US1765018A - Automatic feeding device for flat-work ironers - Google Patents

Description

June 17, 1930. A. MATTHEWS AUTOMATIC FEEDING DEVICE FOR FLAT WOR K IRONERS 4 Sheets- Sheet 1 Originali e g- 27', 1925 June '17, 1930. A. MATTHEWS AUTOMATIC FEEDING DEVICE FOR FLAT WORK IRONERS Original Filed Aug. 27, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 [N VENTOR y A TTOR NE Y5 June 17, 1930. MATTHEWS 1,765,018

AUTOMATIC FEEDING DEVICE FOR FLAT WORK IRONERS Original Filed Aug 27, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 O E M g 6; 6% I 77 [N VEN TOR By W Maxi-M A TTORNEYJ" June 17, 1930. A MATTHEWS 1,765,013

AUTOMATIC FEEDING DEVICE FOR FLAT WORK IRONERS Original Filed Aug. 27, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented June 17, 1930 STATES PATENT; oFFi ALBERT MATTHEWS, or CINCINNATI, onro, AssIeNon To THE AMERICAN LAUNDRY MACHINERY COMPANY, or cINeINNATI, OHIO, A eonronATIoN on OHIO AUTOMATIC,FEEDING DEVICE FOR' FLAT-VIORK IRONEIRS Application filed August 27, 1925, Serial No. 52,823. Renewed February 18. 1929.

This invention relates to improvements in feeding devices for use in connection with flat work ironers and is adapted to auto-- matically feed sheets, towels, pillowcases i and other flat work into an ironing machine.

The general object of this invention is to provide such a device which is wholly automatic in its several operations and requires the attention of the operator only for the purpose of replenishing the trays of work as they are emptied by the feeding operation of the machine, v

One particular object of this invention is to provide means for feeding articles of flat work one by one into the ironing machine, such feeding means being automatically cut out or interrupted intermittently so as to provide proper spacing between the succes sive articles.

Another object is to provide means for feeding a series of articles simultaneously into an ironing machine, such feeding means being automatically cut out or interrupted intermittently in such a manner as to ensure complete passage of all of the articles composing one series into the'ironing machine before the feeding means is again set into operation for starting the next series.

Another object consists in providing means for feeding articles from a pile of flat work and at the same time maintaining proper uniform level for the top of the work, so as to ensure proper feeding of the V top-most piece of work into the ironing machine, the means for maintaining uniform level of the work being under the control of the varying height of the pile ofwork.

Another object consists in providing means for facilitating removal of the successive articles from the pile of work so as to prevent dragging of the same, such means being automatically controlled by the position of each article or piece of work as it is being moved into the ironing machine.

Another object consists in providing means whereby the table upon which the work is supported can be lowered after all of the work has been fed therefrom, thereby.

permitting replenishment of the work for further feeding operation.

Other objects will appear from the following description and claims when considered together with the accompanying drawing. i Fig. 1 isa front elevation of my improved device; Fig 2 is a longitudinal sec tion taken on line 2-2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. i is an enlarged detail view taken on theline 44 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a detail view of the means for loading the supportingtable; Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail viewtaken on line 6'6, Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a detail view of the electric switch control for automatically throwing out the feed ing means; Fig. Sis a detail view of the track along which the feeding device is guided into feeding movement; Fig. 9 is a view taken on line 99, Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a detail view of apart of the means for maintaining the proper levelof the work,

this detailed portion being adapted to enis so located with relation to an ironing machine that articles of flat work are fed into the machine as illustrated in F igQ 2. The ironing machine is illustrated only in a general way and will be recognized. as comprising the padded roll 3 and the heatedchest t with the ribbon feed 5 which is operated by the feed roll 6, this roll being driven in the usual and well known manner. The sprocket chain is driven from the shaft of the feed roll 6 and by means of this connection driving power is transmitted to the shaftS which carries the sprocket 9 about which engages the sprocket chain 7. The shaft 8 carries also the roll 9 about which extends the belt 10 for carrying the work onto the ribbon feed 5.

