Apparatus and method for processing hosiery blanks

A hosiery toe closing machine is provided with automatic hosiery donning means for drawing successive hosiery blanks onto successive hosiery carriers as they move into position at a hosiery receiving station of the hosiery toe closing machine. A hot wire slitter is also provided at the hosiery receiving station for longitudinally slitting the leading end of the hosiery blank as it is automatically drawn onto the hosiery carrier. The hosiery donning and slitting devices permit the economical processing of hosiery blanks in preparation for forming pantyhose therefrom.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for processing 
hosiery blanks for subsequent formation of pantyhose, and more 
particularly to the processing of hosiery blanks on an automatic toe 
closing machine which includes a hosiery blank donning device for 
automatically drawing successive hosiery blanks onto elongate tubular 
hosiery carriers which are moved around an endless path. The hosiery 
blanks are everted as they are drawn onto the hosiery carriers and the 
upper ends contact a slitter so that the upper ends of each of the hosiery 
blanks are automatically slit. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
In the formation of pantyhose from a pair of elongate seamless hosiery 
blanks, it is the usual practice to knit seamless tubular hosiery blanks 
in right side out condition, transfer the knit blanks to a first sewing 
operator where the blanks are everted, inspected and the toe ends are 
closed by a seaming operation. The blanks are then transported to another 
operator where the upper ends are slit in a longitudinal direction and the 
slit edges of adjacent pairs of hosiery blanks are seamed together to form 
the panty portion, with or without a crotch insert or a connecting panel, 
to complete the pantyhose. This usual method of producing pantyhose 
requires several handling operations at different locations, thereby 
increasing the production cost, and also increasing the likelihood of the 
formation of picks and snags in the hosiery blanks and finished pantyhose. 
In an attempt to increase efficiency and reduce cost, several different 
types of automatic toe closing machines have been developed which include 
a plurality of elongate hosiery carriers mounted on rotary turrets or 
trackways and movable around an endless path. With this type of machine, 
the operator merely needs to don the hosiery blanks on successive hosiery 
carriers and they are transported to a sewing machine where the toe end is 
automatically closed and the hosiery blank is subsequently removed by 
suction currents withdrawing the hosiery blank through the elongate 
hosiery carrier to evert the hosiery blank back to a right side out 
condition with the seam of the toe positioned on the inside of the hosiery 
blank. Hosiery blank toe closers of this general type are illustrated in 
numerous patents including U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,420,196; 3,952,673; 4,120,251; 
and 4,383,490. 
While these machines do reduce the labor costs involved in closing the toes 
of the hosiery blanks, the upper ends of the hosiery blanks must still be 
longitudinally slit in a separate operation. 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,900,899 and 3,941,285 respectively disclose a method and 
apparatus for producing pantyhose which includes a single elongate tubular 
hosiery everting and inspection form with a toe seaming machine positioned 
closely adjacent the free end of the tubular form. The form is provided 
with a slitting device and the operator manually dons the upper end of the 
hosiery blank onto the inspection form so that a longitudinal slit is 
formed as the upper end is manually drawn onto the hosiery form to a 
predetermined point. The toe end is then seamed closed and the closed 
hosiery blank is then withdrawn through the elongate form by suction 
currents to evert the same so that it is again in right side out condition 
with the toe seam on the inside of the hosiery blank. While the method and 
apparatus disclosed in these patents do effect some cost savings by 
providing the slitting of the upper end of the hosiery blank and the toe 
closing in sequential operations by a single operator, the individual 
hosiery blanks are still manually drawn onto the hosiery form, the toe 
closure seam is manually formed, and the length of the longitudinal slit 
depends upon the skill of the operator in drawing the hosiery blank onto 
the elongate form and against the slitter. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to 
provide an apparatus and method for automatically processing hosiery 
blanks on a hosiery toe closing machine for subsequent formation of 
pantyhose which reduces the cost of producing the same by reducing the 
number of manual handling operations to thereby reduce the production cost 
and the likelihood of forming picks and snags in the pantyhose blanks. 
In accordance with the present invention, the apparatus of the present 
invention provides an automatic hosiery donning device for drawing one end 
of the pantyhose blank onto the elongate tubular hosiery carrier until the 
desired length of slit is formed in the hosiery blank. The tubular hosiery 
carrier with the slit hosiery blank thereon is then moved to a seaming 
station where the toe end is automatically seamed and then moved to a 
doffing station where the hosiery blank is automatically removed by being 
withdrawn through the hosiery carrier and everted so that the hosiery 
blank is in a right side out condition with the toe seam on the inside. 
