Thread aspirating device for a dial group of a circular knitting machine

A set of thread aspirating devices (1) for circular knitting machines, the set comprising:

• a plurality of bodies (2) of the thread aspirating device each configured to realize a respective thread aspirating device, each body of the device having a lower side (3), configured to be mounted to a support plate of a dial group of a circular knitting machine and defining, in a mounted configuration to the support plate, an inlet opening (4) configured for enabling inlet of one or more threads into the thread aspirating device, and an upper side (5) provided with an engaging portion (6) delimiting a passage opening (7) in the upper side, and wherein each body (2) of the thread aspirating device has the respective inlet opening (4) thereof defined along a respective lateral edge (8) of the body of the thread aspirating device, the lateral edge (8) being configured to be positioned, with the thread aspirating device in the mounted configuration to the support plate of a dial group, at a portion of a perimeter edge of the support plate and superiorly thereof, so as to be superiorly aligned with a thread transport and cutting element, rotatably mounted externally of the support plate, and wherein the lateral edge (8) of the body of the thread aspirating device has an arched conformation characterised by a determined radius of curvature and by a determined lateral extension, which define a device measure, the device measure being directly correlated to the diameter of the needle cylinder of the knitting machine to which the thread aspirating device is configured to be mounted;
• a plurality of mouthpieces (10) each configured to realise a respective thread aspirating device, each mouthpiece (10) having a substantially tubular conformation and extending between an open lower end (11), defining a mounting portion (12), complementarily shaped to the engaging portion (6) of the bodies of the thread aspirating device, and an upper end (13) provided with an aspirating opening (14) configured to be connected to an air aspirating source so as to generate a negative pressure internally of the thread aspirating device and to realize an aspiration of one or more threads into the thread aspirating device by means of the inlet opening (4);
• wherein the dimension and conformation of the engaging portion (6) of all the thread aspirating devices (2) of the plurality of bodies of the device is single and corresponds to the dimension of the mounting portion (12) of all the mouthpieces (10) of the plurality of mouthpieces (10), and wherein each mouthpiece (10) is configured so as to be mountable superiorly to any body (2) of the thread aspirating devices belonging to the plurality of bodies of the device, such that the respective mounting portion (12) of the mouthpiece corresponds to the respective engaging portion (6) of the body of the thread aspirating device and the mouthpiece (10) and the body (2) of the thread aspirating device internally define an aspirating space (20) of the threads extending between the inlet opening (4) and the aspirating opening (14), and wherein each mouthpiece (10) and the respective body (2) of the thread aspirating device overall form, in a mutual mounting condition, a thread aspirating device (1) in a single body.

A method for realising thread aspirating devices (1) for circular knitting machines, comprising steps of:

• realising at least a body (2) of the mouthpiece having a lower side (3), configured to be mounted to a support plate of a dial group of a circular knitting machine and defining, in a mounted configuration to the support plate, an inlet opening (4) configured so as to enable inlet of one or more threads into the thread aspirating device, and an upper side (5) provided with an engaging portion (6) delimiting a passage opening (7) in the upper side, and wherein the body (2) of the aspirating device has the respective inlet opening defined along a lateral edge (8) of the body of the aspirating device, the lateral edge (8) being configured to be positioned, with the mouthpiece in the mounted configuration to the support plate of a dial group, at a portion of a perimeter edge of the support plate and superiorly thereof, such as to be superiorly aligned with a thread transport and cutting element, rotatably mounted externally of the support plate, and wherein the lateral edge (8) of the body (2) of the thread aspirating device has an arched conformation characterised by a determined radius of curvature and a determined lateral extension, which define a device measure, the device measure being directly correlated to the diameter of the needle cylinder of the knitting machine to which the thread aspirating device is configured to be mounted;
• realising at least a mouthpiece (10) having a substantially tubular conformation and extending between an open lower end (11), defining a mounting portion (12) complementarily shaped to the engaging portion (6) of the body of the thread aspirating device, and an upper end (13) provided with an aspirating opening (14) configured to be connected to an aspirating device for generating a negative pressure internally of the thread aspirating device and to realize an aspiration of one or more threads into the thread aspirating device through the inlet opening (4);
• mounting the mouthpiece (10) superiorly of the body (2) of the thread aspirating device in such a way that the mounting portion (12) of the mouthpiece corresponds to the engaging portion (6) of the body of the thread aspirating device and the mouthpiece and the body of the aspirating device internally define an aspirating space (20) of the threads extending between the inlet opening (4) and the aspirating opening (14), the mouthpiece and the body of the aspirating device forming overall, in a condition of mutual mounting, a thread aspirating device (1) in a single body;
• wherein, during the steps of realising at least a body (2) of the aspirating device and realising at least a mouthpiece (10), the dimension and conformation of the engaging portion (6) of the at least a thread aspirating device is single and corresponds to the dimension of the mounting portion (12) of the at least a mouthpiece (10), wherein the mouthpiece (10) is structurally dimensioned and conformed singly regardless of the diameter of the needle cylinder of the knitting machine to which the thread aspirating device is configured to be mounted, and wherein the step of realizing at least a body (2) of the thread aspirating device comprises a step of selecting the measure of the at least a thread aspirating group from among a plurality of possible measures, each correlated to a diameter value of the needle cylinder of the knitting machine on which the body of the thread aspirating device is configured to be mounted.