GB1115498A - A spreading machine for sheets and similar pieces of pliable material - Google Patents

Abstract

1,115,498. Feeding sheets. B. LUNDGREN. 17 May, 1967 [17 May, 1966], No.. 22859/67. Heading B6B. [Also in Division D1] A spreader machine for sheets of pliable material, e.g. bed sheets, comprises a table, made up of a series. of parallel conveyer belts 27 between which are positioned vertically displaceable bars 26, and a carriage 4 movable across the table perpendicular to the bars and having clamping means 15 for retaining one edge of the sheet. Four vertical posts. 2 support a horizontal frame made up of square-section piping and comprising, on opposed sides, guides 3 for the wheels 5, 6 of carriage 4 which is connected at each end to continuous chains 7 mounted on sprocket wheels 8, 10 carried on the ends of shafts 9, 11, shaft 9 being driven. The clamping mechanism 15 comprises a fixed bar 16 to which a movable bar 17 is connected by links 18, one of which carries a roller 20 which engages an operating bar 19. A spring 21 lifts bar 17 and biases roller 20 against bar 19, bar 19 being moved by pistons 22 so that, at one end of the traverse of carriage 4, bar 17 engages bar 16 whereas, at the other end of the carriage traverse, it is lifted. The engaging surfaces of bars 16 and 17 are covered with rubber. Belts 27 are driven by driving belts 31. The ends of bars 26 are raised and lowered through links 28 and levers 29 by piston 35. In operation, a sheet is placed with its shorter edge between bars 16, 17 after which the machine operates automatically and the sheet is pulled across the table, being smoothed out by brushes, the bars 26 are then lowered and the sheet is carried away on conveyer belts 27.