The articles of fiat work are arranged in a pile, as indicated by reference numeral 11, such pile of work being supported upon a tray 12, such tray being adapted to be replaced by another full tray of work after the first tray has been emptied by the feeding operation of the machine. The tray 12 is supported on rollers 13 which are adapted to rest upon the tracks 14 carried by the transversely extending rails 15 which afford a support therefor. The rails '15 are suspended by means of the sprocket chains 16 extending up over the sprocket wheels 17 which are suitably mounted in bracket arms in the frame of the machine structure.

Counterweights, as illustrated for instancev at 18, are also provlded on the other ends mounted upon the transverse shafts 19' which are adapted to be operated by means of the gears 20 carried thereby, these gears being driven bymeans of the worm gears 21 which in turn are mounted upon the transverse shaft 22 suitably supported in the frame structure. The shaft 22 is operated intermittently according to the height of the pile of work upon the tray, the manner of such operation andthe means for performing the same being more fully explainedhereinafter.

A clutch connection is provided. upon the shaft 8 whereby the feeding mechanism is interrupted in its operation during the passage of each successive piece of work onto the feeding belt 10. This, automatic control mechanism comprises the loosely mount ed clutch member 23 which is adapted to be engaged by the splined companion clutch member 24; which f is automatically thrown into engagement with the clutch member'23 by means of a spring. he clutch member 24- may however be disengaged from its con panion clutch member 28 by means of a solenoid 25. and the bell cank lever26 which operates the yoke clutch member 27, these parts being so arranged that upon energization of the solenoid the clutch member 24 is withdrawn from engagement with the clutch member 23 and is maintained in such disengaged position until de-energization of the 'solenold 25, whereupon the clutch member 24 is returned toengaged or closed position under the influence of the spring justreferred to. The solenoid 25, as shown by electrical diagram 12, is included in an electric circuit with contacts 28, the circuit through these contacts being closed by means of the circuit-closing contact which is rockably mounted at the point 30 and is adapted to be operated by engagement of the fiat work with the arm 31 which carries the contact member 29. That is, passage of the work over the 31 will depress the same so as to cause engagement the contact member 29 with the companion contacts 28 so as to'close the circuit and maintain the same in closed position until the piece of work has completely passed this point. This operation is made possible by the; co-action of the roller 32 which are carried upon the shaft 38 andnre adapted to engage the work upon the main roller and hence upon the arm 31. The shaft 33 is suitably mounted in the frame of the machine structure.

The clutch member 23 which is freely mounted in the bracket 23" is provided'on its outer face with a roller 34: which is adapted for engagement in an open slot 35 formed in the rock arm36 depending from the rock shaft Thus it will be seen that rotation of the clutch member 23 will cause rocking movement of the rock arm'36 and hence of the shaft 38. Also fixedly mounted upon the rock shaft ilthere are provided.

as indicated at Fig. 1. The upper ends of the rock arms 37 have pivotal connection with the links 38 which are connected at their other ends to the carriages 39 slidably mounted for movement along the parallel, transversely disposed rods 10. These rods have their ends mounted in the'brackets 41 and 42 on the'frame structure. The carriages 39 support the depending foot portions 43 which are provided at their lower ends with the earning cloth er for the purpose of engaging and picking up the topmost piece of work for movement into position between tne rollers for introduction into the ironing machine. Each of the de pending foot portions 43 is'inounted upon the carriage bracket 39 by means of the upwardly extending rod 4-5 which has slidable engagement up and down through the bracket39. This same foot portion 4-3 15 provided also with a roller dowhich 1S adapted for opening of the substantially V-shaped slot 49 provided in the bracket 50, which bracket is suitably supported in the frame structure of .themachine. As soon as the roller -16 enters the open end of the slot 49, it is free to descend therein by gravity and as the rocking movement of the shaft 33 continues, the roller e26 will follow the substantially if-shaped path of the slot 49 to the bottom thereof and will pass up and out of the slot, engaging the underside of the latch 48 and raising the same so as to return to the position indicated in Fig. 8. As soon as the roller 46 has passed the latch 48, the latch returns to its closed or horizontal position under the influence of spring 51 which is connected at one end to the latch while its other end is anchored to the bracket 50. Thus the latch 48 is so constructed and arranged as to permit the roller to pass thereover as part of the track and at the same time permits also the exit-of the roller e6 from the slot so as to return to its former initial position.

