US 5,551,260 AGranted

Method for joining two edges of a knitted tubular article upon completion thereof

AssigneeFabritex S.R.L.

InventorsAlberto Frullini, Paolo Frullini

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An initial step of terminating the knitting of the sock on the side of the toe which is left open and performing the following operating steps: moving away the plate; lifting the knitting needles, with the sinkers being closed; further lifting the needles, with the sinkers being open, until the stitches are located above the nib of the sinkers; picking up the stitches and retaining them; lowering the needles; transferring the sock out of the knitting head of the machine, at a predetermined distance therefrom; turning the sock inside out; transferring the stitches of a first semirank or partial knit course (x) onto the corresponding stitches of the second semirank or partial knit course (y); disposing the stitches of the first and second partial knit course (x,y) along an arc of circumference at constant angular distance, with a pitch preset according to the desired hook-up fineness; linking the thus disposed pairs of stitches and making one or more closing knots; cutting the linking thread; moving the sock with the thus linked toe back in its right side out condition and unloading it.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A method for closing an end of a tubular article, the method comprising the steps of:

forming the tubular article on a circular knitting machine;
closing sinkers of the knitting machine to retain stitches of a last course;
lifting knitting needles of the circular machine with the sinkers being closed in order to move the stitches to a position on the needles where the stitches will be removed;
opening the sinkers;
lifting the needles further with the sinkers being open to move the stitches above a nib of the sinkers;
transferring the stitches from the needles to a transfer means;
moving the transfer means with the stitches and the tubular article to an everting station;
everting the tubular article to turn the tubular article inside out;
moving a first portion of the stitches of the everted article adjacent a second portion of the stitches of the everted article by rotating a first portion of the transfer means substantially 180 degrees about a diametrical axis of the tubular article to position the first portion of the transfer means adjacent a second portion of the transfer means;
linking the adjacent first and second portions of stitches of the everted article to close the tubular article;
un-everting the tubular article to turn the tubular article right side out;
unloading the tubular article from the everting station.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/547,276Filed 24 Oct 1995 · continuation in part
Priority: IT FI93A015029 Jul 1993
Granted: 3 Sep 1996
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

D04B 9/40
Circular knitting machines with independently-movable needles: with provision for transfer of knitted goods from one machine to another
D04B 15/02
Details of, or auxiliary devices incorporated in, weft knitting machines, restricted to machines of this kind: loop-transfer points
D04B 15/18
Details of, or auxiliary devices incorporated in, weft knitting machines, restricted to machines of this kind: dials
D04B 15/92
Take-up or draw-off devices for knitting products: pneumatic