US2311938A - Handkerchief fluffer - Google Patents

Description

L. C. FREY HANDKERCHIEE FLUFFER Filed March 7, 1941 Feb. 23, 1943.

INVENTOR I LESTER (LI-REY FlG.-2 Maw ATTORNEYS I which all parts work-toand-removing --kind which includes 'extractor prior at best, .efiort, especially truly square, smooth and hat.

Patented Feb. 23, 1943 l'lNaI-Tl'iED T-SIATES ,IPAT'EN T OFFICE :HANDKERCHIEF FLUFFER Lester-,C.- Frey, Cincinnati,-()hio,' assignor *to The American Laundry Machinery Company, Norwood, Ohio, at corporation-ofiOhio Application March 7, l94lfserial'No; 382,133

7 Claims.

hollow casing, the machineas a whole being of simple-construction capable "of being manufacture'd sold and maintained-at low cost, and in whlchthe hollow casing is suitably formed to provide all necessary storage 'space'for the articles being operated upon, which is curvedandhas the necessary sloping portions to'guide 'the'work into engagement-with the flufilng wheel'andto return it thereto after it has passed through, and vin are conveniently disposed 'for manipulation by the operator in supplying the it from the'machine.

A f-urther object'is to provide a machine of this an adjustable closure member of simple-form, capable of convenient manipulation, and which is adjustable to two positions, in one of which it serves as a hopper for introducing the work to the'machine, and in the other of whichiitqoermits .discharge' or the-work 'from'the I machine and assists inguiding-it'to'a receiver.

-'Fur ther objectsof the invention are injpart obvious-and in-part will appear more in detail I hereinafter.

' In th'e drawing, which represents one" suitable :embodimentof'the 'inventionfFig.1 is an end elevation,' partly'broken out to=expose interior parts,

elevation, 'partlybroken 33, Fig. 2.

'In the laundering of small articles-offlatwork,

1 such as handkerchiefs 'andnapkins; such articles,

after "washing, are-extracted in a centrifugal to ironing. They usually come 'from' the eXtractor'in-a 'more'or less matted, com- "pacted an'd tangled condition, requiring the opera'tor, before introducing them'into the ironing "machine, to 1 separate a 'singlepiece from the mass and untangleandstra-ighten it out,'a tedious task requiring considerable time and special ifthefinished productis to be The present 'machine i s d'esigned to receive the tangled mass of such'articlesja's theyco'mefrom the extractor, and automatically to -separate and fluff them, so as tostraighten out the rolled and creased edges, so that an operator readily can select an individual piece and dress or arrange it for the ironing-operation with'minimum effort and with minimum expenditure of time,'resulting in a higher quality product with straight edges and square corners.

Th 'fiufiing 'machina'generally speaking, includes a hollow casing in which rotates apaddle wheel, together with driving means for the wheel, and a'tray or other support upon which the work is discharged, at the conclusion of the fiuiiing operation, in a position convenient tothe operator for introducing the work into the ironing or finishing machine.

'Theapparatus shown in the drawing comprises a suitable frame structure including parallel sheet metal end panels I'll connected by a curved metal sheet orplate I I to form and enclose a chamber I2 open at its front, as will laterappear. "In'said chamber rotates a paddle wheel I3 cooperating witha baffle I 4 and driven by ane'lectric motor I5. The finished work isdischarged upon a tray "I 6.

The foregoing parts,assembled as a unit, may

be designed especially for cooperation with a particular form or style offinishing machinegsuch as a"handkerchief press, in which case the fiufiing machine may be mounted directly on the top of the chest of'that machine. "The drawing, how- 'ever, shows the machine in a'form adapted'for use-anywhere, its 'frame being provided with legs or standards I I by which it may be mounted'either directly upon the ironing machine or press, or on a table or other support, or even upon the floor.

The curved plate II of the hollow casingis so shaped that the chamber IZthere'in is more or generally cylindrical in form. The bottom wall I '8 of said plate I I is more or lessfiat'and inclined,

with its lower portion curved, as at I9, about an axis at the center of rotation of the paddlewheel '13, the edges of theblades ofwhich travel fairly closely to this curved casing wall.

