US1917096A - Method and apparatus for cleaning - Google Patents

Description

July 4 1933- J. w. CHAMBERLIN 1,917,096

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING A File'doct. 24, i952 5 sheets-sheet 1 v a .El

July 4, 1933. v J. w. CHAMBERLIN 1,917,096

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING Filed Oct. 24, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 A; INVENTCJ'R..

- EY W7 AIT? July 4, 1933. J. w. CHAMBERLIN 1,917,096

METHOD .AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING y Filed Oct. 24, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 .INVENTDE July 4, 1933- J. w. CHAMBERLIN IETHOD APPARATUS FOR VCLEANING' Filed 0G12. 24, -1932 4 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 'INYEN-ras.. 'M/@MW Patented July 4, 1933 1,917,095

A'UNrri-:D sTATEsPATaNr, oFF-luca'v I JonN w. or AKRON, omo

mamon ANnArrmTUsro-.a CLEANING i vAfzplieation led October 24, 1932. Serial No. 689,291.

I The present inventionrelates to a methodv decrease in eiiiciency of operation. A numand apparatus suitable for cleaning, deber of attempts have been made to use carbon greasing or the like, of various materials tetrachloride as a cleaning vfluid due to its which may be .of animal, vegetable, f or non-inlammability. However, numerous.

5 mineral origin. The system involved is comdiiliculties have beset this procedure a'nd one 55 m`only referred to in the sense of dry cleanof the most serious of these diiiiculties has in'g. While the present application deals been due to theinherent tendency 'of carbon generallyl with' such systems, it is directed tetrachloride to hydrolizein the presence of in its specific phases at the iuid circulating water and/or moisture to form free acid- 1 system and particularly at the treatment or. which attacks and deteriorates the articles be- 0 purication of soiled cleaning fluid coming' ing cleaned and moreover corrodes metal butfrom the Washing step, f tons, buckles', hooks and eyes, etc., as well'as` The common practice now in use for dry the commercial metals that are commonly cleaning clothing or theA like is to use a used in dry cleaning apparatus. These diiinaphtha, gasoline, or vbenzine solution to culties, with whichI am thoroughly familiar 65 which h'as been added a dry cleaning l soap from long contact with the problem, clearly soluble therein. The clothing is placed in showed me that in spite of the extensive the washing machine in contact with this efforts that had been made in the past to desolution and the machine is then started and vise simpler systems that could be used :2 the washing 'continued for fifteen or twenty `ecoliomically without sacrificing cleaning ei- 70 minutes, followin which the clothing is re-A t ciency, such eorts, generally speaking, had moved and Itranserredto a separate washnotattained the desired end. With this in v ing machine where it is'washedin'clear gaso mind, I have carried out an extensiveseries line or benzine. lAfter'jthe bulk of the soap of tests and experiments which .have new re- 75 25 has been washed out ofthe clothing by means. suited in myfdiscovery of a system which is of the clear solvent, the clothing-is transverysimple to operate, occupies avery small erred tofa centrifugal A,extractor where from floor space, does not require skilled or semi- 80 to 90% of the cleaning iuid is thrown skilled operators, eliminates re hazard,and

Dif. The clothing is next. placed -in a condoesa high class dry cleaning job economi- 80 ventional deodori'zer where the remaining cally, rapidly, and eiiiciently.

