| 1. | Apparatus for automatical bringing of soft, flimsy, flat articles (1) from an undefined position, to a known position c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that bars (2) are moved stepwise and norisont lly to fixed positions from a startingposition to an endposition and from there back to the startingposition in a circulation and that on each bar or bringing along the articles clamps (3, ) are movably applied so that they can be moved along the bar and that the clamps are activated that is opened, closed mechanically or by media and at demand positioned by controlable activators (6) which are placed on bridges (7) and that those activators which position are furnished with positioningdevices (β) and that a loadingdevice (9) can grip the article (1) and move it to such a position that the clamp (3) can grip it and that a front searchingdevice (10) can search, grip a. tip (B) of the article and move it into the clamp (4) and that a middle searchingdevice (11) can search, grip a tip (C) of the article and move it into the clamp (3) and that a rear searchingdevice (12) can search, grip a tip (D) or (E) of the article and move it into the clamp (4) and that the front searchingdevice and the middle searchingdevice are so designed that the searchingspace for the tips (B) and (C) will be confined. |
| 2. | Apparatus according to the claim 1 c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the bars (2) are brought along by a conveyor (5) arranged as two parallel drivingdevices (13) each comprising an endless belt, gearbelt, chain, wire, band or similar long and thin element which runs over at least two from each other parted wheels with horisontal shafts and that the distance between the drivingdevices corresponds to the distance between the carryingpoints of the bar on at each end and that the two drivingdevices are interconnected mechanically or electrically so that they work synchronized or arranged as a circuitconveyor (14). |
| 3. | Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the front and middle searchingdevices are so design that the article is roughly horisontal when drawn throug them during searching and gripping of the tips (B) and (C and that that part of the searchingdevices where the article is drawn forward is design as a shute or alike so that the extent of the article crosswise will be concentrated and. that when the searcher finds the tip at the passage gives a signal at which the article is brough to a quick stop so that the tip also lengthwise will land within a well defined area underneath clamp (3) or (4) in question. |
| 4. | Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the articles consist of towels, bathtowels, sheets and alike. |
| 5. | Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the bridges (7) are placed between the under and overpart of the drivingdevices (13) or at each side of th circuitconveyor (14). |
| 6. | Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the bars are returned to the startingposition by the returnparts of the drivingdevices or by a special device for this. |
| 7. | Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n a that searching of tip (B) sometimes has to be done in two steps and in this case a further front searchingdevice is added. AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 15 September 1993 (15.09.93); original claims 1, 3, 4 and 6 replaced by amended claims (3 pages)] 1 Apparatus for automatical bringing of soft, flimsy, flat articles (1) from an undefined position to a known position in which for gripping of the article (1) at inpu an inputdevice (9), for searching and gripping of tips a front (10), a middle (11) and a rear (12) searchingdevice are included c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that bars (2) are moved stepwise and horisontally to fixe positions from a startingposition to an endposition and from there back to the startingposition in a circulation and that on each bar for bringing along the articles clamps (3,4) are. movably applied so that they can be move along the bar and that the clamps are activated that is opened, closed mechanically or by media and at demand positioned by controllable activators (β) which are placed on bridges (7) and that those activators which position are furnishe with positioningdevices (8) and that the clamps (3,4) are alternately used during the process of firstly gripping the article (1) at (A) and then searching and gripping of the tips and are positione to appropriate positions and that at choice at the end of the process the clamps (3,4) in question are positioned and activated so that the article is hanging by the wished corners with controllabl distance and that the inputdevice (9) and the searchingdevices (10,11,12) are so designed that they can move the gripped part of the article (1) into the clamps (3,4). |
| 8. | 2 Apparatus according to the claim 1 c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the bars (2) are brought along by a conveyor (5) arranged as tvo parallel drivingdevices (13) each comprising an endless belt, gearbelt, chain, wire, band or similar long and thin element which runs over at least two from each other parted wheels with horisontal shafts and that the distance between the drivingdevices corresponds to the distance between the carryingpoints of the bar one at each end and that the two drivingdevices are interconnected mechanically or electrically so that they work synchronized or arranged as a circuitconveyor (14). |
