Abstract: An institutional bed, such as is commonly used in hospitals and nursing homes, which is convertible into an easy chair. Conversion occurs by moving an upper frame and the mattress longitudinally toward the foot of the bed while elevating the upper body portion of the movable frame to form the back of the chair. As the frame moves toward the foot, the lower portion, together with the portion of the mattress thereon, is drawn back underneath the bed and out of the way from interfering with the patient sitting in the chair configuration with his feet on the floor. The chair configuration may be elevated so that the patient is assisted in rising to a standing position without dependence upon attendant personnal. The bed includes an inflatable pillow which further assists the patient in rising unaided.

Abstract: An automatic folding machine especially adapted for shop towels. Such items, when fed into the machine, are automatically advanced from the feed board, dropped onto a belt where they fold by gravity about a center line, advanced in stacks of ten (or some other preselected number), rotated through 90.degree. to a horizontal attitude and discharged onto a conveyor table. After five such stacks (as determined by the operator) are accumulated in a bundle, the conveyor advances the bundle to a tying machine for tying to complete the processing.The machine includes settable counters, separate towel count and stack count registers and related control and timing elements to achieve automatic operation of the functional components. A pacer light, controlled by a timer, is also provided to improve the feed rate established by the operator.

Abstract: A laundry piece stacking device which stacks a predetermined number of laundry pieces uniformly and evenly in a stack. Laundry pieces of a predetermined size are conveyed from an ironing area along a double feed conveyor to a swing arm conveyor. The swing arm conveyor is pivotable and rotates in an arc above a work discharge zone. By appropriate adjusting elements, the laundry pieces are evenly draped over a first conveyor in a stacking arrangement until the number of pieces in the stack equals a predetermined count. At that time, the first conveyor and a second, adjacent conveyor are activated for a brief interval so that the first stack formed is transported away from the work deposit zone towards a workpiece receiving area located at the far end of the second conveyor means. The swing arm conveyor is inhibited from operation during this time period. After one stack is removed, additional stacks are formed on the first conveyor and sequentially conveyed towards the receiving area.

Abstract: A multi-station laundry feeder including supply apparatus for a plurality of article conveyors, multiple stations at each conveyor, and an article transporting conveyor utilizable by the multiple stations for transversely placing articles on the transporting conveyor. The operators remove individual articles from the supply conveyor, drape them across the transporting conveyor, touching an adjustable bar which is positioned to automatically appropriately align the articles, and release them.

Abstract: An extractor system for commercial laundries includes a wringer roll extractor coupled via a feed conveyor to a shake-out tumbler into which batches of laundry are placed. The laundry is wet and compacted, having been transported from the washers. The wringer roll extractor compresses the laundry pieces with a force of 37,000 pounds between wringer rolls approximately 36 inches in diameter rotating at approximately 3.5 rpm. Under the pressure and time duration developed by this extractor, the laundry pieces give up water to a retention level of approximately 60%. A photocell is mounted on the feed conveyor to monitor the rate at which laundry pieces are fed to the extractor, operating through a speed control mechanism to limit the speed of the shake-out tumbler. A second photocell, also mounted on the feed conveyor, serves to monitor the flow of laundry items to detect the presence of larger clumps which have not been broken up by the shake-out tumbler.

Abstract: A moisture detector and controller including a pair of spaced-apart plates positioned in a moist air duct, a cleaner positioned between the plate surfaces adapted to wipe them upon initiation and termination of air flow, and an associated circuit effective to measure the resistance between the plates and compare it with a preselected reference resistance indicative of a desired humidity of the air present in the duct.

Abstract: A unit for automatically cleaning items such as laundry or the like comprises a plurality of reciprocating plungers mounted to engage the items within a tank containing the items and a cleaning liquid. Each plunger comprises a piston mounted within a canister. The piston is mounted within the canister in an arrangement which permits a limited relative movement between the piston and canister, thus developing a bi-directional pumping action. With each stroke of the plunger, the piston forces liquid through the items to be cleaned, first in one direction and then the other, by virtue of the limited movement of the piston relative to the canister, the latter serving to assist in holding the items to be cleaned in a position for encountering the liquid being driven by the piston. The combined rotary reciprocating action of the plungers not only serves to clean the items in the tank but also to slowly propel them from the inlet to the outlet end of the tank so that a continuous cleaning process is performed.

Abstract: A laundry folder for folding small pieces, having means for automatically centering the pieces transversely relative to a longitudinal center line and maintaining them so centered in their travel through the folder, including photo-electric cells for spotting the pieces and centering them, the centering means including transversely shiftable belt means and the photo-electric cells controlling the means for shifting the belt means; means for compensating for stretchability of laundry pieces such as knit shorts, so as to fold them in true straight line formation despite deformation as would otherwise be caused by the stretchability of the pieces; a wicket for placing the folded pieces on a supporting surface and means for lowering the supporting surface as the pieces are placed thereon in a stack, so that as the stack is formed, the top piece of the stack is always at substantially the same height.

Abstract: A double fold automatic folding apparatus for selectively developing a second fold in a previously folded article. The apparatus includes a reversible roller which, in one direction of rotation, serves to bypass the second folder and, in an opposite direction of rotation, operates to divert a previously folded article into a position for engagement by the second folder. After the article is diverted to the second folder, the roller is further operable so that the double folded article is drawn out of the second folder toward a conveyor which transports the double folded article to an exit portion of the automatic folding apparatus. Various elements may be optionally provided to assist in diverting the article toward engagement with the second folder and in rendering the operation of the apparatus more effective.

Abstract: Apparatus for extracting, with minimal back-pressure effects, particulate matter carried by an airstream includes, in coupled sequence, a cyclone chamber for mixing the particulate-laden air with a uniformly distributed spray of water or other settling liquid, an air-flow straightening chamber, a splash-limiting basin partially filled with the settling liquid and a porous particulate collector releasably coupled to the basin portion.

Abstract: A new industrial laundry dryer-conditioner is provided, within a single module, that has continuous flow capabilities for integration with advanced industrial washing apparatus, of the continuous flow type, for continuously and automatically processing laundry items through both the washing and the drying cycles.

Abstract: An automatic laundry sorting machine comprising separate sorting stations having individually driven conveyor units for feeding and sorting folded laundry articles according to size. Sorting and sensing means are associated with at least one of the conveyor units to actuate a release mechanism for articles of selected predetermined size. Articles of other sizes are not released but are passed to subsequent stations where further sorting may occur. Articles not fitting any of the predetermined size-sensing criteria can be passed or by-passed through the conveyor units and discharged outside the system. Alternative embodiments including counters strategically placed in subsequent stations and unique jam eliminating circuitry are described.

Abstract: Laundering apparatus for washing, rinsing, etc., in which the water, with the laundry goods, is flowed through in a continuous operation. There may be a single unit, or a plurality of units in series. Means is provided for recirculating water from the exit end of a unit to the entrance end or from one unit to another unit in front of it.