through discharge conduit 24 passes through detector 38 which is a photoswitch detector in the preferred embodiment at least a portion of discharge conduit 24 around which detector 38 is located is transparent allowing a light beam to be interrupted when a sock passes through conduit 24 at the point at which detector 38 is located when detector 38 detects a sock the signal from detector 38 is 34 debounced 34 by conventional circuitry to ensure that a single indication is received from detector 38 the debounced signal from detector 38 causes sock counter 54 to advance one count the count in sock counter 54 is then compared with a preselected and or preprogrammed value and alarm 218 which may be an audible alarm is sounded if the count matches the preselected and or preprogrammed value alarm 218 is shown as three separate alarms although its function can be supplied with only one alarm shared by each of the counters 408 410 and 54 note that alarm 218 may generally be connected to counter 54 which is part of host machine 120 through conventional circuitry meanwhile the sock continues in its path from detector 38 to sock separator drop box 138c after a delay 412 about 0 5 seconds in the preferred embodiment the time delay if any being dependent upon the time it takes for a sock to pass from detector 38 to sock separator drop box 138c a signal is sent to vacuum valve selector switch 50 which momentarily operates pneumatic cylinder 77 which closes butterfly valve 62 thus momentarily cutting the vacuum to drop box 138c a.