The paddle wheel may be of any suitable form for the purpose. As illustrated it comprises a central shaft 20 of square cross section having its end portions reduced and of cylindrical form to form gudgeons 2| rotating inbearings in the casing, one thereof having secured thereto suitable driving means, such as a pulley 22,housed in a frame extension or guard 23 and connected by a belt 24 to a driving pulley 25 on the motor shaft. A switch 26 controls the motor, and for convenience said switch maybe provided with an extension ro'd21, on eye'28 of'which is located for convenient access at the front of the machine.

opposite Any suitable number of paddle blades 29 may be employed, four being shown. Each two thereof are parts of the same sheet of fairly stiff but flexible material, such as rubber or a reinforced rubber or other similar composition, the sheet being bent to angle form with the intermediate portions of the two sheets held to the squared portion of the shaft by V-shaped metal clamping strips 30 secured to the shaft by screws or bolts 30a. The outer longitudinal edges 3| of the paddle blades are straight and their end edges are slightly bevelled, as at 32.

The blades of the paddle cooperate with the baffle l4, before referred to, which is a sheet or strip of the same rubber or like material having its outer edge firmly secured in bracket members 33 fastened on the inside of the casing wall. A narrow space or gap 34 is left between the edges of the blades of the paddle and the edge of the baffle l4, as will be apparent from Fig. 3. As before stated, the front portion of the casing (that at the right in Fig. 1) has an opening through which the work is introduced into and removed from the machine. Th s o ening is closed by a cover, marked generally 35, Fig. 1. The cover 35. generally speaking, is of hopper form, including two triangular end wall members 36 connected by a front wall 31, the cover as a whole being hinged to the case on pins 38 so located that the gravity effect of the depending cover exerts a sli ht tendency to move it toward and hold it in closed position. The inner portion of the hopper cover is open to the interior chamber 12. Its upper portion may be open to the atmosphere, no closure being necessary for the top opening. But a closure may be used and one is illustrated in the drawing at 39. the closure being pivoted on the same pins 38 and being sensitive to tension springs 49 extending from brackets on the closure to fixed po nts 4| on the casing;

The full lines, Fi 1, illustrate the closed position of the cover 35 and its closure or, in other words. its position while the machine is fiuffing a batch of work. With the cover in this position its closure 39 maybe lifted to the dot-dash position in Fig. 1, enabling work to be introduced into the machine by dropping it into the opening, the inclined wall 31 directing the work to the lower portion of the rotating paddle wheel.

When the fiuffing operation is completed, the cover 35 may be moved to the dotted line position, Fig. 1, whereupon continued rotation of the paddle wheel will forcibly discharge the work over the top of the wheel and past the bafile l4 outwardly from the chamber either directly upon a table or other support, or, as shown, into the tray I6; Said tray. for convenience, may be mounted upon an arm 42 pivoted on a vertical axis at43 to a suitable sup ort. enabling the tray to be moved to one side if the operator desires.

Suitable means may be provided for latching the cover in its closed position, such as the hooked end portions 44 of a bent handle bar 45 rotatably mounted in brackets 46 of the cover, the hooked latches cooperating with fixed pins 41 on the casing.

The springs 4|], to which the closure 39 is sensitive, are of the'over-center variety. working on sides of the pivot pins 38. so that when the cover 38 is in its closed position. shown in full lines. Fig. 1. the springs 49 tend to hold the closure 39 down upon the cover and further exert a tendency to hold the cover sealed against the casing. But with the cover closed, its closure 39 may be raised to an upper position in which the springs 40 are now above the pins 38, whereupon said springs exert a tendency to hold the closure 39 open. The closure 39 is of a light, transparent material, such as one of the colorless plastics, which requires only a light spring 49 to hold it in position. When the hopper cover is in the closed position and the closure 39 is in the full line position of Fig. l the operator is able to see inside the tumbler to observe the condition of the load. It will be noted also that when the hopper cover 35 is raised for an unloading operation as indicated in dash lines in Fig. 1, the right-hand end of spring is raised above the pivotal center 38, thus automatically opening the closure 39, and when the hopper cover 35 is again closed, the closure 39 remains in its open position for a subsequent loading operation without extra attention of the operator.

In the use of the apparatus, assuming the paddle wheel is rotating in the clockwise direction, Fig. 1, and that the hopper cover 36 is latched in the closed position, the closure 39 is raised and a batch of goods is dropped into the hopper-shaped cover. This batch is conveyed by the chute action of the hopper, into engagement with the paddle wheel. The wheel action on the goods separates and fluffs the pieces as they are dragged along the casing wall by the edges of the blades. The resulting stripping action tends to separate the individual pieces from each other and to unroll and straighten out their rolled and creased edges. After a suitable period of time, without stopping the motor, the handle is depressed to release the latches 44 from the pins 41, andwith the handle 45 the hopper is drawn, forward. Thereupon continued rotation of the paddle wheel carries the articles over its top andejects them from the casing to be deposited in the tray. After closing the casing the machine may be again loaded and the fluifed articles may be 7 introduced into the ironing or other finishing I machine.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a hollow casing provided with end panels connected by a body wall provided with a front opening, a paddle wheel provided with flexible blades rotatable in said casing, a fixed flexible blade above the paddle wheel adjacent the front opening of the casing, the body wall having its lower portion curved and lying close tothe edges of the wheel blades and beyond said wheel being inclined upwardly and rearwardly away from the blade edges to provide storage space behind said wheel and fixed blade for the work being operated upon, and means for rotating said wheel.

2. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a hollow casing provided with end panels connected by a body wall provided with a front opening, a paddle wheel provided with flexible blades rotatable in said casing, the body wal having its lower portion curved and lying close to the edges of the wheel blades and beyond said wheel being inclined upwardly and rearwardly to provide open storage space for the work being operated upon, a fixed flexible blade above the paddle wheel, means for rotating said wheel, and a hopper shaped cover for the casing opening shaped to serve in its closed position to guide the work to the paddle wheel.

3. Apparatus of the character described. comprising a hollow casing provided with end panels connected by a body wall provided with a front opening, a paddle Wheel provided with flexible blades rotatable in said casing, a fixed flexible blade above the paddle wheel adjacent the front opening of the casing, the body wall having its lower portion curved and lying close to the edges of the wheel blades and beyond said wheel being inclined upwardly and rearwardly away from the blade edges to provide storage spac behind said wheel and fixed blade for the work being operated upon, means for rotating said wheel, and a hopper shaped cover for said opening lying entirely outside of said opening and pivoted on a single axis only near the upper edge of the opening, said cover having a work charging closed position in which it is applied to said opening and a work discharging open position in which it is spaced from said opening.

4. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a hollow casing provided with end panels connected by a body wall provided with a front opening, a paddle wheel provided with flexible blades rotatable in said casing, the body wall having its lower portion curved and lying close to the edges of the wheel blades and beyond said wheel being inclined upwardly and rearwardly to provide open storage space for the work being operated upon, a fixed flexible blade above the paddle wheel, means for rotating said wheel, and

a hopper shaped cover for said opening pivoted on an axis near the upper edge of the opening and having work charging closed and work discharging open positions, the hopper portion of said cover having a wall sloping downwardly toward said curved lower portion of the body wall in work charging position of said cover, said last named wall being spaced from said casing in work discharging position of said cover to form a baffie against which the work is discharged to di-. rect it downwardly.

5. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a hollow casing provided with end panels connected by a body wall provided with a front opening, a paddle wheel provided with flexible blades rotatable in said casing, the body wall having its lower portion curved and lying close to the edges of the wheel blades and beyond said wheel being inclined upwardly and rearwardly to provide open storage space for the work being operated upon, a fixed flexible blade above the paddle wheel, means for rotating said wheel, a

hopper shaped cover for said opening pivoted on an axis near the upper edge of the opening and having open and closed positions, the hopper portion of said cover having a wall sloping downwardly toward said curved lower portion of the body wall in closed position of said cover, said last named wall being spaced from said casing in open position of said cover to form a baflle against which the work is discharged to direct it downwardly, and a receiver lying below the open cover for receiving the work, said receiver having a vertical pivotal mounting at one side thereof for swinging said receiver laterally from its position beneath said cover.

6. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a hollow casing provided with end panels connected by a body wall provided with a front opening, a paddle wheel provided with flexible blades rotatable in said casing, the body wall having its lower portion curved and lying close to the edges of the wheel blades and beyond said wheel being inclined upwardly and rearwardly to provide open storage space for the work being operated upon, a fixed flexible blade above the paddle wheel, means for rotating said wheel, an open top hopper shaped cover for said opening pivoted on an axis near the upper edge of the opening and having work charging and discharging positions, in the former of which it guides work downwardly toward the curved casing bottom and in the latter of which it forms a bafile against which the work is discharged to direct it downwardly, and a pivoted closure for the open upper end of said cover.

7. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a hollow casing provided with end panels connected by a body wall provided with a front opening, a paddle wheel provided with flexible blades rotatable in said casing, the body wall having its lower portion curved and lying close to the edges of the wheel blades, a fixed flexible blade above the paddle wheel, means for rotating said wheel, a hopper shaped cover for said opening pivot-ed on an axis near the upper edge of the opening and having open and closed positions, a closure for the open upper end of said cover having a pivot adjacent the pivotal axis of said cover, and snap-over spring means working across the closure pivot and tending to hold said closure end open or closed.

LESTER C. FREY.

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