A circular knitting machine includes a needle cylinder rotating around a vertical axis and a sinker ring rotating with the needle cylinder. The needle cylinder has in its outer edge portion vertically controllable tip needles with needle hooks opened downwards as loop-forming elements, and for each tip needle, a surrounding sinker supporting the loop-formation is held movable in the radial direction on the sinker ring. Further, for each tip needle on the needle cylinder, a press sinker is kept on the sinker ring horizontally in radial direction, to close the hook tip of the tip needle by pressing the needle tip to the needle shaft. The press sinkers are each disposed on the sinker ring between two adjacent surrounding sinkers. The circular knitting machine allows needle wear to be reduced and a selection between weft knitting and warp knitting as loop-forming techniques is enabled in a single machine.

A circular knitting machine includes a needle cylinder rotating around a vertical axis and a sinker ring rotating with the needle cylinder. The needle cylinder has in its outer edge portion vertically controllable tip needles with needle hooks opened downwards as loop-forming elements, and for each tip needle, a surrounding sinker supporting the loop-formation is held movable in the radial direction on the sinker ring. Further, for each tip needle on the needle cylinder, a press sinker is kept on the sinker ring horizontally in radial direction, to close the hook tip of the tip needle by pressing the needle tip to the needle shaft. The press sinkers are each disposed on the sinker ring between two adjacent surrounding sinkers. The circular knitting machine allows needle wear to be reduced and a selection between weft knitting and warp knitting as loop-forming techniques is enabled in a single machine.

A slider spring for a slider used with a slider needle of a loop-forming textile machine includes a closing section for closing a hook opening of the slider needle, a connection section for connecting to a slider body, and a guide section for guiding the slider at a needle body. The slide spring includes at least one bead with a concave bead interior and a convex bead exterior. The slider spring is shaped and configured to be stacked against at least one other slider spring such that the convex bead exterior of the slider spring fits completely within the respective concave bead interior of the at least one other slider spring. A slider for a slider needle includes first and second slider springs as described. A slider needle includes a slider displaceable in a needle longitudinal direction relative to a needle body for opening or closing a hook opening.

A slider spring for a slider used with a slider needle of a loop-forming textile machine includes a closing section for closing a hook opening of the slider needle, a connection section for connecting to a slider body, and a guide section for guiding the slider at a needle body. The slide spring includes at least one bead with a concave bead interior and a convex bead exterior. The slider spring is shaped and configured to be stacked against at least one other slider spring such that the convex bead exterior of the slider spring fits completely within the respective concave bead interior of the at least one other slider spring. A slider for a slider needle includes first and second slider springs as described. A slider needle includes a slider displaceable in a needle longitudinal direction relative to a needle body for opening or closing a hook opening.