IL31922A

IL31922A - Machine for folding textile fabrics,especially stockings

Info

Publication number: IL31922A
Application number: IL31922A
Authority: IL
Original assignee: Stoessl A
Priority date: 1968-04-11
Filing date: 1969-03-28
Publication date: 1972-09-28
Also published as: GB1250836A; IL31922A0; US3516582A; DE6913700U; AT284732B; DE1917394A1

Description

A MACHINE FOB FOLDING TEXTILE FABRICS, ESPECIALLY STOCKINGS puna -irman ^PPPP ·»:η~η¾ ΊΒ^ rrnun The present invention relates to a machine for folding textile fabrics, especially stockings. There are already known folding machines for folding stockings which require high initial investment, and - during work -attendance of operators for a considerable time, wherefore the use of these machines is also quite costly* It is the object of the present invention to provide a machine for the said purpose which is of simple and inexpensive construction and which can be worked economically.

There is known a device according to British Patent 961473 which concerns a method of packing ladies stockings. This device is intended for manual use only and can hardly be connected to a mechanical drive. Accordingly its output is small and the feeding of the stockings into the device requires a certain amount of skill in so far as the stockings have to be placed in a well oriented position, without creases and absolutely flat.

The present machine is driven mechanically, the feed is by means of improved arrangements, so that the output of the machine is much greater and can be used in manufacturing plants having a greater output.

According to the invention a folding machine for lengths of textile fabric, particularly stockings, comprises a fork for performing the folding operation, mounted in a support for rotation about its axis in a horizontal plane under the control of a rotary drive, and a table having a cut-out portion and capable of movement between a loading position and an operative position in which the fork enters the cut-out portion so as, in operation, to engage a length of textile material extending across the cut-out portion and thus to fold it by rotary action. Λ special and additional advantage of such machines resides therein that their construction permits the performance of the working operations either manually or semi-automatically or fully automatically* For this reason the new machines may be used in the smallest as well as in the largest manufacturing plants.

Further features of the invention and the advantages thereof will become clear from the I? following description which refers to the attached drawings, showing one executional form of the improved machine* In the drawings; Fig* 1 is a schematical representation of machine and its accessories* the drawing being a plan view; Fig* 2 is a practical embodiment of the folding arrangement, shown in an elevation; and finally* Fig* 3 is a plan view of the arrangement according to Fig. 2.

The machine shown in Fig* 1 is provided with a transport table 1 which is swingable about a vertical axis 2 between two extreme positions 1* and 1"· Into the four-sided plate of the table there is provided in one of the longer edges thereof, i.e. that edge which faces the turning axis of the table* a cutout 5 of rectangular shape* In the position l1, the folding equipment 6 is in register with the said cutout. In the position 1" which is swung through 90° as against the first-mentioned position* one of the shorter edges of the table plate is opposite a conveyor arrangement* say a conveyor band 3.

As can be seen from Figs* 2 and 3 the folding equipment 6 comprises a flat folding fork 7 which comprises two tines 8 (which however might be provided with three tines) which fork may be connected fixedly or changeably with a shaft 9 journalled turnably in a supporting structure 22 of the machine* The fork is positioned between two symetrically disposed spade-shaped jaws 10 from which jaws there extend, in the vicinity of shaft 9» lugs 11 directed outwardly* Each of these jaws is connected with the lug to one of two levers 12 at one end of. such lever* The opposite ends of these levers are hingedly connected with one of two brackets 13; these brackets extending from a sleeve 14 which sleeve is slidable on the shaft 9* Both these levers are biased for opposite movement* i.e. towards each other, by means of a spring 15 extending between these levers and attached thereto* The two jaws 10 are also spring-biased since at each of those ends thereof which extends beyond the lugs 11. at 18, there is provided a tension spring 17 affixed at 16 to the outwardly extending ends of extensions of Ifvers 12* This construction makes it possible that the jaws may be positioned in parallel to one another and aPP themselves to the fork at different distances between themselves and between the jaws and the fork* The spring pulls both levers 12, against forces generated at th instant of turning the.fork and which forces act periodically causing the jaws to move the maximum distance from one another* according to the width of the folding fork.

The two jaws which can be swung about a turning point 19 and which act as two armed levers are pressed resiliently against the folding fork 7, whereby uniform pressure onto the fork is ensured even if the latter is tapering. Incidentally, the jaws 10 could be guided in parallel also in another way, say by double levers or the like. Onto the sleeve 14 acts a connecting rod 20 which is connected to a pedal 21 arranged in the machine structure 23 hi h b it h d s or off by means of a switch 24 and which drives the shaft 9 by means of a chain drive, a V-belt or gear wheels.

