Superba

Brand History & Overview

Superba is a French brand of vintage double-bed domestic knitting machines. Manufactured in Mulhouse, France by the company S.I.T. (Société Industrielle de Téléphonie) / Groupe Superba, these machines are highly regarded for their industrial metal design and unique electronic patterning features.

Superba machines were marketed globally under a variety of localized brand names depending on the distributor:

• Superba: Marketed worldwide, notably the Superba S48 model.
• White: Distributed in North America by the White Sewing Machine Company (notably the White 1502 and 1602 models).
• Singer: Distributed in Europe (often referred to as Singer Memomatic models).
• Phildar: Distributed in France and Belgium (as Phildarmatic).

Sinker-less Double Bed System

Unlike Japanese flatbed machines (such as Brother or Silver Reed) which require a separate ribber attachment, Superba machines were designed as true double-bed systems built on a solid, anodized aluminum frame. They operate without claw weights or cast-on combs, using built-in presser rails on the carriage to hold down the fabric loops.

The Photocell Selection Box

Electronic Superba models (such as the S48 and White 1602) utilize a unique patterning system called the Selection Box:

• Operation: The selection box contains a light-scanning photoresistor mechanism. It reads light and dark squares directly from gridded Mylar pattern sheets.
• Needle Selection: As the carriage travels across the bed, the photocell scans the grid and sends electronic impulses to select needles for complex stitch patterns (Fair Isle, tuck, slip).
• Maintenance Caution: The selection box contains delicate circuitry and lacks a cooling fan. Leaving the unit powered on when idle can lead to overheating and capacitor failure.

Superba

Superba machines, manufactured in France, are fixed double-bed machines. They are unique for their use of photoelectric "Light Box" patterning and "Pressure Pedals" rather than traditional weights.

Manual Models

• Superba S46 (Photoelectric single bed)
• Superba S44
• Superba S48
• Superba Double 80

Electronic Models

• Superba S47
• Superba S80 (Photoelectric scanner)
• Superba System 9000

Common Rebrands (Redirects)

• White 1402 (Superba manual)
• White 1602 (Superba S48)
• White 1502 (Superba S80)
• Singer 600 / Singer 700 (French Double-Bed series)

Accessories

Superba accessories must account for the fixed double-bed and "weightless" system.

• Superba Pressure Pedals: Plastic inserts for the carriage that hold the fabric down in lieu of weights.

• Superba Light Box: The photoelectric scanner unit used for the electronic models (S47, S80).

• Superba Intarsia Carriage: A specialized carriage for knitting pictures without floats.

• Superba Transfer Carriage: Essential for transferring stitches between the two fixed beds.

Machine Accessory Compatibility Matrix

The following is a dynamically generated list of Superba accessories and their compatible knitting machines, populated directly from the wiki's database:

Accessory	Type	Compatible Machines	Release Year
Superba Intarsia Carriage	Intarsia Carriage	Superba/Singer machines
Superba Light Box	Patterning Tool	Superba electronic models
Superba Pressure Pedals	Stitch Pressers	Superba double-bed models
Superba Transfer Carriage	Transfer Carriage	Superba double-bed machines