EP1160370B1 - Method and device for feeding pieces of laundry to an ironing machine or similar - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for feeding laundry items to a defect or the like according to the preamble of claim 1. Furthermore, the invention relates to a device according to the preamble of claim 7.

The machine feeding of laundry items to a defect or other laundry treatment device is usually carried out with the aid of a spreader and at least one Zuführförderers.Dazu is known from US-A-5 815 963, manually mount a garment with opposite corners in two brackets of the spreader. By subsequently taking place apart of the staples transversely to the feed direction, the laundry item is stretched out and thereby tightened between the two held on the brackets corners upper edge of the garment. With the streamlined upper edge of the laundry is then transferred from the brackets to a Auflegeleiste. From the movable in the feed direction Auflegeleiste the laundry then falls on the upper run of the feed conveyor. This leads to a contraction of the stretched from the brackets upper edge of the garment. The result is that the front portion of the garment lies with wrinkles on the upper strand after hitting the feed conveyor. With these folds, the front of the garment is entered into the defect, whereby the garment is mangled with wrinkles. This suffers from the lack of quality of the laundry.

Based on the above, the invention has for its object to provide a method and an apparatus, whereby the laundry items are fed substantially wrinkle-free, the defect or other laundry treatment device.

A method for achieving this object comprises the measures of claim 1. Characterized in that the respective laundry item is deposited by the Klammem substantially continuously and / or seamlessly on the upper run of the feed conveyor by the clamps are pivoted, the front edge of the laundry item no longer falls on the upper run of the feed conveyor. The whole garment, and also the front edge of the same, is raised in the spread state when depositing on the upper run of the feed conveyor, so that the upper portion of the laundry with the upper edge of the same rests on the upper run of the feed conveyor when the clamps release the laundry , This results in the deposition of the laundry item on the upper strand of the feed conveyor to no contraction of stretched between the brackets upper edge of the garment and the associated wrinkles, because this contraction when resting the front edge of the garment on the upper strand by the friction between the upper strand and the laundry is prevented. Even more reliable, a contraction of the stretched between the brackets upper edge of the garment in the continuous, seamless or paragraphless laying the same on the upper run of the feed conveyor is avoided when the laundry is fixed with negative pressure on the upper run.

Preferably, at least at the time of depositing the respective item of laundry on the upper run of the feed conveyor, at least a portion of an underside of each lower clamp half of the clamps rests on the upper run of the feed conveyor. As a result, the laundry item can be stored almost continuously and / or seamlessly on the upper run of the feed conveyor. A falling in the prior art usual falling of the front portion of the laundry article on the upper run of the feed conveyor does not take place.

According to a preferred development of the method, at least one front, lower part of the lower staple half of each staple for transferring the item of laundry to the delivery conveyor approaches the upper run thereof. Thus, the garment is gradually pulled onto the upper run of the infeed conveyor until it finally rests smoothly at the time of removal of the staples from the leading edge with a front portion on the upper run of the infeed conveyor.

Furthermore, it is provided that for transferring the laundry item to the feed conveyor conveyor belts of the feed conveyor and the clamps run the same, that is the clamps and the feed conveyor are driven at the same speed in the feed direction of the laundry item to the defect or the like. The resulting synchronism of the Klammem the upper run of the feed conveyor ensures a slip-free, gradual rest of at least the front part of the laundry on the upper run of the feed conveyor, whereby wrinkling of the Klammem for transfer to the feed conveyor stretched laundry is avoided.

The pivoting of the clamps before and / or during the deposition of the respective item of laundry on the upper run of the feed conveyor is expediently such that a free end of the lower clamp half is lowered onto or against the upper run of the feed conveyor. This results in a transitionless concern of the lower half of the clip on the upper run of the feed conveyor, which ensures a continuous, in particular unclogged or continuous depositing at least the front edge of the respective item of laundry on the upper run of the feed conveyor.

Preferably, the contact of at least the front free end of the underside of the lower clamp halves of the clamps with the upper run of the feed conveyor is maintained at least during the deposition of the laundry on the feed conveyor by an automatic adjustment of the inclination or the pivot angle of the clamps to the course of the upper run. There is an automatic pivoting of the clip relative to the upper run of the feed conveyor, for example, such that the front, free ends of the lower clamp halves rest on the upper run of the Zuführförderers quasi gap, resulting in a wrinkle-free, seamless depositing at least the front edge of each garment on the Upper run of the feed conveyor ensured.

