Abstract:
A process and apparatus for separating or disentangling plugs of laundry by raising them after being picked up by the suction head ( 12 ) and briefly interrupting the suction operation. Venting of the suction head ( 12 ) which takes place in the process results in the plug of laundry ( 28 ) falling back onto the pile of laundry ( 38 ). This gives rise to the plug of laundry being automatically “forced apart”, whereupon the pneumatic conveyor can be automatically loaded with laundry by the suction head ( 12 ).

Description:
STATEMENT OF RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This patent application is the United States of America Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Chapter II National Phase application of PCT International Application No. PCT/EP03/01770 having an International Filing Date of 20 Feb. 2003 and which designates the United States of America, which claims priority on German patent application 102 08 178.6 having a filing date of 20 Feb. 2002. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Technical Field  
         [0003]     The invention relates to a process for pneumatically conveying preferably laundry by loading a pneumatic conveyor with preferably laundry, the laundry or the like being picked up by a suction head from a supply, in particular a pile of laundry. The invention also relates to an apparatus for pneumatically conveying preferably laundry having at least one suction head, at least one adjoining tubular conveying section and at least one air-flow generator, or having at least one suction head and at least one adjoining tubular conveying section.  
         [0004]     2. Prior Art  
         [0005]     In industrial laundries, laundry is conveyed to a first treatment station or else between successive treatment stations, inter alia, pneumatically. The laundry is constituted by items of laundry, for example bedding, table linen, towels or the like, but also items of clothing. The laundry can be conveyed pneumatically both in the unwashed state, that is to say when still dry, and once it has been laundered when still damp.  
         [0006]     The laundry passes to the pneumatic conveyor usually as a pile of laundry with a multiplicity of items of laundry. In order to load the conveyor, a suction head picks up the laundry. Since the individual constituent parts of the laundry are often entangled in the pile of laundry, the suction head occasionally picks up such a large number of entwined items of laundry that the latter block the suction head. A plug of laundry then forms, in practice, in front of the suction head. This results in disruption during loading of the pneumatic conveyor. It is thus customary, in practice, for pneumatic conveyors to be manually loaded with laundry, operators disentangling the individual items of laundry in the pile of laundry to the extent where it is not possible for any suction-head-blocking plugs of laundry to form. This manual loading adversely affects the efficient use of pneumatic conveyors in laundries in particular.  
         [0007]     Taking the above as a departure point, the object of the invention is to provide a process for pneumatically conveying, in particular, laundry automatically and without disruption, and also to provide a corresponding apparatus.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     A process for achieving this object has the features of loading a pneumatic conveyor with preferably laundry, the laundry or the like being picked up by a suction head from a supply, in particular a pile of laundry, wherein, when an excessively large quantity of laundry for further transportation through the conveyor is picked up, the suction operation is interrupted and then continued again. Since the suction operation is interrupted in the case of a plug of laundry being formed in front of the suction head, the closure of the suction head by the plug of laundry is eliminated again by the plug of laundry being released again from the suction head. Surprisingly, it has been found that the plug of laundry breaks up in the process. As a result of the pick-up operation being interrupted in the case of the suction head being closed by a plug of laundry, the latter is separated or broken up pneumatically. It may be said here that the plug of laundry is “forced apart” pneumatically. When picked up again, the laundry, in particular a batch of laundry comprising a plurality of items of laundry, can then pass through the suction head and be conveyed away pneumatically by way of the conveying section. In the case of large plugs of laundry or laundry which is entangled to a pronounced extent, it may be necessary for the plug of laundry to be repeatedly picked up and released from the suction head again until the laundry breaks up to the extent where it can be conveyed away pneumatically. This also ensures reliable automatic loading of the pneumatic conveyor.  