The present apparatus thus automatically operates to draw the hosiery blank 
onto the elongate tubular hosiery carrier, slit the upper end thereof, 
then seam the toe end, and finally evert and doff the hosiery blank so 
that it is then in a condition to be seamed to another hosiery blank to 
complete the formation of the pantyhose. 
Further, the present apparatus includes a rodless pneumatic cylinder for 
actuating the donning device and suitable valve means for controlling the 
operation of the pneumatic cylinder in response to a photocell detector 
operable by an integral portion of the pantyhose for terminating the 
operation of the donning device when the slit has been formed to the 
proper length. The slitting device is in the form of a heated wire and is 
supported for movement into and out of operative position adjacent the 
successive elongate tubular hosiery carriers as they are moved into 
position at the loading station. 
Each hosiery blank includes a panty portion knit of a heavy denier yarn and 
a sheer leg portion knit of a light denier yarn. Successive hosiery blanks 
are positioned, with the panty portion at the leading end, in the donning 
device to be automatically drawn onto the hosiery carrier. A detector is 
positioned adjacent the carrier and operates when the sheer leg portion 
passes thereby to move the slitting device to the inoperative position. 
This detector cooperates with the donning and slitting devices to insure 
that the longitudinal slits formed in successive hosiery blanks are all of 
the same length so that the slit edges of pairs of the hosiery blanks can 
be quickly and easily sewn together.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT 
The apparatus of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 as being 
applied to an automatic toe closer of the type currently being 
manufactured and sold by Takatori as their Model TC-720A. However, it is 
to be understood that the apparatus of the present invention could also be 
applied to various other types of automatic toe closer machines presently 
being commercially sold. 
The conventional machine includes a plurality of elongate tubular hosiery 
carriers, broadly indicated at 10, and supported at their inner ends on a 
turret 11 for movement around an endless and oblong path of travel. The 
turret 11 is supported on the machine frame or housing 12 and an operator 
control panel 13 is provided thereon. A sewing machine 14 is supported on 
the housing 12 and is positioned adjacent the path of travel of the free 
ends of the elongate tubular hosiery carriers 10. As illustrated in FIG. 
6, each of the hosiery carriers 10 is provided with a pair of hosiery 
spreader fins 15, 16 extending along opposite sides thereof and operable 
by a conventional mechanism associated with the machine for spreading the 
forward or toe end of the hosiery blank and positioning the same to be 
sewn as the corresponding tubular hosiery carrier 10 approaches and passes 
the sewing machine 14. 
In the conventional or normal operation, an operator manually draws a 
stocking blank onto the hosiery carrier tube 10 each time a hosiery 
carrier 10 moves to a hosiery donning station located in a horizontal 
medial position in the front of the machine. The hosiery carrier 10 then 
moves in a step-by-step manner and in a clockwise direction to trim and 
sew the toe end of the hosiery blank as it passes the sewing machine 14. 
With further movement of the carrier tube 10, suction currents are 
provided on the inside of the carrier tube 10 and the sewn stocking blank 
is everted as it is drawn through the carrier tube 10 so that the sewn toe 
seam is on the inside of the hosiery blank and the hosiery blank is in a 
right side out condition. The closed toe hosiery blank is then discharged 
through a delivery tube 20 (FIG. 1) supported on the machine housing 12. 
Thus, the conventional use of this type of automatic toe closing machine 
requires that the operator manually don the hosiery blanks on successive 
hosiery carriers and the hosiery carriers are then moved past a sewing 
machine where the toe end is automatically closed. 
In accordance with the present invention, this conventional type of 
automatic toe closing machine has been modified to provide a hosiery 
donning device positioned at the hosiery receiving station for 
automatically drawing successive hosiery blanks onto the hosiery carriers 
as they move into position at the hosiery receiving station. A hosiery 
blank slitting device is also provided at the hosiery receiving station 
and is operable in response to movement of the hosiery donning device for 
longitudinally slitting the leading end of the hosiery blank as it is 
automatically drawn onto the hosiery carrier. The addition of the hosiery 
donning device and the hosiery slitting device results in the automatic 
drawing of the hosiery blank into the proper position on the hosiery 
carrier so that the proper length of slit is formed in successive hosiery 
blanks. 
