Creel for circular knitting machines

A creel for use with a circular knitting machine, said creel comprising a frame carrying a plurality of bobbin-carriers arranged in at least one horizontal row adapted to extend around said knitting machine, wherein said frame includes:

• a plurality of vertical columns adapted to be disposed around said knitting machine, each said column being tubular and having a vertical slit therein;
• a framework rigidly interconnecting the upper ends of said columns at a height such as not to interfere with the movement of personnel about said knitting machine;
• a respective slide comprising a sleeve surrounding and slidable vertically along, each said column;
• a bobbin-carrier support structure supporting said bobbin-carriers and surrounding and rigidly interconnecting said slides;
• and
• drive means connected to said slides to effect the sliding movement thereof between an upper position, in which said bobbin-carrier support structure is located at a height such as not to interfere with the movement of personnel about said knitting-machine, and a lower position in which said bobbin-carrier support structure is adapted to surround said knitting-machine and is located at a height such as to allow manual access to said bobbin-carriers, said drive means comprising
• respective, vertical, screw-threaded shafts housed one in each said tubular column for rotation therein, said shafts being constrained against vertical sliding movement;
• respective internally screw-threaded nuts engaged one with each said screw-threaded shaft, each said nut being slidable in a respective said column;
• connecting means rigidly connecting each said nut with the sleeve surrounding the respective column, said connection means extending through the vertical slit in the column;
• respective sprocket wheels keyed one to each said shaft;
• an endless transmission chain engaged with and interconnecting said sprocket wheels;
• a reversible motor connected to drive said transmission chain.