KR20030088036A - Device for picking up a tubular knitted article from a knitting machine and for sewing the toe - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a device for picking up the tubular knitted fabric M from the cylinder 5 of the circular knitting machine 3 to close the toe portion of the knitted fabric. The apparatus is located in an area for sewing the toe portion of the knitted fabric from a sewing machine for sewing the toe portion of the tubular knitted product, and an inlet end 13A in an area for picking up the tubular knitted product from the circular knitting machine. And a suction pipe 13 which extends to the outlet end 13B. The apparatus also includes a guide element 15 which extends into the suction pipe, extends inside the cylinder of the circular knitting machine, and guides the tubular knitted product. In addition, a space for transferring the tubular knitted product is formed between the guide element 15 and the inner wall of the suction pipe 13.

Description

DEVICE FOR PICKING UP A TUBULAR KNITTED ARTICLE FROM A KNITTING MACHINE AND FOR SEWING THE TOE}

Many tubular knits, such as socks and stalks, currently have a circular knitting machine, ie a cylinder with a circular knitting needle (ie needle cylinder: circular knitting machine) Is produced on a knitting machine equipped with cylindrical metal). The resulting knitted fabric has a tubular shape with initial and distal edges. The terminal locus is closed by suturing two opposing drooping portions to form the toe portion (ie, the toe portion) of the knitted fabric. For this purpose, according to the most conventional technique, a tubular knitted piece which is still open is removed from the circular knitting machine which forms it, and then transferred to another manufacturing part for sewing or joining.

In order to simplify the manufacturing process, reduce labor, and reduce the overall manufacturing cost, the toe part can be sewn and obtained in a simple manner, while being easy to automate, and in some cases, a circular knitting machine. In recent years, research has been carried out on systems and devices which may be directly performed by.

EP 592 376 and EP 635 593 disclose circular knitting machines and corresponding knitting methods for closing tubular knitted articles at the end of the knitting operation. These devices and methods have the drawback that they require a machine of a particular configuration, having machine accessories or parts that are not normally available and which cannot be inserted into traditional or existing knitting machines.

In addition, EP-A-679-746 discloses a device for picking up a tubular knitted product from a circular knitting machine for the subsequent closure of the toe portion outside the circular knitting machine. However, this apparatus is particularly complicated with regard to means for picking up and handling knitted fabrics.

WO-A No. 2000-1869 discloses an apparatus and method for picking up a knitted product from a circular knitting machine producing a tubular knitted product and closing the toe portion of the knitted product by suture. have. The device disclosed in this document is particularly advantageous so far in terms of its simple, reliable and inexpensive construction. In addition, the method which can be carried out with this known apparatus is fast, so that a high production rate can be obtained. However, this device must also be inserted into the needle cylinder of the circular knitting machine, and therefore, in some cases, as the diameter of the needle cylinder increases, not only the adaptability of the circular knitting machine is required, but also the sewing machine of the circular knitting machine There are many drawbacks, including the fact that they must be installed at the bottom.

The present invention is a device for picking up (i.e., picking up) knitted products such as socks and stockings from a circular knitting machine formed thereon, and closing the toes of the knitted fabric by sewing, i.e., sewing. It is about.

1 is a perspective view of a device for picking up a tubular knitted fabric from a cylinder of a circular knitting machine and sealing the toe portion of the knitted fabric

FIG. 2 is a side view along line II-II of FIG. 1

3 is a view along the line III-III of FIG.

4 is a perspective view of a device combined with a circular knitting machine;

5 is a perspective view of a portion of the suture region from which some elements have been removed to make the drawing clearer

FIG. 6 is a view showing the same member from different observation points, similarly to FIG.

7 is a perspective view of a sewing machine for closing a toe portion of a tubular knitted fabric picked up by a pickup device;

8 is a perspective view of an intermediate separator installed along the suction pipe of the pickup device;

9 is a view showing the inner member of the intermediate separator of FIG.

10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the intermediate separator;

FIG. 11 shows a movable shaft unit carrying a member for inverting a tubular knitted fabric to provide for suture of the toe portion of the tubular knitted fabric and the increased annular member.

12 is a view showing a state in which parts are partially removed in the same unit as in FIG.

13 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the unit of FIGS. 11 and 12;

FIG. 14 is a view from below along XIV-XIV in FIG. 13; FIG.

FIG. 15 shows a pair of bars to hold the knitted fabric during the initial process of suturing the toe portion. FIG.

FIG. 16 shows a comb-like structure for engaging a knitted product during closure and a cutting member housed inside the comb-like structure; FIG.

17-28 are suction tubes of a device for picking up a knitted product as well as a member for overturning the tubular knitted fabric for providing to the suture of the toe portion of the tubular knitted fabric and the annular increase member and the tubular knitted fabric Is a view showing a cross section passing through it, and FIG. 17A is an enlarged view of an outlet region of a suction pipe

FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view along the line XXIX-XXIX in FIG. 28.

FIG. 29A is an enlarged view of the center region of FIG. 29

30 to 32 show a pair of bars and a comb structure for retaining a knitted product in a step of engaging a knitted product and inserting a comb shaped structure into each row of stitches as a preliminary step of sewing the toe portion. Along the line XXX-XXX of FIG. 29

FIG. 33 shows a comb shaped structure and a sewing machine inserted into a knitted fabric during suture

34 is an enlarged view of the detail of FIG. 33;

35 is a schematic representation of the action of knitting needles in a sewing machine during a sewing operation

36 to 39 are views showing a process of cutting a loop of a row of tubular knitted articles having a comb-like structure inserted therein;

40 shows a process of removing the remainder of the yarn after cutting the loop adjacent to the suture row;

41 is a detailed view of FIG. 40;

42 is a perspective view showing a possible embodiment of a system for removing the remainder of the seal.

Fig. 43 is an axial sectional view of the distal end of a suction pipe in a tubular knitted product removing step after a sealing step;

Summary and purpose of the invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device of this particular type which can be advantageously designed to handle tubular knitted articles simply and reliably and also to be applicable to existing circular knitting machines without modifying the knitting machines. have.

