Rotating Latch Pick-Up Hooks for Closed Toe Knitting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing tubular knitted articles with a closed toe, such as stockings and socks, face challenges in achieving high precision and quality while maintaining a simple mechanical structure and requiring minimal maintenance, as they often involve complex and lengthy linking processes and high precision pick-up members.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus where each pick-up hook is integrated with a latch portion that rotates and pivots, allowing for precise control of loops and tensioning of yarn during the sewing or linking process, enabling higher quality toe closure with radial movement and reduced complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a pick-up member with fixed latches is used to transfer the tubular article, then the structure is simpler, but the loops cannot be properly controlled and tensioned during sewing, resulting in lower quality toe closure
Solution Approach 1:
The latch portions are made rotatable relative to the hook portions, transforming a static structure into a dynamic one. This allows the latches to pivot and maintain proper engagement with loops during the sewing operation, enabling both structural simplicity and high-quality toe closure through controlled loop tensioning
2Manufacturing precision
If an external sewing machine is used to close the toe, then the linking process can be performed, but the process becomes complex and lengthy requiring high precision pick-up members
Solution Approach 1:
The pick-up member is designed with integrated hook and latch components that work together to both transfer and control the loops. This merging of functions into a single device eliminates the need for complex external positioning mechanisms and reduces the overall complexity of the linking process while maintaining high precision toe closure
3Manufacturing precision
If the pick-up hooks are made with rotatable latches, then the loops can be controlled and tensioned for high quality sewing, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pick-up hook is segmented into distinct functional components: the hook portion for engaging loops and the latch portion for controlling and tensioning the loops. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall simplicity through the rotatable connection between them
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
AI summary
A method and an apparatus for producing tubular knitted articles (10) wherein at the end of knitting of the article there is a pick-up member (300) of the article (10) arranged coaxially to the needle cylinder (220) of the circular machine, provided with a plurality of pick-up hooks (100) arranged according to a circular ring (310) divided into two circular half-rings (310a, 310b) of pick-up hooks (100), overturned one onto the other. The tubular knitted article (10) is removed from the needle cylinder (220) by means of the pick-up member (300). The circular half-rings (310a, 310b) are overturned one onto the other to close the toe of the article (10). The pick-up hooks (100) comprise a shank (101) and a latch portion (105) sliding along the longitudinal axis (102) of the pick-up hook to close the hook portion (103). Each pick-up hook pivotes integrally with the latch portion (105) towards and outwards the axis of the pick-up member in order to stretch the tubular knitted article before the transfert to the closing device, such as a sewing station.