Method and device for the production of tubular knitted articles and in particular for closing the toe

Abstract

Described herein is a method for forming a closed toe in a tubular knitted article, for example a sock, comprising the steps of: setting two end flaps (L 1 , L 2 ) of the article (M) alongside one another; inserting, inside the loops of at least one first row (X 2 ) of stitches of the flaps set alongside one another, a comb-like structure comprising a plurality of teeth ( 85 ); sewing (C) together the loops of at least one second row of stitches, which is set between the first row of stitches (X 2 ) and the body of the tubular article (M); and opening the loops of the first row of stitches.

1 . A method for forming a closed toe in a tubular knitted article, comprising the steps of: 
 setting two end flaps of said article alongside one another;    inserting, inside the loops of at least one first row of stitches of said end flaps, a comb-like structure comprising a plurality of teeth;    sewing together the loops of at least one second row of stitches, which is set between said first row of stitches and the body of the tubular article; and    opening the loops of the first row of stitches.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , in which the loops of said second row are sewn together by joining each loop of one first of said two flaps to a corresponding loop of one second of said two flaps by means of a stitch formed by a sewing thread.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , in which said sewing thread forms at least one chain of loops, in which between the stitches that join the two flaps there are interspersed stitches that do not join the flaps of the tubular article.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to one or more of the foregoing claims, in which said loops of the first row are opened by cutting.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , further comprising a step of elimination of the residue of yarn generated by cutting of said loops of the first row.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to one or more of  claims 1  to  3 , in which said loops of the first row are obtained using a destructible yarn.  
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , in which said destructible yarn is a yarn that can be destroyed by heating.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to one or more of the foregoing claims, in which the loops of said first row have a greater length than the loops of said second row and than the remaining loops forming the tubular article.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , in which the loops of said second row have a length smaller than the loops of the first row but greater than the length of the loops of the remaining rows of the tubular article.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to one or more of the foregoing claims, in which the loops of said at least one second row are sewn with a seam having a pitch smaller than the pitch of said loops.  
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , in which the loops of said at least one second row are sewn with a sewing pitch equal to or smaller than one half of the pitch of said loops.  
     
     
         12 . The method according to one or more of the foregoing claims, in which the loops of said at least one second row are sewn with a sewing pitch smaller than the pitch of the teeth of said comb-like structure.  
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , in which the loops of said at least one second row are sewn with a sewing pitch equal to or smaller than one half of the pitch of the teeth of said comb-like structure.  
     
     
         14 . The method according to one or more of the foregoing claims, comprising the steps of: 
 gripping two roughly diametrically opposite points of the tubular article, in positions corresponding to said end flaps;    tensioning transversely said tubular article in order to bring said end flaps alongside one another;    tensioning said tubular article longitudinally;    inserting said comb-like structure into said first row of loops in such a way that each tooth of said comb-like structure inserts into a loop of one first flap and into a corresponding loop of the second flap;    sewing together the loops of said at least one second row; and    opening the loops of said first row.    
     
     
         15 . The method according to one or more of the foregoing claims, in which sewing of the loops of the second row is performed by means of a seam of the single-chain type.  
     
     
         16 . A method for the production of a tubular article with a closed end toe, comprising the steps of: 
 knitting the tubular article starting from an initial edge as far as an end edge;    setting the two end flaps of said end edge alongside one another;    inserting, inside the loops of at least one first row of stitches of said end flaps, a comb-like structure comprising a plurality of teeth;    sewing together the loops of at least one second row of stitches, which is set between said first row of stitches and the body of the tubular article; and    opening the loops of the first row of stitches.    
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , in which the loops of said second row are sewn together by joining the loops of one first of said two flaps to a corresponding loop of one second of said two flaps by means of a stitch formed by a sewing thread.  
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , in which said sewing thread forms at least one chain of stitches, in which between the stitches that join the two flaps there are interspersed stitches that do not join the two flaps of the tubular article.  
     
     
         19 . The method according to one or more of  claims 16  to  18 , in which said loops of the first row are opened by cutting.  
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , further comprising a step of elimination of the residue of yarn generated by cutting of said loops of the first row.  
     
