Classifications

• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
  • D06F95/00—Laundry systems or arrangements of apparatus or machines; Mobile laundries 

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method and an appara- tus for seizing and advancing one or a few pieces of cloth from a pile of such pieces of cloth.
• Such pieces of cloth are subsequently to be introduced individually into machines intended eg for straightening, ironing and folding the pieces of cloth.
• a task is performed in the laundries with a view to separating the individual pieces of cloth from the pile in which they are present following eg launder- ing and tumble drying in order to enable individual introduction thereof into said machines for straightening, ironing and folding.
• Machines are known today that can perform this process in a partially automatic manner whereby the straining task of pulling the individual pieces of cloth out of the pile is carried out automatically.
• the apparatus comprises a frame and a container arranged at the bottom of the frame, for receiving the pile of cloth; a gripper wherein the gripper is arranged above the container and is secured to a compulsory guide arranged for conveying the gripper from a lower position wherein the gripper dives into the pile of cloth and seizes a piece of cloth or a batch of pieces of cloth, and subsequently coveys the piece of cloth or the batch of pieces of cloth secured by the gripper via the first transport path upwards, following which the piece of cloth or the pieces of cloth are released and drop freely onto a conveyor whereupon it is transferred to a clamp conveyor with a view to advancement for the further treatment, optionally in a machine for spreading, ironing and folding of the piece of cloth.
• the object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for seizing one or more pieces of cloth from a pile whereby a relatively high capacity is obtained while, simultaneously, the pieces of cloth are maintained essentially straightened.
• this is obtained by the first piece of cloth or the first batch of pieces of cloth being subsequently introduced between two oppositely arranged conveyors whereupon the gripper lets go of the first piece of cloth or the first batch of pieces of cloth simultaneously with or shortly after the two conveyors press against each other and thereby clamp the front end of the first piece of cloth or the first batch of pieces of cloth together there between and advance same there be- tween, and wherein the gripper will, after having let go of the first piece of cloth or the first batch of pieces of cloth, be conveyed via a second transport path which is different from the first transport path, away from and round the two conveyors and downwards to the pile of pieces of cloth with a view to seizing one other piece of cloth or another batch of pieces of cloth while the two conveyors simultaneously advance the first piece of cloth or the first pieces of cloth between them.
• the object of the invention is obtained by use of the apparatus according to the invention featured in claim 4 in that the apparatus further comprises two conveyors arranged such that their transportation faces face each other; and in that the compulsory guide is such that it conveys the gripper between the two conveyors; and wherein the two conveyors are arranged for advancing and clamping the piece of cloth or the batch of pieces of cloth firmly there between; and that the gripper is arranged for letting go of the first piece of cloth or the batch of pieces of cloth simultaneously with or following firm clamping of the piece of cloth or the batch of pieces of cloth between the two conveyors; and wherein the compulsory guide is arranged with a view to conveying the gripper away from and clear of the two conveyors, and via a second transport path which is different from the first transport path, and downwards to its lower position in the container.
• the gripper is able to freely let go of the piece of cloth following firm clamping thereof and advancement between the two conveyors, and are in accordance with the invention, it is guided back to the pile of pieces of cloth with a view to seizing another piece of cloth or another batch of pieces of cloth.
• the piece of cloth or the batch of pieces of cloth that are advanced by means of the two conveyors are conveyed onto the top face of the one . conveyor and past the second conveyor; and in that, following advancement so far that it is clear of the second conveyor, the rear end is caught by a clamp in a clamp conveyor intended therefor by the rear end of the piece of cloth or the piece of cloth being, by means of a lifting device, lifted clear of the one conveyor and upwards into a clamp in the clamp conveyor, following which the clamp conveyor conveys the piece of cloth away from the one conveyor.
• a clamp conveyor is arranged comprising a number of clamps that can, at a mutual distance, be moved across the rear end of the subjacent conveyor, seen in the direction of conveyance of the conveyor; and in that the subjacent conveyor comprises two parallel belts that are arranged at a mutual distance; and wherein said apparatus further comprises a displaceable lifting device arranged below the subjacent belt conveyor and arranged for being displaceable upwards between the two parallel belts on the subjacent belt conveyor and hereby lift a piece of cloth or a batch of pieces of cloth positioned on the subjacent conveyor upwards and in engagement with one of the clamps on the clamp conveyor.
