APPARATUS FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING FABRIC ROLLS ONTO SPREADING MACHINES

Abstract: The apparatus comprises a vertically extending maga­ zine, of the carousel type (1), bearing the piece goods (9) to be supplied, as supported on suitable mandrels (8), and which piece goods are discharged, according to a prog­ rammable sequence, on a provided loading device. The latter comprises a first carriage pair (14) which, by firmly engaging the ends of the piece bearing mandrels (8), transfer the piece goods (9), in a co-ordinated way, from the mentioned magazine (1) to the spreading machine turret. A further carriage pair (15), on the other hand, is effective to displace the mandrels (8) discharged by the spreading machine to the vertical magazine (1). The apparatus according to the invention, in particular, is able of finding, selecting and preparing the piece good (9) on the vertical magazine (1), for loading the piece (9) on the spreading machine and, moreover, it is effective to load the piece and discharge the mandrel from the spreading machine, according to the order in which the piece had been previously loaded on the vertically extending magazine.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus for loading and replacing piece goods, or fabric pieces, effective to be associated with spreading machines of the type used in the clothes field. As it is known, in the clothes industry the fabrics are spread, before the cutting, in superimposed layers, in such a way as to form the so-called mattress. In order to carry out that preliminary operation, suitable spreading machines are presently used, comprising an equippe@ turret effective to longitudinally slide along a table and bearing the piece to be spread. Presently the replacing of the piece goods which are present on the movable turret is carried out manually and requires several tedious operations, and long operating times, thereby negatively affecting the cost of the manufactured fabric articles. While recently aevices have been construct ea for semiautomatically carrying out the thereinabove mentioned piece replacing operations, thesedevices, on the other handsare not Sully satisfactory for the intended processing. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the task or the present invention is that or overcoming the thereinabove mentioned drawbacks by providing an apparatus ror loading and replacing piece goods,errective to be associated with spreading mach ines, and able or carrying oux the mentioned piece loading and replacing operations in a Sully automatic way, that is without any manual pro cessings. Within the above task, it is a main object or the present invention to provide an apparatus tor loading and replacing piece goods,erfective to be associated with piece spreading machines, which is able of tindingselecting and preparing the piece to be loader on the spreading machine,whiRe the latter is operating. Yet another object or the present invention is to provide an apparatus tor loading and replacing piece goods which is perfective to discharge the empty mandrel from the spreading machine ana loaa a new piece according to a predetermined program. iet another object or the present invention is to provide an apparatus tor loading and replacing piece goods which is effective to be associated with any spreading machine presently available. According to one aspect of the present invention, the thereinabove mentioned task ana objects, as well as yet other objects which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by an apparatus tor loading and replacing piece goods,etfective to be associated with spreading machines, characterized in that it comprises a vertically extending rotating magazine or carousel provided with balance supporting members, effective to support the single pieces to be spread,locaTed on a side of a loading aevice, including two shoulders, said shoulders bearing two motorized carriage pairs driven by synchronized reciprocating'movements along respective converging paths, said carriages bearing an arm member on the periphery thereof a chain is able or sliding, said chain being provided with two adjoining projecting small plates for receiving there between either the mandrel of the pieces to be loaded on the spreading madhine or the mandrel to be discharged on said carousel. Advantageously the movements or the piece bearing carousel and or said carriages are controlled by programming means effective to preset the movements or the piece goods to be supplied, by causing said pieces to be displaced to the loading carriage end ol stroke position. Moreover,after having located the piece on that carriage, the carousel is driven in such a way as to bring the piece being spread balance supporting member to the proximity or the ena or stroke position or the discharging carriage. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TEE DRAWINGS Further characteristics ana advantages or the apparatus for loading and replacing piece goods, effective to be associated with piece spreading machinesfiaccording to the present invention, will become more apparent hereinafter from the roll owing detailed description oz a preferred embodiment thereof,being illustratea,ty way of an indicative example, in the accompanying drawings, where: : fig.l is a schematic view or the apparatus according to the present invention, as taken at one or the two shoulders or the carousel ana or thé piece loading device; fig.2 is a front view of the carousel; tig.3 is a front view of the piece loading device; fig.4 is a partial perspective view of one shoulder or those same carousel and piece loading device; tig.5 is a detail view or the mentioned carousel; rig. 6 illustrates the driving gears for driving one of the shoulders or the piece loading device; and fig.7 illustrates, by a detail view,the carousel lor discharging the mandrel, or piece rendering manarel,at a position tor receiving Said mandrel rrom the turret or the piece spreaci- ing machine. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reverence to the figures or the accompanying drawings, the apparatus ror automatically loading and replacing piece goous,erfective to be associated with piece spreading machines, according to the present invention, comprises a vertically extending magazine or carousel 1, formed by two shoulders at the top and bottom portions thereon there are provided rotating gear wheel sets or assemblies 2, driven by a geared motor 3 through a driveshart 4 and suitable transmission gear pairs 5. The mentioned gear uheel sets are engaged with corresponding chain members 6 bearing, at even spacingsbalance supporting members 7,erfective to support the mandrel S in turn supporting the piece goods 9. On one side of the mentioned carousel 1 there is located a piece loading device 10, comprising two shaped shoulders 11, thereon there are provided two guide pairs 12 and 12',13 ana 13' respectively., which guides are differently slanted with respect to the horizontal direction ana converging toward said shoulder edge opposite to said carousel. Along the mentioned guide pairs corresponding carriages 14 and 15 are able or sliding as driven DY chain members indicated respectively at 16 ana l(,which extend between ena gear wheel pairs 10 AND 10', 19 AND 19'. More specifically, the gear wheel pairs 1d anu 1F are driven, through chain members 20 and 21. by pignon pairs 22 and 23, coupled by transmission or ariving anafts which latter are in turn driven through respective chain members 24 Dy corresponaing gearea motor sets 25. The mentioned carriages 14 and 15 are provided with an elongated arm memDer,inuicateu respectively at 14' ana 15', along one eage thereon a chain 26 is, able of sliding being affixed. at an intermediate point, 2(, TO a small bracket 2o rigid with one of the mentioned guides 12 ana 13. Said chain 26, in particular, bears two adjoining projecting small plates 2Y which define an intermediate seat or housing 30 effective to receive one of the enas oi the mandrels o bearing The piece goods. Saia small plates, owing to the chains Deing ailixed at 27, are aole ol moving,jointly to the carriages 14 ana 15, from one ena to the other oi the carriage arm members 14' and 15'. By that approach, the mentioned small plates 2y are able ol alternatively approaching one oI the balance supporting members 7 ol the carousel,ana suitable supporting members 31 comprising roller pairs, one thereon is controlled for laterally moving, said rollers being supported by the movable turret or slide oi a known piece spreading machine. In actual practice, after having programmed the spreading sequence or The piece goods supported by the carousel, as the apparatus is startea The mandrel or the first piece is located at the upper guides ol the piece loading device, whereas the carriage 14 locates its arm provided with the small plated 2y in such a position as to be able oz receiving said mandrel. Then, after having engaged the piece, supplied by gravity, the carriage 14 is driven in such a way as TO bring said small plates to The opposite end or its arm,theretF aischarging The piece on The turret ol The piece spreading machine. Meanwhile,the carousel will have brought The second piece to be spread (as per program) to such a position effective to supply the piece loading device. The carriage 14, after having discharged The first piece,returns tor taking up the second and is driven to the intermediate position or the guides 12, 12', whereas the carriage 15 is driven to such a position as to be anle ol receiving, between said small plates 29 ci the arm thereof, The mandrel which is to oe discharged by the turret of the piece spreading machine. Contemporaneously, the carousel rotates to bring the balance supporting member l supporting the piece being spread to the guides 13 ana 13'. As the mandrel, or piece rendering mandrel, has been discharged rrom the turret of the piece spreading machine on the carriage 15,the latter is driven as far as to reach The related balance supporting member, whereas the carriage 14 supplies The secona piece to be spread to The turret. liter the discharging ci the first mandrel irom the support thereior, the carousel brings the subsequent piece to be spread at the guides 12,12' in such a way as to load the carriage 14 again, which, afterwards, will wait for the discharging ci the second mandrel irom the turret ci the piece spreading machine. Contemporaneously the carousel rotates in such a way to locate said second manarel balance supporting member at Said guides 13 ana 13' ana so on. From the above disclosure and the figures ci The accompanying drawings, there are sel±- evident the great runctionality ana use facility characterizing the apparatus for loading and replacing piece goods, effective to be associated with piece spreading machines,according to the presenT invention. It should obviously be notea that the apparatus and making procedure therefor have been thereinabove describes and illustrated only by way ol an indicative example and only to demonstrate the main characteristics or the invention. Accordingly modifications ana variations can be brought in the disclosed apparatus, without departing rrom the scope cr the invention as iT is destined in the appended claims.

