Knitting machine

Abstract

The invention relates to a knitting machine (1) for producing a knitted fabric (2), comprising a control device, a yarn supply region (3), a loop formation region (4, 5) and a drawing region (6), wherein the knitting machine (1) has a device (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) for forming one or more markings on at least one supplied yarn (7) or on the knitted fabric (2) being formed, and wherein the marking device (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) has at least one marking unit (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21) which is arranged in the loop formation region (4, 5).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a knitting machine having means for forming one or more marks on at least one fed yarn or a knitted fabric formed by the knitting machine, the knitting machine having the features described in the preamble of claim 1, and the present invention also relates to a method for forming marks on a knitted fabric when using a knitting machine, the method having the features described in the preamble of claim 19.

[0002] These knitting machines are used to manufacture knitted fabrics, especially knitted garments such as tops or bottoms, like pullovers. They are known to be used for making hosiery, especially socks, stockings, or pantyhose. Recently, they have also been used to manufacture shoe uppers, as it has been shown that using knitted fabrics to form shoes is very advantageous. Two main types of knitting machines are used here: circular knitting machines and plain knitting machines. A common circular knitting machine essentially consists of a frame with an upper section, a middle section, and a lower section. A material feeding device, the so-called yarn feeding device, is located in the upper section. Here, one or more yarn bobbins can be received on the machine, and their yarn is fed to the middle section via the yarn feeding device. Loop formation takes place in the middle section. This is done by knitting tools, i.e., by multiple needles supported in a needle cylinder and, in particular, by so-called latch needles with hooks and latches. The knitting tools are controlled by means of so-called locking mechanisms arranged in a locking sleeve surrounding the needle cylinder. In the lower section, the knitted fabric manufactured by the loop forming area is guided to the pulling device via a so-called stretching support. The knitted fabric is a tubular knitted fabric in a circular knitting machine. The pulling device has a container for holding the knitted fabric.

[0003] In contrast, a plain knitting machine (or flat knitting machine), as its name suggests, is used to produce flat or planar knitted fabrics that typically require sewing after the knitting process to create, for example, finished bodices or trousers. Such a plain knitting machine generally has a front needle bed and a back needle bed, arranged at an angle relative to each other and with a needle bed spacing. Each needle bed has multiple needles. Furthermore, this knitting machine is equipped with at least one carriage having two halves. The first half is located on the front needle bed. The second half is arranged on the back needle bed. The carriage is driven by a motor and moves laterally to the two needle beds. Above the needle beds are guide rails for one or more yarn guides that guide one or more knitting yarns from one or more yarn bobbins stored on the knitting machine to the needle bed spacing. These one or more yarn guides are typically driven and capable of moving along the guide rails. Needle selection systems are arranged in the two halves of the carriage. These systems perform the knitting process. Thus, the knitted fabric is formed below the needle beds and the needle bed spacing. Therefore, the knitting program is transmitted or loaded onto the control device of the knitting machine.

[0004] In addition to sewing plain knitted fabrics produced by the aforementioned plain knitting machines, knitted fabrics produced on circular knitting machines are also typically sewn after the knitting process. For example, it is common to close tubular knitted fabrics at their ends with seams extending transversely or obliquely to the knitting direction to form socks with closed toe areas. In both cases, sewing is performed as an intermediate step, after the knitting process and before the sewing process, by the seamstress manually applying markings, especially in the form of threads, to the knitted fabric. For this purpose, templates are used, for example. These markings thus serve as cutting and / or sewing markers for the seamstresses in the sewing department.

[0005] For example, a knitting machine, especially a circular knitting machine, is known from DE 37 50 281 T2.

[0006] This document discloses a knitting machine for knitting tubular fabrics, particularly for knitting elastic bandages, wherein one of the yarns used is elastic, and this yarn is knitted or laid on the circumference of the tubular material. The objective of this invention is to provide a control device having means for adjusting the feed speed of the elastic yarn. This is achieved via a so-called profile or profile curve along with a pulley. According to an improvement of the invention, the knitting machine also has a marking pin that indicates the start or end position of the knitted fabric or garment. This marking pin is particularly used for counting the number of garments produced, or for striking the fed yarn and thereby creating a mark on the knitted fabric to ultimately mark the cutting position. This cutting position can be used to separate the knitted fabric manually or automatically. For this purpose, the device, particularly the marking pin, is arranged in the yarn feed area.

[0007] Another type of knitting machine is known from DE 80 21 235 U1, which is also a circular knitting machine.

