SOCK TOE CLOSING METHOD AND APPARATUS Russian patent published in 2004 - IPC

FIELD: sock knitting equipment and method.

SUBSTANCE: method involves automatically withdrawing sock blank of knitted fabric from sock knitting machine; advancing loop transfer needles, mounted on group of movable tables with loop transfer needles, with needle tips approaching close to textile needle hooks, upon production of sock blank from knitted fabric on sock knitting machine; raising and turning textile sock blank inside out by suction process for transfer of its loops on toe portion from textile needles onto respective loop transfer needles; transferring turned inside out blank of sock from sock knitting machine onto movable table with loop transfer needles; moving table with loop transfer needles so as to provide for linear arrangement thereof and clamping of loops on toe portion of sock blank of knitted fabric between two flat rows; moving table to closing zone, where loops on toe portion of sock blank are automatically sewn by means of automatic sewing machine.

EFFECT: increased efficiency and reduced power consumption.

4 cl, 32 dwg