US 12,304,740 B2Granted

Method and apparatuses for feeding items of laundry to a laundry machine, such as in particular a mangle

AssigneeHerbert Kannegiesser GmbH

InventorsWilhelm Bringewatt, Engelbert Heinz

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Abstract

Laundry items are spread out and deposited on a feed conveyor which inserts the laundry item into a mangle. The front edge of the laundry item is stretched by a spreading device, wherein spreading clamps are moved apart on the basis of a measured length of the front edge. Until now, the front edge length item has been measured at the spreading device, which increases the duration of the spreading operation. The invention measures the front edge length upstream of the spreading device when the laundry item is still hanging in two loading clamps of a loading station. So that the front edge length can be contactlessly determined from the lowest point of the sag of the front edge, the distance between the loading clamps is a greater distance than previously. As a result, a V-like sag is formed, the lowest point of which can be contactlessly determined.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A method for feeding items of laundry (10) to a laundry machine, with opposite corners (17) of a front edge (18), running transversely with respect to the feeding direction (11), of a respective item of laundry (10) being suspended in two loading clamps (15;

27, 28, 29) from which the item of laundry (10) is transferred to spreading clamps, which are movable transversely with respect to the feeding direction (11), of a spreading device or is taken over by the spreading clamps, the spreading clamps are moved apart in order to spread out the item of laundry (10) by stretching the front edge (18) of same, and the spread-out item of laundry (10) is deposited by the spreading clamps on a depositing strip or on a feed conveyor (12) which transports the spread-out item of laundry (10) to another laundry machine, wherein the two loading clamps (15;
27, 28, 29) holding the opposite corners (17) of the respective item of laundry (10) are at such a large or relatively large distance (A) from one another or can be brought to such a distance (A) from one another that, when the item of laundry (10) is hanging down from the two loading clamps (15;
27, 28, 29), a V-like sag (22) of the front edge (18) forms, an at least approximately lowest point (25) of the V-like sag (22) is contactlessly determined and the length of the sagging front edge (18) of the item of laundry (10) is derived therefrom, wherein at the distance (A) between the loading clamps (15) that exists when the sag (22) is measured, the item of laundry is transferred to the spreading clamps or is taken over by the spreading clamps from the loading clamps (15;
27, 28, 29).

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/689,074Filed 8 Mar 2022
Priority: DE 102021105998.411 Mar 2021
Published: US 2022/0289488 A115 Sep 2022
Granted: 20 May 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

B65G 17/20
Conveyors having an endless traction element, e.g. a chain, transmitting movement to a continuous or substantially-continuous load-carrying…:…
D06F 67/04
Details of ironing machines provided for in groups D06F61/00, D06F63/00, or D06F65/00: arrangements for feeding or spreading the linen
B65G 17/323
Individual load-carriers: grippers, e.g. suction or magnetic
B65G 43/08
Control devices, e.g. for safety, warning or fault-correcting: control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged