Knitting needle for knitting machine

A cam and needle system for a circular knitting machine, comprising:

• a cam segment having upper and lower sidewalls that define an undulating recessed needle guiding track having a maximum angle of inclination;
• a needle having a longitudinal shaft and a needle butt extending transverse to said shaft, said butt being slidably received within said needle guiding track;
• said needle shaft and said butt having substantially the same width, said width being between about 0.42 mm and 0.74 mm;
• said butt having two side faces substantially parallel to said shaft, two medial faces between said side faces and which extend generally transverse to said shaft, and two angled faces extending between each said medial face and said side faces;
• said angled faces being positioned in close proximity to said sidewalls of said recessed needle guiding track, such that relative motion between said butt and said track causes said angled faces to contact said sidewalls of said track to urge said needle shaft into reciprocating motion;
• and
• said angled faces being inclined at approximately said maximum inclination angle of said needle guiding track so that variations in the width of said butt over said range of widths do not substantially alter the proximity between said angled faces and said track sidewalls, whereby needle breakage and wear are minimized and further whereby said angled faces slide smoothly along said track sidewalls.

A cam and needle system for a circular knitting machine, comprising:

• at least one cam segment having upper and lower sidewalls that define a recessed needle guiding track having a maximum angle of inclination of between about 40 degrees and 60 degrees;
• at least one knitting needle having a longitudinal shaft and a needle butt extending transverse to said shaft, said butt being slidably received within said needle guiding track;
• said needle shaft and said butt being substantially identical in width, said width being between 14 and 28 gauge;
• said butt having two side faces substantially parallel to said shaft, two arcuate faces intermediate said side faces and extending generally transverse to said shaft, and two angled faces tangent each said arcuate face, said angled faces extending between said arcuate faces and said side faces, said butt defined by said side faces, arcuate faces and angled faces having a substantially axially symmetrical shape relative to said longitudinal shaft;
• said angled faces being positioned in close proximity to said sidewalls of said recessed needle guiding track, such that relative motion between said butt and said track causes said angled faces to contact said sidewalls of said track to urge said needle shaft into reciprocating motion;
• and
• said angled faces being inclined at approximately said maximum inclination angle of said needle guiding track so that variations in the gauge of said butt over said range do not substantially alter the proximity between said angled faces and said track sidewalls, whereby said needle breakage and wear are minimized and further whereby said angled faces slide smoothly along said track sidewalls.

A cam and needle system for a circular knitting machine, comprising:

• at least one cam segment having upper and lower sidewalls that define a recessed needle guiding track having a maximum angle of inclination of between about 40 degrees and 60 degrees;
• at least one knitting needle having a longitudinal shaft and a needle butt extending transverse to said shaft, said butt being slidably received within said needle guiding track;
• said needle shaft and said butt being substantially identical in width, said widths being between 14 and 28 gauge;
• said butt having two side faces substantially parallel to said shaft, two flat faces substantially perpendicular to said shaft extending intermediate said side faces and generally transverse to said shaft, and two angled faces extending between each said flat face and said side faces, said butt defined by said side faces, flat faces and angled faces having a substantially axially symmetrical shape relative to said longitudinal shaft;
• said angled faces being positioned in close proximity to said sidewalls of said recessed needle guiding track, such that relative motion between said butt and said track causes said angled faces to contact said sidewalls of said track to urge said needle shaft into reciprocating motion;
• said angled faces being inclined at approximately said maximum inclination angle of said needle guiding track so that variations in the gauge of said butt over said range do not substantially alter the proximity between said angled faces and said track sidewalls, whereby needle breakage and wear are minimized and further whereby said angled faces slide smoothly along said track sidewalls.