Method for closing a knitted tubular article at an axial end thereof

Abstract

A method for closing a knitted tubular manufacture at an axial end thereof, comprising:—producing the manufacture up to execution of the last course of knitting;—gripping the loops;—removing the manufacture, retaining each loop of the last course formed;—positioning the manufacture at a sewing station;—transitioning the loops from pickup elements to spikes of a handling device;—inverting the manufacture retained by the handling device;—superimposing each one of the loops of one half course of knitting on a corresponding loop of the other half course of the last course of knitting;—sewing pairs of loops of knitting that are mutually superimposed;—disengaging the manufacture from the handling device, the s removal step of the manufacture comprising a first extraction preparation step, a second manufacture extraction step, and a third manufacture transfer step.

1 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . A method for closing a knitted tubular manufacture at an axial end thereof, at an end of a production cycle of the knitted tubular manufacture on a circular hosiery knitting machine or the like, comprising:
 an initial step of production of the knitted tubular manufacture up to an execution of a last course of knitting, at the axial end of the knitted tubular manufacture that is opposite with respect to an axial end at which knitting began, retaining loops of knitting of said last course of knitting in a head of needles of a machine that formed said loops of knitting;   a step of individual gripping of the loops of knitting by virtue of pickup elements arranged against a region of a stem of each needle located proximate to a latch on an opposite side with respect to the head;   a step of removal of the knitted tubular manufacture from the machine that produced said tubular knitted manufacture, retaining each loop of knitting of the last course of knitting formed by means of said pickup elements;   a step of positioning the knitted tubular manufacture at a sewing or linking station;   a step of individual transition of the loops of knitting from said pickup elements to spikes of an annular handling device which is composed of two semiannular portions, one of which can be turned over with respect to another about a diametrical axis;   a step of inverting the knitted tubular manufacture retained by said annular handling device;   a step of superimposing each one of the loops of knitting of one half course of knitting on a corresponding loop of knitting of another half course of said last course of knitting on a same spike of said annular handling device by means of the overturning, through an arc of substantially 180° about said diametrical axis, of one of said two semiannular portions of the annular handling device with respect to another semiannular portion;   a step of sewing or linking pairs of loops of knitting that are mutually superimposed;   a step of disengagement of the knitted tubular manufacture from said annular handling device, said step of removal of the knitted tubular manufacture comprising a first extraction preparation step, a second knitted tubular manufacture extraction step, and a third knitted tubular manufacture transfer step, wherein said first extraction preparation step comprises the following commands:   an extraction start command;   a command for stopping the machine;   a command for lifting a yarn guiding plate;   a command for restarting the machine;   a command for waiting for s positioning of the cylinder;   a command for the actuation of a step motor of an internal knitting lifting tube in order to bring the knitting to the working position;   a command for setting that positioning has occurred;   a command for an actuation of a locking piston of the cylinder in the working condition;   a command for an actuation of a knitting pusher piston of the cylinder in the working condition;   a command for a actuation of a pickup piston in a working condition;   a command for moving a pickup arm to an intermediate condition;   a command for moving the pickup arm to a height for entry in the machine;   a command for waiting for the yarn guiding plate to be in an extraction position;   a command for an angular movement of the pickup arm for entry in the machine;   a command for a vertical movement of the pickup arm for a release of the knitting pusher of the cylinder;   a command for a vertical movement of the pickup arm in an intermediate position;   a command for an actuation of the pickup piston in an inactive condition if the cylinder locking piston is in the working condition;   a wait command;   a command for a vertical movement of the pickup arm to a pickup height,   the commands comprising—said command for stopping the machine;   said command for restarting the machine;   said command for waiting for the positioning of the cylinder;   said command for the actuation of the step motor of the internal knitting lifting tube in the working position;   said command for setting that positioning has occurred;   said command of the cylinder locking piston in the working condition being performed substantially simultaneously.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the commands that comprise
 a command for the pickup piston in the working condition;   a command for moving the pickup arm to an intermediate condition;   a command for moving the pickup arm to the height for entry in the machine;   are performed substantially simultaneously.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein said:
 command for the angular movement of the pickup arm for entry in the machine;   command for the vertical movement of the pickup arm for the release of the knitting pusher of the cylinder;   command for the vertical movement of the pickup arm in an intermediate position;   are performed after said yarn guiding plate lifting command has brought said yarn guiding plate to a preset height.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein said second step of extraction of the knitted tubular manufacture comprises the following commands:
 a command for an actuation of the step motor of the internal knitting lifting tube in the inactive condition;   a command for an actuation of the step motor to a working height for picking up the knitted tubular manufacture;   a command for the knitting pusher of the cylinder in the working position;   a wait command;   a command for an actuation of the step motor and of an electric throttling valve of a suction apparatus;   a command for the movement of the pickup arm vertically to an extraction height;   a command for setting the knitted tubular manufacture on the pickup elements;   a command for the actuation of the step motor for the movement of sinkers to a safety height;   a command for the actuation of the step motor of the internal knitting lifting tube in the working condition;   a command for the actuation of the cylinder locking piston in the inactive condition;   a command for the actuation of the machine for leveling the needles from a heel exclusion position to a tuck stitch position;   wherein   said command for the actuation of the step motor of the internal knitting lifting tube in the inactive condition;   said command for the actuation of the step motor to a working height to pick up the manufacture;   are performed substantially simultaneously.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein
 said command for the actuation of the step motor of the internal knitting lifting tube in the working condition; and   said command for the actuation of the cylinder locking piston in the inactive condition;   are performed substantially simultaneously.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein said third step of transfer of the knitted tubular manufacture comprises the following commands:
 a command for waiting for an end of the leveling of the needles;   a command for actuating a lower inverting piston;   a command for lowering a dial in a working condition;   an actuation command for the angular movement of the pickup arm to bring it to an intermediate position;   a command for controlling a sensor for a transfer of the knitted tubular manufacture;   an actuation command for the angular movement of the pickup arm to a predefined height;   a command for the actuation of the step motor and of an electric throttling valve of the sewing machine from a lower inverting unit in order to bring it to the first throttling height;   a command for the actuation of the step motor to incline the inverting unit at a preset height;   a command for the actuation of the step motor and of the electric throttling valve of the intake to zero;   a command for the actuation of the step motor for tilting the lower inverting unit at a preset height;   a wait command;   a command for the actuation of the step motor to incline the lower inverting unit at zero height;   a command of the blower device to facilitate the extraction of the tubular manufacture;   a command for the actuation of the step motor and of the electric throttling valve of the sewing machine for the suction of the lower inverting unit to the second throttling height;   a command of the step motor for the inclination of the inverting unit at zero height;   a command for the actuation of the angular pickup arm at zero height;   an actuation command for locking the inverting unit in the inactive condition;   an actuation command for lowering the dial in the inactive condition;   a wait command,   said actuation command for the angular movement of the pickup arm to bring it to an intermediate position, said command for controlling the sensor for transferring the tubular manufacture and said actuation command for the angular movement of the pickup arm to a predefined height being performed substantially simultaneously.