Abstract: An acoustical shield assembly and mating thread preguide unit include a series of acoustically insulated panels that substantially surround a sewing machine so as to be operative in attenuating any generated noise. A portion of the top panel, including a downwardly extending flange, is hinged to move between an opened position allowing access to the sewing machine and a closed position for mating with the preguide unit. The preguide unit is mounted to the sewing machine by a pair of adjustable mounting rods and includes two face plates spaced apart by means of a pair of spacer posts. Each face plate includes eyelets between the spacer posts for the passage of thread to the sewing machine. When the hinged portion of the top panel is closed, an elongated opening is formed between the downwardly extending flange and the top edge of the adjacent rear side panel of the shield assembly.

Abstract: An acoustical shield assembly for an industrial sewing machine includes a plurality of shield components readily movable from operating sound attenuating positions to open positions permitting easy access to a sewing machine. The assembly preferably includes front and face shields pivotally mounted in overlapping relationship. A lower side shield is positionable beneath a sewing plate of a sewing machine and movable to an overlapping relationship with the front shield. A tubular shield is pivotally mounted above and to the rear of the sewing plate. Acoustical material is mounted in top of the tubular shield to dissipate machine generated noise. The assembly may also include a rear shield for partially enclosing the rear and one side of the sewing machine. The rear shield preferably has a top face cooperating in spaced relationship with a top face of the front shield, but defining an opening for passage of thread and the dissipation of heat.

Abstract: A hosiery handling apparatus for separating individual hosiery articles from a continuous tubular hosiery string and thereafter transporting the separated articles to a remote location includes a control circuit for interrupting operation in the event of a malfunction in the separation of the hosiery string. The control circuit preferably includes an advance switch for detecting passage of a separated article to the remote location and a stop action switch connected in series with the advance switch and responsive to movement of the separating assembly. When a separated article fails to be transported to the remote location, the control circuit terminates operation of the machine.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for separating hosiery produced on a circular knitting machine. The hosiery is knitted as a continuous tubular fabric with a weakened portion being formed between articles to be separated. The separating apparatus includes a frame mounted below the knitting machine, a gripping and separating arm pivotally mounted on the frame, and a fixed clamping arm mounted on the frame below the gripping and separating arm. The gripping arm and the clamping arm each include a pair of jaws which are intermittently actuated to engage the tubular fabric adjacent the weakened portion of the articles. The gripping arm is pivoted to exert an arcuate pulling force upwardly away from the clamping arm to cause the articles to be separated along their weakened portions. The separation action is arranged so as to prevent stretching of the fabric coming from the knitting machine. A fabric guide and a pneumatic transport for the separator are also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for turning, separating, stacking and counting hosiery directly on a knitting machine. A hosiery positioning tube is suspended below the knitting cylinder of the machine with the hosiery string being knitted around the tube. The tube is suspended on a hanger extending through a hollow star rod of the machine. Intermittently driven feed rollers are positioned on opposite sides of the tube to step feed the hose string down the tube. Gripping fingers mounted on a swinging arm just below the bottom of the tube separate each hose in turn. An air orifice on the inner finger positioned in the mouth of tube intermittently blows the final hose on the string up into the tube to provide an everting operation.

Abstract: In a hosiery handling apparatus wherein a string of hosiery is placed on a movable hollow tubular form, and everted through the open end of the form, a reciprocating arm grasps the first in-line hose and breaks it away from the string. The arm then pulls the hose across the top of a horizontal platform to a predetermined, fixed location on the platform. During the pulling operation, frictional resistance (drag) between the hose and platform tends to straighten the hose. An upstanding guide member, formed on the platform, prevents the hose from moving laterally off the platform. After the hose is located on the platform, the platform is tilted downwardly to dump the hose into a neat stack in a tray located beneath the platform. This readies the hose for a subsequent seaming operation.

Abstract: A hosiery inspecting, everting, separating and stacking apparatus including a U-shaped, elongated, tubular form axially pivoted adjacent one end for oscillatory movement in a vertical plane between a loading, intermediate inspecting and everting position and a separating and stacking position. Hosiery from a knitting machine is placed on the U-shaped tubular form in the loading position while still in a continuous string. Pulling the hosiery on the form over the open end and bunching the string on the form is facilitated by inducing egress of air during the loading operation. The form containing the hosiery string is moved during each cycle from the inspecting position where everting is performed by vacuum to a separating position where separation is preferably formed by a pulling-off operation with breaking of a knitted connector ring attaching the hose to the string.