Patent ID: 7845526

Claim:
A method for transferring automatically tubular manufactured items for manufacturing men's socks, comprising: a step of automatic loading of tubular items ( 1 ) arranged according to the longitudinal axis thereof; a step of positioning of the items along a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof; a step of angular orientation of the items with respect to a rotation axis parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof; a step of transfer along a transfer line (T) of the oriented items, characterized in that said transfer step comprises a step of leading of the item by means of a first and of at least one second lateral leading means of the tubular items ( 1 ), in which both leading means are arranged one after the other along the transfer line (T) of the items and are separated by a non-controlled section of said line, in order to correct in the second leading means possible errors of insertion of the item into said first leading means, wherein the positioning step comprises: the insertion into a hollow tube ( 3 ) of a longitudinal portion of an open tubular item ( 1 ), starting from a free end of the hollow tube; the controlled longitudinal loading of the item turned inside-out onto the outer wall of the loading tube starting from a first end ( 4 ) of said item and gradually pulling the portion housed therein; the positioning step being controlled by means of an arrangement of optical sensors ( 13 ) for detecting at least one longitudinal position of a second open end ( 5 ) of the item with respect to the free end of the loading tube and for operatively controlling said controlled longitudinal loading.