MACCHINA CIRCOLARE PER MAGLIERIA

A circular knitting machine for knitting patterned knitted fabrics (19) contains a preferably rotatable needle carrier (1) having knitting needles (3) distributed along a needle ring, selection devices (6) for selection of the knitting needles (3) in accordance with the pattern, a plurality of yarn guides (17) attached to the selection devices (6) to feed yarns (18) to the knitting needles (3), whereby these yarn guides (17) are arranged so that the yarns (18) are picked up by selected knitting needles (3) and tied into the knitted fabric (19) but passed over by non-selected knitting needles (3) with the formation of yarn floats, and at least one cutting device located within the needle ring for cutting through yarn floats of a given minimum length such that yarn ends on the fabric side and the yarn guide side are formed and the yarn ends on the yarn guide side remain in a position in the catchment area of the selected knitting needles that intersects with the needle ring. The cutting device has two cutting elements (23,24), one of which is a knife (24) preferably rotating with the needle carrier (1) and the other of which is a shearing blade (23) attached to it, and at least one catch element (53) preferably rotating with the knife (24) for positioning the yarn floats relative to the cutting elements (23, 24) (FIG. 3).