Circular knitting machine with fabric scanner, and break-away mount for fabric scanner

A break-away mount for a fabric scanner in a circular knitting machine, the circular knitting machine having a fixed support shaft that extends vertically down through an interior of a fabric tube being knitted, the break-away mount comprising:

• a stationary section structured and arranged to be rigidly affixed to the support shaft;
• a revolving section engaged with the stationary section so as to be rotatable about a generally vertical axis relative to the stationary section;
• a mounting arm for the fabric scanner, the mounting arm being coupled with the revolving section;
• and
• a first break-away mechanism connecting the revolving section to the stationary section and restraining the revolving section from rotating relative to the stationary section during normal operation, the first break-away mechanism being structured and arranged such that if sufficient force is exerted on the scanner in the rotational direction the first break-away mechanism breaks away such that the revolving section is free to rotate about the generally vertical axis;
• wherein the mounting arm is prevented from pivoting relative to the revolving section by a second break-away mechanism structured and arranged to allow a predefined amount of rotational movement of the revolving section relative to the stationary section before the second break-away mechanism releases and allows the mounting arm to pivot about a non-vertical axis.

A break-away mount for mounting a scanner to a generally vertical support shaft in a circular knitting machine, the break-away mount comprising:

• a mounting arm for supporting the scanner at one end of the mounting arm;
• a revolving section coupled to the other end of the mounting arm;
• a first break-away mechanism coupling the revolving section to the support shaft, the first break-away mechanism normally preventing rotation of the revolving section relative to the support shaft so as to keep the scanner in a generally fixed position, the first break-away mechanism being structured and arranged to break away and allow rotation of the revolving section relative to the support shaft when a force exerted on the mounting arm exceeds a threshold force level, such that the scanner is allowed to move in a rotational direction about the support shaft;
• and
• a second break-away mechanism coupling the mounting arm to the revolving section, the second break-away mechanism normally preventing pivoting of the mounting arm relative to the revolving section, the second break-away mechanism being structured and arranged to break away and allow pivoting of the mounting arm about a non-vertical axis only after the first break-away mechanism has broken away and the revolving section has rotated by more than a threshold amount of rotation.