WO2002084011A1

WO2002084011A1 - Device for the automatic loading of textile articles in boarding machines

Info

Publication number: WO2002084011A1
Application number: PCT/IT2002/000225
Authority: WO
Inventors: Carmelo Angelo Cortese
Original assignee: Cortese SpA
Current assignee: Cortese SpA
Priority date: 2001-04-11
Filing date: 2002-04-10
Publication date: 2002-10-24
Anticipated expiration: 2003-10-11

Abstract

The device for automatically loading ladies' stoclings and similar textile articles in boarding machines consists of a turntable (2) that bears at least one pair of shapes (3) that are supported rotating between a open position in textile article laoding and checking station (C) and a closed position on parallel planes in tansfer station (7) in which said textile articles are transferred to a boarding machine. The device consists in swiveling supports (5) of said shapes (3) that move on vertical guides (14) fixed to the turntable (2). The supports (5) are joined to a lever device (10) designed to enable the angular rotation of the shapes (3) between said open position and said closed position. Lifting devices (20) are designed to command the alternate movement of the supports (5) between a raised closed position of the shapes in the position in which they are brought together and a ower open position in the transfer station (T). The lifting devices (20) bear actuators (27) fitted with gripping devices (25) designed to hook the lever device (10) and to be enabled to command the angular rotation of the shapes (3) between the open position and the closed position.

Description

Description DEVICE FOR THE AUTOMATIC LOADING OF TEXTILE ARTICLES IN

BOARDING MACHINES Technical Field The following invention regards a device for the automatic loading of textile articles, such as ladies' stockings and the like in boarding machines for these textile articles. Background Art It is known that during production the ladies' stockings and similar textile products undergo a boarding treatment in order to give them a permanent form. In order to perform this boarding process, the stockings are fed onto and held taut by special shapes and then subject to a thermal treatment in, for example, special pressurised steam chambers. This thermal treatment gives the fabric a permanent form that permits the stockings to adopt the desired shape.

Automatic machines currently used for the boarding of the stockings are composed of a turntable bearing such shapes, positioned around the edge of the turntable itself, which the stockings are fed onto and by which they are held taut. The rotation of the turntable brings the stockings fed on to the shapes inside a boarding chamber, which uses, for example, pressurised steam, and then inside at least one drying chamber. The stockings are then removed from the boarding shapes and sent on to the subsequent packaging phases. In such boarding machines, the time spent by the shapes inside the boarding chambers is usually limited. The time spent in the boarding chamber is in particular conditioned by the time required for the stockings to be fed on to the shapes manually, which usually requires approximately 5 seconds. The time required to feed the stockings onto the shapes therefore affects the movement in step of the turntable. In order to obtain the actual duration of the stocking boarding phase, one must subtract the time necessary for opening the boarding chamber, the subsequent introduction of the steam and the finale opening of the chamber from this interval. Therefore, the actual time that the shapes spend in the boarding chamber, in other words the time available for boarding the stockings is not usually more than 2 seconds.

Such a reduced boarding time is sufficient for treating normal quality stockings, however it is not suitable for the boarding of high quality stockings that are manufactured using thicker fibers and therefore require longer treatment times. On the other hand, it goes without say that an increase in boarding time in the abovementioned machines would result in an unacceptable reduction in productivity.

An alternative solution consists in the stockings to be treated being fed on to detachable supports that are slid, by means of towing devices on to guides attached to the fixed structure of the boarding machine.

This permits the availability of a series of shapes bearing stockings to be treated in a stack area upstream from a boarding station equipped with a large boarding chamber. This series of shapes is then transferred simultaneously from the stack area inside the boarding chamber, in order for the boarding treatment to be performed on the stockings. Once the thermal treatment has been completed, the abovementioned series of shapes is transferred simultaneously inside the drying chamber. This solution has the advantage of ensuring a longer duration of the shapes inside the boarding chamber, in order to allow perfect boarding. However, it has the disadvantage that the larger dimensions of the boarding chamber require increased steam consumption, with a proportional increase in cost.

