CZ111398A3 - Process for producing stockings or hosiery goods - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for producing hosiery items or tubular knitted items having a closed end with a circular hosiery knitting machine provided, proximate to the needle work area, with a transfer element which faces one half of the needle cylinder and is provided with thread takeup elements (1) which can be actuated radially to the needle cylinder and are suitable to engage the thread or threads fed by at least one feed of the machine, in the region between two contiguous needles. The transfer element is able to turn over about a diametrical axis (7) of the needle cylinder. The method consists in performing a first step, during which the needle cylinder is actuated with n oscillations about its own axis (5) with an oscillation angle of substantially 180^o, in order to cause the passage, in front of a thread feed of the machine, of a first half (3a) of the needle cylinder which is faced by the transfer element. During this first step, the corresponding thread takeup elements (1) that are arranged in a sector that is less than 180^o wide are extracted from the transfer element and 1/n of the needles (2a) of the first half (3a) of the needle cylinder are lifted into the active position at each oscillation and are then lowered after taking up the thread or threads, which rests or rest on the takeup elements (1) extracted from the transfer element. A second step is then performed during which the previously extracted takeup elements are retracted into the transfer element so as to retain the thread that is rested on them. Then a third step, during which heel knitting is performed with the needles of the first half (2a) of the needle cylinder (3a), and a fourth step, during which the transfer element is turned over about the diametrical axis (7) and made to face the second half (3b) of the needle cylinder, are performed. During a fifth step, the thread or threads retained by the takeup elements (1) and the knitted loops are transferred from the needles (2a) of the first half (3a) of the needle cylinder that are arranged laterally to the sector of the transfer element to the needles (2b) of the second half (3b) of the needle cylinder. Finally, the machine is actuated so as to complete the item as a continuation of the previous processes.

Description

Technical field

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing hosiery or tubular knitted articles with a closed hosiery knitting machine provided with a needle transfer member facing the half of the needle cylinder at the needle working area and gripping elements operated radially to the needle cylinder to receive the yarn; the threads ¹ fed by the at least one machine feeding point in the region between two adjacent needles, the transfer element being rotatable about the diametral axis of the needle cylinder.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Hitherto, methods are known for closing the end of hosiery or tubular knitted articles substantially directly on a circular knitting machine used to manufacture such articles.

In particular, Czech patent application PV 2222-96 filed by the same Applicant discloses a method which uses a circular knitting machine with a single needle cylinder, which is provided at the upper end of the needle cylinder with a half-lock plate facing the half of the needle cylinder and for feeding yarns which can be actuated in a direction radial to the needle needle m · · · · · · · · · ·

and are intended to grip the yarn or yarns fed by the feeding point of the machine in the area between two adjacent needles. Said half lock plate may rotate about a diametral axis of the needle cylinder that is perpendicular to its longitudinal axis so as to face the second half of the needle cylinder again. The method comprises a first step in which the needle cylinder is oscillated n-oscillating about its own axis of rotation, the oscillation angle being substantially 180 °, thereby displacing half of the needle cylinder opposite the half lock plate by passing before the feeding point of the machine. During the oscillation, the gripping elements extend at one end radially from the half lock plate toward the machine needles, at each oscillation at least one thread being gripped at this feeding point and raised to the knitting active position, with 1 / n uniformly spaced needles of said half needle replace with cylinder needles that are moved into the active position in the subsequent oscillation or oscillations, and wherein the needles rest on the takeup elements, after engaging the thread or threads ¹ decreases. A second step is then carried out, during which the engaging elements are inserted into the half-lock plate while holding the thread or threads. In a third step, the heel knitting is carried out by the needles of said needle cylinder half. In a fourth step, the half lock plate is swiveled about the diametral axis and aligned with the second half of the needle cylinder. Then, a fifth step is performed, during which the thread or threads grasped by the gripping elements previously are transferred to the needles of the second half of the needle cylinder. Finally, a sixth step is performed during which the machine is operated to complete the tubular article as continuation of the previously knitting.

The half-lock plate used to carry out the method of the aforementioned application essentially covers an angle of 180 ° around the axis of the needle cylinder and is provided with a gripping element consisting essentially of a hook for each of the needles of one half of the needle cylinder. During the first step of the method, the hooks of the half lock plate are pulled out of it so that each is arranged between two adjacent needles of one half of the needle cylinder,

In this way, the thread caught by the oscillation of the needle cylinder about its own axis during the first step of the method rests on all the hooks of the half lock plate and remains engaged with them at the end of the second step.

As a result, when the half lock plate is rolled around the diametral axis of the needle cylinder, there is a loop that is tensioned on the hooks located at the two side ends of the half lock cylinder: the needles and the needles located at the side ends of the needle cylinder heel in the third step, subjected to relatively intense stretching.