The above and other objects and advantages include: a suction pipe extending from a circular knitting machine to an outlet end in an area for picking up a tubular knitted product, to an outlet end located in an area for sealing a toe portion of the knitted product, and inside the suction pipe; And a guide element for guiding the tubular knitted product, which extends from the inlet end to the outside thereof and is inserted into the cylinder of the circular knitting machine, the guide element and the inner wall of the suction pipe. In the meantime, it will be clear to those skilled in the art by the apparatus characterized by the space provided for conveying the said tubular knitted fabric.

According to the above configuration, the tubular knitted fabric is formed by the knitting needle of the circular knitting plate around the guide element, and the guide element is flat with a relatively flat cross section, so that the needle of the size currently used in the knitting machine for producing socks It may be inserted in the cylinder. The formed tubular knitted product is drawn into the tube and guided along the tube by the guide element until it reaches the outlet end of the suction tube, and the suction tube removes the tubular knitted product from the suction tube and corresponds to the outside of the suction tube. The system for inverting the knitting is connected.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the suction tube is internally separated into two consecutive portions by an openable intermediate separator. The intermediate separator also has the function of supporting the guide element. When the intermediate separator is opened to allow the tubular knitted product to pass, the guide element is temporarily supported by suitable supporting means, allowing the tubular knitted product to pass through the space between the inner surface of the suction tube and the guide element. Will be.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the guide element may have a freely expandable portion that can extend toward the outlet end of the suction pipe. The freely expandable portion extends to the outlet end of the suction pipe when the tubular knit reaches the sewing means associated with the outlet end, and then retracts to facilitate the discharge of the tubular knit after the closing of the toe portion. . In this case, the discharge may occur by suction in the reverse direction inside the suction pipe.

In order to facilitate the discharge of the tubular knitted fabric, the guide element is composed of two parts hinged together around an axis orthogonal to the axis of the suction tube, and the guide element comes to the inner wall of the suction tube and the sealing is completed. It is possible to envision the passage of character.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the system for removing a tubular knitted product from a suction pipe,

A circular increase member for widening the tubular knitted product at an initial edge of the knitted product itself;

And a member for flipping the tubular knitted product from the inside of the suction pipe to the outside,

The circular ring increasing member may be configured to increase the initial edge of the tubular knitted product beyond the outer diameter of the suction pipe.

The ring increasing member is substantially parallel to the axis of the suction tube and has a movement approaching or retracting from the axis of the suction tube, so that the position close to the axis of the suction tube and the outer position with respect to the diameter of the suction tube are increased. A plurality of pillar portions to be taken may be provided, and the pillar portions may be movable in the axial direction along the outside of the suction pipe.

In addition, it is also possible to envisage that the said pillar part needs to be carried by the board which is substantially orthogonal to the axis of a suction pipe, respectively. Thus, when the said column part is in the position where a suction pipe is close to an axis | shaft, each plate forms the control wall for detaining the tubular knitted goods conveyed inward of the said suction pipe. Thereby, the shape of the apparatus is particularly simple even if the possibility of separating the column from the plate and controlling the plate independently of the column is excluded.

The member for overturning the tubular knitted fabric may, for example, move radially and axially with respect to the suction pipe and outward of the suction pipe to press the tubular knitted fabric against the outer surface of the suction pipe, A tubular knitted article may be provided with a radial pusher for pulling along the outer surface.

The present invention also relates to a circular knitting machine provided with a device of the above aspect.

Further advantageous features of the device according to the invention are specified in the appended claims, which are described in more detail below with reference to non-limiting examples of embodiments of the invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.

The device for picking up the tubular knitted fabric and sewing the toe portion is shown in Fig. 4 in combination with the circular knitting machine, and the knitting machine is separated in Figs. Incidentally, the internal structure of the pick-up device (hereinafter also referred to simply as "pickup device") is shown in Figs. In some of these drawings, part of the apparatus may be controlled in order to show more clearly. The following legend is often composed of a total body consisting of a pick-up device and a sewing device to pick up the knitted fabric and close the toe part while the pick-up device separates the toe part. It goes without saying that it may be combined with the device or vice versa.

In the accompanying drawings, the device for picking up the tubular knitted fabric and closing the toe portion is represented by (1) as a whole, and the circular knitting machine for producing the tubular knitted fabric is represented by (3) as a whole. have. Of the circular knitting machine 3, in particular FIGS. 17 to 19, only essential components are shown, and the cylinder 5 of the knitting needle 7 forming the circular knitting plate is indicated as is known. The needle cylinder 5 is supported by the support body 9 so as to be rotatable about its own axis, and is rotatably provided by a member (not shown) engaging the crown gear 11. The member for controlling the knitting needle 7 of the circular knitting plate is not shown but, like all other members of the circular knitting machine, is known per se, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted here.

The apparatus 1 has an approximately U-shaped suction pipe 13 having one end 13A, hereinafter referred to as an inlet end, and the other end 13B, hereinafter referred to as an outlet end. The inlet end 13A is provided under the cylinder 5 of the knitting needle 7 of the knitting machine 3. In this way, the suction pipe 13 may have any diameter independently of the inner diameter of the cylinder 5.

Inside the suction pipe 13, the guide element represented by (15) as a whole is developed. The guide element 15 (in the illustrated embodiment has a substantially tubular shape with a circular cross section) is one inlet end 13A in the cylinder 5 of the knitting needle 7 of the knitting machine 3. It extends to the outside of the suction pipe 13 from the. The top end of the guide element 15 almost extends to the formation plane of the knitted fabric (ie, knitted fabric) of the knitting machine 3.

The guide element 15 is composed of two parts, a portion denoted by 15A and a portion denoted by 15B. These two parts are hinged about the axis of the trace 17 (especially shown in FIG. 17) orthogonal to the axis (i.e., the center line) of the suction tube 13 and the guide element 15 itself. This shape will become more apparent from the clear description of the discharging operation of the knitted fabric with the toe portion closed.

The guide element 15 is supported inside the suction pipe 13 by the intermediate separator shown as 19 as a whole, and the part thereof is shown in detail in FIGS. 8 to 10. The intermediate separator 19 also includes a suction tube 13 between two successive portions, that is, the first portion developed between the inlet end 13A and the intermediate separator 19 and between the intermediate separator 19 and the outlet end 13B. It has the function of separating into the second part of.