[0008] In addition to known components for manufacturing knitted fabrics, this circular knitting machine also features an optical defect detection device that can detect defects in the form of holes and missing needles in the tubular fabric produced by the machine. This prevents defective items from being sewn. Previously, this was avoided through manual visual inspection after knitting or during the sewing process. Specifically, the invention proposes operating a feed device when a defect is detected, which guides a marking pin or similar object to the knitted fabric within a predetermined time to apply a mark corresponding to the detected defect.

[0009] To this end, a light source in the form of a bulb is arranged below the knitting area, especially inside the knitted tube. Outside the tube, on the frame, is a photoelectric element or similar device that responds to the light emitted by the bulb. If a defect in the knitted fabric, such as a hole or loose yarn, enters between the bulb and the photoelectric element, the photoelectric element emits an electrical signal, which shuts down the circular knitting machine. A marking pin can be guided to the circular knitted fabric via a feed device, ultimately applying a mark, for example, a circular mark, to the surrounding knitted fabric.

[0010] The disadvantage of these knitting machine designs is that marking of the knitted fabric is done either in the yarn feeding area of ​​the knitting machine, i.e., in the area of ​​the yarn bobbin and the area controlling the yarn feeding, or in the area below the loop forming area, i.e., in the tension area of ​​the knitting machine, where the marking device is also located. Both arrangements result in marking being imprecisely positioned relative to the finished knitted fabric, i.e., especially relative to individual loops, i.e., loop rows or wales. Because when marking is done before the yarn is knitted, factors such as the type of combination or, for example, loop size, especially the elasticity of the knitted yarn, affect the actual placement of the marking within the fabric. The greater the distance between the marking area and the loop forming area, the greater the inaccuracy of the marking's position within the fabric. However, marking the knitted fabric in the tension area also cannot be precise, i.e., particularly for loops or loop rows, because the knitted fabric shrinks into the tension area after manufacturing. Therefore, in both cases, the marking can only be imprecisely positioned.

[0011] Another drawback lies in the known design of the marking units in knitting machines. In particular, the design of these marking units using marking pins and mechanisms that move these pins against the knitted fabric introduces several risks. The greatest risk is that contact between the pins and the yarn or knitted fabric can damage them.

[0012] Finally, designing the marking unit as a separate and additional component on the knitting machine also presents disadvantages. This significantly impacts the machine's structural dimensions, such as the dimensions of the tension area. This necessitates a noticeably larger space for the knitting machine. This, in turn, negatively affects the efficient and cost-effective manufacture of knitted fabrics.

[0013] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a knitting machine that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art, and is particularly capable of automatically setting marks during the knitting process, especially automatically setting cutting and / or sewing marks, and has improved accuracy compared with known solutions in the prior art.

[0014] According to a first embodiment, a knitting machine for manufacturing knitted fabrics includes a control device, a yarn feeding area, a loop forming area, and a tensioning area, wherein the knitting machine has means for forming one or more marks on at least one fed yarn or the formed knitted fabric, and wherein the marking means has at least one marking unit arranged in the loop forming area.

[0015] According to the second embodiment, the knitting machine is a circular knitting machine, wherein the loop forming area consists of at least one needle cylinder, a plurality of locking elements arranged in a locking jacket for controlling the plurality of needles, and at least one yarn guide block, the needle cylinder having a plurality of needles movably supported in the needle cylinder.

[0016] Here, the at least one marking unit is preferably mounted on or integrated into the at least one yarn guide block of the circular knitting machine. Furthermore, the loop forming area preferably has at least one, more preferably multiple, yarn guides, and the at least one marking unit or at least one second marking unit is mounted on or integrated into the at least one yarn guide.

[0017] According to another embodiment, the knitting machine is a plain knitting machine, wherein the loop forming area consists of at least two needle beds each having a plurality of needles, at least one driven carriage with a needle selection mechanism, and at least one driven yarn guide supported on a guide rail.

[0018] Here, at least one marking unit is preferably mounted on or integrated into the at least one driven yarn guide. Alternatively or additionally, the at least one marking unit may also be mounted on or integrated into the at least one driven carriage. It is also possible for the at least one marking unit to be drivably supported on a guide rail for the at least one yarn guide or to be drivably supported on at least one underside of the at least two needle beds.

[0019] According to another embodiment, the at least one marking unit is designed to mark the at least one fed yarn or the formed knitted fabric without contact.

