GB2111539A - A process for manufacturing a single-bed patterned article of knitwear - Google Patents

Abstract

A plurality of stitch-forming elements pass successively through two knitting systems, and in each system a yarn 5 or 6 fixedly associated therewith is respectively laid into all elements which are intended to receive yarn in accordance with the pattern in that system such as for wales 17, 18, and 19 and which therefore pass through in a yarn- receiving position, so that floating yarn portions 28,29,30 or 23 are produced on the back of the elements which are not intended to receive yarn and therefore do not pass through in a yarn-receiving position. The floating yarn portions are tied off in wales 11, 14 and 22 by their being brought to the front side of at least one selected element which is not intended to receive yarn before the selected element passes through that subsequent knitting system in which it is intended to receive yarn in accordance with the pattern. The selected element is not withdrawn into the cast-off or knock-over position before passing through said subsequent system whereby the floating yarn portions instead of being loose as at 25,26 and 27 in course 2 are tight as at 28,29 and 30 in course 3. The floating portions may be tied in the same way in every other wale 11, 13,15. Arrangements for effecting the process on a circular knitting machine are also described. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Process for manufacturing a single-bed patterned article of knitwear and a circular knitting machine for carrying out the process The invention relates to a process of the general kind defined in the classifying portion of claim 1, and a circular knitting machine for carrying out that process.

In the manufacture of single-bed articles of knit-wear with Jacquard patterns on so-called single Jacquard circular knitting machines, the floating yarn portions which are produced as a result of the Jacquard selection of the knitting needles are frequently left on the back of the article, irrespective of the length of the yarn portions. This means that not only are the backs of the articles of unattractive appearance but in addition the knitted articles as a a whole are of low utility value as a result.The process indicated above is already known, for the purposes of avoiding those disadvantages, wherein on any system at least a respective one of those needles which are not intended to receive yarn or to form a stitch in that system are raised into the tuck position in order thereby to arrange the floating yarn portion in the hook or on the front side of one of the non-knitting needles, and to tie it into the knitted article. Although that process does in fact increase the utility value of the knitted article, at the same time however the appearance of the front of the article is worsened, because the yarns which are brought to the front of the knitted article by the tuck needles appear through the article and result in an uneven stitch configuration.In addition, in that mode of operation, the consumption of yarn is unacceptably high because the draw-down members of those systems at which the tuck needles are raised cannot distinguish between the needles which are raised for the tuck function and the needles which are raised into the clearance position in accordance with the pattern, and draw-down all needles, after raising thereof, into the cast-off or knock-over position.

Therefore, virtualiy the same amount of yarn is required for each tying-off operation, as for the step of forming a stitch, and therefore, depending on the number of tying-off operations, the amount of yarn required is considerably greater than when the float yarns are not tied in. Apart from that, each tuck stitch formed in the above-indicated manner represents a relatively large reserve amount of yarn, which results in an undesirably high degree of transverse elasticity and therefore a further reduction in the utility value of the article produced. Finally, pattern devices have been required hitherto for carrying out the aboveindicated process, by means of which devices the needles can be moved into the clearance, tuck and run-through position, and that normally exceeds the reasonable expenditure involved in regard to a single circular knitting machine.

The invention is based on the problem of so improving the process indicated above, that the consumption of yarn is reduced and the utility value of the articles produced is increased. In addition, the invention seeks to provide a circular knitting machine for carrying out the process, which can be easily and cheaply manufactured.

The characterising features recited in claims 1 and 9 are provided to solve the above problem.

The invention provides the advantage that the floating yarn portions are tied into the article of knitwear without the selected element which produce the tying off action pulling the floating yarn portion into the knock-over position. By virtue of this arrangement, on the one hand only a small amount of yarn is used in the tying-off operation, and on the other hand, the yarn of the tied-off yarn portions is substantially prevented from being visible on the front of the article of knitwear. In addition, because of the low level of consumption of yarn, the resulting product is a knitted article which has the normal, desired transverse elasticity.

