Patent ID: 7237742

Claim:
A yarn feeder device for knitting machines comprising: a yarn conveyor for advancing yarn to the knitting machine; at least one yarn guide element for guiding the yarn advanced by the yarn conveyor; a feeler mechanism disposed beside the at least one yarn guide element and supported for movement between an operating position bearing against yarn being advanced to said knitting machine and a retracted inoperative position; a yielding stop mechanism associated with the yarn feeler mechanism for limiting motion of the yarn feeler mechanism when the yarn feeler mechanism is in or adjacent the operating position, said stop mechanism including a cam connected to a lever arm of said yarn feeler mechanism and a spring disposed adjacent said cam, an abutment against which said spring is pre-stressed when said yarn feeler mechanism is in said operating position, and said spring being liftable from said abutment by said cam in response to movement of said yarn feeler mechanism to said retracted inoperative position.