WO1999022056A1

WO1999022056A1 - Method and device for automatically closing the toe of a stocking or sock directly on the circular machine that produces the article

Info

Publication number: WO1999022056A1
Application number: PCT/IT1998/000290
Authority: WO
Inventors: Paolo Conti
Original assignee: Golden Lady S.P.A.
Priority date: 1997-10-23
Filing date: 1998-10-20
Publication date: 1999-05-06
Also published as: ITFI970232A1; TW451009B; IT1295671B1; AU9759898A

Abstract

After the toe pouch P has been formed, concentrated suction is created by a nozzle (11) from the outside of the needle circle (3A, 3B) and captures a border of fabric (L) formed on the needles (3A) of a first arc of needles, and thus carries the free edge (P1) of the toe pouch fabric (P) - formed on said needles (3A) - progressively out of and above the needle circle; said free edge of the fabric is positioned by a line of increased thickness (R) so as to be correctly engaged by the needles (3B) of the opposite arc to the arc of needles (3A); and a cutting mechanism (11) removes the border (L) and the line of increased thickness R.

Description

Method and device for automatically closing the toe of a stocking or sock directly on the circular machine that produces the article

DESCRIPTION The invention relates to a method and device for effecting in a simple manner the operation of automatically closing the toe of a stocking or sock directly on the circular machine that produces the article, without complicated changes inside the machine itself.

The present method involves - in accordance with known techniques - the formation of the fabric for the toe pouch on the needles of a first arc extending through approximately a semicircle, and the transfer of the free edge of said pouch to the needles of the opposite arc in order to engage said free edge on said needles of the opposite arc.

According to the invention, after said toe pouch has been formed, an area of concentrated suction is created from the outside of the needle circle, captures the free edge of said toe pouch fabric and progressively moves said free edge out of and above the needle circle; and said free edge of the fabric is then positioned so as to be correctly engaged by the needles of said opposite arc.

Advantageously the needles of said first arc are used to form a relatively lightweight fabric border that can be captured easily by the area of concentrated suction acting from the outside of the needle circle; and said fabric border is removed, after the needles of said opposite arc have engaged said free edge of said toe pouch.

In a preferable embodiment, between said border and the fabric of the toe pouch, a line of increased fabric thickness is formed, by means of which the fabric is correctly positioned with respect to the needles of said opposite arc, owing to the retention of the line of increased thickness against the edges of a fixed slotted guide.

In one possible embodiment, the machine starts the article by forming the fabric for the toe pouch on the needles of the first arc, and the initial free fabric of said pouch is then transferred to the needles of the opposite arc in order to engage said initial free fabric on said needles of the opposite arc; after which the tubular knitting is proceeded with.

In another possible embodiment, the article is started at the edge of the stocking or sock, and the fabric of the toe pouch is formed after the tubular article has been knitted, in order to terminate with the closing of the toe. For removal of the border and of any line of increased thickness, the border that is to be removed may be cut off in the same machine by mechanical or thermal means, or alternatively at least one course of stitches may be formed with a yarn that is physically or chemically destructible, for the removal of said border in a subsequent operation. The devices for automatically closing the toe of a stocking or sock in accordance with the above method, on circular machines, are of the type that comprise means for operating the needles of a first approximately semicircular arc of needles to form the fabric for the toe pouch and means for transferring the free edge of said toe pouch fabric to the needles of a second arc of needles opposite the first arc of needles, in order for said edge to be engaged by the needles of said second arc. According to the invention, the device comprises a nozzle of concentrated air suction positioned around and on the outside of the needle circle in order to capture the free edge of the moving pouch and position it for engagement by the needles of said second arc of needles as they are raised and consequently pass through the pouch fabric in the area of said free edge.

In an advantageous embodiment, the device comprises means for operating the needles of the first arc and means for feeding a lightweight yam, so as to form along said free edge of the toe pouch a border of lightweight fabric, using a continuous motion or reciprocating motion of the needle cylinder; and means for subsequently removing said border.

There may also be: means for operating the needles of said first arc, which are activated to form a line of increased thickness between said border and the free edge and, in combination with said suction nozzle, a guide with a lead-in opening facing the direction of arrival of the fabric and becoming thinner along and on the outside of the needle circle, and thus able to receive said border under pneumatic suction, whereas said line of increased thickness is held against said guide and positioned correctly immediately on the outside of the needle circle.

