Abstract: A method and apparatus for transferring items of laundry after being separated first of all to a transfer device which then transfers the individual items of laundry to a loading device. The items of laundry are then hung individually by clips of the loading device into a clip which is in each case held ready and is to be loaded on the conveyor. Items of laundry can thereby be rapidly and reliably hung fully automatically into the clips to be loaded.

Abstract: Disclosed is a clothes treating apparatus, which treats clothes into a more wearable condition. A clothes treating apparatus includes a cabinet; an accommodating space defined in the cabinet to accommodate clothes, and maintained in a stationary state; an air supplying device generating dry air and supplying the dry air into the accommodating space such that the dry air is circulated in the accommodating space, wherein the air supplying device includes an inlet provided at a bottom of the accommodating space such that the air in the accommodating space flows into the air supplying device through the inlet; and a filter assembly installed in the inlet, and filtering the air passing through the inlet.

Abstract: Items of laundry have to be stretched out by a spreading device (14) before they are inserted into a mangle or any other laundry treatment device. To this end, the spreading device (14) has spreading clips (15) which can be moved away from one another. In the case of relatively large items of laundry, the spreading clips (15) have to cover a relatively large distance in order to spread out the item of laundry. This reduces the insertion rate. The invention provides for the items of laundry to be preliminarily spread out before being passed to the spreading clips (15), so that the spreading clips (15) receive the item of laundry in a state in which it is already virtually spread out. The spreading clips (15) only have to cover a small residual distance in order to spread out the item of laundry completely. As a result, the spreading device (14) can spread out the item of laundry very quickly.

Abstract: Upgraded ironing machine, particularly for ironing trousers, comprising a supporting structure (2) of at least two substantially vertical pressing plates (3), arranged so they are facing each other and moving from a home configuration, wherein the pressing plates are substantially a long way from each other, and a working configuration wherein the pressing plates are substantially close together, at least one ironing plate (4) substantially vertical and interposable between the pressing plates in the working configuration, at least one supporting element of at least one pair of trousers positionable with the legs laid respectively on the opposite sides of the ironing plate and automated positioning means of the trousers with respect to the ironing plate.

Abstract: A method for the treatment of covering materials for use with a vehicle component, in particular for pieces of trim or vehicle seats, whereby the moisture content of the covering material is temporarily increased, such that the covering material is softened in a treatment chamber by the introduction of moisture and then smoothed by the action of a drawing force extending the covering material is disclosed. A vehicle component treated by the above method, in particular seats, roof linings, and trim pieces for motor vehicles is further disclosed.

Abstract: The invention relates to covers for seats used in transport vehicles, especially motor vehicles. The covers of the seats are automatically finished as the manufactured seats are transported by a conveyor through at least one treating chamber of a tunnel finisher. All of the seats are treated in the treating chamber at least with steam which smoothes the covers thereof. The inventive finishing treatment results in an even smoothness of said covers, even in areas which are difficult to reach manually.

Abstract: The invention refers to a method and apparatus for loading articles such as stockings, socks and the like onto an ironing machine being provided with relevant support shapes; the apparatus (1) comprises: a tubular chamber (3) with an inlet section (20) for the introduction of articles (M), connected upstream with a supply machine (PP) able to transfer the articles according to a preset order; a temporary support element (4) on which the article (M) can be filtered, said support element (4) being located within said chamber (3) with its longitudinal axis (x—x) coincident with and parallel to that of the same chamber (3) and subdivided into two semi-parts (44) which can move close to and, respectively, away from each other; means (5) for the removal and positioning of the articles (M) able to remove an article (M) from said temporary support element (4) and to fit it onto a shape (6).

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically loading socks on forms (1) comprises a suction unit (20) at an inlet, a carousel (10) with several stations (2, 3, 4, 5), a positioning unit (30) of the sock (S), a tucking-up unit (40) and a pick-up robot (50). The carousel has intermediate supports (12) onto which can be put, partially or completely, the socks (S). The carousel (10) brings the intermediate supports (12) through successive stations (2, 3, 4, 5) up to a pick-up station (5), where an arm (52) is connected pivotally (55a) to a carriage sliding on an upright (53). Means are provided for translating (53a) vertically the carriage vertically upwards or downwards, along the upright (53), and for rotating (55a) integrally the arm (52) about said horizontal axis (55). Pick-up fingers (56) are provided at a first end (52b) of said arm (52) associated to means for opening (56a) and closing them.