         [0009]     The suction operation is preferably only interrupted when a plug of laundry forms in front of the suction head. As long as the laundry or a batch of laundry can be picked up without an excessively large plug being formed, virtually continuous automatic loading of the pneumatic conveyor with laundry takes place. It is only when a plug of laundry which cannot be picked up, and taken in, as a whole forms in front of the suction head that it is necessary to interrupt the suction operation. A brief interruption in the suction operation is sufficient for this purpose, with the result that the conveying stream is not interrupted to any significant extent. In order for it always to be possible to discharge laundry on the discharge side of the pneumatic conveyor, provision may be made for at least one collecting container serving for the (buffer) storage of the laundry to be provided, this collecting container always containing a supply of laundry, with the result that, even when the operation of picking up the laundry on the suction head is interrupted briefly in order to eliminate plugs of laundry, items of laundry can be discharged, in accordance with requirements, to a treating arrangement on the discharge side of the pneumatic conveyor. It is also conceivable for the laundry picked up to be guided in circulation, for example by continuous pneumatic conveying. The circulatory conveyor then forms, in practice, the (buffer) store.  
         [0010]     According to a preferred configuration of the process, the plug of laundry which is picked up by the suction head is first of all raised by the suction head before, as a result of a brief interruption in the supply of suction air to the suction head, the plug of laundry is released from the suction head. The plug of laundry is thus allowed to fall from the suction head, as a result of which it is broken up and/or separated in an effective and reliable manner. It is thus also possible for plugs of laundry comprising items of laundry which are entwined and entangled to a pronounced extent to be separated reliably, by being detached and falling off the suction head, such that, during the next pick-up operation, the plug of laundry has been divided up to the extent where it can pass through the suction head.  
         [0011]     The operation of raising the suction head closed by a plug of laundry preferably takes place using separate and/or external lifting and/or drive elements, for example pressure-medium cylinders. It is also conceivable, however, to have a pneumatic raising operation, preferably such that the negative pressure in the conveyor, which is established in the case of the suction head being closed by a plug of laundry, is utilized in order to raise the suction head with the plug of laundry. The subsequent release of the plug of laundry from the suction head easily takes place by virtue of the suction operation being interrupted and preferably also by virtue of at least the suction head, preferably part of the tubular conveying section, having air admitted to it. The suction head is then lowered onto the laundry again, with the result that it can subsequently pick up the laundry of the separated plug of laundry in order for the pneumatic conveyor to be loaded automatically.  
         [0012]     An apparatus for achieving the object mentioned in the introduction has at least one suction head, at least one adjoining tubular conveying section and at least one air-flow generator, wherein, in the case of being closed by the laundry, the suction head can be raised and separated from the laundry. Since the suction head, in the case of being closed by a plug of laundry, can be raised and released from the plug of laundry, rather than just blockage of the suction head being eliminated automatically, the action of the plug of laundry being detached from the suction head and being allowed to fall results in this plug of laundry being automatically separated or broken up. It is usually then possible, during a subsequent new suction operation, for the laundry to be picked up without disruption and for the pneumatic conveyor thus to be loaded. Any possible disruption to the loading operation by a plug of laundry is thus eliminated automatically, without manual aid, and reliable automatic loading of the pneumatic conveyor is therefore ensured.  
         [0013]     According to a preferred development of the apparatus, provision is made for it to be possible to interrupt the supply of suction air at least to the suction head. A plug of laundry which closes the suction head can thus be removed automatically from the suction head.  
         [0014]     In order that a plug of laundry can be released relatively rapidly from the suction head, provision is additionally made, according to a development of the apparatus, for at least the suction head to have air admitted to it as required. The negative pressure which retains the plug of laundry on the suction head is thus eliminated abruptly, which assists in the plug of laundry being reliably split up or separated in that the plug of laundry can be, as it were, “forced apart” pneumatically.  
         [0015]     Provision is made, according to a preferred development of the apparatus, for the tubular conveying section to be assigned a collecting container. The collecting container is preferably located at the opposite end of the tubular conveying section, located downstream of the suction head, to be precise downstream of an apparatus for ejecting the laundry, in particular the batches of laundry, from the tubular conveying section. The collecting container serves here as a laundry store. The laundry can be stored on an interim basis in the collecting container and can be discharged from the latter, as required, to, for example, a subsequent arrangement for processing the laundry. In particular, it is possible to compensate for a non-uniform laundry stream in the case of discontinuous automatic loading of the pneumatic conveyor during elimination of plugs of laundry, with the result that, if appropriate, continuous loading of a subsequent processing machine with laundry is ensured even if the loading operation takes place discontinuously, at least on a temporary basis, as a result of plugs of laundry.  