The present device may comprise, after said guide - in the direction of the circular motion of the needles - a mechanism for cutting the fabric of the free edge immediately on the outside of the area where the fabric is engaged by the needles; and a pneumatic capturing means - which may be connected to said suction nozzle - removes said border and said line of increased thickness once they have been cut off the article. The cutting mechanism may be a mechanical mechanism of scissors, a fixed blade, a rotating discoidal blade (with optional sharpening means) or the like. As an alternative said cutting mechanism may operate by an incandescent resistor or equivalent means, or by local heat produced by other means.

As an alternative to the cutting mechanism with which the machine is fitted, the device may comprise a feeder supplying a yarn that is destructible - by physical action (such as heating or dissolution in a solvent) and/or chemical action - for forming at least one course of stitches immediately on the outside of the area where the fabric is engaged by the needles, so that said border and said line of increased thickness can be detached by an operation on the article after it has been formed on the circular machine.

A clearer understanding of the invention will be gained from the description and the accompanying drawing, the latter showing a practical, non- restrictive example of an embodiment of the invention. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows in plan view and in isolation a diagram of the circle of needles with their sinkers, the circle being divided into two semicircles, or more generally into two arcs that together form a complete circle; Figs 2, 3, 4 and 5 show, in plan views, various stages in the forming of a join between the toe pouch and the needles of the opposite arc from the arc on which said toe pouch was formed;

Fig. 6 shows a schematic section taken roughly on VI-VI as marked in Fig. 2; Fig. 7 shows a view from the inside taken roughly on VII-VII as marked in Fig. 6;

Figs 8, 9, 10 and 11 show local sections taken on VIII-VIII, IX-IX and X-X as marked in Fig. 4 and XI-XI as marked in Fig. 5;

Figs 12 and 13 show in isolation and in perspective the suction nozzle, without and with a piece of fabric engaged in it; and

Figs 14 and 15 show a toe being formed and closed as the end stage of a tubular article that was begun at the edge.

The accompanying drawing shows in sketch form the cylinder 1 of needles 3, the associated sinkers 5, and other elements with which circular machines are fitted for the manufacture of socks or stockings or the like; 7 denotes the so-called disk for the hooks, 9 the tubular element for applying suction to the growing article, and 9A the funnel entrance to this tubular element. The needle cylinder rotates in the direction of arrow f. The needles are operated in a manner known per se to form the toe pouch and the tubular article; the tubular article 2 may be formed after the toe pouch or before it, beginning at the edge. Figs. 1 to 8 refer more particularly to the version in which the tubular article is formed after the toe pouch.

In the circle of needles, as indicated in Fig. 1 in particular, the letter A denotes a first arc of needles 3A which are operated to form the toe pouch P, while the letter B indicates a second arc of needles (completing the circle) whose needles 3B will be used afterward to join the initial fabric P1 of the toe pouch P; after this join has been made, all the needles are used to continue with forming the tubular article, following on from the closing of the toe. Arrangements of this kind, analogous to that employed in the present invention, are already known in the patent literature, including in that of the present proprietor.

In a variant (Figs 14 and 15) the machine may also be set up to form the toe pouch and close the toe pouch after first forming the tubular article, having begun the knitting of the sock from the edge.

According to the invention there is a suction nozzle 11 positioned over the circle of the tips of the needles 3A and 3B. This nozzle is slightly inclined and can be moved centripetally and centrifugally as indicated by the double arrow l 1 , for example by means of an actuator 13 (Fig. 8) of any suitable type, in order to adopt a position of withdrawal in the centrifugal direction, taking it away from the needle circle (Fig. 1), and an active position used in the operation of joining the toe pouch to the needles 3B of arc B. The toe pouch P is formed conventionally by the needles 3A of arc A of the cylinder needles. P1 indicates the initial free fabric formed by the needles 3A; this initial free fabric P1 is provided with a line of increased thickness R which is formed by a special action of the needles or by specially feeding a special yam for this purpose, in accordance with principles known per se in the hosiery sector; one way of forming the line of increased thickness R is that commonly used for the so-called "Cappini edge" or to use a thicker yarn, such as that used in conventional automatic linking machines, or some other equivalent way. The purpose of said initial line of increased thickness R will be explained later. The initial free fabric P1 can be formed with at least a limited area P11 (of one course or two courses or slightly more) of yam that it easily cut mechanically - such as thin "Helanca" or polyester - in a version described later in more detail.

