Circular knitting machine for the production of plush fabrics

Circular knitting machine for the production of plush fabrics which have a ground knit produced from ground threads (39) and plush threads (41) tied into said ground knit, comprising:

• a needle cylinder (1) with knitting needles (4) intended for stitch formation, a sinker ring (18) with sinkers (25) intended for the formation of plush-thread loops, and a plurality of knitting systems each having a means (71) for controlling said knitting needles (4) into a knock-over position after a pick-up said ground and/or said plush thread, wherein each of said knitting systems has, at a point located in front of said means (71) in the knitting direction, a first pattern device, provided with a ground-thread guide (38), for selectively controlling said knitting needles (4) into a knitting or tucking position intended for the pick-up of said ground thread (39) or a non-knitting position intended for the non-pick-up of said ground thread (39), a second pattern device, provided with a plush-thread guide (40), for selectively controlling said knitting needles (4) into a pick-up position intended for the pick-up of said plush thread (41) or an intermediate position intended for the non-pick-up of plush thread (41), and a third pattern device for selectively controlling said sinkers (25) at least into a first position intended for the formation of shorter plush-thread loops or a second position intended for the formation of longer plush-thread loops.