US3170684A

US3170684A - Means for folding in laundry operations

Info

Publication number: US3170684A
Application number: US239680A
Authority: US
Inventors: Oswald J Eggleton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-02-02
Filing date: 1962-11-23
Publication date: 1965-02-23
Anticipated expiration: 1982-02-23
Also published as: GB985234A; NL287885A

Description

1965 o. J. EGGLETON 3, 70,

MEANS FOR FOLDING IN LAUNDRY OPERATIONS Filed Nov. 23, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor OSWALD J. EGGLETON A ltorn e yg Feb. 23, 1965 o. J. EGGLETON 3,170,534

MEANS FOR FOLDING IN LAUNDRY OPERATIONS Filed Nov. 23, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor OSWALD J. E-GGLE-TON Attorney Feb. 23, 1965 o. J. EGGLETON 3,170,684

MEANS FOR FOLDING IN LAUNDRY OPEBATIONS Filed Nov. 23, 1962 s Sheets-Sheet a Inventor OSWALD II EGGLETON www Attorney;

United States Patent 3,176,684 MEANS FOR FOLDWG llN LAUNDRY OPERATIUNS Oswald J. Eggleton, Ahhotsford, 125 Grudge Heath Lane,

Fareham, Hampshire, England Filed Nov. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 239,689 7 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Feb. 2, 1962, 4,221/ 62 7 Qlaims. (Cl. 27tl=62) This invention relates to methods andjmeans for folding in laundry operation, more particularly to the foldingof sheets or other articles after they have left an ironing machine or automatic folden For th sake of convenience in description all articles requiring the folding operations will be hereinafter referred to simply as sheets,

. since these are typical examples.

The purpose of an automatic sheet folder is to fold the sheet in a lengthwise direction. After this has been done the sheet needs to be folded widthwise to reduce it to the proportions suitable for placing it in a packing rack in a regular style and leaving the laundry mark in a position easily found by the packer. At the present time this widthwise folding is done by hand. The operator takes one end of the sheet and throws it over to the further end, thus making the first cross fold. The double end is next thrown back, thus quartering the article. One or more further folds are then usually necessary. The laundry mark is usually hidden in one of the under folds and must be found before the sheet can be sent to its correct destination in the packing room. The work is tedious and tiring and production falls progressively during the latter part of a day. l

The object of this invention is therefore to provide both a method and a means for effecting this widthwise folding operation which will relieve the operator of fatigue and perform the work either semi-automatically or fully automatically as may be desired.

' According to the present invention the sheet is rolled up into a spiral form having a suitable number of c0nvolutions of which the innermost has a diameter approximating to the width of the folded sheet desired, and when the whole article is thus in the spiral form it is withdrawn from its winding means and allowed to collapse, whereupon it subsides naturally into a flat and regularly shaped package of the desired proportions.

According to another aspect of the invention'an apparatus for folding sheets comprises means for engaging a leading edge of the sheet, roller means arranged to draw the sheet round it and wind it up into a spiral form, and releasing means enabling the sheet to be withdrawn from the roller means in a direction approximately in the line of the axis of rotation.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate by Way of example a convenient form of machine according to the invention.

FIGURE 1 is an elevation on line I-I of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 2 is a plan on line Ill-11 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an elevation on line Ill-1H of FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a detail elevation of a withdrawing mechanism.

A frame lib is provided carrying a driving unit 11 comprising an electric motor and reduction gearing. This driving unit operates a chain 12 and sprockets 13 by which a shaft 14 carried in bearings 15 is rotated. On the shaft 14, freely rotatable but provided with a braking pad to hold it steady and offer a slight resistance to rotation is a hollow cylindrical drum 2%) formed with an opening extending its ful length where the cylindrical surface of the drum is cut away and folded radially inwards, the cut away portion thus forming a V-notch or recess 21; this is of any convenient size, possibly about equal to the radius of the drum in depth. Into this recess 21 the leading edge of the sheet, indicated at S, can be fed. Concentrically Within this hollow drum 2% there is a roller 25 fixed on the shaft 14-, and this roller also has a V-notch or recess 26 cut in it corresponding in dimensions approximately with the one 21 in the outer drum 29. The inner roller 25, being smaller in diameter than the outer drum 24 can move freely inside, across the arc of the V-notch 21 in the I outer drum. The roller 25 can thus trap the leading edge reached a stop 27 along the inside of the outer drum.

