Laundry folder with wicket clamp

Claim 2

A laundry folder for folding small pieces comprising, means for receiving the pieces at an entrance end, conveyor means for conveying the pieces through the folder to an exit end, means for folding the pieces in their passage through the folder, a wicket adjacent the exit end of the folder, the wicket being mounted for swinging movement on a transverse axis adjacent its lower edge, the wicket being movable about its axis between a retracted generally upright position in which it is adapted to receive folded pieces thereon from the conveyor means, and an advanced lower position in which it is adjacent the horizontal, a supporting member at the exit end for receiving the folded pieces from the wicket, a gripper blade adjacent the lower edge of the wicket and operative for engaging only the lower edge of the folded piece on the wicket and gripping it against the wicket, means for so grippingly engaging the gripper blade against the folded piece, and for moving the gripper blade downwardly with the wicket throughout the advancing movement of the wicket until the folded piece is placed on the supporting member, and means for withdrawing the gripper blade from engagement with a folded piece on generally horizontal supporting member in generally horizontal direction longitudinally of the engaged surface of the folded piece, substantially without disturbing the folded piece on the supporting member.

Claim 3

A laundry folder according to claim 1 including yieldable means biasing the wicket to retracted position, and power means for moving it to advanced position.

Claim 4

A laundry folder according to claim 1 and including yielding means biasing the gripper blade into gripping position, and power means for moving the gripper blade to open non-gripping position.

Claim 5

A laundry folder according to claim 1 and including means operative for moving the gripper blade out of gripping position, when the wicket is in advanced position, in such direction that the gripper blade is disposed close to the plane of the underside of the piece so placed.

Claim 6

A laundry folder according to claim 4 and including means operative in the initial portion of the movement of the wicket from its advanced position for moving the gripper blade away from the wicket in that portion of the movement of the latter, thereby producing a compound movement of the gripper blade which results in said movement thereof in said plane.

Claim 7

A laundry folder according to claim 1 wherein the wicket includes a transverse shaft at its lower end and a plurality of rods secured thereto, the shaft being rockably mounted for swinging the rods between its retracted position and advanced position, said gripper blade including a transverse shaft and a blade element secured thereto, means mounting the gripper blade on the wicket shaft at a position displaced radially from the axis of the wicket shaft, and positioning the gripper blade shaft at a short distance from the side of the wicket, said gripper blade shaft being rockably mounted for movement of the extended end of the blade element into and out of engagement with the wicket, and means for so moving the blade element between its opposite position.

Claim 8

A laundry foldEr according to claim 6 and including means operable about the axis of the wicket shaft for moving the gripper blade between its positions, and belt means drivingly interconnecting said last means and gripper blade shaft.

Claim 9

A laundry folder according to claim 7 in which the means for rocking the gripper blade shaft includes a sleeve on the wicket shaft and a radial arm on the sleeve, and the construction further includes pulleys on the two shafts on which said belt is trained.

Claim 10

A laundry folder according to claim 8 and including power means secured to said arm for swinging the arm and thus rocking the sleeve and moving the gripper blade, and the construction further includes yielding means biasing said sleeve in direction for moving the gripper blade into gripping position.

Claim 11

In a laundry folder, a wicket construction and means for operating it comprising a wicket including a shaft and a plurality of rods secured thereto and extending transaxially therefrom, the shaft being rockable between an upper retracted position of the wicket and a downward advanced position of the wicket, and the wicket when in retracted position being adapted for placement of folded laundry piece thereover, a pulley mounted on said wicket shaft and a flexible element trained on said pulley, a tension spring connected with said flexible element and biasing the wicket to its upper retracted position, a power means secured to the other end of said flexible element and operative for moving the wicket to downward advanced position, a gripper blade including a shaft and a blade element secured thereto, radial arms secured to the wicket shaft and means rockably mounting the gripper blade shaft in the extended ends of said arms and at a position closely proximate the wicket rods, a sleeve on said wicket shaft, a pulley on said sleeve and a pulley on the gripper blade shaft, and belt means drivingly interconnecting the last two pulleys, yielding means interconnecting the wicket shaft and said sleeve and thereby biasing the gripper blade in direction engaging the extended edge of the gripper blade element against the wicket, a radial arm secured to said sleeve, a second power device connected with the extended end of the last radial arm and operative for moving the sleeve, and therethrough the gripper blade, in non-gripping direction away from the wicket rods.

Claim 12

In a laundry folder, a wicket construction and means for operating it comprising a wicket including a shaft and a plurality of rods secured thereto and extending transaxially therefrom, the shaft being rockable between an upper retracted position of the wicket and a downward advanced position of the wicket, and the wicket when in retracted position being adapted for placement of folded laundry piece thereover, a pulley mounted on said wicket shaft and a flexible element trained on said pulley, a tension spring connected with said flexible element and biasing the wicket to its upper retracted position, a power means secured to the other end of said flexible element and operative for moving the wicket to downward advanced position, a gripper blade including a shaft and a blade element secured thereto, radial arms secured to the wicket shaft and means rockably mounting the gripper blade shaft in the extended ends of said arms and at a position closely proximate the wicket rods, a sleeve on said wicket shaft, a pulley on said sleeve and a pulley on the gripper blade shaft, and belt means drivingly interconnecting the last two pulleys, yielding means interconnecting the wicket shaft and said sleeve and thereby biasing the gripper blade in direction engaging the extended edge of the gripper blade element against the wicket, a radial arm secured to said sleeve, a second power device connected with the extended end of the last radial arm and operative for moving the sleeve, and therethrough the gripper blade, in non-gripping direction away from the wicket rods.