Patent GB-1536503-A (GB)
Title: Folding apparatus for laundered articles in sheet form
IPC: B65H45/12
Filed: 1976-06-28
Abstract: 1536503 Folding fabric sheets W F GRANTHAM 28 June 1976 [7 July 1975] 26868/76 Heading D1S In apparatus for folding laundered sheets comprising a delivery conveyor 100 for transporting a folded sheet 134 from a first folder 120 to a receiving conveyor 110, a second folder 206 is positioned adjacent the conveyors 100, 110 and there is provided means for selectively diverting the sheet 134 to engage the folder 206, the means being selectively operable in a first mode to direct the sheet along a path from the conveyor 100 to the conveyor 110 and selectively operable in a second mode to divert the sheet from this path to engage the folder 206 and thereafter direct the sheet from the folder 206 to the conveyor 110. In one embodiment, Fig. 1, the folder 120 comprises a blade 122 movable in a direction G by a pneumatic cylinder 130 through linkage 124, 126, 128 to cross-fold a sheet 134 delivered to the conveyor 100. A conveyor 116 assists delivery of the sheet by the conveyor 100. The selectively operable means, Figs. 1 and 2, comprises a reversible roller 200 on a shaft 202 upon which a ramp assembly 204 is pivotally mounted. The roller 200 has a non-slip covering and is selectively drivable from rollers 102, 104 driving the conveyors 100, 110, respectively, by clutches (224), (226) and a sprocket-and-chain assembly Fig. 3 (not shown). The assembly 204 comprises a plate 230 to bridge the gap between the conveyor 100 and the roller 100 and which is pivotable about the shaft 202 by a pneumatic cylinder 252 through the linkage shown. The second folder 206 comprises a stainless steel' curved blade 260 movable upwardly about pivot pins 272, 290 by a pneumatic cylinder 280, spaced rollers 294 on a fixed shaft 292 guiding this upward movement. Stainless steel glideways 208 guide the sheet receiving the second fold. In operation, the folder 206 may be bypassed with the assembly 204 in its upward position with the roller 200 rotating in unison with the roller 102 to feed the sheet 134 across the plate 230 to the conveyor 110 and onto downwardly-pivotable flipper plates 132 which drop the sheets onto a table or cart 136. When a second fold is to be made, the assembly 204 is lowered and the roller 200 is rotated in unison with the roller 112 so that the leading edge of the sheet 134 is directly downwardly by the roller 200, Figs. 5 and 6 (both not shown). When the leading sheet edge trips a rod 300 of a microswitch 298, the folder 206 is actuated so that the blade 260 moves upwardly and the rotation of the roller 200 is reversed, Fig. 7 (not shown). The blade 260 engages and pushes upwardly and mid-line of the sheet 134, Figs. 8 and 9 (both not shown). The blade 260 is retracted and the folded sheet is fed onto the plates 132, Fig. 11 (not shown). The rotation of the roller 200 is again reversed in preparation for receiving the next sheet. An electrical circuit for the operation of the apparatus is described, Fig. 4 (not. shown). In a modification, Fig. 12, a driver assembly 370 assists the roller 200 and the plate 230 in diverting sheets 134 downwardly to the second folder 206. The assembly 370 is similar in construction to the folder 206 and is actuated by a pneumatic cylinder 394 after the roller 200 has been reversed to rotate in unison with the roller 112 to portion the leading sheet portion downwardly. In another modification, Fig. 16, a second ramp assembly 420, similar in construction to the folder 206, has a blade 422 movable by a pneumatic cylinder 440 along a path 444 to guide sheets from the conveyor 100 downwardly to the folder 206. The blade 422 shields the roller 200 so that it need not be reversible but is contiuously driven in unison with the roller 102. In a further modification, Fig. 21, a small diameter reversible roller 200a serves combined functions performed in the previous embodiments by the roller 200 and the assembly 204. An additional roller 450 is continuously driven counterclockwise by the roller 102.