Abstract: A circular knitting machine for hosiery, with a device for producing tubular items closed at an axial end, and relative method. The machine has a diverter accommodated inside the needle cylinder disengaged from the rotation of the needle cylinder about its own axis with respect to the needle actuation cams and to the lowering sinker actuation cams. The diverter has a profile which protrudes from an internal region of the needle cylinder gradually toward the wall of the needle cylinder. The profile is engaged by an end portion of the item lying inside the needle cylinder between two needles mutually angularly spaced around the axis of the needle cylinder in order to achieve sliding of the item portion along the profile following rotation of the needle cylinder with respect to the diverter. The machine has sinkers for retaining the item portion against the profile during its sliding.

Abstract: The method consists in forming a tubular item on a circular machine by means of the needles of the needle cylinder, starting from the opposite axial end of the item with respect to the axial end to be closed and retaining on the needles of the needle cylinder the last formed row of knitting. The loops of the last row of knitting are then transferred individually to an auxiliary element provided with supporting elements for individually supporting the loops, and the supporting elements of at least one first half-row of the last row are suitable to receive two loops and to pass one of the two loops in the other loop. The item is furthermore reversed before and after the transfer.

Abstract: An apparatus for handling textile articles with structure to engage a portion 30 of the articles in a station for removal thereof and to operate the handling thereof in a predetermined direction F up to a station for either the unloading or the release thereof. A rotation body 6 acts between the removal and handling means and the article portion 30 is engaged by the latter, in order to move the article portion forward by rotating it in the direction F about a respective fold axis u—u. The rotation body 6 is in an active condition in correspondence of the unloading of the articles 3 and, respectively in a rest condition in correspondence of the removal and handling thereof.

Abstract: A device for the electronic adjustment of hosiery tension in circular textile machines, whose particularity consists of the fact that it comprises an actuator which is adapted to move a carriage, which is in turn adapted to perform a translatory motion along an axis which is parallel to a diametrical axis of the circular textile machine, the carriage supporting at least one transducer connected to a hosiery advancement device, the transducer being adapted to detect a contrasting force which is due to the advancement of the hosiery item, the contrasting force being processed in a controller which is adapted to emit a speed signal for the actuator, in order to adjust the movement speed of the carriage in contrast with the contrasting force.

Abstract: A needle control device for stocking knitting machines, comprising a connecting element which can engage a needle or sub-needle or slider and can be arranged in the same slot of the needle holder that accommodates a needle, and an actuation element which is connected to the connecting element and can oscillate on command on a plane which is substantially parallel to the sides of the corresponding slot of the needle holder in which it is accommodated. The actuation element is provided with at least one first heel and at least one second heel which are mutually spaced along the side of the actuation element that lies opposite the side meant to be directed toward the bottom of the slot of the needle holder.

Abstract: A slider for double-cylinder circular knitting machines which comprises an elongated laminar body which has a first longitudinal side which is meant to be rested on the bottom of an axial slot formed in the curved surface of the lower needle cylinder or in the curved surface of the upper needle cylinder and at least two heels which protrude transversely to the longitudinal extension of the laminar body on the second longitudinal side of the laminar body that lies opposite the first side. The laminar body has, proximate to one of its longitudinal ends, a hook for engagement with a needle. A first one of the two heels is arranged on a portion of the laminar body which can move with respect to the remaining part of the laminar body in a direction which has a component which is transverse with respect to the longitudinal extension of the laminar body for the transfer of the first heel from an inactive position to an active position, or viceversa.

Abstract: A needle actuation device for knitting machines, comprising a cam supporting surface which faces a needle supporting element and supports at least one casting-off cam which has a profile arranged at an angle to the direction in which the needle supporting element moves with respect to the cam supporting surface during the operation of the machine. The profile of the casting-off cam can be engaged by a heel of the needles, or of needle pusher elements, which protrudes from the needle supporting element toward the cam supporting surface. The casting-off cam is supported by the cam supporting surface so that it can rotate about a first axis which is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the portion of the needle supporting element that faces in each instance the cam supporting surface and can rotate on command about the first axis in order to vary the inclination of its profile with respect to the direction of motion.

Abstract: Apparatus for the opening or stretching apart of one end (10) of a tubular article (1), comprising a body (T) of substantially tubular shape, with an entry section (I) of the end (10) of the articles (1) to be treated and communicating with air suction means, in which downstream of the section (I) a converging-diverging conduit (2) is provided downstream of which, at a predetermined distance, there is a pin member (3) on which the end (10) of the article is to be fitted by virtue of the suction and of the expansion or opening caused by its transit along the region (20) downstream of the conduit (2). The body (T) is made up of two portions separable with respect to a central longitudinal plane (x--x) at least in correspondence of the above mentioned pin member (3) to allow the removal of the article (1) with its end (10) in streteched condition. (FIG. 1).

Abstract: Apparatus for positioning textile tubular articles according to a predetermined reference, comprising a structure (1) with, for each article (5) to be formed, two pairs of cylindrical parallel and superimposed rollers (4) rotatable about respective longitudinal axes, and on which the article in the process of formation is able to be fitted: at least one of the pairs of rollers (4) being associated to one or more detectors (7) intended to detect a longitudinal reference of the article and to determine, upon detection, the temporary compression-operated adhesion of the corresponding fabric portion of the article to the surface of a fixed body (4) located between the vertically superimposed rollers (4) of each pair by means of corresponding buffer pistons (70) associated thereto.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for sewing textile articles, according to which provision is made for moving a sewing machine from and to article-supporting shapes, so as to cause the legs of the articles to be sewn to transit through an optical control port facing the needle of a seamer and extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to that of transit of the articles in the process of formation.

