The machine for making an upper for a shoe comprises a reel holder rack, a dial and a sinker crown, a needle cylinder with a vertical axis and forward and backward movement having a plurality of grooves, inside of which the (needles) are slidable, controlled by selection means thereof, a cup element, at least four feeders assembled along the circumference of the machine, guide means, first braking means, first recovery means for recovering each of the threads to be fed to said needles for forming the upper and a suction bell for unloading said upper, below said first braking means at least second braking means being present for braking or locking each thread for the formation of said upper during at least the first part of the return movement of said needle holder cylinder and second recovery means for recovering said thread from said cylinder, preventing its recovery by a reel of said reels, said second braking means being activated and deactivated by said second recovery means.

A method for providing semi-finished tubular manufactured articles to be closed by stitching at an axial end thereof for the production of socks, comprising a step of providing the body of the tubular manufactured article and a step of providing an end portion of the tubular manufactured article which comprises: a step of providing an intermediate band connected to the body of the manufactured article and thinner than the thickness at least of the rows of knitting of the body of the manufactured article which are connected to the intermediate band; a step of providing an end edge thicker than the thickness of the intermediate band; the height of the intermediate band, proximate to the regions that constitute the lateral ends of the two flaps of the end portion to be overlapped in order to stitch the axial end to be closed of the tubular manufactured article, is lower than the height of the remaining part of the intermediate band.

A method for providing semi-finished tubular manufactured articles to be closed by stitching at an axial end thereof for the production of socks, comprising a step of providing the body of the tubular manufactured article and a step of providing an end portion of the tubular manufactured article which comprises: a step of providing an intermediate band connected to the body of the manufactured article and thinner than the thickness at least of the rows of knitting of the body of the manufactured article which are connected to the intermediate band; a step of providing an end edge thicker than the thickness of the intermediate band; the height of the intermediate band, proximate to the regions that constitute the lateral ends of the two flaps of the end portion to be overlapped in order to stitch the axial end to be closed of the tubular manufactured article, is lower than the height of the remaining part of the intermediate band.

A circular knitting machine (1) for knitwear or hosiery, comprising a bearing structure, a needle-bearing organ (3) and a plurality of mobile needles (N) for producing a knitted fabric; a plurality of flanked stitch-forming slots (5) is defined in an external surface (4) of the needle-bearing organ (3), each of which slots movably houses a respective needle actuable with alternating motion along the relative stitch-forming slot. The needle-bearing organ is superiorly provided with a knit-forming plane (P) destined to restingly receive portions of knitting situated between two contiguous needles (N). The machine comprises, in the zones (15) comprised between two contiguous stitch-forming slots (5), retaining organs (10) of the knitting exhibiting each a respective portion defining a stop abutment (11) for the knitting; each retaining organ (10) of the knitting being mobile on command from a first position, in which it does not interfere with the knitting being formed, to a second position, in which it inserts between two contiguous needles (N), in a zone which superiorly faces the knit-forming plane. In the zones comprised between the contiguous stitch-forming slots (5), the machine comprises lamellae (20) defining the knitting plane, each exhibiting a respective defining portion (21) of the knitting plane; each lamella (20) is removably mountable superiorly of the needle-bearing organ, so as to be coplanar with the corresponding retaining organ (10) located in the same zone (15), and in such a way that the respective knitting plane defining portion (21) defines a respective portion (Px) of the stitch-forming plane (P) of the needle-bearing organ (3) comprised between two contiguous stitch-forming slots (5).

A circular knitting machine (1) for knitwear or hosiery, comprising a bearing structure, a needle-bearing organ (3) and a plurality of mobile needles (N) for producing a knitted fabric; a plurality of flanked stitch-forming slots (5) is defined in an external surface (4) of the needle-bearing organ (3), each of which slots movably houses a respective needle actuable with alternating motion along the relative stitch-forming slot. The needle-bearing organ is superiorly provided with a knit-forming plane (P) destined to restingly receive portions of knitting situated between two contiguous needles (N). The machine comprises, in the zones (15) comprised between two contiguous stitch-forming slots (5), retaining organs (10) of the knitting exhibiting each a respective portion defining a stop abutment (11) for the knitting; each retaining organ (10) of the knitting being mobile on command from a first position, in which it does not interfere with the knitting being formed, to a second position, in which it inserts between two contiguous needles (N), in a zone which superiorly faces the knit-forming plane. In the zones comprised between the contiguous stitch-forming slots (5), the machine comprises lamellae (20) defining the knitting plane, each exhibiting a respective defining portion (21) of the knitting plane; each lamella (20) is removably mountable superiorly of the needle-bearing organ, so as to be coplanar with the corresponding retaining organ (10) located in the same zone (15), and in such a way that the respective knitting plane defining portion (21) defines a respective portion (Px) of the stitch-forming plane (P) of the needle-bearing organ (3) comprised between two contiguous stitch-forming slots (5).

