# US 5,349,768 A · Clamp and toothed belt conveyor for carrying linens

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- Number: US 5,349,768 A
- Document ID: US5349768A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/062,554
- Filed: 1993-05-18
- Granted: 1994-09-27
- Earliest claimed: 1992-06-04
- Assignees: Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Hidetoshi Ishihara; Atsushi Ueda; Kunio Kojima
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5349768A

## CPC

- D06F 67/04: Arrangements for feeding or spreading the linen
- D06F 95/00: Laundry systems or arrangements of apparatus or machines; Mobile laundries (D06F31/00 takes precedence)
- D06F: LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES

## Abstract

In a conveyor for carrying linens having processes of gripping any corner and one place on a side including the corner of a rectangular cloth (sheet 1) with clips 45 installed on a movable clamp 35; naturally hanging the cloth by raising with a clamp transfer conveyor; moving the cloth onto the top surface of a table composed of a flat belt conveyor 77 or the like by using the clamp 35; and pulling the cloth onto the table, the conveyor for carrying linens includes a drive section comprising: a clamp body 36; two pairs of wheels 39 supported by shafts fixed to the clamp body 36; a toothed block 37 which has a plurality of tooth-shaped protrusions engaging with a toothed belt 34 for driving the clamp and is installed straddling over the clamp body 36 by a pin 40 inserted into an elongated hole so that it can be moved downward by the height of the tooth-shaped protrusion; and a compression spring 41 which is energized so as to push the toothed block 37 in the engaging direction, and is engaged between the clamp body and the toothed block 37.

## Claims

### Claim 1

In a conveyor for carrying linens which includes the processes of: gripping a linen on any corner and one place on a side of said linen including said corner of a rectangular cloth with clips installed on a movable clamp; moving the cloth onto the top surface of a table by using said clamp; and pulling the cloth onto said table, said conveyor for carrying linens including a drive section comprising:
a clamp body;
two pairs of wheels supported by shafts fixed to said clamp body;
a toothed block which has a plurality of tooth-shaped protrusions engaging with a toothed belt for driving the clamp body in a running direction and is installed straddling over said clamp body by a pin inserted into an elongated hole so that said block is movable in a downward direction by the height of said tooth-shaped protrusions; and
a compression spring which is energized so as to push said toothed block in an engaging direction, and is engaged between said clamp body and said toothed block.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A conveyor for carrying linens according to claim 1 wherein said drive section has a clip for gripping a cloth, said clip comprising:
a clip housing;
a pin installed to said clip housing;
a cloth gripping member which is supported by said pin and rotates in said clip housing;
a torsion spring biasing said cloth gripping member against said clip housing;
a cloth release bar extending over said clip in such a manner that said release bar is movable vertically; and
a cam lever which engages with said cloth release bar and opens/closes said cloth gripping member.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

A conveyor for carrying linens according to claim 2 wherein a pair of clips are installed to both ends of a girder mounted horizontally and at right angles to the running direction of said clamp body.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A conveyor for carrying linens according to claim 1 wherein said conveyor for carrying linens comprises:
a pair of opposing rails for vertically guiding said clamp body;
a set of opposing rails for transversely guiding said clamp body;
a toothed belt running in a conveyor rail;
said two pairs of wheels are supported by horizontal shafts fixed to said clamp body and guided by said pair of opposing rails; and
two pairs of wheels which are supported by vertical shafts fixed to said clamp body and guided by said set of opposing rails.

### Claim 5

In a conveyor for carrying linens having a linen supply section where a linen holding clamp including clips is put on a drive conveyor in a running direction after running on an inclined free conveyor, wherein one corner and an adjacent side of a rectangular cloth are gripped by said clips, and then said clamp rises slantwise to hang the cloth, said conveyor for carrying linens including a linen supply work height adjusting device comprising:
a proximity sensor which is installed at a halfway position of a rail of said drive conveyor running down slantwise and detects the passing of said clamp;
a timer with an adjustable setting device which is activated by the signal from said proximity sensor; and
control means which stops said conveyor by means of the output signal generated after the set time of said timer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A conveyor for carrying linens according to claim 5 wherein said conveyor for carrying linens includes a linen grip verifying means comprised of:
a source of light beam parallel to the running direction of said conveyor and between a pair of clips of a linen holding clamp, and
light sensors for receiving said light beam the receipt of a light beam comprising an indication that a linen has been improperly gripped.