The nozzle 11 is specially shaped with in particular a protrusion 11A above and within the circle of the needles, in that part of the nozzle 11 that is the first to be encountered by the needles as they move in the direction of arrow f with the rotation of the needle cylinder (see in particular Figs 2 to 5); this protrusion 11A is formed particularly in the lower and upper part of the nozzle, which is relatively flat, while a recess 11 E may be provided at the side. The part 11 B of the nozzle which is last to be reached by the needles as they move in the direction of arrow f is set back outside the circle of the needles as shown also in particular in Figs 2 - 5. In an intermediate position between parts 11A and 11 B, and partly in part 11 B, there is provided inside the nozzle a guide 15 consisting of two opposing parts, an upper part and a lower, and these define an intermediate slot 17 with lead-in surfaces 15A on the side from which the needles arrive in the direction of arrow f; said slot 17 terminates in part 11 B of the nozzle 11. Immediately downstream of the slot 17 formed by the guide 15 (in the direction of arrow f in which the needles 3 are moving) is a cutting mechanism bearing the general reference 19 which may be of any suitable type depending on the material to be cut as described later. Sketched in the drawing at 19A is a sharp blade immediately at the exit and in front of the end of the slot 17, which is capable of cutting a fabric as it runs past the slot 17 in the guide 15; the blade 19A may be fixed or cyclically movable. As an alternative to a blade the machine may use a cutting system of scissors, a disk or rotating disks (optionally also with sharpening means), an electrical resistance wire or other form known per se. For mechanical cutting it is helpful to knit one or more courses in an easily cuttable yarn (such as polyester or "Helanca" among others), optionally of very small diameter, in an area P11 of the initial free fabric P1 of the pouch P; this area P11 in the drawing is shown considerably wider than is necessary, for the purposes of compilation of the drawing. Other details of the guide 15 will be given in the description of the function on which the invention is based. Before the initial fabric P1 of the toe P and therefore before the line of increased thickness R that starts the fabric of the toe pouch P, the needles of arc A (intended to form the toe pouch fabric P) are operated and fed with a fine yam to create an initial border L of lightweight fabric that extends between the two ends L1 and 12, which correspond to the end needles 3A of arc A. The yarn for forming said border L may be cut at the beginning and at the end of the operation of the needles 3A of arc A (in the case of operation by continuous rotation of the needle cylinder), or alternatively said border L may be knitted with reciprocating motion of the needle cylinder again on needles 3A. In either case the border L is terminated at L1 and l_2 and threfore has the appearance of an approximately rectangular strip which is then joined to the line of increased thickness R of the initial fabric P1 of the toe pouch P, this pouch fabric P being formed in a known way on the needles 3A of the arc A of the needles of the cylinder 1 , with increased and decreased stitches. The operations of knitting the initial border L, the line of increased thickness R, the initial fabric P1 and the toe pouch fabric P, plus the tubular article, are advantageously performed while the nozzle 11 is retracted centrifugally from the area of operation of the needles and is therefore inactive. When sufficient toe pouch fabric P has been completed, the initial fabric P1 must be transferred and joined to the needles 3B of the arc B, which is conjugate to arc A on which said fabric P was formed. In order to do this, the needle cylinder is first slowed in its rotation and given a circular rather than reciprocating motion (if reciprocating motion was adopted for the formation of the fabric of the border L and of the toe P). In the second place the nozzle 11 is advanced centripetally and strong suction is commenced through said nozzle 11. As a consequence of this the nozzle 11 , owing to its shape and to the suction it applies and to its new position, is able to capture the initial end L1 of the border L, which is accompanied by the initial needles 3A of arc A toward and along part 11 A of the nozzle 11. The lightweight fabric of the border L is easily captured by the suction stream through the nozzle 11 , pulled into the nozzle and then tensioned with sufficient evenness inside the nozzle. When the end L1 , and subsequently, therefore, the whole border L, reaches the area of the guide 15, the lead-in surfaces 15A of this guide 15 cause the border L to enter the slot 17; the line of increased thickness R is pulled against the guide 15, its thickness preventing it from passing through the slot 17; and the initial fabric P1 is therefore held steady in a well-defined position against the guide 15, that is against the slot 17, in a condition such that - owing to the position of said guide 15 and of its slot 17 - the initial fabric P1 is now above the circle of the needles. In this situation the needles 3B of arc B are progressively raised as they approach and pass in front of the guide 15 and slot 17 (see Fig. 7), with the result that as they rise, these needles 3B pass through the initial fabric P1 of the toe pouch fabric P; hence the initial fabric P1 is progressively engaged by said needles 3B of arc B during the movement of the needle cylinder in order to traverse the needles 3B of arc B and the line of increased thickness R in front of and immediately on the inside of the guide 15 (that is to say between the guide 15 and the needle circle). The initial fabric P1 is thus trapped by the needles 3B and these can be raised sufficiently to take a tie yarn FL (see Fig. 7); next, as they descend, the needles 3B are able to tie the initial fabric P1 to the developing loops and so close the toe of the pouch P formed by the needles 3A, as the raised needles 3B move up through the initial fabric P1 and engage it. The initial fabric P1 thus comes to the cutting mechanism sketched at 19 which cuts the initial fabric P1 exactly in the courses of the area P11 of lightweight yarn (Helanca or polyester), separating the joining area between the fabric P1 of the toe pouch P from the line of increased thickness R and hence also from the border L of thin fabric; as said border L with the line of increased thickness R is progressively cut by the mechanism 19, this portion, formed by the border L and line of increased thickness R is sucked away, beginning at the initial end L1 , by the nozzle 11 as shown in particular in Figs 4 and 5; and this portion of scrap L, R, is progressively captured by the stream of sucked air and, once the end L2 has passed the cutting mechanism 19, the entire portion L, R is carried away by the stream through the nozzle 11 and so removed and disposed of. To make cutting easier, one or two courses P11 (Fig. 13) of the initial free fabric P1 are advantageously formed from a yam that facilitates cutting, for example the so-called "Helanca" or polyester.