As shown in detail in FIGS. 8 to 10, the intermediate separator 19 in the illustrated embodiment is a pair of jaws actuated by respective actuators 23, 24 made of a cylinder-piston system. (jaw) (21), (22). These jaws 21 and 22 have V-shaped front contours 21V and 22V and are fixed to the pillar portions of the cylinder-piston actuators 23 and 24. The jaw 21 has a slot through which the front portion of the jaw 22 penetrates, while maintaining the guide element 15 in a coaxial position between the two contours 21V and 22V, that is, the suction pipe 13 ) While holding in the middle.

The jaws (21) and (22) slide on the guide frame (25) fixed to the suction pipe (13).

As shown in Figs. 9 and 10 (in Fig. 10, the tanks 21 and 22 are displayed in a closed state), and the tank 22 has a contour 22V on the top of the tank itself. It has an inner tube 27 open to it (see in particular FIG. 9). The frame 25 is connected to the outlet area of the inner tube 27 so that a flexible tube or hose which connects the inner tube 27 to an air supply source (not shown) under pressure for the purpose of clarity will be described later. It has a slim opening 29 at the corresponding position.

In particular, as shown in Figs. 17, 18 and 19, the guide element 15 has a hollow structure blocked by the leading part 15E (especially in Fig. 17A) (in its part 15B). The pillar portion 15C is housed inside the hollow structure, and the pillar portion constitutes an elastically extendable portion of the guide element itself. 15D is an elastic spring forcibly pushing the pillar 15C back to the hollow tubular portion of the guide element. By pressurized air which can be supplied through the inner tube 27 of the tank 22, the inner region of the hollow portion 15B of the guide element 15 is pressurized, so that the force of the elastic spring 15D is applied. Overcoming, the pillar portion 15C is pulled out until it reaches the position shown in Figs. 17 to 19, whereas the pillar portion 15C is shown in the retracted position inside the hollow portion of the guide element 15 in Fig. 20. It is.

The jaws 21, 22 of the intermediate separator 19 can be opened, so that in order to allow the passage of tubular knitted articles which must pass along the suction tube 13 (which will become apparent from the following description), the suction tube ( 13) The guide element 15 is released along the suction tube 13 in which a system for temporarily supporting the internal guide element 15 is further constructed. These support means are clearly visible in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, are briefly shown in the remaining figures, and are shown in three sets of three positions positioned in each of the three zones set at a distance apart in accordance with the development of the suction tube 13. It consists of sliders 31, 32, and 33. More specifically, two of the three sets of sliders, i.e., two sets of sliders 31 and 32 are arranged in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the suction pipe between the inlet end 13A of the suction pipe and the intermediate separator 19. Position, and the remaining set of sliders 33 is positioned in the plane between the intermediate separator 19 and the outlet end 13B of the suction pipe 13. These sets of sliders 31, 32, 33 are returned so as not to protrude inside the suction pipe 13, in order to leave the space between the inner wall of the suction pipe 13 and the guide element 15 completely free. You can retreat. Alternatively, each set of sliders can be radially displaced inward to engage the guide element 15 and to be supported inside the suction pipe 13. The circular needle plate 37 along the suction pipe 13 toward the outlet end 13B of the suction pipe by the synchronous operation (obvious from the description below) of the sliders 31, 32, and 33 of each set. The tubular knitted fabric discharged from) becomes possible.

The suction pipe 13 has a distal end portion 13C that moves angularly about its own axis with respect to the rest of the suction pipe. The rotational operation of the distal end 13C of the suction pipe 13 is provided by an actuator 35 such as a stepper motor, for example. This actuator makes it possible to adjust the angular position of the distal end 13C of the suction pipe 13 with respect to the remaining portion of the pipe (fixed to the supporting structure), so that the tubular is closed before the toe portion of the tubular knitted fabric is sewn. The knitted product can be properly oriented, which will be apparent from the detailed description of the mode of operation of the overall apparatus.

At the outlet end 13B of the suction pipe 13, a sealing area (i.e., a sewing area) indicated by 37 as a whole is provided. In this area, a tubular knitted product is taken out from the inside of the suction pipe 13 and turned over, the toe portion of the knitted product is closed by sealing and reinserted into the suction pipe 13, and finally discharged from the apparatus. The holding member is positioned.

The sealing region 37 is provided with a suction tube 13, more precisely, a unit 39 surrounding the distal end 13C of the suction tube. As described in detail with reference to Figs. 11 to 14, this unit 39 carries a member for increasing the ring-turning member and a member for inverting the tubular knitted fabric before sealing. Moreover, this unit 39 is axially movable along the distal end 13C of the suction pipe 13 in the direction indicated by the arrow f39. For this purpose, a slide guide portion 41 and an actuator 43 for controlling the movement of the unit 39 are provided.

The unit 39 has a perspective view in FIGS. 11 and 12, a cross-sectional view in FIG. 13, and a view from below in FIG. 14, respectively. FIG. 11 shows a ring 45 which is coaxial with the axis of the distal end 13C of the suction pipe 13 and forms part of the unit 39. This ring 45 supports a plurality of radial pushers 47 that constitute a member for flipping the tubular knitted fabric before suturing the toe portion. Each pusher 47 provides radial movement controlled by a corresponding actuator 49, for example a small cylinder-piston actuator. The unit 39 has a wall 51 which defines the range of the internal suction chamber 53 under the ring 45. The internal suction chamber 53 is connected to the suction line through the opening 55, and the connection to the suction chamber 53 is indicated by 57.

Inside the suction chamber 53, five shaped plates 59 supported by the rotary spindles 61 are provided. Each shaped plate 59 supports a column portion 63 parallel to the spindle 61 itself at a position away from the corresponding support spindles 61. The form of the shaped plate 59 (particularly with reference to FIG. 12, the pusher 47, their actuator 49 and the ring 45 lying thereon, is omitted for clarity), the spindle 61 At the first angular position of), the axis of the suction tube 13, or more precisely, forms a substantially continuous wall orthogonal to the distal end 13C of the suction tube 13. The wall formed by the shaped plate 59 has a central hole 65 for purposes of clarity later.

