Machines for automatically feeding fabric products

Abstract

Machine for feeding fabric articles to an ironing and drying machine, said machine comprising a loading column (1) with a loading conveyor (2) for loading fabric articles (53), a pair of transfer grippers (6) at each loading column (1), two or more spreading grippers (7) moving along a transverse guide (8), an outfeed conveyor (9) for transferring said fabric articles (53), and a vacuum chamber (44) below said spreading grippers (7) and below the conveyor (9). The spreading grippers (7) are independent of each other to spread the fabric articles (53) relative to several different areas of the conveyor (9), operating in one or more channels. The suction port (45) of the vacuum chamber (44) has an associated movable separating blade (59) which temporarily prevents the insertion of the spread fabric article (53) into the vacuum chamber (44), and a controller coordinates the movement of the transfer clamp (6), the spreading clamp (7) and the separating blade (59).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to a machine for automatically feeding fabric articles, namely layered cloth articles such as quadrilateral sheets, to a subsequent fabric processing machine such as an ironing and drying machine. Background Art

[0002] EP3578702A1 (Purex) relates to a cloth spreading device capable of reducing the burden on operators and shortening operation time, the device comprising several cloth loading columns, each of which has a pair of feed clamps; a moving device for moving the pair of feed clamps between a feeding position and a conveying position of the cloth, wherein an operator manually places adjacent corners of the cloth into the feed clamps at the feeding position; and a cloth spreading clamp for directly or indirectly receiving the cloth from the pair of feed clamps and spreading the cloth in a direction separating adjacent corners from each other, wherein the moving device has a separate movement trajectory corresponding to each feed clamp, and the pair of feed clamps are configured to move independently of each other between the feeding position and the conveying position.

[0003] WO9603540A2 (Chicago Dryer) discloses a device for feeding fabric articles to an outfeed conveyor, comprising a conveying mechanism for clamping the leading edge portion of the fabric article between the leading corner portions of the fabric article and moving the article from a loading station to a pick-up station. A positioning device is provided for positioning the trailing edge portion of the article at the pick-up station to be combined with a moving mechanism, which clamps the trailing edge portion of the article and moves the article to a pick-up station equipped with a spreading clamp, the front end of the outfeed conveyor being located below the spreading clamp, and the conveying surface being movable in the feeding direction to transfer the fabric article to an ironing machine.

[0004] Unlike the device of EP3578702, the solution described in WO9603540A2 automatically positions the rear corner portion of the sheet for picking up by means of a moving mechanism, and the operator does not need to position the side or corner portions of the sheet when loading the fabric article (such as the sheet). In addition, the operator does not have to manually clamp the corner portion directly to a pair of clamps, or position and press a conventional button to start the processing of the sheet. Thus, a simple, compact loading and transfer device is provided, which increases the speed at which a single operator can load sheets for accurate placement on a feed conveyor.

[0005] EP1683908 (Société Jean Michel) describes a device for transferring clothes to a server clamp, in which two loaders are moved around a horizontal axis to a transfer position in a clothes tensioning area. The device also includes a suction device having a suction opening adjacent to the lower part of the receiving end of the conveyor belt to suck the flat clothes to the receiving end of the conveyor belt through a suction nozzle and to the longitudinal guide rollers located next to the lower edge of the suction opening. The longitudinal rollers are driven in rotation so as to cooperate with the suction device and quickly drag the hanging part of the clothes into the box of the device, from which the clothes are dragged by the conveyor belt, while the mobile brush moves in different directions close to the suction opening to remove any possible wrinkles on the clothes.

[0006] EP3301218A1 (Kannegiesser) describes a garment joining device and corner search based on similar technical principles to WO9603540.

[0007] During the feeding process performed by a feeder, such as the previously disclosed feeder, a protruding corner portion of the fabric article is usually formed on one side of the clamping jaws of the paving clamp. When the leading edge of the fabric article is stretched by the paving clamp, the protruding corner portion mainly generates a so-called ear-like structure. Once transferred to the outfeed conveyor, the ear-like structure has a negative impact on the quality of the fabric article.

[0008] In WO2018059730A1 (Kannegiesser), in order to avoid the problem of ear-like structures, a roller mechanism in a clamp including a positioning device as disclosed in WO9603540 is proposed to move the corner areas of the clothing in the clamp so that the fabric article is clamped by points close to the corners.

[0009] Patent application EP3663458A1 (Girbau Robotics) discloses an alternative mechanism in which the clamping means is a pair of clamping assemblies connected to transverse rails and arranged to clamp the corners of two adjacent corners of a fabric article delivered thereto, and a drive element operatively connected to move said clamping assemblies along said transverse rails and in opposite directions to spread said fabric article so as to place it on an outfeed conveyor. All referenced prior devices and apparatuses in which the operator does not have to manually arrange the corners into the loading post clamps have a clamping system which, once positioned, picks up the corners presented by the workstation and transfers the fabric article to a spreading gripper through the central part of the machine, wherein said fabric article is centered with respect to the outfeed conveyor, extended and smoothed by means of a known wrinkle-removing brush.

