mounted on a support platform 100 the support platform 100 is in turn supported on a base 120 of the machine by a pair of columns 110 111 as seen more clearly in fig3 the upper needle cylinder 200 is rotatably supported on the platform 100 via a bearing assembly 201 the cylinder 200 is provided with a gear 202 which meshes with a drive gear 203 the drive gear 203 is mounted on a drive shaft 204 which extends from the support platform 100 to the base 120 the drive shaft 204 has a toothed wheel 206 which is driven by a motor 210 via a toothed belt 207 the shaft 204 also has mounted thereon the drive gear 208 which drives a gear 209 mounted on the lower cylinder 220 the drive transmission between motor upper and lower cylinders which is shown only diagrammatically in fig1 is synchronised such that the upper and lower cylinder are driven at the same speed and in the same direction at all times the drive motor 210 is preferably a brushless dc type motor whose speed and direction of rotation can be accurately electronically controlled a yarn feeder unit 300 is provided at each knitting station and each yarn feeder unit is mounted onto the platform 100 either directly as shown or alternatively indirectly via the upper cam assembly housing each yarn feeder unit 300 is electronically operated and.