JPH0733202B2 - Method and apparatus for automatically folding laminated towels and other cloth products - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] Industrial field of use The present invention mechanically separates laminated cloth products such as towels from one another and folds them into a predetermined shape. The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatically folding cloth products such as towels.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, cloth products such as towels have been widely used as gifts such as crude goods.In such a case, the product is normally folded 1/4 in the longitudinal direction and then folded 1/3 in the width direction. In such a state, the paper is wrapped and wrapped in a plastic bag, but since this folding work is usually done manually by hand, it is very inefficient and unsanitary. Had the drawback that they were not uniform.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention The present invention mechanically separates each product without damaging it, and finally folds the product so as not to cause wrinkles in the process of folding it into a predetermined shape. The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatically folding cloth products such as towels that are laminated so that they can be brought into a uniform state.

[Structure of Invention]

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention has been made in view of the above drawbacks, and a plurality of rollers arranged at predetermined intervals in series should contact one end on the longitudinal side with respect to the uppermost product laminated on the hopper. Move the product until one end of the long side of the product is placed on the base end of a plurality of belt conveyors that are lined up at a predetermined interval with a brush, and lower the hopper to compress it into the gap between the top product and the next product. The air is sent out, then the holding plate located above the base end of the belt conveyor and located between the roller brushes is lowered, and while holding the product by the holding plate and the belt conveyor, the product is shorted by the belt conveyor. Direction and move to a predetermined position, then raise the 1/2 folding plate to a predetermined position by the lower part between the belt conveyors, which is the center in the longitudinal direction of the product, and then 1/2 fold the product. In a product that is suspended by folding the 1/2 clamp device located above the folding part, holding it by the 1/2 clamp device and folding it in half to raise it to a predetermined position While pressing the 1/4 pressure plate in the central part of the hanging direction, sandwich it at the base end of the 1/4 holding conveyor located in the front of the pressing direction and further fold it in two, and then such a product on the 1/4 holding conveyor. Move to the 1/12 folding section, and at this position, fix the center part of the product in the transverse direction into three equal parts on the mounting plate with a belt and fix both side parts of the suspended product to the left and right. It is possible to further fold it into three by a folding plate, fold it to 1/12, and then hold the product folded in 1/12 by a unloading device and convey it to a conveyor for stacking towels and other cloth products. Providing automatic folding method and device It is intended to eliminate St. drawbacks.

Action In the present invention, the brush is brought into contact with the uppermost product on the hopper, and the product is separated one by one by moving the end until it is placed on the belt conveyor.

Next, a gap is provided between the top product and the next product, compressed air is sent out to this gap, and it is held by a holding plate and a belt conveyor and moved to a predetermined position without wrinkles by the belt conveyor. .

Next, raise the 1/2 folding plate from below the center of the product to
Hold the folding part with a 1/2 clamp device to fold it in half and raise it to a predetermined position without wrinkles.

Next, press the 1/4 pressure plate to the center of the product, sandwich it between the 1/4 holding belts, move to the 1/12 folding part, and hang down both sides of the product in approximately 3 equal parts in the lateral direction. Then, the left and right folding plates are used to further fold it into three and fold it to 1/12, and the end of the product is pinched and conveyed onto the conveyor.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 is a hopper on which cloth products W, Wa, etc., such as towels, are placed in a stacked state, and the hopper 1 is mounted on a base 2. The rack 4 and the like are screwed onto an appropriate mechanism such as the gear motor 3 that is mounted, the upper end of the rack 4 is fixed to the pedestal 5, and the guide shafts 6 and 6 a are supported so that the gear motor 3 can move up and down. I'm giving it.

It should be noted that each time one product W is processed, the gear motor 3 is controlled so as to lower it to a predetermined position so as to provide a gap between the uppermost product W and the next product Wa, and further, the reference position A
It is designed so that it can be raised and held.

