Claims
- 1. In a circular knitting machine including a circle of needles mounted for rotation about a fixed axis, each of said needles including an upper hooked end and a pivoted latch movable between open and closed positions, and yarn feed fingers for feeding yarn to said needles as said needles are raised and lowered to form stitch loops, the combination therewith of latch detector means for detecting a latch improperly positioned in a closed position, said latch detector means comprising
- (a) a trigger lever including a free end,
- (b) means supporting said trigger lever for pivotal movement intermediate its ends and about an axis parallel to said fixed axis of said circle of needles, said free end being normally positioned in an operative latch detecting position immediately below the path of travel of said upper hooked ends of said needles so that a latch in the proper open position does not engage said free end of said trigger lever and while a latch in an improper closed position will engage and move said free end of said trigger lever to an inoperative position wherein said free end is moved in the direction of movement and outwardly away from the path of travel of said needles,
- (c) stop means mounted on said supporting means and adapted to engage one side of said trigger lever for normally maintaining said free end of said trigger lever in said detecting position,
- (d) a tension spring fixed at one end adjacent said free end of said trigger lever and at the opposite end to said supporting means and so as to extend generally along and above said trigger lever and the pivotal support thereof for urging said trigger lever into engagement with said stop means with said trigger lever in said detecting position, and for immediately moving said free end of said trigger lever to said inoperative position outwardly and away from the path of travel of said needles upon being laterally deflected from said detecting position by a latch in an improper closed position, and wherein said spring moves laterally during such lateral movement of said trigger lever, and
- (e) primary sensor means including an electrically conductive member mounted on said supporting means adjacent said spring and operable by engagement with said tension spring upon lateral movement thereof for signaling when said free end of said trigger lever is engaged by a closed latch and moved outwardly and away from the path of travel of said needles.
- 2. In a circular knitting machine according to claim 1 wherein said primary sensor means comprises a ground bracket extending over and partially around said tension spring, and wherein said tension spring is positioned to wipingly engage and make electrical contact with said ground bracket immediately after said free end of said trigger lever begins to move outwardly and away from the path of travel of said needles, and wherein said primary sensor means further includes electric wire means connected to said ground bracket and forming part of an electrical circuit operable to signal the detection of a latch in improperly closed position.
- 3. In a circular knitting machine according to claims 1 or 2 wherein said means supporting said trigger lever comprises a support plate pivotally supporting said trigger lever for limited movement in spaced relationship thereabove, and including a spring perch supporting the opposite end of said tension spring on said support plate, and adjustment means for varying the position of said spring perch and the outer end of said tension spring to thereby vary the sensitivity of the tripping of said trigger lever.
- 4. In a circular knitting machine according to claim 3 wherein said adjustment means comprises a disc supporting said spring perch in eccentric relationship thereon, an adjustment bolt threadably supported in said support plate and supporting said disc in eccentric relationship thereon, and a lock nut on said adjustment bolt for maintaining said adjustment bolt in adjusted position.
- 5. In a circular knitting machine according to claim 2 including secondary sensor means comprising a ground stop member mounted on said supporting means and against which said trigger lever is engaged when said inner end of said trigger lever is moved to a fully in-operative position outwardly and away from the path of travel of said needles, and wherein said electric wire means is also connected to said ground stop member and forms part of an electrical circuit operable to signal the detection of a latch in improperly positioned closed position, said secondary sensor means being operable if said tension spring and said ground bracket of said primary sensor means fail to make electrical contact.
- 6. In a circular knitting machine according to claim 5 wherein said means supporting said trigger lever comprises a support plate pivotally supporting said trigger lever for limited movement in spaced relationship thereabove, and said secondary sensor means further comprises an electrical insulation block mounted on said support plate, said block having an undercut portion to define a horizontal channel between said undercut portion and the surface of said support plate, and wherein said ground stop member is positioned within said channel so as to be protected from the buildup of falling lint.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This application is a continuation-in-part of our copending application Ser. No. 143,793, filed Apr. 25, 1980 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,725 and relates generally to detecting improperly positioned latches of the needles of a circular knitting machine and more particularly to such a machine having a latch detector including primary and secondary sensor means for the detection of improperly closed needle latches and for immediately signaling such condition.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
1470542 |
Jan 1967 |
FRX |
1289106 |
Sep 1972 |
GBX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
143793 |
Apr 1980 |
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