Patent ID: 6810697
Filing Date: 2004-11-02
Classification: D04B

Abstract:
A method of knitting tubular fabric articles with one closed end, such as socks with closed toe, on a circular knitting machine equipped with pick-up means in the form of needles or hooks associated with a device for turning the item over so that the bottom is uppermost, and where the pick-up means are positioned on a number of linked supporting sectors, which are able to move from an annular position corresponding to a needle cylinder of the machine and a linear position on two parallel facing rows and movable above and at a distance from the needles cylinder to a sewing area, comprising the steps of:opening, on termination of the knitting of the item, a cover of the machine and moving the supporting sectors of the pick-up means into a circular configuration above the cylinder with needles, transferring the knitted item to the height of at least the last row of knitting from the needles of the cylinder to said pick-up means on said supporting sectors in a circular configuration, moving the knitted item away from the cylinder towards the sewing area, while it is held by said pick-up means on the supporting sectors in a circular configuration, resetting and restarting the machine to start a new item, turning the knitted item over so that the bottom is uppermost through said pick-up means in a circular configuration, moving the supporting sectors to meet each other in a linear position along two lines so as to place the two opposite ends of knitted fabric to form a straight line and in contact with each other on said pick-up means, and joining the two ends of the knitted fabric now in contact, either by sewing or linking.