Flat folding & stacking method and apparatus

Claim 3

In the method of stacking hosiery as defined in claim 1, the further improvement comprising the steps of: sensing the position of the trailing end of the article being conveyed as said trailing end approaches said longitudinal folding station, and releasing the clamped toe portions when said trailing end has reached a predetermined position on said support surface.

Claim 4

In the method of stacking hosiery as defined in claim 1, the further improvement comprising the steps of: sensing the position of the trailing end of the article being conveyed as said trailing end approaches said longitudinal folding station, and releasing the clamped toe portions to position said trailing end of successive articles at substantially the same position on said support surface regardless of variations in length of the individual articles.

Claim 5

In a system for treating and handling hosiery articles each having a pair of legs in which the articles are loaded onto boarding forms, conveyed seriatum through a treatment chamber while supported on the boarding forms, and subsequently stripped from the boarding forms for further handling, the improvement comprising the steps of: substantially simultaneously clamping the toe ends of the legs of treated articles while on said boarding forms, moving the clamped toe ends away from the boarding forms to strip the articles from the boarding forms and convey the articles away from the boarding forms in an extended substantially flat condition, depositing the stripped articles at a longitudinal folding station in an extended substantially flat condition on a support surface with the legs of the articles extending in substantially parallel spaced relation, longitudinally folding onE leg of said articles into generally flat superimposed relation with the other leg, repeating these steps to strip, convey and longitudinally fold successive articles treated in said treatment chamber onto the top of a stack of articles at said folding station, progressively lowering said stack into a stacking tray positioned beneath said folding station as successive articles are folded thereon to maintain the top of the stack of folded articles at substantially constant level, and replacing the filled tray with an empty tray upon stacking a predetermined number of articles thereon.

Claim 6

In a system for treating and handling hosiery articles each having a pair of legs in which the articles are loaded onto boarding forms, conveyed seriatum through a treatment chamber while supported on the boarding forms, and subsequently stripped from the boarding forms for further handling, the improvement comprising the steps of: substantially simultaneously clamping the toe ends of the legs of treated articles while on said boarding forms, moving the clamped toe ends away from the boarding forms to strip the articles from the boarding forms and convey the articles away from the boarding forms in an extended substantially flat condition, depositing the stripped articles at a longitudinal folding station in an extended substantially flat condition on a support surface with the legs of the articles extending in substantially parallel spaced relation, longitudinally folding onE leg of said articles into generally flat superimposed relation with the other leg, repeating these steps to strip, convey and longitudinally fold successive articles treated in said treatment chamber onto the top of a stack of articles at said folding station, progressively lowering said stack into a stacking tray positioned beneath said folding station as successive articles are folded thereon to maintain the top of the stack of folded articles at substantially constant level, and replacing the filled tray with an empty tray upon stacking a predetermined number of articles thereon.

Claim 7

In the system for treating and handling hosiery articles as defined in claim 4, the further steps of: elevating the bottom surface of the empty stacking tray to said folding station to define at least a portion of said support surface, and progressively lowering said bottom surface as successive articles are folded in comprising: folding station to maintain the top of said stack of articles at a substantially constant level.

Claim 8

In the system as defined in claim 4, the further improvement comprising the steps of: sensing the position of the unclamped end of the stripped article approaching said folding station, and releasing the clamped toe ends of said article to position the unclamped ends of successive articles at substantially the same position on said support surface regardless of variations in the length of individual articles.

Claim 9

In the system as defined in claim 4, the further improvement comprising the steps of: sensing the position of the unclamped end of the stripped article approaching said folding station, and releasing the clamped toe ends of said article when said unclamped end has reached a predetermined position on said support surface.

Claim 10

A treating and handling apparatus for hosiery articles each having a pair of legs comprising in combination: semi-boarding means for semi-boarding individual hosiery articles, said semi-boarding means including a plurality of elongated boarding forms, conveyor means for moving said forms about an endless path extending past a loading station, through a treatment chamber, and past a stripping station, said forms being collapsible to facilitate loading the articles thereon and stripping the articles therefrom, means for collapsing said forms at said stripping station, stripping means at said stripping station for substantially simultaneously engaging the toe portions of articles mounted on said forms and stripping the articles therefrom, said stripping means including article conveyor means for conveying the stripped articles in an extended, substantially flat, smooth condition and depositing the articles in said extended condition onto a support surface at a folding station with the two legs extending in substantially parallel side-by-side relation, folding means for longitudinally folding one of said legs in substantially flat, super-imposed relation on top of the other said leg, means at said folding station for progressively lowering the longitudinally folded articles to maintain the level thereof substantially constant comprising a stacking tray positioned beneath said folding station, said stacking tray having a vertically movable article supporting platform therein, and motor means for raising said article supporting platform to define a portion of said support surface, said motor means being operable to lower said article supporting platform to maintain the top of the stack of articles on said article supporting platform at a substantially constant level, whereby successive articles are stacked into a substantially vertical stack as they are folded at said folding station.

