ITCO960017A1 - METHOD AND EQUIPMENT FOR CLOSING SOCKS - Google Patents

Description

Description

The current production of hosiery is characterized by the fact that the knitted tube corresponding to the toe of the sock is sewn after its production with machinery and personal accessories. Years ago, the various attempts and proposals for the automatic closure of the sock during the production process had little or no luck. Unlike in the past, the most recent methods for automatic toe closure, as far as we know, seem quite promising but make sock machines more complex and expensive, which also require more qualified personnel; therefore initial investments and significantly increased operating costs. The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a method and the relative apparatus for the automatic closing, even partial, of a tube and or knitted article in general, socks in particular, directly on the textile machine, without the aforementioned complex constructive modifications, therefore with much lower additional costs. An additional purpose is to provide a method and the relative apparatus for automatically closing the toe of a sock (or other knitted article) by means of the progressive reduction of the aforementioned knitted tube in order to obtain a central or decentralized rosette with or without threads. floating.

Another main purpose is to provide a method and the relative apparatus for automatically closing the toe of a sock or other knitted article with the progressive reduction of the aforementioned knitted tube or disk together with moving means or parts operating both outside. that inside the cylinder, platorilos and or needle bars, suitable for knitting, moving, directing and or overturning the stitch towards the needles and or hooks and or other movable parts housed therein. Another object is to provide a method and the relative apparatus for the production of a knitted tube or circular knitted product characterized by knitted parts, such as a heel for example, produced with the cylinder stationed against which it works with reciprocating motion, at least one complete fall of needle cams and guide it. Further objectives are evident, on their own or in combination with each other, from the accompanying description, examples and drawings. Since the invention initially intends to close the toe of the stocking by progressively squeezing the knitting tube by means of the appropriate feeding of one or more threads to the needles and subsequent drawing and or knitting of the same threads, it is preferable to start the stocking from the toe, and for simplicity of description the invention shows a single-cylinder machine for men's socks. In accordance with the invention, the first working needles have the function of producing stitches or an initial fabric on which a thread is intertwined which is particularly suitable for being also pulled, therefore sliding, or adapted to recover its extension because it is elastic. Said thread is initially fed by a special guide, preferably extensible, to a reduced number of needles along the circumference of the cylinder and according to a variable needle selection scheme, (1/7, 1/3, 1/1 etc. the fineness, the yarn, the diameter, etc.) so that the meshes form a circular net in which an appropriate thread is inserted, according to the usual techniques, as a loop along the circumference of the cylinder (and beyond if necessary). (Plate 1: 2 in figures 1-2). Subsequently pulled, called wire-noose 3, pl. 1, gradually reduces the diameter or mesh tube until it closes, thus forming a central rosette 5, tab. 1, made up of the initials. As a rule, the knit produced descends downwards, but in accordance with the invention the initial part of the knitted tube extends towards the center of the cylinder directed and or supported by the anion of the yarn and or guided it also extensible (Table 1: 3 in figure 1 -2).

From the constructive point of view, said guide is quite easily associated with the normal yarn guides of the hosiery machine, even if any technical or constructive needs (the number of feeds, the diameter of the cylinder, etc.) could lead to a different location in their own right. Once the thread is fed to the needles and the hook pad (or the needle bed or the upper cylinder, for example), said thread guide (preferably similar to a thin sliding metal bar or in the shape of a mini telescopic antenna) has been raised or moved as required. otherwise realized), extends towards the center of the cylinder by means of a command or mechanism (not shown), suitable for the construction type of the guide itself. Therefore, this command can be either a simple cable or tie rod with relative return spring, or of the pneumatic, hydraulic, electric or electromagnetic type, or managed by a stepper motor in turn controlled by a microprocessor, or by other means suitable for the scope. From the moment in which the yarn guide extends towards the center of the cylinder, the yarn-loop 3 already supplied to the needles can be influenced by an adequate return or pulling mechanism for whose construction and control the same considerations already expressed in this regard apply. of the extensible thread guide.