         [0016]     According to a preferred configuration of the apparatus, at least one sensor or some other sensing element is provided for sensing the height of the pile of laundry. This sensor is preferably assigned to the underside of the suction head. By virtue of the height of the pile of laundry being sensed, the suction head is moved up carefully to the pile of laundry by, for all practical purposes, sensing its way up to the laundry. This ensures that the laundry is not forced into the suction head, thus blocking the latter to the extent where, when the suction operation is interrupted, it is no longer possible for the plug of laundry to be automatically released from the suction head; rather, the suction head merely picks up the laundry, which reduces the risk of the suction head being blocked by plugs of laundry.  
         [0017]     A further process for achieving the object mentioned in the introduction, it also being possible for this process to be a development of the process described above, with the laundry or the like being picked up by a suction head from a supply, in particular a pile of laundry, and being transported further along a tubular conveying section, wherein the laundry is divided up over the course of the tubular conveying section. Accordingly, provision is made for the laundry to be divided up over the course of the tubular conveying section. In this way, the laundry can be ejected from the tubular conveying section in batches at different locations. It is thus possible, using a single tubular conveying installation, for a plurality of subsequent laundry machines or laundry-treating machines to be supplied simultaneously with laundry. The conveying capacity of the tubular conveying installation can thus be utilized to better effect.  
         [0018]     According to a preferred development of the process, provision is made for the laundry to be picked up in batches and for the batches of laundry to be directed in a specific manner as required, over the course of the tubular conveying section, to different portions of the tubular conveying section, in particular different ejecting arrangements. The batches of laundry transported through the tubular conveying section are thus divided up between different discharge locations of the ejecting arrangement. It is thus possible for two or even more ejecting arrangements to be optionally supplied with individual batches of laundry, to be precise preferably in a specifically controlled manner, from the same tubular conveying section. The process thus also allows the batches of laundry to be sorted by it being possible for the latter to be transported specifically to different discharge locations downstream of the respective ejecting arrangement.  
         [0019]     An apparatus for achieving the object mentioned in the introduction, it also being possible for this apparatus to be a preferred development of the apparatus described above, has at least one suction head and at least one adjoining tubular conveying section, wherein the tubular conveying section is assigned a plurality of ejecting arrangements. Accordingly, the tubular conveying section has a plurality of, to be precise at least two, ejecting arrangements. The ejecting arrangements may be of identical or different design. The critical factor is for the laundry, in particular batches of laundry, to pass in a specifically controlled manner, by way of this apparatus, from the tubular conveying section to different discharge locations downstream of the ejecting apparatuses in order, from there, to be treated further at a number of identical or different laundry-treating arrangements.  
         [0020]     According to a preferred development of the apparatus, provision is made for the tubular conveying section to be assigned at least one switch-over diverter for feeding the laundry or batches of laundry in a specific manner, as required, to the respective ejecting arrangement. The laundry is thus distributed in the manner of a “shunting station” by the apparatus to different discharge locations downstream of the respective ejecting arrangement.  
         [0021]     Further subclaims relate to expedient developments of the processes and apparatuses. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0022]     Preferred exemplary embodiments of the apparatuses and processes are explained in more detail hereinbelow with reference to the drawing, in which:  
         [0023]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic illustration of an apparatus in a starting position,  
         [0024]      FIG. 2  shows a view of the apparatus in the region of a suction head in the starting position from  FIG. 1 ,  
         [0025]      FIG. 3  shows a schematic side view of the apparatus in a suction position,  
         [0026]      FIG. 4  shows an illustration of the apparatus in the region of the suction head in the suction position from  FIG. 3 ,  
         [0027]      FIG. 5  shows a schematic side view of the apparatus with the plug of laundry released from the suction head,  
         [0028]      FIG. 6  shows a schematic side view of the apparatus during the operation of picking up a plug of laundry which has been broken up, and  
         [0029]      FIG. 7  shows an alternative exemplary embodiment of the apparatus in an illustration analogous to  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0030]     The apparatus shown here is a pneumatic conveyor by means of which laundry is transported, in particular in batches, within preferably a laundry. The laundry may be dry or wet laundry of any type, for example table linen, bedding, towels, items of clothing and/or work clothing. From the pneumatic conveyor, the laundry is transported, for example, to a washing machine, a drier and/or a machine for introducing it into a mangle.  