When the hosiery blank has been drawn onto the hosiery carrier at the 
hosiery donning station and the slit formed in the upper end thereof, the 
hosiery carrier continues to move in a step-by-step manner around the 
endless path and the machine operates in the conventional manner to seam 
the toe end closed at the sewing machine 14 and then doff the hosiery 
blank from the hosiery carrier by withdrawing it with suction currents 
through the center of the hosiery carrier to evert the same back to a 
right side out condition so that the sewn toe seam is on the inside of the 
hosiery blank. The toe closing machine is provided with a conventional 
feed roller 22 (FIGS. 4 and 5) which operates to engage the hosiery blank 
on the carrier tube 10 and cooperates with the spreading fins 15, 16 to 
properly position the toe end of the blank for trimming and sewing by the 
sewing machine 14 as it passes thereby. 
Hosiery Donning Device 
The automatic hosiery donning device includes a pair of inner gripping 
fingers 24 (FIG. 7) which are provided at their forward free ends with 
pads of cushioning frictional gripping material and their inner or rear 
ends are fixed to a vertical support bar 25. Stop guides 23 are supported 
on and extend outwardly from the gripping fingers 24 to aid the operator 
in positioning the upper end of the hosiery blank thereon. The inner 
gripping fingers 24 are spaced apart vertically a sufficient distance that 
the upper or welt end of the hosiery blank may be turned back and 
positioned thereon by an operator, as illustrated in FIG. 6. The forward 
ends of upper and lower movable gripper fingers 26 (FIG. 7) are normally 
spaced above and below the forward ends of the fixed gripper fingers 24 
and their medial portions are pivotally supported on the vertical support 
bar 25. The forward ends of the movable gripper fingers 26 are also 
provided with pads of cushioning frictional material. The rear ends of the 
movable gripper fingers 26 are connected to opposite ends of a hydraulic 
cylinder 30. At the beginning of the donning cycle, the piston rod of the 
cylinder 30 is moved outwardly to move the movable gripping fingers 26 
into engagement with the upper end of the hosiery blank and grip the same 
against the fixed inner gripping fingers 24, as illustrated in FIG. 9. 
The medial portion of the vertical support bar 25 is fixed to the outer 
surface of a slide plate 32 (FIG. 7) which is fixed on its inner surface 
to the operating piston 33 (FIG. 2) of a rodless pneumatic cylinder, 
broadly indicated at 35. This rodless pneumatic cylinder 35 is of the type 
currently being sold by Origa Corporation, of Elmhurst, Ill. and disclosed 
in U.S. Pat. No. 3,820,446. Opposite ends of the rodless pneumatic 
cylinder 35 are connected to air pressure supply lines 36, 37 (FIG. 2) and 
through a suitable valve, not shown, to a source of compressed air so that 
air can be introduced under pressure to either end of the rodless cylinder 
35 and cause the operating slide bar 32 to move between opposite ends of 
the rodless cylinder 35, thereby moving the gripper fingers 24, 26 and the 
upper end of the hosiery blank along a path of travel adjacent the carrier 
tube 10 to draw successive hosiery blanks onto the hosiery carrier 10, as 
illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. 
As illustrated in FIG. 7, the forward end of the rodless cylinder 35 is 
mounted on a vertical support plate 40, the lower end of which is fixed on 
the upper end of a support bracket 41, fixed at its lower end to the toe 
closer machine housing 12. A vertical support bracket 42 is fixed at its 
upper end to the rodless cylinder 35 at a position spaced from the rear 
end of the cylinder 35 and the lower end thereof is supported on a 
horizontal brace 43. The inner end of the brace 43 is fixed on the medial 
portion of a support bracket 44 which is in turn fixed at its upper and 
lower ends to the toe closer machine housing 12. 
Means is provided for guiding and supporting the slide plate 32 and the 
hosiery grippers 24, 26 and associated parts and includes a bridging 
bracket 48 (FIG. 7), the lower inner end of which is fixed on the slide 
plate 32 and the outer end of which is fixed in the upper end of a guide 
block 50 supported for sliding movement on upper and lower guide rods 51, 
52. The forward ends of the guide rods 51, 52 are fixed in a support plate 
54 fixed on the forward end of the mounting block of the rodless cylinder 
35. The rear end of the guide rods 51, 52 are fixed in a rear support 
plate 55 which is in turn fixed on the rear mounting block of the rodless 
cylinder 35. 
