EP0152811A2 - Device for the combined inside-out turning of hose strings, and supply of hose strings to a hose sectioning machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The device comprises a tube (1) for the manual threading of hose strings, capable of being connected by a distributor (5) selectively to one of several pipes (11) connected to the steam chamber (A) of the separating machine. A reduction in pressure is created in the said pipes (11) near the steam chamber (A) so as to produce a sucking effect in the pipes (11) and, through the distributor (5), in the tube (1). This enables the string wound on the tube (1) to be drawn in, turning it inside out, into the tube (1) and the pipe (11) connected to this tube (1), and to be introduced into the steam chamber (1). See Figure 1. <IMAGE>

Description

Combined device for turning over strings of socks and supplying strings of a sock separation machine.

The present invention relates to a combined device for turning over strings of socks, stockings and similar footwear knitted into continuous strings, and for supplying strings of a sock separation machine.

The footwear is knitted in continuous strings by being connected to each other by a frangible or destructible yarn, for example a fusible yarn which can be destroyed by a heat treatment with steam.

When the knitted rosaries leave the circular loom at the place, it is necessary, to close the socks at one end, for example, by sewing, to turn the socks so that this seam can be done inside out.

Up to now, to return the socks, we manually thread a chain of given length externally on a tube and we then pass this chain, at one end of the tube, gradually and manually inside the tube, which causes the inversion of the rosary. When the rosary is completely turned inside the tube, we bring the latter to the separation machine and we connect it to the latter by threading one end of the rosary between feed rollers provided on the machine to extract the rosary gradually of the tube and pass it through the steam chamber of the separation machine.

This method of inverting the strings and feeding the separation machine involves manual work which is not only tedious, but also tedious due to the vapor atmosphere prevailing in the zone of connection of the tubes to the separation machine, zone in which the personnel responsible for turning the chain and feeding the separation machine must enter when connecting each tube to the separation machine. In addition, the capacity of the separation machine is only very partially used because manual feeding cannot ensure continuous and optimal feeding of the machine.

The present invention relates to a combined device for turning over strings of socks and supplying strings of a sock separation machine, making it possible to simplify manual work, make this work much less painful, and optimize the operation of the separation machine, that is to say to increase its output.

The combined device for turning over strings of socks and supplying strings of a sock separating machine comprises, according to the invention, a threading tube supported at a first of its two ends, for manual threading d 'a rosary on said tube by the second open end of the latter. This device further comprises a plurality of parallel pipes for transporting and storing strings, the first ends of which are arranged opposite the first end of said threading tube and the second ends of which are connected to the separation machine. This device furthermore comprises a distributor member making it possible to connect the first end of the threading tube selectively to the first end of one of said transport and storage pipes. In addition, the device comprises means for creating a depression in said pipes, in the vicinity of their second ends, and thus producing in said pipes a suction effect which is propagated, via the distributor member, in said threading tube.

Using this device, it suffices to manually thread a chain on the threading tube, by the free end of the latter, to connect, using the distributor, one of the pipes transport and storage to the threading tube, so as to produce a suction effect up to the free end of the threading tube, and then to engage, in the free end of the threading tube, the corresponding end of the chain which, under the suction effect is drawn inside the tube by being turned over, then sucked through the transport and storage pipe to the separation machine. When a rosary is inside a transport and storage pipe, the distributor member is connected to another transport and storage pipe to attract into the latter, by turning it over, the next rosary threaded onto the tube, and so on.

Preferably, the first ends of the transport and storage pipes are distributed over a circle and the dispensing member is constituted by a member mounted in rotation about an axis aligned with the axis of the threading tube. A first end of said dispensing member is permanently connected to the first end of the threading tube and its second end can, by rotation of the dispensing member, be selectively brought into coincidence with and connected to the first end of any of the transport and storage pipes.

To facilitate threading of the rosary on the tube, the device advantageously comprises a roller whose axis is perpendicular to the axis of the threading tube, which is mounted movable back and forth so as to be able to be brought in contact with and out of contact with the threading tube, and which can be rotated in the direction of threading of the string on the tube.

The rotation of the dispensing member can be done manually, but it is advantageous to provide a motorized member such as a rotary actuator for rotating the dispensing member.

