LATCH NEEDLE FOR KNITTING MACHINES

A knitting needle includes a shank, a needle hook carried by the shank at one end thereof, and a sawslot provided in the shank. The sawslot is bordered by elastically deformable shank cheeks which are provided by upper supporting surfaces. The sawslot has a throughgoing aperture which is open toward the shank back. A latch rivet traverses the sawslot and is supported in the shank cheeks. A needle latch having a latch back provided with engagement faces is pivotally supported by the latch rivet for swinging motions between a closed position in which the needle latch engages the needle hook and an open position in which the engagement faces on the latch back lie on the supporting surfaces of the shank cheeks. The sawslot has, in a series as viewed from needle hook, a first sawslot portion containing the throughgoing aperture and a second sawslot portion having a width greater than the width of the first sawslot portion. The supporting surfaces are located in a zone of the second sawslot portion which has a depth greater than one half of the shank height and which is closed underneath the supporting surfaces. A third sawslot portion adjoins the second sawslot portion and has a width less than the width of the second sawslot portion.