A needle cylinder of a circular knitting machine includes a cylinder jacket having axial needle channels, knitting needles movable therein and an upper cylinder end for stitch formation having a radial groove between pairs of adjacent needle channels each having an insert forming a stitch formation surface with its insert surface protruding from the groove. Exchangeable, stitch formation surfaces form quickly replaceable inserts. Each insert is a spring lug including a lug foot overlapping the upper cylinder end at the side of the cylinder jacket or the side edge of an outer ring channel in the upper cylinder end and a lug terminal with a terminal part springily engaging behind a counter support projecting at the upper cylinder end at the cylinder's inner side or a side edge of an inner ring channel in the upper cylinder end. A circular knitting machine with the needle cylinder is also provided.

A needle cylinder of a circular knitting machine includes a cylinder jacket having axial needle channels, knitting needles movable therein and an upper cylinder end for stitch formation having a radial groove between pairs of adjacent needle channels each having an insert forming a stitch formation surface with its insert surface protruding from the groove. Exchangeable, stitch formation surfaces form quickly replaceable inserts. Each insert is a spring lug including a lug foot overlapping the upper cylinder end at the side of the cylinder jacket or the side edge of an outer ring channel in the upper cylinder end and a lug terminal with a terminal part springily engaging behind a counter support projecting at the upper cylinder end at the cylinder's inner side or a side edge of an inner ring channel in the upper cylinder end. A circular knitting machine with the needle cylinder is also provided.

A knitting method and an apparatus for a cylindrical biaxial weft-knitted three-dimensional knitted structure. The biaxial three-dimensional knitted structure comprises two weft plain stitch structures (7, 7), a group of spacer yarns (416), two groups of weft inserting yarns (415, 415) and a group of warp inserting yarns (43), wherein the two groups of weft inserting yarns are used for selective weft inserting on a needle dial (11) or a needle cylinder (13), the warp inserting yarns are positioned between the two groups of weft inserting yarns, the two weft plain stitch structures are connected with each other by the group of spacer yarns, for jointly clamping the weft inserting yarns and the warp inserting yarns, in order to form a biaxial weft-knitted three-dimensional knitted structure. Such three-dimensional knitted structure improves the mechanical properties of three-dimensional knitted fabrics; by increasing the interval between the needle dial and the needle cylinder, the thickness of the knitted structure is increased, which is suitable for the reinforced structure of high-performance structural and functional composite materials, and expand the field of the use of the knitted structures.

A knitting method and an apparatus for a cylindrical biaxial weft-knitted three-dimensional knitted structure. The biaxial three-dimensional knitted structure comprises two weft plain stitch structures (7, 7), a group of spacer yarns (416), two groups of weft inserting yarns (415, 415) and a group of warp inserting yarns (43), wherein the two groups of weft inserting yarns are used for selective weft inserting on a needle dial (11) or a needle cylinder (13), the warp inserting yarns are positioned between the two groups of weft inserting yarns, the two weft plain stitch structures are connected with each other by the group of spacer yarns, for jointly clamping the weft inserting yarns and the warp inserting yarns, in order to form a biaxial weft-knitted three-dimensional knitted structure. Such three-dimensional knitted structure improves the mechanical properties of three-dimensional knitted fabrics; by increasing the interval between the needle dial and the needle cylinder, the thickness of the knitted structure is increased, which is suitable for the reinforced structure of high-performance structural and functional composite materials, and expand the field of the use of the knitted structures.

A loop-forming process includes moving at least two system components (11, 12) in one groove (16) of a needle bed in a first longitudinal direction (y). The system components contact threads (23) for forming loops. At least one spacer (10) is placed between two adjacent system components (11, 12) moved in the groove (16), whereby this spacer (10) contributes to distance (21) adjustment between loop-forming portions in the direction () of the grooves' (16) width. The at least one spacer (10) moves together with a first one of the two adjacent system components (11, 12) and is at least temporarily moved inside a section (41) of the longitudinal (y) extension where the spacer (10) and the second system component (12) are in mechanical contact and/or in which the spacer (10) is in mechanical contact with a second spacer (10) moved together with the second of the two system components (11, 12).