Tubular stretch closed end material smoothing device, for stockings or tights

摘要

The unit(s) feeds and stretches the material on a longitudinal former. The heater heats it on the former. The material is initially gathered to be taken by grips which move along the former to draw the material over it and peel it on. Pref. the grips are inserted at least partially into the sides of the stocking gathering station to hold the material and spread it outwards, with grip(s) tilting w.r.t. the other against a limit stop to hold the stocking fabric between them. When the gathered stocking has been drawn over the former, the grip is tilted back to release it from the limit stop, and both grips are parallel to each other. The tilting grips is moved alternately between a setting against the limit stop and parallel to the other grip while they are moved along the former, to draw the stocking material over the former. The frequency of the tilting action is controlled w.r.t. the relative speed between the grips and the former. The two outer grips, with a gripping prong, flank a U-shaped gripping head with tilting legs as gripping prongs. Each limit stop is a rubber buffer. The stocking is gathered by two displaced plates with continuous belts between them which project at least partially beyond the plates, with two double-belts with parallel belts where one travels against the other. Guide bars between the plates, over the belts, project at least partially beyond the long end surfaces of the plates. The former has curved U-shaped stretcher(s). A turntable, rotatable on a vertical axis, carries formers (11), with separate stations for the feed and stretching units and the heaters, for the turntable to rotate between them. A unit to withdraw the stocking is after the heater at the former. The stretchers are suspended at the turntable, with their rounded ends downwards. A light unit with a flat illumination is directed at the stocking on the former for visual control. The stretchers swing on a holder at the turntable between an aligned assembly and an assembly pushed to one side of the alignment. The stretchers swing parallel to each other for the stocking to be drawn off at the take-off station by two belts which extract the stocking from the sides of the stretcher, and pass the stocking to a lateral folder with two belts and a folding slide and a stiffening sheet is inserted for packaging.