Feeding of the sheet into the V-notch 21 is efiected by drawing the sheet off (forvinstance) the take-off table of an ironing machine on to a horizontal conveyor 39 comprising a number of endless bands supported on rollers 31 and operated by a V-belt drive 32 from the main shaft 14. The conveyor 3t? carries the sheet forward and as itis about to leave the conveyor 3h it rides under and lifts a floating roller 33 or any other similar timing device. The roller 33 is thereby caused to operate a micro-switch 34 which energises a solenoid valve unit 35, and this in turn admits air under pressure to the face of a piston 36 working in a cylinder $7. The piston 36 is thus operated and its rod passes over a one-way trip device 38 on a microswtich 39 inoperatively. The piston rod continuing its stroke eventually makes contact with a further microswitch 40. The speed of the piston 36 is regulated by .means of a control valve 41 governing the air pressure applied to it and a delay is contrived while the leading edge of the sheet travels over a downwardly inclined guide plat 42 and enters the V-notch 21; not until this has been achieved does the operation of the micro-switch 4d energise another solenoid valve unit 44. The effect of this is to admit air pressure simultaneously to two cylinders l5 and 46. The cylinder 45 operates a pad 16 acting on a brake rim 17 carried by or forming part of the outer drum 2d, thereby causing a resistance to the rotary movement of the drum. The cylinder 46 exerts pressure on a lever 48 which through a fulcrum 4-9 acts on a thrust collar 5% which is thereby moved to engage the component parts 51 of a clutch mounted on th shaft id, so that thereby the drive to the inner roller 25 is taken up. The V-notch in the roller thus nips the leading edge of the sheet between the outer edges of the roller and the drum 2% and the drive continues to wind the sheet around th drum until the trailing edge of the sheet has passed from under the floating roller 33, which then drops, opening thecircuit in the micro-switch 34. This reverses the solenoid valve 35 which in turn reverses the piston 36 in the cylinder 3? and opens the circuit in the micro switch 4%), reversing the solenoid valve 44, and consequently reversing the travel of the pistons in cylinders 45, 4d. The brake pad 16 is thereupon withdrawn from the brake rim 1'7 and the clutch 51 is disconnected. This leaves the drum androller assembly revolving by its own momentum and as it is desired to get the trailing edge of the sheet into a given position the momentum is allowed to cary the drum 2d and roller 25 appropriately to a position which is timed according to the speed with which the piston 36 is reversed under the control of the valve 52. Having achieved the desired delay the piston rod actuates the one-way trip device 38 and micro-switch 3h, and closes the associated circuit and energises a further solenoid valve assembly $33 which admits air under pressure to a further cylinder 54. This governs the means for withdrawing the sheet from the drum, which comprises an annular plate closely encircling the drum 2d and connected to a piston rod 55 from a piston 56 working in the cylinder 54 so that when the cylinder 54- is pressurised the piston forces the annular plate 57 along guide rods 53 so that it slides along the drum 20 and pushes the sheet off it on to the table or conveyor alongside the delivery end of the drum. On reaching th end of its stroke the plate 57 contacts a micro-switch 59 which reverses the solenoid valve 53 and returns the plate 57 to its original position. The drum 20 and roller 25 come to rest in their proper positions due to the out of balance effect of the V-notches 21. 26.

The linear speed of the conveyor 30 is slightly greater than the peripheral speed of the drum 20 in order to avoid tightness in the sheet being wound; with each revolution of the drum the circumference increases and must be allowed for to obtain the correct tension on the sheet. Sheets of difierent width can be dealt with and all will be formed into packages of similar width, the difference being merely in the different number of convolutions in rolling up. The power required to drive the machine is small and friction type gearing can conveniently be used, if preferred. Fully automatic operation from a conveyor 30 as described is not essential. Semi-automatic operation can be obtained in which the operator will feed the sheet manually into the V-notch and then initiate the cycle of operations.

It will be seen that the method of rolling up a sheet or other article spirally and then allowing it to collapse to a folded form produces the desired results with a great economy in effort and in a Way which will give packages of similar size with laundry marks in uniform and easily visible positions.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for folding articles such as sheets comprising a frame, a shaft mounted in the frame, driving means for rotating the shaft, a hollow cylindrical drum freely rotatable on the shaft, a brake device engaging with the drum, a roller fixed on the shaft and located within the drum, a V-shaped recess in the circumference of the drum spaced axially from said brake device and another V- shaped recess in the roller registrable with the recess in the drum, a stop associated with the drum serving to limit the amount of relative movement made by the roller before drum and roller are rotated in unison, a flat support member adjacent and below said drum, an axially movable annular member capable of stripping wound material from the drum and delivering it to the support member, aconveyor mounted in the frame, drive means for the conveyor, said conveyor being adapted to feed an article to the drum so that a leading edge of the article can be trapped between the V-shaped recesses, a displaceable member in the path of the article being so fed, a pressure system, means actuated by the displaceable member for energising said pressure system, said pressure system including valve means and pressure cylinders eifective to sequentially drive the roller, trap the article, and wind the article around the drum, as well as apply the braking device to the drum, the release of the displaceabl member when the article has cleared it serving to release the rake device, disconnect the drive to the roller, and move the annular member to strip and deliver the article.

