Patent GB-800844-A (GB)
Title: Improved hosiery inspection and handling apparatus
IPC: D06H3/16
Filed: 1955-09-19
Abstract: 800,844. Turning hosiery inside out. SOUTHERN TEXTILE MACHINERY CO. Sept. 19, 1955 [Feb. 24, 1955], No. 26681/55. Class 112 [Also in Group VIII] Hosiery is removed from an inspection form and reversed during removal by sucking it, toe first, through a cavity extending through the form, after which it is gripped by mechanical means and transferred to an adjacent location where it is deposited. in stretched out condition. The form 20, Fig. 2, has a longitudinal cavity open at the toe end and connected at the other end to a stationary suction duct 24 coupled by a U-shaped duct 26 to a nozzle 46, Fig. 3, surrounded by a sleeve 48 with an opening 62 to which is connected the end of a suction duct 36 connected to a continuously running pump 30. Stockings sucked through the cavity in the form and arriving at the nozzle are gripped by a pair of jaws 64, 66 pivoted at 72 in a housing 68 secured to a carriage 104, Fig. 4, mounted on longitudinal rods 110, 112, along which it can be traversed by a chain 114 passing over sprockets 116, 118. The carriage is connected to the chain by a link 122. The gripping jaws are adapted to be opened and closed by a bell-crank lever 74 pivoted at 82 and are biased to the closed position by spring 86. In the position shown in Fig. 3 the housing 68 has contacted the seal 49 on sleeve 48 and the jaws have been opened by the abutment of rod 96 with adjustable stop 100. As the housing moves away from the seal the jaws close and grip the stocking. They remain closed until they are opened to release the stocking, at the other end of the traversing movement, by contact of projection 87 on lever 74 with the inclined cam surface 152, Fig. 4. The sprocket 116 is intermittently driven from a continuously running motor 130 through an electric clutch and brake device controlled by a stop switch, actuated by the return of the carriage 104 to engagement with the sleeve, and by a start switch 42, responsive to the vacuum in the duct, and actuated to start the operating cycle by the presence of hosiery in the nozzle. A trough 310, Figs. 12 and 14, disposed beneath the traversing path of the housing 68, communicates with a vertical shoot 322 disposed over a bag or receptacle for receiving the hosiery. Conduits 326, 328 and 334 are arranged to supply air blasts to blow the stocking into the vertical shoot when the housing 68 actuates a microswitch 320 to open a valve in the air supply conduit 324. An expansible inspection form, Figs. 8 and 11, may be used. It comprises plates 182, 184 secured together to enclose a withdrawal cavity 206 and to form open channels 212, 214 receiving laterally movable expander members 216, 218 pivotally coupled by links 228, 230 and 240, 242 to the plates 182, 184. The form is attached at one end to a hollow spindle 250, Fig. 10, connected by a coupling 260 to the suction duct 26. A sliding collar 264 mounted on the spindle is connected by pivoted links 266, 268 to the expander members. A yoke 280 carrying studs 282 extending into a groove 278 in the collar is pivoted to a bracket on the machine, Fig. 9 (not shown), and is moved pneumatically to move the collar to expand or contract the form. Specifications 725,845 and 800,845 are referred to.