EP0794279A1 - Method and device for feeding pieces of clothes to a processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A process is claimed for feeding washing items to a processing appliance by means of a conveyer and a spreader device (12) located ahead of the conveyer which has at least one pair (13a, 13b) of clamps (14, 14') which shift over a section at right angles to the feed direction. Two neighbouring corners of an item are gripped each by a clamp in a start position, the clamps being run from each other on the shift section to spread a leading edge of the item. Finally the item is freed by opening the clamps and laid on the conveyer in an area next to the leading edge. Before freeing the item the conveyer occupancy is automatically examined. The breadth of the item to be washed in the shift direction is established and a search is made for a gap in the occupancy which at least matches the breadth of the item, and the clamps are shifted so the item is positioned inside the gap. Also claimed is the apparatus for feeding washing items in accordance with the above process. The clamps are moved by a drive device and the position of a first clamp (14) is monitored by a position measuring system. The spreader (12) has a synchronisation sensor (20a, 20b) for monitoring the position of the second clamp (14') which is unattached to the drive in order to determine whether the clamp is displaced from its original position or not.

Description

The invention relates to a method for feeding laundry to a processing device according to the preamble of claim 1 and a feeding device according to the preamble of claim 10. The method and feeding devices of the type mentioned are used to spread laundry items and in this form a defect, folding machine o . To be sent for processing.

A feeding device is known (JENSEN JENFEED CENTRAFIN), which can be switched between a single-lane mode of operation for large items of laundry and a multi-lane mode for the simultaneous processing of two smaller items of laundry. For the input by means of clips, however, the items of laundry must be pre-sorted, since only one of two procedures can be set in each case, in which the clips center the items of laundry with respect to the entire web width or with respect to one half of the web and the same is then placed on a feed conveyor. The same applies to the device known from DE-A-33 20 404, which can be adjusted by means of changeable stops on the mediation with respect to the entire web and the mediation with respect to a partial web.

It is also known to design feed devices, for example with regard to the centering of the respective item of laundry, in such a way that its width can be determined. For example, DE-A-42 02 380 shows a lever arranged below the outer clamp of a pair of clamps, under which the front edge of the item of laundry is pulled so that it is lifted when the item is tightened and a calculation of the width of the item of laundry, ie the length of its front edge is triggered from the position of the lever and the position of the inner bracket according to the Pythagorean theorem. However, the required devices complicate the feeding device considerably and also make it more difficult to spread the item of laundry. The required calculation requires special equipment and can cause undesirable delays.

A simpler determination of the width of the item of laundry is known from EP-A-0 053 562. In this generic device with two pairs of clamps arranged laterally in the basic position, the position of the inner clamp is monitored, while the outer clamp is checked by means of a switch to determine whether it is in the basic position. If the item of clothing is spread by the movement of the inner clamp, the outer clamp is pulled out of the basic position. The width of the laundry item is determined from the position of the inner bracket at this time. This procedure has the disadvantage that at the moment when the movement of the outer clamp starts, the front edge of the item of laundry is stretched very taut and is usually somewhat stretched. If the outer clip is moved parallel to the inner clip, as is the case with the generic device, the item of laundry is placed in this state and further processed, as a result of which it is subjected to high mechanical loads. If, on the other hand, the elongation were reversed, the measurement of the width would be falsified.

The object of the invention is to provide a method in which the clamp movements are controlled in such a way that each item of laundry is deposited in accordance with its width and the available space in such a way that there are no overlaps arise and a high throughput is achieved. In addition, a feed device is to be specified which allows simple means to quickly and reliably determine the width of a piece of laundry in the state in which it is placed on the feed conveyor, without it having to be placed with the front edge stretched tightly.

This object is achieved by the invention as characterized in the claims.

The invention provides a method with which laundry items of different sizes and orientations can be fed to a processing device at high throughput without presorting. The operation is still very simple and does not require special attention.