         [0031]     The pneumatic conveyor has a tubular conveying section  10 , which is only partially illustrated in the figures and is intended for forming a conveying section over an appropriate course and of the necessary length. An automatic loading station  11  is located at the start of the pneumatic conveyor. In the region of the loading station  11 , the pneumatic conveyor has a suction head  12  which forms the start of the tubular conveying section  10 , as seen in the conveying direction. A (single) ejecting arrangement  39  in the manner of a compressed air lock is located at the end of the tubular conveying section  10 , in the case of the pneumatic conveyor shown in FIGS.  1  to  6 . In the exemplary embodiment shown, the ejecting arrangement  39  is assigned a collecting container  13 , it also being possible to provide an accommodating arrangement instead of the collecting container  13 . The collecting container  13  may be a constituent part of the ejecting arrangement  39 , although it may also be arranged downstream of the latter. The end of the tubular conveying section  10  opens out into a top covering wall  14  of the ejecting arrangement  39 . The base of the collecting container  13  has an opening  15  preferably over the entire surface area. This opening  15  can be closed, to be precise, in the exemplary embodiment shown here, by a slide  16 . Located alongside the ejecting arrangement  39  is an air-flow generator designed, for example, as a fan  17 . The fan  17  is operated such that it takes in air from the ejecting arrangement  39  and from the tubular conveying section  10  connected thereto. A suction-air stream for forming a negative pressure is thus also generated in the suction head  12 . A side wall of the ejecting arrangement  39  which is oriented toward the fan  17  is preferably of air-permeable design over the entire surface area, for example in the form of a close-meshed screen. The laundry is thus preferably held back in the collecting container  13 , with the result that it cannot pass into the fan  17 .  
         [0032]     The suction head  12  is arranged at the bottom end of a vertical portion  18  of the tubular conveying section  10 , to be precise, in the exemplary embodiment shown, with an obliquely directed suction opening  19 .  FIGS. 2 and 4  show a circular suction opening  19 . However, it is also possible for the suction head  12  to have a suction opening with any other desired, for example oval, cross sections. It is likewise possible for the suction head  12  to have a plurality of suction openings of any desired cross sections. The vertical portion  18  of the tubular conveying section  10  is designed, at least in the bottom region, as a pneumatically actuated telescopic tube  20 . The suction head  12  can thus be moved up and down pneumatically. The vertical portion  18  of the tubular conveying section  10  opens out, at its (top) end directed away from the suction head  12 , into a main portion  21  of the tubular conveying section  10 . This main portion  21 , which is only partially illustrated in the figures, may run over any desired course, to be precise it is adapted to the local conditions and the conveying route which the laundry has to negotiate. The opposite end regions of the main portion  21  which are shown here run over an approximately horizontal course. The rear end region of the main portion  21 , this end region being oriented toward the ejecting arrangement  39 , is adjoined by a connecting portion  22 , which connects the main portion  21  of the tubular conveying section  10  to the ejecting arrangement  39 .  
         [0033]     At the location where the vertical portion  18  of the tubular conveying section  10 , the vertical portion having the suction head  12 , is connected to the main portion  21 , the main portion  21  has an end connector with a venting opening  23 . The venting opening  23  can be closed by a slide  24 . In the exemplary embodiment shown, the slide  24  can be actuated by a pneumatic cylinder  25 , namely in order to be opened and closed again as required.  