| 9. | 3 Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the front (10) and middle (11) searchingdevices are so design that the article, is roughly horisontal when drawn through them during searching and gripping of the tips (B) and (C) and that that part of the searchingdevices where the article is drawn forward is designed so that the extent of the article crosswise will be concentrated and that when the searcher finds the tip at the passage gives a signal at which the article is brought to a quick stop so that the tip also lengthwise will land within a well defined area underneath clamp (3) or (4) in question. |
| 10. | 4 Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the articles (1) consist of towels, bathtowels, sheets and alike. |
| 11. | 5 Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims c h a r a c t e r i z e d I n that the bridges (7) are placed between the under and overpart of the drivingdevices (13) or at each side of the circuitconveyor (1 ). β. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the bars (2) are returned to the startingposition by the returnparts of the drivingdevices (13) or by a special device for this. |
| 12. | 7 Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that searching of tip (B) sometimes has to be done in two steps and in this case a further front searchingdevice is added. STATEMENT UNDER ARTICLE19 For the new patentclaims I have only taken determinations from the basic documents that is from the original patentclaims. The invention according to my new defined mainclaim is not known from the quoted material. I do hot think either that this is close at hand. My invention according to the patentclaims differs from the previously known in the following pointss 1 The design with the stepwise movable bars with movable clamps which can be alternately used and activated from outside by activators. Certain of these latter are also movable and controllable for moving the clamps to defined positions. |
| 13. | 2 The process for searching and gripping is carried out stationwise. |
| 14. | 3 The arrangement itself of the construction, not only in details. 4: Use and placement of the bridges. |
| 15. | 5 Transport of the article is done crosswise or lengthwise. |
| 16. | 6 The variation in size of the articles can be handled automatically within wide boundries due to the controllability of the equipment in given positions. |
| 17. | 7 The corners in the endposition can be chosen at will. |
| 18. | The inputdevice and the searchingdevices can move the gripped part of the article into the clamp. My invention has the following advantages compared with the previously known: Due to the stationwise buildup the construction is simplified. The process will hereby be safer to its funktion. Articles of different sizes can be handled automatically without any setups. Chosen corners in the known position. The distance between the clamps can be controllably varied as well as the positions of the clamps. The apparatus apparently requires less space especially in the design with the bars transported crosswise. The apparatus can easily be adopted to different numbers of stations and steps of the process. The clamps are activated from outside and can be controllably moved to given positions along the bars. Relatively few clamps are needed. A multitude of different types of articles can be handled. |
The invention refers to the preamble of the patentσlaim 1.
Before mechanical folding, ironing and alike of soft, flimsy, flat articles (1> such as towels, bathtowels and sheets the articles. have to be brought into a correct position from an in general unarranged and undefined position. Such an undefined position arises for instance after drying of laundry vhen the articles unguided may fall on a belt or into a container. From here the articles are then moved to a foldingmachine or an lroner. In order to get an acceptable result the articles have to be fed into the machines in a de ined way usually with one of the edges leading. The article must thus firstly be captured, the two corners limiting the edge be localized and gripped and then parted whereafter the edge is brought into a known position accepted by the feedingmechanism. It has shown difficult to perform this handling automatically and that is why it is performed manually.
The purpose of the invention is to solve the problems above and to produce an apparatus that automatically brings the articles from an undefined position to a known position for forthcoming handling. How this is done is evident from the characterizing part of the patentclai 1.
One execution of the invention is schematicly shown in the enclosed drawing where figure 1 shows an apparatus with transport of the article across, figure 2 shows an apparatus with transport of the article along, figure 3 shows an apparatus seen from the side, and figure 4 a part agnification and figure 5 shows the βtepwlse handling of the article.
According to figure 1-4 the apparatus consists of horisontal bars (2) to which for bringing along the article clamps (3,4) are ovably applied so that they can
be moved lengthways of the bar. On every bar there are typically two clamps..A conveyor (5> moves the bars stepwise to fixed positions from a startingposition to an endposition and from there back to the startingposition. The movement of the bars can according to figure 1 be made crosswise to the bar or along as shown in figure 2.
