A circular knitting machine for knitted or hosiery items includes a supporting structure; a needle-holding cylinder selectively turnable around an axis of rotation of the knitting machine and provided with a plurality of cylinder needles; and a dial assembly arranged above the needle-holding cylinder. The dial assembly includes a supporting ring integral with the supporting structure; a needle-holding plate turnably mounted to the supporting ring and turnable around the axis of rotation; a plurality of plate needles; and a plurality of cams controlling the plate needles, which interact with the plate needles so as to transmit to them a radial movement inside the respective sliding seat based on a given law of motion, wherein the control cams globally form a cam profile defining the law of motion. The dial assembly further includes a stitch cam placed movably on the supporting ring and configured for interacting with the plate needles in a given angular sector during the rotation of the needle-holding plate, so as to transmit to the plate needles a motion of return for executing stitch formation. The stitch cam is selectively movable with respect to the cam profile.

A circular knitting machine for knitted or hosiery items includes a supporting structure; a needle-holding cylinder selectively turnable around an axis of rotation of the knitting machine and provided with a plurality of cylinder needles; and a dial assembly arranged above the needle-holding cylinder. The dial assembly includes a supporting ring integral with the supporting structure; a needle-holding plate turnably mounted to the supporting ring and turnable around the axis of rotation; a plurality of plate needles; and a plurality of cams controlling the plate needles, which interact with the plate needles so as to transmit to them a radial movement inside the respective sliding seat based on a given law of motion, wherein the control cams globally form a cam profile defining the law of motion. The dial assembly further includes a stitch cam placed movably on the supporting ring and configured for interacting with the plate needles in a given angular sector during the rotation of the needle-holding plate, so as to transmit to the plate needles a motion of return for executing stitch formation. The stitch cam is selectively movable with respect to the cam profile.

A needle-holding element for circular knitting machines, having a structure as a hollow solid of rotation developing around a central axis and configured for rotating and for supporting a plurality of needles moving so as to produce a knitted fabric; the needle-holding element has at least one working surface shaped as a surface of rotation obtained through the rotation of a portion of generating straight line around the central axis; on the working surface a plurality of needle seats is defined, placed one beside the other and arranged circumferentially or radially around the central axis, wherein each needle seat movably houses at least a portion of at least one respective needle. At least one needle seat has at least a first length has a longitudinal development, on the working surface, inclined with respect to the generating straight line.

A circular machine for knitting, hosiery or the like, with sinker actuation device, comprising a needle cylinder; the needle cylinder has, on its lateral surface, a plurality of axial grooves, each of which accommodates a needle that can move on command along the corresponding axial groove in order to pick up at least one yarn dispensed at at least one feed or drop and form knitting; the machine also comprises needle actuation cams, which face the lateral surface of the needle cylinder and define paths that are extended around the axis of the needle cylinder and can be engaged by at least one heel of the needles, which protrudes from the lateral surface of the needle cylinder, in order to actuate the movement of the needles along the corresponding axial groove with respect to the needle cylinder as a consequence of the rotation of the needle cylinder about its own axis with respect to the needle actuation cams and the at least one feed.

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 support and control device, intended to be mounted in a circular knitting machine provided with a supporting structure, a rotating component-holding unit, and a plurality of stitch formation components, includes a support body provided with a mounting portion, which allows the device to be mounted to the supporting structure, with a front side and a rear side. The front side faces the component-holding unit and is provided with at least one cam for controlling the plurality of stitch formation components, which defines a guiding path which interacts with respective butts for controlling each of the stitch formation components; the rear side is opposite to the front side and faces the outside of the knitting machine. The device includes at least one through opening between the front side and the rear side, open on the guiding path, which defines an empty space placing at least a portion of the guiding path of the cam in direct communication with the outside of the device, so that the respective butts of the stitch formation components interacting with the cam are facing, and in direct communication with, the empty space.

A circular knitting machine for manufacturing open-work knitted fabric includes a crown arranged around a needle-holding cylinder and having a plurality of radial grooves and a guiding ring operatively associated to the crown. Each of a plurality of knockover sinkers is housed in one of the radial grooves, is radially movable in the respective radial groove and has a pin configured for cooperating with the needles. At least one shaped sinker is placed beside each of the knockover sinkers and is movable with respect to the respective knockover sinker. The shaped sinker has a protrusion offset laterally with respect to the respective knockover sinker and configured for elongating an interstitch, arranging it on an adjacent needle and forming an open work. A selector is operatively coupled with the shaped sinker and is oscillating in a radial plane between a rest position and an operating position, wherein in the operating position the selector acts indirectly upon the shaped sinker so as to deviate the trajectory of the shaped sinker. A selecting actuator faces laterally the crown and can be engaged upon command with the selectors for causing the selectors to switch from the rest position to the operating position.

A circular knitting machine for manufacturing open-work knitted fabric includes a crown arranged around a needle-holding cylinder and having a plurality of radial grooves and a guiding ring operatively associated to the crown. Each of a plurality of knockover sinkers is housed in one of the radial grooves, is radially movable in the respective radial groove and has a pin configured for cooperating with the needles. At least one shaped sinker is placed beside each of the knockover sinkers and is movable with respect to the respective knockover sinker. The shaped sinker has a protrusion offset laterally with respect to the respective knockover sinker and configured for elongating an interstitch, arranging it on an adjacent needle and forming an open work. A selector is operatively coupled with the shaped sinker and is oscillating in a radial plane between a rest position and an operating position, wherein in the operating position the selector acts indirectly upon the shaped sinker so as to deviate the trajectory of the shaped sinker. A selecting actuator faces laterally the crown and can be engaged upon command with the selectors for causing the selectors to switch from the rest position to the operating position.

A support and control device, intended to be mounted in a circular knitting machine provided with a supporting structure, a rotating component-holding unit, and a plurality of stitch formation components, includes a support body provided with a mounting portion, which allows the device to be mounted to the supporting structure, with a front side and a rear side. The front side faces the component-holding unit and is provided with at least one cam for controlling the plurality of stitch formation components, which defines a guiding path which interacts with respective butts for controlling each of the stitch formation components; the rear side is opposite to the front side and faces the outside of the knitting machine. The front side is without undercuts or holes or hollow surfaces facing said needle-holding unit.

A support and control device, intended to be mounted in a circular knitting machine provided with a supporting structure, a rotating component-holding unit, and a plurality of stitch formation components, includes a support body provided with a mounting portion, which allows the device to be mounted to the supporting structure, with a front side and a rear side. The front side faces the component-holding unit and is provided with at least one cam for controlling the plurality of stitch formation components, which defines a guiding path which interacts with respective butts for controlling each of the stitch formation components; the rear side is opposite to the front side and faces the outside of the knitting machine. The front side is without undercuts or holes or hollow surfaces facing said needle-holding unit.