Method of and apparatus for producing hosiery

Claim 2

A panty hose processing and handling system comprising, in combination, semi-boarding means for semi-boarding individual panty hose garments, stacking means for stacking panty hose garments in a flat stack with the legs of the garments extending in side-by-side relation, packaging means for packaging individual, semi-boarded panty hose garments into cartons, and garment conveyor means for conveying semi-boarded panty hose garments from said semi-boarding means and selectively delivering the conveyed garments to said stacking means or to said packaging means, said semi-boarding means including a plurality of collapsible boarding forms, a form conveyor for moving the forms about an endless path past a loading station through a treatment chamber and past a stripping station, and means for collapsing the boarding forms at said stripping station, said garment conveyor means including stripper means.

Claim 3

The processing and handling system defined in claim 1 wherein said garment conveyor means is a pneumatic conveyor and comprises a conduit having a substantially dumbbell-shaped passage extending therethrough with the enlarged portions of said passage each adapted to receive one leg of a garment stripped from said collapsed forms and maintain said legs separated during passage of the garment through the conduit to facilitate stacking, and means creating a flow of air along the top portion of said forms into and through said conduit when said forms are at said strIpping station to pneumatically strip the garments and deliver them toes first into said conduit.

Claim 4

The processing and handling system defined in claim 2 wherein said packaging apparatus comprises vacuum forming means for receiving garments from said pneumatic conveyor means and forming the garments into the general configuration of a carton, and means for transferring the formed garment into an open carton.

Claim 5

The processing and handling system defined in claim 3 wherein said stacking means comprises vertically extending stop means extending adjacent the constricted portion of said conveyor conduit at the outlet thereof in position to engage and arrest the crotch portion of a panty garment discharged therefrom while permitting the legs thereof to pass one on each side of said stop, and means for interrupting the flow of air through said conduit to permit an arrested article to fall free from said outlet.

Claim 6

In a cartoning system in which a plurality of open cartons are conveyed seriatim past a filling station for receiving individual articles deposited therein, the improvement comprising the steps of vacuum forming successive individual flexible textile articles into a forming chamber and transferring the formed articles from said chamber into said cartons at said filling station.

Claim 7

In a cartoning system in which a plurality of open cartons are conveyed seriatim past a filling station for receiving individual articles deposited therein, the improvement comprising the steps of vacuum forming successive individual flexible textile articles into a forming chamber and transferring the formed articles from said chamber into said cartons at said filling station.

Claim 8

In the art of conveying open containers past a filling station, depositing articles into the individual containers at the filling station, and subsequently closing the containers, the improvement comprising the steps of delivering pliable articles to the filling station, inserting the individual articles into a forming chamber by use of pneumatic pressure differential, and transferring the formed articles from the forming chamber to an open container at the filling station.

Claim 9

In the art of conveying open containers past a filling station, depositing articles into the individual containers at the filling station, and subsequently closing the containers, the improvement comprising the steps of delivering pliable articles to the filling station, inserting the individual articles into a forming chamber by use of pneumatic pressure differential, and transferring the formed articles from the forming chamber to an open container at the filling station.

Claim 10

The method defined in claim 6 wherein said step of delivering said articles to said filling station includes conveying the articles through a pneumatic conveyor conduit.

Claim 11

The method defined in claim 6 wherein the step of inserting said articles into said forming chamber comprises applying a vacuum within said forming chamber to draw the articles into the chamber.

Claim 12

The method defined in claim 8 wherein the step of applying said vacuum comprises withdrawing the air from within said chamber through a plurality of spaced apertures formed in at least two opposed side walls of said chamber.

Claim 13

The method defined in claim 9 wherein said at least two walls extend in the direction of movement of the articles into said chamber.

Claim 14

The method defined in claim 10 wherein said step of delivering said articles to said filling station includes conveying the articles through a pneumatic conveyor tube.

Claim 15

The method defined in claim 7 wherein said step of inserting said articles into said forming chamber comprises applying a vacuum within said forming chamber to draw the articles from said pneumatic conveying tube into said chamber.

Claim 16

The method defined in claim 12 wherein the step of applying said vacuum comprises the steps of withdrawing air from said chamber through a plurality of spaced apertures formed in at least two opposed walls of said chamber, said at least two walls extending in the direction of movement of the articles into the chamber.