Abstract: The invention refers to a method and apparatus for loading articles such as stockings, socks and the like onto an ironing machine being provided with relevant support shapes; the apparatus (1) comprises: a tubular chamber (3) with an inlet section (20) for the introduction of articles (M), connected upstream with a supply machine (PP) able to transfer the articles according to a preset order; a temporary support element (4) on which the article (M) can be filtered, said support element (4) being located within said chamber (3) with its longitudinal axis (x-x) coincident with and parallel to that of the same chamber (3) and subdivided into two semi-parts (44) which can move close to and, respectively, away from each other; means (5) for the removal and positioning of the articles (M) able to remove an article (M) from said temporary support element (4) and to fit it onto a shape (6).

Abstract: An ironing device, to be used in ironing machines for ironing trousers by blowing hot air therethrough, comprises a driving construction, supporting a pair of carriages, each of which supports, in turn, at least an ironing block for ironing the trousers pockets, said driving construction being designed for bringing said carriages from an opened position, in which the trousers article is arranged on a tool for tensioning the pelvis region of the trousers article, and a pressing position, in which the pocket ironing blocks press the trousers pockets in the ironing block arranged inside the pelvis region of the pelvis region tensioning tool.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an automatic machine which has been specifically designed for ironing trousers free of folds, preferably of a jeans type, or made of elasticized or sports fabrics, which machine comprises a bearing framework rotatably supporting thereon a plurality of operating assemblies for supporting the cloth articles being ironed, each operating assembly being programmable to automatically perform a plurality of different operations, depending on the type of the trouser fabric and their size.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an automatic machine which has been specifically designed for ironing trousers free of folds, preferably of a jeans type, or made of elasticized or sports fabrics, which machine comprises a bearing framework rotatably supporting thereon a plurality of operating assemblies for supporting the cloth articles being ironed, each operating assembly being programmable to automatically perform a plurality of different operations, depending on the type of the trouser fabric and their size.

Abstract: A packet ironing system for documents fan-folded into a packet which includes a conveyer path bounded laterally by an ironing plate on one side and an opposite-facing backing plate on the other side, defining a conveyance gap therebetween. The leading end of the ironing plate is rotatable about a vertical axis hinge. An actuator for moving the ironing plate about a point of rotation defined by the hinge alters the gap between the ironing plate and the backing plate. Control means which includes a sensor located downstream of infeed rollers signals the actuator to forceably move the ironing plate against the fan-fold document as the document is pulled through the conveyance gap by the infeed rollers.

Abstract: An air control valve system for a shirt body press wherein the shirt body press includes at least one mannequin which is positionable between two press plates. The mannequin defines at least two inflatable side air bags. The shirt body press further includes a blower system including a blower and a heat exchanger through which the blower exhausts. The air control valve system controls the flow of air out of the heat exchanger into inflatable air bags located at the sides and shoulders in two stages, a soft, or initial, air stage and a full pressure stage. The air control valve system includes at least one valve assembly for inflating the air bags. A flow controller can be mechanically adjusted to control the restricted flow rate of the soft air stage. A metering valve controls the rate at which the air flow rate is increased to the full pressure stage. The full pressure stage is timed to commence coincidentally with the closing of the press plates.

Abstract: An automatic shirt pressing apparatus includes at least a loading station, a pressing station and a movable support upon which a plurality of shirt receiving bucks are mounted for movement between the loading and pressing stations. A buck vacuum supply arrangement is associated with each of the bucks. A movable vacuum supply tube is arranged to successively be removably connected to the buck vacuum arrangement of each of the bucks when the buck located at the loading station, to travel with each of the bucks to a pressing station while remaining connected thereto and to be disconnected from the buck vacuum arrangement once a pressing operation is initiated. A method of pressing a shirt using such an automatic shirt pressing apparatus is also described.

Abstract: A shirt pressing apparatus includes a buck upon which a shin can be loaded before transferring the buck into a cabinet for pressing and finishing of the shirt. Movable with the buck is a pair of rods which have attached thereto cuff clamps. In accordance with the invention, each of the cuff clamps includes a pair of longitudinally chamfered pinch bars which are mounted in a clamp housing and biased into engagement with each other. The pinch bars are preferably made of Teflon.TM. and are readily replaceable when worn. The cuff portions of the shirts to be pressed are loaded between the pinch bars of the cuff clamps from below while the rods are located adjacent the buck. Thereafter, the rods are extended away from the buck to place sleeves of the shirt in tension during the pressing and finishing operation. When the shirt is finished and comes out of the cabinet, the rods remain in their extended positions during unloading of the shirt.

