Apparatus to manufacture garments starting from tubular knitted textiles and method thus obtained

Abstract

An apparatus with at least one tubular support ( 2 ) rotating about an axis ( 102 ), on which a knitted raw tubular portion ( 3 ) is placed. The support ( 2 ) has holes ( 42 ) in communication with a suction system for causing the tubular portion ( 3 ), and eventually a semi-finished garment ( 60 ) resulting therefrom, to adhere to the support ( 2 ) in order to assure its correct position during operation. The tubular portion ( 3 ) can be cut along a desired cutting line ( 61 ) that is obtained by combination of the rotation ( 102 ) of the tubular support and the translation (D2) of cutting means, which can be of laser type. A plurality of supports ( 2 ) may be mounted on a carousel ( 100 ) rotatable stepwise about a driven axis and carrying the tubular supports ( 2 ) through corresponding cutting ( 154 ), moisturizing ( 151 ), drawing on the support ( 152,153 ), loading ( 150 ) and unloading ( 155 ), quality checking ( 150,155 ) workstations.

What we claim is:  
     
         1 . Apparatus for making knitted garments starting from a knitted raw tubular portion characterised in that it comprises at least one tubular support capable of rotating about at least one axis on which said knitted raw tubular portion is put for being subject to at least one operation.  
     
     
         2 . Apparatus, according to  claim 1 , wherein said tubular support is peripherally equipped with a plurality of holes in communication with a suction system suitable for causing said knitted raw tubular portion to adhere on the surface in order to assure its correct position during the operation.  
     
     
         3 . Apparatus, according to  claim 1 , wherein when said operation is a cutting step said tubular support is associated to at least one means for cutting said knitted raw tubular portion according to at least one predetermined cutting line, said means for cutting being capable of moving with respect to said tubular support along at least one direction, said cutting step being executed by combination of rotation of said tubular support and of translation of said cutting means whereby edges of said garments can be cut of desired shape.  
     
     
         4 . Apparatus, according to  claim 1 , wherein said or each axis about which said tubular support can rotate is an electronically controlled axis.  
     
     
         5 . Apparatus, according to  claim 4 , wherein the control of said axis of rotation of said tubular support is carried out operating it by means of motors associated to means for detecting the angular position of the shaft selected from the group of: encoder, resolver, potentiometer.  
     
     
         6 . Apparatus, according to  claim 3 , wherein said cutting means is of laser type.  
     
     
         7 . Apparatus to manufacture knitted garments starting from a knitted raw tubular portion characterised in that it comprises a carousel rotatable about a driven axis on whose boundary a plurality is arranged of tubular supports, each tubular support being carried stepwise by the carousel through corresponding workstations, each tubular support being selectively capable of rotating capable of rotating about at least one axis in said workstations.  
     
     
         8 . Apparatus, according to  claim 7 , wherein at least at one of said stations said tubular supports are operatively connected to actuating means, which causes them to rotate about at least one electronically controlled axis.  
     
     
         9 . Apparatus, according to  claim 7 , wherein said tubular supports have peripherally a plurality of holes that at least at one station are put in communication with a suction system in order to cause said knitted raw tubular portion to adhere on the surface of said tubular support.  
     
     
         10 . Apparatus, according to  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the workstations is a moisturizing station wherein at least one spray means is provided suitable for moisturizing the processed knitted raw tubular portion.  
     
     
         11 . Apparatus, according to  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the workstations provided is a drying station at which said knitted raw tubular portion put on said tubular support is crossed by a warm air flow that draws it on the tubular support.  
     
     
         12 . Apparatus, according to  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the workstations is a cutting station of said knitted raw tubular portion on the tubular support.  
     
     
         13 . Apparatus, according to  claim 12 , wherein the knitted raw tubular portion is cut by a cutting means movable along at least one direction with respect to said tubular support, the latter being operatively connected to said actuating means, which causes them to rotate about at least one electronically controlled axis, said cutting step occurring by combination of the motion of said tubular support and said cutting means in order to cut edges of desired shape.  
     
     
         14 . Method for making knitted garments starting from a knitted raw tubular portion characterised in that it provides the following steps: 
 putting a knitted raw tubular portion on a tubular support;    treating said knitted raw tubular portion on said tubular support, comprising at least one of the following operations: cutting, moisturizing, drawing on the support, quality checking;    said tubular support being selectively capable of rotating about at least one axis.    
     
     
         15 . Method, according to  claim 14 , wherein said tubular support is peripherally equipped with a plurality of holes in communication with a suction system suitable for causing the garment to adhere on the support surface in order to assure its correct position during the relative treatment.  
     
     
         16 . Method, according to  claim 14 , wherein the cutting of the knitted raw tubular portion is made rotating the tubular support about at least one electronically controlled axis and moving a cutting tool, selected from the group of laser, ultrasound, mechanical cutter, etc. in a sliding direction in order to cut edges according to a desired shape through a combination of the motion of the support and the cutting tool.