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CA1157765A - Small piece folding, stacking and counting apparatus - Google Patents

Small piece folding, stacking and counting apparatus

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Publication number
CA1157765A
CA1157765A CA000375934A CA375934A CA1157765A CA 1157765 A CA1157765 A CA 1157765A CA 000375934 A CA000375934 A CA 000375934A CA 375934 A CA375934 A CA 375934A CA 1157765 A CA1157765 A CA 1157765A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
blowdown
piece
pieces
air supply
air
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA000375934A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Michel Bourque
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1157765A publication Critical patent/CA1157765A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Abstract

IMPROVED SMALL PIECE STACKER BLOWDOWN MEANS
AND CATCH MEMBER

ABSTRACT
In a small piece stacker and counter for use in association with laundry ironing machines comprising conveyor belt means having space defined between two belts with passage therethrough of the piece, an improved single pipe blowdown means having single or dual sets of apertures adapted to blow down a piece through the spaced-apart conveyor belts, and improved conveyor belt type catch means for the catching of the piece at a central por-tion thereof.

Description

1 ~57765 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention The device of this invention resides in the area of laundry folding and stacking devices and more particularly relates to an improved blowdown pipe and catch member apparatus for the receipt, folding, stacking and counting of small laundered pieces, particularly napkins and the like, after the pressing thereof.
History of the Prior Art In commercial laundries wide-throated ironers, such as 5-roll ironers are commonly utilized for pressing sheets and smaller articles. The ironers can feed the pressed laundry, such as sheets, into sheet-folding machines in order to mechanically fold such sheets after the pressing thereof. Other items are also fed through these wide-throated ironers. Since many of these items are smaller ~L
q~

3 than sheets and cannot be folded by sheet folding machines, cur-4 rently one must have individuals at the end of the ironer to catch the pieces and fold them by hand. Often if there are a 6 plurality of people, usually four, feeding in small pieces, such 7 as napkins into the ironer, then there must be an equal number of 8 individuals to receive such pieces and fold them by hand when 9 they come out of the ironer or exit on the conveYor belts of the folder, which folder cannot be utilized for folding purposes dur-11 ing small piece transport operation. In an attempt to mechanize 12 small piece handling some machines have a perpendicular bar dis-13 posed at the end of the conveyor belt, and the small pieces 14 travel and fall onto the bar. The bar may be supported by a bracket which has the ability to tip forward upon the receipt 16 thereon of a particular predesignated count so that the napkins 17 or other pieces travel onto the bar, fold over the bar, one after 18 the other on top of each ot~er. When the number of pieces reachec 19 the preselected count, then the bracket tips the bar forward and those pieces are retrieved off the bar~ Another method of 21 gathering such pieces is for them to free fall offthe end of the 22 conveyor belt onto hars centrally supported in metal cages ap-23 proximately the size of the piece so that the pieces drape across 24 the bar. I~hen a preselected number have fallen on the bar, they are removed by a worker.
26 The most desirable method of accomplishing small piece 27 stacking and counting is by using my small piece stacker and 2B counter wherein the pieces are blown down on a catch member 29 through the conveyor helt.

31 SU~ ~ ~Y OF THE INVENTION
32 It is an object of this invention to provide improved catch
2.
I .

1 15776~

means in my small piece stacker and counter. Rather than pro-viding a blowdown member of two pipe construction, it has been found that a single pipe with a single or dual set of air holes will blow the work piece down on the catch member. The catch member, also improved herein, incorporates a single belt disposed below the blowdown member and adapted to catch the work pieces and then move the pile of work pieces when the desired number has been released to a forward position for removal.
According to a broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided an improved blowdown member for a laundry small piece stacker and counter for use in association with laundry ironing machines of the type having a pair of rollers.
A series of conveyor belts are driven by thé rollers.
Conveyor belt means are also provided and having a space defined between an inner pair of the said conveyor belts.
The space is a distance less than the width of the piece.
A stationary blowdown member is aligned with the movement of the pieces. Air supply means is adapted to blow air through the blowdown member. Air supply control means is interposed between the air supply means and the blowdown pipes with detector means adapted to detect the positioning thereunder of a piece being moved along the conveyor belts. The detector is adapted such that when it detects the presence of the said piece, it activates the air supply control means thereby allowing air to pass from the air supply means through the blowdown member whereby the pieces are blown down between the inner conveyor belts onto catch means disposed below the blowdown member onto which the pieces are blown when air passes through the blowdown member. The improvement comprises ~ 157765 the blowdown member being of a single pipe at least as long as the piece and having defined therein a single linear series of apertures at the bottom thereof directly above the catch means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIO~ OF THE DRAWI~GS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of one improved blowdown member and catch means in use.
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the improved blowdown pipes of this invention through A-A of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a view of the improved catch member and operating means thereof.
Figure 4 is a simplified cross-sectional view of apparatus.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIME~T(S) Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of the small piece stacker with improved blowdown member 22. It should be noted that a series of these stackers can be utilized. There should be one blowdown member 22 for each entry point of small pieces into the ironer. Seen in this view are first roller 10 and second roller 12 spaced horizontally apart from one another and having, running therebetween, a plurality of conveyor belts 14, the innermost conveyor belts 16 on either side of the blowdown member 22 are spaced apart a particular distance, the determination of which will be discussed below. Means to drive the conveyor belts in a forward manner is provided by means such as motor 18 or equivalent means. ~he distance between the innermost conveyors 3a.