For purely indicative purposes, a stepper motor appears preferable on the shaft of which a pulley is fixed which is able to slide freely only in the direction of feeding the thread to the needles, so that the subsequent draft takes place by means of the opposite rotation of the aforementioned motor. variations of the invention whereby the aforementioned pulley rotates solidly with the shaft of the stepper motor, both to feed the thread and to pull it: this is then knitted, intertwined with other threads and or cut. Excess yarn recovery and or tensioning mechanisms are currently used, for example, also on straight knitting machines. According to the invention, the yarn (or yarns) loop in question can also be fed by a non-extendable yarn guide: subsequently taken and or pulled by a movable element facing the needles, preferably similar to a thin rod with at least one end having the shape of a hook or meander or groove, which is inserted on command inside the circumference of the needles in order to collect and pull the thread or the floating noose threads towards the needles to be knit, and or intertwined with other threads and or cut. In another embodiment, said hook can be easily equipped with a simple mechanical, pneumatic, electric or other device for grasping, twisting, and or tightening the loop wires in question by means of one or more movable and or gripping elements, similarly to a tiny curved pliers. Or cut yourself. Alternatively, at least one noose yarn is initially fed only with scattered and or opposed or in any case non-contiguous needles in order to produce, inside the cylinder, one or more floating yarns which are subsequently also taken by the mobile hook to be pulled. and imagine yourself as described. In accordance with the invention and according to the expectations and or answers of the market, the noose yarns intertwined in the center of the knitting disk can be immediately attached to the needles or cut, knotted, interlaced, fused, even partially or welded, spliced, fixed, glued, banded, and anything else useful for the purpose, taking into account the technical applications existing on the market such as for example Γ knotting and splicing of yarns in spinning, reproducible by means of mobile means placed on the edge of the cylinder.

Table 1 schematically illustrates the above description as follows: Fig. 1 shows in plan the cylinder of the needles 1 with the knitting disk 4 and the central washer 5 obtained by pulling the loop yarn 3 already fed by the extensible yarn guide 2, returned to the rest position. Figure 2 shows in section the cylinder of the needles 1, the knitting disk 4, the loop yarn 3 supplied by the extended yarn guide 2.

Figure 3 shows in plan the knitting disk 4, three loop threads 7 wound in the center and directed, guided and supported by a movable hook or hook 6 which, having returned to the rest position, outside the circumference of the needles, preferably leads them towards the subsequent framing, possibly with the aid of a further mobile element such as a battimaglia or the like. Figure 4 shows in section, in addition to the knitting disk 4, the position of the aforementioned hook 6 in an external position and the floating yarns 8. Figure 5 shows the knitting disk 4 and a plurality of textile yarns 8a cut very short after treatment of the same as described above, that is: knotted, or welded, interlaced and or band!), etc .. Finally, figure 7 shows some variants of the hook in question which from time to time assumes very different shapes and forms, 6a- 5b-6c-6d etc .. capable of sliding and or rotating, as well as stapling and or cutting the thread-the loop.

However, the above description can be modified according to variables and technical or textile production requirements in any case falling within the scope of the invention, including the use of the hooks of the backing pad and or of the needles of the second needle bed also for the insertion of the whole thread-noose. around the cylinder.

The closure of the aforementioned sock (or other knitted article) also falls within the main purposes of the invention, characterized by the decentralized position of the rosette for a different aesthetic and functional value. Figure 6 of table 1 illustrates the progression: the initial part of the knitting disc 4 due to at least one loop thread pulled by the guide 6 is reduced moving in the direction of the arrows and progressively becomes 4a, 4b, 4c and finally 4d and beyond . In this context, the presence and or the relative length of floating wires is widely variable until it disappears completely. This result is easily achieved by using the usual continuous motion and or the reciprocating motion of the cylinder, to which is added the unusual third possibility offered by the needle cylinder, even temporarily stationary, against which at least one fall or complete feeding works with reciprocating motion. also of yarn guide, for the formation of the stitch, schematically shown in the table. 1, fig. 6A, 20.

