GB2117810A

GB2117810A - Apparatus for folding clothing

Info

Publication number: GB2117810A
Application number: GB08307489A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dieter Scholz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-04-05
Filing date: 1983-03-18
Publication date: 1983-10-19
Also published as: FR2524511B1; JPS6116199B2; FR2524511A1; GB8307489D0; DE3212629A1; DE3212629C2; JPS58185199A; GB2117810B

Abstract

An apparatus for folding clothing, has an applicator plate (11, 12) and a folding device (13) arranged in V- shaped facing manner. For improving the cycle time and consequently the efficiency thereof, the central part (28) of the folding device (13) is located between two longitudinal folding flaps and is arranged to be moved, about a pivot pin 38, out of the V-position at the end of a longitudinal folding process into a rearward position permitting a transverse folding process and back again into the V- position. The transverse folding device (25) is independent of central part (28) and arranged in the vicinity of the rear position thereof. Thus, the central part (28) and transverse folding device (25) are constructed in such a way that, during its pivoting movement, the central part (28) can be passed through a clothing support surface of the transverse folding device (25) for the purpose of transferring to the transverse folding device (25) an article of clothing resting on the central part (28). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for folding clothing This invention relates to an apparatus for folding clothing, particularly overalls, in which an applicator plate and a folding device are arranged in V-shaped manner facing one another, the lower ends of the applicator plate and folding device being mounted on pivot pins and being individually or jointly movable towards one another about the latter for mechanically transferring the article of clothing placed on the applicator plate by the operator to the folding device, the latter also having folding members for the mechanical longitudinal and transverse folding of an article of clothing transferred to it by the applicator plate, particularly in the form of longitudinal folding flaps.

Apparatus of this type is known from German Auslegeschriften Nos. 1137414 and 2730656 and is used in laundries for folding washed and smoothed clothing. The cycle time of the apparatus is significantly influenced by the treatment time of the folding devices and the time required by the folding devices for the longitudinal and transverse folding of the articles of clothing transferred thereto by the applicator plates. The treatment time, as well as the idle periods thereof are too long, which has a disadvantageous effect on the cycle time of the apparatus and consequently the efficiency thereof.

The present invention aims to provide an apparatus for folding clothing in which the cycle time is reduced and consequently the efficiency thereof is significantly improved.

According to the invention, there is provided apparatus for folding clothing, particularly overalls, in which an applicator plate and a folding device are arranged in V-shaped manner facing one another, the lower ends of the applicator plate and folding device being mounted on pivot pins and being individually or jointly movable towards one another about the latter for mechanically transferring the article of clothing placed on the applicator plate by the operator to the folding device, the latter also having folding members for the mechanical longitudinal and transverse folding of an article of clothing transferred to it by the applicator plate, wherein the folding device comprises a central part located between two longitudinal folding flaps, said central part, at the end of the longitudinal folding process, being movable from the V-position about a pivot pin arranged at the lower end thereof into a rear position, permitting the transverse folding process outside the V-position, and then back again, wherein the folding device further comprises a transverse folding device which is independent of said central part and is arranged in the vicinity of the rear position thereof, and wherein the central part is arranged automatically to transfer a longitudinally folded article of clothing located thereon to the transverse folding device for transverse folding.

As a result of the inventive construction of the apparatus, it is possible during the transverse folding of a first article of clothing, to feed in a second article of clothing to the folding device by means of the applicator plates and, as a function of the characteristics of the articles of clothing and/or the construction of the transverse folding device, to fold the same longitudinally. The construction according to the invention consequently leads to an overlapping of treatment and idle times and consequently to a reduction of the cycle time, which has an advantageous effect on the efficiency of the apparatus.

Preferably, the longitudinal folding flaps are constructed in an air-permeable manner, at least in the upper area thereof, and immediately above the same are provided table plates connected to suction devices which once again have an airpermeable construction, at least in the upper area thereof. This arrangement ensures that the article of clothing is held in displacement-free manner after the transfer thereof from the applicator plate to the folding device.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, parallel to its pivot pin, the central part is subdivided into spaced segments and all the segments are interconnected by a lateral mounting support arranged parallel to the longitudinal centre of the folding device and connected to the pivot pin.

Preferably, the segments and the lateral mounting support thereof are constructed as hollow bodies, the spaces of said hollow bodies being interconnected and being connected in the vicinity of said lateral mounting support to a suction device, intakes being provided in the segments at least in the vicinity of the support of the neck portion and the folding edges of the article of clothing. This arrangement ensures that the longitudinally folded article of clothing is also held during transfer to the transverse folding device.

