US3315385A

US3315385A - Feeding of laundry flatwork

Info

Publication number: US3315385A
Application number: US413696A
Authority: US
Inventors: Taylor Ernest
Original assignee: Manlove Alliott and Co Ltd
Current assignee: CF Doyle Ltd
Priority date: 1963-11-26
Filing date: 1964-11-25
Publication date: 1967-04-25
Anticipated expiration: 1984-04-25
Also published as: GB1115152A; DE1485053A1; DE1485053B2; DE1965719U

Description

A ril 25, 1%? E. TAYLOR 3,315,385

FEEDING OF LAUNDRY FLATWORK Filed Nov. 25, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l A ftornefi April 25, 1967 E. TAYLOR FEEDING OF LAUNDRY FLATWORK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 25, 1964 United States Patent 3,315,385 FEEDING 0F LAUNDRY FLATWORK Ernest Taylor, Nottingham, England, assignor to Manlove, Alliott, & Co. Limited, Nottingham, England Filed Nov. 25, 1964, Ser. No. 413,696 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Nov. 26, 1963, 46,708/ 63 3 Claims. (Cl. 38-143) This invention is concerned with the feeding of laundry flatwork, and more specifically with the straightening and removal of creases from individual pieces of work, such as sheets and tablecloths, in readiness for ironing.

In modern laundry practice, sheets and similar fiatwork pieces are fed in succession, after laundering and while still damp, into a rotary ironing machine which operates at high speed. For good results it is important that each piece should be straightened and freed from folds or creases as it enters the ironer and it has in the past been a problem for the laundry operatives to perform this work fast enough to keep the ironing machine supplied to capacity.

Recently equipment has been devised that relieves the operatives of most of the work of hand-smoothing of the pieces, in that each sheet or the like is introduced into a shaft where it is drawn out straight by air suction. While this equipment work well, it is an object of this invention to provide an arrangement whereby equally good, or better, results are obtained, also with the use of air but with a considerably simplified system.

According to the present invention, there is provided a laundry flatwork straightening device, comprising means subjecting the trailing portion of each sheet, or like flatwork piece, to the action of an unconfined stream of air While said trailing portion is travelling past a plain surface, the air stream being strong enough to create a turbulent condition of the material of said trailing portion and being generally in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the sheet at the time.

By unconfined is meant that the stream of air is not ducted in any way at the region where the straightening is taking place, although it may be contained to some extent by the plain surface and the sheet itself. Preferably, the air stream is directed substantially parallel to the plain surface between said surface and the sheet.

It has been discovered that such an arrangement effectively smooths the work, the shaft which was previously thought essential to contain the sheet being unnecessary.

While the obvious arrangement of the plain surface is horizontal, it will generally be found that a vertical surface is a better proposition in that it takes up far less floor space and gives operatives easier access.

It is to be noted that, to achieve beneficial results, it is not essential that the plain surface be continuous; it could be in sections or strips, with spaces between if desired, and a straightening effect is still obtained, although a continuous plain surface is preferred.

One way of carrying the invention into practice Will now be described by way of example, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a laundry fiatwork straightening device in accordance with the invention, and

FIGURE 2 is a further elevation seen in the direction of the arrow 2 in FIGURE 1.

The apparatus shown is intended to be associated with other equipment for feeding flatwork into a laundry ironing machine, for example in the manner described in patent application Ser. No. 331,695 filed Dec. 19, 1963 for Feeding Device for Ironing Machines, now Patent No. 3,231,267. It acts on sheets or the like as they are delivered in succession to a laundry conveyor or feeder, which may be of conventional riband form, as indicated at 10. The arrangement comprises a vertical metal plate 11 that has across its upper end a horizontal row of louvres 12 to which air under pressure is supplied from a horizontal air box 13, the louvres being shaped to direct the air down the plate surface substantially parallel to it. The air is delivered to the air box 13 by a motor-driven blower or fan 14 through a' trunk 15. The vertical plate 11 is supported from the floor on bent metal support legs 16.

In operation, the leading portion of each sheet is deposited, by laundry operatives on a further conveyor (not shown) across the receiving end of the riband conveyor 10 and the remainder of the sheet is allowed to drop across a short sloping upper margin 17 of the plate 11, above the louvres 12 and forming one side of the air box 13, and thence down the face of the plate 11. The air stream being delivered downwardly parallel to the surface of the plate 11 through the louvres 12 catches the damp sheet and draws it down straight, removing folds and creases and generally smoothing it into a state of preparedness for ironing. The sheet is fed forward to the ironer by the conveyor 10 so that the rear portion of the sheet is pulled up the plate 11, and as this occurs the air stream continues to hold the tail of the sheet out straight.

In the example illustrated the plate 11 is about ten feet wide and thirty inches in height and there are disposed across its upper end thirty air louvres 12 each three inches long with one inch spaces between the louvres. The airdirecting surface of each louvre is spaced out a quarter of an inch from the surface of the plate 11. But while these dimensions give a satisfactory result they are in no way critical and may be varied widely to suit particular applications of the invention.

It is possible to employ staggered louvres instead of the single horizontal row shown. And various combinations of horizontallyand vertically-spaced louvres are also efiective. As an alternative to louvres, the air may be discharged over the plate through short downwardlydirected nozzles or pipes which gives great directional control over the air flow.

The single fan 14 can if desired, be replaced by two or more fans to give more even distribution of air flow across the width of the plate. And as already mentioned the plate 11 could be in some plane other than vertical. While the plate shown in the drawings has a fairly long vertical dimension and this is preferred, it is not vital to have a long plate. Quite good results are obtainable with a compartively short plate.

It will be understood that during the feeding of the sheet to the ironing machine it can be turned end for end to make the portion that previously trailed into the leading portion, and vice versa. Then by providing two straightening devices according to the invention in series it is possible to straighten both edges of the sheet, as described in our patent application No. 331,695, filed Dec. 19, 1963.

I claim:

1. A laundry fiatwork straightening device, comprising a flat plate having a plain surface and means subjecting the trailing portion of each sheet, or like fiatwork piece, to the action of an unconfined stream of air while said trailing portion is travelling past said plain surface, the air stream being strong enough to create a turbulent condition of the material of said trailing portion and being generally in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the sheet at the time.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the air stream is directed substantially parallel to the plain surface between said surface and the sheet.

3. A laundry sheet straightening device, comprising a vertically-disposed fiat plate up past which the trailing portion of each sheet travels, ducting leading to the top of the plate, and a blower fan system for delivering air to said ducting from which at the top of the plate it is discharged downwardly substantially parallel to the plate surface between said plate and said sheet trailing portion,

the air stream thereby travelling in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the sheet and being strong enough to create a turbulent condition of the material of said sheet trailing portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,635,370 4/1953 Mann et al. 38-143 2,654,969 10/1953 Woodward 38143 3,103,755 9/1963 Hajos 38-143 PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A LAUNDRY FLATWORK STRAIGHTENING DEVICE, COMPRISING A FLAT PLATE HAVING A PLAIN SURFACE AND MEANS SUBJECTING THE TRAILING PORTION OF EACH SHEET, OR LIKE FLATWORK PIECE, TO THE ACTION OF AN UNCONFINED STREAM OF AIR WHILE SAID TRAILING PORTION IS TRAVELLING PAST SAID PLAIN SURFACE, THE AIR STREAM BEING STRONG ENOUGH TO CREATE A TURBULENT CONDITION OF THE MATERIAL OF SAID TRAILING PORTION AND BEING GENERALLY IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF THE SHEET AT THE TIME.