Abstract: A process and an apparatus for reducing the length of the lead-in thread in double-cylinder circular hosiery-making or knitting machines in which the thread, fed by a corresponding thread guide, is clamped at its end, before knitting begins, by a thread cutting and clamping device which laterally faces the needle cylinders of the machine downstream of the position of the thread guide, relative to the direction in which the needle cylinders rotate about their own axis, with respect to the thread guide and to the cutting and clamping device. The process consists in keeping the thread clamped by the cutting and clamping device even after the thread has been taken up by the needles at the beginning of the knitting process, and in cutting the portion of thread which, at the beginning of the knitting process, lies between the first needle that took up the thread and the point where the thread is clamped in the cutting and clamping device.

Abstract: Apparatus for the formation of gussets to be applied in the crotch region of pantyhose articles upon the assembly thereof on a machine having a plurality of shapes (2) over which the stockings to be assembled to form pantyhose articles are fitted in pairs, the gussets being formed out of a ribbon (30), coming from a relevant input section (I), by a cutter (4) located downstream of the section (I), characterized in that it comprises a first plane (7) upstream of the cutting unit (4), a second and a third plane (8, 9) each of which is apt to engage a corresponding side of the ribbon (30), the second plane (8) being moveable from and to the ribbon (30)--inputting section (I) and the third plane (9), located downstream of the cutting unit (4), being moveable between a position in which it results in face-to-face relationship with the second plane (8) and a position in which it engages the individual gussets (66) already formed, in an arrangement suitable for the transfer thereof to the crotch region of the pantyh

Abstract: A method for ladderproofing the last row of a knitted item consisting in that, upon execution of the last row of the item, the interstitch portions, i.e., the portions of the thread or threads that join two contiguous loops of knitting, are produced with an increased length, forming additional loops which are alternated with the loops of the last row of knitting. Preferably, each one of the loops of the last row is knit in with a contiguous additional loop, further reinforcing the ladderproofing of the last row of the item.

Abstract: A circular knitting machine for knitting hosiery has a program drum which can be advanced through short or longer-pitch movements in dependence on an arrangement of removable pins located in seats around the drum. The presence, absence, and length of the pins is sensed mechanically by a control device associated with an incremental advance mechanism for the drum. The speed of the needle cylinder is also controlled in dependence on the arrangement of pins. By changing the arrangement, articles of different size can be produced on the machine.

Abstract: In a circular knitting machine having needle and/or jack butts at different levels, control cams for the butts are selectively movable radially of the needle cylinder, and angularly. Radial movement of the control cams causes the cams to act selectively on all of the butts, on only the upper butts, or on none of the butts, and angular movement of the control cams causes the control cams to effect, selectively, raising of the butts, partial raising of the butts, or raising of none of the butts.

Abstract: A circular knitting machine has a needle selection system which can be set up to provide selection under electronic control, or to provide for manual selection. The selection system has a plurality of slidable selection cams which are controlled by an electro-magnetic system to act on rocking selector jacks, the electro-magnetic system being operated by an electronic control program. For manual selection, the electro-magnetic system serves to hold all of the selection cams in an excluded position and selection is obtained by manually insertable cams which act on the selector jacks.

Abstract: A circular knitting machine has rocking selector jacks, selected ones of which are raised in a raising zone by means of a raising cam. A cam is provided in correspondence of the raising zone with a lower profile extending parallel to the intended trajectory of the other, non-selected, jacks to engage butts of these jacks whereby to prevent them from being raised unintentionally.

Abstract: A knitting machine has a lowering cam which acts on the butts of the needles to lower the needles in an active stroke. A stop cam associated with the lowering cam acts on the butts to decelerate the needles at the end of the stroke. The relative positions of the lowering cam and the stop cam can be adjusted in two mutually transverse directions to ensure smooth engagement of the butts with the stop cam.

Abstract: A plurality of machines, such as circular hosiery machines, are controlled at preselected times during a knitting cycle by a central control unit. Each machine includes, in addition to the needle cylinder, a revolutions counter and angular position detector cooperatively connected to the cylinder, as well as actuators which change or vary the operations performed on the article by the cylinder. If desired a size-change unit may be provided for each machine to vary the sizes of the body, leg, and foot of articles produced. A cyclical switching generator successively and individually feeds information from the angular detector and revolutions counter into a central control unit from each machine as well as feeding information from the central control unit to the actuators of each machine, so that, for any position and after a prescribed number of revolutions of each machine, prescribed knitting functions may be directed.

Abstract: A method for forming a closed end on a tubular knitted fabric, such as a stocking, on a circular knitting machine, in which two annular tubular layers are formed as continuations of the tubular knitted fabric at separate stages by needles operating in the same cylinder of the machine. The two layers are supported on separate circles of support members while a relative rotation through at least 180.degree. between the circles of support members is effected, and a final few rows of substantially run-proof close knitting are made before the fabric is cast-off from the needles.