EP0324300B1 - Device for folding and stacking laundry disposed in front of a drying and ironing installation - Google Patents

Abstract

A machine for folding and stacking items of laundry, especially sheets, disposed in front of a calender of a drying and ironing installation, comprises several parallel belt conveyors (A-B-C-D) conveying laundry during the folding and stacking operations, these conveyors moving in succession in front of at least one station (7, 12) for longitudinal folding of the laundry and a final station (14) for transverse folding. In order to increase the reliability and to obtain a greater rate of folding, the transverse folding station (14) comprises a gripper (31) placed above the belt conveyors (A-B-C-D), a blade (37) formed by a vertical plate elongated in the longitudinal direction of the belt conveyors, disposed below and between two central conveyors (B, C) and able to be displaced vertically by a jack (38a) in order to form in the laundry a transverse fold which is central and at an equal distance from the edges of the laundry, and a harrow-shaped device (34) formed by vertical plates (35) placed on each lateral side of each of the belt conveyors. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a machine for folding and stacking laundry items, in particular sheets, mounted following a calender of an installation for drying and ironing such laundry items.

Such machines are already known which make it possible to carry out several successive folds of the same piece of linen in the longitudinal direction and possibly a final folding in the transverse direction. Such machines are described for example in patents DE-A-2 815 599, BE-A-568 116, FR-A-2 413 495 and US-A-3 702 696. These known machines generally include a conveyor belt endless parallel on which the pieces of linen to be folded are placed and which pass these linen through one or more stations of longitudinal folding. After having been folded one or more times on itself, each piece of laundry can arrive at a transverse folding station, as described in US Pat. No. 3,702,696. In this station the piece of laundry, already folded twice on itself in the longitudinal direction, extends transversely between two parallel conveyors and is then taken from below, substantially in its middle part, by a longitudinal transport rod which is raised and which carries the piece of laundry upwards, forming a vertical fold open downwards, then towards a lateral platform, in order to form a stack of folded laundry items on this platform, after which the stack of folded laundry items is discharged by an auxiliary transporter. Such a transverse folding station has the disadvantage that each piece of laundry is simply lifted in the middle, by the transport rod, and therefore the piece of laundry hangs freely on either side of this rod. As a result, if the incoming piece of laundry is poorly centered or for other reasons such as vibration, the piece of laundry may fall from the transport rod during its movement towards the receiving platform . Furthermore, the transport rod is animated by a cyclic movement constituted by two rotations around an axis, in opposite directions, with two intermediate phases of translations, in the opposite direction parallel to this axis and therefore such a mechanism does not lend itself to obtaining a high folding rate.

Likewise, patent FR-A-2 413 495 relates to an apparatus making it possible simultaneously to fold and stack laundry, comprising a clamp comprising two elongated jaws which can to a certain extent approach or deviate from one of the other around an axis parallel to the jaws. The fold obtained is oriented perpendicularly to the direction of transport of a conveyor belt.

The present invention relates to improvements made to such machines with the aim of simplifying the transverse folding operation and making it possible to achieve high folding rates.

The machine according to the invention, as defined in appended claim 1, thus achieves, at high speed, the folding of the linen first one or more times in the longitudinal direction then a last time in the transverse direction, after which the laundry is stacked and counted to form stacks of a predetermined number of pieces of laundry. Cross folding is carried out in a safe manner, with a firm pinch of each piece of laundry already folded longitudinally, which eliminates the risk of slipping of the piece of laundry. The machine is fully automated, in no way requiring the intervention of personnel because it is controlled by detectors, preferably pneumatic, which signal the arrival and passage, in front of each member of the machine, of a part of linen to be folded and control the start-up for the necessary time, the stopping and waiting for the arrival of the next piece of linen, for all the moving parts of the machine.

• La figure 1 est une vue en élévation schématique d'une machine suivant l'invention, sur laquelle le râteau de chaque station de pliage longitudinal est figuré en position extrême abaissée.
• La figure 2 est une vue en élévation schématique partielle de cette même machine sur laquelle le râteau est figuré, dans chaque station de pliage, en position extrême haute et les mors fermés sur le linge.
• La figure 3 est une vue en élévation schématique partielle de la machine sur laquelle chaque rateau est figuré en position d'attente, intermédiaire.
• La figure 4 est une vue de profil, schématique de la station de pliage transversal du linge, la herse étant figurée en position basse.
• La figure 5 est une vue de profil, schématique, similaire à la figure 4, la herse étant figurée en position haute et le pli transversal amorcé et
• La figure 6 est une vue en élévation, schématique du dispositif de commande et de réglage de la course de rotation du rateau autour de sa charnière.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the appended drawing in which:

