GB915507A - Improvements in or relating to folding machines - Google Patents

Abstract

915,507. Folding fabrics. FREDHOLM, G. I. July 20, 1959 [July 19, 1958], No. 24864/59. Class 42 (2). A folding machine associated with an ironing machine comprises a folding blade arranged to be driven from the ironing machine and to cooperate with folding rollers, and a timing mechanism adapted to control the operation of the folding blade, the timing mechanism being operable by electric impulses received, during a measuring period, from feeler members in the path of an object to be folded and the timing mechanism comprising rotatable cam members, one for each folding step, arranged to be driven from the ironing machine by gear means, the cam members, during the measuring period, having imparted thereto different velocities corresponding to desired folding steps the arrangement being such that said timing mechanism operates the folding blade when certain predetermined lengths of said objects to be folded have passed the folding blade. In the embodiment shown, ironed articles are fed directly from the delivery end of an ironer into the folding machine. The folder is arranged to be operated by a timing mechanism as indicated in Figs. 2 to 5. The sheet to be folded is first fed behind folding arm 4. After onefourth of the sheet has passed over the edge 7 of the ironer the arm 4 is moved to the position shown in Fig. 3 so that the sheets become draped over the arm as shown in Fig. 4. When only one-fourth of the sheet remains on the ironer chest 3 thearm 4 is moved to the position shown in Fig. 5 and the sheet is fed into the bite of the folding rollers 8, 9. The length of the sheet is measured during the ironing operation, electrical impulses being delivered over a relay circuit to a lining device when the leading and rear edges of the sheets pass a row of contacts, so as to operate the folding arm 4. The timing device may be provided with two or more independently working units for dealing with separate sheets being fed through the ironer. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 7, a set of resilient contact springs 19 are situated in front of the first roller 17 of an ironing machine, the contact springs 19 being in a circuit for transmitting impulses to a timing device. When the sheet leaves the ironer it is received on a conveyer 20 which delivers the sheet to the folding mechanism in which lever 23 corresponds to arm 4 of Figs. 2-5 and rollers 25, 26 to rollers 8, 9 of Fig. 5. Various parts of the machine are driven from gear-wheel 38 mounted on the last ironer roller 17 as shown. One wheel 31 drives, by chain 39 and wheel 40, when an electromagnetic clutch is actuated, a shaft 41, which carries cam 42, to move the folding lever 23. Another similar wheel 31 drives double sprocket 48, 49 the latter being connected to sprocket 51 the shaft of which carries a gearwheel 52 which meshes with three gear wheels 53-55 which serve as driving wheels for the timing mechanisms. The timing mechanisms are operated in turn through a selector arm, each timing mechanism controlling the folding operation of one sheet only. Each timing mechanism is controlled through an electromagnetic clutch by the leading and rear edges of a corresponding sheet passing contact springs 19. Each timing mechanism drives two cam arms one at one quarter speed and one at threequarter speed. These cam arms actuate microswitches which deliver current impulses to the electromagnetic clutch means on shaft 41 so that the latter is driven through half a revolution at each impulse to move the folding arm 23 to perform the folding operation.