cleaning uid evaporates and is withdrawn Accordingly among the objects of the pres from the clothing. This system involves two ent invention is the provision of a new methhandlings of the clothing while wet with od and combination of apparatus suitable cleaning fluid, and one handling when the for the economic and eicient dry cleaning '5 bulk of the cleaning fluid has been removed of articles such as clothing. Another oband the clothing is on the way to the dief 'ject is to provide an apparatus which is odorizer. This system as well as all other simple, easily operated, and does notvoccupy systemsV now in commercial use for doing a an excessive amount of floor space. ,Another good grade of cleaning involves theY use of object is tov provide a system forcontinuousequipment that occupies a large iioor space, ly purifying, reclaiming, and decolorizing is relatively dangerous, particularly when in-v the cleaning fluid. Another object is to profl'ammable cleaning fluids are used, and has vide avcontinuous flow system whereindirt innumerable valves and connections to opand soil removed from .the articles being erate, and moreover requires atthe very least cleaned are continuously removed from the semi-.skilled labor' to do the work. Many -atcleaning fluid .and the so-purilied uid retempts have been madel to produce systems turned to'the washing machine. Another that have a lower initial cost and are simpler object is to provide a system wherein anonto operate. Nevertheless, so faras I am inflammable cleaningluid can'be used withaware, these efforts havein general 'niet with out the drawbacks which have been hereto- 1w y failure or else have resultedv infila marked ,'OI'e encountered by the art. Further objects and advantages will appear as the de `scri tion proceeds.

o the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then,.con sists of the steps and means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out inthe claims, the annexed drawings and the following description setting forth in detail 'certain means and modes of carrying out the l1nvent1on, such dlsclosed means and modes illustrating, however, but several of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be'used.

In said annexed drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevational View showing my cleaning machine construction as the same appears when the several units are assembled in straight alignment with relation to each other. It will be understood that upon certain occasions conditions may ariserelative to ioor space where the various-units entering into the general lassembly of ,the

cleaning machine may be such as to limit-"the y 'floor space to such a degree that straight line assembly would be impossible. lVhere such conditions are encountered. the various units may 'be 'positioned-at right angles to each other.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevational View as the` same would appear with-the front. of the variouscabinets removed, the position of the cleaning member with respect tothe liquid within-the tub while operating to cleanse fabrics being shown in full lines and the raised or drying position of the cleaning member being shown in dotted lines, with certain parts of the cleaning member broken awav to show the impellers locatedv therein.

' The various liquid conduits and their connections with the several receptacles located within the cabinets are shown in full lines, the direction of fiow through the conduits being indicated by the arrows appearing thereon. The position of the exhaust fan with relationto the floor and connecting ducts between the cabinets is shown in full lines. the division of the suction set up by .i the fan being regulated by the floor of the cleaning' position being indicated by dotted l lines. t

The position of theexhaust fan with respect to the exhaust pipe is shown in full lines, certain portions. being broken away in o rder toshow the exhaust pipe and the di- 'rectionof air currents, which are indicated by thev arrows.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the cleaning unit, as the same would appear if taken onV line 4 4 of Fig. 2, and particularly showing theliquid circulating pump and conduits connected therewith, the direction of flow of the liquid within the conduits being indicated by the arrows shown thereon.-

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view, showing the liquid distributor head which is located Within the tub (shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, and taken on line 5 5 looking in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 2

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the liquid distributor head, showing the angu.

larit-y of outlet openings, taken on the line (3.-"6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a detailed perspective view Ishowing the siphon outlet conduit within the tub and the air opening which automatically.

fluid 2, in the washing machine veither by y raising the cleaning fluid into Contact with the druln or by lowering the drum into the cleaning fluid. For most purposes, I prefer to do the latter. The drum l with its charge of soiled clothing or like articles is accordingly lowered by a suitable mechanism 3 (Fig. 4) into contact with the cleaning fluid in the washing machine as it shown by heavy lines in Fig. 2. The washer mechanism is then started to rotate the drum in a back and forth direction as shown by double arrow on Fig. 2, thus forcing the cleaning fluid back and forth through the clothing. The cleaning fluid containing the soil and dirt removed from the clothing is continuously withdrawn from the Washing machine through a. vented level maintaining draw off pipe 4 and passed through a body of sweetener and dehydrator 5,thenee through a body of soap 6 that is substantially insoluble in the cleaning Huid. The cleaning fluid is then passed through a filter mass 7 for removing lint, suspended dirt, and moisture, and thence through a bed of decolorizing and clarifying. material 8 to a storage receptacle 9 from whence the cleaning fluid isrcontinuously returned to the wasliin `machine in cyclic manner. After the Vcfot ing or like articles have been washed for a suiiiclent period of time to remove the dir t and soil therefrom, the washing machine drum is removed from the cleaning fluid in the'washing machine either by dropping the bottom of the washing machine containing the-cleaning liiuid or preferably b yelevating lthe washing machine drum to the position uniform manner over the inner peripheral.

