Patent ID: 6978642
Filing Date: 2005-12-27
Classification: D04B

Abstract:
1. A flat knitting machine comprising: a movable sinker apparatus including a plurality of sinker plates which are disposed along a longitudinal direction of a needle bed, and to which a force of a spring is applied so that a knitting yarn stopping portion at its front end portion moves forward to a tooth portion formed between the front and the rear needle beds that are opposed to each other, in the movable sinker apparatus the knitting yarn stopping portion being withdrawn from the tooth portion at a position where a knitting needle is fed with a yarn and being moved forward to the tooth portion at least at a time of knock-over after forming a new loop, by an action of a carriage moving along the longitudinal direction of the needle bed, so that a previous loop is pressed down, the flat knitting machine comprising: switching means provided in the carriage for switching an amount of movement of the knitting yarn stopping portion of the sinker plate forward to the tooth portion by a force of a spring to a plurality of stages including a first stage with the largest amount of movement in one course, at a predetermined switching position that is outside a range in which a knitting needle performs a knitting operation; and holding means provided for each sinker plate, for holding a switched state when the amount of movement of the sinker plate forward to the tooth portion is switched to a second stage in which the amount is smaller than that in the first stage by the switching means.