[0010] US20150071736 discloses a method for transferring a piece of cloth and a laundry device for performing the method, wherein a vacuum boom is divided into two or more parts, which are connected to each other by hinges and are carried and controlled by a mechanism configured therefor.

[0011] The present patent application proposes a machine with a plurality of loading columns, each of which includes a loading conveyor configured to transfer the leading edge portion of a fabric article between its leading edge corner portions to a rear conveying unit, the rear conveying unit including a positioning mechanism to position the rear edge corner portions of the fabric article according to the prior art (e.g. disclosed in WO9603540A2), but simplifying the process of transferring the fabric article to the spreading clamps and speeding up the transfer. To this end, each of the loading columns has a pair of transfer clamps associated with the respective rear conveying units, and thus the spreading clamps receive the clothes in front of each of the loading stations from the transfer clamps, which can then be expanded in the center or outer area relative to the outfeed conveyor, i.e., they can run in one or more channels.

[0012] Furthermore, to assist in the operation of the central o-side area, a suction port and guide rollers extend along the outfeed conveyor and have at least two movable elements that temporarily prevent the insertion of spread laundry hanging on the transfer clamp or the spreading clamp into the suction port. Summary of the invention

[0013] The present invention helps to overcome the above and other disadvantages by providing a feeder for feeding quadrilateral fabric articles such as bed sheets to a subsequent article processing machine, wherein the feeder comprises the following elements according to the prior art (such as disclosed in WO9603540):

[0014] a plurality of loading columns, each of said loading columns comprising a loading conveyor, said loading conveyor comprising a conveying surface movable in a feed direction (D), said conveying surface being configured to transfer a leading edge portion of a fabric article between its leading edge corner portions to a rear conveying unit of said loading conveyor, i.e., an operator need not introduce two corners of the fabric article into a feed fixture;

[0015] a positioning mechanism associated with a rear conveying unit of each loading column, the positioning mechanism being configured to automatically position a rear corner portion of the fabric article;

[0016] a pair of transfer grippers movable between a receiving position and a transfer position, wherein the receiving position is adjacent to the rear conveying unit and is used to engage with the rear corner portion of the fabric article positioned by the positioning mechanism, and the transfer position is spaced apart from the receiving position in the feed direction (D);

[0017] a picking station comprising at least two spreading grippers, said spreading grippers being movable along at least one transverse horizontal guide rail perpendicular to said feed direction (D) between a waiting position and a spreading position for receiving and gripping a rear corner portion of said fabric article, said waiting position being adjacent to said transfer position of said transfer grippers, said spreading grippers being further separated from each other in said spreading position relative to said waiting position;

[0018] an outfeed conveyor having a front end below the spreading gripper and a conveying surface movable in the feed direction (D) for transferring the fabric articles to the ironing and drying machine;

[0019] a vacuum chamber connected to a vacuum source located below the paving gripper and below the front end of the out-feed conveyor and having a suction opening leading to the vacuum chamber, the suction opening being arranged at a considerable distance from the front edge of the out-feed conveyor, and

[0020] A guide roller, parallel to the front end of the discharge conveyor, the guide roller is rotated by a motor in a load direction and arranged near the suction port;

[0021] According to the invention, the spreading clamps move independently of one another over the entire width of the transverse horizontal guides so that they can spread the fabric articles in several different areas relative to the outfeed conveyor where they are to be placed. In this way, the fabric articles can be centered to correspond to the central area of ​​the outfeed conveyor, or to one of its lateral areas, allowing operation in one or more channels. In another embodiment, the spreading clamps comprise three or more clamps that are independent of one another. Since each of the columns has its own transfer clamp, this enables the clamps to approach the different loading columns more quickly and to pick up the fabric articles from the different loading columns and lower them to the outfeed conveyor in a more efficient manner.

[0022] In order to achieve this, it has been planned that the suction inlet of the vacuum chamber extends along the discharge conveyor and has two or more movable separation blades associated therewith, which blades correspond to any one of the several different areas mentioned above, temporarily preventing the spread fabric articles (such as clothing) from being inserted into the suction inlet, wherein the unloading of the fabric articles can be carried out towards the conveying surface of the discharge conveyor.

[0023] The machine includes a controller for coordinating the movement of the transfer gripper, the paving gripper, and the movable separating blade.

[0024] Other aspects of the present invention relate to guide rollers arranged parallel to the front end of the discharge conveyor and proximate to the suction port of the vacuum chamber, the guide rollers extending along the entire width of the discharge conveyor and being rotated by a motor in a load direction, the uncovered upper surface of the guide rollers moving toward the suction port in this direction so that a portion of the fabric article suspended in the paving clamp is dragged toward the suction port when it contacts the upper surface of the guide rollers.

[0025] In one embodiment, each separating blade moves upward in a vertical direction to position itself between the fabric article and the guide roller to prevent the fabric article and the guide roller from contacting during a first step of transferring the fabric article to the outfeed conveyor, and when transferring the fabric article, each separating blade moves downward in a second step of the transfer so that the free end portion of the spread fabric article contacts the guide roller and enters the vacuum chamber. An actuator provides these up and down movements of the separating blades.

