Needle Bed

a device for holding knitting needles; a principal part of the loop-forming system of a knitting machine. Needle beds may be in the form of a flat plate or a cylinder. The needles may be permanently attached to the bed, or they may move in grooves on the outer surface of the cylinder or plate. The distance between the needles determines the possible thickness of the yarn used. As loops are formed, the needle beds usually undergo reciprocating motion (in flat knitting machines) or rotary motion (in circular machines).