[0020] Therefore, the marking unit preferably has at least one spraying device, particularly a pigment nozzle, to apply at least one preferably liquid or powdered marking agent to the surface of at least one fed or knitted yarn. In addition to the at least one spraying device, the marking device preferably includes at least one reservoir and at least one inlet line for the at least one marking agent, and further preferably includes at least one suction device for the one or more excess marking agents. Alternatively, for contactless marking, the marking unit preferably has at least one laser to engrave the surface of the at least one fed or knitted yarn.

[0021] According to another embodiment, the at least one marking unit is designed to mark the at least one fed or knitted yarn by contact.

[0022] For this purpose, the marking unit preferably has at least one printhead or color needle to apply the at least one preferably liquid or powdered marking agent to the at least one fed or knitted yarn by contact or touch. Here, in addition to the at least one printhead, the marking device preferably also has at least one reservoir and at least one input line for the at least one marking agent.

[0023] According to another embodiment, the marking device can be controlled by the control device of the knitting machine, especially based on the knitting program used to manufacture the knitted fabric.

[0024] According to the preceding embodiments, the knitting machine is preferably designed such that the marking device is particularly capable of forming multicolored marks on the at least one fed yarn or the formed knitted fabric. For this purpose, the marking unit, for example, has multiple printheads with different colors.

[0025] According to one embodiment of a method for forming a mark on a knitted fabric using a knitting machine according to one of the foregoing embodiments, a water-insoluble or water-soluble marking agent, especially one that can be washed off after drying, or a marking agent that is transparent to the human eye and visible only when exposed to external stimuli, is used as the marking agent. Preferably, the marking agent is visible only when there is a temperature change, by radiation, especially ultraviolet radiation, or by the use of a fluid.

[0026] The knitting machine of the present invention has a number of significant advantages.

[0027] The design of the knitting machine and its marking device according to the present invention enables automatic and precise marking on the knitted fabric, regardless of the yarn material used or the type of bonding. Furthermore, it avoids errors that may occur when manually marking cutting or sewing marks on knitted fabrics. Moreover, the marking process itself, especially through non-contact marking, prevents damage to the knitted fabric.

[0028] Another related advantage is the ability to simplify and reduce the cost of manufacturing knitted fabrics. The possibility of automatically and precisely setting cutting and sewing marks eliminates the need for manually drawing and setting these marks during the sewing process. This saves time and, consequently, labor costs. Furthermore, the space-saving integration of marking devices or units into the knitting machine, particularly into components within the loop-forming area, also positively impacts costs. The knitting machine requires minimal footprint and production area.

[0029] Furthermore, the knitting machine according to the invention enables the setting of multi-color markings. This can, for example, be used to sort different knitted fabrics manufactured on the machine, each having a specific color or color code. For example, a first color marking can be assigned to knitted fabrics of a first size, especially socks, while a second color marking can be assigned to socks of a second size. This also saves time, thereby saving labor costs.

[0030] Another advantage is that the knitting machine according to the invention allows patterns, especially multi-color patterns, to be formed directly on the knitted fabric during the knitting process, regardless of the yarn colors and combination types chosen for the fabric. Dyeing or printing on the knitted fabric in a subsequent process step is no longer necessary. This also has a positive impact on the manufacturing cost of the knitted fabric.

[0031] The present invention will now be described with reference to several embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

[0032] In the attached diagram:

[0033] Figure 1 A first embodiment of a knitting machine according to the invention is shown, which is particularly designed as a circular knitting machine with a marking device, wherein the marking unit is mounted on its yarn guide block or on one of the yarn guides;

[0034] Figure 2 A loop forming area is shown according to a second embodiment of a knitting machine according to the invention, which is particularly designed as a plain knitting machine with a marking device, wherein the marking unit is mounted on the yarn guide;

[0035] Figure 3 A loop forming area is shown according to a third embodiment of a knitting machine according to the invention, which is particularly designed as a plain knitting machine with a marking device, wherein the marking unit is integrated in the yarn guide;

[0036] Figure 4 A loop forming area is shown according to a fourth embodiment of a knitting machine according to the invention, which is also designed as a plain knitting machine with a marking device, wherein the marking unit is mounted on a carriage;

[0037] Figure 5 A loop forming area is shown according to a fifth embodiment of a knitting machine according to the invention, wherein a marking unit is mounted on a guide rail for a yarn guide in a plain knitting machine;

[0038] Figure 6 A loop forming area of ​​a knitting machine according to a sixth embodiment of the invention is shown, wherein a marking unit is mounted below the two needle beds of a plain knitting machine.