         [0034]     At the end which is oriented toward the ejecting arrangement  39  with the collecting container  13 , the main portion  21  of the tubular conveying section  10  has a shut-off slide  26 , which can likewise be opened and closed by a pneumatic cylinder  27 .  
         [0035]     The suction head  12  is assigned at least one detector (not shown) which generates a signal when the suction opening  19  of the suction head  12  is closed by the laundry, that is to say the quantity of entangled items of laundry which has been picked up does not fit through the suction opening  19  of the suction head  12 . It is possible here to speak in terms of a plug of laundry  28  which closes the suction head  12  ( FIG. 5 ). For example, the detector can detect the negative pressure which then builds up at least in the telescopic tube  20 . This negative pressure can also be used to operate two pneumatic cylinders  29  arranged on opposite sides of the telescopic tube  20 . Retractable and extensible piston rods  30  of the pneumatic cylinders  29  are fixed to a tube  31  of the telescopic tube  20 , it being possible for the tube  31  to be moved up and down. The pistons  32  of the pneumatic cylinders  29  are fixed to a bottom end of a stationary tube  33  of the telescopic tube  20  ( FIGS. 2 and 4 ).  
         [0036]     In each case one reflection sensor  34  is arranged on opposite sides of the opening  15  of the suction head  12  ( FIGS. 2 and 4 ). This arrangement is such that the viewing direction of each reflection sensor  34  is oriented downward in the direction of the laundry.  
         [0037]     The laundry which is to be transported further, preferably as batches of laundry, by the pneumatic conveyor is conveyed up into the region of the suction head  12 , to be precise by any desired continuous conveyors, for example belt conveyors, chutes or the like. It is also possible, however, for the laundry to be supplied discontinuously, for example in laundry carts or on turntables, in the region of the suction head  12 . In the figures, the suction head  12  is assigned a loading conveying  35  indicated by chain-dotted lines. The loading conveyor  35  is assigned to one end of any desired other conveying section. In the exemplary embodiment shown, a top strand  36  of the loading conveying  35  is assigned a hopper  37  formed by parallel side walls and an end wall. In the region of this hopper  37 , the laundry conveyed up to the loading station  11  collects just beneath the suction head  12 . The laundry here is a pile of laundry  38  (indicated in the illustration) comprising unseparated items of laundry of the same or different types and/or sizes. In the region of the laundry conveyor  35 , which is assigned to the loading station  11 , automatic loading of the pneumatic conveyor takes place by the laundry being picked up by the suction head  12  and transported pneumatically, along the tubular conveying section  10 , to the collecting container  13  or the like. By opening the slide  16  beneath the base opening  15  of the collecting container  13 , the items of laundry can be discharged as required from this collecting container, to be precise both continuously and discontinuously to a treating arrangement. The treating arrangement may be a washing machine, a drier, a feed conveyor to a mangle or some other laundry-processing machine, as is conventional, in particular, in laundries.  
         [0038]     The process according to the invention for automatically loading the, in particular, abovedescribed pneumatic conveyor is described in more detail hereinbelow:  
         [0039]     In the starting position shown in  FIG. 1 , the suction head  12  at the bottom end of the moveable tube  31  of the telescopic tube  20  has been moved upward. The venting opening  23  is closed and the shut-off slide  26  is open. The fan  17  is in operation and, in the tubular conveyor section  10 , generates an air flow in the direction of the ejecting arrangement  39 . Air is taken into the tubular conveying section  10  through the suction head  12 . A pile of laundry  38  is located on the loading conveyor  35 .  
