Method and apparatus for stacking folded towels and the like
First Claim
1. A method of stacking folded articles, comprising the following steps:
- a supplying step comprising supplying and depositing successive ones of said folded articles to form a growing stack having an increasing height;
a supporting step comprising supporting two portions of a bottom of said stack on primary carrier members reaching under said stack from opposite sides of said stack, wherein said two portions of said stack bottom are spaced apart from one another with an unsupported portion of said stack bottom therebetween;
a lowering step comprising lowering said primary carrier members in correspondence with said increasing height of said growing stack;
a moving step comprising, when said increasing height of said growing stack reaches a desired completed stack height, moving respective auxiliary carrier members toward one another from said opposite sides of said stack at said desired completed stack height to define a completed stack between said auxiliary carrier members and said primary carrier members;
a continuing step comprising continuing said supplying and depositing of successive ones of said folded articles onto said auxiliary carrier members to form a new growing stack, while supporting two portions of a bottom of said new stack on said auxiliary carrier members, wherein said two portions of said new stack bottom are spaced apart from one another with an unsupported portion of said new stack bottom therebetween;
a transporting step comprising transporting away said completed stack; and
a transferring step comprising transferring said new growing stack onto said primary carrier members and moving said auxiliary carrier members in opposite directions laterally away from said stack to said opposite sides of said stack;
wherein said folded articles are deposited and said auxiliary carrier members are positioned in such a manner that a free edge portion of a bottom one of said articles of said new growing stack extends freely downwardly between said auxiliary carrier members during said continuing step and then extends freely downwardly between said primary carrier members during said transferring step.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for stacking zig-zag interfolded articles such as towels (3) cludes two carrier forks (22, 23) extending toward each other from opposite sides and forming a two-piece stacking table (8) onto which the folded towels are stacked. The apparatus further includes a pair of separating and auxiliary carrying forks (11, 12) that reach into the forming stack from opposite sides. In a method of stacking interfolded towels, the towels are stacked on the two piece stacking table (8) so that the folded edge of consecutive towels alternately faces to the right and to the left. The carrier forks (22, 23) of the two-part stacking table (8) reach under and support the bottom of the stack (2) from opposite sides and lower the stack onto a conveyor belt (26). Meanwhile, the separating and carrying forks (11, 12) reach under and support the bottom of a new stack being formed, from opposite sides.
-
Citations
16 Claims
-
1. A method of stacking folded articles, comprising the following steps:
-
a supplying step comprising supplying and depositing successive ones of said folded articles to form a growing stack having an increasing height; a supporting step comprising supporting two portions of a bottom of said stack on primary carrier members reaching under said stack from opposite sides of said stack, wherein said two portions of said stack bottom are spaced apart from one another with an unsupported portion of said stack bottom therebetween; a lowering step comprising lowering said primary carrier members in correspondence with said increasing height of said growing stack; a moving step comprising, when said increasing height of said growing stack reaches a desired completed stack height, moving respective auxiliary carrier members toward one another from said opposite sides of said stack at said desired completed stack height to define a completed stack between said auxiliary carrier members and said primary carrier members; a continuing step comprising continuing said supplying and depositing of successive ones of said folded articles onto said auxiliary carrier members to form a new growing stack, while supporting two portions of a bottom of said new stack on said auxiliary carrier members, wherein said two portions of said new stack bottom are spaced apart from one another with an unsupported portion of said new stack bottom therebetween; a transporting step comprising transporting away said completed stack; and a transferring step comprising transferring said new growing stack onto said primary carrier members and moving said auxiliary carrier members in opposite directions laterally away from said stack to said opposite sides of said stack; wherein said folded articles are deposited and said auxiliary carrier members are positioned in such a manner that a free edge portion of a bottom one of said articles of said new growing stack extends freely downwardly between said auxiliary carrier members during said continuing step and then extends freely downwardly between said primary carrier members during said transferring step. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
- 9. An apparatus for stacking folded articles, comprising an article feed mechanism including a pair of feed rollers, an article folding mechanism including a pair of folding rollers, a pair of stripper fingers cooperating with said folding rollers to fold and stack said articles, first and second primary carrier members adapted to carry a stack of said articles, and first and second auxiliary carrier members respectively including separating and carrying forks for said folded articles arranged above said primary carrier members and adapted to separate a completed stack of said articles from a next stack being formed and to support said next stack, wherein said first and second primary carrier members are raisable and lowerable in common along a primary stroke direction and are adapted to respectively reach under said stack from first and second opposite sides of said stack so that a first space remains between said primary carrier members, and further comprising primary linear guides extending parallel to said primary stroke direction, diagonal linear guides extending in a diagonal direction at a non-perpendicular angle relative to said primary stroke direction, and first and second auxiliary drive mechanisms connected respectively to said first and second auxiliary carrier members to independently drive said first and second auxiliary carrier members upwardly and downwardly on said primary linear guides along said primary stroke direction and linearly on said diagonal linear guides along said diagonal direction extending at a non-perpendicular angle relative to said primary stroke direction and tiltably toward each other from said opposite sides of said stack so as to respectively reach into said stack from said opposite sides of said stack so that a second space remains between said auxiliary carrier members, and wherein said first space and said second space are respectively so dimensioned and positioned, and said primary carrier members and said auxiliary carrier members are respectively arranged such that a free edge portion of a bottom one of said folded articles in said completed stack extends freely downwardly through said first space and such that a free edge portion of a bottom one of said folded articles in said next stack extends freely downwardly through said second space.
Specification