A forward limit stop plate 57 is supported at its lower end on the forward 
end of the slide plate 32 and its upper end is adapted to engage an 
adjustable stop 59 threadably supported in the upper end of the support 
plate 40. A rear limit stop plate 60 is fixed at its lower end to the rear 
portion of the slide plate 32 and its upper end is adapted to engage an 
adjustable rear stop 62 which is supported in a stop plate 63. The stop 
plate 63 is mounted for longitudinal adjustment on a horizontal support 
plate 64 fixed on a vertical plate 65 attached to the rear mounting block 
of the rodless cylinder 35. Magnetic reed switches 70, 71 and 72 are 
provided on the upper surface of the rodless cylinder 35 and are properly 
positioned to control various functions of the donning device, in a manner 
to be presently described. Similar reed switches, not shown, are mounted 
on the lower surface of the rodless cylinder 35 and beneath the reed 
switches 70, 71 to insure proper detection of the movement of the magnets 
on the piston 33. 
Slitting Device 
The inner surface of each of the tubular hosiery carrier tubes 10 is 
provided with a semi-conical hosiery guide 75 which tapers outwardly 
toward the rear or inner end of the hosiery carrier 10 for engaging and 
guiding the leading end of the hosiery blank into a hot wire cutter or 
slitter 76 (FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 8). The hosiery guide 75 is fixed to the 
inner surface of the hosiery carrier tube 10 and includes a rearwardly 
facing slot into which the heated wire cutter 76 moves and is positioned 
as the hosiery blank is drawn onto the carrier tube 10 by the donning 
device to form a longitudinal slit in the upper portion of the hosiery 
blank, extending from the upper free end and therealong, as illustrated in 
FIG. 3. The hot wire slitter 76 is mounted in the forward end of a 
smoothly curved support mounting bar 77. The rear end of the mounting bar 
77 is fixed to a pivot bracket 78 which is pivotally supported on one end 
of a support bar 79 (FIG. 6). The piston rod of a pneumatic cylinder 80 is 
attached to the support bracket 78 and is operated in the proper timed 
sequence to move the heated wire cutter 76 between the active or cutting 
position illustrated in FIG. 8 and the inactive or noncutting position 
illustrated in FIGS. 4-6. 
Detector Device 
Detector means is provided for moving the hot wire cutter 76 out of cutting 
position when the proper length of slit has been formed in the hosiery 
blank and includes a smooth faced reflector bar 82 fixed on the inner 
surface of each of the hosiery carriers 10 and forwardly of the hosiery 
guide 75 (FIG. 6). A photocell detector 83 is supported on a 
longitudinally adjustable support arm 84 (FIGS. 4 and 5) and is operated 
by the hosiery blank as it is drawn onto the carrier tube to terminate 
operation of the slitting device when the hosiery blank has been drawn 
onto the hosiery carrier tube 10 to the proper position. 
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the upper end of the hosiery blank is provided 
with a turned welt portion 85 and a panty portion 86, both of which are 
normally knit of a heavy denier yarn. A nonrun band 87, also knit of a 
relatively heavy denier yarn, is provided adjacent the panty portion 86 
and a sheer leg portion 88, knit of a fine denier yarn, extends below the 
nonrun band 87. As the hosiery blank is drawn onto the hosiery carrier 
tube 10, the hot wire slitter 76 is positioned in the operative position 
illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 and the hosiery blank is slit as it is guided 
up over the hosiery guide 75 and into contact with the heated wire 76 
until the sheer leg portion 88 is detected by the photocell detector 83. 
This actuates the pneumatic cylinder 80 to move the heated wire 76 to the 
inoperative position and stop the formation of the slit at a point 
adjacent the upper edge of the nonrun band 87 of the hosiery blank, as 
illustrated in FIG. 3. 
A safety switch 90 (FIGS. 4, 5 and 7) is supported on the inner surface of 
the support bracket 44 and in position to be engaged by the inner end of 
each carrier tube 10 as it moves into position at the hosiery receiving 
station. This safety switch 90 is provided to prevent operation of the 
hosiery donning device and the slitting device except when one of the 
carrier tubes 10 is properly positioned at the hosiery receiving station. 
