A method and apparatus that makes provision for two identical folding machines to be arranged one beside the other, and for these to be operated synchronously, so that the large operating width which is necessary for ironing large laundry items, in particular transversely, is also available for folding such laundry items. If large laundry items are to be ironed, and folded, in particular transversely, this requires ironers and folding machines with an appropriately large operating width. Such large operating widths currently cannot be realized technologically in folding machines.

A method and apparatus that makes provision for two identical folding machines to be arranged one beside the other, and for these to be operated synchronously, so that the large operating width which is necessary for ironing large laundry items, in particular transversely, is also available for folding such laundry items. If large laundry items are to be ironed, and folded, in particular transversely, this requires ironers and folding machines with an appropriately large operating width. Such large operating widths currently cannot be realized technologically in folding machines.

A method and device for feeding laundry pieces to a laundry treatment installation. Laundry pieces are fed to ironers by infeed machines. In practice, a front transverse periphery of a laundry piece is folded back on itself. In order to prevent this, infeed machines have stretching installations that have belt conveyors that lie on top of one another, one of which is briefly decelerated so as to unravel a front transverse periphery of the laundry piece that is folded back on itself. This deceleration decreases the infeed performance. One belt conveyor of the present stretching installation is at least temporarily driven at a faster speed to unravel a transverse periphery of the laundry piece that has potentially folded back on itself before the laundry piece runs into the ironer, increasing the infeed performance as it is no longer necessary for either of the belt conveyors to be decelerated.

A method and device for feeding laundry pieces to a laundry treatment installation. Laundry pieces are fed to ironers by infeed machines. In practice, a front transverse periphery of a laundry piece is folded back on itself. In order to prevent this, infeed machines have stretching installations that have belt conveyors that lie on top of one another, one of which is briefly decelerated so as to unravel a front transverse periphery of the laundry piece that is folded back on itself. This deceleration decreases the infeed performance. One belt conveyor of the present stretching installation is at least temporarily driven at a faster speed to unravel a transverse periphery of the laundry piece that has potentially folded back on itself before the laundry piece runs into the ironer, increasing the infeed performance as it is no longer necessary for either of the belt conveyors to be decelerated.

Providing a boiler in the interior of the mangle body, for heating up a gas in particular by an infrared radiant heater, which heats up a heat transfer medium in the cavity of a double-walled shell of the mangle body. The pressing surface of the mangle body can be heated up effectively and in a targeted manner by this heat transfer medium in the cavity of the double-walled shell of the mangle. Belt mangles are known, in the case of which a circumferentially driven mangling belt runs along the outside of the stationary mangle body, which mangling belt transports the laundry items to be mangled on the smooth pressing surface of the mangle body by entrainment. The heating of the pressing surface has been shown to be ineffective in the case of these known belt mangles.

A method and device for feeding laundry pieces to a laundry treatment installation. Laundry pieces are fed to ironers by infeed machines. In practice, a front transverse periphery of a laundry piece is folded back on itself. In order to prevent this, infeed machines have stretching installations that have belt conveyors that lie on top of one another, one of which is briefly decelerated so as to unravel a front transverse periphery of the laundry piece that is folded back on itself. This deceleration decreases the infeed performance. One belt conveyor of the present stretching installation is at least temporarily driven at a faster speed to unravel a transverse periphery of the laundry piece that has potentially folded back on itself before the laundry piece runs into the ironer, increasing the infeed performance as it is no longer necessary for either of the belt conveyors to be decelerated.

A method and device for feeding laundry pieces to a laundry treatment installation. Laundry pieces are fed to ironers by infeed machines. In practice, a front transverse periphery of a laundry piece is folded back on itself. In order to prevent this, infeed machines have stretching installations that have belt conveyors that lie on top of one another, one of which is briefly decelerated so as to unravel a front transverse periphery of the laundry piece that is folded back on itself. This deceleration decreases the infeed performance. One belt conveyor of the present stretching installation is at least temporarily driven at a faster speed to unravel a transverse periphery of the laundry piece that has potentially folded back on itself before the laundry piece runs into the ironer, increasing the infeed performance as it is no longer necessary for either of the belt conveyors to be decelerated.

Providing a boiler in the interior of the mangle body, for heating up a gas in particular by an infrared radiant heater, which heats up a heat transfer medium in the cavity of a double-walled shell of the mangle body. The pressing surface of the mangle body can be heated up effectively and in a targeted manner by this heat transfer medium in the cavity of the double-walled shell of the mangle. Belt mangles are known, in the case of which a circumferentially driven mangling belt runs along the outside of the stationary mangle body, which mangling belt transports the laundry items to be mangled on the smooth pressing surface of the mangle body by entrainment. The heating of the pressing surface has been shown to be ineffective in the case of these known belt mangles.

The invention relates to an apparatus (100) for receiving and spreading out/extending cloth (3), such as pieces of laundry, comprising a set of spreader clamps (120) for releasably receiving a pair of corners of said cloth (3) and for spreading out of said cloth (3), a suction box system (S) including: a suction chute (170) connected with a front portion of a suction chamber (200) and having a mouth for receiving said cloth (3), and a suction fan (119) communicating with a rear portion of said suction chamber (200) via a number of air flow passages (185), the suction fan (119) establishing suction in said suction chamber (200) and said suction chute (170), whereby said suction box system (S) additionally includes a discharge conveyor (C) for the discharge of cloth (3) collected in said suction chamber (200), a discharge gate (320) selectively openable for said discharge, and an air access gate (430) operable for temporarily reducing suction applied by said fan (119) through said air flow passages (185).

The invention relates to an apparatus (100) for receiving and spreading out/extending cloth (3), such as pieces of laundry, comprising a set of spreader clamps (120) for releasably receiving a pair of corners of said cloth (3) and for spreading out of said cloth (3), a suction box system (S) including: a suction chute (170) connected with a front portion of a suction chamber (200) and having a mouth for receiving said cloth (3), and a suction fan (119) communicating with a rear portion of said suction chamber (200) via a number of air flow passages (185), the suction fan (119) establishing suction in said suction chamber (200) and said suction chute (170), whereby said suction box system (S) additionally includes a discharge conveyor (C) for the discharge of cloth (3) collected in said suction chamber (200), a discharge gate (320) selectively openable for said discharge, and an air access gate (430) operable for temporarily reducing suction applied by said fan (119) through said air flow passages (185).