         [0040]     For automatically loading the pneumatic conveyor, the suction head  12  is then lowered from the telescopic tube  20  in the direction of the top strand  36  of the loading conveyor  35  ( FIG. 3 ). In this case, the opening  15  of the suction head  12 , this opening being oriented obliquely in the direction of the pile of laundry  38 , passes into the vicinity of the pile of laundry  38 , which is possibly additionally transported in the direction of the suction opening  19  of the suction head  12  by the loading conveyor  35 . As soon as the reflection sensors  34  in the region of the suction head  12  detect abutment of the latter against the pile of laundry  38 , or a predetermined spacing of the suction opening  19  from the pile of laundry  38 , any further lowering of the suction head  12  is stopped, as is any possible transportation of the pile of laundry  38  by the loading conveyor  35  in the direction of the suction head  12 . Laundry, to be precise a (small) batch of laundry, is then picked up from the pile of laundry  38  and taken in through the suction opening  19  of the suction head  12  and transported along the tubular conveying section  10  into the collecting container  13 . The suction head  12  is continuously adjusted here by the reflection sensor  34  in order to maintain abutment against, or a certain spacing from, the pile of laundry  38 . This can take place by the suction head  12  being correspondingly lowered further by the telescopic tube  20  and/or by the loading conveyor  35  being driven further in the direction of the opening  15  of the suction head  12 .  
         [0041]      FIG. 5  illustrates the case where the suction head  12  picks up an excessively large batch of laundry, namely a plug of laundry  28 , from the pile of laundry  38 . The plug of laundry  28  cannot be taken in through the suction head  12 . The plug of laundry  28  thus closes the suction opening  19  of the suction head  12 . This is indicated by a corresponding detection means, by virtue of detection, for example, of the negative pressure in the region at least of the suction head  12  which builds up as a result of the suction opening  19  being closed by the plug of laundry  28 . The suction head  12  with the plug of laundry  28  is raised here by the telescopic tube  20 , by way of the pneumatic cylinders  29  being displaced. This can take place as a result of the increasing negative pressure in the tubular conveying section  10 . Once the suction head  12  with the plug of laundry  28  has been moved upward, the shut-off slide  26  is closed and the venting opening  23  is opened. It is possible here for the fan  17  to remain in operation. Closing the shut-off slide  26  and opening the venting slide  23  interrupts the operation of the plug of laundry  28  being picked up by the suction head  12 . That portion of the tubular conveying section  10  which extends as far as the shut-off slide  26  and, in particular, the suction head  12  are vented, as a result of which the plug of laundry  28  is released from the suction head  12  and falls down onto the loading conveyor  35 . This results in the plug of laundry  28  being separated or disentangled to produce small batches of laundry. The plug of laundry  28  is separated, on the one hand, by the abrupt reduction in the negative pressure at the suction head  12  as the latter is vented and, on the other hand, by the plug of laundry  28  falling down onto the loading conveyor  35 .  
         [0042]     The shut-off slide  26  is then opened again and the venting slide  23  is closed. Thereafter, or at the same time, the suction head  12  is moved toward the pile of laundry  28  again, that is to say lowered, from the telescopic tube  20 . Constituent parts of the disentangled plug of laundry  28 , that is to say smaller batches of laundry with a smaller number of items of laundry, are then picked up by the suction head  12 , it being possible for the smaller number of items of laundry now picked up to pass through the suction opening  19  of the suction head  12  and to be transported, as batches of laundry, along the conveying section  10  into the at least one collecting container  13 .  
         [0043]     If, in exceptional cases, it should not be possible for the plug of laundry  28  to be sufficiently separated by venting and dropping being carried out once, the abovedescribed operation of picking up the plug of laundry  28 , raising it, venting it and allowing it to fall is repeated until such time as the plug of laundry  28  is separated to the extent where the laundry can be taken in through the suction head  12 .  
         [0044]     Since the collecting container  13  serves as a store for items of laundry which have been picked up, it is possible for laundry to be discharged continuously or discontinuously from the collecting container  13  to a subsequent laundry-treating arrangement irrespective of further items of laundry being picked up, in particular for the purpose of eliminating plugs of laundry  28 , during automatic loading of the pneumatic conveyor.  
