and fixation means 53 a compression spring 54 is located on the one hand in the housing 55 of the slot 50 and on the other hand against the support 47 the auxiliary flexible slide threads 42 43 and 44 45 are provided so that they can be concealed on each side of the principal slide thread 40 41 respectively the fields of action of the above mentioned slide threads in spacing of the needle beds are shown in fig9 the reference symbols 56 and 57 show the start and the end respectively of the field of action 58 of a principal slide thread 41 the reference symbols 59 and 60 represent the start and end respectively of the fields of action 61 and 62 of the auxiliary flexible slide threads 45 and 44 the end 60 of the fields of action 61 62 of said flexible auxiliary slide threads is located seen in the direction of movement of the carriage after the start 56 and prior to the end 57 of the field of action 58 of a principal slide thread 41 the fields of action 61 62 58 thus are partly superposed the curve 63 and 64 represent the trajectory of the needle hooks working on a front 28 and a rear 29 needlebed of a knitting machine the cumulative width of the fields of action 61 58 62 is at least equal to the distance.