GB793438A - Improvements in laundry folding machines - Google Patents

Abstract

793,438. Folding fabric articles. BROADBENT & SONS, Ltd., T. March 29, 1956 [April 7, 1955], No. 10219/55. Class 42 (2). [Also in Group XL (b)] In a laundry folding machine of the type in which the leading edge of an article, carried on a conveyer, is gripped, lifted and held whilst the rest of the article passes beneath to form a fold, a control medium is provided comprising at least three units a, b, c influenced successively by the leading edge of the article g, unit c being relatively close to the gripping means j, k, and the units being so interconnected that a gripperoperating medium i is energized only when all the units are influenced simultaneously. A suitable gap between successive articles will clear at least one unit and render the gripping means inoperative; this gap need only be equal to the gap between the units a, b, c. Medium i may consist of a solenoid in series with switches d, c, f controlled respectively by units a, b, c which consist of switch arms; alternatively, the arms may be mechanically interconnected so as to close a single switch only when all the arms are displaced together. In another alternative, arms a, b, c may be replaced by slight beams illuminating separate photo-cells, or a single cell, connected so that solenoid i is energized only when all the beams are interrupted together. In a further alternative, the operating medium may be pneumatic, arms a, b, c operating air valves instead of switches. Gripper member may be held up by catches as described in Specification 793,439, which is referred to.