The required determination of the width of a piece of laundry is achieved in the feed device according to the invention with simple, inexpensive means and without any hindrance to the spreading of the item of laundry. The forces acting on the front edge of the same can be easily controlled and the item of laundry is not subjected to great mechanical loads.

Fig. 1a

eine schematische Seitenansicht der erfindungsgemässen Zuführvorrichtung während einer ersten Phase des erfindungsgemässen Verfahrens,

Fig. 1b

eine Seitenansicht entsprechend Fig. 1a während einer zweiten Phase des erfindungsgemässen Verfahrens,

Fig. 2a

einen Draufblick auf die Spreizvorrichtung der erfindungsgemässen Zuführvorrichtung,

Fig. 2b

eine Vorderansicht der Spreizvorrichtung gemäss Fig. 2a,

Fig. 3a

eine Vorderansicht einer Klammer der Spreizvorrichtung gemäss Fig. 2a,b und

Fig. 3b

eine Seitenansicht der Klammer gemäss Fig. 3a.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to figures which only represent an exemplary embodiment. Show it

Fig. 1a

2 shows a schematic side view of the feed device according to the invention during a first phase of the method according to the invention,

Fig. 1b

1 a during a second phase of the method according to the invention,

Fig. 2a

a top view of the spreading device of the feed device according to the invention,

Fig. 2b

3 shows a front view of the spreading device according to FIG. 2a,

Fig. 3a

a front view of a clamp of the expanding device according to Fig. 2a, b and

Fig. 3b

a side view of the clip according to Fig. 3a.

The feed device has (Fig. 1a) a feed conveyor 1 with a first belt conveyor 3, which comprises a series of perforated conveyor belts arranged side by side, which are guided over rollers 2a-d, and a vacuum chamber 4 arranged near its front edge, which with a Suction line, not shown, is connected and is open at the top, over which the conveyor belts are guided. In the vacuum chamber 4 are also two upward z. B. optical sensors for monitoring the occupancy of the feed conveyor 1 with items of laundry along a monitoring line arranged side by side, each approximately in the middle of a web half (not shown). A second belt conveyor 5 is connected to the first belt conveyor 3, with lower belts 7 guided over two rollers 6a, b and upper belts 9 guided over three rollers 8a-c. A suction device 10 is arranged below the first belt conveyor 3, with one below the front edge thereof lying suction slot 11.

In front of the feed conveyor 1, a spreading device 12 (see Fig. 2a, b, cover and other parts are omitted) is arranged parallel to the front edge of the first belt conveyor 3 with (Fig. 2b) two pairs 13a, b of pneumatically operated along a travel path Brackets movable transversely to the conveying direction, in each case an inner first bracket 14 and an outer second bracket 14 '(omitted in FIG. 2a). The left pair of clamps 13a is driven by an electric motor 16a via a belt 15a, via the drive wheel 17 of which the toothed belt 15a is guided as an enveloping member. It also runs via a rotary encoder 18a, which in this way monitors the position of the first clip 14 of the left pair of clips 13a, which is firmly connected to the toothed belt 15a. A position sensor 19a designed as an inductive proximity switch monitors whether the second bracket 14 'is in the basic position or not. A synchronization sensor 20a, which registers the passage of the second bracket 14 ', is arranged somewhat inward - preferably by no more than 50 cm.

The drive of the right pair of clamps 13b is constructed identically with a toothed belt 15b, an electric motor 16b, a rotary encoder 18b, a position sensor 19b and a synchronization sensor 20b.

A spreading bar 21, which extends over the entire width of the feed conveyor 1, is provided behind the spreading device 12, which is designed as a suction bar with a vacuum chamber 22 perforated on the top and connected to a suction line via a switchable valve (FIG 1b). The support bar 21 is in the middle divided into two halves, which can, however, be coupled together.