The shaped plate 59 is controlled to open simultaneously by oscillation about its own axis of each spindle 61. For this purpose, a mechanism composed of a pinion 67 fixed to the bottom end of each spindle 61 shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 and engaged with an internal toothed crown gear 69 is provided. The rotation of the gears causes spontaneous rotation of the pinion 67, which causes the spindle 61 to rotate. The rotation of the toothed crown gear 69 is obtained by the pinion 70 fitted on the shaft 72 which is driven in rotation about its own axis by the cylinder-piston actuator 74.

Above the unit 39, a gripping member, indicated by 71 as a whole, for holding the tubular knitted fabric to be sealed, is provided substantially in line with the distal end 13C of the suction pipe 13. . This jaw member comprises a pair of brackets 73 (particularly FIGS. 1 to 3,) which are movable relative to one another in the movement of approach and retreat indicated by a bidirectional arrow f73 (especially see FIGS. 5 and 6). The movement in the direction indicated by arrow f73 is in turn directed to the bracket 73 being carried by the structure provided by the movement along the horizontal axis X and the vertical axis Y (see in particular FIGS. 5 and 6 again). Obtained by a pair of cylinder-piston actuators connected. As will be apparent from the description below, these brackets 73 can approach each other, penetrate into the suction tube 13, grasp the end edges of the tubular knitted fabric, and can be tensioned and transported to the sewing machine for subsequent sewing operations.

The structure for carrying the member 71 holding the tubular knitted fabric is supported by the base structure (ie, the substrate) 75 and then attached to a fixed frame, for example the frame itself of the knitting machine 3. Is constrained. The foundation structure 75 carries a pair of bars 77, 79 that are approximately rectangular. The bar 77 is fixed to a part of the metal zone 81 which is movable by a cylinder-piston actuator (not shown), as indicated by the bidirectional arrow f81. In this manner, the bar 77 can move relative to the bar 79, and instead, the bar 79 is fixed to the substrate 75.

Under the rectangular bar 79 on the fixed side, a comb-like structure 83 shown in detail in FIG. 16 is provided. The comb-shaped structure 83 has a plurality of teeth 85 and consists of two parts 83A and 83B, which are connected together to form an intermediate seat for sliding the cutting blade 87. The comb-shaped structure 83 is movable as indicated by the bidirectional arrow f83 (see especially FIG. 6) in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the fixed bar rectangular bar 79. The cutting blade 87 accommodated inside the comb-shaped structure 83 moves together with the comb-shaped structure 83 and involves the movement of the comb-shaped structure 83 as indicated by arrow f83. This movement is obtained by the cylinder-piston actuator or equivalent actuator indicated by 89 in FIG.

In particular, as shown in FIG. 16, a plurality of slots 87A inclined with respect to the cutting edge 87B of the cutting blade 87 are formed in the cutting blade 87. In this slot 87A, the pin 83C fixed to the part 83B of the comb-shaped structure 83 is inserted. The cutting blade 87 extends at one end thereof to form an accessory 87C in which a slot 87D is orthogonal to the cutting edge 87B of the cutting blade itself. The slot 87D is fitted with a slider 91 which provides a movement parallel to the cutting edge 87B, which is imparted by a cylinder-piston actuator or equivalent actuator 93. The actuator 93 is supported by the substrate 75 as shown in FIG. 6. Due to the slot 87D, the cutting edge 87 moves in a direction orthogonal to the cutting edge 87B, so that the bidirectional arrow f83 of the comb-shaped structure 83 is always maintained while maintaining a mechanical connection by the actuator 93. Is accompanied by a movement indicated by). By operation of the actuator 93, thrust is generated on the cutting blade 87 in the direction indicated by the arrow f87 (FIG. 16), and as a result (in the configuration of the pin 83C and the inclined slot 87A). Due to one component orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the comb-like structure 83 and one component parallel to the longitudinal direction. The function of this movement is to cut the loop of the row of stitches in which the comb-like structure 83 is inserted to suture the toe portion of the tubular knitted fabric, as will be apparent later.

In the sealing area 37, a sewing machine indicated by 95 is provided as a whole separately from the other mechanical members in FIG. In FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3, the said sewing machine 95 is abbreviate | omitted for the purpose of clarity. This sewing machine has a sewing needle 96 and a suction inlet 99 of a sewing thread. Reference numeral 101 denotes a so-called "crochet" that imparts a lifting and lowering motion on the sewing thread supplied by the thread reel so that the sewing needle 96 is properly fitted. The shape of the crochet 96 will be described simply by way of example. The crochet may be, for example, rotational or vibrational. Similarly, the shape of the needle operating in common with it may be different. Since the structure of the sewing machine 95 is of a type known to those skilled in the art, a detailed description thereof will be omitted here. The type of stitching performed by the needle 96 will be described in more detail with reference to the operation of the device in any case.

The sewing machine 95 performs the sewing operation indicated by the arrow f95 in FIG. 4, that is, the sewing operation, given by the actuator indicated by 97 as the whole again in FIG. 4.

The sewing machine 95 is connected with a holding member for holding the tubular knitted fabric after the toe portion is closed in order to cut a portion of the knitted fabric other than the seam. The retaining member is denoted as 103 as a whole and its position relative to the other member of the apparatus is shown in FIG. 4, while its structure is shown in detail in the perspective view of FIG. 15.

The holding member 103 is provided with a pair of bars 105 that are substantially parallel to the movement of the sewing machine 95 and the fixed side bar 77 and the movable side bar 79. The retaining bars 95 provide movement orthogonal to their own longitudinal direction in the direction indicated by the bidirectional arrow f105 in FIG. 15. In this way, they may approach each other to hold the knitted product, or may be far from each other to release the knitted product. This movement is imparted by a cylinder-piston actuator (not shown) accommodated in the structure of the holding member 103 fixed to the sewing machine 95. Since the holding member 103 is fixed to the sewing machine 95, the sewing machine translates integrally with the sewing machine when the sewing machine performs the sewing movement in the direction of the arrow f95. This allows the bar 105 to be aligned with the tubular knitted fabric being sealed.