Said drop (or power supply unit), preferably controlled by an electric motor and or of the linear type governed by a microprocessor, operates in a zone, therefore also with the possibility of exclusion and or removal from the part of the cylinder 1a, figure 6. Contingent technical needs production could influence the position and or the movement of the overlying abatement sinkers, therefore their different function and or location in the relative sinkers case, during production with the stationary cylinder, is also conceivable. With the usual continuous motion, it is sufficient to have a selection of the needles, even very simple, so that during the production of the stitch, immediately after the formation of the initial cord, at each revolution of the machine at least one row of stitch which is only partially complete is produced. For example, the needles corresponding to 240 ° of the cylinder all form a stitch, while the needles housed on the remaining 120 ° are raised according to a variable selection scheme: 1/4 (or 1/3, etc.) so as to produce, in the case in point, only a quarter of the total mesh for which this differentiated growth causes the decentralization of the rosette. Alternatively, a similar result is obtained by producing knit with "retained" stitches only in one area of the cylinder, in the above example, at 120 °. Again, the same technique for producing the so-called pocket heel, with or without the cut threads, allows the further decentralization of the aforementioned rosette. On the other hand, as is well known to the experts in the field, the use of the reciprocating motion of the cylinder allows to graduate with remarkable precision the production of differentiated growth stitch with the consequent decentralization of the rosette and the real possibility that at least one edge of the initial cord pulled and or preferably guided by the extensible thread guide and or by other suitable means suitable for the purpose, can be placed directly on the opposite needles. This case allows further embodiments falling within the scope of the present invention, including the one briefly illustrated in table 2.

Figure 1 shows in plan the cylinder 1, the off-center position of the initial knitting edge 2 which, pulled by the loop thread (not shown) gradually moves in the direction of the arrows towards the final position 3, with almost complete coverage of the cylinder except for the internal part in correspondence with the needles 4, still uncovered. In summary, the insertion of the movable comb 6, similar to a mini rake and better illustrated in Figure 3, determines the gripping of the stitch 3, the movement towards the needles 4 for subsequent knitting and the complete closure of the knitting disc. Figure 2 again shows the action described: the reed 6 is equipped with a hook 7 with an upper appendage 3, with stop or limit functions for the knitted edge 2 while the detail 7 performs the function of gripping the knit, shown in figure 3, so that the reed 6, besides moving longitudinally, can expand in order to widen the coverage area during the transfer phase to the needles 4 due to the movement of the element 8, provided with grooves in which the hooks. Consequently, the longitudinal movement of the element 8 guides, expands or reduces the range of action of the hooks according to the upper arrow. Figure 4 shows a variant of the analogous figure 2, characterized by the different position of the comb 6, turned upside down in this case.

A variant of the embodiment just described provides that the aforementioned comb 6, which can already be inserted from the outside into the cylinder, is housed inside the latter and preferably fixed to the usual suction tube of the stocking for reasons of practicality and cost, even if, from the constructive point of view, the technical and functional connection appears to be easily achievable even with the same cylinder of the needles (and or other needle bed) which in this case acts as a possible support (Table 1, figures 6-7).

Said comb, seen from the side in fig. 7, as a rule it is in the lower or rest position 12; during the production of the decentralized washer indicated in fig. 5, before the initial edge of stitch 2 gradually reaches position 4, a command coming from the lower part of the cylinder raises the reed to work position 11, figure 7, in order to be able to take the initial stitch by overturning it or accompanying it from the inside towards festemo, on the needles of the cylinder (or on the hooks of the backing pad and on other movable elements housed in the needle bed-e, not shown).

As regards the movement, activation and deactivation of the described parts generally housed inside the cylinder, the various mechanisms or commands for lifting the cylinder together with the tubes modified for the different types of hosiery turners are known to those skilled in the art. . To which are added the known and usual direct or indirect commands, under and laterally to the cylinder, either by means of cams or inclined planes, electromagnets, solenoid valves, or by pneumatic, mechanical, electrical, magnetic and similar means. Further embodiments of the invention are illustrated in table 3.

In summary, using one of the methods mentioned to decentralize the initial rosette, the comb 9, fig. 2, housed inside the cylinder in the rest position, is raised by a control 8 to assume the working position 9a (vertical, horizontal, etc.), whereby it automatically finds itself to take the knitted edge in arrival 2, stopped and or hooked by the hooks of the reed 9, which, in the following position 9b, indicates the overturning on the needles also obtained by the pulling action of the loop yarn. During the overturning action to reach the position 9b, in accordance with the invention, the use of a movable element placed outside the cylinder, adapted to move, push or lift said element 9b, is also provided; with the further use, if necessary, also of the movement of the pad.