Further advantageous features of the invention are set forth in the subsidiary claims.

The invention will now be described in greater detail by means of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows the stitch configuration of a knitted article, for demonstrating the known mode of operation and the mode of operation according to the invention, Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of the basic structure of a single knitting machine for manufacturing a single-sided knitted article, Figure 3 shows a view in longitudinal section through the needle cylinder of a circular knitting machine which is suitable for carrying out the process according to the invention, Figure 4 shows a plan view of the cam surface segment associated with a system of the circular knitting machine shown in Figure 3, Figures 5 and 6 show views in longitudinal section through the needle cylinder of a further circular knitting machine which is suitable for carrying out the process according to the invention, and Figure 7 shows a view in longitudinal section through the needle cylinder of a third circular knitting machine which is suitable for carrying out the process according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows a portion of a knitted article with a two-colour pattern, produced on two knitting systems, with three characteristic courses of stitches at 2, 3 and 4. Each course of stitches 2, 3 and 4 was made by means of two adjacent knitting systems, of which one supplies for example a yarn 5 as shown in thick lines, while the other supplies a yarn 6 shown by thin lines.When operating on a flat knitting machine, the systems may be two knitting systems which are arranged to move successively in the carriage of the flat knitting machine, with the usual raising and drawdown cams and selection and yarn feed means for the knitting needles, whereas when operating on a circular knitting machine, the machine would have two suitably designed systems which either are arranged stationarily one beside the other at the periphey of a rotary needle cylinder or are mounted movably in succession at the periphery of a stationary needle cylinder, on a cam box ring disposed around the needle cylinder. In such arrangements, instead of the usual latch needles, it is also possible to use spring needles, tubular or slide-type needles and other stitch-forming elements in the form of latch- or hook-less members.

As can be seen from the row of stitches 2 in Figure 1, when knitting a single-sided or singlebed Jacquard knitted article 1 with a two-colour pattern, stitches are formed with the yarn 6 of one kind, on a respective system of a group of systems comprising two adjacent systems, in that in that system those knitting needles or other knitting elements which are intended to form a stitch are moved through that system in a yarn feed position corresponding for example to the clearance position, and are then drawn down into a knockover position. That results in stitches in wales 11 to 1 6 and 20 to 22.In contrast, the needles or elements which are not intended to form stitches in that system, in accordance with the pattern, move through that system in a run-through position and therefore do not receive any yarn so that the yarn 6 floats, that is to say, does not form stitches, between the respective last and then again the first needles which are knitting in that system, so that a floating yarn portion 23 is produced between the stitch wales 1 6 and 20.

Similarly, in the other system, the yarn 5 is formed into a stitch by the needles associated with the stitch wales 1 7 to 19, and floats in the region of the other wales illustrated.

As, depending on the nature of the pattern, the floating yarn portions can extend over few wales of stitches or over a multiplicity thereof, it is usual, when long float stitches occur, for the float stitches to be tied into the article of knitwear at at least one and preferably a middle position. That is shown in Figure 1 in respect of the wales 11, 14 and 22 in the course 2, showing respective stitches, the heads 24 of which are formed both from the yarn 6 and also the yarn 5.The doubleyarn heads 24 are produced in that, in the system feeding the thick yarn 5, not only the needles which are associated with the wales 17, 1 8 and 1 9 and which are to perform the knitting action in accordance with the pattern, but also selected needles, for example the needles which are associated with the wales 11, 14 and 22 and which are not intended to receive yarn in that system in accordance with the pattern, are raised into a yarn feed position, for example into the tuck position. Those needles on which hang stitches formed with the thin yarn 6 therefore also receive the yarn 5, although without knocking over the stitches formed from the yarn 6 in the preceding system.It is only in the next system in which the yarn 6 is again supplied that the needles associated with the wales 11, 14 and 22 are moved into the clearance position again and then withdrawn into the knock-over position in order to form stitches with the yarn 6.