surface of the drum. At this time the drum is speeded up to extracting speed and allowed to run for a period of time normally .ranging from'five to fifteen minutes depending upon the kind and amountgof goods in:

the drumas well. as' the speed of rotation thereof. The drum is then stopped andthe substantially '.dry clothing removed therefrom. and hung in the deodorizing cabinet 10 which is ventilated by means of a fan 11, as is shqwnfinfigs. 2 and 3. The specific construction and operation of my improved washing and drying machine is set forth in my co-pending application filed October 24, 1932, Ser. No. 639,290.

The operation of my lmproved cleaning and purifying system for the dry cleaning fluid used therein is as follows Motor 12' (Fig. 4)` is started and by means of a suitable driving connection 13 operates pump 14, the inlet 15 of which is connected to vent- `ed overflow pipef4 in the washing machine 16. Valve 17 (Fig. 2) at the outlet from storage tank-9 is opened sufficiently to per- 'mit the desired flow through the system.

Valve 17 is the only valve to adjust in op eratin my improved system as contrasted with t e* multitude of valves used in all other systems:m With valve 17 opened, purified cleaning fluid flows through sightglass18 as shown by the arrows to a lperforated out-- let pipe 19 in .the lower portionof washing machine`16. The ventedoverflow and level maintaining pipe 4 in the washing machine 16 which is connected to pumpv 14 withdraws cleaning luidfrom the washer 16 in proportion to the amount that is fed theretothrough spreader pipe 19.v The cleaning fluid withdrawn from the washing machine passes through .pump 14 and is discharged therefrom into passageway 20 in which is mounteda sight glass 21- and a check valve 22. The flow of dry cleaning fluid through passageway 2O empties into the top-.of receptacle 23 where it isbrought immediately into contact with a body of sweetening and dehydrajzin ag-e'nt (Fig. 3) which is of a 'lower speci c gravity than the cleanin iiuid itself," The preferred cleaning flui is a mixture of carbon tetrachloride and pro-- pylene chloride, with or without ethylenev chloride. Carbon tetrachloride alone, a mixture of carbon tetrachloride and ethylene chloride, tetrachlorethylene, perclorethylene, trichlorethylene, or the like, may be used in equivalent manner. The preferred material to use, however, is one that is non-inflammable.

A number o`f these non-iniammable, high speciic gravity dry cleaning iluids are on the market, and can be used satisfactorily in my present improved system.

The sweetening or dehydrating agent 5 usedv in the upper portion 1of receptacle 23, is an alkali and preferably an aqueous alkali. The alkali, when in suitable form for use, has a specific gravity that is substantially less than that of thedry cleaning fluid. Among the materials'that can be satisfac- 'torily used in an aqueousl solution for the` purpose at hand are the following, soda ash,

caustic soda, caustic potash, or mixtures of these, as well as commercial preparations known under the names of Wyandotte sol- Vvent clarifier, and Huron alkali. Directly below' the body ofnswe'etener and/or dehydrator 5, I use a somewhat shallower layer or body of Pa soap that is insoluble or substantially insoluble in aqueous alkaline soluy tions as well as in the dry :leaning fluid. This soap layer must have a specific gravity that is between that of the sweetener and /or dehydrator, and the dry cleaning fluid. This will make it stay in a position between these two iuids as is shown in Fig. 3.V As suitable soaps usable for this purpose, the potassium and/or sodium salts of oleic, palmetic,

