Importance

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Abstract

An apparatus for spreading laundry flatwork pieces, such as bed sheets, before feeding them to subsequent processing equipment, such as an ironer and a folder. The flatwork pieces are spread apart by pairs of clamps, there normally being one pair of clamps at the left end, another pair of clamps at the right end, and a third pair of clamps at the center of the apparatus. The spread-out flatwork pieces are blown onto a conveyor for conveying them to the subsequent processing apparatus. Trailing edge sensors are positioned at different levels below the clamps to sense the upward passage of the bottom edge of the laundry flat piece deposited on the conveyor, and a selector switch enables one of the sensors and disables the other, depending upon the speed at which the conveyor is being operated. Proximity switches sense the positions of the clamps. There is an overlying conveyor cooperating with the main conveyor for sandwiching the laundry flat piece as it is moved into the apparatus for stretching purposes. The main conveyor can be moved to an extended position beyond the clamps to facilitate hand feeding of small laundry flat pieces without engagement by the clamps.

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First Claim