Patent ID: 8340805

Claim:
A method for detecting the stop of the yarn in knitting lines provided with a plurality of yarn feeders from which a downstream machine draws respective yarns, said machine being provided with selection means adapted to vary the state of selection of said yarn feeders in relation to the angular position of the machine, and each of said yarn feeders being provided with a stationary drum and with a yarn count sensor arranged to generate a pulse per each yarn loop unwound from the drum, wherein it comprises the steps of: periodically sending a selection signal to said yarn feeders, which is indicative of the state of selection of the individual feeders in relation to the angular position of the machine and, for each of the selected feeders, continuously calculating a threshold time interval corresponding to the maximum interval between two successive pulses, above which it should be regarded that an accidental stop of the yarn has occurred, said threshold time interval being updated in real time as a function of the yarn-drawing speed, continuously measuring the delay from the last pulse and comparing it with said updated threshold time interval, and stopping said downstream machine when said measured delay exceeds said updated threshold interval.