trimming the produced fabric.

An open-type circular knitting machine for the open and width-variable web production with a knitted fabric take-down and/or collecting assembly, including: a basement, knitting head and take-down and/or collecting assembly for the fabric. The head is equipped with a needle-holding element having a plurality of needles arranged around a central axis; a first and last active needle delimit a dead zone of the element without needles, and an arc-shaped operating zone with active needles. The head has a control device connected to the active needles to selectively actuate them to produce an open knitted fabric extending between two side edges making up two selvedges of the fabric. The assembly is downstream from the head with respect to feeding direction of the fabric, configured for rotating integral or coordinated with the element during production. Further, at least a first cutting device, configured for progressively cutting and/or trimming the produced fabric.

A circular knitting machine includes a needle-holding cylinder, having longitudinal grooves arranged around a central axis and housing a plurality of needles, and a needle-holding ring having radial grooves housing a plurality of holding-down sinkers, wherein each needle is paired with at least one respective adjacent sinker so as to form a needle-sinker assembly. Each needle-sinker assembly includes a pre-selection element paired with the respective needle and comprising a connecting portion and an activation element comprising an operating portion. The pre-selection element is vertically movable to a pre-selection configuration in which the connecting portion is engaged into a connecting seat defined in the sinker. The activation element is horizontally movable, towards the central axis, until acting upon the pre-selection element, so that the connecting portion causes in its turn a movement of the sinker in the radial groove towards the central axis, thus performing an activation of the sinker.

A circular knitting machine includes a needle-holding cylinder, having longitudinal grooves arranged around a central axis and housing a plurality of needles, and a needle-holding ring having radial grooves housing a plurality of holding-down sinkers, wherein each needle is paired with at least one respective adjacent sinker so as to form a needle-sinker assembly. Each needle-sinker assembly includes a pre-selection element paired with the respective needle and comprising a connecting portion and an activation element comprising an operating portion. The pre-selection element is vertically movable to a pre-selection configuration in which the connecting portion is engaged into a connecting seat defined in the sinker. The activation element is horizontally movable, towards the central axis, until acting upon the pre-selection element, so that the connecting portion causes in its turn a movement of the sinker in the radial groove towards the central axis, thus performing an activation of the sinker.

A circular knitting machine includes sinkers and selector jacks corresponding thereto that are provided as separate components. The selector jacks are arranged radially outside the sinkers, and are provided with selector butts such that the selector butts of circumferentially adjacent selector jacks are arranged at different radial positions. An actuator that acts on the selector butts is arranged radially outside the cylinder. The circular knitting machine prevents a failure of sinker selection, while increasing a rotation speed of a cylinder holding knitting needles.