16 must be a distance wider than the air flow from blowdown member 22 yet narrower than the small piece, such as a napkin, to be folded, stacked and counted by the device of this invention. Approximately 7" has been found satisfactory.
The blowdown member 22 is supported in a stationary fashion on a plane horizontal to the plane of the conveyor belts and somewhat above the surface upon which the piece will be trans-ported on the conveyor belts. The device is adapted so that when the pieces are entered into ironer 24, as seen in Figure 4, they pass through and eventually are carried on conveyor belts 14 and 16 of the device of this invention and pass under the blowdown member 22. The blowdown member consists of blowdown pipe 26 interconnected to air supply tube 32 in which the flow of air is controlled by a solenoid control valve 34 between such air supply tube 32 and an air pressure source 36. The air pressure source must be capable of producing pressure in the range of 20 - 50 psi and may consist of a compressor, a tank, reserve tank, or any equivalent well-known source of supplying such air pressure.
The solenoid valve 34 is controlled to allow passage of the air pressure when the piece passes under a photocell detector 38 or any equivalent means of detection of passage of the piece along the conveyor belt at a predetermined point. When the photocell or equivalent is activated, the line 39 running therefrom activates solenoid valve 34 and interconnects the air pressure source 36 through blowdown pipe 26. In a preferred embodiment such line 39 is interconnected through counter 40. Such counter 40 can be of a conventional type able to be preset to a desired number of activations before resetting is necessary. In practice each piece proceeds along 1 ~57765 the conveyor belt and when it reaches the preselected position on the conveyor belt and is sensed by detection means 38, the solenoid valve 34 is activated, opening air pressure source 36 into the blowdown member 22, forcing the piece through the innermost conveyor belts 16 onto catch member 42 as seen in Figure 3. Further each time the blowdown member 22 is activat-ed, the counter will count that piece and will perform opera-tions as described below when a preselected number has been reached. At the bottom of blowdown pipe 26, as seen in Figure 2, may be a single or dual series of apertures 41.
If dual apertures are used, they should be approximately 30 on each side of the vertical adapted to blow downward between the belts 16 of the conveyor. These apertures can be of 1/16"
in diameter and spaced approximately 1" from one another. As has been mentioned above, each time a piece passes under detector 38, it is blown doward between the innermost conveyor belts 16 onto a catch member below. The piece is blown onto the catch member so that it catches in its center and both sides thereof land down on either side of the catch member.
Each piece will stack upon one another on the catch member until counter 40 counts the desired number of pieces that have gone under the detector and have been blown down upon a catch member. When the desired number on the counter has been reached, the catch member belt 42 is moved so that an empty portion thereof moves under the blowdown member 22 for receipt of the then proceeding pieces along the conveyor belt. An operator will remove the preselected number of folded pieces which have been folded along their center over the advanced portion of cath member, be it 42, and will stack them in a place for their delivery to the customer. When the rear portion 82 of catch member belt has received the preselected number of pieces, then the belt will move another portion 84, now emptied, back underneath the blowdown mechanism to receive successive pieces blown down thereon and a worker will remove the preselected number of pieces there-5.a
3 from. The process continues with successive sections of the catc~4 member belt receiving the pieces.
Figure 3 illustrates a means of operating the rotation of 6 the catch member belt into position under the receiving area be-7 low the blowdown member 22. It has been found that the catch 8 means described below ~orks well with the device of this inven-9 tion utilizing the air pressure source that is conveniently avail-able for use. Seen in this view are catch ~ember belt 42 which is 11 positioned to run parallel to the direction of the small piece 12 movement directly below the blowdown member ~2. The length of 13 catch member belt 42, advanced portion 80 and rear portion 82 14 should be sufficiently long to receive the piece being blown down and the pieces moved forward for pickup. In order to drive 16 the catch member bel~, a circuit is completed from the counter 17 when it has reached the preselected number of pieces to be stacked 18 which opens valve 50 from air supply 52 to piston 54 thereby pul-19 ling that piston's rod 56 as seen in Figure 3, the end of which piston rod 56 is attached to chain member 58 around sprocket mem-21 ber 60 affixed to one-way ratchet member 62. The other end of 22 chain 58 is affixed to spring member 64 which is affixed at its 23 other end to the frame of the device of this invention so that 24 when the piston rod is activated and moved by the air pressure, the chain will rotate sprocket member 6~ count~r clockwise 26 driving the catch member belt the distance to move the collecting 27 pile of work pieces beyond the area of the belt where the next 28 group will be blown so that it can be picked up. After the move-29 ment of the piston, the air pressure is then cut off by valve 50, and spring 64 causes the return of the piston rod to its ready 31 position. This return movement though does not rotate the catch 32 ¦ mem r belt due to the use of the one-way ratchet 62 which allows~

