Circular Knitting Machine Lifting Element for Heavy Tubular Items
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing circular knitting machines face difficulties in ensuring correct insertion of heavy and long tubular items, such as thick or heavy hosiery, into turning devices, which affects the reliability and precision of toe-closing operations.
Innovation Solution
A circular knitting machine equipped with a lifting element and a turning device that uses suction means and a U-shaped engagement body to facilitate the disengagement of tubular items from needles and guide them into a tubular body for inversion, ensuring effective conveyance and turning, even for heavy items.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a tubular body is used to invert heavy tubular items, then the turning operation can be performed, but difficulties are encountered in ensuring correct insertion of heavy and long items into the tubular body
Solution Approach 1:
A lifting element is introduced as an intermediary device between the pickup device and the tubular body. This lifting element engages with the tubular item and provides controlled lifting and guiding action, facilitating the insertion of heavy items into the tubular body without direct manual handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The lifting element is actuated by a lifting device that uses pneumatic or hydraulic mechanisms to provide controlled lifting force. This allows heavy tubular items to be lifted and guided into the tubular body with precision, overcoming the weight-related insertion difficulties.
2Manufacturing precision
If the pickup device holds loops individually, then precise control is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pickup elements are designed to automatically engage with and hold the loops of knitting on the needles through their elastic deformation. The elastic nature of the pickup elements allows them to self-adjust and maintain contact with the loops without requiring complex control mechanisms for each individual pickup element.
3Ease of operation
If the tubular body is lifted to pass through the axial end of the item, then inversion is achieved, but the operation becomes complex for heavy items
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting element serves as a mediator between the tubular item and the tubular body during the inversion process. It engages with the item, provides controlled lifting, and guides the item through the tubular body, simplifying the overall inversion operation for heavy items.
Solution Approach 2:
The lifting element engages with the tubular item before the inversion process begins, preparing the item for smooth insertion into the tubular body. This preliminary engagement ensures that the item is properly positioned and supported before the lifting and inversion operations commence.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The machine ensures reliable and precise insertion and conveyance of tubular items, enhancing the productivity and efficiency of toe-closing operations by addressing the challenges of handling heavy and long items.
Implementation Method 1
The inside of the tubular body is therefore connected to suction means so as to suck, through its upper axial end, the item which however remains retained, at its axial end to be closed, by the pickup device or by the handling device.
Data Source
AI summary
A circular knitting machine for hosiery, comprising at least one needle cylinder configured to provide a tubular item, and a pickup device which is adapted to pass between a pickup position and a release position at a further processing station, a turning device being provided which comprises a lower portion designed to accommodate coaxially the tubular item, wherein the circular machine comprises a lifting element which is adapted to pass between an inactive condition, in which it is arranged externally with respect to the region affected by the movement of the pickup device and of the corresponding tubular item and an active position, in which the lifting element is adapted to interact with at least one portion of the tubular item.