Especially if the heel knitting, which forms the end of the article, has been done with a reduced number of rows, this tensioning may be excessive, which may cause the article to break in this area.

Italian Patent Application No. B096A-00533 of the same Applicant discloses another method of manufacturing hosiery or tubular knitted articles having a substantially closed end by a circular knitting machine with a single needle cylinder. The method comprises at least one first step during which the needle cylinder rotates alternately about its axis to form a heel or end knitting bag using a set of needles located in one half of the needle cylinder, and a second step during which the needle cylinder is actuated such that to perform a continuous movement to form a tubular portion of the article. Prior to the start of the second step, at least one of the initial rows of knitting formed in the first step, which is at the end of the first step inside the needle cylinder and arranged along the chord connecting the two end needles of the set of needles used in the first step, is gripped by an auxiliary element starting from one of the two end needles, and moving sequentially over the needles located in the second half of the needle cylinder, and is knitted by these needles with the first row of knitting formed at the beginning of the second step.

This method, which is extremely simple to carry out, solves the above-described problem described in Czech patent application PV 2222-96, but has the disadvantage that many knitted fabrics transferred by the hook-shaped element to the needles of the second half of the needle cylinder may have an arrangement different from a radial direction which is ideal for carrying, thereby inaccurately knitting said row on the needles of the second half of the needle cylinder and hence a result which is not entirely satisfactory.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to solve the above problems by providing a method which enables the manufacture of hosiery or tubular knitted end-product knitted articles by means of a circular knitting machine which achieves a product end closure that is fully satisfactory both from a technical and aesthetic point of view.

Within this aim, it is an object of the invention to provide a method that can be used without problems even when the end of the article is formed with a reduced number of rows.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION φ φ φ φ φ

Φ Φ

This object is achieved by a method of manufacturing hosiery or tubular knitted articles with a closed end circular knitting machine for hosiery knitting, provided at the needle working area with a transfer element facing one half of the needle cylinder and gripping elements operated radially to the needle cylinder and intended to receive yarn or threads > delivered by at least one machine feeding point in the region between two adjacent needles, the transfer element being rotatable about the diametral axis of the needle cylinder, according to the invention, comprising the first step during which the needle cylinder is oscillated n oscillating about its axis s an angle of oscillation of substantially 180 ° to cause passage in front of the yarn feeding point of the machine of the first half of the needle cylinder with the transfer element arranged to face the first half of the needle cylinder, and during to which it corresponds; the thread-gripping elements belonging to a sector whose width is less than 180 [deg.] extends from the transfer element, and 1 / n of the needles of the first half of the needle cylinder are raised to the active position at each oscillation and alternated by needles position in the subsequent oscillation or oscillation, and the needles resting on the intercepting gripping elements of said transfer element sector are reduced after the yarn or threads are captured, a second step during which the previously extended gripping elements are inserted into the transfer element holding the yarn resting thereon , a third step during which the heel knitting by the needles of the first half of the needle cylinder is carried out, a fourth step during which the transfer element is rolled around the diametral

Λ axes and revert to the second half of the needle cylinder, the fifth step during which the thread or threads held by the gripping elements extended in the first step are transferred to the needles of the second half of the needle cylinder opposite the gripping elements, or the rows knit during the first step transfer by means of an auxiliary element from the needles of the first half of the needle cylinder which are arranged laterally to said sector of the transfer element to the needles of the second half of the needle cylinder which are arranged laterally to the sector of the transfer element. and a sixth step during which the machine is operated to complete the product as a continuation of the previous processes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of the method of the invention, given by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. FIG. 3 shows schematically the third step of the method according to the invention, FIGS. 4 and 5 schematically shows the fifth step of the method according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The method according to the invention is carried out by a circular knitting machine for knitting hosiery, for example a circular knitting machine with a single needle cylinder, which is provided at the needle working area with a transfer element which is formed, for example as described in Czech patent application PV 2222-96. a locking plate facing the half of the needle cylinder and having gripping elements, such as hooks, operated in a radial direction relative to the needle cylinder and intended to receive the yarn or threads fed by at least one machine feed point in the machine; »• 0 · 0 00 · · 0 · 0

000 «0 0 0.0 0 · 000 0 ·

0 00 ·· 000 <• 00 · ·· ·· ·· ·· area between two adjacent needles. This transfer element can be tipped around the diametral axis of the needle cylinder.