3 the belt only to be moved during the counter clockw;se rotation
4 of sprocket member 60. When the next load of pieces has been blown down on a catch member belt, the counter then activates 6 valve 50 causing the air supply to enter and move the piston 7 arm again which will rotate the belt to its next catching posi-8 tion.
9 It has been found that the instant invention works well with the newer synthetic, more slippery, materials while my prior 11 invention cited in the prior art section above works well not 12 onlY on synthetic materials but also on other types of less 13 slippery fabrics.
14 Although the present'invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it will be apparent to those 16 skilled in the art that variations and modifications can be sub-17 stituted therefor without departing from the principles and 13 ~ spir of th~ inveotion.

~Z9 Sl 32 7.

Claims (5)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. An improved blowdown member for a laundry small piece stacker and counter for use in association with laundry ironing machines of the type having a pair of rollers, a series of conveyor belts driven by said rollers; conveyor belt means having a space defined between an inner pair of said conveyor belts, said space being a distance less than the width of said piece; a stationary blowdown member aligned with the movement of the pieces; air supply means adapted to blow air through said blowdown member; air supply control means interposed between said air supply means and said blowdown pipes with detector means adapted to detect the positioning thereunder of a piece being moved along said conveyor belts, said detector adapted such that when it detects the presence of said piece, it activates said air supply control means thereby allowing air to pass from said air supply means through said blowdown member whereby the pieces are blown down between the inner conveyor belts onto catch means disposed below said blowdown member onto which said pieces are blown when air passes through said blowdown member, the improvement comprising:
said blowdown member being of a single pipe at least as long as said piece having defined therein a single linear series of apertures at the bottom thereof directly above said catch means.
2. An improved blowdown member for a laundry small piece stacker and counter for use in association with laundry ironing machines of the type having a pair of rollers, a series of conveyor belts driven by said rollers, conveyor belt means having a space defined between an inner part of said conveyor belts, said space being a distance less than the width of said piece; a stationary blowdown member aligned with the movement of the pieces, air supply means adapted to blow air through said blowdown member; air supply control means interposed between said air supply means and said blowdown pipes with detector means adapted to detect the positioning thereunder of a piece being moved along said conveyor belts, said detector adapted such that when it detects the presence of said piece, it activates said air supply control means thereby allowing air to pass from said air supply means through said blowdown member whereby the pieces are blown down between the inner conveyor belts onto catch means disposed below said blowdown member onto which said pieces are blown when air passes through said blowdown member, the improvement comprising:
said blowdown member being of a single pipe at least as long as said piece having defined therein a dual linear series of apertures, each positioned approximately 30° from the vertical adapted to blow air to either side of said catch member below but within said innermost conveyor belt means.
3. The device of claim 1 having an improved catch means comprising a single continuous belt member running on two upper and one lower rotating members parallel to the direction of small piece movement below said blowdown pipe adapted to receive said small pieces in a rear portion thereof to be folded thereover in a central portion of said small piece and upon activation, to rotate and move the received small pieces to a forward position and collect succeeding blown down pieces on a now empty rear portion thereof.
4. The device of claim 2 having an improved catch means comprising a single continuous belt member running on two upper and one lower rotating members parallel to the direction of small piece movement below said blowdown pipe adapted to receive said small pieces in a rear portion thereof to be folded thereover in a central portion of said small piece and upon activation, to rotate and move the received small pieces to a forward position and collect succeeding blown down pieces on a now empty rear portion thereof.
5. The device of claim 3 or 4 wherein the means for rotation of said belt member comprises:
a one-way ratchet member affixed to turn said lower rotating member in the direction of movement of said belt;
a sprocket member adapted to rotate said ratchet member;
a chain member having a first and second end, the body of which passes around and engages said sprocket member;
an air cylinder and piston with rod, said rod connected to the first end of said chain member, said air cylinder's piston adapted to be operated by said air supply means;
valve means interposed between said air cylinder and said air supply means;
means for actuation of said valve means to allow air to pass to said cylinder; and spring means having a first and second end, said first end interconnected with the second end of said chain member and the second end affixed to a stationary portion of the device of this invention.
CA000375934A 1980-08-27 1981-04-22 Small piece folding, stacking and counting apparatus Expired CA1157765A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US18186080A 1980-08-27 1980-08-27
US181,860 1980-08-27

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1157765A true CA1157765A (en) 1983-11-29

Family

ID=22666108

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000375934A Expired CA1157765A (en) 1980-08-27 1981-04-22 Small piece folding, stacking and counting apparatus

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA1157765A (en)

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