The use of a boarding chamber with large dimensions is also subject to the issuance of certain international certificates. The fact that this kind of boarding machine usually requires more than one operator and therefore has high labor costs should also be considered. It is known that the boarding machine is linked up to an automatic device for loading the stockings to be treated. This device consists of a turntable bearing at least one pair of shapes, positioned around the outer edge of the turntable, on to which the ladies' stockings are fed. These shapes are supported in such a way that they revolve in relation to one another between a open position, in which the shapes protrude somewhat on the same vertical plane in a stocking loading and checking station and a position in which they are brought together on parallel planes in a station where the stockings are automatically transferred into the boarding machine.

Inside the loading station, once the operator has fed the stockings onto the abovementioned shapes, he/she checks for any manufacturing flaws by examining the articles against a luminous panel positioned in the station. In order make this kind of check possible, the loading shapes are obviously made of a transparent material.

It goes without say that the loading device is required to operate at an operating speed suitable to that of the boarding machine. Disclosure of Invention The aim of the present invention is to devise a device that permits the high speed loading of ladies' stockings and the like in boarding machines for textile articles.

As part of this aim, the present invention also has the objective of providing a device for the automatic loading of textile articles that has a simple design, reliable function and versatile application.

The abovementioned objectives can be achieved by this present invention, using the device for the automatic loading of ladies' stockings and similar textile articles in boarding machines for such textile articles of the type consisting of a turntable around which are positioned at least one pair of shapes which the respective textile articles are fed on to, said shapes rotating which relation to one another between an open position in which the shapes are protrude on the same vertical plane, in the textile articles loading and checking station, and a position in which they are brought together on parallel planes in transfer station for transferring the textile articles into the boarding machine, characterized by that it consists of swiveling supports of said shapes that move on guides that are vertically joined to said turntable; a lever device joined to said supports for enabling the angular rotation of said shapes between said open position and said position in which they are brought together; lifting devices for commanding the alternate movement of said supports between a raised closed position of said shapes in the said position where they are brought together and a lower open position, in transfer station; actuators carried by said lifting devices and fitted with gripping devices for hooking said lever device in said transfer station and for being enabled in order to command said angular rotation of said shapes between said open position and said closed position.

Brief Description of Drawings

Description details of the invention shall be further evident in the illustrations of a preferred type of automatic loading device for ladies' stockings, in the guideline drawings attached and wherein:

Fig. 1 illustrates an overall perspective of the device for loading ladies' stockings in a boarding machine with certain parts omitted for clarity's sake;

Fig. 2 illustrates a perspective of said supports and shape enabling devices;

Fig. 3 illustrates a partially sectioned side view of these supports and shape enabling devices;

Fig. 4 illustrates the corresponding horizontal view;

Fig. 5 illustrates a perspective of said lifting devices; Fig. 6 illustrates a horizontal diagram of a boarding machine fitted with the device in object;

Fig. 7 illustrates a perspective of a support for the boarding shapes used in this machine.

Modes for Carrying out the Invention With reference to such figures, 1 refers to the automatic loading device for ladies' stockings and the like designed to be linked up with a machine for boarding such stockings.

The device 1 is composed of a turntable 2 that rotates on a vertical axis and bears a number of pairs of shapes 3, which the respective stockings are fed onto, around its outer edge. The turntable 2 should preferably bear four pairs of shapes 3, positioned at equal intervals. In other words, the pairs of shapes 3 are distributed around the edge of the turntable at an angle of 90° to one another. The shapes 3 rotate in relation to one another by means of a hinge 4, between a open position in which the shapes 3 considerably protrude on the same vertical plane, in the stocking loading and checking station C, and a position where they are brought together on parallel planes, in the transfer station T in which said stockings are transferred to the abovementioned boarding machine. The shapes 3 are attached at the base to brackets 30 that are anchored to the same pin 40 mounted, on a vertical axis, on the hinge 4.

