Abstract: An apparatus for manipulating flexible articles comprising an openable dispenser (116) for retaining one article (123) disposed along the dispenser (116) and arranged so that the (116) dispenser continues to support the article (123) when it is opened and in that the apparatus includes movable gripping means (400) arranged to grip the hose (123) at two predetermined positions and thereafter lift the article (123) from the dispenser (116). The gripping means (400) may comprise a pair of spaced-apart grippers (402) or a gripper and suction tube arrangement mounted on a common support (404) and moveable towards and away from the dispenser by a pneumatic or hydraulic piston and cylinder (406) arrangement. A method of manipulating a flexible article is also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for orienting flaccid material such as hose blanks having toe ends and bulkier welt ends while they are being conveyed from a supply point to a receiving point to ensure that blanks arriving at the receiving point are received, for example, toe end first. The apparatus includes first and second suction conduits in communication with an outlet. The first conduit has an inlet to which hose blanks are successively presented. An orientation determining mechanism senses which end of a blank enters the inlet. If a toe end is sensed, the hose is permitted to travel unhindered to the outlet. If, however, a welt end is sensed at the inlet, suction is created in the second conduit, and the welt end is temporarily drawn into the second conduit. While the welt end is thus located, suction in the first conduit causes the toe end to be drawn therealong, past the second conduit and toward the outlet.

Abstract: A hosiery line closer and loader assembly comprises a line closer having a number of carriers which circulate on a carousel and a loader having a transfer mechanism by which hose can be transferred from a hose loading position, adjacent a human operator, for example, to the line closer, the transfer mechanism moving on a linear support. Also disclosed is a dual hosiery line closer and loader assembly in which two line closers can be alternately loaded from a single hose loading position.

Abstract: In order to insert into tights comfort gussets which reach to the waistband of the tights, a line closing apparatus for the machine sewing of a pair of tights is used which has an extra form provided in the sets of forms of the apparatus, and a tubular prefabricated comfort gusset is pulled onto the extra form. The tubular gusset is cut open together with two tubular prefabricated stocking leg portions and is connected to the stocking leg portions when seaming the legs together.

Abstract: The toe end of a hose blank has a looper line bead and is toe closed by movement past a seamer along a seam line located by reference to the head, the blank being mounted on a toe closer carrier of conventional form. Opposed blades of the carrier execute a forward movement to pass the beaded end of the blank through a space between two open jaws of a positioning device; the jaws thereafter close and by drawing the blank backwards the bead is brought against the jaws, which are at a pre-set location relative to the seamer and the toe end is thereby positioned ready for seaming. The toe end is then conveyed to and past the seamer by a transport belt, the positioning established by the jaws being maintained during conveyance of the blank to the seamer.

Abstract: A pair of hose are mounted on a card for purpose of display or sale the card being inserted into one hose and the other hose being placed inside the first hose, between the latter and one surface of the card. Machinery for so assembling the hose and card has two supports and means to transfer a first hose from its support with eversion, to a holder in which a former is held. The second hose is everted by suction into its support and is then conveyed pneumatically into a hollow interior of the holding means, thereby placing it inside the first hose, to one side of the former. The former and the two hose assembled therewith are extracted from the holder, the first hose slipping from around the holder into an encircling relationship in contact with the former.

Abstract: Pantyhose garments are mounted on a card for purpose of display or sale, the card being inserted into one leg of the pantyhose and parts of the pantyhose unsupported by the card are folded and disposed to one side of the card-supported part of the leg. Exemplary machinery for so assembling the pantyhose and card comprises a boarding machine which has a flat support with two support limbs for the pantyhose legs; a dispenser places a card on one of the limbs and the pantyhose is pulled waistband first onto the support and thereafter is pulled from the support toes first; the card slips from the limb as the pantyhose is pulled off the support and is retained inside the pantyhose leg which is stretched flat upon the card therein. Subsequently the pantyhose is folded as foresaid.

Abstract: Pantihose garments are mounted on a card for purpose of display or sale, the card being inserted into one leg of the pantihose and parts of the pantihose unsupported by the card are folded and disposed to one side of the card-supported part of the leg. Exemplary machinery for so assembling the pantihose and card comprises a boarding machine which has a flat support with two support limbs for the pantihose legs; a dispenser places a card on one of the limbs and the pantihose is pulled waistband first onto the support and thereafter is pulled from the support toes first; the card slips from the limb as the pantihose is pulled off the support and is retained inside the pantihose leg which is stretched flat upon the card therein. Subsequently the pantihose is folded as aforesaid.

Abstract: The toe end of a hose blank has a looper line bead and is toe closed by movement past a seamer along a seam line located by reference to the bead, the blank being mounted on a toe closer carrier of conventional form. Opposed blades of the carrier execute a forward movement to pass the beaded end of the blank through a space between two open jaws of a positioning device; the jaws thereafter close and by drawing the blank backwards the bead is brought against the jaws, which are at a pre-set location relative to the seamer and the toe end is thereby positioned ready for seaming. The toe end is then conveyed to and past the seamer by a transport belt, the positioning established by the jaws being maintained during conveyance of the blank to seamer.

