Flatwork Feeder With Vacuum Chamber to Reduce Ear Formations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing machines for feeding flatwork articles, such as bed sheets, to subsequent processing machines often result in ear formations due to protruding corner portions, which negatively impact the quality of the flatwork article during transfer.
Innovation Solution
A feeding machine with a plurality of loading posts, each including a load conveyor and a rear delivery unit with a location mechanism to automatically locate trailing corner portions of the flatwork article. The machine features transferring grippers that move the leading-edge portion between leading corner portions and a pair of spreading grippers that receive the trailing corner portions from the transferring grippers, allowing for efficient and accurate placement onto an outgoing feed conveyor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If conventional feeding machines are used to transfer flatwork articles, then the feeding process can be automated, but ear formations occur due to protruding corner portions which negatively impact article quality
Solution Approach 1:
A vacuum chamber acts as an intermediary device between the feed conveyor and the article. The vacuum chamber receives protruding corner portions of the flatwork article that extend beyond the feed conveyor surface, and uses suction to pull these corners back onto the conveyor surface, preventing ear formations and maintaining article quality during automated transfer.
2Manufacturing precision
If the feed conveyor surface is extended to receive protruding corner portions, then article quality is maintained, but the device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of extending the rigid feed conveyor surface, a vacuum chamber serves as a flexible intermediary that can selectively engage only the protruding corner portions of articles. This approach maintains article quality without requiring additional conveyor length or complex mechanical extensions to the feed system.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical approach of extending the conveyor surface is replaced with a pneumatic system (vacuum chamber). The vacuum chamber uses negative pressure to achieve the same effect of controlling corner portions, but with simpler mechanical structure and greater flexibility in accommodating varying article dimensions.
3Device complexity
If the vacuum chamber is positioned close to the feed conveyor, then the structure is compact, but the suction force may be insufficient to correct protruding corners
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum chamber is positioned to receive protruding corner portions as they emerge from the feed conveyor, before these corners can cause ear formations. This preliminary intervention ensures that the suction force is applied at the optimal moment and location, maintaining effectiveness without requiring excessive vacuum pressure or complex positioning mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The machine simplifies the transfer of flatwork articles, reduces ear formations, and speeds up the feeding process by allowing the spreading grippers to operate independently and spread the flatwork article in multiple zones, ensuring accurate centering on the outgoing feed conveyor.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum chamber (44) connected to a vacuum source, located below the spreading grippers and below the front end of the outgoing feed conveyor and having a suction entrance (45) to the vacuum chamber arranged at a distance of a leading edge of said outgoing feed conveyor
Implementation Method 2
an introducer roller (46) parallel to the front end of the outgoing feed conveyor being rotated by a motor in a load direction and being arranged adjacent the suction entrance
Data Source
AI summary
Machine for feeding flatwork articles to an ironer-dryer machine, the machine including loading posts (1) with a load conveyor (2) for loading flatwork articles (53); one pair of transferring grippers (6) at each loading post (1), two or more spreading grippers (7) at a pickup station movable along one transverse guide (8); an outgoing feed conveyor (9) to transfer the flatwork article (53); and a vacuum chamber (44) below the spreading grippers (7) and below conveyor (9). The spreading grippers (7) are independent of each other, to spread a flatwork article (53) at several different zones with regard to the conveyor (9), operative in one or more lanes. A suction entrance (45) of vacuum chamber (44) has associated movable separating blades (59) temporally preventing insertion of a spread flatwork article (53) into vacuum chamber (44) and a controller coordinates the movements of the transferring grippers (6), spreading grippers (7) and separating blades (59).