Bottom pulling belt for folding machine

Abstract

An apparatus for automatically folding garments while preventing garment retrograde is disclosed and claimed. The present invention is preferably embodied having a first conveyor surface comprised of at least a single continuous belt supported by at least two rollers, and a second conveyor surface comprised of at least a single continuous belt supported by at least two rollers, the second conveyor surface being spaced a distance from and aligned parallel and superior to the first conveyor surface to create a garment pathway therebetween, the spaced distance being sufficient to allow each surface to contact a garment passing through the pathway. A folding plate assembly is preferably positioned within the garment pathway, between a garment inlet positioned at a first end of the garment pathway and a garment outlet positioned at the opposite end of the garment pathway. A garment entering the apparatus at the inlet is contacted and moved by both conveyor surfaces through the garment pathway and is acted on by the folding plate assembly before being then discharged from the garment pathway at the garment outlet as a folded garment.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.