Claim 17

The method defined in claim 9 wherein said step of inserting said articles into said forming chamber includes applying a vacuum within said forming chamber to draw the articles from said conduit into said forming chamber.

Claim 20

The metHod defined in claim 15 further comprising the steps of advancing successive elongated cartons seriatim past a filling station adjacent said forming station with one end of said cartons being held open to receive the formed garments, and subsequently closing the open end of the cartons to complete the packaging operation.

Claim 21

The method defined in claim 15 wherein said panty garments are conveyed toes first through said pneumatic conveyor conduit with the legs thereof in side-by-side relation, forming said garments into the elongated forming chambers with said toes at one end thereof and with the top of the garment at the other end thereof and with the intermediate portion of the garment substantially accordion folded therebetween, and transferring the formed garments into the elongated cartons while maintaining the accordion folded configuration.

Claim 24

In a packaging apparatus including conveyor means for conveying empty open containers seriatim past a filling station, a filling mechanism for packaging pliable articles into the open containers at said filling station comprising, article conveyor means for delivering randomly orientated pliable articles to a forming station adjacent said filling station, a forming chamber mounted at said forming station, pneumatic pressure differential means for packing a randomly oriented pliable article into said forming chamber to form the article into the general configuration of said forming chamber, said transfer means for transferring said formed article from said forming chamber into an empty container positioned at said filling station.

Claim 25

In a packaging apparatus including conveyor means for conveying empty open containers seriatim past a filling station, a filling mechanism for packaging pliable articles into the open containers at said filling station comprising, article conveyor means for delivering randomly orientated pliable articles to a forming station adjacent said filling station, a forming chamber mounted at said forming station, pneumatic pressure differential means for packing a randomly oriented pliable article into said forming chamber to form the article into the general configuration of said forming chamber, said transfer means for transferring said formed article from said forming chamber into an empty container positioned at said filling station.

Claim 26

The packaging apparatus defined in claim 19 wherein said article conveyor means comprises a pneumatic conveyor conduit, and means for creating a flow of air through said conduit to deliver the articles to be packaged to said forming station.

Claim 27

The packaging apparatus defined in claim 19 wherein said pneumatic pressure differential means comprises means for applying a vacuum within said forming chamber.

Claim 28

The packaging apparatus as defined in claim 21 further comprising a plurality of apertures formed in a wall of said forming chamber, said means applying a vacuum within said forming chamber being operable to withdraw air through said apertures.

Claim 29

The packaging apparatus as defined in claim 22 wherein said plurality of apertures are formed in at least two opposed side walls of said forming chamber, said at least two side walls extending in the direction of movement of an article into said forming chamber.

Claim 30

The packaging apparatus as defined in claim 23 wherein said forming chamber comprises a generally rectangular tubular member having an open inlet at one end and an open outlet at the opposed end, and means for closing said open outlet to permit the forming of an article in said chamber and for opening said outlet to permit the formed article to be discharged therethrough.

Claim 31

The packaging apparatus as defined in claim 19 wherein said forming chamber comprises an elongated tubular member with at least one end wall thereof open to define an inlet through which the pliable articles are received in said forming chamber, and an outlet through which the formed articles are transferred by said transfer means.

Claim 32

The packaging apparatus as defined in claim 25 wherein both ends of said foRming chamber are open, with one open end defining an inlet for said chamber and the opposed open end defining an outlet for said chamber, and means for closing said outlet to permit an article to be formed therein and for opening said outlet to permit the formed article to be telescoped therethrough.

Claim 33

The packaging apparatus as defined in claim 26 wherein said transfer means comprises means for applying a force through said open inlet to the formed article to telescope the formed article through said outlet.

Claim 34

The packaging apparatus as defined in claim 27 wherein said means applying said force through said open inlet comprises plunger means for projecting through said inlet, and fluid motor means for projecting and retracting said plunger.

Claim 35

The packaging apparatus defined in claim 25 further comprising means for moving said forming chamber between a filling position for receiving a pliable article through said inlet and a discharge position for discharging the formed article through said outlet.

Claim 36

The packaging apparatus as defined in claim 29 wherein said means for conveying empty containers seriatim past said filling station comprises means for intermittently advancing the containers one at a time to said filling station to receive a formed article telescoped therein from said forming chamber at said discharge position, and means coordinating movement of said conveyor means and said means for moving said forming chamber.

Claim 37

In a cartoning apparatus including a magazine adapted to contain a supply of empty cartons in a flat folded condition, a carton feeding mechanism adapted to feed cartons one at a time from said magazine, a carton erecting mechanism for erecting the individual cartons, a carton conveyor movable along an endless path to move the erected cartons from said magazine successively past said carton erecting mechanism and a carton filling station to a discharge station, a filling mechanism for depositing pliable articles in the erected cartons at said filling station comprising, a vacuum forming chamber for receiving individual pliable articles and forming the articles into a configuration generally corresponding to the configuration of the interior of an erected carton, pneumatic conveyor means for delivering the individual articles into said forming chamber, and means for transferring the formed article from said forming chamber directly into an open carton at said filling station whereby the pliable article substantially uniformly fills the carton.

Claim 38

In a cartoning apparatus including a magazine adapted to contain a supply of empty cartons in a flat folded condition, a carton feeding mechanism adapted to feed cartons one at a time from said magazine, a carton erecting mechanism for erecting the individual cartons, a carton conveyor movable along an endless path to move the erected cartons from said magazine successively past said carton erecting mechanism and a carton filling station to a discharge station, a filling mechanism for depositing pliable articles in the erected cartons at said filling station comprising, a vacuum forming chamber for receiving individual pliable articles and forming the articles into a configuration generally corresponding to the configuration of the interior of an erected carton, pneumatic conveyor means for delivering the individual articles into said forming chamber, and means for transferring the formed article from said forming chamber directly into an open carton at said filling station whereby the pliable article substantially uniformly fills the carton.

Claim 39

In the cartoning apparatus as defined in claim 31 the further improvement wherein said forming chamber has one open end wall, means supporting said forming chamber with said open end wall positioned adjacent the open end of a carton at said filling station to permit a formed article to be telescoped therethrough into said carton, and means closing said open wall to permit the forming of an article in said chamber.

Claim 40

In a cartoning apparatus as defined in claim 32, the further improvement wherein said pneumatic conveyor means comprises an elongated conveyor conduit having an open inlet, a horizontal feed platform having an opening extending therethrough and communicating directly with said open inlet, and means creating a flow of air through said conduit from said feed opening whereby a pliable article positioned on said horizontal platform with a portion thereof extending over said feed opening will be drawn through said conduit by said flow of air and delivered to said forming chamber.

Claim 43

The packaging apparatus as defined in claim 34 wherein said forming chamber is in the form of an elongated rectangular tubular conduit having an open end defining an inlet for the panty garments, a plurality of apertures extending through and positioned substantially over the entire surface of two opposed side walls of said forming chamber, and means evacuating air from said forming chamber through said plurality of apertures formed in said side walls.

Claim 44

The packaging apparatus defined in claim 35 wherein said means for transferring the formed garments comprises plunger means projecting through an opening in one end of said forming chamber to push the formed garment from the other end of said chamber directly into the open end of a container.

Claim 45

A panty hose processing and handling system comprising, in combination, semi-boarding means for semi-boarding individual panty hose garments, packaging means for packaging individual, semi-boarded panty hose garments into cartons, and garment conveyor means for conveying semi-boarded panty hose garments from said semi-boarding means with the legs thereof extending in side-by-side relation and delivering the conveyed garments to said packaging means, said semi-boarding means including a plurality of collapsible boarding forms, a form conveyor for moving the forms about an endless path past a loading station through a treatment chamber and past a stripping station, means for collapsing the boarding forms at said stripping station, and means at said stripping station to strip the semi-boarded panty hose garments from the collapsed forms.

Claim 46

A panty hose processing and handling system comprising, in combination, semi-boarding means for semi-boarding individual panty hose garments, packaging means for packaging individual, semi-boarded panty hose garments into cartons, and garment conveyor means for conveying semi-boarded panty hose garments from said semi-boarding means with the legs thereof extending in side-by-side relation and delivering the conveyed garments to said packaging means, said semi-boarding means including a plurality of collapsible boarding forms, a form conveyor for moving the forms about an endless path past a loading station through a treatment chamber and past a stripping station, means for collapsing the boarding forms at said stripping station, and means at said stripping station to strip the semi-boarded panty hose garments from the collapsed forms.