Device for picking up a tubular knitted article from a knitting machine and for sewing the toe

Abstract

Described herein is a device for picking up a tubular knitted article (M) from a cylinder ( 5 ) of a circular knitting machine ( 3 ) and for closing the toe of said article. The device comprises a sewing machine for sewing the toe of the tubular article and a suction pipe ( 13 ) which develops from an intake end ( 13 A), in an area where the tubular article is picked up from the circular knitting machine, to an output end ( 13 B), in an area where the toe of the article is sewn. Also provided is a guide element ( 15 ) for guiding the tubular article, said guide element developing inside said suction pipe and extending inside the cylinder of the circular knitting machine. Between the guide element ( 15 ) and the inner wall of the suction pipe ( 13 ) there remains a space for transit of the tubular article.

1 . A device for picking up a tubular knitted article from a cylinder of a circular knitting machine and for closing the toe of said article, said device comprising means for closing said toe of the tubular article and being characterized in that it comprises: 
 a suction pipe that develops from an intake end, in an area where the tubular article is picked up from the circular knitting machine, to an output end, in an area where the toe of the article is sewn; and    a guide element for guiding the tubular article, which develops inside said suction pipe and extends outside the latter from the intake-end side to be inserted inside the cylinder of said circular knitting machine, there being provided, between the guide element and the inner wall of the suction pipe, a space for transit of the tubular article.    
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1 , in which to the output end of the suction pipe there is associated a system for extraction of the tubular article from the suction pipe and for turning said tubular article inside out onto the outside of the suction pipe.  
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 1 , or  claim 2 , in which said suction pipe is internally divided into two consecutive portions by an openable intermediate separator.  
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 1 , or  2 , or  3 , in which associated to said suction pipe are means for supporting the guide element inside the suction pipe, said supporting element enabling transit of the tubular article in the space between the inner wall of the suction pipe and the guide element inside it.  
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 4 , in which said supporting means comprise transverse sliders which are carried by the suction pipe and are mobile for engaging the guide element inside said suction pipe and for alternately being released from the latter.  
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 4  or  5 , in which said supporting means are set in three sections set at a distance apart along the suction pipe.  
     
     
         7 . The device according to claims  3  and  6 , in which two of said sections are set in the portion of the suction pipe between the intake end and the intermediate separator, and one of said sections is set between the output end and the intermediate separator.  
     
     
         8 . The device according to one or more of the foregoing claims, in which said guide element has a portion which is extensible towards the output end of the suction pipe.  
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 8 , in which said extensible portion is provided with single-acting pneumatically controlled telescopic elongation means.  
     
     
         10 . The device according to claims  3  and  9 , in which said intermediate separator is associated to an air-feed channel for controlling telescopic elongation of said guide element.  
     
     
         11 . The device according to one or more of the foregoing claims, in which said guide element is made up of two parts which are hinged together about an axis orthogonal to the axis of the suction pipe.  
     
     
         12 . The device according to at least  claim 2 , in which said system for extraction of the tubular article from the suction pipe comprises: 
 widening members for widening the tubular article at the initial edge of the article itself, said members causing widening of the initial edge of the tubular article beyond the outer diameter of the suction pipe; and    members for turning the tubular article inside out from inside the suction pipe onto the outside of the latter.    
     
     
         13 . The device according to at least  claim 12 , in which said widening members comprise a plurality of stems which are approximately parallel to the axis of the suction pipe and are provided with a motion of approach to and recession from the axis of the suction pipe so as to assume a position close to the axis of the suction pipe and a position external to the diameter of the suction pipe, said stems being axially mobile along the outside of the suction pipe.  
     
     
         14 . The device according to  claim 13 , in which said stems are each carried by a plate roughly orthogonal to the axis of the suction pipe; when the stems are in the position close to the axis of the suction pipe, the plates forming a contrast wall for arrest of the tubular article that is being conveyed inside said suction pipe.  
     
     
         15 . The device according to  claim 14 , in which each of said plates is carried by a rotating spindle roughly parallel to the axis of the suction pipe and to said stems, the rotation of said spindle causing the approach and recession movement of the stems with respect to the axis of said suction pipe.  
     
     
         16 . The device according to  claim 14  or  claim 15 , in which the contrast wall formed by said plates when the stems are in a position close to the axis of the suction pipe has a central hole aligned to the guide element, said guide element inserting, with its own end, inside said hole.  
     
     
         17 . The device according to one or more of  claims 12  to  16 , in which said guide element has a lateral seat for insertion of said stems.  
     
     
         18 . The device according to one or more of  claims 12  to  17 , in which said members for turning the tubular article inside out comprise radial pushers that move radially and axially with respect to said suction pipe and outside the latter so as to press against the outer surface of the suction pipe and draw along said outer surface the tubular article.  
     
     
         19 . The device according to one or more of  claims 12  to  18 , in which associated to said widening members is a suction line for sucking the tubular article up against said widening members.  
     
     
         20 . The device according to one or more of  claims 12  to  19 , in which said widening members and said members for turning the tubular article inside out are carried by a unit which is axially mobile along the suction pipe.  
     
     
         21 . The device according to claims  19  and  20 , in which said suction line is connected to a suction chamber formed in said unit.  
     
     
         22 . The device according to one or more of the foregoing claims, in which said suction pipe comprises an end part which is angularly mobile about its own axis with respect to the remaining part of the suction pipe, an actuator being provided for controlling the movement of rotation of said end part about its own axis.  
     
     
         23 . The device according to one or more of the foregoing claims, in which at its own output end the suction pipe has slits for passage of a member for gripping the end edge of the article.  
     
     
         24 . The device according to  claim 23 , in which said gripping member has two brackets which can be brought up to and moved away from one another so as to engage the tubular article at the end edge of the latter in two roughly diametrally opposite points and to tension said end edge, said brackets being axially mobile with respect to said suction pipe.  
     
     
         25 . The device according to one or more of the foregoing claims, comprising a member for retention of the tubular article after sewing of the toe, in order to carry out cutting of the part of fabric external to the seam thus formed.  
     
     
         26 . The device according to at least  claim 3 , in which associated to said suction pipe is a first suction opening, set between the intermediate separator and the intake end of said suction pipe, and a second suction opening, set between the output end and the intermediate separator, through said second suction opening the article being removed after sewing of the toe thereof.  
     
     
         27 . The device according to at least  claim 3 , in which said intermediate separator is made up of a pair of jaws which engage said guide element inside the suction pipe.  
     
     
         28 . The device according to at least  claim 8 , in which said extensible portion is engaged, at its own free end, to a system for closing the output end of the suction pipe.  
     
     
         29 . The device according to claims  14  and  28 , in which said closing system consists of said plates that carry said stems, said plates in their closed configuration defining a hole for engagement of the free end of said extensible portion.