Removal device for removing a knitted tubular manufacture from a circular knitting machine for hosiery or the like

A removal device for removing a knitted tubular manufacture from a circular knitting machine for hosiery, comprising

• an annular removal body which supports a plurality of removal members arranged around an axis of said removal body, said removal body being configured to be arranged coaxially around a needle cylinder of a circular knitting machine for hosiery with each one of said removal members arranged so as to correspond to a respective needle of a plurality of needles of the circular knitting machine,
• wherein said removal members are supported by a first annular portion and a second annular portion, said first annular portion supporting a plurality of first removal members and said second annular portion supporting a plurality of second removal members, wherein said first annular portion and said second annular portion can rotate with respect to each other about an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the removal body to pass between a removal condition, in which the removal members are arranged so as to form a circumference that is coaxial with the axis of the removal body, and a sewing condition, in which said plurality of first removal members are adjacent to said plurality of second removal members,
• each of said first removal members being provided with a first removal element and a second removal element which are arranged side by side and are designed, during removal of a respective loop of knitting from a corresponding needle of the plurality of needles of the circular knitting machine, to be arranged on opposite sides with respect to the corresponding needle,
• said first and second removal elements forming a removal head which can move with respect to the corresponding needle along a movement direction that is substantially parallel to the axis of said removal body, said first removal element forming, at said removal head, a hook-shaped portion designed to engage and retain the loop of knitting in engagement with the corresponding needle, and said second removal element comprising, at said removal head, an abutment portion which can move, with respect to said hook-shaped portion, in order to disengage from said hook-shaped portion the respective loop of knitting,
• each of said first removal members comprising at least one transfer element which can move with respect to said removal head and is designed to transfer the loop of knitting disengaged from the hook-shaped portion of each of said first removal members to a respective second removal member of said plurality of second removal members when said first annular portion and said second annular portion are in the sewing condition.