The path of movement described by the roller 46 during its travel along the slot d9 corresponds to the movement which is necessary for the carding cloth 4.4 to be lowered into engagement with the top-most piece of work and to then be advanced to the left, as Viewed in Fig. 2, andraised suhiciently for'introduction between the roller 82 and the apron 10 for introduction to the ironing machine. According to the present illustration, there are provided three such carriers and foot portions with the corresponding; number of rollers and V-shaped tracks, although it'is of course understood that this number may be varied.

Fixedly mounted also upon the shaft 83 there is providedanother rock'arm 52 which carries at its upper end a pin 53 for engagement in the slot 54lof the link 55. This link 55, which is of the form illustrated in Fig. 2, has its other end pivotally connected to the rock arm 56 which is loosely mounted upon the shaft 22. To the lower end portion of the rock arm 56 there is fixed the clutch member 57 which is adapted; for clutching engagement with the companion clutch member 58 splined upon the shaft 22. A spring 59 is provided between the other face ofthe clutch member 58 and the frame structure so as to tend to maintain these clutch members in clutching engagement. There is provided alsoon the clutch member 57 a detent 60 in the form of a tooth which is adapted for engagement by the end portion 61 of the rock arm 62 which is carried on the rock shaft 63 suitably mounted in the bracket structure 64. Also mounted upon, the rock shaft 63 and extending from the opposite side thereof is the arm 65 which is provided with a pin 66 for engagement in the slot .67 at the upper end of the vertically extending rod 68.. This rod is adapted for vertical sliding movementinthe bracket 69 and carriesthe roller 70 at the lower end thereof. The collar 71 is slidably. mounted upon the rod'68 and has swivel connection with'the one end of the bell crank lever .72, this lever being mounted at the point 78 in the" depending supporting bracket of the frame structure and having its other end pivotally connected to the connecting rod 74. This connecting rod is connected at its other end to the rock arm37 for operation thereby. The collar 75 is fixed upon the rod 68 anda. spring 76 surrounding the rod 68 is arranged between the collar 75 and the bracket 69. In the position shown in Fig. 2, the spring 76 is compressed more or less between the bracket 69 and the collar 75 which is forced upwardly by the slidable collar '71.

Operation of the feed roll 6 will cause operation of the shaft 8 which in turn will cause rocking movement of the rock'arm 36 by virture of the pin and slot engagement already described. Thus the shaft 33 is given a rocking movement and likewise the upwardly extending rock arms 37 and 52. The rocking movement of the arm. 37 through the link connection 38, in each case, will cause movement of the carriage 39 along its tracks and will by means of the mechanism already described, including the roller 46 and the slot l9, efi'ect the engagement of the carding cloth 4 with the top-most pieceof work and raise the same from the pile and move it to the left for introduction into the ironing machine between the roller 82 and the web 10. At the same time the movement of the rock arm 37 to the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, will permit downward movement of roller 70 by releasing the same to the action of gravity and also of the spring 7 6 which has been held under certain compression by engagement of collar 7 to irevent rod 68 from stickin The en 'a et) O U ment of collar 71 with the roller mounting will also ensure the rod 68 against sticking. The roller will descend to a distance according to the height of the pile of work, or in other words, according to the degree to which the work has been removed from the top of the pile. In case the Work has been removed to a depth which requires raising of the table so as to raise the topmost piece of workfor proper engagement by the carding cloth feet 44, then such lowering movement of the roller 70 and the rod 68 will cause the upper end of the slot 67-to engage the pin 66 so as to rock the arm 62 on the shaft 63 andrelease engagement of the end portion 61 with the detent 60. As