Finally, the sewing machine 95 is fixed with a system for removing the remainder of the thread after the cutting operation is performed by the cutting blade 87, which system is indicated as 107 as a whole, Its position relative to the other member is indicated in FIG. 4. The structure of this removal system 107 in a possible embodiment is illustrated in the perspective view of FIG. 42. The removal system 107 is provided with at least one brush member 109 which rotates about the axis of the vertical shaft inserted into the suction port 111, and the tubular knitted product is made by the brush member 109. The remaining portion of the yarn separated from the suction is removed through the suction port 111.

The operation of the apparatus described so far will be described in particular with reference to FIGS. 17 to 43.

FIG. 17 shows a final step of knitting the tubular knitted product M by the knitting needle 7 of the circular knitting plate of the circular knitting machine 3. The tubular knitted product starts knitting from the edge B1, and has a bottom part in FIG. 17, and the finished knitted product remains open. If the tubular knitted fabric M is a sock, the edge constitutes an elastic boundary of the sock. The final knitting process is believed to be the formation of the edge B2 that is to be closed to form a closed toe portion of the finished product.

During the formation, the tubular knitted fabric M projects in the space between the cylinder 5 of the knitting needle 7 and the guide element 15, more specifically, against the inlet end 13A of the suction pipe 13. It is set by itself in the portion of the guide element. In this step, since the intermediate separator 19 is installed as the suction tube 13 is closed, the tanks 21 and 22 hold the guide element 15 to hold it in the position inside the suction tube 13. Preferably, at least one set of the sliders 31 and 32 is also gripped as the slider engages the guide element. The portion of the suction pipe between the inlet end 13A and the intermediate separator 19 is maintained at a negative pressure state through the suction port 14 provided adjacent to the intermediate separator 19 on the inlet side of the suction pipe 13. The suction port 14 is connected to a suction fan or the like (not shown).

The pillar portion 15C, which can be pulled out of the guide element 15, is pushed in advance to its withdrawn position by the pressurized air supplied through the jaws of the separator 19. In this pulled out position, the head 15E of the column 15C comes above the plane of the plate 59, opening the plates to allow passage of the head itself. When the shaped plates 59 are closed, the column 15C is held in engagement with the leading portion 15E above the plates themselves, through the holes 65 between the shaped plates 59. . Thereby, the pillar portion 15C can be maintained in the pulled out position even when the jaws of the separator 19 are open even if there is no pressure inside the guide element 15. With this configuration In the column portion 63 fixed to the plate 59, the column portion 63 is raised against the axis of the column portion 15C and at least partially accommodated in a seat formed on the column portion below the head portion 15E. The radial obstruction of the pillar portion 63 can be reduced, and the reason will be clear as will be described later.

When the tubular knitted product M is completed by the knitting needle of the knitting needle 7 of the circular knitting machine 3, it is removed from the knitting needle and the position shown in Fig. 18 as a result of the negative pressure inside the suction pipe 13. Is drawn along the suction tube 13 until it is taken up, i.e. up against the intermediate separator 19. The movement of the knitted fabric M along the suction pipe 13 is guided by the guide element 15, so that the knitted fabric M slides in a free space between the inner wall of the suction pipe 13 and the guide element 15. Move. In order to allow passage of the knitted product M beyond the transverse surface on which the sliders 31 and 32 act, the sliders 31 and 32 are alternately opened and closed to allow passage of the knitted product M. During this time, only one set of sliders, i.e., only 31 or 32, is engaged with the guide element 15. In this way, the tubular knitted product M can pass through the area where the slider is provided and reach the position shown in FIG. 18.

In order to bring the tubular knitted product M to the outlet end 13B of the suction pipe 13, the wall formed by the plate 59 formed at the position shown in FIG. By moving the 22 away from each other, the intermediate separator 19 is opened. Suction through the suction port 14 can now be stopped, while suction through the suction line connected to the chamber 53 inside the movable unit 39 by the connecting portion 57 is activated. This latter suction can be activated also in the previous step, that is, the step shown in FIG.

In this way, the tubular knitted product M reaches the position shown in FIG. 19 and presses the wall formed into their closed shape by the shaped plate 59. Also in this case, the movement of the tubular knitted product M is guided by the guide element 15, and the guide element extends to the shaped plate 59. In addition, the slider 33, which was previously closed to support the guide element 15, is opened while the jaws of the intermediate separator 19 are open, allowing passage of the knitted product. The opening of the slider 33 can be synchronized with the new movement of the closure of the intermediate separator 19 so that the guide element 15 is always properly maintained at approximately the center position inside the suction tube 13. Alternatively, the lateral support of the guide element, at least in part, may be obtained by engaging with a hole in the wall defined by the plate 59.

The function of the subsequent process is to extract the tubular knitted fabric M from the suction pipe 13, turn it over, and perform a closing operation to seal the distal edge B2 of the knitted fabric to form a closed toe portion.

For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 20 (only the distal region of the suction tube 13), the plate 59 is displaced by the rotary spindles 61 and fixed to the plate 59. Radially displaced outward of the portion 63.

Both the plate 59 and the column 63 are located above the outlet end 13B and thus outside the suction tube 13, so that the branch point of the column 63 moves in the suction tube 13. It may extend to a point that comes to the outer radial position (indicated in FIG. 20) of the outside of the obstruction defined by the edge of. In this position, the portion of the knitted fabric of knitted article M proximate to edge B1 is tensioned so that it is approximately outside of the obstruction of suction tube 13.

Once the pillar portion 63 is engaged with the tubular knitted fabric M, the flexible freely extendable pillar portion 15C of the guide element 15 retracts into the portion 15B of the guide element, so that the guide element The pressure inside the portion 15B of (15) can be reduced. The retraction of the column portion is obtained by the influence of the spring 15D which is freely stretched. In Fig. 20, the pillar portion 15C is indicated at its retracted position.