[0026] Corresponding to each of the separation blades, the vacuum chamber further includes a member driven by an actuator, the member temporarily reducing the suction force in the vacuum chamber to substantially block the vacuum chamber area.

[0027] The referenced controller provides synchronization between the movement of each separating blade and member to temporarily reduce the obstruction of suction in the vacuum chamber, and further provides coordination between the movement of different separating blades to operate separately or in conjunction according to the centering area of ​​the fabric article.

[0028] In one embodiment, the feed machine is also equipped with an auxiliary device placed overlapping the loading end of the outfeed conveyor, the auxiliary device comprising a top plate configured to be driven away from or closer to the surface of the outfeed conveyor to allow controlled passage of the flat garments extending on the outfeed conveyor, as known from EP2977505A1 of the same applicant, however, in this embodiment, the auxiliary device extends transversely to the loading direction of the fabric articles on the outfeed conveyor, and the auxiliary device is divided into two independent parts, each of which has its own drive device corresponding to the two movable separating blades.

[0029] In addition, the referenced controller also provides synchronization between the movement of each separating blade and independent parts of the auxiliary equipment to facilitate alternating operation in one or more channels and allow the fabric articles to be placed on one half or the other of the outfeed conveyor.

[0030] Furthermore, in order to avoid wrinkles in the sheet before it is transferred to the outfeed conveyor, an endless brush belt is provided which is unfolded on two sides and extends around a vertical outer pulley and a vertical inner pulley.

[0031] The transfer system of each loading station comprises a pair of transfer grippers, wherein the jaws of each transfer gripper are mounted on pivot arms rotatable about pivot axes, the pivot axes being parallel to each other and determining that the movement of the two pivot arms is coplanar, and the transfer grippers move in circular arc paths in opposite directions when moving between a receiving position under the corner clamping rollers holding the ends of the sheets and a transfer position. These circular arc paths determine that the clamped portions of the fabric articles are moved apart, i.e., the garments are extended laterally to a certain extent when being transferred.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, the pivot axis of the jaws of each transfer gripper is oriented in a vertical direction and the circular path of movement of the transfer gripper when moving between the receiving position and the transfer position is contained in a horizontal plane.

[0033] In one embodiment of the present invention, the transfer system further comprises:

[0034] a loading conveyor, comprising a conveying surface movable in a feeding direction, a front receiving unit and a rear conveying unit;

[0035] a pair of guide channels located on either side of the rear conveying unit of the loading conveyor, the guide channels having respective rear conveying ends;

[0036] two pairs of corner clamping rollers, the two pairs of corner clamping rollers are located near the rear conveying end of the guide channel; and

[0037] A pair of transfer grippers are movable between a receiving position proximate to the corner gripping rollers and a transfer position spaced apart from the receiving position in the feed direction, the jaws of the transfer grippers being movable between open and closed positions.

[0038] The machine further comprises two corner detection sensors, each sensor being arranged to detect the presence of a rear corner of the fabric article in the space adjacent to the nip roller.

[0039] According to the invention, the out-feed conveyor has an out-feed conveyor width greater than the loading conveyor width of each loading column, and the guide rail length of the transverse horizontal guide rail is equal to or greater than the out-feed conveyor width.

[0040] More details of the present invention will be disclosed hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] The above features and advantages will be better understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0042] Figure 1 is a top view of a feeder for feeding quadrilateral sheets according to an embodiment of the present invention, the feeder comprising three loading columns.

[0043] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a loading conveyor and corner gripping rollers, which are Figure 1 Each loading column of the feeder.

[0044] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Side view of the loading conveyor and corner grip rollers and their associated elements.

[0045] Figure 3A yes Figure 3 A detail of the transfer gripper, showing the lateral guides of the paving gripper and the shields for each loading column.

[0046] Figure 4A and 4B Schematic side view of a corner clamp and its drive in the clamped position and in the released position, respectively.

[0047] Figure 5 is a front view of one of the loading posts with the upper shroud removed.

[0048] Fig. 6A and 6B is a partial side view of the front receiving unit of the loading conveyor in its two different inclined positions.

[0049] Figure 7 is a simplified top view of one of the loading columns having a transfer gripper mating with a paving gripper.

[0050] Figure 8 is a partial perspective view of a transfer clamp and a spreading clamp, wherein the transfer clamp in a receiving position has clamped a corner of a fabric article.

[0051] Fig. 9 is a partial perspective view of a transfer clamp and a spreading clamp, wherein the transfer clamp is in a transfer position delivering a fabric article to the spreading clamp.

[0052] Fig.10 is a top view of an embodiment of a feeder having three loading columns, including three independent paving grippers, and showing a portion of an outfeed conveyor, each having a corresponding transfer gripper.

[0053] Figures 11A to 11Care cross-sectional views of a feeder at three different moments in the processing of a fabric article, once spread out, to be transferred to an outfeed conveyor, involving the operation of a separating blade, a vacuum chamber and a member temporarily blocking said vacuum chamber.

[0054] Fig. 12A It is a side elevation view of the auxiliary equipment arranged overlapping with the discharge conveyor.