Therefore, instead of relatively long float stitches, there are only comparatively short floating yarn portions 25, 26 and 27. In this connection, only the yarn run which is visible in the finished article is shown in Figure 1, in each case. The reserve of yarn which actually occurs when the float stitches are tied off and which is indicated by a broken line 25a below the yarn portion 25 is very much greater because the yarn 5 is withdrawn into the knock-over position by the needles forming the adjacent columns.

Operation can be in a corresponding manner when dealing with patterns which are formed from three or more different yarns.

A particularity of the above-described process is therefore that those knitting needles whch are raised into the tuck position in any system to avoid long float stitches, are withdrawn into the knockover position, at the end of that system, before they again reach the run-through position.

Therefore, the needles associated with the wales 11, 14 and 22 take a relatively long piece of yarn from the associated supply spool, which results in the above-mentioned disadvantages.

The process according to the invention essentially differs from the known process in that the needles which are associated with the wales 11, 14 and 22, after being raised into the ruck position in the system supplying the yarn 5, are not withdrawn into the knock-over position in that system. On the contrary, those selected needles are left in the raised position or are only slightly withdrawn for example in the run-through position until they then reach a subsequent system in which they are intended to receive yarn in accordance with the pattern, knock-over the old stitch and again receive the yarn associated with that system. It is only then that the needles are fully withdrawn into the knock-over position, in order to form a fresh stitch.

The resulting stitch configuration is shown in Figure 1, in relation to the course of stitches 3.

Because of the shortened withdrawl movement of the needles associated with the wales 11, 14 and 22, the yarn portions 28, 29 and 30 corresponding to the float yarn portions 25, 26 and 27 are substantially tauter in the article of knitwear, as the consumption of yarn by the selected needles is substantially less. A consequence of that is also that the thick yarn 5 is less readily visible at the tie-off positions, on the front of the article 1.

In order to avoid the float stitches extending over more than for example one stitch wale, then, as shown in Figure 1 in relation to the course of stitches 4, it may be provided that each second needle is used as a selected needle so that for example the portion of yarn 5 which in Figure 1 normally floats over all the wales 11 to 17 is bound into each second wale 11, 13 and 1 5.

Correspondingly, the float portion of the yarn 6 which normally occurs between the wales 1 6 and 20 is bound into the wales 1 8 so as to produce two short floating yarn portions 31 and 32.

Figure 2 generally shows a circular knitting machine for manufacturing a single-sided Jacquard knitted article with a two-colour pattern.

This machine is a circular knitting machine comprising a rotary needle cylinder 42 which is equipped with knitting needles 41, and a sinker ring 44 which is rotatable jointly with the needle cylinder 42 and which is fitted with holding sinkers 43. In addition, the circular knitting machine has a plurality of knitting systems which are disposed at the periphery of the needle cylinder 42 and which each include a feed means 45 for feeding a yarn 46 of a selected kind, cam means for raising or drawing-down the knitting needles 41 and the sinkers 43 respectively, and a pattern device 47 by means of which the needles 41 can be moved into the holding position or left in the run-through position, in accordance with the pattern.

Figures 3 and 4 are diagrammatic views of an embodiment of the circular knitting machine shown in Figure 2, which was developed to perform the process according to the invention, together with the parts of a knitting system which are required to understand the invention. Disposed in the vertical grooves or tricks of the needle cylinder 42 are the needles 41 and, disposed therebelow, jacks 48 which are mounted with their lower edges 49 in a recess 50 in the needle cylinder 42 and are arranged to both radially pivotal and also slidable in the direction of the axis of the needle cylinder. Each jack 48 has a butt 51 which slides on the upper edge 52, which acts as a raising means, of a cam member 53, and a projection 54 having a shoulder 55 which cooperates with the lower edge 56, acting as a draw-down means, of the cam member 53.

