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: A method and a knitting machine for producing a knitted product composed of fiber material fed by a roller pair (11c) are described. The stitches are formed as usual by knitting elements (3) being raised out of a non-knitting position into a fiber take-up position, while at the same time previously formed stitches are being knocked over, and being withdrawn again after the fiber material (6) is inserted. The presence of fiber material is monitored by means of a sensor (22), which when there is no fiber material present emits an error signal, as a result of which the knitting elements are prevented from being raised further into the fiber take-up position. According to the invention, when the error signal occurs, the knitting elements (3) are withdrawn from an intermediate position again without the previously formed stitches being knocked over and without the fiber material being taken up.

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: 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: 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: 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: Apparatus for sensing faulty knitting needles includes two needle sensors that are supported in predetermined relation for concurrently sensing different portions of the same needle. An indicator produces an output indicating that a sensed needle is defective in response to a differential change indicative of a faulty needle in the output indications of the two needle sensors.

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.