Busi Giovanni, Italian design and manufacture of single cylinder rib sock knitting machinery has developed a new version of its Busi 500 model with greater needle options which is available in six different gauges and in 5 ins diameter.

The original version of this single cylinder sock machine, which has latch needles in the dial for the production of heavy gauge sport socks with true rib and terry, had up to 120 needles.

The new Busi 500 by making use of thinner needles is now available with a needle count of up to 144. It now uses needles measuring 1 mm rather than 1.5 mm enabling the producing of very wide tubular fabrics, reaching a cross-stretch up to 50 cm in heavy gauges.

As a result, applications are varied ranging from protective items for amputees to hockey socks, both of which require a wide cross-stretch.

The machine is also equipped with striping unit on both feeds (6+5 feeders) and with a terry device that allows the knitting of either ‘sandwich type’ terry or conventional terry (not plated). The change from plain stitch to half terry and full terry is completely automatic.