[0039] Figure 1 A first embodiment of a knitting machine according to the invention is shown, which is designed as a circular knitting machine 1. Here, the circular knitting machine 1 has a yarn feeding area 3, a loop forming area 4, and a tensioning area 6 located below thereunder. In the yarn feeding area 3, a plurality of yarns 7 wound on yarn bobbins are preferably stored; these yarns are used to manufacture knitted fabrics. For this purpose, the knitting machine has a plurality of yarn bobbin holders. The plurality of yarns 7 are guided into the loop forming area 4 by a yarn feeding mechanism. The loop forming area 4 is essentially characterized by a needle cylinder 22 having a plurality of knitting needles, which are controlled by locking elements arranged in a locking jacket, as is commonly known in circular knitting machines. Furthermore, the loop forming area 4 has a yarn guide block 23 responsible for forming knitted fabric loops. For this purpose, at least one first yarn 7 is fed to the yarn guide block. As shown, a plurality of yarns 7 can also be fed to the yarn guide block 23. For this purpose, the knitting machine 1 has a plurality of yarn guides 24, 25, which are arranged circumferentially around the upper end of the needle cylinder 22. The yarn guides 24, 25 are respectively characterized by their slatted arms to guide the yarn 7 as close as possible to the needle cylinder 22 and thus to the individual knitting needles. Below the needle cylinder 22, and therefore below the loop forming area 4, there is a tension area 6. This tension area preferably has a container for receiving the knitted fabric being manufactured.

[0040] According to the invention, the loop forming region 4 now has a marking device 8 for feeding one or more yarns 7 to the loop forming region 4. In this embodiment, the device 8 includes a plurality of marking units 14, 15, 16 for the plurality of yarns 7. Here, the first marking unit 14 is mounted on the yarn guide block 23, while the other two marking units 15, 16 are mounted on the two yarn guides 24, 25. Thus, all marking units 14, 15, 16 are arranged immediately adjacent to the needle cylinder 22. The three marking units 14, 15, 16 are preferably constituted by a print head 43, which outputs marking agent onto the fed yarns 7 upon contact. These marking agents are preferably pigments, and particularly preferably each unit 14, 15, 16 outputs a different color, thereby enabling the application of multi-colored markings on the knitted fabric. One or more input lines and a reservoir for one or more marking agents are not shown. These can also be located in the loop forming region 4 or in other regions 3, 6 of the knitting machine 1. Since the knitted fabric is woven under the control of a control device, which preferably also controls the marking device 8, stitching or cutting marks can be precisely set during the knitting process. Of course, it is also conceivable to use other marking agents instead of pigments, which, in addition to or replacing optical markings, impart a technical function to the knitted fabric. For example, conductive circuits can be precisely printed onto the knitted fabric using the knitting machine 1 of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 2 A loop forming region 5 according to a second embodiment of a knitting machine according to the invention is shown, particularly the loop forming region of a plain knitting machine. Here, the loop forming region 5 includes two needle beds 26, 27, particularly a front needle bed and a rear needle bed, each having a plurality of needles 28. The two needle beds 26, 27 are arranged at an angle to each other and with a needle bed spacing. Above this is a driven carriage 29, which has two halves, namely a front half 30 and a rear half 31. The carriage 29 here contains a needle selection mechanism. Finally, a yarn guide 33 is drivably supported on a guide rail (not shown) in the above arrangement. Multiple yarn guides may also be provided. The function of the yarn guide 33 is to guide the yarn 7 to the needle bed 29, particularly to the carriage 30 and the needles 28 selected therein, so as to knit the yarn in a loop formation. The carriage 29, the needle selection mechanism, and the yarn guide 33 can be controlled by a control device. Therefore, the control device automatically controls the movement of the carriage 29 and the operation of the needle selection mechanism based on the knitting data to move the knitting needles 28. Finally, a knitted fabric is formed below the needle bed spacing.

[0042] In this embodiment, the marking device 9 according to the invention is also arranged in the coil forming region 5. Here, its marking unit 17 is mounted on the at least one driven yarn guide 33. The marking unit 17 is preferably designed as a print head 43, which receives the marking agent through the input conduit 44. Similarly... Figure 1 As described above, the marking agent is preferably stored in a reservoir. This marking agent is applied to the fed yarn 7 in the region of the yarn guide 33, preferably inside the yarn guide 33. Here, the print head 43 contacts the yarn extending through the yarn guide 33 to apply the marking agent, preferably in liquid or powder form, to the yarn 7 and thereby mark it. The knitting machine's control device controls the print head 43. Therefore, the print head is guided to the yarn 7 extending through the yarn guide 33 based on the knitting program for manufacturing the knitted fabric to mark the yarn. The longer the print head 43 is guided to the yarn 7, the longer the mark on the yarn 7. Here, the material properties of the yarn 7, the distance between the yarn guide 33 and the knitting needle 28, and the type of loop connection are particularly considered, so that the mark can be accurately placed in the knitted fabric.

