GB1311649A - Folding strip material into layers - Google Patents

Abstract

1311649 Laying fabrics G STUMPF 22 July 1971 [12 Oct 1970] 34389/71 Heading D1S A fabric laying machine comprises a carriage 4 on which a fabric supply roll 10 is mounted and which is reciprocable over a laying table 1; a folding head 16 carried by the carriage 4 to lay a fabric layer on the table at each stroke and to form a fold at the end of each stroke; a clamping beam 30 to rest on and hold the folds at each end 28 of the stack 29 of layers; and means for lifting the beam 30 as the head 16 approaches to feed the fabric under it, and thereafter to lower the beam 30 in two stages, in the first of which as the head 16 completes its stroke, the beam 30 helps to form the fold but does not grip it, and in the second of which, as the head 16 moves away in the next stroke, the beam 30 rests on and clamps the newly formed fold on top of previous folds. The carriage 4 is provided with grooved wheels 5 to run on circular section rails 3 on the table. The roll 10 is wound on a shaft 11 mounted in forks 12 on a support 6 having grooved wheels 8 running on circular-section rails so as to be displacable transversely to the direction of movement of the carriage 4. The fabric 7 is fed by a roller 14, driven synchronously with the carriage 4, to the head 16 which comprises folding blades 19, 20 pivotable about axes 18 and having folding edges 21, 22 with a gap 23 therebetween for the passage of the fabric. The blades 19, 20 extend between two walls 17 each provided with two ramps 24, 25. A clamping beam 30 is provided at each end of the table 1 and is supported by an arm 32 pivoted at 33. At its ends, each beam 30 has rollers 31 which ride up the respective ramp 24 or 25 to lift the beam. A stop 36 is mounted on each wall 17 below a gap 35 between the ramps 24, 25 and may be made of or provided with a coating of sound absorbing material. In operation, as the carriage 4 moves to the right of Fig. 1, the rollers 31 ride up the ramps 25 to lift the beam 30 from the folds 28 and the beam 30 pivots the blade 20 clockwise. As the rollers 31 ride over the ends of the ramps 25 the beam 30 drops through the gap 35 onto the stops 36, Fig. 3. As the carriage 4 starts the next stroke in the reverse direction, the edge 21 of the blade 19 is withdrawn from the loose fold and then the stops 36 are withdrawn from the beam 30 which clamps against the fabric folds. The blade 20 is subsequently released from the beam 30 and drops onto the upper surface of the folded fabric.