Finally, it is procedurally provided to move the staples apart after laying down the front end of the item of laundry on the lower run of the infeed conveyor while bringing it out of contact with the front edge of the item of laundry. In this case, preferably at least the front ends of the lower clamp halves maintain their contact with the upper run of the feed conveyor. Thereby, and by the lateral moving apart of the brackets for releasing the corners of the laundry item a contraction of the stretched by the brackets upper edge of the garment is avoided and optionally the upper edge of the garment when releasing the brackets from the corners stretched again.

An apparatus for solving the above-mentioned objects has the features of claim 7. Characterized in that the brackets are pivotable about a horizontal axis extending transversely to the feed direction, in such a way that at least a lower part of the Klammem arrives at the feed conveyor for abutment with the upper run thereof for depositing the laundry article, the respective laundry item is without offset or infinitely, that is sliding, as it were, can be deposited on the upper strand. As a result, a state is avoided when depositing the laundry, in which a front edge of the laundry falls uncontrollably on the feed conveyor.

At least the lower bracket halves of the brackets are formed as thin tongues. As a result, the corner regions of the item of laundry held in the same can also be moved close to the upper run of the delivery conveyor, because the corner areas are separated from the lower run only by the thin tongues of the lower clip halves.

According to a preferred embodiment of the device, the clamps are arranged pivotably on transversely movable in front of the feed conveyor carriages. As a result, the course of the lower sides of the lower clamp halves of the clamps relative to the upper run of the feed conveyor can be changed. In particular, the pivotability of the clamps allows for an adjustment of the undersides of the lower clamp halves to the course of the upper run of the feed conveyor during the deposition of the laundry item on the same.

It is further provided to assign the Klammem pivoting means which pivot the Klammem. By the pivoting means, it is for example possible to facilitate the manual inputting of the corners of the laundry item in the brackets by the brackets are brought for this purpose in an ergonomic favorable, in particular inclined, position. Thereafter, the clamps are again pivoted so that they arrive in a favorable position for transfer and finally they can be pivoted by the pivoting means so that they rest at the time of transfer at least with a front free end of the lower bracket halves on the upper strand. Preferably, the pivoting means are formed so that they still allow a free pivoting of the brackets, the pivoting means of this free pivoting counteract only resiliently. As a result, the brackets can automatically adapt to the course of the upper strand of the feed conveyor so create this to deposit the garment.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided to form a front region of the feed conveyor in the feed direction rising obliquely. In the obliquely rising region of the feed conveyor, the front edge of the laundry item is deposited on the feed conveyor. The brackets are movable on movement paths in the feed direction, which specifically corresponds to the oblique course of the front region of the feed conveyor, namely such that the path of movement of the staples in the feed direction approaches the upper strand. As a result, in a simple manner, at least the undersides of the clamps can be moved to the upper run of the feed conveyor, whereby the prerequisite for the inventive continuous and / or seamless storage of laundry is given on the upper strand of the feed conveyor.

Fig. 1

eine schematische, perspektivische Darstellung der Vorrichtung zum Zuführen von Wäschestücken zu einer Mangel oder dergleichen,

Fig. 2

einen Querschnitt durch die Vorrichtung mit einer Klammer in einer Stellung zum Einhängen einer Ecke eines Wäschestücks,

Fig. 3

die Vorrichtung in einer Darstellung analog zu den Fig. 2 in einer Zwischenstellung mit hochgeschwenkter Klammer, und

Fig. 4

einen Querschnitt durch die Vorrichtung analog zur Fig. 2 und 3 mit einer sich in Ablagestellung befindlichen Klammer.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing. In this show:

Fig. 1

a schematic, perspective view of the device for feeding laundry items to a defect or the like,

Fig. 2

a cross-section through the device with a clip in a position for hanging a corner of a piece of laundry,

Fig. 3

the device in a representation analogous to FIG. 2 in an intermediate position with the clamp pivoted up, and

Fig. 4

a cross section through the device analogous to FIGS. 2 and 3 with a clip in the storage position.

The apparatus shown here is used to supply stretched laundry items 12 to a defect or other laundry treatment machine, not shown in the figures. The device essentially has a spreading device 10 and a feed conveyor 11 associated therewith. From the feed conveyor 11, a single, spread laundry article 12 can be fed to the defect or the like. It is also conceivable to provide between the feed conveyor 11 and the defect a stretching conveyor, not shown in the figures. In each case a spread laundry item 12 is then transferred from the feed conveyor 11 to the stretch conveyor and passed from this in a direction indicated by an arrow 13 feeding direction to the defect. The spreader 10 and the feed conveyor 11 are mounted on a common machine frame, which is shown only schematically in Fig. 1.