soon as such detent engagement is released. the member 57 is placed under the influence of spring 77 which has its'upperend connected to a bracket arm 78 extending from such clutch member while its lower end is anchored in the frame of the machine structure, as more clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. This action of the spring 77 will also cause movement of the rocl: arm 56 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 2, with the result that the connecting link 55 is moved down to the left, as viewed in the same figure, so as to bring the upper end of the slot 54: into action of the teeth carried thereby will cause longitudinal movement of the. clutch member 58 along the shaft 22, upon which it is splined for such movement, and will. compress the spring 59.

This operation, however, will continue only to the extent of one tooth of the clutch members and when the clutch member 57 has been moved to this extent it will again be brought into engagement with its companion clutch mem ber because of the action of the spring 59 which will force the clutch member 58 into engagement. That is to say, there is effected a slipping action between the clutch members to the extent of one tooth. During such action, the detent 60 has of course been moved to the left, as viewed in Fig. 2, and the parts are now in such position that upon the rocking movement of the shaft 38 and hence of the rock arm 52 to the right,

as viewed in Fig. 2, the connecting lever arm 55 and the rock arm 56 controlled thereby will be moved to the right so 'as to return the parts to their formal initial position; and such operation will cause rotation of shaft 22 to an extent corresponding to that of the distance between two successive clutch teeth of the clutch members 57 and 58. When the parts are thus moved to their former position, the detent 60 is moved to the right under and past the end portion 61 so as to be again engaged and held thereby. Such rotation of the shaft 22 is transmitted by means of worms 21 to the gears 20 on the shaft 19 so as to rotate the sprockets 17 and in this way raise the work table so as to restore proper elevation of.

the work with respect to the carding cloth feet 44-. 7

As a means of aidin the cardin cloth g e feet Min picking up the pieces of work from the top of the pile, I have. provided the air nozzles 79 which are so arranged as to force a blast of air in under the topmost piece of work so as to raise and maintain the same away from the rest of the work supply pipe line for the air to the nozzles 79, is controlled by means of the solenoid83 above explained. In other words, the valve 82 is opened and is maintained in open positionso as to permlt the blast of air to be effectiveupon the top-1nost piece of the work during the movement of the same by the carding cloth foot 44:, while at the same tune the solenoid 25 is also energized for the purpose of maintaining the main clutch open, during the movement of the piece .of work into the ironing machine. In case it may be desired to entirely out out this automatic operation of the valve 82, this may be accomplished by means of a hand switch 84 which is arranged in circuit with the solenoid 83, as shown by the sketch in Fig. 12.

In case the articles of work which are being fed mto the ironing machlne are of comparatively small dimensions, as for in-.

stance, towels and the like, several separate piles may be arranged on the table or tray and a correspondingnumber of feeding de vices may be provided for simultaneously feeding the topmost piece of work from each of the several piles into the ironing machine. In such cases a' corresponding number of sets of air nozzles may be pro.- vided, as indicated in a general way in Fig. 1 of the drawing by reference numeral 85. As before explained, these nozzles may be adjusted to the proper height according to the condition of the'work and also according to whether or not they are to be employed. may beemployed in connection with these pairs of nozzles as in connection with the other nozzles 79 already described. Likewise, the number of sets of contacts28 and 29 is also increased according to the number of piles of work, a set of contacts being provided for each feeding. device and all of them being arranged in series as shown in Fig. 12, so as to ensure passage of all the articles of a given set or series into the machine before feeding means is again set into operation to start the next set.