For the sake of clarity, the transmission element is not shown in the figures. As already mentioned, this transfer element can be formed as a half-lock plate or plate as mentioned in the above-cited application. Only some gripping elements formed by hooks 1 are shown. Also, the needle cylinder is not shown, only some of the needles 2a of the first needle cylinder half 3a and some of the needles 2b of the second half 3b are shown. needle cylinder.

In fact, the half lock plate has a plurality of hooks 1, the number of which either coincides or is less than the number of needles of one half 3a. 3b of the needle cylinder. The angular spacing of the different hooks 1 is such that each hook χ is positioned between two adjacent needles 2a, 2b of the needle cylinder.

As mentioned above, the number of hooks 1 may be the same as the number of needles 2a, 2b of one needle cylinder half 3a, 3b, or may be smaller such that the two regions of the half-lock plate which are located at its side ends and cover the angle α, may be without hooks 1, as will become apparent from the description below.

In the first step of the method of the invention, the transfer element, or half lock plate, facing the first needle cylinder half 3a, is oscillated n-oscillations along the X axis of the needle cylinder with an oscillation angle of substantially 180 °, together with the needle cylinder. the needle cylinder half 3a extends completely in front of the feed point of the machine in which one or more threads are fed as desired.

• 44 4 4 4 4 4 · 4 · 4 4 44 44 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 · 4 ·· 44 ··· 4

During the first step, the engagement elements or hooks 1 of the transfer element are moved radially out of the transfer element so as to be arranged between two adjacent needles 2a of the first needle cylinder half 3a. It should be noted that only the gripping elements or hooks 1 belonging to the transfer element sector that is narrower than 180 ° are extended, more specifically, if the transfer element has no hooks ve in the two end sectors covering the angle α, all hooks £ are ejected. or, if the transfer element comprises gripping elements or hooks 6 over its entire range, i.e. substantially 180 ° around the axis 5 of the needle cylinder, the hooks 6 belonging to the end sectors covering the angle α are retracted.

In fact, the gripping elements or hooks 6 disposed in the sector of the transfer element extend over an angle of substantially 180 ° -2a about the axis 6 of the needle cylinder, as shown in Figures 3 to 5.

The sector, which covers an angle of 180 ° -2a, is evenly spaced with respect to the diameter of the needle cylinder, which is perpendicular to the diametral axis 7 around which the transfer element is tipped.

At each oscillation of the needle cylinder and the transfer element about the needle cylinder axis 1, the 1 / n needles 2a of the first needle cylinder half 3a are raised to the active position, alternating needles 2a at each oscillation. which are raised to an active position in the manner already described in Czech patent application PV 2222-96.

Assuming the needle cylinder performs three oscillations around its axis

5. in the course of the first oscillation, the first, fourth, seventh needle 2a and so on of the first half 3a of the needle cylinder are raised to the active position;

During the second oscillation, the second, fifth, eighth needles 2a and so on are raised to the active position, and during the third oscillation, the third, sixth and second needles are raised to the active position. ninth needle 2a. and so on. At each oscillation of the needles 2a, after they have seized the thread, it is lowered to form a loop of knitting with the thread or threads being fed at the feeding point and the thread between two adjacent needles moving into the active position rests on the gripping elements or hooks 1 which are ejected from the transfer element.

It should be noted that during this first step, all the needles 2a of the first needle cylinder half 3a are moved to the active position and that the respective thread or threads fed at the feed side laterally to the sector that covers 180 ° -2a are caught and entangled needles 2a of the first needle cylinder half 3a disposed laterally with respect to said sector.

The thread or threads fed during the n-oscillations are always the same threads. These threads may be elastic threads.

Preferably, the number of oscillations is in the range of 1 to 5, since the needle cylinder can be controlled during this first step to perform a single forward stroke with a rotation of 180 ° about its axis 5.

During the second step, the gripping elements or hooks 1 are inserted into the transfer element to hold the thread or threads resting on them.

During the third step, the needle cylinder rotates alternately about its axis 5 to guide the needles 2a of the first needle cylinder half 3a to knit the heel that will form the end 10 of the article 11.

«· W · ·» »

··· · ·. ·· · ^· ·· • «·« »♦ · · ^· · · · · * * * ♦ φ ··" ·· "♦ · '·« · »· ·· · ♦ · * ··

During the fourth step, the transfer element or half lock plate is swiveled about the diametral axis 7 to face the second half 3b of the needle cylinder.