or stearic acids may be used.. I find that a preferred way to establish this soap layer 1s t0 make a mixture, for instance, of from 80% to-60% of potassium oleate with from 20% lto 40% of oleic acid.A 'While the oleic acid is soluble in the dry cleaning iuid, this is not aV serious drawback since in passing through the system it 'contacts with the Vsweetener and/or dehydrator 5 in the top of the receptacle 23 where it isl convertd into a suitable soap, for instance, if the sweetener consists of soda ash or caustic soda, then v sodium oleate is formed' which joins the potassium olea-te present in the soap bed 6.' Thissoap bed in a sense 'acts as a filter in that it collects dirt, lint, ,f' etc., out of the cleaning fluid passing thiiough the system.

As an aid' to the clarifying and decolorizing of the dry cleaning fluid, finely divided acti# -vated carbon .can be added to the soap bed,-

and hen this is done, I find that .it is of a distlnct advantage particularly when exceptionally dirty' articles are being, cleaned.;

The dry cleaning Huid entering into the top of receptacle 231s. sweetened `and/or dehydratd in the aqueous chemical body 5 in the top ithereof. The dry cleaning fluid then lpasses downwardly through the soap bed where a further purification of same takes place. Directly below the soap bed, I prefer to have a relatively extended body of dry cleaning fluid to permit stratification to take place so that the dryI cleaning fluid removed i from the bottom thereof will be substantially free from entrained soap or the like. At a point near the bottom of receptacle 23, I provide an outlet 24 controlled by 4valve 25 through which the so-preliminarily cleaned dry cleaning l'luid is passed by means of connection 26 to the bottom of receptacle 27 In case it is desired to empty the washing machine into an external receiver, it is only necessary to open - valves 32 and 37, and transfer the cleaning liquid to said external receiver through connection 36. C,

Suflicicnt makeup dry cleaning fluid can be added to the system, particularly to compen/ where it passes upward through a screen 28 into a body of waste 7 or the like which acts y to absorb moisture and to filter out thev bulk of lint and suspended dirt that has succeeded in passing through the soap bed 6. Directly above the cotton waste 7 is placed la bed of either above, below, or admixedwith the decolorizingl material. Over the bed of clarifying and decolorizing material, (and solid sweetening material if used), I prefer to place a second bed of cotton waste or the like 29 which acts to absorb moisture and to filter out fine suspended particles of solid matter.

lThe dry cleaning fluid then passes through sate for that lost by evaporation or carried away by the clothing removed from the washer, by'pouring such additional cleaning fluid into the washeritself or if desired valves 17 and 35 may be closed and a hose or the like connected to inlet 36, and valve 37 opened. v

'lhe free end of the hose connected to 36 is then placed in a drum or other supply of dry cleaning fluid and sufficient pumped therefrom to meet the requirements of the system.

After the system has been in operation for f a period of t1me, normally several days, the soap bed 6 will gradually become thick and somewhat slow acting an'd will have to be at least partially replaced to maintain the eiliciency of the' cleaning system.- To remove the soap solution valve 38 which is directly,

screen 30 tol passageway 31 through which it is delivered to the top of storage tank 9 in purified cendition ready for returning to washer 16 by way of valve 17, sight glass 18, and distributor pipe 19. i

When it is desired to drain all of the dry cleaning fluid from washer 16, and deliver it to storage tank 9, valve 17 on the bottom ofstorage tank 9 is closed and valve 32 communicating with the bottom of the washer as shown in Fig. 4, is opened. The operation of pump 14 will then remove the 4dry cleaning Iiluid from washer 16 and pass it through the cleaning steps hereinbefore `'describd and deliver it into storage tank 9 breather opening when the liquid level raises to the overflow point.

opposite the soap layer is opened and the soap is withdrawn (if desired, the sweetener and dehydrator body can be removed at the same time). established (also dehydrator and sweetener) by connecting on to valve 38 with a suitable hose or funnel like connection arranged for receiving thel filling material at a level above the top of receptacle 23. As soon as the filling is completedvalve 38 can be closed and A new soap bed can be then.