The drive is controlled in such a way that the folding fork is put into rotation during a certain period of time and at the end of that period is always in a horizontal position. So as to permit the swingingof the table from its position 1' (wherein it is held releasably, for instance by means of a spring biased pawl 4) into its position 1", the fork 9 should be turned into its vertical position, that is to say a turn through 90°, so that the plate of the table could pass between the two tines. This ean be obtained by a ratchet wheel 25 which can be turned by a ratchet 26 and a rod 27 by working the pedal 28. To the table 1 there is coordinated a supply roller 29 fitted with a photo—cell or the like, the said roller 29 being rotated whenever a ray of light directed against the said photocell is interrupted through putting on a piece of textile material* This supply roller 29 is preceded by a roller 30 from which a packing foil can be reeled off* Behind the supply roller there is provided a conveyor 31 which leads to a welding arrangement for plastics foils which is not shown in the drawings* f The machine described functions as follows: The fabric or the pair of stockings is conveyed via the feeding arrangement 3 onto the table 1 which is now in position 1"· Here the position of the stockings is adjusted and the table is swing into the position 1*, as a consequence the pair of stockings lies across the cutout 5 of the table, between the tines 8 of the fork 7* The motor 23 is now switched on and the drive via the shaft 9 starts to rotate the fork, the speed of rotation being either constant or variable* The work rotates as long as it takes to wind thereon the stockings* During this operation the two jaws 10 have the task to urge the stockings during the rotation onto the fork, thus attaining a firm and tensioned wind or fold of the stockings* It should be mentioned again that the width of the folded stockings is in accordance with the width of the folding fork, which can be obtained by interchanging the fork or by using forks with an adjustable width* so that the width of the final package of stockings can be adjusted to a desired dimension. This is of special importance since ΰ the exterior appearance of a packet of stockings is subject to variations dictated by fashion* The forks, the width of which can be adjusted can thus be used for attaining packages of different widths without altering anything in the machine itself.

After the conclusion of the winding the fork is in a horizontal position. In this position the distance between-, the two jaws 10 is equal to double the width of the wound on layers plus the thickness of the fork, and the inner sides of the jaws apply themselves directly onto the wound material.

Under the circumstances the removal of the wound material occurs against the pressure (which although small, is still present) of the jaws against the fork. Sometimes this would be undesirable in view of the delicate nature of the products which might be damaged. However, such a likelihood can easily be met. It is sufficient if the diameter of the shaft of the fork is dimensioned in the vicinity or in the range of the junction between the shaft and the tines in such a way, say conically, that the ^con act areas of the ,iaws-when the fork is positioned horiz 4ontally-contact the shaft and not the wound material. It goes without saying that the minimum spacing between the jaws is ixed appropriately* After the conclusion of the winding the jaws 10 are removed from the fork by working the pedal 21* The table is then swung from its position 1* into the position 1" in which the wound on pair of stockings can be removed in several ways. One way would be that the pair of stockings, after having pushed back the jaws, are removed from the fork 7 by hand or automatically and conveyed to the roller 29 which latter conveys the pair of stockings via the of foil of plastic material wound off a roller 31, with the interposition of a pair of stockings, sealing the edges of the foil on the pair of stockings thus preparing a fully closed package. Another possibility would reside therein that after the winding, when the spade—like jaws 10 are still within the range of the horizontal fork 7, a prepared bag shaped packing element is pulled over the jaws 10 and only then the jaws 10 are made to retract. Now the bag together with the wound stockings can be removed easily from the fork 7 and only one open side o the bag has to be welded or closed by pasting* This way of removal is reco&um ed for smaller factories which usually buy the packing elements in ready state.

After the removal of the stocking from the fork 6 this letter has to be turned, by means of the pedal 28, through 90° into the vertical* The working table onto which a pair of stockings has,, been placed is now swung from the position 1" into the position 1' and the whole;,described operation is started anew*

Claims

WHAT I CLAIM IS t

1. · A folding machine for lengths of textile fabric, particularly stockings, comprising a fork for performing the folding operation, mounted in a support for rotation about its axis in a horizontal plane under the control of a rotary d ive, and a table having a cut-out portion and capable of movement between a loading position and an operative position in which the fork enters the cut-out portion so as, in operation, to engage a length of textile material extending across the cut-out portion and thus to fold it b rotar action*

2. * A folding machine according to claim 1, in which the fork is flat and provided with two tines*

3. * A folding machine according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the width of the fork oan be adjusted by changing the distance between the tines*

4. * A folding machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the fork is positioned between two spade—like jaws which are substantially in parallel with the shaft of the fork and which are pressed against the fork resiliently in any position thereof*

5. * A folding machine according to claim 4, in which the two jaws are movable away from the fork, in the direction of the axis of the fork, being slidable on the shaft*

6. A folding machine according to claims 4 or 5, in which the drive imparting movement to the fork is controlled to stop the rotation of the fork after the conclusion of the folding, and also the fork can be turned by means of a ratchet wheel through 90° into a position vhere new material to be folded can be introduced.

7. A folding machine according to any of claims 4 to 6, in which there is provided a sleeve slidable on the shaft of the fork and two oppositely disposed levers, one end of each of the levers being hingedly connected with the sleeve, these levers being pressed against one another by a spring, at their opposite ends, and each lever being hingedly connected with one of the two jaws, each of the jaws being under the urge of spring means in the same sense as the respective lever.

8. A folding machine according to any preceding claim, in which the lengths of textile fabric are fed to the table at its loading position on a conveyor band.

9. A folding machine substantially as described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. COHEN ZEDEK & SPISBACH P.O. Box 33116, Tel Aviv.. Attorneys for Applicant.