The hinge 4 is fixed to one extremity of the support arm 5, in a radial position in relation to the turntable 2. The shapes 3 are removable in order to permit format changes. The shapes 3 are symmetrically joined at the base by rods 6 to a cross member 7 that slides on a shaped prismatic guide 8 below the support arm 5. The cross member 7 is in turn attached by a further rod 9 to a lever device 10 for enabling the angular rotation of the shapes 3 between the open position and the position where they are brought together mentioned above. The lever device 10 consists of an L-shaped lever anchored at one end by a pin 1 to a head 12 that reaches from the support arm 5 at the opposite extremity from that of the joint of the shapes 3; the pin 11 is positioned on a transversely horizontal axis to the support arm 5. The head 12 of the support arm 5 is laterally attached to a slider 13 that slides on a vertical guide 14 composed of an upright member 15 joined to the turntable 2. The lever 10 bears a freely rotating roller 16, which has a substantially radial axis to the turntable 2 at the opposite extremity to the joint of the rod 9; the roller 16 should preferably be spherical. The head 12 bears a second freely rotating roller 17 next to and parallel to the first roller 16 of the lever 10. The rollers 16 and 17 slide along a ring-shaped track 18 fixed to the device's structure on a horizontal plane that defines the loading plane of the shapes 3 in the station C. The ring 18 has an opening 19 in correspondence with transfer station T. At the abovementioned transfer station T, a lifting device 20 commands the alternate movement of the support arm 5 bearing the shapes 3 between a raised position in relation to the abovementioned loading plane in which the shapes 3 are closed in the position in which they are brought together, and a position lower than the abovementioned loading plane, in which they are opened.

The lifting device 20 is composed of a sliding trolley 21 on a vertical guide 22 fixed to the device's structure. The trolley 21 is attached to belt transmission devices 23 that wrap around a pair of pulleys 24, one upper and one lower; the upper pulley 24 is motorized by an electric motor, not shown on the drawing. The trolley 21 bears a pair of gripping jaws 25 and 26, positioned one next to the other, for hooking rollers 16 and 17 attached to the support arm 5 respectively. In particular, the first gripping jaw 25 is mobile as enabled by an actuator 27 in order to enable the lever device 10 to command the angular rotation of the shapes 3, whereas the second gripping jaw 26 is fixed to trolley 21.

Obviously it is possible to provide the support arms 5 of the shapes 3 with individual lifting devices, operated by respective motors. The function of the device will now be described from the stocking loading phase in the loading and checking station C. During this phase, inside the above mentioned station C, a pair of shapes 10 stop in the open position in which the shapes 3 protrude on the same vertical plane. In this condition the operator feeds the stockings on to the shapes 3. Then the turntable 2 will command the rotation in step to take the shapes 3 into transfer station T where the stockings are transferred into the boarding machine, which is positioned diametrically opposite loading station C. The rotation step of the turntable 2 is 90°, equal to the angular distance between the pair of shapes 3. During this rotation, the rollers 16 and 17 of the lever device 10 and the support arm 5 slide along the ring-shaped track 18 on the same horizontal plane as shape 3 loading plane in station C and the shapes 3 maintain their initial open position.

In transfer station T, rollers 16 and 17 engage gripping jaws 25 and 26 respectively and in this phase, they are positioned by the opening 19 of the ring-shaped track 18, of which they form an extension (see fig. 5). The lifting device 20, whose trolley 21 moves to a raised position, following the movement imposed by transmission belt 23, is enabled. The trolley 21 tows to the raised position the shapes 3 to which the support arm 5 is attached by the second gripping jaw 25, at the roller 17. The bringing together of the forms 3 in the raised position is enabled by the angular rotation of the lever device 10; this rotation of the lever device 10 is commanded by the movement of the first gripping jaw 25, enabled by the actuator 27. The opposite movement of the trolley of the lifting device 20 is subsequently commanded into a lower position in relation to the abovementioned loading plane of the shapes 3, in order that the stockings can be transferred onto the boarding shapes 28 positioned in the station, according to known methods. In this lower position, the shapes 3 are opened and are taken to the open position by the enabling of the lever device 10, determined by the movement of the first gripping jaw 25 commanded by actuator 27.

The trolley 21 is then commanded to return to its initial position, corresponding to the abovementioned shape 3 loading plane, in which rollers 16 and 17 can slide along the ring-shaped track 18. The rotation in step of the turntable 2 therefore brings the shapes 3 into the open position, back to loading station C for another stocking loading cycle.

