The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 14, 1980
Filed:
Oct. 26, 1978
Charles E Brocklehurst, Fountain Inn, SC (US);
Opelika Manufacturing Corp., Chicago, IL (US);
Abstract
Bed sheets are moved in an unfolded condition along their lengths on a horizontal conveyor, grasped at the opposite sides of their leading edge, stretched at their leading edge and fed into a nip roll of a folder. The nip roll progressively moves the sheet down an inclined guide plate toward a first clamp assembly. The first clamp assembly holds the leading edge of the sheet, and the sheet is spread away from the first clamp assembly into a second, facing clamp assembly. The second clamp assembly grasps the sheet and the first clamp assembly releases the sheet, and the sheet is spread away from the second clamp assembly toward the first clamp assembly, the first clamp assembly regrasps the sheet as the second clamp assembly releases the sheet, and the progressive, alternative spreading and clamping functions continue to draw the sheet into the clamp assemblies and fold the sheet in an accordion fold. The sheet is then conveyed along its folded length out the ends of the two clamp assemblies to a winding fork where the according folded sheet is grasped by and folded about the winding fork in a flat spiral configuration and then is moved off the ends of the tines of the winding fork.