[0055] Fig. 12B It is a top view of the auxiliary equipment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] First, about Figure 1 Reference symbol 100 generally denotes a feeder for feeding a quadrilateral fabric product 53 such as a bed sheet to a subsequent fabric processing machine such as an ironing and drying machine (the discharge conveyor 9 of the subsequent fabric processing machine is as shown in FIG. Figure 1 , 7 , 11a to 11c). In the illustrated embodiment, for example, the feeder 100 comprises three loading posts 1 for loading, and an operator manually introduces a quadrilateral sheet in a front receiving area of ​​each loading post, and the operator grasps the leading edge portion of the sheet between the leading corner portions of the sheet.

[0057] Figure 2 and 3 A diagrammatic perspective view and a side view, respectively, of a loading conveyor 2 consisting of two parts, a front receiving unit 2a and a rear conveying unit 2b, are shown.

[0058] The front receiving unit 2a includes a lower receiving endless belt 12 extending around a horizontal lower receiving front pulley 16 and a horizontal lower receiving rear pulley 17, and an upper receiving endless belt 13 extending around a horizontal upper receiving front pulley 18 and a horizontal upper receiving rear pulley 19. The leading edge of the sheet is clamped between the lower receiving endless belt 12 and the upper receiving endless belt 13 for conveyance.

[0059] The rear conveying unit 2b includes two lower conveying belts 14, which extend around respective horizontal lower conveying front pulleys 20 and respective horizontal lower conveying rear pulleys 21, and two upper conveying belts, which extend around respective horizontal upper conveying front pulleys 22 and respective horizontal upper conveying rear pulleys 23, and the height of the lower conveying rear pulley 21 is higher than the lower conveying front pulley 20 and the upper conveying front pulley 22.

[0060] Each lower conveyor endless belt 14 is paired with one of the upper conveyor endless belts 15 and both have respective trailing portions which continue to grip the leading edge of the sheet and which face each other and move in the feed direction D.

[0061] A pair of lower and upper conveying belts 14, 15 are located on both sides of a pair of lower and upper receiving belts 12, 13; and the lower conveying front pulley 20 is coaxial with the lower receiving rear pulley 17, and the upper conveying front pulley 22 is coaxial with the upper receiving rear pulley 19.

[0062] The lower receiving rear pulley 17 and the lower conveying front pulley 20 are rigidly connected to the lower front axle 27, and the lower conveying rear pulley 21 is rigidly connected to the lower rear axle 28. The horizontal upper receiving rear pulley 19 and the upper conveying front pulley 22 are rigidly connected to the upper front axle 29.

[0063] The upper conveyor rear pulley 23 is rigidly connected to the upper rear axle 30 .

[0064] Figure 3 Also shown are two pairs of corner clamping rollers 4, 5. When the movable corner clamping rollers 5 are in the clamping position, the two pairs of corner clamping rollers 4, 5 have respective parallel axes which are located in the same horizontal plane.

[0065] Figure 3A yes Figure 3 Partial detail of the upper area, with the addition of the transfer grippers 6 and paving grippers 7 of the pick-up station slidably mounted on transverse rails 8. The figure also shows a hood 70 covering the rear conveyor unit 2b, which can be raised or lowered using a piston 72, for example.

[0066] In this Figure 3A Also shown in the figure are two corner detection sensors 43 , each of which is arranged to detect whether there is a rear corner of the sheet in the space near the clamping roller 4 .

[0067] Figure 4A and 4B A movable corner clamping roller 5 is shown parallel to the fixed corner clamping roller 4 and rotatably mounted on a roller shaft 32, which is fixed to a pivot arm 33 on a pivot 34. The fixed corner clamping roller 4 is located near one of the lower conveying rear pulleys 21 of the rear conveyor unit 2b and is rotatably mounted on the lower rear shaft 28.

[0068] Figure 4A and 4B Also shown is a separate clamp roller motor 35 operatively connected to rotate the fixed and movable corner clamp rollers 4, 5 in each pair of corner clamp rollers 4, 5 in opposite directions; and an arm actuator 36 operatively connected to rotate the fixed and movable corner clamp rollers 4, 5 in the clamping position ( Figure 4A ) and release position ( Figure 4B ) between which the pivot arms 33 of each pair of corner clamping rollers 4, 5 are moved in the clamping position ( Figure 4A ), the movable corner clamping roller 5 is pressed against the fixed corner clamping roller 4, and in the release position ( Figure 4B ) in which the movable corner clamping roller 5 is away from the fixed corner clamping roller 4.

[0069] Figure 5 is a front view of one of the loading columns, showing a loading column 1 with a loading conveyor comprising a conveying surface movable in a feed direction D, a front receiving unit 2a and a rear conveying unit 2b. The loading column also comprises a pair of side guide channels 3 for transverse sections of the sheets, which channels are suspended, the channels 3 being located on each side of the rear conveying unit 2b of the loading conveyor 2 and having respective rear conveying ends.

