Patent GB-740254-A (GB)
Title: Folding machine for flatwork such as sheets and like laundry articles
Inventor: SPRECKELMEIER EDWIN HENRY
IPC: D06F89/00
Filed: 1953-03-27
Abstract: 740,254. Folding sheets &c. AMERICAN LAUNDRY MACHINERY CO. March 27, 1953, No. 8582/53. Class 42 (2). A folding machine for sheets and like articles, having first and second folding lanes each with its associated folding means, operating means for the folding means, and a timer for controlling the operating means and responsive to article travel on the lane, has lane-coupling means for wide articles whereby passage of an article overlapping both lanes actuates a coupling switch situated between the lanes, thereby energizes one of the timers and eventually causes operation of a third operating means to operate the first and second folding means simultaneously. As shown, folding blades 4R, 4L are provided for the light and left lanes respectively, each blade being adapted to fold an article at the quarter and three-quarter points ; the article drops to the right of the blade until the quarter point is reached when the blade swings to the right whereafter the article loops on the left of the blade until the three-quarter point is reached when it swings to the left again and tucks the article between folding rolls 5R or 5L. Individual lane operation.-A narrow article in the left lane of ribbon conveyer 10 depresses fingers 3L to operate a switch MSL and thereby energize a coil 13L which starts two left-lane timers of the kind described in Specification 705,069. After a delay dependent on the length of the article, one timer closes a switch 58 to energize a solenoid 8L which moves an arm 7L to operate a half-revolution clutch which rotates a cam 6L and thereby moves blade 4L to make the quarter-point fold. The other timer subsequently closes a switch S10 to effect the return movement of blade 4L and make the three-quarter-point fold. A narrow article in the right lane is similarly folded through fingers 3R, switch MSR, coil 13R, right-lane timers, switches S13 and S14, solenoid 8R, arm 7R, cam 6R and blade 4R. Coupled-lane operation.-A wide article overlapping both lanes depresses a coupling switch S2, located between the lanes, to energize relays CR1 and CR3 and move switches a, b, c, d in each case. Energization of relay CR1 cuts out the right-lane timer coil 13R. Energization of relay CR3 couples the two lanes so that when the leading edge of the article moves either fingers 3L or 3R a circuit is closed through the left-lane timer coil 13L and the left-lane timers start up. When timer switch S8 is closed it now completes a circuit through a solenoid coil 9 causing a link 110 to move both arms 7L, 7R simultaneously and thereby give the first folding movement to blades 4L and 4R ; similarly when switch S10 is closed, both blades receive simultaneously their second folding movement. The circuit through coil 13L is not broken until the trailing edge of the article has passed both fingers 3L and 3R; the circuit through relay CR1 is now broken but CR3 remains energized through a holding circuit so that the lanes remain coupled for a following article unless it is so narrow as to move the fingers in one lane only when the holding circuit is broken and the lanes uncoupled. The folding blades can be set to their proper starting position prior to a folding operation by means of a push-button PS. The right-lane timer can be substituted for the left-land timer for operation during coupled-lane folding by moving a switch X. The invention may be applied to a machine (a) employing spaced blades for making first and second folds in either lane, or (b) making only a single fold at the mid-point, or (c) employing a number of timing units operated sequentially bv successive articles.