The spreader 10 is located in front of the feed conveyor 11 in relation to the feed direction 13. The spreader 10 shown here has a pair of clamps made of two equally formed clamps 14. The clamps 14 are transverse to the Feeding direction 13 in front of the feed conveyor 11 together and moved apart. Each bracket 14 is attached to a carriage 15 which is movable with rollers on a transversely to the feed direction 13 horizontally extending in front of the feed conveyor 11 (on the machine frame) mounted rail 16. When the clamps 14 have moved together (FIG. 1), an upper edge 17 of the item of laundry 12 is delimited, opposite corners 18 are pushed into a respective clamp 14. By moving apart of the Klammem 14, the laundry item 12 is spread or spread and thereby the upper edge 17 of the laundry item 12 stretched. The laundry item 12 is moved with the upper edge 17 extended by the brackets 14 of the spreader 10 in the feed direction 13 to the feed conveyor 11, along in the feed direction 13 extending horizontal tracks 19. Subsequently, the laundry item 12 from the Klammem 14 to the feed conveyor 11th to hand over.

Each of the same trained Klammem 14, of which in Figs. 2 to 4 only one of the successive Klammem 14 can be seen, has an upper half-bracket 20 and a lower half bracket 21. The two clamp halves 20 and 21 are fixed relative to each other. Between the clamp halves 20 and 21 there is a clamp mouth 22 for receiving in each case a corner of the laundry article 12. The clamp mouth 22 is open on a side 23 directed away from the defect (counter to the feed direction 13). The upper half of the clamp 20 is associated with a clamping means, not shown in the figures, which presses against the lower clamp half 21 and thereby clamps a corner 18 at the upper edge 17 of the laundry 12. By moving the respective clamping means up, the corresponding corner 18 can be released from the clamp 14 assigned to it. In a special way, the lower bracket half 21 is formed. It consists of a flat, elongated tongue 24 made of a thin sheet metal.

Each bracket 14 is pivotable relative to the carriage 15, in a vertical plane extending in the feed direction 13. For this purpose, an upper in the feed direction 13 forward corner region of the bracket 14 is rotatably mounted with an axis 25 under its associated carriage 15. The axis 25 is horizontally oriented transversely to the feed direction 13 (FIGS. 2 to 4). Furthermore, each clamp 14 is assigned an adjusting means 26. The adjusting means 26 engages with a lower end 27 at a lying below the axis 25 corner region of the clip 14 and with an upper end 28 at a lower portion of the carriage 15 at. The articulation points of Adjusting means 26 on the carriage 15 and one of the clamps 14 are positioned so that the adjustment means 26 extends obliquely in a vertical plane extending in the feed direction 13 (FIGS. 2 to 4). The adjusting means 26 is preferably designed as a double-acting pneumatic cylinder. The pneumatic cylinder can automatically pivot the respective bracket 14 about the axis 25 in the opposite direction. But the pneumatic cylinder also allows a free pivoting of the clip 14 in the vertical, along the feed direction 13 extending plane to by compression of the air in the pneumatic cylinder, whereby this spring, in particular rückfedemd acts.

The feed conveyor 11 has a circulating conveyor belt 29 which is so wide that it extends over the entire width of even larger items of laundry 12. The conveyor belt 29 may be formed as a single full-surface belt, but also consist of a plurality of narrow intervals next to each other narrow belt strips. The conveyor belt 29 is guided circumferentially between two transverse drums 30 and 31 extending transversely to the feed direction 13. A tail pulley 30 or 31 can be driven. In a special way, an upper run 32 of the conveyor belt 29 is formed or guided. For this purpose, a front region of the upper strand 32 in the feed direction 13 is designed as an oblique region 33. This oblique region 33 extends in the feed direction 13 rising. The inclination of the oblique portion 33 is 5 ° to 20 °, preferably about 10 °. At the oblique region 13 in the feed direction 13 includes a substantially horizontal portion 34 of the upper run 32 at. A bottom of the upper run 32 is associated with a suction box 35 which extends over a major part of the oblique portion 33 and can be acted upon with suction air. As a result, the respective item of laundry 12 held on the holes upper strand 32 of the conveyor belt 29 by vacuum, namely sucked.

The inclined portion 33 of the upper strand 32 of the feed conveyor 11 and the horizontal paths 19 for moving the spreader 10 converge in the feed direction 13, that is, the distance between the inclined portion 33 of the feed conveyor 13 and the horizontal tracks 19 of the spreader 10 decreases In addition, the tracks 19 at such a distance from the upper strand 32 of the feed conveyor 11, that for storing the adjacent to the upper edge 17 upper portion of the laundry item 12 on the inclined portion 33 of the upper run 22, a bottom 37 of the tongue 24 of lower half bracket 21 each bracket 14 at least partially, preferably completely to System on the inclined portion 33 of the upper run 32 passes (Fig. 4). But it may also be sufficient that only the open side 23 of the respective bracket 14 facing free transverse edge 36 of the respective tongue 24 for depositing the laundry item 12 on the feed conveyor 11 rests on the inclined portion 33 of the upper run 32.