[0043] Figure 3 A loop forming region 5 is shown according to a third embodiment of a knitting machine according to the invention. This knitting machine is also designed as a plain knitting machine, and the marking device 10 or its marking unit 18 is integrated into the yarn guide 34. The yarn guide 34 for at least one yarn 7 is drivably supported on a guide rail 32. Therefore, it can be moved along the guide rail 32 by a control device.

[0044] According to the invention, the marking device 10, particularly the marking unit 18, is designed for contactless marking of the yarn 7 fed in the yarn guide 34. For this purpose, the marking unit 18 has a spraying device 36, specifically designed as a nozzle, to apply a preferably liquid or powdered marking agent to the surface of the yarn 7. The marking agent is guided from a reservoir to the spraying device via an inlet line 38. Furthermore, the marking device 18, and particularly the yarn guide 34, also includes a suction device 41 to remove excess marking agent from the yarn guide 34. This contactless marking ensures that the yarn 7 is not damaged by the marking unit.

[0045] exist Figure 4Another embodiment of the loop forming region 5 of a knitting machine according to the invention is shown, which is also designed as a plain knitting machine. In addition to the two needle beds 26, 27 and their plurality of needles 28, a carriage 29 with two halves 30, 31 is shown. A yarn guide and yarn guide rail are not shown, which guide the yarn 7 to the needle bed 29, particularly to the carriage 30 and the needles 28 selected therein, so as to form loops and knit the yarn therein to produce the knitted fabric 2. As previously described, the control device of the knitting machine controls the movement of the carriage 29 and the operation of the needle selection mechanism to move the needles 28 based on knitting data. The knitted fabric 2 is thus formed below the needle bed spacing.

[0046] According to the invention, and also according to this embodiment, the marking device 11, in particular the marking unit 19, is designed for non-contact marking of the fed yarn 7. For this purpose, the marking unit 19 has a laser 42 to engrave the surface of the at least one fed or knitted yarn 7. The marking unit 19, in particular the laser 42, is mounted on a driven carriage 29, especially on its rear half 31. Control and energy supply of the laser 42 are achieved via circuitry 40.

[0047] at last, Figure 5 A loop-forming region 5 according to a fifth embodiment of a knitting machine according to the invention is shown, wherein the marking unit 20 of the marking device 12 is mounted on the guide rail 32 of one or more yarn guides for a plain knitting machine. The marking unit 20 preferably has a print head 43. Therefore, the marking unit 20 can be controlled and driven independently of the yarn guide. Thus, the marking can be set independently of the position of the yarn guide. Furthermore, the marking is set directly on the yarn 7, but only after the yarn has been knitted into loops or at least received in the needles of the needle beds 26, 27. This has the advantage that the marking can be positioned very precisely on the yarn and thus on or within the knitted fabric.

[0048] at last, Figure 6 The loop forming region 5 of a knitting machine according to a sixth embodiment of the invention is shown. Here, the marking unit 21 of the marking device 13 is mounted below the two needle beds 26, 27 of the plain knitting machine. (See attached diagram) Figure 2 and 4 As described, the plain knitting machine itself, in addition to the needle beds 26, 27 and their plurality of needles 28, also has a carriage 29 with front and rear halves 30, 31. One or more yarn guides and yarn guide rails for guiding the yarn 7 shown to the needle beds 29 are still not shown. However, a knitted fabric 2 is shown, which is produced below two needle beds 26, 27 spaced apart as described by needle bed spacing through a plurality of components in the loop forming region 5.

[0049] In this embodiment, the marking device 13 according to the invention is also arranged in the loop forming region 5. Here, its marking unit 21 is arranged on the lower side 35 of the at least two needle beds 26, 27 and is preferably drivably supported. Thus, the marking unit 21 can move laterally in the knitting direction. The marking unit 21 is also preferably designed for non-contact marking of the formed knitted fabric 2. For this purpose, the marking unit 21 has at least one spraying device 37, which is supplied with marking agent through an input pipe to apply at least one preferably liquid or powdered marking agent to the surface of at least one or more knitted yarns 7. Therefore, the marking unit 21 can also be controlled and driven independently of the yarn guide or carriage 2. This makes it possible to set the marking independently of the position of these components. Furthermore, the marking is still directly set on the knitted fabric 2. This has the advantage that the marking can be positioned very precisely on the knitted fabric 2.