Further, reference numerals 7 and 7a are guide rods, and the guide rods 7 and 7a are erected on the lower frame 8 so as to support the displacement of both longitudinal end portions of the product W in the laminated state.

Reference numeral 9 denotes a transfer device connected to the longitudinal side of the hopper 1, and the transfer device 9 has a plurality of belt conveyors 11, 11a ... Which are circularly driven in the lateral direction of the product W on a base 10.

12, 12a are guide rollers, and the guide rollers 12, 12a
Are located in the upper middle position of the belt conveyors 11, 11a ... And are rotatably arranged side by side at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction.

13 is a 1/2 folding plate, the 1/2 folding plate 13 is located in the middle of the belt conveyors 11a, 11b, and the belt conveyors 11a, 1 from below by an appropriate lifting device (not shown).
1b is passed between the guide rollers 12 and 12a and is raised to an appropriate upper position of the guide rollers 12 and 12a, and when the processing of the product W is completed, the return control is performed to the lower origin position.

14, 14a ... are roller brushes, and the roller brush 1
4, 14a ... are brushes 1 on the outer circumference of cylindrical rollers 15, 15a.
6a, 16a, etc. are fixed, and a plurality of shafts 17 are fixed in series at predetermined intervals, and the shafts 17 are positioned above one end of the stacked products W on the hopper 1 on the longitudinal side and transverse to the longitudinal direction. The belt conveyor is placed on top of the product W by a proper advancing / retracting device 18 and is brought into contact with the uppermost product W and locked by the brushes 16 and 16a of the roller brushes 14 and 14a. 11 and 11a are moved to the base end portions and rotated 90 degrees clockwise at such a position to further transfer the product W in the horizontal direction (in this embodiment, approximately 50 mm).
After that, it is lifted and then rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise to move horizontally and the return control to the origin is performed.

Reference numeral 19 denotes a 1/2 clamp device disposed at a position facing upward of the 1/2 folding reference B, and the 1/2 clamp device 19 is a drive unit 21 such as a cylinder which can be installed on the frame 20 on the base 10 in a tilted manner. At the tip of the rod 22 of the product W, the half-folded portion C of the product W is attached with the clamps 23 and 23a which are narrowly released in the lateral direction. There is.

Reference numeral 25 is a pressing plate device which is arranged at a position opposite to the upper end of the belt conveyors 11 and 11 ... Base end parts. The pressing plate device 25 is formed in a L-shaped cross section below a supporting rod 26 which is horizontally laid. The presser plates 27, 27a ... to the respective belt conveyors 11, 1
1a ... It is fixed at a position where it opposes the top, and both ends of the support rod 26 are supported by appropriate pressing devices 28, 28a.
It is controlled to move up and down freely.

In addition, 29 is a tension spring, and both ends of the support rod 26 are pressed by the pressing devices 28 and 28a so that the pressing plates 27, 27a ... Stand by at the upper position.

30 is a compressed air delivery unit, and the compressed air delivery unit 30 is a base
10 A large number of air blowers 32, 32a ... Are bored in a blower pipe 31 which is horizontally placed on the upper end portion, and compressed air sent by a compressed air sending device (not shown) is blown from the air blow holes 32, 32a. Sending out and pressing plates 27, 27a ... and belt conveyors 11, 11a ...
The product W is clamped and hung so that the product W having a bad posture is straightened to control the posture.

33 is a 1/4 pressing device, the 1/4 pressing device 33 is a frame 20
A shaft 34 is rotatably supported on one side wall of the product W, and the intermediate portion (1) of the product W folded in half is lifted up to a predetermined position by the 1/2 clamp device 19 via the support rod 35 at the tip of the shaft 34 (1 Fix the 1/4 pressure plate 36 that presses on the / 4 folding point D).

In addition, the 1/4 pressing plate 36 is configured to move forward and backward along a predetermined track so as to be pinched by a base end portion 38 of a 1/4 holding conveyor 37 which will be described later while pressing the 1/4 folding portion D of the product W. I'm giving it.

