Patent GB-725845-A (GB)
Title: Improved hosiery inspection and handling apparatus
IPC: D06C5/00
Filed: 1953-03-26
Abstract: 725,845. Turning articles inside out; inspecting hosiery. SOUTHERN TEXTILE MACHINERY CO. March 26, 1953, No. 8332/53. Classes 112 and 141. In apparatus for inspecting hosiery and comprising an expansible and collapsible form which is rotatable about its longitudinal axis to permit viewing of opposite sides of hosiery stretched thereon, and stripping means for removing the inspected hosiery from the form, the hosiery is turned inside out while being stripped from the form by means of air jets arranged to direct streams of air along the toe end of the form. The inspection form 26, Fig. 3, is mounted rotatably about a horizontal axis in a bearing 25 carried by a table 23. An article of hosiery drawn over the form is stretched by the outward movement of side members 27, 28. After inspection of both sides has been effected, the article is stripped by means of a rubber-covered bar 97 which is carried by a pair of endless chains 81, 82 and which moves along the under-surface of the form towards the toe end, a pair of gripper fingers 38, 39 situated in the latter serving to hold the toe of the article, and a pair of air jets 105, 106 directed towards the toe end serving to turn the article inside out during the stripping operation. A tube 111, Fig. 1b, which is spaced from the toe end and is aligned with the axis of the form, has an enlarged mouth formed by an air manifold 115 provided with internally directed jets 113. The action of the latter draws the inspected and turned article into the tube. If the article is satisfactory its toe is released, when it passes along the tube into a receiver. If the article is defective the air blast is stopped before the toe is released, when the article may be withdrawn by hand from the tube. The apparatus is adapted to perform the above described sequence of operations automatically for either satisfactory or defective articles. The members 27, 28 of the form are mounted one on each side of a slide 32, Fig. 7, between a pair of face plates 29, 31. Projections 33 on said members carry pins which engage in inclined slots 34 in the slide. A rod 35, by imparting movement in one or the other direction to the slide, thereby serves to project or retract said members. The toe-gripping fingers 38, 39, biased together by springs 41, 42 are adapted to open when said members are projected and to close when the members are' retracted. A pivoted finger 66, Fig. 3, is. adapted to be moved between the fingers 38, 39 when a solenoid 72 is energized to rock the pivot 67 of said finger against the bias of a spring 71. Rod 35 is coupled by means of an arm 36 to a rod 44 slidably mounted in a sleeve 45 fixed to the table 23. A sleeve 47, secured to rod 44, is coupled by means of a link 49 and crank 51 to a shaft 52, rotation of the latter through 180 degrees, thereby effecting movement of the rods 44 and 35 in one direction or the other to expand or collapse the inspection form. Shaft 52 is driven through a half-revolution clutch 54, Fig. 4, and gear pinions 55, 56 by a motor-driven shaft 57. The driven plate of said clutch carries a pair of diametrically opposite pins 59, one of which is normally engaged in a notch in a lever 58, the lower end of which is pivoted at 64 to the table and the upper end of which is coupled by a link 62 to the plunger of a solenoid 61. The latter is arranged to be energized momentarily, thereby disengaging the notch from one of the pins 59 and allowing the -lever to return to engage the notch with the other pin. The chains 81, 82 are carried on sprockets 83, 86 mounted respectively on shafts 84 and 87, the upper and lower runs being sufficiently spaced to permit free rotation of the form. Shaft 84 is driven by the shaft 57 via pinions 56, 95, a onerevolution clutch 94, and pinions 93, 92. Clutch 94 is normally held disengaged by a lever 103 coupled by a link 102 to the plunger of a solenoid 101, energization of the latter moving the lever to allow engagement of the clutch. A shaft 134, continuously rotated by shaft 57 via worm 132 and worm-wheel 133, has fixed thereto spaced friction discs 137, 138, 139. Mounted between discs 137, 138, but normally prevented from rotating by the engagement of a detent 145 and abutment 147, is a good-work timing-drum 143. A bad-work timing-drum 144 is mounted between discs 138, 139, and is normally prevented from rotating by the engagement of a detent 146 and an abutment 148. Detents 145 and 146 are adapted to be disengaged from their abutments by the respective energizing of solenoids 153 and 156. In operation, the form is moved to a horizontal position and, while collapsed, an article of hosiery is drawn thereon and pushbuttons 127 and 131 (Fig. 15), mounted on a panel carried by the table, are operated. Solenoid 61 is thereby energized through leads 162, 163 to cause expansion of the form, relay 161 is also energized to cause energization of relay 165, thereby