Claim 11

A treating and handling apparatus for hosiery articles each having a pair of legs comprising in combination: semi-boarding means for semi-boarding individual hosiery articles, said semi-boarding means including a plurality of elongated boarding forms, conveyor means for moving said forms about an endless path extending past a loading station, through a treatment chamber, and past a stripping station, said forms being collapsible to facilitate loading the articles thereon and stripping the articles therefrom, means for collapsing said forms at said stripping station, stripping means at said stripping station for substantially simultaneously engaging the toe portions of articles mounted on said forms and stripping the articles therefrom, said stripping means including article conveyor means for conveying the stripped articles in an extended, substantially flat, smooth condition and depositing the articles in said extended condition onto a support surface at a folding station with the two legs extending in substantially parallel side-by-side relation, folding means for longitudinally folding one of said legs in substantially flat, super-imposed relation on top of the other said leg, means at said folding station for progressively lowering the longitudinally folded articles to maintain the level thereof substantially constant comprising a stacking tray positioned beneath said folding station, said stacking tray having a vertically movable article supporting platform therein, and motor means for raising said article supporting platform to define a portion of said support surface, said motor means being operable to lower said article supporting platform to maintain the top of the stack of articles on said article supporting platform at a substantially constant level, whereby successive articles are stacked into a substantially vertical stack as they are folded at said folding station.

Claim 12

The hosiery handling apparatus as defined in claim 8 further comprising: stacking tray conveyor means extending beneath said folding station, said stacking tray conveyor means including means for advancing an empty stacking tray into a loading position to receive a stack Of articles therein, and means for removing a filled stacking tray upon a predetermined number of articles being deposited therein.

Claim 13

The hosiery handling apparatus as defined in claim 8 further comprising: sensing means for sensing the trailing end of said article when said article is moved onto said support surface, and means operated by said sensing means controlling said article conveyor means to deposit said articles on said support surface when the trailing end of said articles reaches substantially the same position on said support surface regardless of variations in the length of the individual articles.

Claim 14

The hosiery handling apparatus as defined in claim 8 further comprising: sensing means for sensing the trailing end of said article when said article is moved onto said support surface, and means operated by said sensing means controlling said article conveyor means to deposit said article on said support surface when the trailing end of said article reaches a predetermined position on said support surface.

Claim 15

Apparatus for stacking hosiery articles and the like comprising: means for substantially simultaneously clamping the toe portions of said articles, conveyor means for conveying said means clamping the toe portions to convey the articles in an extended, substantially flat, smooth condition to a folding station and to deposit said articles on a support surface at said folding station with the two legs extending in substantially parallel side-by-side relation, folding means for longitudinally folding one of said legs over in substantially flat, super-imposed relation on top of the other said leg, means for positioning a stacking tray beneath said folding station, said stacking tray having a vertically movable article supporting platform therein, and means for raising said article supporting platform to define a portion of said support surface, said raising means being operable to lower said article supporting platform to maintain the top of the stack of articles formed thereon at a substantially constant level.

Claim 16

Apparatus for stacking hosiery articles and the like comprising: means for substantially simultaneously clamping the toe portions of said articles, conveyor means for conveying said means clamping the toe portions to convey the articles in an extended, substantially flat, smooth condition to a folding station and to deposit said articles on a support surface at said folding station with the two legs extending in substantially parallel side-by-side relation, folding means for longitudinally folding one of said legs over in substantially flat, super-imposed relation on top of the other said leg, means for positioning a stacking tray beneath said folding station, said stacking tray having a vertically movable article supporting platform therein, and means for raising said article supporting platform to define a portion of said support surface, said raising means being operable to lower said article supporting platform to maintain the top of the stack of articles formed thereon at a substantially constant level.

Claim 17

Apparatus as defined in claim 12 further comprising: sensing means for sensing the trailing end of said article when said article is conveyed onto said support surface, and means operated by said sensing means controlling said means clamping the toe portions to deposit said article on said support surface when the trailing end of said article reaches a predetermined position on said support surface.

Claim 18

Apparatus as defined in claim 12 further comprising: sensing means for sensing the trailing end of said article when said article is conveyed onto said support surface, and means operated by said sensing means controlling said means clamping the toe portions to deposit said articles on said support surface when the trailing end of said articles reaches substantially the same position on said support surface regardless of variations in the length of the individual articles.