GB1083101A - Method and apparatus for folding laundered articles - Google Patents

Abstract

1,083,101. Folding sheets. H. OELKERS. March 16, 1965 [March 17, 1964], No. 10992/ 65. Heading D1S. Laundered articles are each folded at least three times by displaceable folding fingers and after each folding have their face side facing outwards. A laundered article, e.g. a sheet, bed-cover, table-cloth or towel, is fed from a calender, with its rough side upwards, onto a plurality of narrow endless conveyor belts 2. The article then passes around a roller 8a, over which parallel narrow belts 8 are guided, onto the upper surface of the belts 8 with the smooth side thereof facing upwardly. The leading edge of the article operates a switch 1, comprising an angled lever to cooperate with a fixed contact 1b to operate a clutch 1a to drive an endless conveyor belt 3, racked bar or slider in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of the belts 2. A photoelectric cell 4 on the belt 3 scans the article and cooperates with a light source 4a, disposed in a space between the belts 8 and extending over the whole length of the belt 3, to actuate a first folding device 5 comprising pivotal or vertically displaceable folding fingers disposed between the belts 8 to push the article along the transverse centre line thereof upwardly between rollers 6, 6a to effect the first fold, Fig. 4 (not shown). The folding fingers may each be provided with an upwardly inclined or upwardly curved front end portion, as shown. The device 5 disengages the clutch 1a and the belt 3 is returned to its original position by a spring, weight loading, pneumatic or electric actuation. The article is conveyed by narrow belts 7 and the leading edge thereof contacts a second switch 1 which actuates a second belt 3 carrying a photocell 4 cooperating with a light source 4a to operate a second folding device 5 which pushes the article upwardly between a roller 9a and another roller onto narrow belts 9, Fig. 6 (not shown). The article contacts a third switch 1 and similarly a third folding device 5 is actuated to push the article upwards onto belts 11, Fig. 8 (not shown). Guide belts 10 are provided or may be omitted, Fig. 1 (not shown). The thrice folded article is then discharged and may pass to a longitudinal folding apparatus of similar construction to the transverse folding apparatus. The various conveyor belts may be provided with tension adjusting means. Auxiliary guide plates (not shown) may be provided. In a modification, Fig. 11 (not shown), belt guides 13 may be provided to guide the article from the belts 2 onto the belts 8.