Indexing system for rotary garment press

Abstract

An indexing system for a garment pressing machine includes a rotatable carriage having radial arms supporting circumferentially spaced pressing bucks moveable between dressing, pressing and unloading positions. A fluid drive arrangement includes a single linear reciprocating fluid actuator extendible and retractable under control of various solenoid valves that are controlled by a microprocessor which receives and processes signals from sensors indicating the degree of extension or retraction of the fluid actuator and the position of the rotatable carriage. A single cycle of retraction and extension of the fluid actuator results in rotation of the carriage by one position. Another cycle of retraction and extension of the actuator returns the drive system to a starting position ready to initiate another rotation of the carriage to its next position. The carriage can be cyclically indexed to move the bucks between their various operating positions every other retraction and extension cycle of the actuator. A special drive linkage between the actuator and carriage is used to enable a single linear actuator to cyclically rotate the carriage, and a latch is used to positively locate the carriage at each operative position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.