The support bar 21 as a whole or each of its halves can be moved in the conveying direction between a front receiving position shown in FIG. 1a and a rear laying position shown in FIG. 1b, in which it lies behind the vacuum chamber 4 of the first belt conveyor 3. At the same time, it can be pivoted to a limited extent about a horizontal axis by means of a pneumatic cylinder 23.

As best seen in FIG are hung. The carriage 27 carries on a base plate 28 an upper pair of rollers 29a, b (the parts behind the base plate 28 are shown in solid lines in FIG. 2b) and a lower pair of rollers 30a, b, which have a rail that extends over the entire width of the expansion device 12 31 (Fig. 3b) touch from above or below and roll on it. Stops 32 (FIG. 3a) are attached to the base plate 28 on both sides and a contact angle 33 on the upper edge, to which the position sensor 19a and the synchronization sensor 20a (FIG. 2b) respond.

The first bracket 14 and the second bracket 14 'are constructed essentially the same. However, while the first bracket 14 is fixedly connected to the toothed belt 15a, namely with its upper section, the second bracket 14 'can be coupled thereto. For this purpose, the base plate 28 supports a first pneumatic cylinder 34 as a coupling device the piston of which a clamping part is fastened, which interacts with a counter-holder 35 by the toothed belt 15a being clamped against the counter-holder 35 by the clamping part. A further coupling device of the same construction with a pneumatic cylinder 36 and a counter-holder 37 can be used to couple the second bracket 14 'to the lower section of the toothed belt 15a. As a result, the two brackets 14, 14 'can also be moved in opposite directions if necessary.

The method according to the invention is explained below with reference to the figures. In accordance with the construction of the feed device described, the relatively simple case is dealt with that the feed device is either loaded with a wide piece of laundry or with a maximum of two narrow pieces, each of which does not require more than half the width of the feed conveyor 1.

A piece of laundry is manually fed to the clips 14, 14 ', for example of the left pair of clips 13a, and is gripped by inserting corners into the clips 14, 14', which delimit a front edge of the item of laundry, and automatically clamping them. It is then checked whether the left of the two sensors arranged in the vacuum chamber 4 detects occupancy of the left half of the web. If this is the case, the first bracket 14 remains in the starting position. As soon as the sensor determines that there is no occupancy, the electric motor 16a is started and the first bracket 14 moves quickly to the right. If the right sensor shows occupancy of the right half of the web, the first bracket is moved at most to the limit of the left half of the web.

However, if the item of laundry is narrow, its front edge is stretched long before this position is reached and the second clip 14 'is pulled out of the starting position against a restraining force, to which the position sensor 19a responds. The speed of the belt 15a and thus of the first clip 14 is then immediately reduced, so that the second clip 14 'catches up somewhat and the front edge of the item of laundry relaxes. The pneumatic cylinder 34 is then actuated and the speed of the belt 15a and thus of the clamps 14, 14 'is increased. As soon as the second clip 14 'reaches the synchronization sensor 20a, the width of the item of laundry with the front edge relaxed is determined from the difference between the position of the first clip 14 and the position of the second clip 14' corresponding to the position of the synchronization sensor 20a. If it has been found that the item of laundry only requires the left half of the web, it is centered with respect to the latter and placed on the first belt conveyor 3.

If, on the other hand, the first clip 14 reaches the boundary of the left half of the web without the position sensor 19a having responded, or if the determination of the width of the item of laundry indicates that it exceeds the width of the left half of the web, the first clip 14 or the pair of clips 13a may become stopped until the right sensor no longer detects an assignment. The item of laundry is then centered with respect to the entire web and placed on the first belt conveyor 3. If the right half of the web is not occupied from the outset, the first clamp 14 can also be moved from the outset beyond the boundary of the left half of the web and the item of laundry can be centered and placed on the entire web.