The method according to the invention will be described below with reference to the device described above, without the method being restricted thereto:

A piece of laundry 12 is manually hung in the two clamps 14 together with its upper edge 17 bounding, opposite corners 18. Here, the Klammem 14 and carriage 15 carrying transverse rail 16 is moved outward against the feed direction 13 relative to the feed conveyor 11 (Fig. 2). The Klammermäuler 22 of the Klammem 14 are open and the brackets 14 are pivoted down, so that the Klammermäuler 22 to the open sides 23 extend downwardly inclined. In this inclined position (FIG. 2) of the clamps 14, the corners 18 of the laundry article 12 can be inserted in an ergonomically favorable manner by an operator into the clamp mouths 22 of the clamps 14. After manually opposite corners 18 of the respective garment 12 are inserted into the Klammermäuler 22 of both brackets 14, they are herein clamped by lowering the upper clamp halves 20 associated clamping means, namely pressed against the inner sides of the tongues 24 of the lower clamp halves 21.

After the brackets 14 are loaded with the corners 18 of the garment 12, the brackets 14 travel apart to stretch the garment 12 and tighten the top edge 17 thereof. In this case or after stretching out the item of laundry 12, the clamps 14 are pivoted back again, so that the flat tongues 24 of the lower clamp halves 21 are directed approximately horizontally (FIG. 3). In this case, a slight lifting of the laundry item 12 takes place.

The transfer of the spread with the spread upper edge 17 held on the Klammem 14 garment 12 to the feed conveyor 11 is carried out by moving the spreader 10 along the horizontal tracks 19 in the feed direction 13. The brackets 14 are pivoted again, so that the undersides of the tongues 24th the lower bracket halves 21 are slightly inclined relative to the horizontal, in the feed direction 13 seen increasing. This inclination preferably corresponds to the inclination of the oblique region 33 of the upper run 32 of the feed conveyor 11.

Due to the horizontally extending tracks 19, the distance to the inclined portion 33 of the upper strand 32 of the feed conveyor 11 decreases in the feed direction 13, the inclined brackets 14 get in the process of the spreader 10 on the horizontal tracks 19 in the feed direction 13 with the bottom 37 of the lower bracket halves 21 forming tongues 24 for abutment on the inclined portion 33 of the upper run 32 of the feed conveyor 11 (Fig. 4). In this case, the upper area of the item of laundry 12 issuing from the upper edge 17 is deposited steplessly and / or without transition or sliding on the inclined area 33 of the upper run 32 of the delivery conveyor 11. This is preferably done during a synchronous phase of movement of the spreader 10 with the Klammem 14 relative to the feed conveyor 11 in the feed 13. In this case, at least the upper portion of the laundry item 12 with constant contact of the lower sides 37 of the tongues 24 of the Klammem 14 on the inclined portion 33 of the upper run Because of the same (synchronous) speed of the clamps 14 and the upper run 32 of the feed conveyor 11 in the feed direction 13 without significant slippage of the laundry article 12 on or opposite the upper strand 32.

After the stretched upper edge 17 of the garment 12 has reached its intended position on the inclined portion 33 of the upper run 32 of the feed conveyor 11, the clamps 14 are opened by moving the clamping means in the upper clamp halves 20 and moved apart to the corners 18 of the Free upper edge 17 of the laundry item 12. The corners 18 of the garment 12 slide out laterally from the Klammermäulern 22 of the brackets 14 out, possibly with slight further extension of the upper edge 17 of the garment 12. The brackets 14 are then advanced by the spreader 10 against the feed 13 and moved together. It can then manually hung a next garment 12 with opposite corners 18 in the brackets 14.

When depositing the adjoining the upper edge 17 front portion of the laundry item 12 on the inclined portion 33 of the upper run 32 of the feed conveyor 11, the upper portion of the garment 12 in the inclined portion 33 on the upper run 32 fixed by a negative pressure of the suction box 35, wherein through the holes in the conveyor belt 29 through the front portion of the garment 12 in the inclined portion 33 of the upper run 32 on the conveyor belt 29 of Feeding conveyor 11 is firmly sucked, with a wrinkling during depositing, especially when loosening and moving away of the brackets 14 from the corners 18 of the garment 12, effectively avoided.

