Knitting machines and methods of knitting

A knitting machine comprising at least one knitting needle;

• at least one positive yarn feed device for feeding yarn to said at least one knitting needle;
• needle monitoring means for providing information relating to the at least one knitting needle during the course of a knitting operation;
• a controller for controlling the operation of the positive yarn feed device;
• and fabric take down means, in which the operation of the fabric take down means is controlled by the controller during the course of a knitting operation, the controller receiving data from the needle monitoring means during the course of a knitting operation, using said data to calculate a desired amount of yarn to be fed to a knitting needle;
• and controlling the positive yarn feed device to feed the desired amount of yarn to the knitting needle during the course of the knitting operation.

A knitting machine comprising at least one knitting needle;

• at least one positive yarn feed device for feeding yarn to said at least one knitting needle;
• needle monitoring means for providing information relating to the at least one knitting needle during the course of a knitting operation;
• a controller for controlling the operation of the positive yarn feed device;
• and tension measuring means for measuring the tension of yarn fed to the at least one knitting needle, and the controller receiving data from the needle monitoring means during the course of a knitting operation, using said data to calculate a desired amount of yarn to be fed to a knitting needle;
• and controlling the positive yarn feed device to feed the desired amount of yarn to the knitting needle during the course of the knitting operation in which the yarn tension measured by the tension measuring means is communicated to the controller, and the controller utilises the measured yarn tension to control the knitting operation.

A knitting machine comprising at least one knitting needle;

• at least one positive yarn feed device for feeding yarn to said at least one knitting needle;
• needle monitoring means for providing information relating to the at least one knitting needle during the course of a knitting operation;
• a controller for controlling the operation of the positive yarn feed device;
• and fabric take down means, in which the operation of the fabric take down means is controlled by the controller during the course of a knitting operation, and the controller receiving data from the needle monitoring means during the course of a knitting operation, using said data to calculate a desired amount of yarn to be fed to a knitting needle;
• and controlling the positive yarn feed device to feed the desired amount of yarn to the knitting needle during the course of the knitting operation, in which the controller controls the operation of the fabric take down means in accordance with the yarn tension measured by the tension measuring means tension measuring means for measuring the tension of yarn fed to the at least one knitting needle.

A method comprising the steps of:

• knitting a knitted structure with at least one yarn whilst supplying an amount of said yarn to at least one knitting needle using at least one positive yarn feed device;
• maintaining operation of said at least one needle and providing needle selection data during the course of the knitting;
• using said needle selection data to calculate a desired amount of yarn to be fed to a knitting needle;
• and
• controlling the positive yarn feed device so that said device feeds the desired amount of yarn to the knitting needle during the course of the knitting.