In addition, associated with each jack 48 is a return spring 57 which is disposed between the back of the jack 48 and the needle cylinder 42 and which tries to hold the jack 48 in the operative position shown in solid lines in Figure 3, while however permitting the jack 48 to pivot into the non-operative position shown in broken lines. The free end of a control spring 58 bears against the projection 56 which is provided on the front side of each jack 48, the lower end of the control spring 58 being secured to the needle cylinder 42.

The control spring 58 co-operates in known manner with a pivoting means which is disposed at a suitable position but which is not visible in Figure 4 and which is therefore only shown in diagrammatic form. The pivoting means includes a control magnet system 59 and a control cam 59a in order to leave the jack 48 in the operative position or pivot it into the non-operative position, in accordance with the pattern (see German patent specification No. 1 585 211). The jacks 48 which remain in the operative position are raised into the clearance position 60 (see Figure 4) by means of the upper edge 52 acting on their butts 51, are then lowered into the knock-over position 61 by means of the shoulders 55, and are then returned into the run-through position.

Disposed at the upper ends of the members 48 are coupling elements 63 which co-operate with corresponding coupling elements 64 disposed at the lower ends of the needles 41, and which, in the position shown in solid lines in Figure 3, couple the members 48 and the needles 41 in a vertical direction, whereas when the jacks are pivoted into the position shown in broken lines, the jacks 48 are uncoupled from the needles 41 and the needles 41 are thus able to move freely in the tricks in the needle cylinder. The coupling elements 63 and 64 comprise for example projection which are disposed on the jacks 48 and which are capable of engaging into suitably formed recesses in the needles 41 and which can be pulled out of the recesses by pivotal movement of the jacks 48.

Selected needles 41 have butts 65 which are guided in a cam track 68 formed by cam members 66 and 67. The cam track 68 serves to raise the selected needles 41 into a tuck position 69, and then retract them back into the run-through position 70. In this arrangement however, the cam track 68 is provided above the position 69 with a recess 71 associated with the clearance position 60 of the cam track 54, and is also provided with a recess 72 disposed below the run-through position 70 and associated with the knock-over position 61. The recesses 71 and 72 permit unimpeded extension and withdrawal movement of the needles 41, in the event that the needles are coupled to jacks 48 which remain in the coupled condition in accordance with the pattern in the system shown in Figures 3 and 4, and which are intended to pass through the clearance position and the knock-over position.For example, each second, third or fourth etc. needle 41 is provided with a butt 65, along the periphery of the needle cylinder, while the other needles do not have such a butt. In Figure 3, the usual sinker ring 44 equipped with the knock-over bars or sinkers 43 is also arranged above the needle cylinder 42.

In normal knitting operation, in the system shown in Figures 3 and 4, needles 41 are selected for knitting or for not knitting, in accordance with the pattern, in per se known manner, by means of the control magnet system 58. However, of the needles 41 which are not intended for knitting operation, ail those selected needles which have a butt 65 are lifted by means of the cam track 68 acting on the butt 65, into the tuck position 69 in which the yarn associated with this system is also laid into the needle hooks, and are then retracted into the run-through position without first being retracted into the knock-over position. As a result of this, the yarn which is supplied in this system is only laid in a float condition over those few needles 41 which are neither influenced by the jack 48 nor have a butt 65.

The embodiment of a cirular knitting machine which is suitable for carrying out the process according to the invention, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, essentially differs from the embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4 only in regard to the nature of the jack. Instead of the jack 48, the machine illustrated herein has a two-part jack 75 which comprises a control portion 76 which is immovable in the direction of needle movement but is radially pivotal, and an operating portion 77 which is displaceable in the direction of the needle movement or in the direction of the axis of the needle cylinder and also radially pivotal, the two portions 76 and 77 of each jack being mounted radially one behind the other in the same groove or trick in the cylinder.The control portion 76 which is disposed radially outwardly in the needle cylinder trick co-operates with the control spring 58 in known manner and for that purpose is mounted with its lower edge 78 in a recess 79 in the needle cylinder 42. The radially inwardly disposed operative portion 77, the lower edge 80 of which can bear on the lower edge of the control portion 76, is provided on its inside with a return spring 81 which bears against the inside edge of the associated trick in the needle cylinder, and in a middle portion has two outwardly projecting butts 82 and 83 which are intended to co-operate with the cam member 53 (see Figure 3). In its upper part, the operative portion 77 has a coupling element 84 co-operating with the coupling element 64 of the needle 41.The two-part design of the jack 75 has the advantage that the immovable control portion 76 can be controlled independently of the position of the operative portion 77, thus permitting a compact arrangement in respect of the entire pattern device. Therefore, pattern devices having two-part jacks 75 of this kind are particularly suitable for high-system single circular knitting machines.

