Pneumatic tensioning device for circular knitting machines, particularly for circular machines for making stockings

Claim 1

IN A KNITTING MACHINE HAVING A NEEDLE CYLINDER; A PNEUMATIC DEVICE FOR APPLYING TENSION TO EACH ARTICLE AS THE LATTER IS FORMED AND FOR EVERTING EACH ARTICLE PRESSED OFF THE NEEDLE CYLINDER, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A FIRST TUBE COAXIAL WITH SAID NEEDLE CYLINDER AND HAVING AN OPEN END ADJACENT THE LATTER; A SECOND TUBE EXTENDING COAXIALLY WITHIN SAID FIRST TUBE AND SPACE RADIALLY INWARD FROM THE LATTER TO DEFINE AN ANNULAR SPACE THEREBETWEEN, SAID SECOND TUBE HAVING AN OPEN END ADJACENT SAID OPEN END OF THE FIRST TUBE; MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID FIRST AND SECOND TUBES WITH THE NEEDLE CYLINDER TO ROTATE AND OSCILLATE WITH THE LATTER; AND MEANS SELECTIVELY OPERATIVE, DURING THE FORMING OF EACH ARTICLE, TO CAUSE AIR TO FLOW IN SAID ANNULAR SPACE IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID NEEDLE CYLINDER AND SAID OPEN END OF THE FIRST TUBE SO THAT THE ARTICLE IS FORMED OVER SAID SECOND TUBE AND HAS TENSION APPLIED TO IT IN SAID ANNULAR SPACE, AND, DURING THE PRESS-OFF CYCLE OF THE MACHINE, TO CAUSE AIR TO FLOW IN SAID SECOND TUBE IN THE DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID NEEDLE CYLINDER AND SAID ONE END OF THE SECOND TUBE SO THAT THE FINISHED ARTICLE IS EVERTED AND EJECTED THROUGH SAID SECOND TUBE.