• Figure 1 is a schematic elevational view of a machine according to the invention, on which the rake of each longitudinal folding station is shown in the lowered extreme position.
• Figure 2 is a partial schematic elevational view of the same machine on which the rake is shown, in each folding station, in the extreme high position and the jaws closed on the linen.
• Figure 3 is a partial schematic elevational view of the machine on which each rake is shown in the waiting position, intermediate.
• Figure 4 is a schematic side view of the transverse folding station of the laundry, the harrow being shown in the lower position.
• FIG. 5 is a side view, schematic, similar to FIG. 4, the harrow being shown in the high position and the transverse fold initiated and
• Figure 6 is a schematic elevational view of the device for controlling and adjusting the rotational stroke of the rake around its hinge.

The machine for folding and stacking laundry items according to the invention, which is located at the outlet of the drying and ironing installation of a laundry, is generally designated by the reference 1 in Figures 1 to 3. It is mounted immediately in front of the spout 2 of the grille of the drying and ironing installation. It comprises, in width with respect to the grille, several endless belt conveyors, for example and in a nonlimiting number four, according to the width of the grille, indicated in FIGS. 4 and 5 by the reference letters ABCD . These ABCD belt conveyors, mounted parallel to each other, are equipped in an identical manner, move at the same linear speed, start and stop exactly at the same time and are preferably controlled by the same drive means . Their accessory devices, as described below, are also identical and they operate in synchronism over the width of the four conveyors to act at the same time on the width of a piece of laundry 3 coming out of the spout 2 and at the along the transport route on the transporter. We will therefore describe only the equipment of a single transporter A (FIGS. 1 to 3).

The conveyor is provided, in the longitudinal direction relative to the outlet of the grille 2, with a return pulley 4 at each of its ends, the upstream pulley 4 being mounted below the spout 2 of the radiator grille, in order to receive the length of the piece of laundry 5 leaving the spout of the drying and ironing installation (FIG. 1).

The device then comprises, along the conveyor belt A and in the direction of longitudinal movement of its belt according to arrow F1, an air jet detector 6 of the arrival of the laundry 5, then a first station 7 for folding the linen in the longitudinal direction which is described in more detail below.

After this first longitudinal folding station 7 and still in the direction of longitudinal movement of the belt conveyor A, the device comprises a roller 8 for flattening the fold produced by this first longitudinal folding station 7, associated, below the band of the conveyor A, with a counter-support roller 9. These two rollers roll in opposite directions, practically bearing on the opposite faces of the strip.

After the pair of rollers 8, 9 mentioned, there is encountered in the longitudinal direction of movement of the conveyor belt A, a second air jet detector 10 of the arrival and passage of the piece of laundry 11 already folded in length by the first longitudinal folding station 7, and, still in this longitudinal direction of movement of the conveyor belt A, a second station 12 for folding in the longitudinal direction, folding the laundry 11 again in the longitudinal direction , in the form of the piece of linen 13 twice folded on itself.

This linen 13 thus folded arrives on the bands of the belt conveyors A-B-C-D parallel and rolling in synchronism, in line with a transverse folding station 14 and stacking of the linen finally folded. After this transverse folding station 14, the conveyor belt passes over the downstream return pulley 4.

The first longitudinal folding station 7 and the second longitudinal folding station 12 are formed in the same way. We will therefore describe, therefore, only one of these longitudinal folding stations. Such a folding station firstly comprises a fixed casing 15, placed above the conveyor belt A, at a certain height in order to allow the folding of the linen and its transport by the conveyor belt. This housing 15 carries, at its lower part and upstream relative to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt, a fixed jaw 16. The housing 15 also carries at its lower part a rake 17 in the form of the rectangular grid, articulated, at its upper end, on the downstream part of the housing 15, using a hinge 18 of horizontal and transverse axis. The rake 17 carries, at its lower end, a movable jaw 19 in the form of a roller, which can rotate about a transverse axis supported by the rake 17, located at its upstream end relative to the direction of movement of the strip of the carrier indicated by arrow F1. The two fixed 16 and movable jaws 19 have a length equal to the width of the conveyor belt A. The rake 17 can rotate around the hinge 18, as shown in the drawing by the arrow F2, or in the opposite direction to this arrow, under the action of a lever 20 (FIG. 6) actuated by a jack 21. Under the action of the jack 21, the rake 17 can come to occupy one of three different angular positions , namely an extreme lowered position, as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing, an extreme high position, as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing and a waiting position, intermediate between the two preceding ones, as shown in the Figure 3 of the drawing.