For placing the clips 14, 14 'are released and move outwards, so that (Fig. 1a) the foremost area of the item of laundry comes to rest on the support bar 21, which is in its front receiving position, where it comes from the vacuum chamber 22 is sucked in and held. Subsequently, depending on the support bar 21 or the left half of the same at a speed that is greater than the conveying speed of the first belt conveyor 3, in its rear lay position (Fig. 1b), the vacuum chamber 22 pivoted against the first belt conveyor 3 and in the laying position is finally switched off, so that the front edge of the item of laundry falls onto the belt conveyor 3 at a laying point. The difference in the speeds of the first belt conveyor 3 and the support bar 21 is taken into account in the determination of the point in time at which sufficient space is available on the former by a fixed delay.

The rear part of the item of laundry is sucked in at the suction slot 11 by the suction device 10. By pulling the item of laundry forward at a higher speed and by the action of the vacuum chamber 4 of the first belt conveyor 3 and the suction device 10, the item of laundry is stretched and ensured that it does not cause transverse folds. The item of laundry is from the first belt conveyor 3 to the second belt conveyor 5 and from this finally a processing device, for. B. a shortage or a folding machine, while the support bar 21 is quickly moved back to its receiving position.

The procedure described shows only a relatively simple example, which regarding the apparatus and control effort makes particularly low demands. The assignment can, however, be further optimized with regard to the throughput. Continuous monitoring of the occupancy and its changes and temporary storage of the respective state is possible, on the basis of which, after determining the width of the item of laundry, the z. B. the starting position of the respective pair of brackets closest to the laundry sufficient gap determined and the brackets are moved into the area of this gap.

The number of items of laundry placed overlapping one another in length is in principle only limited by the resolution according to the width with which the occupancy of the first belt conveyor 3 is monitored. This can be increased by arranging a larger number of sensors along the monitoring line or by, for example, with a distance between adjacent sensors that is just below the minimum expected width of items of laundry, the positions of the clamps when placing the item of laundry for more precise position determination are used and the sensors only serve to monitor the length.

In addition, it is also possible to monitor only the staple positions when placing the clothes on and to make assumptions about the maximum length of the items of laundry - absolutely or depending on the respective width - and to dispense with sensors.

The items of laundry can also, for example with regard to the subsequent processing, only be placed on certain partial webs or summaries of adjacent partial webs or positioned with respect to the same, e.g. B. be averaged.

In any case, it is always necessary to determine the width of the item of laundry - with greater or lesser accuracy, depending on the circumstances. For a reasonably accurate determination of the width, a device such as that described above with a position measuring system for determining the positions of the clamps is suitable, the second clamp only having to be monitored by a sensor as to whether it is in a specific position or not , particularly good, since it is very simple both in terms of equipment and the evaluation of the signals, and has no disruptive effects on the spreading process.

Such a device for determining the width of the laundry item can also be used in the context of known methods in which, for example, the laundry items are only emitted with respect to the entire web. The retention force with which the second bracket is held in the starting position can, for. B. adjusted according to the type of laundry or also, possibly additionally, controlled according to their width.

Claims (19)