In normal operation of the machine shown in Figures 5 and 6, the needles 41 in the knitting system illustrated are selected for knitting or not knitting, in accordance with the pattern, by means of the control magnet system 58, by the control portions 76 and thus also the operative portions 77 of the associated jacks being left in the operative position shown in solid lines in Figure 5 or pivoted into the inoperative position shown in broken lines in Figure 5, in accordance with the pattern. If the portions 76 and 77 of the jacks are not pivoted, the butts 83 of the operative portions 77 are lifted by the cam member 53, and therewith the needles 41 coupled thereto, into the clearance position shown in Figure 6, in accordance with the example shown in Figures 3 and 4, more particularly, irrespective of whether the needles 41 do or do not have an additional butt 65.If on the other hand the control portions 76 and therewith also the operative portions 77 are pivoted into the position shown in broken lines in Figure 5, due to drop of the control spring 58, and their being applied against the rearward part of the control cam 59a, then all needles 41 remain in the run-through position, except for the needles provided with a butt 65.

Figure 7 shows a mechanical alternative of the construction shown in Figure 3 and in Figures 5 and 7, wherein, instead of the control magnet system 59, the machine has a post 85 which is parallel to the axis of the cylinder, with two superposed pattern discs or wheels 86 and 87 which are provided at their periphery with teeth 88 which are broken off or allowed to remain, in accordance with the pattern. The teeth 88 cooperate with pattern butts 89 and 90 on the control portions 76 of the jacks 75, the pattern butts being disposed in two suitable planes, and thereby provide for mechanical selection of the jacks for knitting or not knitting. In that arrangement, the cylinder cam means may again be constructed as shown in Figure 4.

The above-described embodiments are based on the principle of raising the selected needles 41 into the tuck position, and then only withdrawing them into the run-through position or non-knitting position. In this connection, the purpose of raising the needles to the tuck position is to arrange the yarn which is supplied to the needles in the associated system, on the front side of the selected needles, and to lay the yarn into the hooks of those needles as without that step the float yarn could no longer be taken to the front side of the needles and thereby bound into the knitted article, because of the stationary position of the yarn guide means and the curvature of the needle cylinder.

An alternative embodiment (not shown) of the invention provides a circular knitting machine wherein the floating yarn portions are moved by means of special bars or sinkers to the front side of the selected elements which are not intended to receive yarn, in accordance with the pattern. For that purpose, the machine may have holding sinkers which are not only displaceable in a radial direction but are also pivotal, and are actuated by means of suitable cam members. Besides the known projections for preventing the knitted article from being lifted, selected holding sinkers also have a respective radially inwardly disposed projection which defines a radially outwardly open gap and which, upon pivotal movement of the holding sinkers, serves to move floating yarn portions from the back to the front of the selected needles.The holding sinkers may alternate for example in a ratio of 1:1, 1:2, etc. with thbse holding sinkers at the periphery of the needle cylinder, which do not have such a projection but which are otherwise of an identical configuration.

Pivotal movement of the holding sinkers is desirably effected in an auxiliary system disposed between two systems.

As in the embodiments shown in Figures 2 to 7 therefore, the floating yarn portions which are produced in any system in accordance with the pattern are tied off by such a number of needles as were selected for that purpose, while in this case needle selection is effected not by using needles with special butts but by holding sinkers with special projections.

