A shaped sinker (1) for knitting machines includes a main horizontal body (2), destined to be slidingly housed inside a radial groove of a sinker-holding crown of a knitting machine and having a main longitudinal development between a rear portion (2A) and a front portion (2B); an upright (3) developing vertically from the main body near the front portion (2B) and ending on top with an upper portion (4) defining an upper resting plane (30) destined to receive one or more yarns resting thereupon during stitch formation; and a protrusion (6) rising from the upper portion of the upright, developing towards the front portion of the main body and having on top a sliding plane (60). The protrusion rises from the upper portion of the upright so that the sliding plane is moved forward with respect to the upper resting plane of the upright. The protrusion is laterally offset or inclined with respect to the upright, from which it rises, and is configured for loading and stretching an interstitch and arrange it on an adjacent needle of the knitting machine so as to form an open work. The sliding plane of the protrusion is lowered with respect to the upper resting plane of the upright.

A method and a knitting device for plating with compound needles on a circular knitting machine is described herein. At least two yarns are inserted into the hook area of a compound needle. A sinker is moved in such a way relative to a knock-over edge disposed immovably on a cylinder that the sinker, by way of a guide means, guides at least one of the yarns further into the hook area of the compound needle, in the direction of the needle shank, and in doing so keeps the yarns separated. The sinker furthermore moves, in the longitudinal direction and the elevational direction, in such a manner relative to the knock-over edge that the guide means performs a movement which, at least section-wise, tracks at least one yarn.

A method and a knitting device for plating with compound needles on a circular knitting machine is described herein. At least two yarns are inserted into the hook area of a compound needle. A sinker is moved in such a way relative to a knock-over edge disposed immovably on a cylinder that the sinker, by way of a guide means, guides at least one of the yarns further into the hook area of the compound needle, in the direction of the needle shank, and in doing so keeps the yarns separated. The sinker furthermore moves, in the longitudinal direction and the elevational direction, in such a manner relative to the knock-over edge that the guide means performs a movement which, at least section-wise, tracks at least one yarn.

A flat knitting machine structure with an adjustable gap between two knock-over bits includes two needle beds and two cam systems. Each needle bed comprises a plurality of needles and a plurality of knock-over bits. Each needle comprises a butt. Each of the knock-over bits comprises a control butt. The two needle beds are disposed at interval so that the knock-over bits face each other to define a gap. The distance of the gap is equal to a space between two knock-over bits facing each other. Each cam system comprises a needle cam to provide the plurality of butts being placed and guide each needle to make a knitting stroke towards the gap, and a knock-over bit cam provides the control butts being placed. The knock-over bit cam is controlled to define a displacement stroke for driving the plurality of knock-over bits to change the size of the gap.

A method of making a loop fastener product features knitting, such as by circular knitting, a pile yarn and one or more ground yarns to form a stretchable knit fabric having loops of the pile yarn extending from a knit ground, with the ground yarns including polymers of differing melt temperatures. The knit fabric is then held in a desired state while the fabric is set by first applying sufficient heat to cause the lower melt temperature resin to flow into interstices of the fabric ground, and then allowing the fabric to cool. The cooled fabric ground is less stretchable in two orthogonal directions after setting than before setting, has a greater air permeability after setting than before setting, and has hook-engageable pile loops extending from bound interstices.

A method of making a loop fastener product features knitting, such as by circular knitting, a pile yarn and one or more ground yarns to form a stretchable knit fabric having loops of the pile yarn extending from a knit ground, with the ground yarns including polymers of differing melt temperatures. The knit fabric is then held in a desired state while the fabric is set by first applying sufficient heat to cause the lower melt temperature resin to flow into interstices of the fabric ground, and then allowing the fabric to cool. The cooled fabric ground is less stretchable in two orthogonal directions after setting than before setting, has a greater air permeability after setting than before setting, and has hook-engageable pile loops extending from bound interstices.

A stitch forming element for a stitch-forming textile machine, wherein the textile machine includes a stitch-forming element carrier with at least one guide channel for guiding at least one stitch-forming element. The stitch-forming element includes a longitudinal axis and a vertical axis and a first recess with a lower edge, an upper edge, an open first end and a closed second end for stitch formation. The stitch-forming element further includes a second recess with a lower edge, an upper edge, an open first end and a closed second end for cleaning the at least one guide channel. The stitch-forming textile machine includes a stitch-forming element carrier with at least one guide channel, and at least one such stitching element. The least one stitch-forming element with its second recess is guided in the at least one guide channel.

A stitch forming element for a stitch-forming textile machine, wherein the textile machine includes a stitch-forming element carrier with at least one guide channel for guiding at least one stitch-forming element. The stitch-forming element includes a longitudinal axis and a vertical axis and a first recess with a lower edge, an upper edge, an open first end and a closed second end for stitch formation. The stitch-forming element further includes a second recess with a lower edge, an upper edge, an open first end and a closed second end for cleaning the at least one guide channel. The stitch-forming textile machine includes a stitch-forming element carrier with at least one guide channel, and at least one such stitching element. The least one stitch-forming element with its second recess is guided in the at least one guide channel.

A method for knitting a three-dimensional fabric with variable thickness through a flat knitting machine includes the following steps: moving two cam groups and driving a plurality of knitting needles to knit a first piece of knitting by a starting cam system; moving the two cam groups and driving the plurality of knitting needles to knit a second piece of knitting by a middle cam system; and moving the two cam groups and driving the plurality of knitting needles to knit a supporting yarn by two tail cam systems respectively. The tail cam systems control each of a plurality of knock-over bit cams to move according to a gap size corresponding to a knitting length of the supporting yarn, so as to promptly change a thickness of the three-dimensional fabric along the length change of the supporting yarn.

A device (1), a sinker arrangement (5) and a method for loop-forming are described. The device (1) may include a cylinder (2) with first grooves (3) for needles (4) accommodated in a first groove (3), whereby the needles (4) include a loop forming section, and a sinker ring (27) with second grooves (15) for the sinker arrangement (5). The sinker arrangement (5) may include an actuating section (12) and a loop forming section (7). The loop forming section (7) includes an opening (11), and the sinker arrangements (5) are accommodated in one single second groove (15). The opening (11) may be delimited in the width direction (x) by two side faces (23) and the loop forming section of the needle (4) is movably disposed between the two side faces (23) of the opening (11).