Needle detector for circular knitting machines

Claim 1

Apparatus of the type used upon cirular knitting machines for continuous inspection of individual ones of a series of uniformly spaced like needles of such machines to detect faulty ones of such needles, wherein said apparatus is provided with a housing in extension of one end of a tube of predetermined length, the other end of said tube being free, wherein a light source, a photoelectric sensing member and an amplifier operatively related to said sensing member are disposed within said housing, wherein a bundle of a plurality of individual glass fibers of predetermined length are encased within and extend lengthwise of said tube and extend into said housing, wherein said bundle of fibers are divided into a first and a second group thereof with said groups of fibers being spaced within said housing and being intermingled within said tube, wherein said light source is operatively related to the ends of said first group of fibers within said housing, wherein said photoelectric sensing member is operatively related to the ends of said second group of fibers within said housing, wherein said intermingled fibers within said tube terminate adjacent to said free end thereof, said series of needles being movable relative to the ends of said intermingled fibers, said first group of fibers guiding light from said light source to impinge upon each of said moving needles, a quantity of such impinged light being reflected back from each of said needles, said second group of fibers guiding said reflected light to impinge upon said photoelectric sensing member, wherein said housing is disposed so as to be readily adjustable to placesaid free ends of said intermingled fibers in desired location closely adjacent to said moving needles, wherein the space between said needles and said ends of said intermingled fiber is unobstructed. and wherein said apparatus is provided with means to evaluate said reflected light received by said photoelelctric sensing member,