[0050] This invention is not limited to the described embodiments, but includes all implementations that apply or incorporate the functional principles of this invention. Furthermore, all features of all described and illustrated embodiments can be combined with each other.

Claims

1. A knitting machine (1) for manufacturing knitted fabric (2), comprising a control device, a yarn feeding area (3), a loop forming area (4, 5), and a tensioning area (6), wherein, The knitting machine (1) has means (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) for forming one or more marks on at least one fed yarn (7) or the formed knitted fabric (2), characterized in that the marking means (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) has at least one marking unit (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21) arranged in the loop forming area (4, 5).

2. The knitting machine (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The knitting machine is a circular knitting machine (1), wherein the loop forming area (4) consists of at least one needle cylinder (22) together with a plurality of needles movably supported in the needle cylinder, a plurality of locking elements arranged in a locking jacket for controlling the plurality of needles, and at least one yarn guide block (23).

3. The knitting machine (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The at least one marking unit (14) is mounted on or integrated into the at least one yarn guide block (23).

4. The knitting machine according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The coil forming area (4) also has at least one, preferably multiple, yarn guides (24, 25), and the at least one marking unit or at least one second marking unit (15, 16) is mounted on or integrated therein on the at least one yarn guide (24, 25).

5. The knitting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The knitting machine is a plain knitting machine, wherein the loop forming area (5) consists of at least two needle beds (26, 27), at least one driven carriage (29) with a needle selection mechanism, and at least one driven yarn guide (33, 34) supported on a guide rail (32), each needle bed having a plurality of needles (28).

6. The knitting machine according to claim 5, characterized in that, The at least one marking unit (17, 18) is mounted on or integrated into the at least one driven yarn guide (33, 34).

7. The knitting machine according to claim 5, characterized in that, The at least one marking unit (19) is mounted on or integrated into the at least one driven carriage (29).

8. The knitting machine according to claim 5, characterized in that, The at least one marking unit (20) is drivably supported on a guide rail (32) for the at least one yarn guide (33, 34).

9. The knitting machine according to claim 5, characterized in that, The at least one marking unit (21) is drivably supported on at least one underside (35) of the at least two needle beds (26, 27).

10. The knitting machine (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The at least one marking unit (18, 19, 21) is designed to mark the at least one supplied yarn (7) or the knitted fabric (2) without contact.

11. The knitting machine according to claim 10, characterized in that, The marking unit (18, 21) has at least one spraying device (36, 37) to apply at least one preferably liquid or powdered marking agent to the surface of at least one fed or knitted yarn (7).

12. The knitting machine according to claim 11, characterized in that, In addition to the at least one spraying device (36, 37), the marking device (18, 21) also has at least one reservoir and at least one inlet line (38, 39) for the at least one marking agent, and preferably has at least one suction device (41) for one or more excess marking agents.

13. The knitting machine according to claim 10, characterized in that, The marking unit (19) has at least one laser (42) for engraving the surface of the at least one fed or knitted yarn (7).

14. The knitting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The at least one marking unit (14, 15, 16, 17, 20) is designed to mark at least one fed or knitted yarn (7) by contact.

15. The knitting machine according to claim 14, characterized in that, The marking unit (14, 15, 16, 17, 20) has at least one printhead (43) to apply at least one preferably liquid or powdered marking agent to at least one fed or knitted yarn (7).

16. The knitting machine according to claim 12, characterized in that, In addition to the at least one printhead, the marking device (17) also has at least one reservoir and at least one input line (44) for at least one marking agent.

17. The knitting machine (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The marking device (8) has a plurality of marking units (14, 15, 16) arranged in the coil forming area (4), wherein the marking units (14, 15, 16) are designed to mark at least one fed or knitted yarn with different colors respectively.

18. The knitting machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The marking devices (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) can be controlled by the control device of the knitting machine (1), especially by the control device of the knitting machine (1) based on the knitting program for manufacturing the knitted fabric (2).

19. A method for forming a mark on a knitted fabric (2) using a knitting machine (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, As a labeling agent, use a labeling agent that is insoluble in water or soluble in water, especially one that can be washed off after drying, or a labeling agent that is transparent to the human eye and is only visible when an external irritant is applied.

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