The transverse folding device is preferably arranged above the rearward position of the central part and desirably the clothing support surface of the transverse folding device is formed by bars parallel to the pivot pin of said central part and spaced from one another in such a way that, during its pivoting movement, the central part can be moved through a clothing support surface or the transverse folding device.

In a preferred embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention, the lower and upper parts of the transverse folding device are constructed as transverse folding flaps adapted to be folded onto the part of the transverse folding device located between them.

Preferably, the folding flaps are so arranged that the lower transverse folding flap is adapted to be folded first onto the part of the transverse folding device located between the transverse folding flaps and the upper transverse folding flap is adapted to be folded onto the already folded lower transverse folding flap.

By means of this arrangement, the lower part of the longitudinally folded article of clothing can be folded over the central part thereof and then the upper part thereof over the lower part and the central part located beneath it. This results in a reduction of the cycle time and improvement in efficiency and also has the advantage that the lower part of the article of clothing during the second part of the folding process and thereafter does not "jump up" as easily as with the hitherto used folding procedure, in which after the transverse folding of the lower part of the article of clothing, said part is folded together with the central part thereof over the upper part.

Following the passage of the central part through the transverse folding device, the latter is desirably arranged to be displaced from its basic position, accompanied by the simultaneously forming of the transverse fold by means of the transverse folding flaps, into a lateral stacking position and then back again. Preferably, immediately after the transverse folding device has been moved out of the pivoting area thereof and before it is moved back into its basic position, the central part is arranged to be pivoted into its V-position with respect to the applicator plates.

Movable clamps are desirable arranged in the stacking position of the transverse folding device, said clamps having clamping jaws adapted to be forced through a gap between bars of the folded together transverse folding device. When the clamping jaws are pressed onto one another, the transverse folding device is desirably arranged to be moved out of the stacking position back into the basic position. A vertically movable stacking table, which may be in operative connection with a conveyor, is desirably located beneath the clamps to receive folded articles of clothing from the transverse folding device.

As a result of these measures, operating personnel are only required on the clothing supply side of the apparatus and it is possible to carry out the longitudinal folding of a second article of clothing, prior to the reactivation of the transverse folding device.

As a result of the construction of the apparatus according to the invention, possible novel and advantageous folding processes can be performed in an optimum way. The folding process is characterized in that the mechanical transfer of a first article of clothing from the applicator plate to the folding device and the longitudinal folding thereof can be accompanied by the simultaneous application of a further, second article of clothing to the applicator plate, the supply thereof to the folding device and the longitudinal folding thereof, while the first article of clothing is transversely folded and supplied to a stacker.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which:~ Fig. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention with two applicator plates, which are alternately movable from a clothing feed station positioned laterally of the folding device into the represented V-shaped position opposite said folding device and then back again, the lateral clothing feed station not being shown; Fig. 2 is a view of the longitudinal folding part of the folding device taken in the direction of the arrow X in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the part of the folding device shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the central part of the longitudinal folding device to a largerscale compared with Fig. 3;; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the transverse folding device and stacker with a conveyor, showing in part the position of the longitudinal folding device indicated by dot-dash lines, the latter being shown moved back from the transverse folding device, with the central part thereof in its two positions; Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through the transverse folding device taken on the line A-A in Fig. 5 but to a larger-scale; and Fig. 7 is a vertical section through the stacker and conveyor taken on the line B--B in Fig. 5.

The apparatus shown in the drawings comprises a frame 10, two applicator plates 11, 12, a folding device 13 and a stacker 14 with a conveyor 1 5. Each of the two applicator plates 11, 12 essentially comprises a rectangular tubular frame arranged on a support 17 and over which is stretched a cloth. At the upper end of each applicator plate 11, 1 2 is provided a coat hangerlike device 16, which can be folded out and up, for the suspended or hanging securing of an article of clothing (not shown) placed thereon. At their lower ends, the applicator plates 1 1. 12 are mounted on longitudinally two-part pivot pins 21, 22 by means of the supports 17, runners 18, guide rails 19 and lever arms 20.The applicator plates 1 1. 12 are pivotable about the pivot pins 21,22 in the direction of the double arrow 23 by means of drives which are not shown in the drawings. The drawings also fail to show the drives for the parallel, alternating displacement of the applicator plates 11, 12 from the represented V-shaped position opposite the folding device 13 into a clothing feed position (not shown) positioned laterally thereof. The pivoting and displacement drives not shown in the drawings can be constructed in per so known manner, or in accordance with the statements made in Patent Application No. 83-07488, as can the clothing feed station.

