Abstract: A method for detecting the presence of one or more faulty and/or broken needles in a circular or rectilinear textile machine including a plurality of needles to which yarns are fed from yarn feed devices associated with that machine, each yarn being fed to the textile machine with at least one of its tension, feed speed and quantity fed characteristics being kept monitored and equal to a constant value during the production of an article or part thereof, with the provision of monitoring apparatus for monitoring the at least one characteristic capable of monitoring its value throughout the stage of feeding to the textile machine; provision is made for monitoring the tension and the feed speed of the yarn to identify a periodic variation in the same indicating the existence of at least one broken or faulty needle in the textile machine. A system for implementing this method.

Abstract: A knitting machine may include a needle bed and a carriage that is movable along the needle bed. The carriage may be configured to engage at least one feeder to move a dispensing area of the feeder along the needle bed while dispensing a yarn, where the carriage includes an interface for providing power to an auxiliary component.

Abstract: The invention concerns knitting and hosiery machines and in particular a system for detecting the presence of yarn being fed to the needles on the cylinder of such machines. Each yarn is fed to the needles through a yarn guide moving between an out of work to a work position and is associated with a sensor capable of detecting movement/presence of the yarn and to stop the machine when the yarn guide moves from the out of work to the work position and there is no movement/presence of the yarn.

Abstract: A light scanning system for needles in knitting machines, more particularly circular knitting machines, with a control unit, which comprises at least a light source and an evaluating unit with a receiver, at least a first (22, 42) and a second (24, 44) light wave conductor, the first light wave conductor (22, 42) having a first end, which is connected to the light source in order to supply light into the first light wave conductor, and having a second end (26), which is secured in a casing (20, 46) for transmitting the light to a needle, and the second light wave conductor (24, 44) having a first end (30), which is secured in the casing (20, 48) so close to the second end (26) of the first light wave conductor (22, 42) that radiation reflected by the needle enters the second light wave conductor (24, 44), and having a second end, which is connected to the evaluating unit, so that the reflected radiation is supplied to the receiver.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting broken hooks of needles in a knitting machine having first and second cam faces defining a cam for slidably receiving needle butts. The cam includes a raising cam portion, a stitch cam portion, and a welt cam portion in which tension forces between yarn loops and hooks bias the butts of intact needles against the first cam face. The detector has a detector butt raising segment wherein the second cam face in the welt cam portion is inclined away from the second cam face at the stitch position for urging butts toward the first cam face. A detector butt lowering segment follows the detector butt raising segment, in which the first cam face urges the butts toward the second cam face. A recess segment follows the butt lowering segment.

Abstract: A digital signal processor system is provided which detects defect in tubular knit fabric. The signal processor system is attached to a circular knitting machine or the like and utilizes a fiber optic scanning head for obtaining light reflectance data from the material. Fiber optic material is utilized to project light against the fabric web and another fiber optic bundle is utilized to read reflected light. A opto-sensor pixel array is utilized to provide voltage data to a digital signal processor which then analyzes the data to determine the existence of end out, holes, light or heavy yarn and needle run conditions.

Abstract: In a circular knitting machine shut-down positioning and needle/feeder position control method, two signals of 90.degree. phase difference are obtained from an encoder and then processed through a pulse generator for controlling the positioning of the forward/reverse rotation of the needle signal for controlling the positioning of the forward/reverse rotation of the needle cylinder and the value of the distance between the point of origin of the needle cylinder and the point of origin of the encoder are inputted into a needle position processing circuit for processing into a control signal, permitting the control signal thus obtained to be inputted into a main control circuit of the circular knitting machine for determining the real position of the first needle and the first feeder of the circular knitting machine.

