AN AUTOMATIC PLANT FOR PRESSING AND UNLOADING ARTICLES OF CLOTHING

Abstract: An automatic plant (20) for pressing and unloading articles of clothing, advantageously trousers (26, 27), using a plurality of machines (22, 23, 24, 25) for pressing articles of clothing by means of steam and/or hot air, each of which machines being provided with first means (10, 11) for blocking and unblocking an upper end of an article of clothing, and second means (12, 13) for blocking and unblocking lower ends of a same article of clothing, as well as with third means (15) for expelling and directing steam and/or hot air internally of said article of clothing when said article is blocked by said first and second means. Said machines (22, 23, 24, 25) are mounted on a mobile carousel continuously or intermittently moving along a predetermined route, in such a way that each said article (26, 27) is subjected to a pressing operation by means of steam and/or hot air for a predetermined length of time during a movement of each single machine between a loading station and an unloading station of said articles of clothing.

Description: "AN AUTOMATIC PLANT FOR PRESSING AND UNLOADING ARTICLES OF CLOTHING" TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates to an automatic plant for pressing and unloading articles of clothing. More precisely, the present invention relates to an automatic plant which enables automatic pressing/ironing by the application of air and/or steam to a plurality of articles, such as trousers, skirts, overalls, Bermuda shorts or the like, continuously loaded on to the machine itself, and which then enables the articles to be unloaded so that they can pass on to further operations. The invention is principally applicable in the field of industrial ironing-pressing machines. BACKGROUND ART The prior art teaches basically two types of machines for trouser pressing. A first type of machine comprises a pair of hot plates between which the trousers to be pressed are inserted. The pressing operation is effected by combined application of pressure and heat. A second type of ironing machine is of the type generally known as blown or ventilated ironing, or "Topper", and comprises a pair of mobile shaped elements which translate following an electropneumatic command, and block, keep blocked and subsequently unblock within the belt area, a trouser positioned by the elements by an operator. This machine further comprises two pairs of plates, simultaneously vertically mobile, each of which pairs of plates blocks a lower end of a trouser by means of an electropneumatic command. During operation, an operator first fixes the upper part of the trouser using said shaped elements, thereafter using the plate pairs to fix the bottom ends of the trouser. Subsequently the pairs of plates are moved vertically in such a way as to keep the trouser stretched. Then a jet of steam and/or hot air is directed into the trousers through the belt zone, which zone is kept open by the shaped elements. The entrance of hot air and/or steam is kept up for a determined time, directed by the operator, which time will be sufficient to press the trousers. Finally, the operator unblocks the electropneumatic commands, manually unloads the trouser, places it on a specially-provided workplane and loads a next pair of trousers. Generally, the pressing times are between 15-18 seconds, which leads to a mean production of about 800 trousers per day for each machine. The above-described machines are normally utilised in pairs, with the aim of rationalising the pressing times and obtaining higher production. In this case, a single operator commands both machines, which work at staggered rhythms; for example, while one machine is pressing, the operator can load and/or unload the other machine. A like work cycle enables the production of about 1500-1700 pressed trousers per day per operator, based on the average pressing time of 15 seconds per trouser. For obvious reasons connected with production, machines of this type are programmed to carry out the pressing in the shortest time possible, compatibly with the obtaining of a given quality of pressing. It has been found that about 15 seconds does not provide a high-quality pressing, which is obtained only with times above 22 seconds per trouser; however, such long times are incompatible with the production rhythms required by modern industrial pressing/ironing companies. Further, each pair of the above-described pressing machines requires the presence of a fixed operator, leading to considerable production costs. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention aims to provide a solution to the above-described problems by providing an automatic pressing machine for ironing and pressing of articles of clothing, advantageously trousers, which allows high production levels to be achieved, as well as reducing the number of operators dedicated to the machines, and thus also reducing production costs. This result is obtained with an automatic plant for pressing articles of clothing having the features described in the main claim. The dependent claims describe further advantageous embodiments of the invention. The automatic machine according to the present invention comprises a rotating carousel on which are located a plurality of machines for pressing articles of clothing, advantageously trousers, by means of the application of steam and/or hot air, said machines being arranged on the carousel at predetermined and, advantageously, equal angular distances. The plant comprises a first loading station, at which an operator loads a trouser on the machine which is temporarily present at said first station. During the course of the carousel's motion, the pressing machine which is exiting from the first loading station effects the pressing operation in a conventional way, for a predetermined time span. The machine then arrives at a second station, for