During the fifth step, the gripping elements or hooks 1 extend radially from the transfer element and the needle 2b of the second half 3b. the needle cylinder opposite the gripping elements or hooks 1 is first raised and then lowered, the gripping elements or hooks 1 being reinserted into the transfer element as described in the aforementioned PV 2222-96 to transfer the thread or threads held by the gripping elements or hooks 1 on the needles 2b of the second needle cylinder half 3b opposite the gripping elements or hooks L

During the fifth step, through the hook-shaped auxiliary element 6 of the type described in Italian patent application No. BO96A00533, the loops of the first row or rows knit during the first step are passed from the needles 2a of the first half 3a of the needle cylinder. it covers an angle of 180 ° -2a, on the needles 2b of the second needle cylinder half 3b, which are located, after the transfer element performed in the fourth step is flipped, laterally to the sector that covers the angle 180 ° -2a. These needles are raised to catch the loops that are caught and carried by the hook-shaped auxiliary element 6.

Therefore, at the end of this fifth step, the edge region of the knitted heel portion or end 10 engages both the needles 2a. the first needle cylinder half 3a, with the needles 2b of the second needle cylinder half 3b.

· * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Finally, a sixth step is performed in which the machine is operated to complete the tubular product as a continuation of the previous processes in a known manner, which therefore need not be described for simplicity.

Due to the fact that during the overturning of the transfer element to carry the yarn or threads held on the gripping elements or hooks 1, the article is released by the gripping elements or hooks 1 located at the flip axis, thereby effectively preventing tension of the knitted fabric in this part, and even when heel knitting or ends 10 are performed with a reduced number of rows.

Further, due to the fact that the two regions of the article which are captured and displaced by the hook-shaped auxiliary element 6 have small dimensions, and because the part of the product which is arranged between the two areas during operation of the hook-shaped auxiliary element 6 by engaging the needles 2b of the second needle cylinder half 3b, high accuracy is achieved in capturing and transferring the loops belonging to the two regions. 1 and 2, the two regions B are shown, with the region A of the article 11 between them being transferred by the gripping elements or hooks 7 of the transfer element. For the sake of clarity only, areas B are marked with thicker lines than area A.

In practice, it has been found that the method according to the invention completely fulfills the stated objective, since it enables the production of hosiery or knitted tubular products with a closed end directly on a circular knitting machine used for their production, the result being entirely satisfactory both technically and aesthetically.

Numerous modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the production process described, without departing from the scope of the invention. All used parts can be replaced by their technical equivalents.

Claims (5)

PATENT CLAIMS • * · · · * · * · · · ·. · · · · ♦ - - - - - - - - · MM · ·· ·· CLAIMS 1. A method for manufacturing hosiery or closed-end knitted hosiery knitting machines with a hosiery knitting machine having a transfer element facing the half of the needle cylinder at the needle working area and gripping elements operated radially to the needle cylinder and intended to for catching the yarn or threads fed by the at least one machine feeding point in the region between two adjacent needles, the transfer element being rotatable about the diametral axis of the needle cylinder, characterized in that it comprises a first step during which the needle cylinder is oscillated n-oscillations around its axis with an oscillation angle of substantially 180 ° to cause it to pass in front of the yarn feeding point of the machine of the first half of the needle cylinder with the transfer element arranged so as to face the first half of the needle cylinder, thread gripping elements belonging to a sector whose width is less than 180 ° are ejected from the transfer element, and 1 / n of the needles of the first half of the needle cylinder are raised to the active position at each oscillation and alternated by needles which move to the active position at and the needles resting on the intercepting gripping elements of said transfer element sector are reduced after gripping the yarn or threads, a second step during which the previously extended gripping elements are inserted into the transfer element while retaining the yarn resting thereon; a third step during which the heel is knitted by the needles of the first half of the needle cylinder, a fourth step during which the transfer element is flipped around the diametral axis and returns to the second half of the needle cylinder, a fifth step during which the thread or threads held by the gripping elements It in the first step is transferred to the needles of the second half of the needle cylinder, which is located opposite the gripping elements, and during which the loops of the first row or * · «·. * · · '· ·· _Λ . 99999 9 9 9 9 99 t 9 · 9 ·· 'rows knit in the first step by means of an auxiliary element from the needles of the first half of the needle cylinder, which are arranged laterally with respect to said a needle element of the second half of the needle cylinder, which are arranged laterally with respect to the sector of the transfer element after it is tipped over; and a sixth step during which the machine is controlled to complete the product as a continuation of the previous processes. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said sector is arranged symmetrically with respect to the diameter of the needle cylinder which is perpendicular to the diametral axis. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of oscillations in the first step is substantially in the range of 1 to 5. Method according to one or more of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the thread or threads fed during the oscillation of the needle cylinder during the first step are always the same threads. 5. Method according to one or several of claims 1 to 4, characterized that thread served during first step Yippee elastic thread. 6. Method according to one or several of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the auxiliary element is in the form of a hook, which is operated radially with respect to the needle cylinder for catching and moving the loops of the first row or rows.