Abstract: Apparatus for detecting broken hooks of needles in a knitting machine having first and second cam faces defining a cam for slidably receiving needle butts. The cam includes a raising cam portion, a stitch cam portion, and a gate cam portion in which tension forces between yarn loops and hooks bias the butts of intact needles against the first cam face. The detector has a detector butt raising segment wherein the second cam face in the gate cam portion is inclined away from the second cam face at the stitch position for urging butts toward the first cam face. A detector butt lowering segment follows the detector butt raising segment, in which the first cam face urges the butts toward the second cam face. A recess segment follows the butt lowering segment.

Abstract: The needles of a knitting machine are continuously monitored, during operation of the machine, by an optical head having a light source and an electro-optical receiver which receives the light beam from the light source after the beam has crossed the area of passage of the needles. The output signals from the receiver are sent to an electronic control unit.

Abstract: In a flat knitting machine equipped with a manually movable handlebar (11) which is oriented parallel to a needle bed, the eccentrically mounted handlebar (11) is connected to a pivoting lever (15) which is the carrier of an armature (19) for a stationarily arranged electromagnet which can be excited via a control device and which, in the excited state, keeps the handlebar in an end position. The arrangement is such that, when the handlebar (11) is struck from above, the magnetic coupling can be released and it is also thereby possible to switch off the machine drive by hand in the quickest way possible.

Abstract: A monitoring system for knitting machines, in particular for such machines for the knitting of hosiery or socks, having a number of yearn guards allocated to each yarn for infeed into the machine, the guards each being operative, in response to a movement or absence of movement of the yarn, respectively, detected thereby, to generate and output signal to stop the machine in the event of yarn or thread breakage or other fault int h e yarn infeed, by the intermediary of preferably electronic control unit connected to the yarn guards. The control unit includes memory and comparison systems and is arranged to gather and memorize, during an introductory, correct and approved working or report cycle of the machine, information representing the yarn infeed phase in the form of the actual pattern of output signals from the yarn guards.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for detecting breakage in a yarn strand being wound onto a yarn support member rotatably driven by a DC motor and having a closed-loop motor control system for maintaining a desired velocity of the motor and for signaling commutation of the phases of the motor during the yarn winding operation. The closed-loop motor control system monitors the signal conduction angles delivered to commutate the phase windings of the motor, detects a sudden minimum preestablished decrease in the monitored conduction angles, and generates a control signal in response to a sudden decrease in the conduction angle resulting from a yarn strand breakage. The control signal may be employed to stop current supply to the motor.

Abstract: Vertically stacked drive wheels (17.sub.1, 17.sub.2, 17.sub.3 and 17.sub.4) are provided above a yarn feed wheel (21) which is provided with a first yarn feed surface (27) providing comparatively high friction with the yarn engaged thereby and adaptable for use when the rate of yarn feeding varies, such as in the case of Jacquard pattern knitting, and a second yarn feed surface (28) providing comparatively low friction against the yarn engaged thereby and adapted for use when the rate of yarn feeding is constant, such as in the case of plain knitting. Manually adjustable yarn guide means (29, 30) is provided for selectively guiding yarn to the first and second yarn feed surfaces (27, 28). Clutch members (24, 24') are interposed between pairs of the vertically stacked drive wheels and are selectively operable to impart rotation to the feed wheel (21) from a selected one of the drive wheels.

Abstract: In a safety device, in particular for flat-bed knitting machines, with which, by means of a shutoff device, stoppage of the carriages associated with a drive apparatus of the machines in the event of a change in the power of the carriages as compared with applicable normal operation resulting from disruptions in removal of the goods, loop formation and yarn insertion, excessively high loop tightness specification or the like, is effected. A measuring device is provided for detecting a torque-proportional variable of the drive mechanism. Actual values of the torque-proportional variable are deliverable to a central processing unit and an adjustable comparator device, and the comparator device is provided by the central processing unit, with threshold values for this torque-proportional variable, serving as processed actual value for the torque-proportional variable. Finally, by means of the comparator device, the shutoff device is triggerable as soon as the applicable threshold value is exceeded.