Abstract: A running carriage (33) delivers, spreads, and piles a sheet material to be spread to form a piled sheet material (24), while running on a spreading table (22) of a cloth spreading machine (21). The piled sheet material (24) is placed on an underlay sheet (25) which has a larger area than that of the piled sheet material (24). At the bottom of the running carriage (33), a foot presser (27) is provided. The foot presser (27) is designed to be vertically displaced by a cylinder (28). A blower motor (29) drives a fan (30) to blow air through nozzles (31) towards the surface of the spreading table (22), thereby reducing the load of the piled sheet material (24). The underlay sheet (25) is pressed by the foot presser (27) and the running carriage (33) starts running, whereby the piled sheet material (24) is delivered.

Abstract: A fabric panel loader for automatically feeding a fabric panel from a stack of fabric pieces to a work station. The apparatus includes a fabric pickup assembly for removing the fabric panel from the stack of fabric pieces and transferring the panel to a smoothing table. The smoothing table receives the fabric panel and automatically moves the fabric panel from the stack of fabric pieces to a predetermined orientation. A panel loader removes the fabric panel from the table and transfers the panel to the work station.

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: A method for spreading thin soft rectangular articles such as cloths, unwoven cloths, paper sheets, plastic sheets, etc. (generally called "rectangular sheets") is disclosed. A part of a first side of a rectangular sheet including one corner of a rectangular sheet is suspended in the air as held nearly horizontally by gripping the corner and another point on the side by grippers which are slidable on a horizontal rail. Accordingly, a second side of the rectangular sheet including the one corner is made to hang down nearly vertically. Then the lowermost end of the second side is gripped by another gripper that is movable vertically along a vertical rail. Except for the one corner, the initially held part of the one side is released, and the rectangular sheet is held with the two adjacent corners at the opposite ends of the second side gripped by two grippers which are movable on the rail.

Abstract: A method and a machine for automatically handling a flat rectangular sheet, located in a bin, which ultimately grasps two adjacent corners, allowing the rest of the sheet to hang freely, making the sheets ready to be dried, pressed and folded. First, the sheet is grasped in an arbitrary location and dragged until the farthest corner is found. Second, this corner is grasped by a gripper, which is attached to a rail, allowing the sheet to be dragged and shaken until the diagonal corner is located. Third, this diagonal corner is grasped by a second gripper. Fourth, the two remaining corners are separated through the use of a separation guide. Fifth, one of these remaining corners is grasped by a third gripper. Sixth, the first gripper is released. Finally, the sheet is moved, through the use of the second and third gripper attached to independent rails which finally become parallel, to a location where the sheet can hang freely from the two grippers attached to adjacent corners.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically and simultaneously ironing front, rear and top portions of a shirt comprises two vertical movable ironing plates therebetween there is provided a dummy bearing a shirt to be ironed, the dummy including an upwardly movable top portion and the ironing plates having two concave top seats negatively reproducing the profile of the top of the dummy, the apparatus further comprising gripping elements to automatically grip and transfer the ironed shirt.

Abstract: A device for taking trousers off a double-leg ironing machine having an ironing board receiving the trouser legs in spread position, a gripper mounted for motion along the ironing board including two clamping plates arranged in the transverse direction of the ironing board at least one of which is mounted for vertical motion and can be lowered to the surface of the ironing board. The gripper grips, raises and transports one trouser leg along the longitudinal axis of the board and releases it at the end of the other trouser leg. This positions the ends of the trouser legs together so that they can be gripped manually or mechanically and held by a clamping hanger for further transport. A transport system is provided.

Abstract: A system for taking up and discharging ironed cloth articles from ironing apparatus comprises a column mounted on a base and supporting an articulated rotary arm at one end of which there is mounted a ball member for engaging an ironed cloth article and removing it from an ironing apparatus.

Abstract: An indexing mechanism for use in a garment pressing machine includes a support frame, a guide rail secured to the frame, a carriage supported by the guide rail for linear movement between dressing and pressing positions, and a fluid actuator for moving the carriage. The carriage carries a pressing buck or mannequin. The indexing mechanism includes an indexing bar having one end pivotally attached to the carriage for linear movement therewith and a second end slidably and pivotally mounted within a guide attached to the support frame. The actuator is connected between the support frame and a central portion of the indexing bar. Extension and retraction of the fluid cylinder causes the indexing bar to pivot and slide about one end within the guide space and to drive the carriage between its dressing and pressing positions at its other end.