The transport and storage pipes can be transparent to allow the operator to determine which pipe is empty and can therefore be connected to the threading tube to receive the next string. However, according to a preferred embodiment with automatic control, each transport and storage pipe comprises a detector of the presence of strings and the dispensing member is controlled so that when the threading tube is connected to a pipe, the the dispensing member remains locked in position until the detector of this pipe detects the presence of the chain and is then controlled so as to connect the threading tube to another pipe whose detector signals the absence of a chain.

To ensure correct introduction of the strings in the separation machine, it is advantageous that each transport and storage pipe comprises, near its end connected to the separation machine, an injector controlled by the detector of this pipe to propel the rosary detected using a jet, for example of compressed air, in the separation machine.

In order to prevent the suction of steam out of the separation machine, under the effect of the vacuum in the transport and storage pipes, each of these pipes advantageously comprises, at its connection end to the separation machine, a valve opening to allow passage of the rosary under the action of the injector and then closing under the action of vacuum.

• la figure 1 est une vue en plan schématique simplifiée d'un dispositif conforme à l'invention de retournement de chapelets de chaussettes et d'alimentation en chapelets d'une machine de séparation de chaussettes;
• la figure 2 est une vue schématique de la zone de raccordement des tuyaux de transport et de stockage du dispositif à la machine de séparation.

Referring to the appended drawing, an illustrative and nonlimiting embodiment of a device according to the invention will be described below in more detail; on the drawing :

• Figure 1 is a simplified schematic plan view of a device according to the invention for turning over strings of socks and supplying strings of a sock separation machine;
• Figure 2 is a schematic view of the connection area of the transport and storage pipes of the device to the separation machine.

According to FIG. 1, the steam chamber A of a machine for separating socks into strings, for example of the ITFMAILLE type, is followed by an evacuation and drying mat B opening into a receiving tank C for the separate socks.

The steam chamber A is supplied in strings of socks connected to each other by a thermofusible separation wire, destroyed by the heat treatment undergone in the steam chamber A.

Since after separation, the socks must be closed at one end by sewing and this sewing must be done inside out, while the socks leave the circular knitting loom in place, in the form of a continuous rosary, it is necessary to turn the rosary between the knitting loom and the sock sewing machine.

This reversal is carried out, as is usual, on the socks not yet separated, namely on strings of socks of given length.

The device for turning over the strings of socks and feeding the steam chamber A of the separation machine comprises a tube 1, one end 2 of which is mounted on a base 3 so that the tube 1 is horizontal and supports false. Below the tube 1 is installed a roller 4, the axis of rotation of which is perpendicular to the axis of the tube 1. The roller 4 comprises a motor, not shown, for rotating, as well as a means, not shown, for example. a pedal, making it possible to bring the roller 4 into contact with and out of contact with the tube 1.

At the end 2 of the tube 1 is connected a distributor member 5. The member 5 comprises an S-shaped tube 6, one end of which 7 is rotatably connected to the end 2 of the tube 1, in alignment with the latter . The other end of the tube 6 is rigidly connected to an eccentric axial hole of a rotary plate 8, the axis of which also coincides with the axis of the tube 1. A rotary cylinder 9 mounted on the base 3 acts in rotation on the plate 8 for the modification of the angular position of the distributor member 5.

The plate 8 of the distributor member 5 cooperates with a fixed plate 10. The plate 10 has five axial holes distributed at regular angular intervals on a circle whose radius corresponds to the eccentricity of the passage hole of the plate 8. Thus, by rotation of the distributor member 5 around its axis under the action of the jack 9, the single passage hole of the plate 8 can be brought into coincidence with each of the five passage holes of the plate 10.

To each passage hole in the tray 10 is connected a pipe 11 on the opposite face of the tray 10, the five pipes 11 extending to the steam chamber A to which they are connected separately.

We still recognize, in Figure 1, two trays 12 and 13 containing the strings of socks to be returned, the tray 12 being the tray during work and the tray 13 serving as a reserve tray. In addition, a nozzle 14 for blowing hot air or steam is disposed in the vicinity of the tube 1 to allow the operator who stands on one side of the tube 1 to cut the strings contained in the tubes to a determined length. trays 12 and 13. Finally, a window 15 is placed on the side of the tube 1 opposite the operator, this window allowing the operator to see the hidden side of the pipe 1.

According to FIG. 2, each of the five pipes 11 comprises, at a distance from its connection end to the steam chamber A, a detector 16 sensitive to the presence of a chain of socks in the pipe 11. Close to the steam A, each pipe 11 comprises a strainer 17, all the strainers 17 being connected to the suction side of a turbine 18 whose discharge side is connected to the mat B of the separation machine for drying the socks leaving the chamber steam A.