Abstract: A front yarn guide element (11) of the yarn stop motion (10) has the shape of a yarn guide eye (12) formed by a wire spiral into which a yarn can be introduced from the side and deflected to all sides without danger of slipping out. The yarn guide eye (12) is provided with a supporting part (17) located so as to be longitudinally movable in the housing (18) of the yarn stop motion (10), so that the spacing of the yarn guide eye (12) from the position (B) at which the yarn stop motion (10) is secured is adjustable.

Abstract: The safety gate extends between and normally encloses the entire space between adjacent legs of a circular knitting machine to prevent the operator from being injured by a knit fabric take up roll mechanism which rotates beneath the needle cylinder and extends downwardly between the vertical support legs. The safety gate includes individual safety gate elements which are divided into upper and lower sections with the upper section being supported on the lower section for vertical movement between a raised closed position and a lowered open position. At least one of the gate element is hingedly connected on one side to one of the vertical support legs to permit the safety gate element to swing horizontally between closed and open positions between the vertical legs for permitting removal of the fabric take up roll.

Abstract: This device for supporting cops in circular knitting machines, particularly in fixed needle cylinder knitting machines, comprises a plurality of frames which are arranged close together around the machine axis and carry the machine feed cops. Each frame is translatable parallel to itself along a direction having a substantially parallel component to the machine axis from a first raised working position to a second depressed position away from the machine axis to enable a floor-based operator to get at the cops of one frame when the latter occupies the second position; the device also comprises hooks for locking the frames in the first position.

Abstract: The invention relates to a thread movement sensor comprising an arm with at least one thread guide. The invention solves the problem of sensitivity of the sensor to the vibrations of the machine by making a part of the arm an element of a magnetic circuit of coil, the latter being connected to the control circuit of a knitting machine.

Abstract: A single safety device to automatically stop a conventional circular knitting machine in the event of failure of the belt used to drive a pair of fabric advancing rollers of the machine while the fabric is being knit, and/or to stop the machine in the event of failure to secure the so-advanced fabric to the rotary shaft upon which the fabric is normally rolled to sequentially form individual rolls of fabric on the machine.

Abstract: In order to prevent a loom from continuing to operate after burnout of hot wire cutters for cutting selvage, circuitry is provided to automatically stop operation of the loom upon hot wire cutter burnout. The circuitry preferably includes a conventional loom-stopping device associated with drop wires (for detecting warp end breakage) already associated with the loom. A coil is disposed in series with the hot wire cutters and operatively associated with a reed switch and an indicator light which are connected in parallel with the drop wires. The coil, reed switch, and indicator light can be readily retrofit to pre-existing loom components, and the indicator light allows the operator to determine whether loom stoppage is a result of hot wire cutter burnout, or warp end breakage.

Abstract: A safety device is provided for a knitting machine to ensure that the carriage stops in the case of sudden variation of the speed as a result of an impact or other occurrence such as tangling of the yarn into a ball. The device includes a metal strip formed with equidistant perforations assembled parallel to one of the needle bars of the knitting machine. A bridge integral with the carriage moves along this strip, and has on one side an emitter and on the other a transducer. When the carriage moves the succession of perforations gives rise to pulses of length inversely proportional to the translational speed of the carriage. A CPU processing unit processes the signal obtained after amplification and shaping of the pulses and delivers a STOP signal when a sudden disturbance is detected in the movement of the carriage.

Abstract: The invention provides a circular knitting machine having a control mechanism with a rackable cam drum. A rackable timing drum carrying control elements for the speed of progress of the timing drum and activation of the cam drum racking, and a quick re-zeroing control for racking the cam drum quickly to a zero position independently of the control elements in which a racking means is arranged to rack the timing drum at every stroke with a length of stroke in excess of the timing drum racking strokes during normal knitting. A control member controls the racking means to inactivate it during normal knitting and activate it when re-zeroing so as to re-zero both the cam drum and the timing drum quickly while all knitting stations are inoperative.