As indicated by the arrow f39 of the unit 39, the column portions 63 are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction outward with respect to the outlet end 13B of the suction pipe 13 by vertical movement downward. It becomes the position to become. Since the tubular knitted product is still engaged with the pillar portion 63, the tubular knitted product is apparently surrounding the suction tube 13 in the region surrounding the outlet end portion 13B of the suction tube along the pillar portion. The downward movement of the unit 39 proceeds until the column portion 63 is completely released from the tubular knitted product M (FIG. 22).

The pusher 47 is pressed against the tubular knitted fabric M in order to completely pull the tubular knitted fabric M out of the inside of the suction pipe 13 and to turn it on the outer surface of the suction pipe 13 (FIG. 23), At this time, the unit 39 is further displaced downward as indicated by the arrow f39 (FIG. 24). In this way, the movable unit 39 is further moved downwardly as indicated by the arrow f39 to move the tubular knitted product M until the unit 39 reaches the position shown in FIG. 24. Pull along the outer surface of (13). In this position, the tubular knitted fabric M is completely outside of the suction pipe 13. In addition, the shape knitted by the circular knitting machine 3 is reversed. The pusher 47 branches again, releases the tubular knitted product M, and remains in the position shown in FIG. 25 by the elasticity of the knitted fabric itself (and particularly its start end B1), and the suction pipe ( 13) can be suspended on the outer surface. If the tubular knitted fabric M is particularly long, the downward stroke of the unit 39 by the pusher 47 in the closed position is repeated several times, with each unit 39 upward after the previous opening of the pusher 47 each time. ) Can be prevented from pulling the tubular knitted fabric upward again during the upstroke of the unit 39.

As shown in FIG. 24, the suction pipe 13 is started from the outlet end 13B, i.e., the edge of the suction pipe 13, and the two slits 13D extending in a direction parallel to the axis of the suction pipe during the predetermined stretching. Has By the action of these slits, the bracket 73 grasps the tubular knitted fabric M and partially slides from the suction pipe 13 to close the toe portion of the knitted fabric by suture. However, it may be necessary to angularly position the tubular knitted fabric M before performing this operation.

In fact, a seam designed to close the toe portion of the knitted fabric has a very fine orientation with respect to the portion of the knitted fabric itself, usually in the presence of a pocket, i. It is necessary to have This seam must take an extremely precise position with respect to these bags of knitted fabrics. In order to properly orient the tubular knitted fabric prior to the sewing operation, during the knitting operation, for example, if the stitch is provided on the knitted fabric by several stitches of a thread of a color different from that of the knitted fabric, that is, a stitch, Suffice. The display thus obtained can be detected by a photoelectric cell (not shown) provided near the outlet end 13B of the suction pipe 13. At this time, the proper angular orientation of the tubular knitted fabric M is oriented by rotating the portion 13C of the suction pipe 13 by the actuator 35 about its own axis. This rotation is the movement of the device from the position in FIG. 24 to the position in FIG. 25. In fact, these figures are different only with respect to other positions of the slit 13D made near the outlet end 13D of the suction pipe 13. The deviation of the angular position between the two figures indicates the amount by which the portion 13C of the suction tube 13 rotates with respect to the rest of the tube itself in order to bring the tubular knitted product to the correct angular position.

During this angular positioning process or at any suitable moment, the unit 39 returns upwards until it reaches the position shown in Fig. 26, and the pushers 47 are in their retracted positions during the upward movement. In other words, it remains in contact with the tubular knitted fabric.

Once the unit 39 reaches the normal position shown in Fig. 26, the pusher is closed again to press the tubular knitted product M against the outer surface of the suction pipe 13 near the outlet end 13B of the suction pipe. . Further, once the tubular knitted fabric M is again engaged by being pressed against the outer surface of the portion 13C of the suction pipe 13, the portion 13C is rotated again to move the slit 13D to their original position, That is, it is taken on the plane containing the axis | shaft of the part 13C of the suction pipe orthogonal to the plane of FIG. Suction pipe 13 obtained again by the actuator 35 as long as the angle shift of the tubular knitted product M is suppressed by the pusher 47 in which the tubular knitted product M is coated with a material having a high coefficient of friction. This rotational movement of the portion 13C of) does not cause an angular shift of the tubular knitted fabric M. In this way, the portion 13C of the suction pipe 13 is slid, ie, slides on the inner surface of the tubular knitted product M, and rotates inside the tubular knitted product M. As shown in FIG.

In the form of FIG. 26, the tubular knitted product M is picked up by the bracket 73 of the fin member 71 since the tubular knitted product M is in the correct angular position for subsequent sewing work. Brackets 73 adjacent to each other are lowered to the position shown in FIG. 27 until they move into the suction pipe 13 for this purpose, and FIG. 27 is a plane perpendicular to the plane indicated in FIG. 26. The longitudinal cross section of the suction pipe 13 which concerns on this is shown. Thus, the bracket 73 is placed on a plane including the axis A of the portion 13C of the suction pipe 13, on which the slit 13D is also placed. In this manner, the edge B2 of the tubular knitted product M can be tensioned by the branch of the bracket 73 as indicated by the arrow f73 in FIG. Will approach each other. This branching movement of the bracket 73 is combined with the lifting movement of the bracket to reach their final position shown in FIG. On the end of the lifting movement of the bracket 73, the pusher 47 again approaches the suction pipe 13 and suppresses the tubular knitted product M, thereby enabling its longitudinal stretching.

In this position, the edge B2 of the tubular knitted fabric M is elongated or tensioned by the bracket 73 so that the two elongated portions of the edge are aligned with each other. The brackets 73 are in a vertical position with their bottom ends slightly above the rectangular bars 77 and 79. In this way, the rectangular bars approach each other to suspend the tubular knitted product M at a proper position of the edge B2. This is schematically illustrated in FIG. 29 which shows a longitudinal cross section along a plane orthogonal to the plane of FIG. 28. The rectangular bar 77 approaches the fixed side bar 79. In Fig. 28, (L1), (L2), the two sagging portions of the edge (B2) which are approached to each other as a result of the tension of the edge (B2) performed by the bracket 73 of the fin member 71. Indicates. The knitted product may be tensioned by slight downward movement of the unit 39 by the pusher 47.