[0070] Fig. 6A and 6B is a partial schematic diagram of the front receiving unit 2a of the loading conveyor 2 in two different tilted positions thereof, comprising a spring element 55 operatively connected to a lower tilt bracket 54 so that the lower tilt bracket 54 is biased to rotate upwards, and the lower tilt bracket 54 can be locked in a desired tilted position by a locking device;

[0071] Fig. 6A and 6B Also shown is an upper receiving front pulley 18 mounted on an upper inclined bracket 56 which can rotate about an axis coaxial with an upper receiving rear pulley 19, with the trailing portion of the upper receiving endless belt 13 resting on the trailing portion of the lower receiving endless belt 12 by gravity in any inclined position of the lower inclined bracket 54.

[0072] In the disclosed embodiment, the spring element 55 is realized as a gas spring cylinder, wherein the gas spring cylinder comprises a locking device which can be manually operated via an operating lever 57 .

[0073] Figure 7 Shows Figure 5 A partial schematic top view of the loading column 1, in which a portion of the upper shield 70 is removed; the view shows a pair of transfer clamps 6 movable between a receiving position and a transfer position, the transfer position being separated from the receiving position in the feed direction D, and the jaws of the transfer clamps 6 being movable between an open and a closed position.

[0074] Figure 7Also shown is a pair of paving clamps 7 located at the picking station of the picking station, which can be arranged along a transverse horizontal guide rail 8 perpendicular to the feed direction D and move between a waiting position and a paving position. The waiting position is close to the transfer position of the transfer clamp 6. The paving clamps 7 are spaced further apart from each other in the paving position, and the jaws of the paving clamps 7 can move between an open and a closed position.

[0075] In this Figure 7 In the figure, a third paving clamp 7 is indicated, which is located between the two paving clamps 7 and is designed to operate with any of the other two clamps in such a way that the two pairs of clamps 7 operate by assisting one of the right or left loading column or the central loading column and the other free clamp 7 at a given moment, and as soon as the last clamp releases the fabric article, it enters the nearest clamp for operation.

[0076] The third or, in other embodiments, the fourth holder will be movably arranged along one or more transverse horizontal rails 8 .

[0077] An outfeed conveyor 9 with a front end is located below the paving gripper 7 and has a conveying surface that is movable in the feed direction D.

[0078] The jaws of each transfer gripper 6 are mounted on a pivot arm 10 rotatable about a pivot 11 and arranged to move in circular arc paths in opposite directions when moving between the receiving position and the transfer position due to the action of the cylinder 51. This means that when the transfer gripper is to be transferred by a fabric article or fabric article 53 (two corners of which are fixed), these corners move away from each other and the sheet is presented to the spreading gripper in a partially extended form.

[0079] In a preferred embodiment, the pivot axis 11 of the transfer gripper 6 is vertical and the movement of the two pivot arms 10 occurs in a common horizontal plane, i.e. the circular path of the movement of the transfer gripper when moving between the receiving position and the transfer position is contained in a horizontal plane. As previously mentioned, this ensures that the clamped portion of the fabric article 53 is moved apart, i.e. the garment is stretched laterally to a certain extent when it is transferred and conveyed to the spreading gripper 7. Figure 8 It is a partial perspective view of the transfer gripper 6 of the loading station and the spreading gripper 7 in the picking position, wherein the transfer gripper 6 is in the receiving position and the transfer gripper grasps two corners of the fabric article 53.

[0080] Fig. 9 It is a partial perspective view of the transfer clamp 6 and the spreading clamp 7, wherein the transfer clamp 6 is in a transfer position and the transfer clamp 6 transports the fabric article 53 to a pair of spreading clamps 7.

[0081] Fig.10It is a top view of an embodiment of a feeder 100 having three loading columns 1, in which three spreading clamps 7 and a discharge conveyor 9 can be seen, each loading column 1 having a corresponding pair of transfer clamps 6, and one of the loading columns being in the transfer stage of a fabric article 53 to a spreading clamp 7.

[0082] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in this example, the three paving clamps 7 are independent of each other, and each paving clamp 7 is connected to a continuous belt 61, 62, 70 that can rotate around an end pulley 65, 66, 72, and each belt 61, 62, 70 is rotated by a respective motor M1, M2, M3, and the continuous belts 61, 62, 70 extend parallel to the transverse guide rail 8.

[0083] In this Fig.10 It can also be seen that the suction port 45 of the vacuum chamber 44 extends along the discharge conveyor, and there are two movable separation blades 59 in front of the suction port 45, as described above, for temporarily preventing the clothes placed before one of the separation blades from being inserted into the suction port 45.

[0084] Figures 11A to 11C are cross-sectional views of the feeder 100 at two different moments in the sheet spreading and unwinding operation, the last one being used to avoid wrinkles on the spread sheet between the two spreading grippers 7 .

[0085] Figures 11A to 11C A vacuum chamber 44 is shown, which is arranged below the paving clamp 7 and at a height lower than the discharge conveyor 9, the vacuum chamber 44 is at a considerable distance from the front edge of the discharge conveyor 9, and the inlet 45 of the vacuum chamber 44 is toward the front end of the discharge conveyor 9. The vacuum chamber 44 and the suction port 45 both extend along the width of the discharge conveyor 9, and the vacuum chamber 44 is fluidly connected to a vacuum device (not shown in the figure).