The device is better linked up to a boarding machine 50 consisting of a fixed structure for defining a rectangular pathway, along which the supports 60 bearing their respective boarding shapes 28 are guided. As shown in fig. 7, the supports 60 of the shapes 28 are composed of a rectangular metallic plate 64 mounted on sliding blocks 65 that should preferably be manufactured in a plastic material with a low friction coefficient, positioned on the corners of the plate 64. Due to the presence of the sliding blocks 65, each support 60 slides along the machine's platform 55. In the case illustrated, the supports 60 carry the respective pairs of shapes 28 for the stockings to be fed on to, mounted on half- moon shaped connectors 38. The supports 60 are guided along each stretch of the polygonal pathway by guides 53 composed of special section bars fixed to the platform 55 in pairs, in order to form a type of rail that is engaged by the abovementioned sliding blocks 65 of the plates 64. The sliding blocks 65 consent the supports 60 to slide along two perpendicular directions. Towing devices for moving the supports 60 are positioned on each stretch of the polygonal pathway to be followed. These towing devices are composed of pushers 51 connected to conveyors 54 by a slider 52, for example, the type with a toothed belt, enabled with an alternating motion by special motors. The abovementioned polygonal pathway includes, downstream from transfer station T for transferring the textile articles to be treated, a multiple boarding station F fitted with a number of boarding chambers 58 for simultaneously receiving a corresponding number of boarding shapes 28, a drying station A for stacking a number of boarding shapes 28 discharged from multiple boarding station F and an extraction station E for extracting the textile articles treated from the boarding shapes 28. Opportunely the plates 64 of the supports 60 have an inclined upper surface, between a pair of lateral panels 63, in order to drain the condensation produced during the boarding phase. The loading device 1 is connected to an oscillating arm 59, by means of which it is possible to rotate the device to a rest position, should manual stocking loading onto the boarding shapes be required. The device therefore achieves the aim of performing high speed automatic loading of ladies' stockings and the like in boarding machines. The device is particularly suitable for use with a boarding machine fitted with a multiple boarding station, in which the shapes are mounted on supports towed along a polygonal pathway.

The use of multiple boarding station F allows a multiplication of the boarding cycle times, with a significant increase in the time that the shapes 3 spend inside the respective boarding chambers. The simultaneous use of two boarding chambers consents, in particular, to double the overall boarding cycle time, which is equal to two stocking loading phases. Having subtracted the time required for the opening of the boarding chamber, the subsequent introduction of steam and the final opening of the chamber, the actual duration for which the stockings are inside the boarding chamber, in other words the stocking boarding time, is somewhat longer than that obtained in conventional turntable machines, which is, for example, approximately seconds.

The combined use of the loading device used suitably in step with the movement of the boarding shapes along the polygonal pathway of the machine and rotating through 90°, consents a further increase in productivity, of approximately 20%, caused by the reduction of unused time.

The device therefore permits improved productivity and optimal boarding even for high quality textile articles. Materials adopted for the actual realization of the invention, as well as their shapes and sizes, can be various, depending on the requirements.

Claims

1) Device for the automatic loading of ladies' stockings and similar textile articles in boarding machines for such textile articles of the type consisting of a turntable (2) around which are positioned at least one pair of shapes (3) which the respective textile articles are fed on to, said shapes (3) rotating which relation to one another between an open position in which the shapes (3) are protrude on the same vertical plane, in the textile articles loading and checking station (C), and a position in which they are brought together on parallel planes in transfer station (T) for transferring the textile articles into the boarding machine, characterized in that it consists of swiveling supports (5) of said shapes (3) that move on guides (14) that are vertically joined to said turntable (2); a lever device (10) joined to said supports (5) for enabling the angular rotation of said shapes (3) between said open position and said position in which they are brought together; lifting devices (20) for commanding the alternate movement of said supports (5) between a raised closed position of said shapes (3) in the said position where they are brought together and a lower open position, in transfer station (T); actuators (27) carried by said lifting devices (20) and fitted with gripping devices (25) for hooking said lever device (10) in said transfer station (T) and for being enabled in order to command said angular rotation of said shapes (3) between said open position and said closed position.

2) Device according to claim 1 , characterized in that said supports (5) are composed mainly of an arm in a radial position in relation to said turntable (2), bearing a hinge (4) at one extremity on which the shapes (3) are anchored and bearing at the other extremity a head (12) bearing said lever device (10) to be laterally linked up to a slider (13) that slides along vertical guides (14).

