Patent ID: 6035669
Filing Date: 2000-03-14
Classification: D04B

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 including a raising cam portion for moving the needles to a raised position for receiving yarns, a stitch cam portion following the raising cam portion for moving the needles to a stitch position for making yarn loops, and a gate cam portion following the stitch cam portion in which tension forces between the yarn loops and needle hooks bias the butts of intact needles against the first cam face, the apparatus comprising:a detector butt raising segment in the gate cam portion, wherein the second cam face in the gate cam portion is inclined away from the second cam face at the stitch position for contacting butts and urging the butts toward the first cam face;a detector butt lowering segment in the gate cam portion following the detector butt raising segment, wherein the first cam face contacts the needle butts and urges the butts toward the second cam face;a detector recess segment in the gate cam portion following the detector butt lowering segment, wherein the second cam face is sufficiently spaced from the first cam face so that butts of needles having broken hooks are urged into the recess segment by the detector butt lowering segment but butts of intact needles that are biased against the first cam face do not enter the detector recess segment; anda sensor in the detector recess segment for identifying the presence of needle butts in the detector recess segment.