Circular knitting machine for knitting seamless panty girdles and the like

Claim 1

A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOIR KNITTING ARTICLES HAVING A PLURALITY OF FASHIONED AND RECIPROCATORILY KNIT INTERCONNECTED GUSSETS, SAID KNITTING MACHINE COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF A NEEDLE CYLINDER HAVING A SERIES OF A INDEPENDENT NEEDLES SUPPORTED FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT IN THE CYLINDER AND EACH HAVING AN OPERATING BUTT THEREON, ONE CONTIGUOUS GROUP OF SAID NEEDLES HAVING SHORTER BUTTS THAN THE REMAINING LONGER BUTT NEEDLES, DRIVE MEANS FOR IMPARTING ALTERNATING FORWARD AND REVERSE MOVEMENTS TO SAID NEEDLE CYLINDER, A KNITTING STATION SUPPORTED ADJACENT SAID NEEDLE CYLINDER AND INCLUDING A TOP CENTER CAM, A FORWARD STITCH CAM POSITIONED AT ONE SIDE OF SAID CENTER CAM AND A REVERSE STITCH CAM POSITIONED AT THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID CENTER CAM, AND MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID STITCH CAMS FOR VERTICALLY POSITIONING SAID FORWARD STITCH CAM IN STITCH DRAWING POSITION WITH SAID LONGER BUTT NEEDLES FOR ONLY A SELECTED PORTION OF EACH OF SAID FORWARD MOTIONS OF SAID NEEDLE CYLINDER AND FOR VERTICALLY POSITIONING SAID REVERSE STITCH CAM IN STITCH DRAWING POSITION WITH SAID LONGER BUTT NEEDLES FOR ONLY A SELECTED PORTION OF EACH OF SAID REVERSE MOTIONS OF SAID NEEDLE CYLINDER.