In accordnace with a further embodiment, instead of special sinkers, there may be additional laying fingers which are each operative in an auxiliary system between two systems and which either perform the above-described function of the sinkers or arrange all or some of floating yarn portions which have been moved to the front side of the needles in another manner, on the rear side thereof.

When manufacturing a Jacquard article comprising three, four or more colours, it is desirable for the knitting needles to be retracted into the knock-over position only when all yarns are laid in place. Irrespective of whether floating yarn portions are or are not to be tied in, therefore, for example at the first two, three, four etc.

systems of a group of systems, that cam member which draws down the knitting needles into the knock-over position may be replaced by a respective draw-down member with withdraws the needles raised in those systems, only into the run-through position. In that arrangement, the associated holding and knock-over sinkers are not retracted in the systems which are not knitting. On the contrary, the yarn is laid onto the projections of the sinkers and a reserve of yarn is provided by extending the sinkers to a greater or lesser degree, that reserve of yarn in the subsequent operation of forming a stitch on the third, fourth or further system supplying the portion of yarn which is required for the stitch formation operation. In order to be able to operate with varying numbers of colours, it should be possible to control the function of the sinkers, according to the systems involved.Instead of the usual one-part sinkers, it is also possible to provide two-part sinkers or two independently operable sinkers which are arranged one beside or above the other and which are mounted in such a way as to be slidable and/or pivotal.

The invention is not restricted to the abovedescribed embodiments but includes all those processes and apparatuses by means of which the yarn portions which are usually behind the needles can be moved to the front of at least one selected needle and can be held there, without forming a stitch therewith, until said selected needle is used in one of the following knitting systems to form a stitch with the yarn associated therewith.

Instead of the above-described devices for selecting needles or sinkers, other selection devices may be employed. The needles or the jacks associated therewith may also be provided with butts which, although disposed at the same location thereon, are of different heights. In that arrangement, the butts of one kind may be used to move the needles which are selected for example in a ratio of 1:2, 1:3 etc., into the tuck position, independently of the specific pattern, while the selection device is so adjusted that the needles which are intended for knitting operation in accordance with the pattern can be selected for knitting irrespective of whether they or their jacks have a butt of one height or the other.

In addition, there is no need for the selected needles to be raised only into the tuck position. On the contrary, the advantages in accordance with the invention are also attained even when the selected needles are extended into the clearance position and the needles are then prevented from being prematurely withdrawn into the sinker position.

Finally, the invention is not restricted to tying off float stitches by means of individual needles.

On the contrary, the float stitches may also be tied off by means of more than one needle, as indicated in Figure 1 in regard to the stitch course 4, for the stitch wales 21 and 22, and a yarn portion 92 which has been tied off. In this case for example each two adjacent needles 41 may be provided with a respective butt 65, while one or more interposed needles do not need to have such a butt.

Claims (17)

1. A process for manufacturing a single-sided patterned article of knitwear on a knitting machine having at least two knitting systems and having a plurality of stitch-forming elements which pass successively through the knitting systems, wherein on each system a yarn fixedly associated therewith is respectively laid into all elements which are intended to receive yarn in accordance with the pattern in that system and which therefore pass through in a yarn receiving position so that floating yarn portions are produced on the back of the elements which are not intended to receive yarn in accordance with the pattern in that system and which therefore do not pass through in a yarn receiving position, and wherein the floating yarn portions are tied off in the article of knitwear by their being brought to the front side of at least one selected element which is not intended to receive yarn in accordance with the pattern in that system, before said selected element passes through that subsequent knitting system in which it is intended to receive yarn in accordance with the pattern, characterised in that the selected element is not withdrawn into the cast-off or knock-over position before passing through said subsequent system.

2. A process according to claim 1 characterised in that the selected element is respectively a middle element of a group of adjacent elements which are not intended to receive yarn in accordance with the pattern in any system.

3. A process according to claim 1 or claim 2 characterised in that, when there is a group of a plurality of adjacent elements which are not intended to receive yarn, each second, third or four element is used as the selected element.

