Double-cylinder circular knitting machine for hosiery and the like, with improved needle actuation

A double-cylinder knitting machine for hosiery making, comprising:

• a lower needle cylinder having a substantially vertical axis;
• an upper needle cylinder being arranged above and coaxially with respect to said lower cylinder, said lower and upper cylinders including each a respective skirt thereof;
• a plurality of axial grooves formed in said skirts of said cylinders;
• a plurality of double-beak needles accommodated each in a corresponding groove of said plurality of grooves, said needles being axially movable along said grooves, and each of said needles including an upper and a lower head;
• a plurality of non-rocking lower pushers, each lower pusher being arranged in a corresponding groove, below a corresponding needle, each of said lower pushers having an upper and a lower end, said upper end of said lower pushers facing the lower head of the corresponding needle;
• a plurality of non-rocking upper pushers, each upper pusher being arranged in a corresponding groove above a corresponding needle, each of said upper pushers having a lower and an upper end, said lower end of said upper pushers facing the upper head of the corresponding needle;
• and
• actuation device for actuating the lower and upper pushers for upward and downward sliding movement along said grooves, said actuation device being arranged with respect to said upper and lower pushers, and said upper and lower pushers being arranged with respect to said needles, in a manner such that said pushers push up and down correspondingly interposed needles located in the lower and respectively in the upper cylinder for performing knitting, and such that said pushers transfer the needles from the lower to the upper cylinder and vice versa.

A double-cylinder knitting machine comprising:

• a lower needle cylinder rotatable about an axis;
• an upper needle cylinder arranged coaxially with respect to said lower cylinder and rotatable with said lower needle cylinder about said axis;
• a plurality of axial grooves formed in skirts of said cylinders;
• a plurality of double needles slidably accommodated in said grooves, and each of said needles including an upper and a lower head;
• a plurality of non-rocking lower pushers slidably arranged in said grooves below corresponding needles, each of said lower pushers having an upper and a lower end, said upper end of said lower pushers facing the lower head of a corresponding needle;
• a plurality of non-rocking upper pushers slidably arranged in said grooves above corresponding needles, each of said upper pushers having a lower and an upper end, said lower end of said upper pushers facing the upper head of a corresponding needle;
• and
• actuation device for actuating the lower and upper pushers for upward and downward sliding movement in said grooves, said actuation device being arranged with respect to said upper and lower pushers, and said upper and lower pushers being arranged with respect to said needles, in a manner such that said pushers push up and down correspondingly interposed needles located in the lower and respectively in the upper cylinder for performing knitting, and such that said pushers transfer the needles between the lower to the upper cylinders.