Method for feeding laundry items to a processing device by means of a feed conveyor (1) and a spreading device (12) arranged in front of the same in the conveying direction with at least one pair of clamps (13a, 13b) of clamps (14, 14 ') which can be moved along a travel path transverse to the conveying direction, wherein two adjacent corners of a piece of laundry are gripped by the clips (14, 14 ') of a pair of clips (13a, 13b) in a starting position thereof and the clips (14, 14') are spread apart until a leading edge of the item of laundry lies between the corners and are positioned on the travel path, and then the laundry item is released by opening the clamps (14, 14 ') and the laundry item is placed on the feed conveyor (1) with at least one area adjoining the front edge, characterized in that in each case before the laundry item is released automatically - the occupancy of the feed conveyor (1) is checked, - When the same is spread, the width of the item of laundry is determined in the direction of the travel distance and - A sufficient gap in the occupancy of the feed conveyor (1), which at least reaches the width of the item of laundry, searched and the clamps (14, 14 ') are moved such that they are positioned within the sufficient gap after finding the same with the item of laundry spread. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the presence of several sufficient gaps, the brackets (14, 14 ') are positioned within that closest to their starting position. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the front edge of the item of laundry is in each case, before being placed on the feed conveyor (1), advanced at a speed exceeding the conveying speed to a placement point thereof. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the occupancy of the feed conveyor (1) is checked over its entire width and essentially continuously by a monitoring device. A method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the check of the occupancy of the feed conveyor (1) is carried out in each case at a fixed position of the feed conveyor with respect to the conveying direction in front of the placement point, and from this the presence of a sufficient gap thereon is predetermined at a placement time . Method according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that in order to find a sufficient gap, a first bracket (14) of a pair of brackets (13a, 13b) is moved until a vacancy matching its position is found, and then proceeding as far as necessary is when the feed conveyor (1) is free until the Distance of the first bracket (14) from said vacant position has reached at least the width of the item of laundry. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, in addition to its width, an additional criterion for the fact that a gap represents a sufficient gap is taken into account whether it lies within a specific interval or within one of several specific intervals of the travel distance. Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that only one first bracket (14) of the pair of brackets (13a, 13b) is moved until the front edge is spread, and spreading is determined when the second bracket (14 ') opposes one Retention force was pulled from its initial position by the action of the laundry item. A method according to claim 8, characterized in that the width of the laundry item is determined from the difference between the positions of the first bracket (14) and the second bracket (14 ') when the second bracket (14') reaches a position offset from its starting position . Feeding device for feeding laundry items to a processing device with a feed conveyor (1) and a spreading device (12) with at least one pair of clips (13a, 13b) of clips (14, 14 ') for grasping the corners of a laundry item and releasing the same, which can be released by means of a Drive device along a transversely extending upstream of the feed conveyor (1) upstream of the feed conveyor Travel path can be moved and with a position measuring system for monitoring the position of at least one first bracket (14) of each pair of clips (13a, 13b), characterized in that the spreading device (12) has a synchronization sensor (20a, 13b) for each pair of clips (13a, 13b) 20b) for monitoring the position of a second clamp (14 ') of the pair of clamps (13a, 13b), which is at least not firmly connected to the drive device, on whether it is in a certain position offset from its initial position or not. Feeding device according to claim 10, characterized in that the spreading device (12) for each pair of clips (13a, 13b) has a position sensor (19a, 19b) which monitors the second clip (14 ') to determine whether it is in the starting position or Not. Feeding device according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the synchronization sensor (20a, 20b) and, in contrast, the position sensor (19a, 19b) are each designed as proximity switches. Feeding device according to one of Claims 10 to 12, characterized in that it comprises a monitoring device for monitoring the position of the feed conveyor (1), which is suitable, at at least one position, for the current occupancy of the feed conveyor (1) along a monitoring line running transversely to the conveying direction capture. Feed device according to claim 13, characterized in that the monitoring device comprises at least one group of two or more sensors which are distributed along the monitoring line. Feeding device according to one of Claims 10 to 14, characterized in that the drive device for each pair of clips (13a, 13b) comprises an enveloping member which can be driven along the travel path and the second clip (14 ') is in each case firmly connected to a coupling device by means of which it is attached the cover member can be detachably coupled. Feed device according to Claim 15, characterized in that the coupling device comprises a clamping part which can be displaced against the enveloping member and a counter-holder (35, 37) arranged on the opposite side of the enveloping member. Feeding device according to claim 16, characterized in that the clamping part is attached to a piston of a pneumatic cylinder (34, 36). Feeding device according to one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that a first clip (14) of each pair of clips (13a, 13b) is in each case firmly connected to the enveloping member. Feeding device according to one of claims 15 to 18, characterized in that the position measuring system in each case comprises a rotary encoder (18a, 18b) which monitors the position of the enveloping member.

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