Abstract: A warp knitting machine has a main shaft driven by an electric motor which is powered by a main circuit. The machine has at least one supplemental, electrically driven arrangement for influencing the thread takeoff of the machine. This electrically driven arrangement is connected to the main circuit. Also included is an electrically operable brake coupled to the main shaft for braking it in response to interruption of the main circuit.

Abstract: The zone of movement of the reciprocating carriage of a flatbed knitting machine is guarded, to prevent injury to the operator, by a light barrier set up between each end of the machine and the carriage. Only the barrier on that side of the carriage towards which the carriage is moving at any given time is effective to trigger braking of the carriage and stopping of the machine if the barrier is penetrated. The carriage may carry a double-sided reflector with combined light emitter/receiver units positioned at each end of the machine.

Abstract: A detector device is provided, in particular for detecting faulty needles or closed needle latches in a knitting machine with latch type needles, consisting of a non-electrically-conductive feeler which is normally resiliently urged into contact with the upper parts of the needle hooks, and an electrically-conductive probe which normally does not contact the needles but passes through the needle hook openings as relative movement of the needles past the detector takes place. However, if a needle latch is closed the probe makes contact with it and also if the needle hook is broken or bent the feeler is permitted to move laterally thereby enabling the probe to contact the faulty needle, contact of the probe with a needle completing an electrical circuit which signals a needle fault. For circular knitting machines in which the needles travel past the detector, the detector is associated with a controller that stops the machine when the faulty needle reaches a particular position in the needle travel path.

Abstract: The knitting machine is provided with latch detector means including primary and secondary sensor means for detecting a latch improperly positioned in a closed position and for signaling when such a condition occurs. A trigger lever (30) having a free inner end (31) is normally positioned in an operative latch detecting position (FIG. 3) immediately below the path of travel of the hooked upper ends (10) of the needles N so that a latch (11) in the proper open position will not engage and trip the trigger lever (30) while a latch (11) in an improper closed position will engage and trip the trigger lever (30). A tension spring (45) is provided to immediately move the trigger lever (30) to the inoperative position (FIG. 4) with the inner free end (31) outwardly and away from the path of travel of the needles N upon being engaged by a latch in an improper closed position.

Abstract: The knitting machine is provided with latch detector means for detecting a latch improperly positioned in a closed position and for signaling when such a condition occurs. A trigger lever (30) having a free inner end (31) is normally positioned in an operative latch detecting position (FIG. 3) immediately below the path of travel of the hooked upper ends (10) of the needles N so that a latch (11) in the proper open position will not engage and trip the trigger lever (30) while a latch (11) in an improper closed position will engage and trip the trigger lever (30). A tension spring (45) is provided to immediately move the trigger lever (30) to the inoperative position (FIG. 4) with the inner free end (31) outwardly and away from the path of travel of the needles N upon being engaged by a latch in an improper closed position.

Abstract: Device for a knitting machine operative to detect knitting needles having broken heads and to actuate a stop motion to shut down the machine. The device includes a needle sensing unit connected electrically to the stop motion and having a retractable sensor element for sensing broken needles, and a needle deflecting roller for deflecting unbroken needles away from the needle sensor element. An adjustable support bracket mounts the needle sensing unit and needle deflecting roller on a knitting machine to locate the needle deflecting roller in the needle path to contact the hooks of unbroken needles and to locate the needle sensor element in the needle path to contact the stems of broken needles. Needles having broken heads are not deflected by the needle deflecting roller, but are sensed by the needle sensing unit to activate the stop motion.

Abstract: Apparatus for controlling the material tension in a knitting machine, particularly a circular knitting machine, by employing a permanent magnet-excited d.c. motor and an associated circuit to drive a motor torque-dependent material take-off mechanism through the generation of a variable magnitude, pulsed current to power the motor. The magnitude of the current may be set by the operator, with the pulse/no pulse ratio of the current being controlled by the operating mode of the knitting device. In a preferred embodiment, an additional circuit monitors the operation of the current control circuit to detect and signal malfunctions.