         [0045]      FIG. 7  shows an alternative apparatus, which differs from the apparatus described above, and shown in FIGS.  1  to  6 , essentially only by two ejecting arrangements  39  being provided in the end region of the tubular conveying section  10 . In the exemplary embodiment shown, two identical ejecting arrangements  39  are arranged one beside the other. It is also possible, however, to provide different ejecting arrangements  39 , to be precise in any desired set-ups relative to one another. In particular, the spacings between the ejecting arrangements  39  may be significantly greater than in  FIG. 7 . The tubular conveying section  10  leads to the two ejecting arrangements  39 . Accordingly, the ejecting arrangement  39  which is shown on the right-hand side in  FIG. 7  is also provided with an arcuate connecting portion  40 . The connecting portion  40 , like the connecting portion  22  leading to the first ejecting arrangement  39 , opens out into the horizontal main portion  21  of the tubular conveying section  10 . Located at the point where the connecting portion  22  branches off from the main portion  21  is a switch-over diverter  41 , which is only schematically illustrated in  FIG. 7 . This diverter  41  is designed such that batches of laundry transported through the main portion  21  pass either via the connecting portion  22  to the first ejecting arrangement  39  (left-hand ejecting arrangement  39  in  FIG. 7 ) or via the connecting portion  40  to the second ejecting arrangement  39  (ejecting arrangement  39  shown on the right-hand side in  FIG. 7 ). The ejecting arrangements  39 , which act as air locks, allow pressure-free discharge of the respective batch of laundry into the collecting containers  13  in, or downstream of, the first ejecting arrangement  39  or the second ejecting arrangement  39 . It is not necessary here for each ejecting arrangement  39  to be assigned a collecting container  13 . It is also possible for the batches of laundry to be supplied from one or both ejecting arrangements  39  to any other desired arrangement for transporting the batches of laundry further.  
         [0046]     The diverter  41  can be switched over as required, with the result that the batches of laundry can be directed specifically to one ejecting arrangement  39  or the other. The laundry or batches or laundry is or are divided up as a result. This dividing-up operation can take place with either optional or specific sorting.  
         [0047]     It is also conceivable to provide, at any location of the tubular conveying section  10 , a detection and/or weighing arrangement, by means of which the respective batch of laundry can be weighed or as an alternative, or in addition, checked in respect of at least one selected property. By a corresponding activation of the switch-over diverter  41 , the laundry or each batch of laundry can then be fed specifically to one of the two ejecting arrangements  39 . By virtue of the batches of the laundry being weighed, it is possible for the diverter  41  to be switched over in dependence on the weight of the laundry which has been fed to the respective ejecting arrangement  39  and, for example, to the collecting container  13  assigned to the latter. It is also possible, for example, for sorting to take place in accordance with the level of moisture in the laundry, but also in accordance with other criteria.  
         [0048]     The operation according to the invention of dividing up the laundry, in particular batches of laundry, guided through the same tubular conveying section  10  results in those leaving the tubular conveying section  10  in a specifically distributed or sorted manner at different locations, namely different ejecting arrangements  39 , and thus in it being possible, for example, to use the same tubular conveying section  10  to charge a plurality of arrangements for the further processing and treatment of the laundry. The apparatus can thus be operated with better utilization of capacity, in particular laundry can be fed to a plurality of identical or different laundry-treating machines which can usually process less laundry than can be transported through the tubular conveying section  10  of the apparatus.  
       LIST OF DESIGNATIONS  
       [0000]    
       
           10  Tubular conveying section  
           11  Loading station  
           12  Suction head  
           13  Collecting container  
           14  Covering wall  
           15  Opening  
           16  Slide  
           17  Fan  
           18  Vertical portion  
           19  Obliquely directed suction opening  
           20  Telescopic tube  
           21  Main portion  
           22  Connecting portion  
           23  Venting opening  
           24  Slide  
           25  Pneumatic cylinder  
           26  Shut-off slide  
           27  Pneumatic cylinder  
           28  Plug of laundry  
           29  Pneumatic cylinder  
           30  Piston rod  
           31  Moveable tube  
           32  Piston  
           33  Stationary tube  
           34  Reflection sensor  
           35  Loading conveyor  
           36  Top strand  
           37  Hopper  
           38  Pile of laundry  
           39  Ejecting arrangement  
           40  Connecting portion  
           41  Switch-over diverter