Variable and steady yarn feeding apparatus

A variable and steady yarn feeding apparatus comprising:

• a support threadedly secured on a circular ring of a knitting machine;
• a drive device provided the support driven by a plurality of belts;
• an incoming yarn brake provided on a lead-in path for controlling a yarn tension thereof;
• a variable yarn supply drum driven by the drive device and having a plurality of high friction resilient yarn guide surfaces;
• a steady yarn supply drum provided below the variable yarn supply drum driven by the drive device and having a low friction yarn guide surface;
• a yarn guide secured onto the support having a plurality of eyes provided thereon for guiding the yarn from the variable yarn supply drum to the steady yarn supply drum;
• a self-adjustable yarn guide including a pivotally movable arm with a yarn guide eye provided at a free end thereof, said self-adjustable yarn guide provided below the support and positioned adjacent to the variable yarn supply drum by a predetermined distance, said free end of the movable arm of the self-adjustable yarn guide being away from the variable yarn supply drum when there is no yarn demand condition by expansion of a spring provided therein, while the free end of the movable arm is in contact with the surfaces of the variable yarn supply drum when there is a yarn demand;
• and
• an adjustable yarn brake provided on an end of an outgoing yarn path for further adjusting the yarn tension when a plurality of different yarns having different tensions are knitted.