Abstract: A system for controlling the stopping sequence of a plurality of weaving machines under emergency conditions and a method for the same are disclosed. The system includes a preference control circuit which upon receipt of high and low priority emergency signals from detectors activates a brake actuator to stop the associated weaving machine under the emergency condition of high priority which calls for immediate action, while introducing a delay to the corrective action to be taken in respect of the weaving machine under the emergency condition of low priority not requiring immediate action.

Abstract: A driving connection between a motor driven belt and the carriage of a knitting machine is provided with disengageable parts which separate when the carriage jams and thereby disconnect the carriage from the belt.

Abstract: A circular knitting machine has rocking selector jacks, selected ones of which are raised in a raising zone by means of a raising cam. A cam is provided in correspondence of the raising zone with a lower profile extending parallel to the intended trajectory of the other, non-selected, jacks to engage butts of these jacks whereby to prevent them from being raised unintentionally.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for doffing fabric rolls formed on a winding shaft from a circular knitting machine. When the knitting machine is stopped after a predetermined length of knitted fabric is wound on a winding shaft, the angular position of the winding shaft with respect to the common rotational center of the knitting device and the winding mechanism is controlled by means of a particular mechanism so that the winding shaft occupies a predetermined angular position. Then the knitted fabric is cut at a position adjacent to the winding shaft. Thereafter, both ends of said winding shaft, whereon a full size fabric roll is formed, are simultaneously released from the supporting members of the winding mechanism and the fabric roll doffed from the winding mechanism is received by a receiving plate of a truck positioned at its standby position right below the winding mechanism.

Abstract: A hood movable in the direction in which pinching of the operator's hand would occur extends across the stationary part and between the stationary part and the movable part of a straight knitting machine such that a machine stopping mechanism can be triggered by movement of the hood by impact of the hood by the operator's hand to insure stopping of the machine prior to the machine movable part reaching the stationary part covered by the hood.

Abstract: A hood which is mounted to and shields a slide which in turn is longitudinally movable on a straight knitting machine, has contact devices for triggering a stopping mechanism for the knitting machine slide on the end faces of the hood as viewed in the direction in which the slide travels, with the hood being displaceable longitudinally relative to the slide through a distance corresponding to at least the braking distance of the slide after the stopping mechanism is triggered.

Abstract: A mercury switch which operates the speed control of a circular hosiery knitting machine is positioned within an elongated chamber of a switch housing. The switch housing, in turn, is pivotally mounted to the frame of a knitting machine at such a position as to be operated by a lever responsive to progression of the pattern chain and/or cam drum, and alternately tilted between a "switch activated" and "switch deactivated" position. The mercury switch is so arranged within the housing that when the housing is lowered to the deactivated position, the mercury is disengaged from the contacts of the switch, and when the housing is raised to the activated position, the mercury is caused to move by gravity down into engagement with the contacts of the switch. The mercury switch is completely sealed within the housing, so that oil, oil vapors, dust and the like cannot work thereinto.

Abstract: A device to stop a knitting machine when a needle hook has broken. The device consists of a directed blast of air at the needles of a knitting machine as the needles pass the point on the machine where an existing electronic detector device stops the machine upon indication that the needle latch is in the closed position. The blast of air raises the latch of a broken needle to the closed position to activate the detector. The latch of a needle in normal working order is restrained in the open position at the detector location by the action of a loop of yarn about the latch and is not affected by the blast of air. With a needle controlled to form a tuck stitch a broken needle hook which fails to catch a loop of yarn will result in an open latch condition which does not activate any detector in a conventional machine equipped only with a closed latch detector.