[0086] Figures 11A to 11C Also shown is a guide or swallow roller 46 parallel to the front end of the discharge conveyor 9, which is arranged in front of the suction port 45, the guide roller 46 extending along the entire width of the discharge conveyor, and the guide roller 46 is rotated by a motor in the load direction, and the uncovered upper surface of the guide roller 46 moves toward the suction port 45 in this direction.

[0087] These Figures 11A to 11C Also shown in the disclosed embodiment is another element related to the separator blade 59 which is movable in a lifting and lowering motion by an actuator 60 , the separator blade being operable during the time period when the fabric article 53 is transferred from the paving clamp 7 to the outfeed conveyor 9 .

[0088] according to Figures 11A to 11CIn the sequence shown, the fabric article 53 enters the vacuum chamber 44 by contacting the rotating or guide roller 46 located in front of the vacuum chamber 44. The fabric article 53 must be suspended and extended out of the vacuum chamber 44. The separating blade 59 moves vertically and positions itself between the sheet and the guide roller 47 ( Fig.11A ), in order to prevent contact between the two elements (upper position) if, for example, another fabric article 53 is introduced in another part of the machine. When the vacuum chamber is ready to receive a new fabric article 53, the separating blade 59 moves downwards ( Fig. 11B The fabric product 53 encounters the guide roller 46 and enters the vacuum chamber 44. In this embodiment, the machine is equipped with 2 independent separation blades, each blade is driven by 2 cylinders 60 to allow working in 2 half tracks.

[0089] The vacuum chamber 44 also includes a member 37 driven by the piston 24, which member 37 can temporarily reduce the suction force in the vacuum chamber 44, the member 37 blocking a portion of the vacuum chamber 44 area to prevent the entry of the fabric article 53, or once the fabric article 53 is sucked into the vacuum chamber 44, it promotes the transfer of the fabric article 53 to the conveying surface of the outfeed conveyor 9 (see Fig. 11C ).

[0090] Therefore, corresponding to any one of the above-mentioned different areas, the position of the separating blade 59 and the position of the member 36 temporarily prevent the spread clothes from being inserted into the suction port 45, wherein the unloading of the fabric articles 53 can be carried out toward the conveying surface of the outfeed conveyor 9.

[0091] Therefore, when the separation blade 59 is in the upper position ( Fig.11A ), the member 37 blocks the vacuum chamber 44, blocking the entry of the fabric article 53, and once the fabric article 53 is inside the vacuum chamber 44, when the separating blade 59 is in the lower position, the fabric article 53 begins to transfer to the conveying surface of the outfeed conveyor 9 and leaves the suction port. The controller coordinates the movement of the transfer gripper 6, the spreading gripper 7, the separating blade 59 and the member 37 to enable faster processing of different fabric articles 53.

[0092] As mentioned above, in one embodiment, the feeder further comprises an auxiliary device 80, which is arranged overlapping the loading end of the out-feed conveyor 9, and the auxiliary device 80 comprises a top plate 81, which has a rotatable flap, which is hinged to the edge of the top plate 81 and is configured to move away from or close to the surface of the out-feed conveyor 9, thereby allowing a controlled passage of the fabric articles 53 extending on the out-feed conveyor 9. In this embodiment, the auxiliary device 80 extends transversely to the loading direction of the fabric articles on the out-feed conveyor, and the hinged rotatable flap is divided into two independent flaps 82a, 82b, each flap having its own drive device 83a, 83b (which can be realized by a piston or a linear actuator) corresponding to the two movable separation blades 59. If the feeder is equipped with this auxiliary device, the controller further provides synchronization between the movement of each separation blade 59 and the independent flaps 82a, 82b, thereby allowing the machine to operate in two lanes arranged side by side.