2. Apparatus for folding flexible sheet material, comprising a frame, a drive shaft, a cylindrical drum mounted to rotate freely on the drive shaft, a cylindrical roller within the drum fixed to said drive shaft, a flat support surface adjacent one end of the drum and a pair of longitudinal registering recesses in the circumference of the drum and the roller, means for rotating the drive shaft and the roller, a stop inside said drum adjacent its recess and engageable by the wall of the recess of said roller during rotation thereof whereby to drive the drum and to trap a leading edge of the material between the recesses in the drum and roller and to cause the material to be wound round the drum, and means for withdrawing the wound material in the direction axially of the drum to deliver the wound material to said support surface whereby the withdrawn material will collapse and fold.

3. Apparatus for folding flexible, fabric, sheet material, comprising a frame, a drive shaft, a pair of coaxial cylindrical members one within the other, a pair of longitudinal registering recesses in the circumferences of the cylindrical members, one of said cylindrical members being fixed to said drive shaft to rotate therewith, the other of said cylindrical members being freely rotatable on said drive shaft, a stop inside said freely rotatable cylindrical member engageable by a wall portion of the recess of the driven cylindrical member to impart drive to the freely rotatable member, to trap a leading edge of the material between said pair of recesses and to cause the material to be wound around one of said cylindrical members, and means for removing Wound material from said cylindrical members in a direction axially thereof and simultaneously deliver the wound material to a fiat supporting surface, whereby the withdrawn material will collapse and fold.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means for withdrawing the wound material includes an annular member encircling the drum, said drum and annular member being movable axially with respect to one another along the drum, said annular member acting thereby to push the wound material off the drum. 1

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 having a brake device associated with the drum at an area spaced axially from said recess, and means connected with the brake device for applying it so as to offer resistance to rotation during the winding-on of the article.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 including means for feeding material to the drum, a displaceable member situated in the path of the material being so fed to the drum, and means actuated by the displaceable member for initiating an automatic cycle of operations which includes the winding of the article around the drum and its subsequent withdrawal and delivery to the support surface.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said means activated by the displaceable member includes a pressure system, valve means and pressure cylinders connected to sequentially effect the trapping, winding on, and subsequent withdrawal from the drum and delivery to the support of the wound material.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 577,418 2/97 Carter 53-1l9 2,000,062 5/35 Couch 27062 2,620,609 12/52 Pope 53-1 19 2,991,071 7/61 Hilliker 27068 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM B. PENN, Examiner.

Claims

1. APPARATUS FOR FOLDING ARTICLES SUCH AS SHEETS COMPRISING A FRAME, A SHAFT MOUNTED IN THE FRAME, DRIVING MEANS FOR ROTATING THE SHAFT, A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL DRUM FREELY ROTATABLE ON THE SHAFT, A BRAKE DEVICE ENGAGING WITH THE DRUM, A ROLLER FIXED ON THE SHAFT AND LOCATED WITHIN THE DRUM, A V-SHAPED RECESS IN THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE DRUM SPACED AXIALLY FROM SAID BRAKE DEVICE AND ANOTHER VSHAPED RECESS IN THE ROLLER REGISTRABLE WITH THE RECESS IN THE DRUM, A STOP ASSOCIATED WITH THE DRUM SERVING TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF RELATIVE MOVEMENT MADE BY THE ROLLER BEFORE DRUM AND ROLLER ARE ROTATED IN UNISON, A FLAT SUPPORT MEMBER ADJACENT AND BELOW SAID DRUM, AN AXIALLY MOVABLE ANNULAR MEMBER CAPABLE OF STRIPPING WOUND MATERIAL FROM THE DRUM AND DELIVERING IT TO THE SUPPORT MEMBER, A CONVEYOR MOUNTED IN THE FRAME, DRIVE MEANS FOR THE CONVEYOR, SAID CONVEYOR BEING ADAPTED TO FEED AN ARTICLE TO THE DRUM SO THAT A LEADING EDGE OF THE ARTICLE CAN BE TRAPPED BETWEEN THE V-SHAPED RECESSES, A DISPLACEABLE MEMBER IN THE PATH OF THE ARTICLE BEING SO FED, A PRESSURE SYSTEM, MEANS ACTUATED BY THE DISPLACEABLE MEMBER FOR ENERGISING SAID PRESSURE SYSTEM, SAID PRESSURE SYSTEM INCLUDING VALVE MEANS AND PRESSURE CYLINDERS EFFECTIVE TO