Figure 1 of table 3 shows the closure of the tip obtained by using movable parts placed under the pad, whose functions reproduce the method described with similar movable parts inserted inside the cylinder. In short, cylinder 1 produces the initial link according to arrow 8; the overlying pad 2 houses on the bottom the movable comb 3 provided with hooks which, from the rest position 6, are activated by a suitable command coming from the shaft S of the pad (for example, a simple mechanical movement adapted to remove said hook or comb from its magnetic holder). In position 6a, said hook imagines the loops subsequently overturned as 6b or 6c, also due to the constant pulling of the loop wire not shown. Or they are moved linearly towards the needles by means of a further external command on the sliding guide 3, extended for the occasion. The return is obtained with a movable element able to accompany the hook or comb back to position 6. According to the invention, it is generally possible to take and guide the initial edge of the stitch only after a few rows or shortly before the complete closure of the toe or of the knitting disk. According to the circumstances, the comb or half-ring 2, fig. 3, pl. 3, equipped with suitable open hooks, preferably Y-shaped, suitable therefore to find and place the bushings produced, swings or overturns on the pin or hinge 4, also equipped with an internal return spring, or it slides with the rollers or cylinders 3 and 5 on the lateral guides 9. Preferably only pulled by the loop thread, the reed 2 advances towards the opposite side of the cylinder until it stops in the zone 6, after which, said reed overturns the knit on the needles 7 (or hooks of the pad or other moving parts lodged on the blooms or on other means suitable for the purpose). Figure 4, in pl. 3, shows in section Γ the apparatus and the method described with the additional presence of an important mobile element inside the cylinder, which moves from position 3 to 3a and vice versa, (0 in the space-corner 4) to push and or guide the comb which is raised from the initial rest position by the piston or movable element 5, activated by a command placed under the cylinder. in figure 5 pl. 3, the control device 4 of the oscillating reed 2 is preferably placed at the sides, and with a combined action of pulling the loop yarn and or of controlling it from below, it allows to guide said reed up to the opposite needles for subsequent overturning, or vice versa. Figure 6 in fact shows in section the oscillating rod 2 in the rest position; raised by a command coming from below, it takes the jersey on arrival. The drawing of the loop thread per se and or the graduated displacement of said rod 2 towards the opposite part of the cylinder in position 2b facilitates the overturning of the reed 3 onto the needles 5. The above description, which is necessarily limited, can however be modified according to variables and either technical or textile production requirements in any case falling within the scope of the invention.

Brief description of the figures

The relative simplicity of the present invention, which is however directed to those skilled in the art, provides very schematic drawings, most of which have been illustrated in the previous description. Therefore the following description aims only to complete the details ignored up to now or groups the figures according to the embodiments described. Table 1: figures 1-2-3-4-5 illustrate the production of the closed point obtained with the progressive reduction of the initial diameter of the stitch by drawing and or recovering at least one loop yarn already fed to the needles.

Figure 6 shows the initial knitting edge 4 which is gradually moved and reduced from 4a to 4d, by drawing a looped yarn from the yarn guide 6.

In the left part 1a, the stationary needle cylinder for the occasion is shown against which the fall or complete feeding of cams and guide 20 produces stitches with differentiated growth, in fig. 6A. The table 2 shows with figures 1 -2-3-4 the closure of the tip by combining the decentralization of the rosette and or initial knit edge with the insertion and gripping of the knit by a mobile comb 6 equipped with suitable hooks Q hooks suitable for find and or hook the stitch for subsequent movement on the needles. Figure 5 shows the decentralization of the washer 2 which leaves the cylinder area 6 - 6a uncovered, subsequently covered by transporting the stitch 4 - 5 beyond the needles 8B. Figure 6 shows, inside the cylinder 1, the movable reed 7 activated by underlying commands 7-8 for the longitudinal movement suitable for knitting and overturning with the hooks 5 the thread from the inside towards the needles. Figure 7 shows a similar embodiment seen in section: the comb 12 lifts towards the working position so that the hook 5, hinged on 11, overturns onto the needles, carrying the stitch.

Table 3. Figure 1 illustrates the closure of the tip with the method according to the invention transferred in this case also to the pad of the hooks.