Once the initial fabric P1 has been cut off and as soon as the residue L, R has been removed (by the pneumatic transportation of the nozzle 11), the article is now engaged evenly by all the needles of the cylinder, and the cylinder is thus able to make the tubular fabric of the sock or stocking, which will already have its toe P closed by the operation described above. Once the joining operation described above has been terminated, the nozzle 11 can be moved away centrifugally to allow all the conventional elements of the circular machine to operate smoothly as they form the fabric.

In one possible alternative embodiment illustrated in outline in Figs 14 and 15, it is possible to form the tubular article MT of the stocking or sock initially by beginning at the edge and using all the needles of the cylinder. Subsequently the needles 3B of arc B remain inactive while holding on to the tubular fabric MT formed by them, while only the needles 3A of arc A continue to operate and form the pouch for the toe P110, until they reach its free edge P11 ; the line of increased thickness R10 and the border L10 of lightweight fabric (equivalent to the line of increased thickness R and border L of the previous version) are then formed also, with ends L11 and L12; and the needles 3A of arc A then let go of said border L10. At this point - with an optional slowing of the rotation of the needle cylinder - the end L11 of the border L10 arrives at the part 11A of the suction nozzle 11 and is captured, with the result that the border L10 passes into the slot 17 of the guide 15 and the needles 3B catch onto the arc of the free edge P11 positioned by the positioning of the line of increased thickness R10 against the guide 15, as described earlier.

The tubular article MT can also be made on a double-cylinder or double-bed machine (with needles in the disk), providing an upward suction so that the stitching to close the toe is aesthetically improved.

As an alternative to cutting the scrap portion L, R or L10, R10, by mechanical means or electrical resistance, another possibility is to form one course of the initial edge P1 or P110 with a yarn that is destructible at a later stage, by a physical (heat) or chemical treatment.

It will be understood that the drawing shows only an illustrative embodiment given purely as a practical demonstration of the invention, it being possible for said invention to be varied in its shapes and arrangements without thereby departing from the scope of the concept on which the invention is based. The presence of any reference numerals in the accompanying claims is for the purpose of facilitating the reading of the claims with reference to the description and drawing, and does not limit the scope of protection represented by the claims.

Claims

1. Method for automatically closing the toe of a stocking or sock directly on the circular machine that produces the article, comprising the formation of the fabric for the toe pouch on the needles of a first arc extending through approximately a semicircle, and the transfer of the free edge of said pouch to the needles of the opposite arc in order to engage said free edge on said needles of the opposite arc, the method being characterized: in that after said toe pouch has been formed, an area of concentrated suction is created from the outside of the needle circle, captures the free edge of the toe pouch fabric and progressively moves said free edge out of and above the needle circle; and in that said free edge of the fabric is positioned so as to be correctly engaged by the needles of said opposite arc.

2. Method according to Claim 1 , characterized: in that the needles of said first arc are used to form a relatively lightweight fabric border (L; L10) that can be captured easily by the area of concentrated suction acting from the outside of the needle circle; and in that said fabric border is removed, after the needles of said opposite arc have engaged said free edge of said toe pouch.

3. Method according to either or both of Claims 1 and/or 2, characterized in that between said border (L; L10) and the fabric of the toe pouch (P, P1 ; P10, P110), a line of increased fabric thickness (R; R10) is formed, by means of which the fabric is correctly positioned with respect to the needles (3B) of said opposite arc (B).