Abstract: For the manufacture of pantihose, a gusset inserting machine is coupled to a hosiery machine such as a boarding or toe closing machine, for automatic transfer of gussetted pantihose to the latter machine, by a first transfer mechanism which strips pantihose from the gusset machine and loads a rotary conveyor and by a second transfer mechanism which strips the pantihose from the conveyor and loads it on a pair of supports of the receiving hosiery machine. After the gusset machine has seamed a gusset into the pantihose, a support head on which the pantihose is mounted for gusset insertion is rotated through a predetermined angle for orienting the pantihose according to the loading requirements of the receiving machine, and the two transfer mechanisms and conveyor maintain the orientation of the pantihose as established by rotation of the support head.

Abstract: A pair of hose are mounted on a card for purpose of display or sale the card being inserted into one hose and the other hose being placed inside the first hose, between the latter and one surface of the card. Machinery for so assembling the hose and card has two supports and means to transfer a first hose from its support with eversion, to a holder in which a former is held. The second hose is everted by suction into its support and is then conveyed pneumatically into a hollow interior of the holding means, thereby placing it inside the first hose, to one side of the former. The former and the two hose assembled therewith are extracted from the holder, the first hose slipping from around the holder into an encircling relationship in contact with the former.

Abstract: For the manufacture of pantihose, a gusset inserting machine is coupled to a hosiery machine such as a boarding or toe closing machine, for automatic transfer or gussetted pantihose to the latter machine, by a first transfer mechanism which strips pantihose from the gusset machine and loads a rotary conveyor and by a second transfer mechanism which strips the pantihose from the conveyor and loads it on a pair of supports of the receiving hosiery machine. After the gusset machine has seamed a gusset into the pantihose, a support head on which the pantihose is mounted for gusset insertion is rotated through a predetermined angle for orienting the pantihose according to the loading requirements of the receiving machine, and the two transfer mechanisms and conveyor maintain the orientation of the pantihose as established by rotation of the support head.

Abstract: Transfer of garments, having limp portions, from one machine (L) to another machine (T) the needs of which demand that the limp portions are separate for delivery to separate receiving members therefor, is accomplished while the garments are moving in the direction of the receiving machine (T). The limp portions of the moving garment are draped over a guide rail (28); a second guide rail (30) is encountered by the limp portions, this rail being positioned to interpose itself between the advancing limp portions, with the result that one limp portion becomes draped over each rail.

Abstract: Toe closing socks first involves stretching them flat on a carrier, then one of the resulting confronting layers of fabric is effectively held substantially immobile by a fabric-holding device and the other layer is displaced longitudinally relative thereto by a movable displacing means brought into engagement therewith. Maintaining the layers mutually displaced, for example by clamping them to one another, they are conveyed past a sewing machine and seamed. By seaming the layers together while they are mutually displaced, the seam will adopt an overfoot or underfoot position in the finished sock due to readjustment of the fabric and the return of the layers to their normal relaxed relative dispositions.

Abstract: Hosiery toe closing and boarding apparatus has a pair of heatable boarding forms to which hose are fed by a reciprocally-acting transfer mechanism from carriers of a known toe closing machine. The boarding forms are mounted on a turret to move between hose-receiving and hose-discharging positions respectively associated with wind-on and wind-off rollers. At their ends remote from the toe closing machine the boarding forms are interconnected by a hinge with a rotatably-drivable hinge pin for causing one form to swing into a superposed, registered position over the other form immediately prior to discharge of the hose from the boarding apparatus.

Abstract: A toe closer has a plurality of elongated carriers for supporting hose for seaming, a sewing machine to seam their toes and a clamp mechanism for sequentially conveying toe ends past the sewing machine. The carriers move continuously around a closed path traversing a straight section of the path directly opposite the clamp mechanism. The clamp mechanism includes a stationary worktable associated with the sewing machine, and a carriage movable to and fro carrying a movable worktable section and a coacting, intermittently movable clamping belt which is supported in a belt carrier atop the carriage. Drive means move the carriage towards the sewing machine in unison with movement of each carrier along the straight section of the path while the toe end of a hose on each carrier is fed into the clamp mechanism; thereafter the belt is set in motion to slide the toe end from table section to table and across the latter in front of the sewing machine for the latter to produce the required seam.

Abstract: For toe seaming hosiery knitted with reinforced and/or shaped heels, automatic toe closer has one or more hose carriers, a sewing machine and a clamping means movable for conveying a toe end portion of a hose on a carrier past the sewing machine for toe closing. The toe closer has a heel positioner comprising a rotationally-driven roller mounted for movement into and out of frictional engagement with a hose on the carrier, rotation of the roller in contact with the hose causing a rotation of the latter about the carrier until a mark on the hose aligns with a photosensor responsible, when alignment occurs, for causing disengagement of the roller from the hose leaving the latter in a properly adjusted attitude on the carrier in readiness for seaming.

Abstract: Adjustment of the position of a limp, generally tubular garment item, such as a hosiery blank to be toe seamed, is performed by gripping the garment either internally or externally while it is on the carrier, moving it therealong firstly past the desired position and then back towards that position, and then automatically releasing the grip exerted on the garment when a photodetector senses the arrival of an identifiable feature of the returning garment at the said desired position.

Abstract: Hosiery toe closing and boarding apparatus has a pair of heatable boarding forms to which hose are fed by a reciprocally-acting transfer mechanism from carriers of a known toe closing machine. The boarding forms are mounted to a turret to move between hose-receiving and hose-discharging positions respectively associated with wind-on and wind-off rollers. At their ends remote from the toe closing machine the boarding forms are interconnected by a hinge with a rotatably-drivable hinge pin for causing one form to swing into a superposed, registered position over the other form immediately prior to discharge of the hose from the boarding apparatus.