Between the strainer 17 and the steam chamber A, each pipe 11 comprises an injector 19 connected by a valve 20 to a source of compressed air, the injectors 19 being oriented in the direction of the steam chamber A. Finally, between the injector 19 and the steam chamber A, each pipe 11 has a valve 21 which closes under the effect of the vacuum created by the turbine 18 in the pipes 11, but opens under the effect of the jet of compressed air supplied by the injector 19.

The valves 20 which control the supply of compressed air to the injectors 19 are time-controlled by the detectors 16 so that each injector 10 is actuated by the detector 16 of the corresponding pipe laying after this detector has detected the presence of a chain of socks in the pipe in question and after this chain has had time to settle between the strainer 17 and the detector 16.

In addition, the detectors 16 are also involved in the control of the rotary actuator 9 of the distributor member 5 in the sense that when the presence of the string removed by suction from the tube 1 is detected by the detector 16 of the pipe 11 connected by the member distributor 5 to the tube 1, which indicates that the chain in question is contained in the hose 11, the jack 9 actuates the distributor member 5 to move the latter into a position in which it connects the tube 1 to another hose 11 empty, that is to say a pipe whose detector 16 detects the absence of a chain.

The mode of operation of the device according to the invention will be described below.

The operator puts a chain on the tube 1 by engaging one end of the chain on the free end of the tube 1 and advancing it to the roller 4 which, brought into contact with the tube, then ensures by its rotation the complete threading of the chain on the tube 1. The rotary actuator 9 actuates the distributor member 5, under the control of the detectors 16, to bring the distributor member 5 into a position in which the latter connects the tube 1 to a pipe 11 does containing no rosary, so that the depression established in the pipe 11 in question by the turbine 18 creates a suction effect at the free end of the tube 1.

After having put the roller 4 out of contact with the tube 1, the operator brings the other end of the chain to the free end of the tube 1, so that the chain is progressively drawn inside the tube 1 and returned. The rosary progresses in the pipe 11 until reaching the detector 16 which, after compaction of the rosary between the strainer 17 and the detector, actuates the injector 19 to propel the rosary in the steam chamber A whose introduction rollers are not shown are responsible for passing the string in the steam chamber, and to trigger the rotation of the distributor member 5 in order to bring the latter into another angular position in which it connects the tube 1 to another pipe 11 whose detector 16 has detected the absence of a chain.

Claims (7)

1. Combined device for turning over strings of socks and supplying strings of a sock separation machine, characterized in that it comprises a threading tube (1) supported on a first (2) of its ends, for manual threading of a rosary on said tube by the second open end of the latter, a plurality of pipes (11) for transporting and storing rosaries, the first ends of which are arranged opposite the first end (2) of said tube (1) and the second ends of which are connected to the separation machine (A), a distributor member (5) making it possible to connect the first end (2) of the tube (1) selectively to the first end of one of the pipes (11), and means (17, 18) for creating a depression in said pipes (11), in the vicinity of their second ends, and producing in said pipes a suction effect which is propagated by the 'intermediary of the distributor member (5) in the tube threading (1). 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first ends of the pipes (11) are distributed on a circle and that the distributor (5) is constituted by a member mounted in rotation about an axis aligned with the axis of the tube (1), a first end (7) of said member being permanently connected to the first end (2) of the tube (1) and the second end, by rotation of the distributor member (5), which can be selectively brought into coincidence with and connected to the first end of one of the pipes (11). 3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a roller (4) with an axis perpendicular to the axis of the tube, said roller being movable back and forth so as to be able to be brought in contact with and out of contact with the tube (1) and able to be driven in rotation so as to assist the operation of threading the rosary on the tube (1). 4. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises a rotary actuator (9) or similar motorized member for rotating the distributor member (5). 5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that each pipe (11) comprises a detector of the presence of strings (16) and that said cylinder (9) is controlled so that the distributor member (5) connects the tube threading (1) to that of the pipes (11) whose detector (16) signals the absence of strings. 6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that each pipe (11) comprises, near its end connected to the separation machine, an injector (19) controlled by said detector (16) to propel the rosary detected in the separation machine (A). 7. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that each pipe (11) comprises, at its end connected to the separation machine (A), a valve (21) opening to allow the passage of the rosary under the action of the injector (19) and then closing under the action of the vacuum in the pipe (11).

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