4. Method for automatically closing the toe of a stocking or sock directly on the circular machine that is to produce the tubular article, comprising the formation of the fabric for the toe pouch (P) on the needles (3A) of a first arc (A) extending through approximately a semicircle, and the transfer of the initial free fabric (P1) of said pouch (P) to the needles (3B) of the opposite arc (B) in order to engage said initial free fabric (P1) on said needles (3B) of the opposite arc and thus to start the tubular knitting, the method being characterized: in that after said pouch (P) has been formed, an area of concentrated suction is created from the outside of the needle circle, captures the initial free fabric of the toe pouch and progressively moves said initial free fabric out of and above the needle circle; and in that said initial free fabric (P1) is positioned so as to be correctly engaged by the needles of said opposite arc.

5. Method according to Claim 4, characterized: in that the needles of said first arc are used to form a relatively lightweight fabric border (L) that is captured easily by the area of concentrated suction acting from the outside of the needle circle; and in that said lightweight fabric border (L) is removed, after the needles of said opposite arc (B) have engaged said initial free fabric (P1).

6. Method as claimed in at least one of Claims 1 - 3, characterized in that the fabric of the toe pouch (P10) is formed after the tubular article (MT) has 0 been knitted, knitting of this being begun at the edge of the stocking or sock.

7. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the border that is to be removed is cut off by mechanical or thermal means.

8. Method according to at least one of Claims 1 - 6, characterized in that 5 at least one course of stitches is formed with a yam which is physically or chemically destructible, for the removal of said border.

9. Device for automatically closing the toe of a stocking or sock according to the method of at least one of Claims 1 - 8, on circular machines, comprising means for operating the needles (3A) of a first approximately 0 semicircular arc (A) of needles to form the fabric for the toe pouch (P; P10) and means for transferring the free edge (P1 ; P110) of said toe pouch fabric (P; P10) to the needles (3B) of a second arc (B) of needles opposite the first arc (A) of needles (3A), in order for said edge (P1 ; P110) to be engaged by the needles (3B) of said second arc (B), the device being characterized in that it comprises a 5 nozzle (11) of concentrated air suction positioned around and on the outside of the needle circle in order to capture the free edge (P1 ; P110) of the moving pouch (P; P10) and position it for engagement by the needles (3B) of said second arc (B) of needles as they are raised and pass through the pouch fabric (P, P10) in the area of said free edge (P1 ; P110). ^Q 10. Device according to Claim 9, characterized in that it comprises: means for operating the needles (3A) of the first arc (A) and means for feeding a lightweight yarn, so as to form along said free edge (P1 ; P110) of the toe pouch

(P; P10) a border (L; L10) of lightweight fabric, using a continuous motion or reciprocating motion of the needle cylinder; and means for subsequently removing said border.

11. Device according to Claim 9 or 10, characterized: in that it comprises means for operating the needles (3A) of said first arc (A), which are activated to form a line of increased thickness (R) between said border (L; L10) and the free edge (P1 ; P11); and in that it comprises, in combination with said suction nozzle (11), a guide (15, 17) with a lead-in opening (15A) facing the direction of arrival of the fabric and becoming thinner along and on the outside of the needle circle, in order to receive said border (L; 10) under pneumatic suction, whereas said line of increased thickness (R; R10) is held against said guide (15, 17) and positioned correctly immediately on the outside of the needle circle.

12. Device according to at least one of Claims 9 - 11 , characterized in that it comprises, after said guide (15, 17) - in the direction of the circular motion of the needles - a mechanism for cutting the fabric of the free edge (P1 ) immediately on the outside of the area where the fabric is engaged by the needles, and a pneumatic unit for capturing and removing said border (U L10) and said line of increased thickness (R; R10) once they have been cut off the article.

13. Device according to Claim 12, characterized in that said cutting mechanism is a mechanical mechanism of scissors, a fixed blade, a rotating discoidal blade (with possible sharpening) or the like.

14. Device according to Claim 12, characterized in that said cutting mechanism operates by an incandescent resistor or by heat otherwise produced or equivalent means.

15. Device according to at least one of Claims 9 - 11 , characterized in that it comprises a feeder that supplies a yam that is destructible - by physical and/or chemical action - for forming at least one course of stitches immediately on the outside of the area where the fabric is engaged by the needles, so that said border (L; L10) and said line of increased thickness (R; R10) can be detached by an operation on the article after it has been formed on the circular machine.