The clamps are activated that is opened or closed by help of activators C6) which are located on bridges (7). The activators can also at demand position the clamp to a wished position and are then furnished with a positioningdevice <S).
In addition to this it is also included a loadingdevice <9) for gripping and moving the article in the beginning of the process, a front searchingdevice <10) for searching, gripping and moving of tip (B), a middle searchingdevice <11) for searching, gripping and moving tip <C>, a rear .searchingdevice (12) for searching, gripping and moving of tip <D>.
The front and middle searchingdevices are so designed that the article will take a roughly horisontal position when it is drawn through for searching and gripping of the tips <B> or <C). Further these searchingdevices are so designed that the sought tips after searching will be situated in a welldefined and confined space and hence the gripping by large can be done in a fixed position. This is obtained by designing the part of the searchingdevice where the article is drawn forward like a shute or similar so that the extent of the article crosswise will be concentrated. When then a searcher gives a signal the article is brought to a quick stop so that the sought tip also lengthwise will land within a well defined area underneath clamp <3> or (4) in question. The search can be made both mechanically and touchless preferably the latter and then for instance by light or sound.
According to .figure 1 the conveyor (5) is arranged as parallel drivingdevices (13) both comprising an endles belt, gearbelt, chain, wire, band or similar long and element which runs over at least two from each other parted wheels with horisontal shafts. The drivingdevic are placed in such a distance from each other that it corresponds to the distance between the carryingpoints the bar one at each end. The two drivingdevices (13) ar interconnected mechanically or electrically that they w synchronized. The conveyor may also according to figure be arranged as a closed circuitconveyor where the bars moved lengthwise.
The return of the bars to the startingposition may be d as in figure 1 and figure 2 by the conveyor itself or b special devise for this (not shown).
The bridges are placed between the under- and overpart the drivingdevices (13) or at each side of the circuitconveyor (14).
Sometimes the searching of tip (B) needs to be done in steps to make certain to find it and in this case a further front searchingdevice is added.
The stepwise process is schematicly shown in figure 5 f transport crosswise. The course of events is the same f transport lengthwise but the bars are in this case move lengthwise and so will also the articles.
The process is performed thus: The loadingdevice (9) gr the article at point (A), moves it to the clamp (3) which is in situ above. The clamp (3) closes and gr the article and the loadingdevice lets go and returns. article falls down and becomes hanging from the clamp ( with tip (B) furthest down.
The conveyor (5) moves one step forward. The activator (6) grips the clamp (3) and the article is drawn through the front searchingdevice (10). When the tip (B) passes a searcher the activator stops, and the clamp (3) opens and the front searchingdevice (10) grips and moves the tip (B) into the clamp (4) which closes. The front searchingdevice lets go. The clamp (3) is moved to grippingposition for tip (C).
The conveyor (5) moves one step forward. The article now falls and becomes hanging from the clamp (4) with tip (C) urthest down.
The activator (6) grips the clamp (4) and the article is drawn through the middle searchingdevice (11). When the tip (C) passes a searcher the activator stops and the middle searchingdevice (11) grips and moves the tip (C) into the clamp (3) which closes. The article is now gripped at the two diagonal tips (B) and (C).
The conveyor (5) moves one step forward. The article now falls and becomes hanging from the clamps (3) and (4) with the tips (D) and (E) furthest down.
The conveyor (5) moves one step forward.The rear searchingdevice (12) now searches tip (D), grips it and moves it up to a point near the clamp (3). Meanwhile the clamp (4) has opened and been moved to position for gripping tip (D). The clamp (4) closes and grips tip (D) and the rear searchingdevice (12) lets go and returns. The article is now hanging by the tips (C) and (D).
The conveyor (5) moves one step forward. The activators (β) grip the clamps (3) resp. (4) and position these so that the tips (C) and (D) are parted in a controlled manner and the article is now in a known position.
If wished the tips (B) and (E) may of course be used.
The apparatus will preferably be used in connection with ironing, folding and so on of towels, bathtowels, sheets and alike. The articles should rather be square but also other shapes will do if marked corners are at hand.