Claims

1. A feeder (100) for feeding fabric products to a subsequent product processing machine, the feeder (100) comprising: A plurality of loading columns (1), each of the loading columns comprising a loading conveyor (2), the loading conveyor comprising a conveying surface movable in a feeding direction (D), the conveying surface being configured to transfer a leading edge portion of the fabric article (53) between its leading corner portions to a rear conveying unit (2b) of the loading conveyor (2); a positioning mechanism, the positioning mechanism being associated with the rear conveying unit (2b) of each loading column (1), the positioning mechanism being configured to position a rear corner portion of the fabric article (53); a pair of transfer grippers (6), the pair of transfer grippers (6) being movable between a receiving position and a transfer position, the receiving position being close to the rear conveying unit (2b) and being used to engage with the rear corner portion of the fabric article (53) positioned by the positioning mechanism, the transfer position being spaced apart from the receiving position in the feeding direction (D); A pick-up station, the pick-up station comprising at least two paving clamps (7), the paving clamps (7) being movable along at least one transverse horizontal guide rail (8) perpendicular to the feed direction (D) between a waiting position and a paving position, the waiting position being adjacent to the transfer position of the transfer clamp (6) for receiving and clamping the rear corner portion of the fabric article (53), the paving clamps (7) being further separated from each other in the paving position relative to the waiting position; a discharge conveyor (9), the discharge conveyor (9) having a front end located below the paving clamp (7) and a conveying surface movable in the feed direction (D) for transferring the fabric product (53) to the ironing and drying machine; a vacuum chamber (44), the vacuum chamber (44) being connected to a vacuum source, the vacuum chamber (44) being located below the paving clamp (7) and below the front end of the discharge conveyor (9), and the vacuum chamber (44) having a suction port (45) leading to the vacuum chamber (44), the suction port (45) being arranged at a considerable distance from the front edge of the discharge conveyor (9), and a first guide roller (46), the first guide roller (46) being parallel to the front end of the discharge conveyor (9), the first guide roller (46) being rotated in a load direction by a motor and being arranged near the suction port; Features: Each of the loading columns (1) has a pair of transfer grippers (6) associated with a respective rear conveying unit (2b); The suction inlet (45) and the first guide roller (46) of the vacuum chamber (44) extend along the outfeed conveyor and have associated at least two movable separating blades (59), the separating blades (59) being configured to temporarily prevent the spread laundry hanging on the transfer gripper (6) or the spreading gripper (7) from being inserted into the suction inlet (45); The spreading clamps (7) move independently of each other across the entire width of the transverse horizontal guide rail (8) so that the fabric article (53) is spread and unfolded, or centered in a central area of ​​the discharge conveyor (9), or centered in a lateral area of ​​the discharge conveyor (9) to discharge onto the discharge conveyor (9), allowing the feeder to operate in one or more channels; and a controller that coordinates the movement of the transfer clamp (6), the spreading clamp (7) and the movable separation blade (59).

2. The feeder (100) according to claim 1, wherein each separating blade (59) is configured to move upward in a vertical direction to position itself on a horizontal plane between the fabric article (53) and the second guide roller (47) to prevent the fabric article (53) and the second guide roller (47) from contacting each other in a first step of transferring the fabric article (53) to the outfeed conveyor (9), and each separating blade (59) is configured to move downward in a second step of transferring the fabric article (53) so that a free end portion of the spread fabric article (53) encounters the first guide roller (46) and enters the vacuum chamber (44), and a first actuator (60) provides the upward movement and the downward movement of the separating blade (59).

3. The feeder (100) according to claim 2, wherein corresponding to each of the separation blades (59), the vacuum chamber (44) further includes a member (37) driven by a second actuator (24), the member (37) reducing the suction in the vacuum chamber (44) by temporarily moving and blocking part of the vacuum chamber (44) area, and wherein the controller is further configured to provide synchronization between the movements of each separation blade (59) and the member (37), and to provide coordination between the movements of different separation blades (59) so as to operate separately or jointly according to the centering area of ​​the fabric article (53).

4. The feeder (100) according to claim 3, wherein the entry of the fabric article is obstructed when the separating blade (59) is in the upper position, the movement of the member (37) blocks the vacuum chamber (44), and once the fabric article is inside the vacuum chamber (44), when the separating blade (59) is in the lower position, the fabric article (53) begins to be transferred to the conveying surface of the outfeed conveyor (9) and the suction is released.

5. The feeder (100) according to claim 1, wherein the loading conveyor (2) further comprises a front receiving unit (2a), the front receiving unit (2a) being configured to clamp a leading edge portion of the fabric article (53) between its lower receiving endless belt (12) and its upper receiving endless belt (13), between its front corner portions; And among them: A pair of guide channels (3) are located on both sides of the rear conveying unit (2b) of the loading conveyor (2), the guide channels (3) guide the hanging parts of the fabric articles (53), and the hanging parts of the fabric articles (53) have respective rear angles; and Two pairs of corner clamping rollers (4, 5) are located near the rear conveying end of the guide channel (3) adjacent to the rear conveying unit (2b).

6. A feeder (100) according to claim 5, wherein the jaws of each transfer gripper (6) are mounted at the end of a first pivot arm (10), the first pivot arm (10) being rotatable about the distal end of a pivot (11), wherein The pivot axes (11) of the two transfer clamps (6) of each pair of transfer clamps (6) are parallel to each other, ensuring that the movement of the two pivot arms is coplanar, and when moving between the receiving position and the transfer position, the transfer clamps (6) move in circular arc paths in opposite directions, and the receiving position is below the corner clamping rollers (4, 5) to engage by clamping the rear corner portion of the fabric article (53), thereby removing the clamped rear corner portion of the fabric article (53), and the fabric article (53) extends laterally to a certain extent during transfer.

7. The feeder (100) according to claim 6, wherein the pivot (11) is oriented in a vertical direction, and the circular arc path of the movement made by the transfer gripper (6) when moving between the receiving position and the transfer position is contained in a substantially horizontal plane.