Operation 
The hosiery carrier tubes 10 may be moved around the endless oblong path of 
travel in a step-by-step manner in accordance with a timed sequence. 
However, it is preferred that each step of movement be controlled by a 
foot pedal switch, not shown, actuated by the operator. As successive 
hosiery carriers 10 move into the donning position at the forward side of 
the toe closing machine, the operator merely places the open toe end of 
the right side out hosiery blank into the open end of the carrier tube 10 
so that it is drawn into the tube by suction currents with the toe end 
being first drawn into the tube 10. The operator then folds the welt 
portion 85 of the hosiery blank inwardly and places it on the fixed 
fingers 24 with the edge of the hosiery blank against the stop members 23, 
as illustrated in FIG. 6. The piston rod of the cylinder 30 is then moved 
outwardly to bring the movable gripper fingers 26 into clamping engagement 
with the gripper fingers 24 to hold the welt 85 positioned therebetween. 
Air pressure is then directed into the forward end of the rodless cylinder 
35 to begin moving the piston 33 rearwardly, thereby moving the gripper 
fingers 24, 25 and the upper end of the hosiery blank along the hosiery 
carrier tube 10, thereby drawing the hosiery blank out of the tube 10 and 
everting the hosiery blank from a right side out to a wrong side out 
condition. As the piston 33 passes the upper and lower reed switches 71, 
the suction is turned off, during the formation of the longitudinal slit. 
The welt 85 and panty portion 86 are slit by the heated wire 76 positioned 
in the slot in the guide 75. 
While the hosiery blank is being slit by the heated wire 76, as illustrated 
in FIG. 8, the toe end portion of the hosiery blank is being drawn out of 
the hosiery carrier tube 10. When the nonrun band 87 passes beyond the 
photocell detector 83, the piston rod of the cylinder 80 is drawn inwardly 
to pivot the heated wire 76 outwardly to inoperative position out of 
engagement with the hosiery blank to terminate the formation of the slit 
in the hosiery blank. When the slit is completed, the piston rod of the 
cylinder 30 is drawn inwardly to release the gripper fingers 26 so that 
the upper end of the hosiery blank is released, as illustrated in FIG. 5. 
The upper and lower reed switches 72 reverse the movement of the piston 33 
in the rodless cylinder 35 so that the gripper fingers 24, 26 move back to 
the donning position at the forward end of the rodless cylinder 35 and are 
positioned to again receive the leading end of a hosiery blank. 
The hosiery carrier tube 10, with the slit hosiery blank thereon, in wrong 
side out condition, then starts its movement to the seaming position 
toward the sewing machine 14. The feed wheel 22 moves inwardly against the 
hosiery blank and 12 rotates to properly position the toe end portion of 
the hosiery blank on the carrier tube 10 and the spreader fins 15, 16 are 
actuated to flatten the toe end of the hosiery blank for movement by the 
sewing machine to trim and seam the open toe closed. At the same time, 
another hosiery carrier tube 10 is moved into the donning position and a 
hosiery carrier tube 10 moves into the doffing position so that the 
hosiery blank thereon is withdrawn through the hosiery carrier 10 and 
everted back to the right side out condition with the seam on the inside 
of the toe of the hosiery blank. The slit and toe closed hosiery blanks 
are then transported to another station where the slit edges of the pantry 
of adjacent hosiery blanks are seamed together to complete the formation 
of the pantyhose. 
In accordance with the present invention, the operator is only required to 
place the toe end of the hosiery blank into the carrier tube and the upper 
or welt end in the gripper fingers of the donning device. The hosiery 
blank is then automatically drawn onto the hosiery carrier tube and slit 
at its upper end. The hosiery blanks are then seamed at the toe end and 
discharged from the automatic toe closing machine. Thus, the donning, 
slitting and toe closing operations are automatically carried out in one 
continuous operation to thereby reduce the cost of producing the 
pantyhose, and to also reduce the number of picks and snags which can be 
caused by multiple handling operations. 
In the drawings and specification there has been set forth the best mode 
presently contemplated for the practice of the present invention, and 
although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and 
descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of 
the invention being defined in the claims.