Patent GB-663090-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to shirt folding machines
IPC: D06F89/02
Filed: 1948-08-30
Abstract: 663,090. Folding shirts after ironing. PROSPERITY CO., Inc. Aug. 30, 1948 [March 31, 1948], No. 22779/48. Class 138 (ii). A shirt-folding machine includes a table 1 on which the shirt is laid, inner and outer sets of sleeve and body folders 8, 9, 11 and 12 movable transversely over the head end area of the table, a tail folder 50 on the foot area of the table and movable in a direction at right angles to the movement of the sets of folders. The folders 8, 9, 11 and 12 are in the form of cranks pivotally mounted at the head end of the table, and are operated by means of camplates 16, 17, 18, 19, Fig. 2, on a carrier 10 slidably mounted by rollers 21 on tracks 22. The outside folders 8, 9 are actuated simultaneously, and the inside folders 11, 12 successively to each other and to the outside folders. Each cam plate has a slot which receives a follower 32 on a vertically-movable rack 30 engaging with a pinion on a shaft carrying a folder. Thus as the carrier 10 and cam-plates 16, 17, 18, 19 are moved to and fro the folders are moved into and out of folded position. The shirt is folded about a form 34 pivoted at 35, Fig. 5, and provided with a downwardly extending radial arm 36. A latch 37 pivoted at 40 to a plate 38 movable with the carrier 10 coacts with the arm 36 and raises the form 34 to its elevated position shown in Fig. 5. The latch is releasable to permit the form 34 to fall down on to a shirt on the table before the folders are actuated far enough to fold the shirt. A bell crank lever 42 also pivoted to the plate 38 has one end in latching engagement with the latch 37 and its other end adjacent an operating member 43. The latch 37 is released from engagement with the bell-crank lever 42 by means of the operating member 43 and is re-set in latched position by a pin 41 at the end of the movement of the plate 38 to the left. The tail folder 50 is formed of light wire or rods and is pivotally mounted on a transverse shaft 56, provided with a handle 57. The shaft 56 carries a cam 59, Fig. 2, which on the initial movement of the shaft rocks an angle lever 60A connected by a push-rod 62 to the member 43 so as to trip the pawl 42 holding the latch 37 in place and allow the form 34 to drop on to the shirt. The tail folder is moved to folded position manually, but is returned by means of a piston-rod 101 working in a cylinder 100, Fig. 8, and engaging with an arm 63 on the shaft 56. The piston is actuated by means of air under pressure admitted to the cylinder 100 by. a valve 73. This valve 73 includes a casing having a spring-pressed valvemember 74 therein provided with a normally open exhaust head 76 and a normally closed intake head 75. The intake end is connected to a source of air under pressure by a pipe 77 and the other end exhausts at 78 to the outer air. The casing between the heads is connected by a pipe 79 and branch pipe 104 to the cylinder 100. The pipe 79 also leads to one end of a cylinder 70 having a double-acting piston 71 therein, the piston-rod of which is connected at 72 to the carrier 10. Thus when valve 73 is opened air flows to the right-hand end of cylinder 70 and moves the carrier 10 and cams 16, 17, 18 and 19 to the left to operate the folders 8, 9, 11 and 12, this occurring after the tail folder has been returned to its inoperative position. Air is conducted to the left-hand end of cylinder 70 (to return the cams to their starting position and unfold the folders) by a pipe 80 containing a pressure-reducing tank 81, the pressure being always applied but less than that in pipe 79. The pressure on the left face is further reduced by making the piston area less than on the right. The valve member 74 is operated against a spring 82 by a cam 60 on shaft 56, the cam coacting with a lever 83 pivoted at 84 and pressing through a buffer spring 84A against the stem 86 of valve member 74. The lever 83 has a latch arm 87 which coacts with a pawl 88 pivoted at 89 and having an arm 90 which coacts with a device for holding the valve in operated position. This device is a diaphragm 91 in a chamber 92, the pressure side of which is connected by a pipe 93 to a release cylinder 94 operated by a pedal 95. This pedal is depressed by an operator prior to removing the folded shirt, being connected by a rod 96 pivoted at 97 to an arm 98 on the end of a movable section 4 of the table. This section 4 has an area substantially equal to that of the folded shirt and is hinged at 5 so as to swing downwardly to carry a collar form 6 located in a depression 7 in the upper side of the section 4, out of the collar of the shirt. When the pedal 95 is depressed a piston 105 is drawn upwardly in the cylinder 94 to uncover inlet ports 106 therein so that on release of the pedal 95 rod 96 is pulled downwardly by a spring 99, the piston 105 is also pulled downwardly and an impulse of air is passed through pipe 93 to chamber 92 and diaphragm 91 forced upwardly to unlatch lever 89 from arm 87 of lever 83. The valve member 74 is thus returned to its normal position (as shown in Fig. 8) in which the exhaust head 76 is open. The lower air pressure in pipe 80 is thus free to act in cylinder 70 and return the folders to their starting position. The table top is cut away or bevelled, as at 110, Fig. 1, to facilitate sliding a bag on to the shirt after the section 4 has been shifted downwardly by operation of the pedal 95. The operator holds the pedal 95 down while placing the bag on the folded shirt and while pulling the shirt off the folders. Specifications 630,921 and 658,292 are referred to.