US 12,234,600 B2
Machine for automatically feeding flatwork articles
Dominique Garrone, Aix les Bains (FR); Felix Mouton, Chambery (FR); and Sylvain Duplouy, Brison Saint Innocent (FR)
Assigned to GIRBAU ROBOTICS, Gresy sur Aix (FR)
Appl. No. 17/787,349
Filed by Girbau Robotics, Grésy sur Aix (FR)
PCT Filed Dec. 18, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/087026
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 20, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/123169, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 24, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 19383159 (EP), filed on Dec. 20, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0013252 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. D06F 67/04 (2006.01); D06F 67/10 (2006.01)
CPC D06F 67/04 (2013.01) [D06F 67/10 (2013.01); B65H 2406/31 (2013.01); B65H 2701/174 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A feeding machine (100) for feeding flatwork articles, such a bed sheet, to a subsequent article treatment machine, the feeding machine (100) including:
a plurality of loading posts (1) each of the posts including a load conveyor (2) comprising a conveying surface movable in a feed direction (D) configured to transfer a leading-edge portion of the flatwork article (53) between leading corner portions thereof to a rear delivery unit (2b) of said load conveyor (2);
a pair of transferring grippers (6), movable between a receiving position, adjacent to the rear delivery unit (2b) for engagement with the trailing corner portions of the flatwork article (53), and a transfer position spaced apart from the receiving position in the feed direction (D);
a pickup station including at least two spreading grippers (7) which are movable along at least one transverse horizontal guide (8) perpendicular to the feed direction (D) between a waiting position adjacent to said transfer position of the transferring grippers (6), for receiving and griping the trailing corner portions of the flatwork article (53) and a spread position in which the spreading grippers (7) are further separated from each other than in the waiting position;
an outgoing feed conveyor (9) having a front end located below the spreading grippers (7) and a conveying surface movable in the feed direction (D) to transfer the flatwork article (53) into an ironer-dryer machine;
a vacuum chamber (44) connected to a vacuum source, located below the spreading grippers (7) and below the front end of the outgoing feed conveyor (9) and having a suction entrance (45) to the vacuum chamber (44) arranged at a distance of a leading edge of said outgoing feed conveyor (9), and
an introducer roller (46) parallel to the front end of the outgoing feed conveyor (9) being rotated by a motor in a load direction and being arranged adjacent the suction entrance;
wherein:
each of the loading posts (1) has one pair of transferring grippers (6) associated to the respective rear delivery unit (2b);
the suction entrance (45) of the vacuum chamber (44) and the introducer roller (46) extends all along the outgoing feed conveyor and have associated at least two movable separating blades (59) that are configured to temporally prevent the insertion of a spread piece of clothing hanging from the transferring grippers (6) or from the spreading grippers (7) into the suction entrance (45);
the spreading grippers (7) are mobile independently of each other over the entire width of the transverse horizontal guide (8), so that the flatwork article (53) is widespread either centred in correspondence with a central zone of the outgoing feed conveyor (9) or alternatively in correspondence with one lateral zone thereof, to be unloaded on the outgoing feed conveyor (9) allowing the machine to operate in one or more lanes; and
a controller that coordinates the movements of the transferring grippers (6), spreading grippers (7) and movable separating blades (59).