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 circular knitting machine (1) for knitwear or hosiery, comprising a bearing structure (2), a needle cylinder (C), a plurality of needles and a plurality of thread feeding points, or feeders (3), positioned circumferentially about the needle cylinder, in which the thread is supplied to the needles. Each feeder is provided with at least a thread guide group (4), comprising a body (5), a pneumatic supply inlet (6), a plurality of feeders, a plurality of pneumatic actuators able to move the feeders, and a plurality of solenoid valves (8) mounted and connected directly to the body (5), wherein each solenoid valve activate or deactivates the pneumatic supply to a respective pneumatic actuator of the thread guide group. Each feeder further comprises a mobile cam device (10) for command of the needles, comprising a body (11), a pneumatic supply inlet (12), one or more mobile command cams (13) able to interact with the needles, a plurality of pneumatic actuators which move the command cams, and a plurality of solenoid valves (14) mounted and connected directly to the body (11), wherein each solenoid valve activates or deactivates the pneumatic supply to a respective pneumatic actuator of the device (10). Each feeder comprises an electronic feeder command board (20), able to command at least the solenoid valves (8) of the thread guide group (4) and the solenoid valves (14) of the mobile cam device (10), with the aim of selectively activating the pneumatic actuators of the thread guide group and the mobile cam device (10). The knitting machine (1) comprises at least a pneumatic supply pathway able to supply the pneumatic actuators of the plurality of feeders (3) of the machine.

A circular knitting machine (1) for knitwear or hosiery, comprising a bearing structure (2), a needle cylinder (C), a plurality of needles and a plurality of thread feeding points, or feeders (3), positioned circumferentially about the needle cylinder, in which the thread is supplied to the needles. Each feeder is provided with at least a thread guide group (4), comprising a body (5), a pneumatic supply inlet (6), a plurality of feeders, a plurality of pneumatic actuators able to move the feeders, and a plurality of solenoid valves (8) mounted and connected directly to the body (5), wherein each solenoid valve activate or deactivates the pneumatic supply to a respective pneumatic actuator of the thread guide group. Each feeder further comprises a mobile cam device (10) for command of the needles, comprising a body (11), a pneumatic supply inlet (12), one or more mobile command cams (13) able to interact with the needles, a plurality of pneumatic actuators which move the command cams, and a plurality of solenoid valves (14) mounted and connected directly to the body (11), wherein each solenoid valve activates or deactivates the pneumatic supply to a respective pneumatic actuator of the device (10). Each feeder comprises an electronic feeder command board (20), able to command at least the solenoid valves (8) of the thread guide group (4) and the solenoid valves (14) of the mobile cam device (10), with the aim of selectively activating the pneumatic actuators of the thread guide group and the mobile cam device (10). The knitting machine (1) comprises at least a pneumatic supply pathway able to supply the pneumatic actuators of the plurality of feeders (3) of the machine.