• the pieces of cloth that are not seized by the clamp in the clamp conveyor are advantageously conveyed back to the pile of cloth via the one conveyor.
• This function can eg be accomplished in that the rear end of the subjacent conveyor is arranged vertically above the container for receiving the pile of cloth whereby the pieces of cloth that are not clamped firmly by the clamp conveyor automatically drop into the container.
• the apparatus according to the invention can be so arranged that the two conveyors comprise a subjacent belt conveyor comprising at least a front and a rear roller over which an infinite belt is stretched; and a superjacent conveyor; and wherein the superjacent conveyor comprises two substantially parallel tape conveyors that each comprises at least a front and a rear roller over which an infinite tape belt is stretched; and wherein the two tape conveyors are spaced mutually apart and extend all the way before the subjacent belt conveyor seen in the direction of conveyance of the conveyors.
• this also allows the subjacent belt conveyor to be fixed to the frame of the apparatus; and the superjacent conveyor to be pivotally secured to the frame of the apparatus in such a manner that the front end of the superjacent conveyor rests freely on top of the front end of the subjacent belt conveyor.
• the two conveyors can readily receive and advance a varying number of pieces of cloth or pieces of cloth of much varying thickness of cloth without encountering any problems.
• the compulsory guide can be such that it con- veys the gripper along the first transport path upwards and between the front ends of the two tape conveyors seen in the direction of conveyance of the conveyors so as to cause those portions of the piece of cloth that are situated to both sides of the gripper to be clamped firmly between the two conveyors, thereby accomplishing simple and unproblematic transfer of the pieces of cloth from the gripper to the two conveyors.
• the compulsory guide comprises a substantially vertical guide arranged in the frame of the apparatus opposite the front end of the two conveyors; and wherein said substantially vertical guide is provided with a carriage which is displaceable in said substantially vertical guide, on which a lever is arranged that extends from said carriage and forwards between the guide and the two conveyors; and wherein the gripper is mounted at the extremity of the lever at a distance from the carriage; and wherein said lever is displaceably or tiltably arranged on said carriage thereby allowing it to be displaced or tilted to occupy a first, projected position in which its extreme end on which the gripper is mounted is located substantially vertically below the front end of the superjacent conveyor; and a second, withdrawn position in which its extreme end is closer to the carriage and at a horizontal distance from the front end of the superjacent conveyor.
• the apparatus comprises sequence a control designed to displace the lever to its projected position prior to or simultaneously with the carriage being conveyed upwards from its lower position on the substantially vertical guide; and to return the lever to its withdrawn position prior to or simultaneously with the carriage being conveyed downwards from its upper position on the substantially vertical guide whereby the gripper is compulsorily guided in a successively upwardly oriented, projected position and a downwardly oriented, withdrawn position.
• Figure 1 is an explanatory sketch of an apparatus according to the present invention, seen from the side;
• Figures 2 through 6 are explanatory sketches of the apparatus seen in Figure 1, seen from the side and in different process steps in accordance with the invention;
• Figure 7 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in Figures 1 through 6;
• FIG 8 is sketch of the apparatus shown in Figures 1 through 7, seen from the opposite side.
• Figure 1 illustrates an apparatus according to the present invention, said apparatus comprising a container
• said apparatus comprises a frame 3 provided with a vertical guide on which a vertically displaceable carriage 5 is arranged.
• the carriage 5 is provided with a lever 6 that can be tilted upwards and downwards about a bearing 7 arranged between the carriage 5 and the lever 6 by use of an actuator 8.
• a gripper 9 is arranged that can avail itself of a second actuator 10 to seize and secure one or more of the pieces of cloth from the pile of clothes 2.
• the frame 3 further comprises a subjacent belt conveyor
• a knife-like device 15 is provided that can use a not shown actuator to be displaced upwards from the position shown and upwards between the jaws of a clamp 16 arranged in a clamp conveyor 17.
• a relatively heavy roller 18 is provided which, due to its own weight, abuts on the transportation face of the subjacent belt conveyor 11.
• a superjacent conveyor 19 is arranged that consists of two tapes 20, each of which being stretched between a front roller 21 and a rear roller 22.
• the superjacent conveyor is journalled in the frame 3 by a bearing 23 arranged at the rear roller 22 whereby the superjacent conveyor 19 rests substantially freely on top of the subjacent conveyor 11.