In the case of feeding sheets into the fiat work ironer, it has been found desirable to fold the same in the manner indicated in Fig. 13 so as to have the edges facing'toward the point of entrance into the machine. The carding cloth foot portions 44% will then pick up and move. the upper half of the sheet onto the feeding belt and the remaining portion of the sheet will followwith a sort of rolling action. :Inthis way, articles he same automatic control means of considerable size may be arranged upon a table of comparatively reduced dimensions and at the same time may be fed into the machine without any loss of efliciency.

When the work table has been raised to its upper-most limit during the automatic raising movement for maintaining proper level of the work, and it is desired to lower the table so as .to replace the empty table or tray with a filled tray of work, I have provided a means, as shown in detail in Fig. 5, whereby the clutch member 58 may be manually disengaged from the companion clutch member 57 and the shaft 22 then rotated so as to transmit such movement to the sprockets 17 and the chains 16. The clutch member 58 is adapted to be moved to the right, as viewed in Fig. 5, by means of yoke arm 86 which engages the same and which is pivotally mounted at the point 87 for operation by means of the lever arm 88 connected thereto. This yoke arm 86 may be moved to the right, as viewed in Fig. 5, against the spring 59 so that upon release of the clutch disengaging means, as just now referred to, the clutch member 58 will automatically return to clutching engagement under the influence of the spring 59. As a means of maintaining the lever arm 88 in position corresponding to unclutching condition, I have provided a recess 89 in the frame of the machine for engagement by the pin 90 on the latch arm 91 which in turn is pivotally mounted at the point 92 upon the lever arm 88. The pin 90 extends through the lever arm 88 and is adapted to engage in the recess 89 so as to maintain the same in the unclutched position to which it has been moved. With the clutch members disengaged by means of the structure just now referred to, the shaft 22 can then be rotated by meansmf the crank 98 which is fixed upon the outer end of shaft 22. Then when the frame has been lowered to the desired position, the pin 90 is released from the recess 89 by means of handle 91, whereupon the clutch member 58 will be returned to clutching engagement by means of spring 59. The latch member 91 may be provided with a spring under the handle end thereof, so as to normally tend to force the pin 90 through the lever arm 88. This detail of mechanism will be readily understood without further description.

While carding cloth is shown as the material or means for picking up and removmg the uppermost article of work from the pile, it will be understood that other materials, such as tweezers, or other means, such as suction, might be employed. However, it has been found that carding cloth is the most satisfactory as it enables the top article to be more easily picked up and reilpgved without disturbing the articles there- \Vhat I claim is: 1. In a machine of the class described adaptedto handle limp fabric articles, means for supporting apile of said articles, feeding means, pick-up means including a carding cloth member arranged for movement in a fixed path and adapted to pick the top article from said pile and deliver the same to said feeding means, automatic means for elevating said pile-supporting means, and control means for said pick-up means and said elevating means and associated with said feeding means and arranged to interrupt the operations of said pick-up and of said elevating means during manipulation of an article by said feeding means, and to cause said operations to be resumed after said article has cleared said feeding means.

2. In a machine of the class described adapted to handle limp fabric articles, means for supporting a pile of said articles, feeding means, pick-up means arranged for movement in a fixed path and adapted to pick the top article from said pile and deliver the same to said feeding means, automatic means for elevating said pile-supporting means, and control means for said pick-up means and said elevating means and associated with said feeding means and arranged to interrupt the operations of said pick-up and of said elevating means during manipulation of an article, by said feeding means, and to cause said operations to beresumed after said article has cleared said feeding means.

3. In a machine of the class described, means for supporting a fabric article, feeding means, carding cloth means, and actuating means for said carding cloth means arranged to move the same to engage said article and pickup the same, deliver the article to said feeding means, and release the articles.

4. In a machine of the class described, means for supporting a fabric article, feeding means, carding cloth means, and actuating means for said carding cloth means arranged to move the same to engage said article, pick up the same, and deliver the article to said feeding means, said feeding means being adapted to move the article to release the same from said carding cloth.

In testimony whereof I hereby afiix my signature.

ALBERT MATTHEWS.

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