Abstract: Improvement in apparatus used for the continuous inspection of the moving circle of needles of a circular knitting machine to detect faulty needles which comprises a first group of optical glass fibers to guide light from a light source to the needles and a second group of optical fibers to guide reflected light from the needles to a photoelectric sensing member, the end portions of said groups of optical glass fibers at the needles being intermingled to form a single bundle of such intermingled fibers.

Abstract: A device is disclosed for detecting defects in needles on a knitting loom which is operating. The device comprises at least one Hall probe magnetic detector the active surface of which has a width less than the thickness of the needles to be detected. The detector is mounted such that the needles all pass successively in front of it during their working movement, and an electronic circuit transforms the signals received from the magnetic detector into a signal for controlling the stoppage of said loom. The electronic circuit comprises first and second electronic circuits each of which is adapted to supply a signal for controlling the stoppage of the loom.

Abstract: A knitting machine is disclosed in which measurements are made reflecting the output characteristics such as the forces incident to the operation of the knitting needles relatively to operating cam means therefor, and a system is provided for influencing one or more of the operating characteristics of the knitting machine such as speed of operation, rate of lubrication, or the like, in response to such measurements.

Abstract: A detection and control apparatus for a textile machine having a coil through the field of which the machine needles pass individually and a pair of coupled oscillators operating in frequency step with the phase change due to a broken or damaged needle passing through the field of the coil detected as the modulation on the oscillation to control stopping the machine.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is a method of and a device for controlling a weft inserting motion of an automatic weaving loom so that the loom is brought to a stop in the event a weft yarn has failed to be properly picked into a shed of warp yarns a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time interval which corresponds to a predetermined unit length of a fabric produced.

Abstract: A stopping apparatus for a rectilinear knitting machine comprising at least two needlebed parts arranged in roof form and provided with needles, a carriage being displaced in an oscillating movement above the frame parts for the control of the needles during its displacement in alternating directions, and at least one apparatus forming one piece with said knitting carriage to move the fabric away from the knitting area of the needles, said stopping means comprising a switch feed means arranged parallel with the direction of movement of the knitting carriage and control means for this switch.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting defective knitting needles in a circular knitting machine wherein the knitting needles are advanced along a circular path between a light source and upper and lower vertically spaced photoelectric detector devices. The direction of the light beams from the source to the two photoelectric devices is inclined at an angle to the tangent of the circular path at the beam intercept with the circular path, such that the advancing needles pass successively through the beams and a shadow of the hook end of each needle is cast on the upper photoelectric device before any shadow of any other part of the needle is cast on the lower photoelectric device, when a nondefective intact needle enters the beams. Needles with broken off hooks or closed needle latches cause a shadow to be cast on the lower photoelectric device before any shadow reaches the upper photoelectric device to activate an alarm and/or stop the knitting machine.

Abstract: An electrical supervisory circuit arrangement, as for detecting faults such as yarn breakage in a circular knitting machine, comprises a number of channels each responsive to a particular type of fault signal in the machine. Each channel comprises a bistable transistor circuit which is switched in response to the particular fault condition to be detected and, when so switched, energises a warning light. In addition, all the bistable circuits are connected in common to an output transistor which is thus switched when any of the bistable circuits detects a fault. The output transistor controls two relays, one of which disconnects the forward-current supply to the machine and the other of which temporarily provides a reverse-current supply for braking the motor.

Abstract: Apparatus for the continuous monitoring of the condition of the needle heads of a circular knitting machine which move past a predetermined point one after the other at a definite frequency comprising an illuminating component for producing a light spot in the form of a line situated in the plane of an illuminated needle head without light projecting laterally beyond it, said light spot being projected into an aperture substantially the size of the image of the light spot, a photo-receiver disposed behind said aperture and adapted to emit an electrical pulse signal in proportion to the luminous flux passing through the aperture, and a threshold value electronic device for receiving said signal, which when a pulse falls below a predetermined value and/or when there is a change in the predetermined time spacing of two successive pulses, delivers a warning signal.