The folding device 13 comprises a longitudinal folding device 24 and a transverse folding device 25. The longitudinal folding device 24 comprises two fixed, spaced, elongated table plates 26, 27, a pivotable, elongated central part 28 arranged between the table plates 26, 27 and two longitudinal folding flaps 29, 30 arranged directly above the table plates 26, 27, the width of the flaps 29. 30 and of the central part 28 being matched to the fold width of the articles of clothing. At least in the upper area thereof, the longitudinal folding flaps 29, 30 are permeable to air and the part of the table plates 26, 27 facing these areas are connected to controllably operable suction devices 31,32.The longitudinal folding flaps 29, 30 are pivotable by means of per se known, not shown drives about spindles 33, 34 in the direction of arrows 35, 36 and back again (Figs. 2 and 3).

The central part 28 of the longitudinal folding device 24 is pivotable in the direction of double arrow 37 about a pivot pin 38 arranged at the lower end thereof by means of a double-acting working cylinder 39 which, on the piston rod side, is articulated to a lever arm 40 of the mounting of the central part 28 on the pivot pin 38. On the cylinder side, the working cylinder 39 is articulated to a bearing block 41 of the frame 10 (Fig. 1).

Furthermore, parallel to its pivot pin 38, the central part 28 of the longitudinal folding device 24 is subdivided into spaced segments 51 of approximately the same width. All the segments 51 are interconnected by a lateral mounting support 52 arranged parallel to the longitudinal centre of the folding device. The mounting support 52 is also used for mounting the central part 28 on the pivot pin 38, which is in turn mounted in a bearing block 56 of the frame 10.

The segments 51 and the lateral mounting support 52 thereof are constructed as hollow bodies. The cavities of these hollow bodies are interconnected and the cavity of the mounting support 52 is also connected to a controllably operable suction device 53, which may take the form of a turbine, accompanied by the interconnection of a hose 55 (Figs. 1 and 4).

Furthermore, at least in the vicinity of the mounting of the neck part and the longitudinal folding edges of the article of clothing, the segments 51 have intakes 54, in such a way that an already longitudinally folded article of clothing resting on the segments 51 is held thereon in nonmoving manner with the suction device 53 switched on.

In the case of the transverse folding device 25, the lower and upper parts thereof are constructed as transverse folding flaps 42, 43. Flaps 42, 43 and the intermediate part 44 of the transverse folding device 25 are formed by bars 45, which are arranged in spaced parallel manner to one another and also parallel to the pivot pin 38 of the central part 28 and arranged on and mounted in a lateral mounting support 46 (Fig. 5). With respect to the longitudinal centre of the transverse folding device 25, the mounting support 46 is arranged on the opposite side to the mounting support 52 of the segments 51 of the central part 28.The transverse folding flaps 42, 43 can be pivoted about spindles 47, 48 in the direction of arrows 49. 50 and then back again (Fig. 6). The transverse folding flaps 42, 43 are pivotable by means of per se known and not shown drives.

The segments 51 of the central part 28 of the longitudinal folding device 24 and their reciprocal spacings, as well as the diameter of the bars 45 of the transverse folding device 25 are selected in such a way that the central part 28 can be passed through the transverse folding device 25 during its pivoting movement from the V-position into the rearward position (Fig. 1).

In addition, the transverse folding device 25 is constructed in such a way that, following the passage of the central part 28, it can be moved from its basic position, accompanied by the simultaneous forming of the transverse fold, by means of the transverse folding flaps 42, 43 to a stacking position positioned laterally of the basic postion with the stacker 14 and conveyor 15 and then back again (double arrow 57 in Fig. 5). For this purpose, the transverse folding device 25 is displaceably mounted in per se known manner by means of a guide rod 74 on the frame 10, whilst a not shown working cylinder is provided.

