Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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"Method for joining two edges of a knitted tubular
article upon completion therof".
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention refers to a method for
operating the union of two edges of a knitted
tubular article, such as the linking, that is the
formation of the hook-up of the stockings toe, upon
completion of the article knitting.
HACKROLIIdD OF THE INVENTION
Known from document TT No.FI93A128 is a method
for joining the two edges of a knitted tubular
article such as a sock, comprising the initial step
of manufacturing the article by beginning from the
elastic hem and finishing on the side of the toe
which is left open, by means of a circular machine,
which method includes the following additional
operating steps: - disposing the last-to-form
stitches of a first semirank onto the knitting
needles of a second semirank of stitches through a
180° overturning thereof about a diametral axis of
the needles cylinder, so that the pairs of stitches
of the first and second semiranks will result in
retained position on the needles of the second
semirank; - lowering the needles of the second
semirank, with the sinkers being open, so as to
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move the stitches of the first and second semiranks
to a level beneath that of the sinkers; - lifting
the needles of the second semirank, with the
sinkers being closed, so that the corresponding
pairs of stitches of the first and second semiranks
will result retained by the sinkers in a
predetermined position relative to the stem of the
respective needles; - lifting farther the needles
of the second semirank, with the sinkers being
open, until all the corresponding pairs of
stitches will reach the operating level of the
transfer means of the first semirank, so as to have
the stitches retained by said means; - lowering the
needles of the second semirank so as to have the
article released from the knitting needles and the
stitches of the first and second semiranks picked
up by said transfer means; - disposing the article,
with the thus removed stitches, at a predetermined
distance from the knitting cylinder; -- disposing
the thus transferred stitches so as to have them
angularly equidistant, with a circular pitch being
preset according to the required degree of hook-up
fineness; - linking the corresponding pairs of
stitches thus disposed to form a chain and, upon
completion of the linking operation, making one or
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more knots for closing the chain; - cutting the
linking thread; - releasing the thus joined pairs
of stitches of the first and second semiranks to
allow the article to be removed in its final, right
side out condition.
It may be useful to point out that a stitch is
intended in its retained position when it is fitted
on a latch needle and at a level between the needle
beard hook and the free end of the latch, the
latter being in its fully open condition.
The operating method indicated above implies
carrying out the above mentioned linking operation
with the sock in its right side out condition. This
requires special care and accuracy in the execution
of the hook-up as this is made on the outer side of
the article toe. Moreover, it is necessary to
insert the terminal length of the linking thread.
inside the article after the execution of the chain
closing knots to prevent it from being visible on
the finished product.
SUMMARY AND OHJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The main object of the present invention is to
overcome the above mentioned drawbacks and provide
an operating method which makes it simpler to close
the toe of a knitted tubular article, especially of
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sock type, while enabling the obtainment of a
finished product of good quality.
This result has been achieved, according to the
invention, by adopting a method comrising the
initial step of manufacturing a knitted tubular
article of sock type by starting from the elastic
hem and finishing on the side of the toe which is
left open, by means of a circular machine, which
method includes the following additional operating
steps:
- moving the plate away from the knitting head of
the machine;
- lifting the knitting needles, with the sinkers
being closed, so that the stitches of the last-to-
knit rank, that is, the one of the sock toe, will
result retained by said sinkers in a position
corresponding to the region of removal of the
respective needles;
- lifting farther said needles, with the sinkers
being open, so as to dispose the stitches of the
last rank above the sinkers nib;
- removing individually said stitches from the
relevant needles and retaining them;
- lowering the knitting needles so as to clear the
sock toe out of the knitting head of the machine;
,~~2~5~a
- transferring the sock, with the stitches of the
last rank thus retained, out of the knitting head
of the machine, at a predetermined distance
therefrom;
- turning the sock inside out, so as to have it, in
its everted condition, with the elastic hem thereof
being disposed at a suitable distance from the toe;
- transferring the stitches of a first semirank
onto the corresponding stitches of the second 1
semirank, through a 180°-overturning thereof about
a diametral axis of the circumference delimited by
the last-to-knit rank of stitches, so that each
stitch of the first semirank will result juxtaposed
and coaxial to the corresponding stitch of the
second semirank: the term "semirank" referring to a
plurality of stitches adjacent and belonging to one
edge of the article toe;
- disposing the thus associated stitches of said
first and second semiranks along an arc of
circumference, at constant angu7.ar distance whose
pitch is chosen in relation to the desired hook-up
fineness;
- hooking-up the thus disposed pairs of stitches
and, upon completion of the hook-up operation,
making one or more knots for the closing thereof;
7
- cutting the linking thread;
- moving the article, with the toe thus linked,
back to its right-side out, that is, final
condition, and unloading it.