The 1/4 holding conveyor 37 is circulated and driven in a direction orthogonal to the transfer direction of the belt conveyors 11, 11a ... And is placed above the belt conveyors 11b, 11c, and the base end portion 38 is 1 /
2 Place it on the right side of folding standard B, and base part 3
8 A roller 39, which is freely rotatable, is attached to the upper side so that a slight space is provided.

40 is a 1/12 folding part, and the 1/12 folding part 40 is 1/4
The holding conveyor 37 is arranged horizontally in front of the end of the holding conveyor 37 in the carrying direction and appropriately below.

Further, the 1/12 folding section 40 has a notch section 41 at the front side in the transport direction.
And a placing plate 42 formed to have a size of about 1/12 of the product W, and above the placing plate 42, belts 43, 43a which are circulatively movable in the carrying direction. The transfer device 45, which is stretched over the rollers 44, 44a, is arranged, and the left and right folding plates 46 and 47, which are vertically displaced by the thickness of the product W, are provided at the left and right positions of the placing plate 42 such as cylinders. It is formed so that it can be moved forward and backward freely through guides 50, 50a and 51, 51a by being connected to appropriate drive units 48, 49.

Incidentally, 52 and 52a are adjusting rollers for adjusting the tension of the belts 43 and 43a.

Reference numeral 53 denotes a carry-out device for placing the product W folded in 1/12 on a carry conveyor 54, which will be described later in the next step, and the carry-out device 53 is a mounting plate located in front of the 1/4 holding conveyor 37 in the carry direction. It is arranged in front of 42, and the driving part 56 such as a cylinder is tilted from the short piece of the stay 55 formed in a substantially L shape, and the movable clamp 58 is attached to the tip of the rod 57, and the length of the stay 55 is increased. The product W is sandwiched and formed by a fixed clamp 59 which is fixed to the lower part of the piece, and the product W is formed so as to be movable back and forth through a guide 61 by a drive unit 60 such as a cylinder.

It should be noted that a position where the fixed clamp 59 and the movable clamp 58 of the carry-out device 53 can clamp the carrying-out device 53 is arranged at substantially the same height as the mounting plate 42.

Further, the transfer conveyor 54 is a transfer conveyor that can carry out the product W folded in 1/12 to the next step.
It is connected to the front of the 1/12 folding section 40 and appropriately downward.

Next, the automatic folding method for laminated cloth products such as towels according to the present invention will be described. In the state where the products W, Wa ... On the hopper 1 are laminated, the uppermost product W operates the gear motor 3 of the hopper 1. Is adjusted to the height of the reference position A, and the roller brushes 14, 14a ... Standing upward at this position are lowered until they come in contact with one end of the long side of the product W, and the belt conveyor 11 , 11a… Transfer until they are placed on the upper end, and roller brushes 14, 14a… rotate 90 degrees clockwise and move further about 50 mm onto the belt conveyors 11, 11a…, and place them on the hopper. 1 is appropriately lowered to provide a space between the product W and the next product Wa, and compressed air is sent out at such a space as shown in FIG. 4, and the presser is kept standing by in that state. The plates 27, 27a ... descend and the presser plates 27, 27 a ... and belt conveyor 11, 11a ...
The belt conveyors 11 and 11a are operated while holding them to shift the product W having no wrinkles to a predetermined position.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the 1/2 folding plate 13 standing by below the product W is the belt conveyor 11a.
11b and between the guide rollers 12, 12a are raised to a predetermined position and the 1/2 folding point C is kept waiting upward. The clamps 23, 23a of the 1/2 clamp device 19 are lowered and held. After squeezing, raise to the specified position.

