Latch opener apparatus for knitting machines and particularly circular knitting machines

Claim 1

A latch opener for combination with a knitting machine utilizing latch needles to engage the needle latches to open any closed latches comprising a central support (2); a tubular spring housing (4) surrounding the support (2) and having a planar end defining a single plane of rotation; a torsion spring (5) within the housing (4) and secured at one end thereto; a latch opening hook (1); a rotatable, ring-shaped carrier (3) supporting said hook (1), said carrier (3) being located coaxially to rotate about the support as a center and supported on said planar end of the tubular spring housing on said support, the other end of said spring (5) engaging said carrier and biassing the carrier (3) and hence the hook (1) into latch engaging position and permitting rotary movement of the carrier (3) and the hook (1) thereon into a clearance position of the hook upon engagement of the hook with a bent needle or a closed latch and thereafter to return under spring bias to a hook opening position, the latch opening and clearance positions which define the limits of rotation of the carrier (3) and the hook (1) thereon, and the path of rotation of said carrier all being confined to said single plane of rotation; enclosed unilaterally operable spring-loaded latchable knitting machine control switch means (7) having a manually operable trip reset element (20), the switch means being secured to the support (2) and located laterally alongside the support and having a feeler pin (9) movable axially with respect to said housing to control ON-OFF switching of the switch means and to latch in axially extended position; and a switch operating projection (11) secured to said reset element, the latter and extending radially from the carrier (3) and movable in said plane, upon rotary movement of the carrier, in a path interfering with the position of the feeler pin (9) of the switch means (7) when the feeler pin (9) is in axially extended position, to engage the feeler pin (9) at one side to trip and unlatch the feeler pin to remove the feeler pin from interference position with said projection, tripping of the feeler pin causing stop motion operation to stop the machine; and wherein the unilaterally operable control switch means is disabled from tripping when engaged by the projection from the other side thereof, to provide, upon movement of the operating projection (11) beyond said interfering position, and manual operation of said trip reset element (20) into interfering position, for engagement of said operating element with the other side of the feeler pin which will then not be tripped and unlatched and permit continued operation of the machine, with the operating projection rotated beyond said interfering position, carrying along said carrier (3) and rotating said latch opening hook out of the path of the needles, engagement of the feeler pin (9) and said operating projection (11) being maintained by the force of the spring (5) acting on said carrier (3) upon deflected movement of said carrier (3).