Claims (13)

1. Method of feeding items of laundry (12) to a mangle or the like, in each case one item of laundry (-12) being suspended, by way of adjacent corners (18), in two clamps (14) of a spreading device (10), the item of laundry (12) being straightened out by the clamps (14), and the item of laundry (12) being transferred to a feed conveyor (11) which transports it to the mangle or the like, characterized in that the item of laundry (12) is transferred from the clamps (14) to a top strand (32) of the feed conveyor (11) and, before the respective item of laundry (12) is deposited on the feed conveyor (11), the clamps (14) are pivoted such that the item of laundry (12) is deposited on the feed conveyor (11) by the clamps (14) in an essentially transition-free manner.
2. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the item of laundry (12) is deposited with abutment at least of part of the (bottom) halves (21) of the clamps (14), these halves retaining the item of laundry (12) from beneath, against the top strand (32) of the feed conveyor (11).
3. Method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, for continuous depositing of the item of laundry (12) on the feed conveyor (11), at least a front part of the bottom halves (21) of the clamps (14) is moved up to the top strand (32) of the feed conveyor (11), with at least partial abutment of the underside (37) of the bottom clamp half (21) against the top strand (32) of the feed conveyor (11), it being the case that, preferably at least until the item of laundry (12) has been deposited on the top strand (32) of the feed conveyor (11), the clamps (14) are driven in the same direction, in particular at the same speed, as the top strand (32) of the feed conveyor (11).
4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the clamps (14) are pivoted such that at least a free transverse edge (36) of the respective clamp half (21), preferably the entire underside (37) of the same, is lowered towards the top strand (32) of the feed conveyor (11).
5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact between at least the free transverse edge (36) of each bottom half (21) of the clamps (14) and the top strand (32) of the feed conveyor (11) is maintained, at least as the item of laundry (12) is deposited on the feed conveyor (11), by automatic adaptation of the inclination of the at least bottom halves (21) of the clamps (14) to the course taken by the top strand (32), preferably by automatic pivoting at least of the bottom halves (21) of the clamps (14) in relation to the top strand (32) of the feed conveyor (11).
6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the clamps (14) are brought out of contact with the item of laundry (12) by virtue of being moved apart from one another, it being the case that, as the clamps (14) are moved apart from one another, the bottom clamp halves (21) maintain, at least in part, their abutment against the top strand (32) of the feed conveyor (11).
7. Apparatus for feeding items of laundry (12) to a mangle or the like, having a feed conveyor (11) leading to the mangle or the like, and having a spreading device (10) with at least two clamps (14) for retaining opposite corners (18) of the item of laundry (12), the clamps (14) spreading out the item of laundry (12), and it being possible for the spread-out item of laundry (12) to be transferred to the feed conveyor (11), characterized in that the clamps (14) can be pivoted in relation to the feed conveyor (11) about horizontal spindles (25), running transversely to the feed direction (13), such that, for the purpose of depositing an item of laundry (12) on the feed conveyor (11), they pass into abutment against a top strand (32) of the feed conveyor (11) by way of at least part of their bottom clamp halves (21).
8. Apparatus according to Claim 7, characterized in that the bottom halves (21) of the clamps (14) are designed as thin tongues (24).
9. Apparatus according to either of Claims 7 and 8, characterized in that the clamps (14) are arranged in a pivotable manner on carriages (15) for displacing the clamps (14) transversely in front of the feed conveyor (11).
10. Apparatus according to one of Claims 7-9, characterized in that the clamps (14) can be pivoted automatically, preferably in opposite directions, by adjustment means (26).
11. Apparatus according to one of Claims 7-10, characterized in that the clamps (14) can be pivoted freely, the adjustment means (26) counteracting the free pivoting capability with resilient action, in particular spring-back action.
12. Apparatus according to one of Claims 7-11, characterized in that, in a front region as seen in the feed direction (13) of the item of laundry (12) (oblique region 33), the respective item of laundry (12) being set down on this front or oblique region by the clamps (14), the top strand (32) of the feed conveyor (11) is designed to run obliquely or in an inclined manner in relation to the horizontal, preferably the oblique region (33) slopes up in the feed direction (13), it being possible, in particular, for the clamps (14) to be pivoted into a position in which undersides (37) of the bottom clamp halves (21) run at least partially, preferably wholly, parallel to the oblique region (33) of the top strand (32) of the feed conveyor (11).
13. Apparatus according to one of Claims 7-12, characterized in that the clamps (14) can be displaced over at least one movement path (path 19) which, as seen in the feed direction (13) of the items of laundry into the mangle or the like, converges in relation to the (front) oblique region (33) of the top strand (32) of the feed conveyor (11).

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