GB835289A - Shirt folding machine - Google Patents

Abstract

835,289. Shirt folding machines. ELSTON, W. H. March 4, 1958 [March 4, 1957], No. 7143/57. Class 94(1). A shirt folding machine has two side plates 5, 6, that oscillate inwards in turn to fold the sides of a shirt upon the centre of the shirt, a first central plate 9 that then oscillates about a fixed axis 11 to fold over the tail of the shirt upon the lower part of the shirt and a second central plate 10 that then oscillates about a fixed axis 12 to fold the lower part of the shirt with the tail thereon up on to the back of the shirt. At the beginning of a shirt folding operation a paper strip is placed in a recess 4 and the shirt is then placed front downwards with the collar band in a recess 3. The operator then lowers a plate 13 on to the back of the shirt and arranges the arms of the shirt appropriately in a conventional manner. Upon operation of a press button 20, the pneumatic means automatically causes the plates 5, 6 and 9 to oscillate inwardly in turn as described above, and during the operation of the plate 9, a plate 15 automatically swings downwardly on to the back of the shirt. The plate 10 then swings over to fold the already folded tail and lower part of the shirt on to the plate 15 which is lying on the back of the shirt. The plate 10 then returns to its original position. On releasing the button 20 air pressure raises the ends of the paper strip from the recess 4 so that the operator can catch these ends and fasten them over the back of the shirt as by a pin or adhesive. The plates 13 and 15 are finally returned to their raised position and the shirt is slipped off these plates in its folded condition. Each of the plates 5, 6, 9, 10 is perforated to prevent the shirt clinging thereto by suction. Sequence control. The apparatus includes a pneumatic sequence cylinder and piston assembly arranged to operate valves controlling the movement of the various plates and in which the exhaust from the pneumatic cylinder, on the assembly returns to its initial position after a folding operation, is arranged to be discharged under the paper strip in the recess 4 for the purpose stated above. According to the Provisional Specification the table or the plates may be illuminated from below to assist in the correct location of the shirt.