Claims: C IMS 1- An apparatus tor loading and replacing piece goods, effective to be associated with spreading machines, chafacterized in that it comprises a vertically extending rotating magazine or carousel provided with balance supportingmemoers, effective to support the single pieces to De spreaa,locatea on a side of a loading device, including two shoulaerq,saia shoulders bearing two motorized carriage pairs driven by synchronized reciprocating movements along respective converging paths, saio carriages bearing an arm member on the periphery there or a chain is able ci sliding, satu chain being Provided with two adjoining projecting small plates zor receiving therebetween ei Mer The manurel ol the pieces to De loade@ on the spreading machine or the mandrel to oe discharg- ed on Said carousel. 2- An apparatus according to the preceding claim, characterized in that saia vertically extending rotating magazine or carousel consists ot two shoulders at the top and bottom thereon there are provicled rotating gear wheel assemDlies driven by a geared motor Through a ariveshaft and transmission gear pairs,saiu gear wheel assemblies or sets being engagea with respective chain members bearing, at equal aistances,balance supporting members tor supporting said piece gOOd mandrels. 3- An apparatus, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said carousel is locates on a side or a loading device, incluaing Two shaped dhoulaers thereon there are provides two gude pairs, said guides being differently slantéd with respect to the vertical direction ana converging toward the edge of said shoulders opposite to said carousel along said guides being provided corresponding sliding carriages driven by chain members as caused to pass through gear wheel pairs. 4- An apparatus according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said gear wheel pairs are driven, Through respective chain members, by pignon pairs as couplea Dy transmission shales which latter are in turn driven, by means ci further chain members, by corresponding geared motor sets. 5- An apparatRs,according to The preceding claims, characterized in that said carriages support an elongated arm member, along one eage thereof a chain may slide, said chain being arfixea,at an intermediate point thereot,to a bracket memDer rigid with one or said guides, said chain bearing two adjoining projecting small plates effective to define an inteimediate housing or seat provided tor receiving one end or said piece gooa bearing mandrels. 6- An apparatus according to the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a programming means effective to preset the movemen; sequence ot saiu piece goods on said carousel, in such a way as to cause said piece goods to be displaced to The end or stroke position ci one ci said carriages and effective to cause said carousel to be aisplaceti, arter the loauing ol the piece on said carriage,in such a way as to bring the balance supporting member ci the piece Deing spread on said spreading machine to The proximity ci the end ci stroke position oi the other said carriage.

Inventors: GIACHETTI, FRANCO
Applicants: I M A  S.P.A.
Application year: 1982
Main classification: B65H16
IPC codes: B65H83, B65H16