The advantages deriving from the present
invention lie essentially in that it is possible to
automatically make said hook-up, without breaking
off the production of the knitting machine and with
the sock being disposed in averted condition, so as
to carry out the linking operation for the
formation of said hook-up inside the article, and
avoiding to handle the terminal length of the hook-
up thread after the cutting thereof; that said
hook-up may be carried out with any suitable degree
of fineness, so as to achieve a finished product of
optimum quality.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIAN AF 'ARE DRAWINf3S
These and other advantages and characteristics
of the invention will be best understood by anyone
skilled in the art from a reading of the following
description in conjunction with the attached
drawings given as a practical exemplification of
the invention, but not to be considered in a
limitative sense, wherein:
- Fig. 1 shows schematically a circular machine to
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carry out the method according to the invention,
upon the formation of a sock;
- Fig. 2 shows the machine of Fig. 1 when the sock
is completed, with the plate being lifted up;
- Fig. 3 shows in detail a needle of the knitting
cylinder and the corresponding stitch of the last-
to-knit rank, with the respective sinker being
closed;
- Fig. 4 shows the needle of Fig. 3 upon the
lifting thereof with the respective stitch in
correspondence of the region where it is removed,
and with the relevant sinker being closed;
- Fig. 5 shows the needle of Fig. 4 upon the
lifting thereof to a further extent, with the
relevant sinker being open and with the respective
stitch being disposed above the sinker nib;
- Fig. 6 shows the needle and the stitch of Fig. 5
upon the predisposition thereof for the removal of
the stitch;
- Fig. 7 shows the needle of Fig. 6 at the end of
the lifting thereof to allow the removal of the
respective stitch;
- Fig. 8 shows the needle of Fig. 7 upon the
lowering thereof for leaving the respective stitch;
- Fig. 9 shows the needle of Fig. 8 in its fully
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lowered position, with the corresponding stitch
fully clear of the knitting members;
- Fig. 10 is a schematic view showing the sock with
the not yet linked toe at the end of its moving
away from the knitting machine;
- Fig. 11 shows the sock of Fig. 10 upon its
predisposition for the turning inside out thereof;
- Fig. 12 shows the sock of Fig. 11 in its turned
inside out condition;
- Fig. 13 shows the sock of Fig. 12 upon the step
of overturning the stitches of the first semirank
of the toe;
- Fig. 14 shows the sock of Fig. 13 upon the
linking of its toe;
- Fig. 15 shows the sock with linked toe upon the
turning right-side out thereof and the unloading
thereof in right side out condition.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Reduced to its basic structure, reference being
made to the figures of the attached drawings, a
method for carrying out the linking of the toe of a
sock, according to the invention, including the
initial step of making a knitted tubular article
such as a sock (5) by starting from the elastic hem
(50) and finishing on the side of the toe (51)
to
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which is left open, by means of a circular machine
(1), comprises the following additional operating
steps:
- mowing the plate (10) away from the knitting head
of the machine (1) (Fig. 2);
- lifting the knitting needles (2), with the
sinkers (3) being closed, so that the stitches (4)
of the last-to-knit rank, that is, the ones of the
toe end of the sock (5), will result retained by
said sinkers in a position corresponding to the
region where the respective needles (2) are removed
(Figs. 3 and 4);
- lif.ting farther said needles (2), with the
sinkers being open, so as to dispose the stitches
(4) above the nib (30) of the sinkers (3) (Fig. 5);
- removing individually said stitches (4) from the
relevant needles (2) and retaining them (Figs. 6 -
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- lowering the needles (~) so as to release the toe
(51) of the sock (5) from the knitting head of the
machine (1) (Fig. 9);
- transferring the sock (5), with the thus retained
stitches (4) of the toe (51) out of the knitting
head of the machine (1), at a predetermined
distance therefrom (Fig. 10);
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- turning the sock (5) inside out, so as to have
it, in its averted condition, with the elastic hem
(50) thereof disposed above the toe (51) (Figs. 11
and 12);
- transferring the stitches (4) of a first semirank
(x) onto the corresponding stitches (4) of the
second semirank (y), through a 180°-overturning
thereof about a diametral axis of the circumference
delimited by the last knitted rank of stitches, so
that each stitch (4) of the first semirank (x) will
result juxtaposed and coaxial to the corresponding
stitch (4) of the second semirank (y) (Fig. 13);
- disposing the thus associated stitches of said
first and second semiranks (x,y) along an arc of
circumference, at constant angular distance, whose
circular pitch is chosen according to the desired
hook-up fineness;
- linking the thus disposed pairs of stitches (4)
and, upon completion of the linking operation,
making one or more knots for the closing thereof
(Fig. 14);
- cutting the linking thread;
- moving the sock (5), with the toe (51) thereof
thus linked, back to its right-side out, that is,
final condition, and unloading it (Fig. 15).
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Advantageously, according to the invention,
provision is made for transferring the stitches (4)
of the first semirank (x) onto the corresponding
stitches (4) of the second semirank (y) upon the
disposition of all said stitches (4) of the last
rank onto corresponding means (6) provided for
moving them away from 'the knitting head of the
machine (1) and for the subsequent overturning of
the stitches (4) of the first semirank (x).
Moreover, prior to said linking operation,
provision is made for advantageously transferring
the stitches (4) onto a front of hook-up spines
(7). Advantageously, in case the number of
stitches (4) of the first semirank (x) is different
from that of the stitches (4) of the second
semirank (y), the stitches (4) which result
excluded from the said association will be linked
all the same.
According to the invention, and with reference
to Figs. 10 - 15 of the attached drawings, the
turning inside out and subsequent turning right-
Bide out of the sock (5) are advantageously
operated by a pneumatic everter hose (8) coaxial to
the sock (5) and driven into a preset reciprocating
motion in the direction of its longitudinal axis
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(a-a), so as to allow for the introduction thereof
within the sock (5) on the side of the toe (51) to
hook up, that is engage, the edge of the elastic
hem (50), and respectively for the removal thereof
to evert the sock (5) with the elastic hem (50)
thus engaged.
The same hose (8) is intended to operate the
aspiration of the finished sock (5) by acting on
the toe (51) thereof, so as to allow the
simultaneous turning right-side out and unloading
thereof in its final condition (see Fig. 15).
Practically, all the construction details may
vary in any equivalent way as far as the shape,
dimensions, elements disposition, nature of the
ussd materials are concerned, without nevertheless
departing from the scope of the adopted solution
idea and, thereby, remaining within the limits of
the protection granted to the present patent for
industrial invention.
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