Faulty needle sensing
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for sensing needles of the type employed in a knitting machine comprising:
- first and second needle sensors, each said needle sensor having a surface portion for engagement with a portion of a needle,structure supporting said first and second needle sensors in predetermined relation for concurrently sensing different portions of the same needle and producing an output indication thereof,and an indicator coupled to said first and second needle sensors, said indicator being responsive to movement of one sensor relative to the other sensor indicative of a faulty needle for producing an output indicating that the sensed needle is defective.
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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.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. Apparatus for sensing needles of the type employed in a knitting machine comprising:
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first and second needle sensors, each said needle sensor having a surface portion for engagement with a portion of a needle, structure supporting said first and second needle sensors in predetermined relation for concurrently sensing different portions of the same needle and producing an output indication thereof, and an indicator coupled to said first and second needle sensors, said indicator being responsive to movement of one sensor relative to the other sensor indicative of a faulty needle for producing an output indicating that the sensed needle is defective.
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2. Apparatus for sensing needles of the type employed in a knitting machine comprising:
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first and second needle sensors, each said needle sensor including a member mounted for movement relative to the other sensor member and each said sensor member has a surface portion for engagement with the needle portion to be sensed, said needle sensor surface portion having a normal position relative to one another, structure supporting said first and second needle sensors in predetermined relation for concurrently sensing different portions of the same needle and producing an output indication thereof, and an indicator coupled to said first and second needle sensors, said indicator being responsive to movement of said sensor surface portions to a second position relative to one another indicative of a faulty needle for producing an output indicating that the sensed needle is defective. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. In a knitting machine having a frame and an array of needles in series arrangement, each said needle having a stem, a hook portion at one end of said stem and a latch pivotally mounted on said stem at a position spaced from said hook portion and adapted to cooperate with said hook portion,
first and second needle sensors, each said needle sensor being adapted to sense a portion of a needle, structure supporting said first and second needle sensors in predetermined relation so that said first needle sensor is disposed to engages the hook portion of a needle and said second needle sensor is disposed to concurrently sense a different portion of the same needle, means for producing relative motion between the needles and said sensors so that the needles successively pass said sensors, an indicator coupled to said first and second needle sensors, said indicator being responsive to a differential movement of said first and second needle sensors indicative of a faulty needle for producing an output indicating that the sensed needle is defective, and means responsive to said indicator output for stopping said knitting machine.
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18. In a knitting machine having a frame and an array of needles in series arrangement, each said needle having a stem, a hook portion at one end of said stem and a latch pivotally mounted on said stem at a position spaced from said hook portion and adapted to cooperate with said hook portion,
first and second needle sensors, each said needle sensor being adapted to sense a portion of a needle, each said sensor including a member mounted for movement relative to the other sensor member and each said sensor member having a surface portion of length sufficient to bridge two, but not three, adjacent needles in the needle array being sensed for engagement with the needle portion to be sensed, structure supporting said needle sensor surface portions in predetermined normal offset position relative to one another so that said first needle sensor is disposed to sense the hook portion of a needle and said second needle sensor is disposed to concurrently sense a different portion of the same needle, means for producing relative motion between the needles and said sensors so that the needles successively pass said sensors, an indicator coupled to said first and second needle sensors, said indicator producing an output indicating that the sensed needle is defective only in response to movement of said sensor surface portions to a second relative position in which the offset is reduced to less than three-quarters of said normal offset position, and means responsive to said indicator output for stopping said knitting machine.
Specification