The folding station 7 or 12 also comprises two fingers 22 placed below the conveyor belt A, on either side of this band, which can tilt according to the arrow F3, around a horizontal and transverse axis 23, also under the control of a cylinder, not shown in the drawing in order to simplify it. The fingers 22, under the action of their jacks, can be retracted below the conveyor belt, or protrude with their downstream end portions above the belt to lift the laundry circulating on the belt, as shown on Figure 1.

The rake 17 carries, at its upper part, a third air jet detector 24 which, by controlling a jack 25, blocks the rake 17 to prevent it from vibrating due to its angular displacement, in order to improve the quality folding.

The housing 15 contains the cylinder 21, as well as a device 26 for adjusting the angular stroke of the rake 17. This adjustment device 26 comprises a threaded bar 27, four nuts 28, a control bar for the cylinder 29 and two springs of tension 30. Such an adjustment device makes it possible to adjust both the low position of the rake 17 as its high position or the intermediate position, as well as the amplitude of rotation of the rake 17 around its hinge 18.

The transverse folding station 14 is placed, with respect to the belt conveyors ABCD, with its longitudinal square axis, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. This transverse folding station 14 comprises an upper clamp 31 opening, under the control of a jack not shown, in a vertical plane transverse to the longitudinal direction of the ABCD conveyors. This clamp 31 is placed above the conveyor belts and its jaws 32, extending downward, terminate, at their lower end portions, by jaws 33.

The station 14 also comprises a lower harrow 34 constituted by a number of vertical plates 35 which are located on each lateral side of each of the conveyor belts, each plate 35 being situated in a plane parallel to the longitudinal direction of the ABCD conveyors. In the case of the embodiment described by way of nonlimiting example, there are four plates 35, the plate between the two central carriers B and C missing. These plates 35 are joined rigidly, at their lower parts, by a base plate 36 extending transversely under the four carriers ABCD. The vertical plate 35 which should be in the middle of the harrow 34 is replaced by a guillotine 37 constituted by a vertical plate independent of the harrow 34 and extending between the two central conveyors B and C. This harrow 34 can move vertically between a low retracted position (FIG. 4) in which the upper edges 35a of the vertical plates 35 are located below the upper strands of the strips of the ABCD conveyors and a position high (FIG. 5) in which the upper edges 35a of the plates 35 are situated substantially at mid-distance on the vertical between the strips of the carriers ABCD and the jaws 33 of the clamp 31.

The guillotine 37 can in turn also move in a vertical plane parallel to that of the plates 35 of the harrow 34, between a low position (as shown in FIG. 4), with its upper edge 37a in the same plane as the upper edges 35a of the plates 35, and a high position (FIG. 5) in which its upper edge 37a is at the level of the jaws 33 of the clamp 31.

The movement of the harrow 34 and of the guillotine 37 up and down between their respective low and high positions is effected under the control of respective jacks 38, 38a controlled in turn by an air jet detector 39, similar to detectors 6, 10 and 24 which also control all the moving parts of the station.

The station thus described also comprises means 40 for adjusting the rise of the harrow 34; these means comprising threaded rods screwed into nuts and springs associated with support plates for jacks 38.

The operation of the machine according to the invention is as follows:
When a piece of linen 3 to be folded arrives through the spout 2 of the radiator grille, it spreads over the strips of the ABCD conveyors traveling in synchronism to pass it through the folding machine 1. By this movement, the piece of laundry 3 reaches, by its downstream front edge, in the direction of movement on the conveyor belts, the air jet of the air jet detector 6 which it cuts, which causes the first folding station 7, simultaneously for the four belt conveyors ABCD. As soon as the downstream edge of the outgoing piece of laundry 5 reaches the fingers 22, these tilt upwards and orient the edge of the piece of laundry 5 towards and on the rake 17, which is in its low position, the movable jaw 19 rolling on the strip of each transporter (Figure 1). The rake 17 then tilts, under the action of the jack 21 and of the lever 20, towards its high position (FIG. 2) until the downstream edge of the linen is pinched and retained in place between the fixed 16 and movable jaws 19 The third air jet detector 24 sees its air jet cut by the presence of the edge of the linen retained by the rake 17 and it controls the blocking of the rake against any vibration. During this time the piece of linen 5 advances on the conveyor and the first fold is formed (FIG. 2). The fingers 22 return to their retracted position below the level of the conveyor belt. When the upstream edge of the laundry 5 reaches the level of the downstream edge of the laundry, the rake 17 returns by tipping down and the laundry is released. The first fold is thus formed and the piece of linen takes the form indicated at 11. The rake 17 then comes to occupy the intermediate waiting position (FIG. 3), in order to allow free passage to the linen 11 once folded by the continuation of the operations. The rake 17 remains in this position while waiting for a next piece of linen 5 to arrive and again cuts off the air jet from the detector 6 so that, under its control, it descends again with its movable jaw 19 in contact from the conveyor belt to pick up the new piece of laundry that arrives.