3) Device according to claim 2, characterized in that said shapes (3) are symmetrically joined at the base by respective rods (6) to a cross member

(7) that slides on a shaped prismatic guide (8) below said support arm (5), said cross member being in turn joined to said lever device (10) by a further rod (9).

4) Device according to claim 2 characterized in that said lever device (10) bears a freely rotating roller (16) at one extremity, which has a more or less radial axis to said turntable (2) and that is designed to be engaged, when it reaches said transfer station (T), by said gripping device (25) of the actuators (27) in order to command said angular rotation of the shapes (3) between said open position and said closed position. 5) Device according to claim 4, characterized in that said gripping devices (25) of said roller (16) are composed of a mobile jaw enabled by an actuator (27) borne on a trolley (21) of said lifting devices (20).

6) Device according to claim 5, characterized in that said roller (16) of said lever device (10) is accompanied by a second roller (17) borne, with a substantially radial axis in relation to said turntable (2), by said head (12) of said supports (5) and designed to be hooked by a second gripping device (26) fixed to said trolley (21) in said transfer station T.

7) Device according to claims 5 and 6, characterized by the fact that said rollers (16) and (17) slide along a ring-shaped track (18), fixed to the device structure and positioned on a horizontal plane that defines the loading plane of said shapes (3) in station C, said ring-shaped track (18) having an opening (19) in correspondence with said transfer station T in order to allow said rollers (16) and (17) to be hooked up by said gripping jaws (25) and (26). 8) Device according to claim 1 , characterized by the fact that said lifting devices (20) consist of a trolley (21) that slides on a vertical guide (22) fixed to the device's structure and linked to belt transmission devices (23) that wrap around a pair of pulleys (24), one upper and one lower, that are driven by an electric motor, with said trolley (21) bearing said actuators (27) of said gripping devices (25) designed to hook said lever device (10) and further gripping devices (26) designed to engage said supports (5).

9) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that said turntable (2) is designed to be enabled with a rotation step of 90°, equal to the angular distance between the corresponding pairs of said shapes (3) that are regularly distributed around the outer edge of said turntable (2).

10) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that said boarding machine consists of a fixed structure (55) for defining a polygonal pathway along which a series of supports (60) are guided and slide bearing boarding shapes which said textile articles to be treated are fed onto in the transfer station (T); towing devices (51) for moving said supports (60) in step, agents corresponding to each linear stretch of said polygonal pathway defined by said fixed structure (55); a multiple boarding station (F), equipped with a number of boarding chambers (58), positioned along a stretch of the said polygonal pathway for simultaneously receiving a corresponding number of boarding shapes (28) mounted on said supports (60); a drying station (A) in which a number of said boarding shapes (28) are stacked following discharge from the multiple boarding station (F); an extraction station (E) where said treated textile articles are extracted from said boarding shapes (28).

APPARECCHIATURA PER IL CARICO AUTOMATICO Dl ARTICOLI

TESSILI IN MACCHINE PER IL FISSAGGIO

Riassunto

L'apparecchiatura per il carico automatico di calze da donna e simili articoli tessili in macchine per il fissaggio comprende una giostra (2) recante perifericamente almeno una coppia di forme (3) supportate girevoli fra una posizione divaricata, in corrispondenza di una stazione (C) di carico e di controllo di detti articoli tessili, e una posizione di reciproco accostamento su piani paralleli, in una stazione (T) di trasferimento di detti articoli tessili a una macchina per ii fissaggio degli stessi articoli tessili. L'apparecchiatura comprende mezzi di supporto girevole (5) di dette forme (3) mobili su mezzi di guida (14) verticali solidali alia giostra (2). Ai mezzi di supporto (5) e articolato un leverismo (10) atto ad azionare la rotazione angolare delle forme (3) fra detta posizione divaricata e detta posizione di reciproco accostamento. Mezzi elevatori (20) sono atti a comandare lo spostamento alternato dei mezzi di supporto (5) fra una posizione sollevata di chiusura delle forme nella posizione di reciproco accostamento e una posizione abbassata di apertura, in corrispondenza della stazione di trasferimento (T). I mezzi elevatori (20) portano mezzi di comando (27) dotati di mezzi di presa (25) atti ad agganciare il leverismo (10) e ad essere azionati per comandare la rotazione angolare delle forme (3) fra la posizione divaricata e la posizione di reciproco accostamento.

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