     
         21 . The method according to one or more of  claims 16  to  18 , in which said loops of the first row are obtained using a destructible yarn.  
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 21 , in which said destructible yarn is a yarn that can be destroyed by heating.  
     
     
         23 . The method according to one or more of  claims 16  to  22 , in which the body of the article is knitted and, at the end of knitting of the body of the article, at least said first row of stitches is formed with loops having a greater length than the loops of the rows that form the body of the article.  
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 23 , in which after said first row of stitches, a band of fabric is formed having a greater thickness than the fabric forming the body of the article.  
     
     
         25 . The method according to one or more of  claims 16  to  24 , in which the loops of said at least one second row are sewn with a seam having a pitch smaller than the pitch of said loops.  
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 25 , in which the loops of said at least one second row are sewn with a sewing pitch equal to or smaller than one half of the pitch of said loops.  
     
     
         27 . The method according to one or more of  claims 16  to  26 , in which the loops of said at least one second row are sewn with a sewing pitch smaller than the pitch of the teeth of said comb-like structure.  
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 27 , in which the loops of said at least one second row are sewn with a sewing pitch equal to or smaller than one half of the pitch of the teeth of said comb-like structure.  
     
     
         29 . The method according to one or more of  claims 16  to  28 , comprising the steps of: 
 gripping two roughly diametrically opposite points of the tubular article, in positions corresponding to said end flaps;  
 tensioning transversely said tubular article in order to bring said end flaps alongside one another;  
 tensioning said tubular article longitudinally;  
 inserting said comb-like structure into said first row of loops in such a way that each tooth of said comb-like structure inserts into a loop of one first flap and into a corresponding loop of the second flap;  
 sewing together the loops of said at least one second row; and  
 opening the loops of said first row.  
 
     
     
         30 . The method according to one or more of  claims 16  to  29 , in which sewing of the loops of the second row is performed by means of a seam of the single-chain type.  
     
     
         31 . A device for sewing two end flaps of a tubular knitted article and for forming a closed toe of said article, said device comprising in combination: 
 a comb-like structure with a plurality of teeth for engaging the loops of a first row of said tubular article; and    sewing means with at least one needle, for sewing together the flaps set alongside one another underneath the comb-like structure.    
     
     
         32 . The device according to  claim 31 , comprising a gripping member for gripping said tubular article at one end edge thereof in two approximately diametrically opposite points, in order to tension the end edge and to bring two end flaps of said tubular article alongside one another.  
     
     
         33 . The device according to  claim 31  or  claim 32 , comprising a cutting member for cutting the loops engaged by said comb-like structure.  
     
     
         34 . The device according to  claim 33 , comprising a member for removal of the residue of yarn generated by cutting of the loops.  
     
     
         35 . The device according to one or more of  claims 31  to  34 , further comprising a pair of substantially rectilinear bars associated to said comb-like structure and parallel to the latter, between which the tubular article is pressed with the end flaps set alongside one another.  
     
     
         36 . The device according to  claim 35 , in which said comb-like structure is carried by one of said bars and is mobile with respect to the latter.  
     
     
         37 . The device according to one or more of  claims 31  to  36 , in which within the teeth of said comb-like structure there is formed a seat for said cutting member.  
     
     
         38 . The device according to one or more of  claims 31  to  37 , in which said cutting member is provided with a cutting movement with a component parallel and a component orthogonal to the longitudinal development of the comb-like structure.  
     
     
         39 . The device according to one or more of  claims 31  to  38 , comprising a retention member for retaining the tubular article between the comb-like structure and the body of the tubular article during cutting of the stitches engaged by the comb-like structure.  
     
     
         40 . The device according to  claim 31 , comprising a guillotine in which the end edge of the article is to be inserted, said guillotine and said comb-like structure having a relative movement for enabling insertion of the comb-like structure into the tubular article engaged in said guillotine.  
     
     
         41 . The device according to one or more of  claims 31  to  40 , in which said comb-like structure is a flexible structure.  
     
     
         42 . A knitting machine for the production of tubular knitting articles, comprising a device according to one or more of  claims 31  to  41 .