8. The feeder (100) according to claim 5, wherein: The lower receiving endless belt (12) of the front receiving unit (2a) extends around a horizontal lower receiving front pulley (16) and a horizontal lower receiving rear pulley (17); The upper receiving endless belt (13) extends around a horizontal upper receiving front pulley (18) and a horizontal upper receiving rear pulley (19); The lower receiving endless belt (12) is paired with the upper receiving endless belt (13), and both the lower receiving endless belt (12) and the upper receiving endless belt (13) have respective dragging portions of the leading edge portion of the fabric article (53), the dragging portions facing each other and moving in the feeding direction (D); The lower receiving front pulley (16) is mounted on a lower inclined bracket (54), and the lower inclined bracket (54) can rotate around an axis coaxial with the lower receiving rear pulley (17); A spring element (55) is operably connected to the lower tilt bracket (54) to bias the lower tilt bracket (54) to rotate upward, and the lower tilt bracket (54) can be locked in a desired tilt position by a locking device; and The upper receiving front pulley (18) is mounted on an upper inclined bracket (56), and the upper inclined bracket (56) can rotate around an axis coaxial with the upper receiving rear pulley (19), and the dragging portion of the upper receiving endless belt (13) leans against the dragging portion of the lower receiving endless belt (12) by gravity at any inclined position of the lower inclined bracket (54).

9. The feeder (100) according to claim 8, wherein the rear conveying unit (2b) of the loading conveyor (2) comprises: Two lower conveyor endless belts (14), the two lower conveyor endless belts (14) extending around respective horizontal lower conveyor front pulleys (20) and respective horizontal lower conveyor rear pulleys (21); and Two upper conveying endless belts (15), the two upper conveying endless belts (15) extending around respective horizontal upper conveying front pulleys (22) and respective horizontal upper conveying rear pulleys (23); And wherein the height of the lower conveying rear pulley (21) is higher than the lower conveying front pulley (20) and the upper conveying front pulley (22); Each lower conveyor endless belt (14) is paired with one of the upper conveyor endless belts (15), and both have respective dragging portions, the dragging portions facing each other and moving in the feeding direction (D) to drag the leading edge portion of the fabric article (53); The pair of upper and lower conveying endless belts (14, 15) are located on both sides of the pair of upper and lower receiving endless belts (12, 13); and The lower conveying front pulley (20) is coaxial with the lower receiving rear pulley (17), and the upper conveying front pulley (22) is coaxial with the upper receiving rear pulley (19).

10. The feeder (100) according to claim 9, wherein: The lower receiving rear pulley (17) and the lower conveying front pulley (20) are rigidly connected to the lower front shaft (27); The lower conveying rear pulley (21) is rigidly connected to the lower rear axle (28); the horizontal upper receiving rear pulley (19) and the upper conveying front pulley (22) are rigidly connected to the upper front axle (29); The upper conveyor rear pulley (23) is rigidly connected to the upper rear axle (30); and a separate first motor is operably connected to rotate the lower rear axle (28) and the upper rear axle (30) in opposite directions.

11. The feeder (100) according to claim 10, wherein each pair of corner clamping rollers (4, 5) comprises: a fixed corner clamping roller (4), the fixed corner clamping roller (4) being located near one of the lower conveying rear pulleys (21) and being rotatably mounted on the lower rear shaft (28); a movable corner clamping roller (5), the movable corner clamping roller (5) being parallel to the fixed corner clamping roller (4) and rotatably mounted on a roller shaft (32), the roller shaft (32) being fixed on a second pivot arm (33), and the second pivot arm (33) being rotatably mounted on a pivot (34); wherein at least one separate clamp roller motor (35) is operatively connected to rotate the fixed and movable corner clamp rollers (4, 5) of each pair of corner clamp rollers (4, 5) in opposite directions; and An arm actuator (36) operably connected to move the second pivot arm (33) of each pair of corner clamping rollers (4, 5) between a clamping position and a release position, wherein the movable corner clamping roller (5) presses against the fixed corner clamping roller (4) in the clamping position and the movable corner clamping roller (5) moves away from the fixed corner clamping roller (4) in the release position.

12. The feeder (100) according to claim 11, wherein the feeder (100) further comprises two corner detection sensors (43), each corner detection sensor (43) being arranged to detect the presence of a rear corner of the fabric article (53) in the space near the clamping roller (4).

13. The feeder (100) according to claim 1, wherein the paving grippers include three or more grippers, each gripper is connected to a continuous belt (61, 62, 70) rotatable around a pulley (65, 66, 72), and each gripper is driven by a motor (M1, M2, M3), and the continuous belt (61, 62, 70) is parallel to the transverse horizontal guide rail (8).

14. The feeder according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The feeder also includes an auxiliary device (80) positioned overlapping the loading end portion of the outfeed conveyor (9), the auxiliary device (80) including a top plate (81) having a hinged rotatable flap, the flap being configured to be driven from the surface of the outfeed conveyor (9) away from or toward the outfeed conveyor (9) to allow a controlled passage of the fabric articles (53) extending on the outfeed conveyor (9); wherein the auxiliary device (80) extends transversely to the loading direction of the fabric products (53) on the discharge conveyor, and the hinged rotatable flap is divided into two independent flaps (82a, 82b), each flap having its own drive device (83a, 83b) and corresponding to the two movable separation blades (59), and wherein the controller is further configured to provide synchronization between the movement of each separation blade (59) and the independent flaps (82a, 82b) of the auxiliary device (80).

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