Abstract: An ironing machine for automatically ironing garments or other articles which are conveyed through the machine on hangers. The machine comprises an ironing zone to receive an article to be ironed and a heat applying means for applying heat to an article received at the ironing zone. The heat applying means is mounted on a shuttle which is movable relative to the ironing zone for traversing that zone. The heat applying means includes two opposed heat applying surfaces one disposed on each side of the ironing zone for contacting a surface of an article at the ironing zone and conforming to the surface contour thereof while traversing the ironing zone.

Abstract: A method of gripping corner of a strip of cloth, which may be applied to, for example, systems for spreading strips of cloth, including a first step of suspending a rectangular strip of cloth by gripping one corner thereof, a second step of gripping the lowermost corner portion of the strip suspended in the frist step, a third step of raising substantially vertically either one of the gripped points of the strip gripped in the first and second steps, a fourth step of applying braking force to the other gripped point in order to apply tension to the strip, and a fifth step of holding substantially horizontally one side of the strip having a corner portion which is adjacent to the gripped points, and gripping the corner portion of the strip which is adjacent to the gripped points of the strip gripped in the first and second steps, respectively.

Abstract: In a conveyor for continuously conveying linens or like materials one by one as gripped at a plurality of points by chucks moving along a rail, a first sensor for detecting passage of the chuck is disposed at a predetermined position along the rail, and two or more second sensors for detecting existence of a linen are disposed at two or more predetermined positions. Means is provided for expanding a distance between adjacent chucks being moved continuously in the proximity of the first sensor. In response to detection signals issued from the sensors, the condition of the chucks gripping the linens can be recognized whether a given chuck is gripping a front corner, a rear corner or a middle point on an upper edge of a linen, it is gripping only one point of a linen, or it is gripping nothing (that is, idle).

Abstract: A device for mounting articles of clothing for controlling purposes or for smoothing in an ironing apparatus, comprising a mounting frame and a holding section which holds the latter and sits on a revolving conveyor, is described.To eliminate the making available of a plurality of mounting frames adapted to the various sizes of articles of clothing of a design range, and, consequently, the time-consuming exchanging of mounting frames on the holding sections of the revolving conveyor, it is proposed that the mounting frame be constituted by two component frames arranged alongside each other in the direction of advance, which are adjustable relative to each other by an adjustment device provided on the holding section for alteration of their spacing.

Abstract: A trousers ironing machine is provided with devices for automatically picking up trousers at the end of the ironing process and successively orderly gathering them. The machine comprises essentially a pair of side-by-side flat structures each including two portions of elongate shape which are arranged sequentially lengthwise. The two elongate portions can be moved toward and away from each other and jointly rotated through 180.degree. about an intermediate axis extending orthogonally to the plane of lay. Positioned above each flat structure is an ironing platen which is suitably set up to apply an appropriate pressure to the structure, a sliding gripper being arranged below the structure for gripping the ironed trousers and pulling them out of the structure.

Abstract: A spreader, counter, folder and stacker for laundered articles. The articles are discharged as circulated about an elongated bin. Clips on an endless chain pick the articles up from the bin one by one and elevate them. The clips are released by a cam to drop the articles one by one on traveling catches which pull them for spreading and carry them over a retarded rotation brush. This places a drag on the articles and elongates them for transfer one by one to a spreader bar. A series of spreader bars are provided and each carries the article draped over the bar past the radial tine of a counter. As each article engages a radial tine a drive is energized to a brush conveyor and a counted stack of articles is stacked on the conveyor and discharged from the conveyor to be picked up for use.

Abstract: A device for arranging and transporting articles of laundry to feeder equipment for a flat ironing machine including a plurality of paired heads which are spaced apart pendent from a continuous chain. Each of the heads is provided with a pair of gripping devices for tautly holding a portion of the articles of laundry near the edges thereof whereby the articles can be picked off the heads by a feeder for continuous delivery to a flat ironing machine.

Abstract: There is disclosed a sewing machine and ironing device for sewing and ironing seams in which two ironing elements are disposed on opposite sides of the path followed by the seam as it issues from a region at which the sewing is completed, one of which is urged towards the other magnetically to apply ironing pressure to a seam disposed therebetween.