The stacker 14 (Figs. 5 and 7) essentially comprises two clamps 58, mounted in laterally movable manner, a stacking table 59, mounted in vertically movable manner, and the aforementioned conveyor 15 drivable in synchronized manner. Each of the two clamps 58 has two clamping jaws 61, 62 whereon in each case the upper jaw 62 can be pressed by means of a working cylinder 60 onto the lower jaw 61. The clamping jaws 61, 62 are also constructed and arranged in such a way that after moving the transverse folding device 25 into the stacking position between the bars 45 thereof, they can be pressed onto one another. Moreover, the clamps 58 are arranged on a frame 63, which is laterally movable by means of a working cylinder 64 (double arrow 65).The stacking table 59 is vertically movable by means of a working cylinder 66 (Fig. 5). The conveyor 15 can be driven in synchronized manner in the direction of arrow 67 by means of a not shown, known drive means. The frame 63 with clamps 58, stacking table 59 and conveyor 15, as well as the movement or drive means thereof are mounted in per so known manner on the frame 10.In the case of the frame 63, this is brought about e.g. by means of runners 70 and guide rails 71 (Fig. 7) and in the case of the stacking table 59 by means of runners 72 and a guide rail 73 (Fig. 5). The carrying part of the stacking table 59 is constructed in rake or comblike manner, in such a way that the rake webs 68 of the stacking table 59 during the lowering movement thereof can be passed through the feed plane of the conveyor 1 5 or the spaced upper strands of belts 69, so that articles of clothing resting thereon are deposited on the belt 69 or the conveyor 15.

The represented apparatus also has all the other known parts and devices required for operating the same, in particular an electropneumatic control device for controlling the pneumatic and electrical equipment thereof.

The apparatus operates in the following way.

An article of clothing, for example overalls, resting on an applicator plate 11 or 12 and held in hanging manner by means of a flapped out, coat hanger-like device 16 is moved in such a way by pivoting the applicator plate 11 or 12 in the direction of the folding device 13, that plate 11 or 12, whilst enclosing the article of clothing, rests on the longitudinal folding device 24 or on the two longitudinal folding flaps 29, 30 and the central part 28 located between them. Immediately thereafter, the suction devices 31, 32 of the table plates 26, 27 positioned beneath the longitudinal folding flaps 29, 30, as well as the suction device 53 of the central part 28 are switched on.Thus, after folding together the coat hanger-like device 16, the extension therefrom out of the article of clothing (upwards) and the pivoting back of the applicator plate 11 or 12 into the V-shaped position with respect to the folding device 13, the article of clothing is held in displacement-free manner on the longitudinal folding device 24 or the parts 28 or 30 thereof.Following the switching off of the suction devices 31, 32, the article of clothing is longitudinally folded by sequence-controlled movement of the longitudinal folding flaps 29, 30 in the direction of the arrows 35, 36. When this has taken place, the central part 28 is pivoted into its rearward position (shown by dot-dash lines in Fig. 1). On passing through the rake-like clothing support surface of the transverse folding device 25, the article of clothing is transferred to the latter and during transfer, the suction device 53 of the central part 28 is switched off.The article of clothing now resting in longitudinally folded manner on the clothing support surface of the transverse folding device 25 is held thereon by the pressing action of the not shown holding elements in the vicinity of the transverse folding points in such a way that following the transverse folding of the upper and lower parts thereof by the sequence-controlled movement of the transverse folding flaps 43,42 in the direction of the arrows 49, 50 it neither slides nor jumps up. Transverse folding takes place during the movement of the transverse folding device 25 from its basic position into the stacker 14 arranged laterally of this position in such a way that on reaching the stacking position, the transverse folding flaps 42. 43 are still in their pivoted position.Thus, the article of clothing is supplied to the stacker 14 enclosed between the rod-like parts 42-44 of the transverse folding device 25. The following stacking of the now longitudinally and transversely folded article of clothing is started by holding it in fixed manner by the clamps 58 of the stacker 14 through the pressing down of the upper clamping jaws 62.

When this has taken place, after the prior release of the not shown, aforementioned retaining elements, the transverse folding device 25 is moved back into its basic position and extracted from the article of clothing, after which the clamps 58 are opened and are removed from the vicinity of the article of clothing by lateral displacement.

The removal of the transverse folding device 25 and the opening and removal of clamps 58 leads to the article of clothing being placed on the stacking table 59 positioned beneath it or on already completely folded articles of clothing resting thereon. Following each supply of an article of clothing, the stacking table 59 is lowered by the height or thickness thereof and after the stacking of a predetermined number of items is lowered to such an extent that the rake webs 68 pass through the upper strands of the belts 69 of the conveyor 15, so that the stack of items is set down on the belts 69 of the conveyor 1 5. When this has taken place, the conveyor 15 is briefly moved in the direction of arrow 67 and as a result the stack of clothing is conveyed out of the working area of the stacking table 59.The stacking table 59 is then again moved into its upper basic position.