Subsequently, while sandwiching the 1/4 folding point D at the center in the hanging direction of the product W which is folded in two and suspended by the 1/4 pressing plate 36, it is sandwiched by the base end 38 of the 1/4 holding conveyor 37. , 1/4 holding conveyor 37, 1/12 folding section 40
Move to.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7, the product W is moved to the 1/12 folding section 40, and the product W is placed on the placing plate 42 by the belts 43 and 43a so that the central portion of the product W is divided into three equal parts in the width direction. After that, the both sides of the suspended product W are further folded into three by the left and right folding plates 46 and 47 to be folded to 1/12.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 8, the driving portion 56 of the carry-out device 53 is operated to clamp the end portion by the fixed clamp 59 and the movable clamp 58 so as to move the end portion onto the conveyor 54.

〔The invention's effect〕

In short, the present invention is a roller brush that abuts on one end on the longitudinal side of the uppermost product W stacked on the hopper 1.
14 and 14a are moved until the end portions are placed on the belt conveyors 11 and 11a, and the hopper 1 is lowered to send compressed air to the gap between the uppermost product W and the next product Wa. , The cloth product which is difficult to be mechanically separated to one sheet due to the property of the product W can be easily separated to one sheet by the locking action of the roller brushes 14, 14a. By sending compressed air from the holes 32, 32a, it can be kept in a stretched state without wrinkles, etc. Also, the product can be held by the belt conveyors 11 and 11a while holding it by the holding plates 27, 27a and the belt conveyors 11 and 11a. Transfer it in the lateral direction of W and move it to a predetermined position, raise the 1/2 folding plate 13 from the lower part of the center of the product W at such a position to a predetermined position, and move the 1/2 folding point C of the product W at such a position. Hold by 1/2 clamp device 19 Since it can be folded in half and raised to the prescribed position, 1/2 folding plate 13
The 1/2 folding point C that is lifted up by the above serves as a reference for the folding position, and since the product W folded in 1/2 is hung down, wrinkles do not occur even in the 1/2 folding process, so the product The finish of W can be made uniform, and subsequently, while being pressed by the 1/4 pressing plate 36 in the central portion of the product W, the product W is sandwiched by the 1/4 holding conveyor 37, and the 1/4 holding conveyor 37 is used for 1/1.
2 Move to the folding 40, and at such a position, the center portion of the product W in the width direction is divided into approximately three equal parts by the belts 43 and 43a.
Place it on the top and hang it down in the width direction by folding the left and right folding plates 46 and 47 into three more folds and fold it to 1/12, and then carry it out with the unloading device 53 holding the end. Since it was transported onto the conveyor 54, 1 /
Even when wrinkles or the like are generated on both sides of the product W folded on 4 on the placing plate 42 by being placed on the placing plate 42, the product W is naturally left in the middle of the folding process of 1/12. By removing wrinkles etc., a uniform product W without wrinkles etc. can be mechanically folded in sequence from the first folding step to the final step, and at the same time folding is completed, it can be transferred to the next step. Therefore, the folding operation of a cloth product such as a towel, which is conventionally performed manually, can be performed mechanically and automatically evenly, and its practical effect is very great.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a front view of an automatic folding apparatus for laminated towels and other cloth products according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partially omitted plan view of the same, and FIG. The figure shows the operating state of the roller brush, Fig. 4 shows the operating state with compressed air, Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the mechanism for folding the product into 1/4, and Fig. 6 shows the product in 1 / FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the operating state of the folding mechanism in FIG. 4, FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the operating state of the 1/12 folding section, FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the operating state of the clamp device, and FIG. 9 is the product folding. It is a perspective view showing an order. 1 hopper, 11, 11a ... Belt conveyor 131/2 folding plate, 14, 14a ... Roller brush 23, 23a Clamp, 361/4 pressing plate 371/4 Holding conveyor, 401/12 Folding part 42 mounting plate, 43, 43a Belt, 46 folding board 47 folding board, 53 unloading device, 54 conveyor