deenergizing solenoid 61. When the article has been examined on both sides, and if satisfactory, button 128 is pressed to initiate a good-work cycle by energizing solenoid 153 via leads 151, 152 to allow drum 143 to rotate. A brush 177 contacting an earthed segment in the drum energizes relay 179 to energize solenoid 72 through leads 181, 182, finger 66 thereby pushing the toe of the article between the open members 38, 39. Brush 183, by contacting a short, earthed segment, momentarily energizes relay 185 to energize correspondingly solenoid 61 through leads 186, 187 for collapsing the form, when members 38, 39 grip the toe of the article. Brush 177 then engages an insulating segment, whereupon solenoid 72 is de-energized and spring 71 raises the finger 66. Brush 189 then contacts an earthed segment to energize relay 191 and thereby solenoid 101 through leads 192, 193 to engage clutch 94 for driving the chains, the circuit through solenoid 101 being maintained long enough to permit the article being stripped from the form. While the stripper bar is moving to engage the article, brush 194 engages an earthed segment to energize relay 196 and thereby, through leads 197, 198, a solenoid 199, Fig. 14, to open air valve 201 to admit air through pipe 203 to jets 105, 106 and 113. The article is thereby turned inside out and lies at full length in tube 11 1 with its toe gripped between members 38, 39. Brush 183 then momentarily engages a contact to energize solenoid 61 for expanding the form to release the article, when jets 113 force the article through tube 111 into the receiver, brush 183 then engaging another contact to collapse the form. After drum 143 completes one revolution, detent 145 engages abutment 147 to stop the drum with brush 167 engaging a segment to permit expansion and collapsing of the form by pushbuttons 127, 131. If the article is defective, a bad-work cycle is initiated by pressing button 129 to energize solenoid 156 via leads 154, 155 to cause rotation of drum 144. Brush 211 then engages a segment to energize relay 213 to energize solenoid 72 via leads 215, 215 to move finger 66 between the toe clamps. Brush 216 then momentarily engages a segment to energize relay 218 thereby, through leads 219, 221, to energize solenoid 61 to collapse the form. Brush 211 then leaves its segment to de-energize solenoid 72 for withdrawing finger 66. Brush 222 then engages a segment to energize relay 224 and thereby, through leads 225, 226, solenoid 101 to drive the chains. Brush 227 also engages a segment to energize relay 229 and thereby, through leads 231, 232, solenoid 199 to admit air to the jets 105, 106, 113. When the article lies in tube 111, brush 227 leaves its segment to stop the air blast, and brush 216 then momentarily engages another segment to expand the form and release the toe of the article, when the latter may at any time be removed from the tube. Brush 216 then energizes another segment to collapse the form and finally detent 146 engages abutment 148 to stop drum 144. In a modification, a satisfactory article is not transported through tube 111 to a receiver, but, while its toe end projects from the tube, it is gripped between fingers 303,304 (Fig. 12) and, after the toe is released, said fingers are guided by a groove 305 disposed transversely to the axis of the tube, the fingers being moved apart finally to allow the stretched article to be tamped into a receiver 302 by tampers 312, 313. In the modified arrangement, relay 196 is removed and relays 321, 322 and 323 are connected into the circuit. Upon the initiation of a good-work cycle, relays 179, 185 and 191 are energized in sequence as previously described. Brush 324 then engages a segment to energize relay 321 to energize solenoid 199 via leads 326, 327 to operate the jets 105, 106, 113. When the article lies in tube 111, and before brush 183 engages the appropriate segment to expand the form for releasing the toe, brush 324 leaves its segment to shut off the air. Brush 331 then engages a segment to energize relay 322 to supply current via leads 333, 334, coupler 340 and leads 333<SP>1</SP>, 334<SP>1</SP> to a solenoid 335, which opens an air valve 336 to supply air to jets 311 arranged transversely of the mouth of tube 111. Brush 183 then causes expansion of the form and the released toe is blown by the jets 311 between the open fingers 303,304. Brush 341 then engages a segment to supply current, via leads 343,344 and coupling 340 to a motor (not shown) for operating the fingers 303,304 and the tamping mechanism. The fingers move along the guideway 305 after closing upon the toe, and, after releasing the article, return to their initial position. Brushes 331, 341 then stop the air to jets 311 and also stop the tamping motor, and the drum is stopped after completing a revolution. The inspection form is provided with a cam disc 172 having two diametrically opposed notches 173, one of which, when the form is horizontal, is engaged by a finger 174. The latter is thereby pressed outwardly, when t