Abstract: A folder for laundry pieces such as towels is provided which employs opposed air discharges for forming precise French folds. The sequence and timing of air discharge through opposed air bars is precisely controlled to provide optimum speed and efficiency. When processing long laundry pieces the conveyor of such pieces is halted for minimum time periods necessary to complete the desired folding sequence.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for loading, transferring, and spreading a sheet of laundry onto a conveyor. One aspect of the invention is to provide a clamp which has a pivot arm adapted to releasably grip a top corner portion of the sheet. The pivot arm is movable between a forwardly extending first position in which the corner portion of the sheet is gripped and a second position closer to the conveyor than the first position. A spreader mechanism spreads apart the top corner portion of the sheet and an opposite top corner portion of the sheet. Another aspect of the invention is to provide a pair of such clamps each having a pivot arm adapted to releasably grip a corresponding top corner portion of the sheet. The clamps are moved laterally apart to spread the sheet and returned to the receiving position after the pivot arms release the sheet.

Abstract: A towel fed conveyor of continuous ribbons is provided which conveys a towel beneath spaced parallel runners which opposed lateral towel side panels being carried by conveying ribbons which slidably engage opposed supporting side plates. If the towel has less than a maximum length, air bars sequentially fold the towel side panels over the runners as the towel is moving and conveyed to the end of an upper feed conveyor. [The air discharges instantaneously urge each towel side panel in sequence against an air permeable grid disposed over the towel and feed conveyor as each panel is moved over the towel central panel.] The air blasts progressively squeeze air from between the side and central panels. [from the panel hinge connections with the towel central panel to the distal terminal ends of the side panels.

Abstract: A folder for towels and similarly-sized laundry pieces is provided which is adapted to form a variety of folds in a rapid manner whereby high production is assured. The provided folder employs an air pervious surface assuring a controlled, rolling folding of the article side panels over an article central panel without any air entrapment, thereby assuring precise folds, and attractive folded articles.

Abstract: A feeding aid for assisting in the feeding of laundry flatwork to laundry processing equipment such as an ironer. The air comprises spaced clamping stations including at least one pivotally mounted clamping wheel which is actuated into a lowered clamping position when a leading edge of a piece of flatwork such as a sheet is sensed beneath an associated laundry sensing device such as a photosensor. After one corner is clamped in place, the sheet leading edge is drawn taut and the opposite sheet corner portion is placed beneath the clamping wheel in a second clamping station. The clamping action of the two stations prevents the weight of the sheet depending from the feed conveyor from causing the sheet to fall by gravity from the conveyor. After a short time delay following clamping by a second clamping wheel, the feed conveyor on which a sheet or the like is clamped is actuated to feed the sheet into engagement with an ironing cylinder or the like.

Abstract: An ironer folder is provided in which an ironed flatwork item such as a sheet is folded into quarter panels along its length by a pivoting arm. The folded sheet is placed on a sequence of conveyors which carry the folded flatwork into engagement with a series of three cross-folding stations whereby the flatwork may be cross-folded three times and discharged from the apparatus. The longitudinal and lateral free edges of the folded flatwork are interiorly disposed in the discharged folded item so as to present an attractive folded appearance having a periphery defined by continuous bight portions.

Abstract: An expansion joint is provided for a rotary ironer or the like employing concentric cylinders defining a passageway through which thermal liquid passes. The joint comprises a toroidal segment which is secured in fluid-tight engagement to adjacent ends of the concentric cylinders. The provided joint enables one cylinder to be heated in advance of the other and expand while retaining a fluid-tight connection between the cylinder ends.

Abstract: A rotatable cylinder is provided having an interior cylindrical passageway defined in part by the inner surface of the outer periphery of such rotatable cylinder and the outer surface of an inner, centrally positioned cylinder. Headers having liquid passageways therethrough and applied in a liquid-tight manner to the opposed cylinder ends complete a liquid-tight chamber with the cylindrical passageway through which heated liquid may circulate from one cylinder end to the other. A helical blade disposed in the cylindrical liquid passageway comprises an impeller which assists passage of the liquid through the passageway. The blade also assures desired heat transfer from the circulating liquid to the rotatable cylinder inner surface from which the heat is conducted to the cylinder outer surface whereat the heat is utilized.

Abstract: An apparatus is adapted to fold a foldable article, such as a towel or the like, into three panels of substantially equal width, with the side panels overlapped beneath a central panel in the course of effecting a French fold. Such apparatus includes a feed conveyor having an adjustable support for the article central panel, and an adjustable underlying folding plate adapted to precisely position the intermediate article panel whereby a French fold is effected in which all three panels are desirably of substantially equal width. The adjustable central panel support and adjustable plate means are simultaneously adjusted and interrelated to automatically effect desired folds in the normal course of apparatus use.

Abstract: A folding apparatus for laundry items such as sheets or the like employs a feed conveyor of continuous tapes or ribbons arranged at an incline. The leading edge of the fed sheet drops by gravity from the upper conveyor end. A blast from an adjacent air bar forces the longitudinal mid-point of the sheet to move onto a second conveyor substantially parallel to the feed conveyor and proceed toward the initial feed station whereat the once-folded sheet drops in front of a second air bar which forces the mid-point of such sheet onto a lower, third conveyor leading away from the feed station. The twice-folded sheet is then driven into the bite of pinch rolls disposed beneath the third conveyor and is folded twice more by buckle folders in the course of proceeding to a stacking means of simplified design. The air bars instrumental in effecting the first two folds are actuated by measuring means employed in combination with sheet-sensing means as will hereinafter be explained in greater detail.