Folding and stacking machines for articles of linen

Claim 1

IN A MACHINE FOR FOLDING AND STACKING ARTICLES OF LINEN AND THE LIKE, OF THE TYPE HAVING A RELATIVELY NARROW, LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING FRAME, A CONVEYOR MOVABLY MOUNTED BETWEEN THE SIDES OF SAID FRAME AND HAVING AN INPUT PORTION AT ONE END OF SAID FRAME FOR RECEPTION OF SAID ARTICLES IN SUCCESSION, CONVEYOR DRIVE MEANS, A LONGISAID ARTICLES IN SUCCESSION, CONVEYOR DRIVE MEANS, A LONGITUDINAL FOLDER MOUNTED BETWEEN THE SIDES OF SAID FRAME NEAR THE INPUT PORTION OF SAID CONVEYOR AND POSITIONED RELATIVE THERETO SO THAT ARTICLES CARRIED BY SAID CONVEYOR FROM SAID INPUT END PASS THROUGH SAID LONGITUDINAL FOLDER, SAID LONGITUDINAL FOLDER BEING ADAPTED TO FOLD THE ARTICLE SIDE PORTIONS PROTRUDING DOWNWARDLY OF SAID LONGITUDINAL FOLDER UNDER THE RESPECTIVE ARTICLE CENTER PORTIONS, AND MEANS POSITIONED IN THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE LONGITUDINALLY FOLDED ARTICLES FOR FOLDING THE ARTICLES TRANSVERSELY THEREOF; THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF A STACKING DEVICE MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME AND POSITIONED RELATIVE TO SAID CONVEYOR AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID LONGITUDINALLY AND TRANSVERSELY FOLDED ARTICLES SUCCESSIVELY, SAID STACKING DEVICE HAVING MEANS INCLUDING A NORMALLY OPEN SWITCH IN THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID ARTICLES FOR ACTUATING SAID STACKING DEVICE UPON CLOSURE OF SAID SWITCH BY AN ARTICLE, WHEREBY TO DROP SAID ARTICLE DOWNWARDLY, AN ELEVATOR MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT AND POSITIONED BELOW SAID STACKING DEVICE FOR RECEPTION OF ARTICLES STACKED THEREBY, MEANS FOR LOWERING SAID ELEVATOR AFTER RECEPTION THEREBY OF A SELECTED NUMBER OF ARTICLES, A PUSHER DEVICE MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME FOR MOVEMENT IN A LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION, DRIVE MEANS FOR SAID PUSHER DEVICE, SAID PUSHER DEVICE BEING POSITIONED RELATIVE TO SAID ELEVATOR AND SAID PUSHER DRIVE MEANS BEING COUPLED TO SAID ELEVATOR LOWERING MEANS FOR ACTUATION OF SAID PUSHER DEVICE UPON LOWERING OF SAID ELEVATOR TO EJECT SAID STACK FROM SAID ELEVATOR, AND MEANS FOR THEN RAISING SAID ELEVATOR AND RETURNING SAID PUSHER DEVICE TO ITS PREACTUATED POSITION.