Apparatus for the manufacture of knitted goods

Claim 1

A SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING FLATTENABLE TUBULAR ARTICLES, COMPRISING A TREATMENT STATION; AND ENDLESS CONVEYOR FOR TRANSPORTING A SUCCESSION OF FLAT FORMS WITH ARTICLES SUPPORTED THEREON PAST SAID TREATMENT STATION, SAID CONVEYOR INCLUDING INTERLEAVED ELONGATED BASES AND LINKS ARTICULATED TO ONE ANOTHER, SAID BASES HAVING LONGITUDINAL EDGES EXTENDING BETWEEN LEADING AND TRAILING EXTREMITIES THEREOF ENGAGED BY SAID LINKS; AN ARTICLE-SUPPORTING FORM RISING FROM EACH OF SAID BASES, THE LATTER BEING PIVOTABLE BETWEEN FIRST POSITIONS SUBSTANTIALLY IN LINE WITH THE DIRECTION OF CONVEYOR MOVEMENT AND SECOND POSITIONS SUBSTANTIALLY TRANSVERSE TO SAID DIRECTION, THE LEADING AND TRAILING EXTREMITIES OF ADJACENT BASES BEING RESPECTIVELY JUXTAPOSED IN SAID SECOND POSITIONS THEREOF; FIRST GUIDE MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF SAID BASES AT LOCATIONS REMOTE FROM SAID STATION FOR MAINTAINING SAID BASES IN SAID FIRST POSITIONS; SECOND GUIDE MEANS IN THE REGION OF SAID STATION ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID JUXTAPOSED EXTREMITIES OF SAID BASES IN SAID SECOND POSITIONS THEREOF FOR MAINTAINING SAID BASES PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER IN SAID REGION; MECHANISM INCLUDING SAID FIRST AND SECOND GUIDE MEANS FOR ADVANCING SAID CONVEYOR ALONG A CLOSED PATH THROUGH SAID STATION; FIRST CONTROL MEANS AT THE ENTRANCE END OF SAID REGION FOR SUCCESSIVELY SWINGING SAID BASES FROM SAID FIRST POSITIONS INTO SAID SECOND POSITIONS; AND SECOND CONTROL MEANS AT THE EXIT END OF SAID REGION FOR SUCCESSIVELY SWINGING SAID BASES FROM SAID SECOND POSITIONS INTO SAID FIRST POSITIONS.

Claim 2

A SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING FLATTENABLE TUBULAR ARTICLES, COMPRISING A TREATMENT STATION; AND ENDLESS CONVEYOR FOR TRANSPORTING A SUCCESSION OF FLAT FORMS WITH ARTICLES SUPPORTED THEREON PAST SAID TREATMENT STATION, SAID CONVEYOR INCLUDING INTERLEAVED ELONGATED BASES AND LINKS ARTICULATED TO ONE ANOTHER, SAID BASES HAVING LONGITUDINAL EDGES EXTENDING BETWEEN LEADING AND TRAILING EXTREMITIES THEREOF ENGAGED BY SAID LINKS; AN ARTICLE-SUPPORTING FORM RISING FROM EACH OF SAID BASES, THE LATTER BEING PIVOTABLE BETWEEN FIRST POSITIONS SUBSTANTIALLY IN LINE WITH THE DIRECTION OF CONVEYOR MOVEMENT AND SECOND POSITIONS SUBSTANTIALLY TRANSVERSE TO SAID DIRECTION, THE LEADING AND TRAILING EXTREMITIES OF ADJACENT BASES BEING RESPECTIVELY JUXTAPOSED IN SAID SECOND POSITIONS THEREOF; FIRST GUIDE MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF SAID BASES AT LOCATIONS REMOTE FROM SAID STATION FOR MAINTAINING SAID BASES IN SAID FIRST POSITIONS; SECOND GUIDE MEANS IN THE REGION OF SAID STATION ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID JUXTAPOSED EXTREMITIES OF SAID BASES IN SAID SECOND POSITIONS THEREOF FOR MAINTAINING SAID BASES PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER IN SAID REGION; MECHANISM INCLUDING SAID FIRST AND SECOND GUIDE MEANS FOR ADVANCING SAID CONVEYOR ALONG A CLOSED PATH THROUGH SAID STATION; FIRST CONTROL MEANS AT THE ENTRANCE END OF SAID REGION FOR SUCCESSIVELY SWINGING SAID BASES FROM SAID FIRST POSITIONS INTO SAID SECOND POSITIONS; AND SECOND CONTROL MEANS AT THE EXIT END OF SAID REGION FOR SUCCESSIVELY SWINGING SAID BASES FROM SAID SECOND POSITIONS INTO SAID FIRST POSITIONS.