Patent GB-642032-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in laundry apparatus
IPC: D06F89/00
Filed: 1946-08-16
Abstract: 642,032. Folding fabrics. KAHN, L. M. Aug. 16, 1946, No. 24473. Convention date, Aug. 18, 1945. [Class 42 (ii)] A timing mechanism for a folding machine having an article-carrier travelling at a selected speed, comprises a moving endless contactcarrier operated at a speed proportional to that of the article-carrier, means for feeding an individual contact on to the contact-carrier to be moved thereby, means for removing the contact from the contact-carrier and transferring it to a second moving contact-carrier operated at a speed proportional to that of the article carrier, means associated with the article-carrier causing the contact to be fed on to the first contact-carrier when the leading edge of the article passes said means and causing the contact to be transferred to the second contact-carrier when the.trailing edge passes, contact means being associated with the second contact-carrier in predetermined relation to the movement of the transferred contact for actuation thereby to effect operation of means for folding the article. The timing apparatus may consist of a belt or band 22 which is driven around the sprocket 38 and rollers 36 and 40 at a speed proportional to that of the article-carrier, and on to which magnetized contact buttons 20 from a row thereof are pushed one at a time by an element 18 which is operated by a solenoid when the leading edge of an article passes over a photoelectric cell and light unit associated with the folding machine. On the trailing edge of the article passing the photo-electric unit, a knockoff rail 56 is actuated to knock the button 20 from the belt 22 on to the moving metal apron 24, which is also driven at a speed proportional to that of the article carrier, and which carries it past contact rails 76, or 72 and 74, or 60 and 66 according to the distance it has travelled on the belt 22, contact with these rails causing operation of one or more of the folding blades in the folding apparatus. The contacts are carried round the rollers 28 and 30 by the apron 24, until they strike the belt 22 and are directed by it into the original row of contacts. The belt 22 may be of non-magnetic material, and the contacts caused to adhere to it by an electromagnet placed behind it; opening of the electromagnet circuit then replaces operation of the knock-off member. The knock-off member and the feed member may be operated by separate solenoids, or they may be interlocked so that operation of the knock-off member causes return of the feed member. In modified forms, either the belt 22, or both it and the apron 24 may be replaced by a rotating disc or discs. The contacts may be fed on to the edge of the first disc by a pivoted member having two arms, one of which is interposed to restrain the remaining members of the row of contacts when the other is retracted to release the first contact. The photo-electric cell and light unit for initiating the timing operations may be positioned in a conventional chest ironer, in which the articles are passed between a solid apron' marked in lanes by black or coloured stripes, and a conveyer composed of spaced tapes. The light from the unit passes between the tapes and impinges on the stripes, unless an article is interposed. From these tapes 124 the article passes to a folding apparatus, which in the form shown in Fig. 14 consists of tape conveyers 174 and 175, passing around rollers 168, 180 and 170, 179, and driven in the directions of the arrows 173, 177 respectively. A first fold may be made by the operation of the folder 162, which directs the article between the rolls 166 and 168, and it is then conveyed by the tapes 174. The roller 170 is rotated in the opposite direction to the tapes 175, which slide over it, and the roll 180 may be provided with coaxial rubber rings which pass between the tapes 174 and co-operate with smooth rings set along the axis 187 of the roll 170, so that the article is gripped when it is forced between these rolls by the operation of the second folder 176. The article finally passes over a guide to the delivery conveyer 182 and table 194. U.S.A. Specification 2,280,957 is referred to.