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location B65H 45/14 9245-3F

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An uppermost product W laminated on a hopper 1.
On the other hand, a plurality of belt brushes 11, 11a are provided side by side at predetermined intervals by a plurality of roller brushes 14, 14a ...
It moves until one end of the product W on the longitudinal side is placed on the base end of ..., and the hopper 1 is lowered to deliver compressed air to the gap between the uppermost product W and the next product Wa, and then The holding plates 27, 27a, which are located above the base end portions of the belt conveyors 11, 11a ... And located between the roller brushes 14, 14a, are lowered, and the holding plates 27, 27a ... And the belt conveyors 11, 11a. While holding the product W by the belt conveyor 11, 11a ...
The product W is transferred in the short side direction to move to a predetermined position, and then the half folding plate 13 is raised to a predetermined position from below the belt conveyors 11a and 11b which is the center in the longitudinal direction of the product W. Next, the 1/2 clamp device 19 located above the 1/2 folding part C of the product W is lowered, and the part C is clamped by the 1/2 clamping device 19 to be folded in two and raised to a predetermined position. Subsequently, while pressing the 1/4 pressing plate 36 to the central portion in the hanging direction of the product W that has been folded in two and hung, the product W is sandwiched by the base end portion of the 1/4 holding conveyor 37 located forward of the pressing direction. The product W is further folded in two, and the product W is moved to the 1/12 folding part 40 by the 1/4 holding conveyor 37. At this position, the central part of the product W in the lateral direction is divided into three parts by the belts 43 and 43a. The product W is placed and fixed on the placing plate 42, and both side parts of the suspended product W are left and right The folding plates 46 and 47 of FIG. 3 are further folded into three and folded to 1/12, and subsequently the product W folded to 1/12 by the carry-out device 53 is held and conveyed onto the conveyer conveyor 54. A method for automatically folding cloth products such as towels. 2. A vertically movable hopper 1 for stacking and mounting products W is arranged, and one side of the hopper 1 is provided with a plurality of belt conveyors 11, 11a ... Which move the products W in a lateral direction at predetermined intervals. Along with the side-by-side connection, a transfer device 9 provided with a vertically foldable half-folding plate 13 is connected to a lower position between the belt conveyors 11a and 11b, which is the center of the product W in the longitudinal direction, and the belt conveyor of the transfer device 9 is connected. Pressing plates 27, 27a, which hold one end of the product W on the long side of the product W between the belt conveyors 11, 11a, are installed at positions opposite to the base end portions of 11, 11a. The roller brushes 14, 14a, which are in contact with one end of the long side of W and move the product W in the lateral direction, are arranged so as to be rotatable and ascendable / descendable along a predetermined track, and are also movable forward / backward. A half-folded portion of the product W at the position opposite to the plate 13 The to pinching 1
A 1/2 clamp plate 19 is arranged so that it can be moved up and down, and is clamped by the 1/2 clamp device 19 and folded in half to press the central portion of the product W in the hanging direction.
6 is arranged so that it can move back and forth along a predetermined track, and the 1/4 pressure plate 36
In the front of the pressing direction of, the base end portion of the 1/4 holding conveyor 37 for holding the 1/4 folding point D of the product W pressed by the 1/4 pressing plate 36 is arranged, and the 1/4 holding conveyor is arranged. 37
A 1/12 folding part 40 that receives a product W that is folded and folded in 1/4 is connected to the lower part of the front end in the conveying direction at the end part of the 1/12 folding part 40. A mounting plate 42 having a size such that an intermediate portion divided into approximately three parts in the direction is mounted,
Abutting on the intermediate part of the product W on 42 and
A fold plate for arranging belts 43, 43a that are circulatively movable in the carrying direction of the holding conveyor 37 and folding both sides of the product W hung by the placing plate 42 at the left and right positions of the placing plate 42. 46 and 47 are arranged so that they can move back and forth, and
Hold the product W folded to 1/12 and carry the conveyor 54
1/4 holding conveyor 53 that can be freely moved forward and backward placed on top of
7. An automatic folding device for cloth products such as towels, which is arranged in front of the placing plate 42 which is the front of the carrying direction of 7, and has a carrying conveyor 54 connected to a carrying-out device 53.