unloading, at which a preferably automatic unloading device is present. This unloading device is formed by a suction head which is automatically disposed at the position of the trouser to be unloaded at the instant when the trouser unblocking elements are opened. Consequently, the trouser is loaded by the suction head, which distances the trouser from the machine and deposits it on a plane which is advantageously constituted by a special conveyor. In the meantime, the machine, which has been freed of the trouser, is brought back to the first loading station to start a fresh cycle. A careful choice of carousel rotation times leads to obtaining a plurality of advantages, attaining thus the aims of the invention. The whole plant, composed of a number of machines, can be managed by a single operator whose only task is to load the trousers on the machine, as the unloading is completely automatic. Further, high productivity and relatively long pressing times can be obtained, giving a high-quality finished product. ILLUSTRATION OF DRAWINGS Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will better emerge from the detailed description that follows, here provided in the guise of a non-limiting example together with the appended figures of the drawings, in which: figure 1 schematically shows the work process of a steam and/or hot air machine for trouser pressing of a conventional type; figure 2 is a schematic representation of a trouser pressing plant according to the present invention, in this case provided with four pressing machines of the type illustrated in figure 1. DESCRIPTION OF A FORM OF EMBODIMENT. In figure 1, a conventional machine for steam and/or hot air pressing of trousers comprises a pair of shaped elements 10, 11, which are simultaneously mobile by means of a special electropneumatic command, from a first position (shown in broken lines) in which the elements 10, 11 are neared, and a second position (shown in unbroken lines) in which the elements 10, 11 are distanced one from the other. The movements performed by the elements 10, 11 are indicated in figure 1 by means of arrows A, which are in effect two endrun positions in which at the first a trouser 14 can be inserted from below externally of the elements 10, 11, while at the second the trouser is gripped by the dividing force of the elements 10, 11 themselves. The machine further comprises two pairs of plates 12, 13, which are parallel (only the first of the plates is visible in figure 1) . Each of the pair of plates 12, 13, is arranged such that a front plate can near and distance from a back plate, with the aim of enabling an end of a trouser 14 to be inserted and subsequently blocked there by means of an electropneumatic command. Further, the two pairs of plates 12, 13, are provided with a vertical raising and lowering movement, also controllable by means of an electropneumatic command, with the aim of keeping the trouser vertically stretched once its ends have been respectively inserted and blocked between the pairs of plates 12, 13. The vertical raising and lowering movements of the plates 12, 13, is indicated in figure 1 by arrows B. Finally, the machine comprises a device 15 for introducing into the trouser 14, when blocked by the elements 10, 11 and the plates 12, 13, a jet of steam and/or hot air at predetermined temperatures and pressures, for a period of time which is also predetermined and sufficient for obtaining a pressing of the material constituting the trouser 14. A machine of this type is well known in the prior art and is not part of the present invention. In figure 2, a plant 20 for automatic steam and/or hot pressing of trousers comprises a rotating carousel constituted by a circular metal frame 21 for supporting a plurality of pressing machines 22, 23, 24, 25 of the type illustrated in figure 1 and described hereinabove, said machines being singly connected to a centralised system (not illustrated) for steam production, or hot or compressed air production. The circular metal frame 21 is connected to special means (not shown in the figures) for drawing the frame 21 itself in rotation about an axis thereof O. For this purpose, for example, the frame 21 can be arranged on special turntables or bearings connected, for example, by a belt, to a drawing device constituted by a stepper electric motor with a possible interpositioning of a gear reducer; an electronic command device would set the frame 21 in rotation at an exactly-predetermined angular speed in the direction indicated by arrow S in the figure. Consider the machine 21 to be situated at the loading station of the trousers 26. An operator, acting at said loading station, loads a trouser 26 on to the machine 22 during the frame 21 rotation movement about axis O, following the same modalities as described with reference to figure 1. Once the loading has been carried out, the steam and/or hot air is immediately jetted into the inside of the trouser 26, and the trouser 26 is subjected thereto for a predetermined period of time, for example 24 seconds, up until it reaches the unloading position as indicated in figure 2 by the position of the machine 25. At this point the steam and/or hot air is shut off and the trouser 26 is distanced from the machine by a second operator, or, advantageously, by means of an automatic device 30 which will be described in more detail hereinbelow. The above-described process is continuously repeated for each machine on the frame 21. In this context it is worthwhile noting that figure 2 represents a plant equipped with four machines 22, 23, 24, 25; however, the number of machines does not constitute a limitation of the present invention, which is applicable to any number of machines. Also noteworthy is the fact that the invention is not limited to a plant assembled on a circular frame; preferred embodiments include those having single machines mounted on mobile supports moving along tracks following a predetermined route, not necessarily circular. Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the plant is provided with continuous motion; embodiments are suggested, however, according to which the plant is provided with intermittent motion, where the single machines are stopped temporarily for loading and unloading operations. In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the plant 20 is provided with an automatic unloading device 30 for the pressed trousers, arranged at an unloading station identified in figure 2 as the position at which the machine 25 is temporarily halted. The device 30 is essentially constituted by an arm 31 oscillating between two endrun positions indicated respectively in whole and broken lines, the oscillating motion being produced by a special motor (not shown in the figure) vertically about an axis H and in the direction indicated by arrow F. The free end of the arm 31 is provided with a suction head 32 connected to means for creating suction, for example a vacuum pump, controllable by means of the electronic plant command device 20. In operation, the arm 31 is moved in such a way that the head 32 comes into the vicinity of the pressed trouser 27 at the moment of passage of the machine 25 into the unloading station. The suction head 32 is activated co-ordinatedly with the unblocking of the trouser by the plates and the shaped elements on the machine 25, and the trouser is loaded by the suction head 32 itself; the oscillating arm is thus caused to oscillate towards the second endrun position and, having reached this position, the aspiration is interrupted. Consequently, the trouser 27 falls on a plane 40 which is advantageously constituted by a conveyor which transports the trouser towards other work stations, for example a stocking station. The oscillating arm then oscillates once more, collecting the next pressed trouser produced by the rotary movement of the frame 21 at the unloading station. The main electronic command device obviously co¬ ordinates and synchronises the respective rotation speeds of the frame 21 and the arm 31 oscillation. A plant 20 of the above-described type affords a plurality of advantages. Indeed, experiments conducted by the applicant have shown that it is possible, for example with a plant constituted by four machines such as the above- described, to manage the whole plant with a single operator for loading trousers, thus reducing the overall costs. Further, in a plant of this type the pressing times can be kept relatively high, for example 24 seconds between loading and unloading, thus obtaining a very high pressing quality while maintaining daily productivity at about 3200 trousers. This number substantially corresponds to the same number of trousers obtainable with four traditional machines, for which two operators are necessary and which offers a pressing time of only 15 seconds. If pressing quality is somewhat sacrificed, bringing down pressing times to 15 seconds, and consequently increasing the speed of the carousel, the plant of the invention offers very high production rates, unthinkable with traditional processes.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. An automatic plant (20) for pressing and unloading articles of clothing, advantageously trousers (26, 27) , using a plurality of machines (22, 23, 24, 25) for pressing articles of clothing by means of steam and/or hot air, each of which machines being provided with first means (10, 11) for blocking and unblocking an upper end of an article of clothing, and second means (12, 13) for blocking and unblocking lower ends of a same article of clothing, as well as with third means (15) for expelling and directing steam and/or hot air internally of said article of clothing when said article is blocked by said first and second means, said plant being characterised in that said machines (22, 23, 24, 25) are mounted on a mobile carousel continuously or intermittently moving along a predetermined route, in such a way that each said article (26, 27) is subjected to a pressing operation by means of steam and/or hot air for a predetermined length of time during a movement of each single machine between a loading station and an unloading station of said articles of clothing. 2. A plant according to claim 1, characterised in that said mobile carousel is provided with a mobile support frame (21) able to rotate about an axis thereof (O) driven by a motor at an angular speed which is predetermined and electronically controllable. 3. A plant according to claim 2, characterised in that said motor is constituted by an electric motor and possibly includes a gear reducer. 4. A plant according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it further comprises means (30) for automatically unloading single trousers (26, 27) once said trousers arrive, during a rotation motion of said carousel, at said unloading station. 5. A plant according to claim 4, characterised in that said means for unloading (30) comprise an arm (31) oscillating between a first position for gripping trousers and a second position for unloading trousers, said arm (31) being driven by a motor which is electronically controlled and being provided with a suction head (32) connected to means for aspiration which are electronically controlled. 6. A plant according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that respective rotation speeds of the carousel and of the arm (31) are co-ordinated and synchronised by means of an electronic control panel. 7. A plant according to anyone of claims 4, 5 or 6, characterised in that it further comprises a conveyor (40) for collecting and transporting the unloaded trousers from said automatic unloading device (30) .

Inventors: TASONIERO SANDRO, TASONIERO, SANDRO
Applicants: TASONIERO SANDRO, TASONIERO, SANDRO
Application year: 1997
Main classification: D06F73
IPC codes: D06F73