Figure 2 is a variation of the previous figures 5 -6 -7, pl. 2, just described. The relief variant consists in the fact that the previous comb, similar to a mini-rake, is replaced by a curved comb similar to a tilting crescent also provided with hooks suitable for finding and placing the knitted edge 2, fig. 2. The remaining figures 3- 4- 5- 6- illustrate different embodiments characterized by the fact that at least one movable element oscillates from one side to the other inside the cylinder accompanying in its excursion the part of knitting taken by the reed. That is, this excursion is controlled by following one or more guides inside the cylinder. The mobile oscillating element inside the cylinder also provides, if necessary, for the return of the reed to the position

Claims (1)

CLAIMS 1-Method and equipment for the automatic closing, even partial, of a knitted tube produced with a textile machine in general, circular for hosiery in particular, characterized by an extensible yarn guide able to feed and-or initially insert at least one yarn-loop to the selected needles, preferably already provided with a knitted cord on which to weave said loop-thread; said yarn guide also with the function of pulling the same yarn-loop inserted between the needles, and also operating inside the cylinder in a preferably central position during the drawing and retrieval of the yarn coming from the central washer, yarn subsequently entangled with the needles, and or other threads, and or cut-i, after their treatment, or knotted, or welded, or whole acciari, or tied, glued, cast, etc. 2- Method according to 1 characterized in that the loop-thread is pulled by a mechanism operating outside the circumference of the needles: mechanical and or pneumatic and or electrical, preferably controlled and governed by a microprocessor. 3- Method and apparatus according to other claims for automatically closing the toe of a sock (or other knitted article) by means of the progressive reduction of the aforementioned knitted tube in order to obtain a central or decentralized rosette with or without floating threads. 4-Method and apparatus for automatically closing the toe of a sock or other knitted article with the progressive reduction of the aforementioned knitted tube or disk together with moving means or parts operating inside the cylinder and or needle bed suitable for knitting, moving , directing and or overturning the stitch towards the needles and or hooks and or other movable parts housed in the needle bed. 5-Method and apparatus for automatically closing the toe of a sock or other knitted article with the progressive reduction of the aforementioned knitting tube or disk together with means or moving parts housed under the pad and also operating inside the cylinder and or needle bed, suitable for placing, moving, directing and or overturning the stitch towards the needles and or hooks and or other movable parts housed in the needle bed. 6- Method according to other claims whereby the aforementioned washer assumes a decentralized position due to the differentiated growth of the stitch obtained both with the alternating and continuous motion of the cylinder and or the relative selections of the needles, as well as with the stationary cylinder against which at least one fall works complete with cams of the needles and guide it with the possible different position and or work of the felling sinkers. 7-Method and equipment for the production of a knitted tube or circular knitted product characterized by knitted parts, such as a stocking heel for example, also produced with the cylinder stationed against which at least one complete fall of needle cams works and drive it. 8-Method according to other claims whereby the already extensible yarn guide feeds and pulls the loop yarn from the outside of the needle cylinder. 9-Method according to other claims whereby the extensible thread guide guides at least one edge of the initial cord on the opposite needles for even partial closure of the knitted tube. 10- Method according to other claims characterized by the presence of movable parts such as hooks and or batting, suitable for taking one or more floating threads inside the cylinder to pull and or wind them and or lead them towards the needles to be knotted. 11- Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said movable hooks or struts take the yarn or yarns already pulled by other means, hooks or yarn guides. 12-Method according to other claims characterized by the presence of a movable comb provided with hooks and other sliding parts, able to be inserted inside the circumference of the needles to pull the stitch beyond them. 13-Method according to other claims characterized by the presence of at least one comb or half-ring provided with suitable open hooks, preferably Y-shaped, therefore able to find and place the produced bushings, and then swing and or overturn on a suitable pin or hinge, also supplied return spring, or able to slide with suitable means or rollers or cylinders on one or more lateral guides inside the cylinder. 14- A method according to other claims whereby the loop thread and or the initial knitting cord and or the hem are made of a material and or fiber which is also very elastic. 15-Method according to the preceding claims whereby at least a part of the sock or manufactured article, in particular the loop yarn and or the initial and or final knitting cord, (unthreading) is also formed of material and or fiber with a low degree of fusion, suitable for even partially melt. 16-Method and equipment according to the previous claims characterized by the presence of electronic sensors governed by a microprocessor, suitable for detecting Γ activity and or <*> inactivity of the parts competing in the implementation of the invention, with control and stop functions in the event of discrepancies from the expected, set or self-learned operating parameters. 17- Socks or other knitted items, according to the previous claims, characterized by closures and or sutures reduced compared to the usual, corresponding to the union or combination of the two halves of the knitted or sock tube. 18- Equipment and or machines according to the preceding claims.