Abstract: A device for monitoring a weft in a circular loom where the weft is drawn-off from a bobbin of the weaving shuttle rotating along a circular path formed by a circular reed. The device includes a magnetic sensor stationarily arranged in a zone of the circular path of the weaving shuttle for generating an electronic control signal to turn off the loom when there is a fault in the weft creating an operative connection between the magnetic sensor and a permanent magnet. The magnet is carried by the weaving shuttle. The device has a pivoting lever having the permanent magnet arranged thereon. The device also includes a return spring that displaces the pivoting lever as well as the permanent magnet attached thereon towards a position where the operative connection between the magnetic sensor and the permanent magnet is made.

Abstract: A method and detector are provided for accurately and continuously detecting surface roughness or oversize defects on coated wire or cable, such as magnet wire. This is achieved by passing the wire or cable through a die having an opening which is larger than the cross-section of the wire or cable by the size of the surface roughness or defect to be detected. This die is pulled on the wire or cable when engaged by the oversize defect to a spot or position where a sensor is provided to sense the presence of the die and thus of the defect and then produce a suitable alarm.

Abstract: A device for controlling the feed of at least one yarn (14) to a textile machine (15) and for compensating any pulling and excess tension exerted on said yarn (14) during said feed, the yarn (14) being unwound from a usual bobbin (16), comprises support means (13) arranged to slidingly cooperate with the yarn (14) and to support it during its feed to the textile machine (15), said support means (13) being movably associated with winding and unwinding means (3) fixedly supported on the machine (15) by a support member (21), said winding and unwinding means (3) comprising means (6) which compensate the movement of the support means (13) and which slidingly cooperate with the yarn (14), means (25, 28) being provided for sensing the movement of said support means (13), said sensor means (25, 28) being connected to means (30) which control the operation of the textile machine (15) and which are arranged to halt this latter when a predetermined movement limit for said support means (13) is reached.

Abstract: A device for indicating the triggering of a signal transducer in, for example, thread surveillance and monitoring systems.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved knitting machine in which special steps have been taken to provide for close correlation of the operation of the knitting filament in-feed equipment and the knitted fabric out-feed equipment with the speed of the knitting head itself, to produce a more uniform and better quality knitted product, and to reduce the danger of filament or fabric breakage caused by jamming at the knitting head or at one of the pieces of feed equipment. These steps are particularly important in the knitting of wire mesh fabric, because wire filament is less stretchable than most textile filaments and thus less able to compensate for variations in the speed of the various pieces of equipment acting upon it as it passes through the machine. In particular, the filament in-feed equipment, the fabric take-up equipment, and if desired, the fabric take-down equipment, are all driven by power trains which include the knitting head.

Abstract: A new latch box for stop motion apparatus for knitting machines of the type wherein the stop motion acts to automatically stop the machine when there is an undesirable amount of excess tension in the yarn being fed to the machine. The new latch box is of non-electrically conductive material and cooperates fully with the other parts of the apparatus as completely as the replaced latch box. A trigger is added to the new latch box in addition to its latch. Both the latch and the trigger are under the control of the yarn feeding arm of the apparatus in such manner that when there is excess yarn tension the trigger is actuated before the latch is actuated thereby to actuate the stop motion to stop the machine sooner than it would be stopped by the prior art latch boxes.

Abstract: A thread supply device for a textile machine, such as a knitting machine, having a drive. The thread supply device includes a thread drum on which a thread issuing from a supply bobbin can be wound tangentially to form an intermediate thread supply and from which the thread can be removed over a removal edge of the drum. A thread-control element is positioned adjacent to the path of thread removal in the vicinity of the removal edge, and against which the thread abuts laterally due to the tension of removal during a positive thread supply mode. The thread-control element also functions as a thread tension-sensing element and is movable responsive to a decrease in the tension of the removed thread such that, when this tension falls below a predetermined value, this element activates a switching structure which stops the machine drive.

Abstract: A rotatable storage drum is connected for rotation to have yarn wound thereon. The pull-off position of the yarn is controlled by a yarn guide element which is a pin extending into the path of the yarn and forming an acute angle with a plane parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum. The pin is located on a rotatable disk so that the point of the acute angle can face either forwardly or rearwardly of the drum, so that the thread guide element can guide the yarn regardless of the direction of rotation of the drum and without tangling of the yarn if the guide element is set incorrectly with respect to the direction of rotation thereof; the element can also be set in an intermediate position in which it is ineffective with respect to the pull-off position, so that the drum can be used as a demand-storage supply drum, rotatable in either direction without structural modification of the overall apparatus.

Abstract: A filament monitoring device for knitwear manufacturing machines and of the kind having a filament guide arranged to move out of its operating position when a predetermined filament tension is exceeded and to be returned into the operating position with a force less than the breaking tension of the filament for automatic reapplication of the machine drive is, according to the invention, characterized by the provision of a guided slide member carrying only the filament guide and the armature of a magnet which holds the slide member in the operating position, and by a cable connection between the slide member and a return piston which is reciprocable in a compressed air cylinder and adapted to return the slide member to the operating position.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for continuously supplying a textile machine, such as a circular knitting machine, with yarn under constant tension, the yarn being stored transiently and continuously in optimum amount on a negative feed drum type storage feeder, wherein when excessive tension arises during feeding lasting for only a short period (for example 3/10ths of a second) the restoring mode of the feed device is stopped whereby the existing supply of yarn on the drum will be fed to the needles. Additionally, when said excessive tension lasts for a period longer than the above short limit but at most equal to a middle limit (for example 3 to 30 seconds) the machine is temporarily stopped. In both cases reactivation of the feed drum so that the yarn can be restored to its optimum amount and restarting of the machine automatically occurs if the excessive tension is eliminated within the above time periods.

Abstract: In a knitting machine in which upon the application of abnormal tension to yarn, the yarn is released from a yarn engaging element and simultaneously the knitting machine is halted. A yarn replacing apparatus is provided comprising at least one vertical motion mechanism for receiving yarn released from a yarn engaging element and moving it upward into reengagement with the yarn engaging element. The vertical motion mechanism further includes a detecting device for detecting an abnormal condition in the yarn, whereby when abnormal tension applied to the yarn has been removed, the vertical motion mechanism continues to operate, whereas when the abnormal tension applied to the yarn has not been removed, the vertical motion mechanism is halted, and the knitting machine automatically again comes into operation only after the reengagement of the released yarn with the yarn engaging element.

Abstract: A device for detecting the breakage of, and excessive tension in, the thread operating in knitting machinery, the device comprising a case, a first detection lever for detecting breakage of the thread, and a second detection lever for detecting excessive thread tension, both detection levers being pivotally mounted to the case. The second detection lever cooperates with a return spring attached at one end thereof to the lever and at the other end thereof to the case. The location of the points at which the spring is attached to the second detection lever and case respectively are such that the spring provides a force which resists the pivoted movement of the detection lever, such force varying by a small but uniform amount with the angle defined by the lever. The thread is applied to and supported by the second detection means. When the thread is subjected to excessive tension, the second detection lever pivots against the resisting force of the spring until it reaches an angle at which the thread escapes.