A removal device for removing a tubular knitted manufacture from a circular knitting machine for hosiery or the like, comprising an annular removal body which supports a plurality of removal members arranged around the axis of the removal body, which is arrangeable coaxially around the needle cylinder of a circular knitting machine; the removal members are supported by first and second annular portions, which can move by rotation with respect to each other about an oscillation axis in order to pass between a removal condition and a sewing condition, in which the annular portions are arranged so as to face each other, the removal members forming a respective removal head which can move on command along a removal trajectory which has a component that is parallel to the axis of the removal body and at least one radial component away from the axis.

A pick-up device for picking up a tubular knitted article from a circular knitting machine, comprising an annular pick-up body which supports pick-up elements which can slide relative to the pick-up body along radial directions. The end of each one of the pick-up elements has a seat which can engage a region of the stem of the needle located proximate to the latch of the needle on the opposite side with respect to the head of the needle. The device comprises actuation elements formed by elastic elements which act on the pick-up elements for their sliding toward the axis of the pick-up body and radial pushers which act on the pick-up elements for their sliding away from the axis of the pick-up body in contrast with the action of the elastic elements.

A pick-up device for picking up a tubular knitted article from a circular knitting machine, comprising an annular pick-up body which supports pick-up elements which can slide relative to the pick-up body along radial directions. The end of each one of the pick-up elements has a seat which can engage a region of the stem of the needle located proximate to the latch of the needle on the opposite side with respect to the head of the needle. The device comprises actuation elements formed by elastic elements which act on the pick-up elements for their sliding toward the axis of the pick-up body and radial pushers which act on the pick-up elements for their sliding away from the axis of the pick-up body in contrast with the action of the elastic elements.

A method for reversing a tubular knitted article (S) is disclosed. According to the method, the tubular knitted article (S), engaged at a first end thereof by a pick-up device (5) and hanging with a second end thereof from the pick-up device, is introduced in a reversing tube (15). The reversing tube (15) is moved through the pick-up device (5) so as to project with the upper end (15B) thereof above the pick-up device; and the reversing tube (15) is moved reciprocatingly up and down between an upper position and a lower position, while co-acting with a top clamping device (31) and a bottom clamping device (35) until the tubular knitted article (S) is entirely everted on the outer surface of the reversing tube (15).

A turning device for knitted tubular articles, particularly for turning inside-out tubular articles with pockets that protrude from the lateral surface thereof. The turning device in question comprises a main supporting structure which supports a tubular body arranged with its axis substantially vertical. The tubular body has its upper axial end beveled along a plane that is inclined with respect to its axis. The turning device comprises first actuation means which can be activated to perform a translation of the tubular body along its axis with respect to the main supporting structure. The tubular body is insertable, with its upper axial end, through an axial end of a tubular article in order to turn it inside out. The turning device comprises second actuation means which can be activated to rotate the tubular body about its own axis, through an angle of preset breadth, with respect to the main supporting structure.

A turning device for knitted tubular articles, particularly for turning inside-out tubular articles with pockets that protrude from the lateral surface thereof. The turning device in question comprises a main supporting structure which supports a tubular body arranged with its axis substantially vertical. The tubular body has its upper axial end beveled along a plane that is inclined with respect to its axis. The turning device comprises first actuation means which can be activated to perform a translation of the tubular body along its axis with respect to the main supporting structure. The tubular body is insertable, with its upper axial end, through an axial end of a tubular article in order to turn it inside out. The turning device comprises second actuation means which can be activated to rotate the tubular body about its own axis, through an angle of preset breadth, with respect to the main supporting structure.

A pickup device for picking up a knitted tubular manufacture from a circular knitting machine for hosiery or the like and for transferring it to a unit adapted to perform additional operations on the manufacture, comprising an annular pickup body that supports a plurality of pickup elements, which are arranged radially around the axis of the pickup body and can slide with respect to the pickup body along radial directions; the pickup body can be arranged coaxially around the needle cylinder of a circular knitting machine for hosiery or the like, with each one of the pickup elements laterally facing a needle of the machine; actuation means are provided which act on the pickup elements for their movement along the radial directions at least from a first position, in which the pickup elements are closer to the axis of the pickup body, to a second position.

A pickup device for picking up a knitted tubular manufacture from a circular knitting machine for hosiery or the like and for transferring it to a unit adapted to perform additional operations on the manufacture, comprising an annular pickup body that supports a plurality of pickup elements, which are arranged radially around the axis of the pickup body and can slide with respect to the pickup body along radial directions; the pickup body can be arranged coaxially around the needle cylinder of a circular knitting machine for hosiery or the like, with each one of the pickup elements laterally facing a needle of the machine; actuation means are provided which act on the pickup elements for their movement along the radial directions at least from a first position, in which the pickup elements are closer to the axis of the pickup body, to a second position.

A method for reversing a tubular knitted article (S) is disclosed. According to the method, the tubular knitted article (S), engaged at a first end thereof by a pick-up device (5) and hanging with a second end thereof from the pick-up device, is introduced in a reversing tube (15). The reversing tube (15) is moved through the pick-up device (5) so as to project with the upper end (15B) thereof above the pick-up device; and the reversing tube (15) is moved reciprocatingly up and down between an upper position and a lower position, while co-acting with a top clamping device (31) and a bottom clamping device (35) until the tubular knitted article (S) is entirely everted on the outer surface of the reversing tube (15).

A method for closing a knitted tubular manufacture at an axial end thereof, comprising:producing the manufacture up to execution of the last course of knitting;gripping the loops;removing the manufacture, retaining each loop of the last course formed;positioning the manufacture at a sewing station;transitioning the loops from pickup elements to spikes of a handling device;inverting the manufacture retained by the handling device;superimposing each one of the loops of one half course of knitting on a corresponding loop of the other half course of the last course of knitting;sewing pairs of loops of knitting that are mutually superimposed;disengaging the manufacture from the handling device, the s removal step of the manufacture comprising a first extraction preparation step, a second manufacture extraction step, and a third manufacture transfer step.