Circular sliver knitting machine for the production of knitwear with combed-in fibers

A circular knitting machine for the production of knitwear formed of yarns and fibers tied into these yarns is described. The circular knitting machine contains a needle cylinder (1) with knitting needles (2), a sinker ring (15) which is rotatable about an axis of rotation jointly with the needle cylinder (1) and has sinkers (16), a stationary cylinder cam and sinker cam means which is associated with the knitting needles and sinkers, respectively, yarn and fiber feed units, an air guiding unit (45) provided with at least one suction nozzle and/or blowing nozzle, and a control cam (85) for acting upon the inserted fiber tufts. The arrangement is carried out in such a way that initially loops are formed from the yarn and the fiber tufts, wherein the fiber tufts are directed essentially toward the axis of rotation, that the direction of the fiber tufts is then substantially reversed by the air guiding unit (45), and that the reversed fiber tufts (44a) are laid over adjacent sinkers by the control cam so that they can take part at least once in a loop forming process. According to the invention, the air guiding unit (45) has a free space (69) arranged on the front side (55) of the knitting needles (2) and above the sinkers (16), which free space (69), considered in the rotating direction of the needle cylinder (1), extends essentially from a location (49) at which the raising of the knitting needles (2) starts up to the beginning of the control cam (85) and in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation until close to the upper edges (70) of the sinkers (16).