Towel apparatus

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR FURNISHING AND LAUNDERING TOWELS COMPRISING: A FRAME ENCLOSED BY A CABINET HAVING A TOWEL FEEDOUT AND RETURN OPENING THEREIN; A CONVEYOR INCLUDING A PAIR OF ROLLER CHAINS MOUNTED PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER ON A PLURALITY OF SPROCKET WHEELS, THE SPROCKET WHEELS BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON THE FRAME; A TRACK HAVING OPPOSITE ENDS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE CONVEYOR; A PLURALITY OF TOWEL RODS EACH ONE ADAPTED TO BE ATTACHED TO A TOWEL AND SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN THE TRACK, THE TOWEL RODS HAVING ENLARGED ENDS; A HANDLE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE CABINET CONNECTED TO MEANS INSIDE THE CABINET FOR ENGAGING A TOWEL ROD AND MOVING THE TOWEL ROD SO THAT A TOWEL ATTACHED THERETO IS PRESENTED THROUGH THE OPENING; MEANS ON THE CONVEYOR INCLUDING A PAIR OF HOOKS, SIMILARLY LOCATED, ONE ON EACH ROLLER CHAIN, HAVING A THROAT FOR ENGAGING THE TOWEL RODS AND A FINGER ACROSS THE THROAT, THE FINGER BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ALLOWING A TOWEL ROD TO ENTER THE THROAT AND SUBSEQUENTLY CLOSING THE THROAT TO RETAIN THE TOWEL ROD; A ROLLER ADJACENT THE CONVEYOR PARTIALLY IMMERSED IN LIQUID DETERGENT AND POSITIONED TO CONTACT THE SURFACE OF THE TOWEL; A PAIR OF SCRUBBING MEANS POSITIONED TO SCRUB OPPOSITE SURFACES OF THE TOWEL AS SAID TOWEL RODS MOVE ON THE CONVEYOR, EACH SAID SCRUBBING MEANS INCLUDING A ROTATABLY MOUNTED SCRUBBING ROLLER ACTIVATED TO ROTATE SO THAT THE ROLLER SURFACE MOVES IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THE MOVEMENT OF THE TOWEL SURFACE, A PAIR OF ARMS HAVING A BAR ATTACHED BETWEEN ONE OF THEIR ENDS AND POSITIONED TO BE ENGAGED BY EACH OF SAID TOWEL RODS AS THE TOWEL ROD IS CARRIED BY SAID CONVEYOR AND TO CO-ACT WITH SAID TOWEL ROD TO PIVOT SAID BAR ACROSS THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID CONVEYOR, ALLOWING SAID TOWEL ROD TO PASS AND THEN TO RETURN SAID BAR TO PUSH SAID TOWEL AGAINST SAID SCRUBBING ROLLER; MEANS POSITIONED TO SCRAPE THE FOAM FROM THE SURFACE OF THE TOWEL; A ROTATABLY MOUNTED CLOTH-COVERED ROLLER AND AN ELECTRICALLY HEATED IRONING SHOE POSITIONED TO CONTACT AND PRESS AGAINST THE OPPOSITE SURFACE OF THE TOWEL AS IT IS MOVED BY THE CONVEYOR; A PIN FOR ENGAGING THE FINGER OF THE HOOK, PIVOTING SAID FINGER TO OPEN THE THROAT OF SAID HOOK, AND ARMS ON THE ROTATABLY MOUNTED FABRICCOVERED ROLLER TO ENGAGE AND LIFT THE TOWEL RODS FROM SAID THROAT OF SAID HOOK AS THEY ENTER THE TRACK; AND A LATCH ACROSS THE TRACK FREE TO PIVOT, ALLOWING THE TOWEL RODS TO ENTER THE TRACK AND PREVENTING THE TOWEL RODS FROM FALLING OUT OF THE TRACK.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR FURNISHING AND LAUNDERING TOWELS COMPRISING: A FRAME ENCLOSED BY A CABINET HAVING A TOWEL FEEDOUT AND RETURN OPENING THEREIN; A CONVEYOR INCLUDING A PAIR OF ROLLER CHAINS MOUNTED PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER ON A PLURALITY OF SPROCKET WHEELS, THE SPROCKET WHEELS BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON THE FRAME; A TRACK HAVING OPPOSITE ENDS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE CONVEYOR; A PLURALITY OF TOWEL RODS EACH ONE ADAPTED TO BE ATTACHED TO A TOWEL AND SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN THE TRACK, THE TOWEL RODS HAVING ENLARGED ENDS; A HANDLE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE CABINET CONNECTED TO MEANS INSIDE THE CABINET FOR ENGAGING A TOWEL ROD AND MOVING THE TOWEL ROD SO THAT A TOWEL ATTACHED THERETO IS PRESENTED THROUGH THE OPENING; MEANS ON THE CONVEYOR INCLUDING A PAIR OF HOOKS, SIMILARLY LOCATED, ONE ON EACH ROLLER CHAIN, HAVING A THROAT FOR ENGAGING THE TOWEL RODS AND A FINGER ACROSS THE THROAT, THE FINGER BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ALLOWING A TOWEL ROD TO ENTER THE THROAT AND SUBSEQUENTLY CLOSING THE THROAT TO RETAIN THE TOWEL ROD; A ROLLER ADJACENT THE CONVEYOR PARTIALLY IMMERSED IN LIQUID DETERGENT AND POSITIONED TO CONTACT THE SURFACE OF THE TOWEL; A PAIR OF SCRUBBING MEANS POSITIONED TO SCRUB OPPOSITE SURFACES OF THE TOWEL AS SAID TOWEL RODS MOVE ON THE CONVEYOR, EACH SAID SCRUBBING MEANS INCLUDING A ROTATABLY MOUNTED SCRUBBING ROLLER ACTIVATED TO ROTATE SO THAT THE ROLLER SURFACE MOVES IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THE MOVEMENT OF THE TOWEL SURFACE, A PAIR OF ARMS HAVING A BAR ATTACHED BETWEEN ONE OF THEIR ENDS AND POSITIONED TO BE ENGAGED BY EACH OF SAID TOWEL RODS AS THE TOWEL ROD IS CARRIED BY SAID CONVEYOR AND TO CO-ACT WITH SAID TOWEL ROD TO PIVOT SAID BAR ACROSS THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID CONVEYOR, ALLOWING SAID TOWEL ROD TO PASS AND THEN TO RETURN SAID BAR TO PUSH SAID TOWEL AGAINST SAID SCRUBBING ROLLER; MEANS POSITIONED TO SCRAPE THE FOAM FROM THE SURFACE OF THE TOWEL; A ROTATABLY MOUNTED CLOTH-COVERED ROLLER AND AN ELECTRICALLY HEATED IRONING SHOE POSITIONED TO CONTACT AND PRESS AGAINST THE OPPOSITE SURFACE OF THE TOWEL AS IT IS MOVED BY THE CONVEYOR; A PIN FOR ENGAGING THE FINGER OF THE HOOK, PIVOTING SAID FINGER TO OPEN THE THROAT OF SAID HOOK, AND ARMS ON THE ROTATABLY MOUNTED FABRICCOVERED ROLLER TO ENGAGE AND LIFT THE TOWEL RODS FROM SAID THROAT OF SAID HOOK AS THEY ENTER THE TRACK; AND A LATCH ACROSS THE TRACK FREE TO PIVOT, ALLOWING THE TOWEL RODS TO ENTER THE TRACK AND PREVENTING THE TOWEL RODS FROM FALLING OUT OF THE TRACK.