FIG. 29A is a schematic enlarged view of an area where the sagging portions L1 and L2 of the knitted fabric forming the edges of the tubular knitted fabric to be closed are visible. As shown in the schematic cross-sectional view of the knitted fabric, the knitted fabric has a series of rows X2 set above the bars 77 and 79, and some of these rows are made of a thicker thread than the other columns. . The thick row forms part of a large-thick knitted fabric supported by bars 77 and 79 provided next to each other. These bars 77 and 79 do not need to be pressed against the knitted fabric, but instead remain freely and slide appropriately to be stretched in the transverse direction. Retention in the longitudinal direction is ensured by the fact that the portion of the large-thick knitted fabric obtained from the thick yarn indicated by (FG) in Fig. 29A is supported by the bars 77 and 79. Since the part of the tubular knitted product which consists of rows X2 is removed by subsequent cutting operation, it is normally manufactured with the yarn of quality inferior to the thread of the remainder of the tubular knitted product M. As shown in FIG.

During the sealing operation, the edge formed by the row X2 may be maintained by the suction through the suction port indicated by 102 as a whole in FIGS. 33 and 34 connected to the sewing machine 95.

By moving in the direction indicated by the arrow f83, the comb-shaped structure 83 is a column in which the teeth 85 of the comb-shaped structure 83 are set to face the comb-shaped structure 83. That is, it pushes toward the tubular knitted fabric M until it penetrates inside the stitch or loop of the row immediately below the rectangular bars 77 and 79. As can be seen in the drawing of Fig. 29A, the loop of this column (denoted by (X1)) is longer than the remaining loops of the knitted fabric to allow easy insertion of the teeth 85 of the comb-shaped structure 83. have.

The movement in the direction indicated by the arrow f83 of the comb-shaped structure 83 is controlled by the actuator 89 (see FIG. 6) described previously, but is not clearly shown in FIG. 29 The rectangular bar 77 , 79 and subsequent movements of the comb-shaped structure 83 are shown in the sequence of FIGS. 30-32 showing this movement in a schematic plan view.

Once the teeth 85 of the comb-like structure 83 penetrate the individual loops of each row of the tubular knitted fabric M, the movable side rectangular bar 77 retreats to allow insertion of the member of the sewing machine 95. It is possible to sew, that is, suture, along the loop of the row of stitches under the row where the teeth 85 of the comb-like structure 83 penetrate inside. This closure operation is schematically illustrated in FIG. 33.

33 shows the needle 96, the inlet 99, and the crochet 101 of the sewing machine 95. Furthermore, the comb-shaped structure 83 inserted inside the corresponding row of the stitch or loop of the tubular knitted fabric M can also be seen. The sealing area is shown enlarged in Fig. 34. In Fig. 34, how the comb-shaped structure 83 and the corresponding tooth 85 are separated from each other in the two parts 83A and 83B (in the perspective view of Fig. 16). It is clearly seen that these two parts are connected together, with a blade 87 interposed therebetween, which blade, in this form, is in its retracted position, ie the tooth 85. It is in the installed position with respect to the back.

The movement of each member of the sewing machine, in particular the movement of the crochet 101 to which the needle 96 and the sewing thread F are supplied, is shown in FIG. In the example of this embodiment, the needle 96 is a so-called piston needle, that is, a needle provided with the opening / closing member 96A. Needles of this kind are known per se from the prior art, in particular the patents cited at the outset of this specification, but other types of needles and / or crochets may also be used. For example, latch needles or eye needles may be used. The procedure of the sealing operation is clearly shown in FIG. 35 and is known for other kinds of applications, and thus, further details will be omitted here since it is considered unnecessary.

However, the pitch of the seams produced by the sewing machine 95 having the needle 96 is smaller than the pitch of the comb-shaped structure 83 and the pitch of the teeth 85, that is, the pitch of the loop of the row X1. . In particular, the pitch of the seam can be envisioned so as to be equal to half or 1/3 of the pitch of the loop of the row X1, and hence the pitch of the comb-shaped structure 83.

36, 37, and 38 show a subsequent cutting process of the loop of the row X2 in which the teeth 85 of the comb-shaped structure 83 are inserted. Before performing this cutting operation, the sagging portions L1 and L2 of the tubular knitted product M joined together by the seam indicated by (C) in FIGS. 36 to 38 are joined to the seam C. FIG. ) Is suspended by the retaining bar 105 of the retaining member 103 carried by the sewing machine 95 to create a). Thereby, it is possible to hold the tubular knitted product M even after the cutting operation is performed. Cutting is performed by moving the blade 87 accommodated inside the comb-shaped structure 83 from the position in FIG. 36 to the position in FIG. 37. By this operation, the blade 87 cuts all the loops of the row X2 into which the teeth 85 of the comb-shaped structure 83 are inserted in advance.

At this time, the comb-shaped structure 83 reaches a position shown in FIG. 38 away from the knitted product, while the tubular knitted product M is brought to the holding bar 105 which is previously approached with each other provided for this purpose. Is maintained. The remainder of the cut thread above the seam C is schematically shown in FIG. 39 by a brush having a horizontal axis parallel to the bar 105, but in practice in the jagger system 107 having the form shown in FIG. 40. Is removed. In this case, the enlarged view of FIG. 41 shows the actuation mechanism (indicated by FR in the enlarged view of FIG. 41) of the brush 109 having a vertical axis for removal of the remainder of the seal in this case.

Once the stitching, cutting, and removal of the residual chamber is completed, the knitting piece M is flipped back to its final state corresponding to that produced by the circular knitting machine 3, and then the knitting piece is removed from the apparatus. Can be. For this purpose, the reverse work is performed on the previous work which has turned the article upside down by the movement of the unit 39 and the operation of the slider 47. At this time, the inside of the suction pipe 13 through the suction port 16 (FIG. 43) is sucked through the suction port 16 to remove the knitted product in which the toe portion is closed by the seam C through the suction port 16. Apply negative pressure.

Since the removal is facilitated by the movement of the portion 15B of the guide element 15 with respect to the portion 15A about the hinge axis 17, the suction port 16 is formed in the portion 15B of the guide element. It is raised against the inner wall of the suction pipe 13 on the opposite side, leaving a wider passage for conveying the tubular knitted product M sealed toward the suction port 16.