• Figure 1 illustrates a process step wherein the carriage 5 is located at the bottom of the guide 4, and wherein the lever 6 is, by means of the actuator 8, lifted upwards to a projected position in which the gripper 9 mounted on said lever 6 is situated vertically below the front end of the superjacent conveyor 19. In this situation the gripper 9 is activated to seize one or more pieces of cloth from the pile 2 of pieces of cloth.
• Figure 2 shows a process step that succeeds that of Figure 1 wherein the carriage 5 with levers 6 has been upwardly displaced along the guide 4 so as to allow one or more pieces of cloth 24 to be released by the gripper 9 from the pile of pieces of cloth 2.
• the actuator secures the lever 6 and thus the gripper 9 in its pro- jected position below the front end of the superjacent conveyor 19.
• Figure 3 illustrates a process step which succeeds the one shown in Figure 2 wherein the lever 6 with the gripper is conveyed further upwards and between the two tapes 20 on the superjacent conveyor 10 whereby the upper or front end of the piece of cloth or the pieces of cloth 24 are clamped between the subjacent belt conveyor 11 and the superjacent conveyor 19 and secured there between.
• the gripper has, in this process step, let go of the piece of cloth or the pieces of cloth 24, whereby the piece of cloth or the pieces of cloth 24 are kept straight exclusively by means of the conveyors 11 and 19. Since the conveyors are herein driven to pull the piece of cloth 24 between them and forwards on the subjacent conveyor 11, the piece of cloth will remain straightened as will become apparent from the following explanation.
• Figure 4 shows a process step that follows the one shown in Figure 3 wherein the piece of cloth 24 has been advanced between the two conveyors 11 and 19 so as to rest on the subjacent conveyor 11.
• the lever 6 with the gripper 9 has already at an earlier stage briefly after the process step shown in Figure 3 been withdrawn by means of the actuator 8 so as to allow the lever to be freely displaceable in the downwards direction from a position in which the gripper 9 is located at a level which is above the front roller 21 on the superjacent conveyor 19, substantially without touching the conveyors 11 or 19 or the piece of cloth 24.
• the gripper 9 is able to initiate renewed seizing of pieces of cloth from the pile 2 before the previous piece of cloth or pieces of cloth 24 have completed their treatment in the apparatus .
• the heavy roller 18 is so arranged as to secure the piece of cloth 24 long enough for it to be clamped firmly between the jaws of the clamp 16 on the clamp conveyor 17.
• a not shown sensor can be arranged with a view to detecting when the rear end of the piece of cloth 24 passes the roller 18 so as to activate the knife-like device on the basis of a signal to that effect from the not shown sensor, for upward displacement thereof so cause the piece of cloth to be firmly clamped between the jaws of the clamp 16 prior to the piece of cloth passing the roller 18.
• FIG. 5 illustrates that the lever 6 with the gripper has performed a renewed process corresponding to the one shown in Figure 1, and now it lifts another piece of cloth or another batch of pieces of cloth 25 upwards, prior to the previous piece (s) of cloth being conveyed away from said apparatus by means of the clamp conveyor 17.
• Figure 6 illustrates a later process step that cor- responds completely to the process step shown in Figure 3, except that it will appear now that the previous piece of cloth 24 is now conveyed away from the apparatus by means of the clamp conveyor 17.
• FIG 7 illustrates the apparatus shown in the preceding figures, in a top plan view and without the clamp conveyor and without pieces of cloth.
• the apparatus is herein shown in the position shown in Figure 3 where it will appear that the gripper 9 is located between the front end of each of the tapes 20. It will also appear that the knife-like device 15 is arranged in a space between the two separate belts 12 on the subjacent conveyor 11.
• lateral barriers 26 are provided to prevent pieces of cloth being advanced between the two conveyors 11 and 19 from dropping to either of the sides.
• Figure 8 is a sketch of the apparatus shown in the preceding figures, but wherein the carriage 5 is displaced upwardly to its upper position where it has previously let go of a piece of cloth, if any.
• the present invention can be exercised in other manners than the preferred embodiment shown herein.
• the vertical guide can by replaced by a guide which, in addition to the vertical components, can also to a certain degree convey the carriage in a vertical direction.
• other types of conveyers can be used other than the ones shown herein, such as roller conveyors or the like.
• the gripper it can also be replaced, eg by a vacuum gripper or some other grip- ping device.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Treatment Of Fiber Materials (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Cited By (6)

Citations (7)

• 1998
  • 1998-09-14 AU AU90631/98A patent/AU9063198A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1998-09-14 WO PCT/DK1998/000391 patent/WO1999014420A1/da active Application Filing

Patent Citations (7)

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