Patent GB-998558-A (GB)
Title: Machines for folding planar flexible material
IPC: B65B63/04
Filed: 1962-01-16
Abstract: 998,558. Folding shirts. D. A. FREEMAN. Jan. 16, 1962 [Feb. 10, 1961], No. 1573/62. Heading B8C. A shirt-folding machine has a table 10 in which the shirt is laid front downwards so that the collar engages the collar moulding mechansm 12 the folding arms 49 and 50 being pivoted upwardly about a transverse axis to allow the skirt to be placed on the bed of the machine. The folding arms 49 and 50 are then lowered to clamp the shoulder and back portion of the shirt against the table 10 and to provide a folding pattern edge for the next fold in the automatic sequence. Simultaneously, the tailclamping mechanism closes by pivotal movement of tail-clamping arms 61 and 62 about a common transverse axis so that the tail of the shirt is folded between the plates 62, 65 and 61 and 64. At about the same time as the tailclamping movement a pair of outer folding arms 57 and 58 at the left and right sides of the machine move successively about pivot axes 59 and 60 and inwardly to fold the shirt sleeves inwardly against the folding pattern edges of the arms 49 and 50 and over the back portion of the shirt. The next step in the operation is the sidefolding movement. The inner-folding arm 49 and the superimposed arms 61 and 64 at the left side of the machine with the tail of the shirt clamped therebetween are moved about a pivot axis 66 for the arm 49 and coaxially aligned pivot axes 67 and 68 for the arms 61 and 64. This folds the left side of the shirt, the edge of the blade on arm 57 and the inner edge of the plate 61 acting as the folding edges for this side fold. After this folding operation the inner folding arm 50 and superimposed arms 62 and 65 pivot about a pivot axis 69 for the arm 50 and coaxially aligned pivot axes 70 and 71 to fold the right side and shoulder portion of the shirt on to the folded left side of the shirt. The arms 58 and plate 62 act as the folding edges for this side fold. Next, the tail fold up assembly 72 including a folding plate 73 and a folding arm 74, are moved inwardly of the machine from the right side thereof towards the centre with the arms 74 disposed above-the shirt and the plate 73 below it. After the shirt is clamped between the plate 73 and the arm 74 the arms 61, 62, 64 and 65 are withdrawn from the tail of the shirt by longitudinal movement away from the collar-clamping end of the machine. As soon as the arms 61, 62, 64 and 65 are fully withdrawn the folding plate 73 is pivoted about its axis 75 towards the head end of the machine while the folding arm 74 acts as a folding edge. Subsequently both the plate 73 and the arm 74 are rotated with the support arm 76 about a pivot extending transversely of the machine substantially centrally of the fold-up arm drive mounting 77. Before the plate 73 and the arm 74 are withdrawn a valve limit switch actuated by the tail fold-up mechanism 72 causes a tail-clamping assembly 357 to clamp down on to the back of the upper collar end of the folded shirt. The plate 73 and the arm 74 may then be withdrawn to allow the shirt to be pinned or banded to retain its folded condition. The shirt may then be withdrawn from the arms 49 and 50 which are rotated upwardly about a transverse axis to facilitate removal. An arrangement is also described in which the side-folding mechanisms may be moved outwardly from the centre line of the machine and the tail fold-up mechanism may be moved towards the tail end of the machine in order to vary the fold-up dimensions or to allow different sized articles to be folded. Specification 817,806 is referred to.