Compound needle having a divided closing element

摘要

A compound needle includes a shank having an end; a hook formed on the shank at the shank end and having a hook tip; and a closing element slot provided in the shank and being defined by two parallel shank flanks. The closing element slot extends from a location adjacent the hook in a direction away therefrom. The compound needle further has an elongated closing element received in the closing element slot for longitudinal sliding motions therein. The closing element has a hook-closing position in which the closing element is situated in an immediate vicinity of the hook tip. The closing element is composed of at least two side-by-side disposed, resilient closing element parts each having a free terminal leg oriented toward the hook. The terminal legs are bent away from one another to define a relatively narrow funnel having an open end oriented toward the hook and a beginning spaced from the open funnel end. The closing element parts are bent away from one another from the beginning of the funnel in a rearward direction away from the hook for resiliently contacting respective slot flanks at contact locations. The contact locations are situated adjacent the beginning of the closing element slot when the closing element is in its hook-closing position.