Method of manufacturing a continuous tubular knit on a flat-knitting machine with at least two active needle beds

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for the production of endless tubular fabrics on a flatbed knitting machine. Two methods are described in which the tube is knitted in one case with vertical axis and in another case with horizontal axis. In the first case, tubes of any desired length can be produced. In the second case, tubes of any desired diameter can be produced. In the first method, a first half of the circumference of the tube is knitted on a front needle bed, whereupon the second half of the circumference is knitted on the rear needle bed upon the backward movement of the cam carriage of the flatbed knitting machine. Thereupon, the second course of loops is knitted on the first needle bed and knitted backward in the second needle bed. In this way an endless tube is knitted. The tube is stabilized in circumferential direction by the laying-in of a filling thread. In the other method, the first course is knitted as connected multi-layer knitted fabric on the front and rear needle beds. The following courses are knitted separately on the front and rear needle beds, and, in the last course, the separately knitted courses are again connected as connected two-layer course, so that the tube is closed. The tube is stabilized in circumferential direction by warp threads.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.