Furthermore, after placing an article of clothing on the stacking table 59, the clamps 58 are moved out of the lateral position back into their basic position in the vicinity of the clothing.

The stack of clothing can be supplied by the discontinuously operating conveyor 15 to a not shown continuously operating feed system and from the latter to a shelf system, if necessary following the prior mechanical packing thereof. In this case, no operating personnel must be positioned at the discharge side of the apparatus.

The described apparatus and procedure can be used e.g. for folding overalls of different design.

Different designs merely mean that the operating personnel when placing the overalls on applicator plates 11, 12 and the orientation thereof on said plates have to carry out different manipulations adapted to the circumstances. This in particular causes no problems, if the fabric covering of the applicator plates 11, 12 is transparent and a lighting device is installed on the back thereof. In the case of lightweight articles of clothing, it can also be advantageous to provide in the upper area of the applicator plates 11, 12 back-controlled, switchable suction devices as additional holding means for the articles of clothing placed on the applicator plates 11, 12.

Claims

1. Apparatus for folding clothing, particularly overalls, in which an applicator plate and folding device are arranged in V-shaped manner facing one another, the lower ends of the applicator plate and folding device being mounted on pivot pins and being individually or jointly movable towards one another about the latter for mechanically transferring the article of clothing placed on the applicator plate by the operator to the folding device, the latter also having folding members for the mechanical longitudinal and transverse folding of an article of clothing transferred to it by the applicator plate, wherein the folding device comprises a central part located between two longitudinal folding flaps, said central part, at the end of the longitudinal folding process, being movable from the V-position about a pivot pin arranged at the lower end thereof into a rear position, permitting the transverse folding process outside the V-position, and then back again, wherein the folding device further comprises a transverse folding device which is independent of said central part and is arranged in the vicinity of the rear position thereof, and wherein the central part is arranged automatically to transfer a longitudinally folded article of clothing located thereon to the transverse folding device for transverse folding.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal folding flaps are constructed in an airpermeable manner, at least in the upper area thereof, and immediately above the same are provided table plates connected to suction devices which once again have an air-permeable construction, at least in the upper area thereof.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein, parallel to its pivot pin, the central part is subdivided into spaced segments and all the segments are interconnected by a lateral mounting support arranged parallel to the longitudinal centre of the folding device and connected to the pivot pin.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the segments and the lateral mounting support thereof are constructed as hollow bodies, the spaces of said hollow bodies being interconnected and being connected in the vicinity of said lateral mounting support to a suction device, intakes being provided in the segments at least in the vicinity of the support of the neck portion and the folding edges of the article of clothing.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the transverse folding device is arranged above the rearward position of the central part, and wherein the clothing support surface of the transverse folding device is formed by bars parallel to the pivot pin of said central part and spaced from one another in such a way that, during its pivoting movement, the central part can be moved through a clothing support surface or the transverse folding device.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the lower and upper parts of the transverse folding device are constructed as transverse folding flaps adapted to be folded onto the part of the transverse folding device located between them.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the folding flaps are so arranged that the lower transverse folding flap is adapted to be folded first onto the part of the transverse folding device located between the transverse folding flaps and the upper transverse folding flap is adapted to be folded onto the already folded lower transverse folding flap.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the transverse folding device and the transverse folding flaps are arranged on or mounted in a lateral mounting support arranged on the side opposite to the lateral mounting support of the segments of said central part with respect to the longitudinal centre of the transverse folding device.

9. Apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein, following the passage of the central part through the transverse folding device, the latter is arranged to be displaced from its basic position, accompanied by the simultaneously forming of the transverse fold by means of the transverse folding flaps into a lateral stacking position and then back again.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein immediately after the transverse folding device has been moved out of the pivoting area thereof and before it is moved back into its basic position, the central part is arranged to be pivoted into its V-position with respect to the applicator plates.

11. Apparatus according to claim 9 or claim 10.

wherein controlled movable clamps are arranged in the stacking position of the transverse folding device, said clamps having clamping jaws adapted to be forced through a gap between bars of the folded together transverse folding device.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein, when the clamping jaws are pressed onto one another, the transverse folding device is arranged to be moved out of the stacking position back into the basic position.

13. Apparatus according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein a vertically controllably movable stacking table in operative connection with the transverse folding device and clamps is arranged beneath said clamps.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the stacking table is in operative connection with a controllably drivable conveyor.

1 5. Apparatus for folding clothing substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.