4. A process according to one of claims 1 to 3 characterised in that latch needles are used as the elements.

5. A process according to claim 4 characterised in that the floating yarn portions are brought to the front side of the selected needles by the needles being raised into a yarn feed position in a system in which they are not intended to receive. yarn, and by the yarn associated with said system being fed into the hooks of the needle.

6. A process according to claim 5 characterised in that the selected needles are raised into the tuck position.

7. A process according to claim 5 or claim 6 characterised in that, after the selected needles have been raised and the yarn has been fed into the needles, the needles are withdrawn into the run-through position.

8. A process according to claim 4 characterised in that the floating yarns are brought to the front of the selected needles in that they are first transported by means of a sinker or the like beyond the hooks of the needles, on the front side thereof, at a position between the system at which the selected needles are not intended to receive yarn in accordance with the pattern, and the subsequent system.

9. A circular knitting machine for carrying out the process according to one of claims 1 to 7, comprising a needle cylinder which is provided with a plurality of stitch-forming elements, and at least two knitting systems at the periphery of the needle cylinder, each of said systems having associated therewith a pattern device for selecting the elements intended to receive yarn in accordance with the pattern, a respective yarn feed means for laying a yarn into the elements with pass through the system in a yarn feed position, and raising and draw-down means for raising the elements which are intended to receive yarn in accordance with the pattern into the clearance position and for subsequently withdrawing said elements into the knock-over position, characterised in that the selected elements (41) have a special butt (65) and that provided in each system is a cam track (68) which co-operates with said special butt (65) for raising the associated elements (41) into the tuck position and for subsequently withdrawing the associated elements (41) into the run-through position.

10. A circular knitting machine according to claim 9 characterised in that the pattern device has a plurality of radially pivotal jacks (48) which are individually associated with the elements (41) and which are displaceable in the direction of the axis of the needle cylinder and which can be coupled to the elements, and means for uncoupling those jacks (48) from the associated elements (41), which are coupled to elements not intended for receiving yarn in the associated system, and that the raising and draw-down means co-operate with the butts (51) of the jacks (48) in the normal stitch forming process.

11. A circular knitting machine according to claim 10 characterised in that the uncoupling means include a pivoting means (58 to 59a) for radially pivoting the jacks (48).

12. A circular knitting machine according to claim 9 characterised in that the pattern means has a plurality of two-part jacks (75) which are individually associated with the elements (41) and which have two portions mounted radially one behind the other in the needle cylinder tricks, wherein the radially outwardly disposed portion is in the form of a radially pivotal control portion (76) which is immovable in the direction of the axis of the needle cylinder and the radially inwardly disposed portion is in the form of a radially pivotal working portion (77) which can be displaced in the direction of the axis of the needle cylinder and which can be coupled to the elements (41), that the pattern device includes means for uncoupling from the associated elements (41), those working portions (77) which are coupled to elements (41) which are not intended to receive yarn in the associated system, and that the raising and drawdown means co-operate with the butts of the working portions (77) in the normal stitch forming operation.

1 3. A circular knitting machine according to claim 12 characterised in that the uncoupling means include a pivoting means (58 to 59a) for radially pivoting the control portions (76) and thus also the working portions (77).

14. A circular knitting machine according to one of claims 10 to 13 characterised in that the uncoupling means have a control magnet system (59a).

1 5. A circular knitting machine according to one of claims 10 to 13 characterised in that the uncoupling means have a mechanical control system (86 to 88).

16. A circular knitting machine according to one of claims 9 to 1 5 characterised in that each second, third or fourth etc. element (41) has a special butt (65).

17. A circular knitting machine according to one of claims 9 to 16 characterised in that the special butt (65) is an additional butt.

1 8. A circular knitting machine according to one of claims 9 to 1 6 characterised in that the special butt is of a shape which is different from other butts.

1 9. A circular knitting machine according to one of claims 9 to 1 8 characterised in that at least two adjacent elements (41) each have a special butt (65).