The piece of linen 11 folded once on itself is brought, by the strips of the ABCD conveyors, under the roller 8, so that the fold formed is well flattened and it continues to be moved towards the station 12 for forming the second fold . This station being shaped in the same way as the station 7 for forming the first fold, the operations are repeated as already described. The piece of laundry 13 comes out folded twice on itself, therefore in four, as shown in Figures 1,2 and 3, both times in the longitudinal direction of its movement by the strips of ABCD conveyors. The piece of laundry 13 thus folded continues to move to reach the transverse folding station 14 (Figures 4 and 5). The piece of laundry 13 is, with respect to this transverse folding station, flat, as shown in FIG. 4 of the drawing, and it cuts off the air jet from the air jet detector 39, which controls the putting this station into operation 14.

The jacks 38, 38a then set the harrow 34 and the guillotine 37 in motion from their low positions retracted with respect to the bands of the carriers A-B-C-D, towards their high positions. The harrow 34 takes off the folded piece of laundry 13 from the conveyor belts ABCD and the guillotine 37, going up higher (FIG. 5), forms a central fold 42 at equal distance between the lateral edges of the piece of laundry 13 The clamp 31 then closes on the fold 42 which is clamped between the jaws 33. The clamp then describes, at high speed, an arc 44 around its hinge 45 and it deposits the folded linen 43, which is counted, after a rotation of about 270 ° clockwise in FIG. 5, on a lateral stacking conveyor 46, which receives a predetermined number, for example, of 50 pieces definitively folded and counted by a counter of a known type. During this movement of linen is held tightly clamped by the clamp 31 and there is no risk of it escaping. Once these operations have been completed, the clamp 31 opens and returns to the vertical by a rotation in the opposite direction. The harrow 34 and the guillotine 37 are lowered by the jacks 38, 38a to their low positions while waiting for another piece of linen 13 folded longitudinally which cuts off the air jet from the air jet detector 39 for controlling the station. transverse folding 14.

This latter station 14, preferably independent of the rest of the device, can very well be mounted on a wheeled frame, in order to be removed from the device if transverse folding is not required, by not being thus used, and then put back in place if, for another batch of laundry, transverse folding is again required.

Claims (3)

1. Machine for folding and stacking laundry articles, particularly sheets, mounted in front of a calender of a drying and ironing installation, comprising a conveyor incorporating a plurality of parallel belts (A-B-C-D) conveying the laundry during the folding and stacking operations, these belts moving successively in front of at least one station (7, 12) for longitudinal folding of the laundry (5, 11) preceded by a detector (6, 10) indicating the arrival and passage of an article of laundry (3, 5, 11), controlling operation of the longitudinal folding station (7, 12) and stopping thereof in standby, awaiting the arrival of a following article of laundry, and a last station (14) for transversely folding, stacking and counting the laundry (43) finally folded, characterized in that the transverse folding station (14) comprises a grip (31) placed above the conveyor belts (A-B-C-D), a guillotine (37) constituted by a vertical plate extending in the longitudinal direction of the belt conveyor, disposed beneath and between the two central conveyor belts (B, C) and being able to be displaced vertically by a jack (38a) to form a transverse fold (42) of the laundry, central and at equal distance between the edges of the laundry (13), and a harrow element (34) constituted by vertical plates (35) placed on each lateral side of each of the conveyor belts, except in the space between the two central belts (B, C) where the guillotine (37) is located, said plates (35) being rigidly connected, in their lower parts, by a base plate (36) extending transversely under the conveyor belts (A-B-C-D), and being able to move vertically between a low position in which the upper edges (35a) of the vertical plates (35) are located below the upper sides of the conveyor belts (A-B-C-D) and a high position in which the upper edges (35a) of the plates (35) are located substantially half-way between the grip (31) and the conveyor belts (A-B-C-D) in order to detach the article of laundry from these belts, said grip (31) being displaceable between a first position where it grips the laundry (13) at the location of said transverse fold (42) and a second position where it deposits the folded laundry (43) on a stacking station (46).
2. Machine according to Claim 1, characterized in that the transverse folding station (14) comprises means (40) for adjusting the rise Of the harrow element (34).
3. Machine according to either one of Claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the transverse folding station (14) comprises an air jet detector (39) controlling, by cut-off of its air jet, the jacks (38, 38a) for operation of the harrow element (34) and the guillotine (37) and all the members of the station.

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