When the operation is finished, the apparatus returns to the form shown in FIG. 17 for sealing the subsequent tubular knitted fabric M, while commencing the formation of the subsequent tubular knitted fabric on the circular knitting machine 3. .

The apparatus for picking up a tubular knitted product from the circular knitting machine according to the present invention and closing the toe portion of the knitted product can handle the tubular knitted product simply and reliably, and also without changing the knitting machine. It can be advantageously designed to apply to the circular knitting machine of.

The foregoing drawings merely illustrate possible embodiments of the present invention which have been simply given to provide a practical description of the present invention, and the embodiments and configurations thereof may be changed without departing from the scope of the basic idea herein. Of course. The possible presence of reference numerals in the appended claims is merely for the purpose of facilitating their reading in light of the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings, and does not limit the scope of protection defined in the claims.

Claims (29)

A device for closing a toe portion of a tubular knitted fabric, the device for picking up the tubular knitted fabric from a circular knitting machine to close the toe portion of the knitted fabric, A suction pipe extending from an inlet end in an area for picking up a tubular knitted product from the circular knitting machine to an outlet end in an area for sealing a toe portion of the knit product; A guide element for extending the inside of the suction pipe and extending from the inlet end to the outside of the suction pipe and inserted into the cylinder of the circular knitting machine; And a space for transferring the tubular knitted product between the guide element and the inner wall of the suction pipe. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the outlet end of the suction pipe is connected with a system for removing the tubular knitted product from the suction pipe and inverting the knitted product outside the suction pipe. The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the suction tube is internally separated into two consecutive portions by an openable intermediate separator. The suction pipe is connected with a means for supporting a guide element inside the suction pipe, and the support means is connected between the inner wall of the suction pipe and the guide element therein. Apparatus for enabling the passage of tubular knitted articles into space. 5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said support means is provided with a transverse slider which is carried by said suction tube and is movable to engage a guide element inside said suction tube or to release it from said suction tube. 6. An apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein said support means is provided in three zones set at a distance apart along the suction pipe. The two zones of the said zones are set in the part of the suction pipe | tube between the said inlet end and an intermediate | middle separator, and the other one zone is set between the said outlet part and an intermediate | middle separator. Device characterized in that. 8. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the guide element has a portion extending towards the outlet end of the suction tube. 9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said extensible portion is formed by a telescopic free extension means of single action hydraulic control. 10. A device according to claim 3 or 9, wherein the intermediate separator is connected to an air supply groove for controlling the free extension of the guide element. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the guide element is composed of two parts which are hinged together about an axis orthogonal to the axis of the suction tube. The system of claim 2, wherein the system for removing a tubular knitted product from the suction tube includes: A ring-up increasing member for shifting the tubular knit-piece at the initial edge of the knit-piece itself; And a member for flipping the tubular knitted product from the inside of the suction pipe to the outside of the suction pipe, And the circularly increasing member is configured to circularly increase an initial edge of the tubular knitted article beyond the outer diameter of the suction tube. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the circularly increasing member is approximately parallel to the axis of the suction tube and provides a movement approaching or retracting from the axis of the suction tube, thereby providing a position close to the axis of the suction tube and the diameter of the suction tube. And a plurality of pillar portions that take outward positions relative to the pillar portion, the pillar portions being movable in the axial direction along the outer side of the suction pipe. 14. The pillar of claim 13, wherein the pillar portions are each carried by a plate approximately perpendicular to the axis of the suction tube; When the said column part is a position in which a suction pipe is close to an axis | shaft, each board forms the control wall for detaining the tubular knitted goods conveyed inside the said suction pipe. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the plates is carried by rotating spindles that are approximately parallel to the axis of the suction tube and to the column portion, and the approach of the column portion with respect to the axis of the suction tube by rotation of the spindle. A device characterized by causing a retraction movement. The counter wall formed by the plate when the pillar portion is in a position close to the axis of the suction pipe has a center hole which is in a straight line with respect to the guide element. And insert its end into the hole. 17. An apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 16, wherein said guide element has a transverse seat for insertion of said column portion. 18. The member according to any one of claims 12 to 17, wherein the member for overturning the tubular knitted fabric moves radially and axially with respect to the suction tube and outwardly of the suction tube and against the outer surface of the suction tube. And a radial pusher that is pressed and pulled along the outer surface of the tubular knitted fabric. The apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 18, wherein a suction line for connecting the tubular knitted article against the circular increase member is connected to the circular increase member. 20. The apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 19, wherein the member for overturning the annular increase member and the tubular knitted fabric is carried by a unit axially movable along a suction pipe. The apparatus according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the suction line is connected to a suction chamber formed in the unit. 22. The suction pipe according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the suction pipe has an end that is angularly movable about its own axis with respect to the rest of the suction pipe, and controls the rotational movement about its axis of the end. Apparatus comprising an actuator for. 23. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the suction pipe has a slit at the output side end thereof for passage of the jaw member for holding the edge of the knitted article. 24. The bracket of claim 23, wherein the fin member has two brackets that can be approached or away from each other to engage the tubular knit at its approximately opposite opposing points and to pull the distal edge thereof. And the bracket is axially movable relative to the suction tube. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 24, further comprising a member for holding the tubular knitted fabric after seaming the toe portion to cut a portion of the knitted fabric other than the formed seam. 4. The suction pipe according to claim 3, wherein the suction pipe has a first suction opening provided between the intermediate separator and the inlet end of the suction pipe, and a second suction opening provided between the outlet end and the intermediate separator. Apparatus characterized in that the knitted product is removed after the suture of the toe portion of the knitted product through. 4. The device of claim 3, wherein the intermediate separator comprises at least one jaw for engaging the guide element inside the suction tube. 9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said extendable portion is connected at its free end to a system for closing said outlet end of said suction tube. 29. The closure system of claim 14 or 28, wherein the closure system consists of the plates that carry the pillars, the plates forming in their closed form engaging holes for the free ends of the extendable portions. Device characterized in that.