Laundry feeder method and apparatus
AssigneeFinishTech, Ltd.
InventorStanley G. McCabe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A laundry feeder method and apparatus for feeding laundry articles to a spreader apparatus is provided. The feeder allows large king size sheets, as well as other sized laundry articles, to be conveniently readied for spreading by a user. A fixed target is provided on the feeder. The user merely drapes a portion of the laundry article over the fixed target or inserts an edge of the article into a moveable clamp. The moveable clamp then moves along a track to the fixed target for clamping the laundry article. The clamp is then moved away from the fixed target, pulling the laundry article to the spreader, such as the spreader disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,627. Multiple fixed targets and associated moveable clamps may be provided to increase the throughput.
Claims29
A laundry feeder apparatus for processing laundry articles, the apparatus comprising:
- a support;
- a fixed target connected with the support, the fixed target comprising back and front sides adapted to allow a laundry article to drape over both the back and front sides;
- and
- a clamp moveably connected with the support and operable to clamp a laundry article draped on the fixed target.
A method for feeding laundry articles, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) draping a laundry article over a fixed target;
- (b) clamping the draped laundry article with a clamp;
- and
- (c) moving the clamp and clamped laundry article away from the target.
A method for feeding laundry articles, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a fixed target operable to have a laundry article draped over the fixed target by a user;
- (b) clamping the draped laundry article at a portion being spaced from each edge of the laundry article without clamping the edges;
- and
- (c) moving the clamped laundry article away from the target.
An apparatus for feeding a laundry article placed by a user, the apparatus comprising:
- a target operable to receive the laundry article;
- and
- a moveable clamp operable to clamp a portion of the laundry article on the target without clamping edges of the laundry article.
A method for feeding laundry articles, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) optionally performing one of:
- draping a laundry article over front and back sides of a target and inserting the laundry article into a clamp wherein both options are available;
- (b) clamping the laundry article;
- and
- (c) moving the clamp and the laundry article to a spreader.
A laundry feeder apparatus for processing laundry articles, the apparatus comprising:
- a support;
- a fixed target connected with the support, the fixed target having a notch;
- a laundry article sensor adjacent the fixed target comprising a light beam sensor aimed through the notch;
- and
- a clamp moveably connected with the support and operable to clamp a laundry article draped on the fixed target.
A laundry feeder apparatus for processing laundry articles, the apparatus comprising:
- a support;
- a fixed target connected with the support, the fixed target comprising an upper portion adapted to allow a laundry article to drape over and around the upper portion;
- and
- a clamp moveably connected with the support and operable to clamp a laundry article draped on the fixed target.
A laundry feeder apparatus for processing laundry articles, the apparatus comprising:
- a support;
- a fixed target connected with the support;
- and
- a clamp moveably connected with the support, operable to clamp a laundry article draped on the fixed target, and operable to move with the laundry article away from the fixed target.
A method for feeding laundry articles, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) draping a laundry article over back and front sides of a fixed target;
- (b) clamping the draped laundry article with a clamp;
- and
- (c) moving the clamped laundry article away from the target.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.