the excess material contained in the hose or funne'ifdralned out. In some instances, 1t

may be desirable to fil-1 receptacle 23 with the requisite amountof soap and/or sweetener and dehydrator through the breather conr,nection 33 or the like, and this can be readily accomplished by removing the breather connection and pouring in the requisite amount of material followingv which the breather connection can be replaced. Q

The filtering and clarifying agents con-iv tained in receptacle? 27 -may be removed land -replaced with fresh material as desired by removing cover 39 which is held tightly in place bymeans of hand wheel 40 orv other equivalent means.

Referring to F1g. 8 which is a scenographic view' of the fluid circulatory system, the operation of my improved cleaning fluid reclaiming system vis as 'follows Pump 14a is started up and valve 17a opened, vented pipe la then acts ,to maintain the level of the dry. cleaning fluid in theviwashern at a constant height. The fluid iows through connection 4a, valve 35a and connecting pipes to pump 14a from whence the 'dry cleaning fluid is dee liveredv by means of connection 20a, sight glass 21a, and check valve 22a, into the top of receptacle 23a where it is sweetened, dehydrated and treated with a soap solution. The

so-purijied dry cleaning iuid passes out of receptacle 23a by means of connection 24a near the bottom thereof andthence by means of valve 25a and connection 26a to the bottom of receiver 27a where the fluid is further filtered and treated with a decolorizing agent following which it passes through conduitv 31a into the top of storage tank 9a. From storage tank 9a, the clean fluid returns to the 10 washing machine by means of valve 17a,sight glass 18a, and delivery pipe 19a, thus completig the circuit through the machine.

Other modes of lapplying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of those explained, change being made as regards the means and the steps lherein disclosed, provided those stated by any of the ffllowing claims or their equivalentibe em- P Oye I therefore particularly point out and distinctlv claim as my invention v 1. reclaiming mechanism adapted to reclaim a solvent of high specific gravity which y has been contaminated by a washing of fabsaidcontainer below said liquid alkaline material for removing insoluble foreign matter from the solvent as it passes downwardly therethrough, and a considerable volume of the reconditioned solvent in the lower portion of said container and extending from the botl tomthereof to the layer of liquid viscous powashing machine, .comprismg, sweetening said solvent and removing greases therefrom by introducing the contaminated solvent from above into a volume of liquid alkaline material and allowing said solvent to pass downwardly therethrough, treating the partially reclaimed solvent to remove insoluble foreign matter therefrom by ermittin said solvent to pass downwardly t rough alliquid viscous rics in a washing machine, which gompriseggporous layer ositioned beneath and supporta container having a contaminated solvent inlet at its top and a reclaimed solvent outlet at its bottom, said container having in its upper portion a volume of liquid alkaline material into which the used solvent is introduced through said inlet so as to pass there- -claim a solvent o .high specific gravity which through in a downward direction for removmg soluble greases from the solvent, a comparatively small volume of liquid igiscous orous material beneath said liquid alkali or removing insoluble foreign 'matterom the solvent as it passes downwardly therethrough, and a considerable volume of solvent from which the above mentioned foreign 40 matter has been removed in said container and extending from the bottom thereof to the llqptid viscous porous material which it sup- PO s Q reclaiming mechanism adapted to reclaim a substantially fireproof solvent of high specific gravity which has been contamlnated by a washing'of fabrics in a washing machine, which comprises a container having a contaminated solvent inlet at its top and apreclaimed solvent outlet at its bottom, said contamer having at its top a volume of lq'- uid alkallne material of lighter specific gravlty than the solvent and into which said solvent 1sintroduced so as to pass downwardly therethrough for sweetening said solvent, a layer of liquld viscous porous material within in said alka ine material and having a speci c gravity eater than said alkaline material and less t an said solvent, and into a considerable volume of reclaimed solvent which supports said viscous porous layer.

4. A' reclaimin mechanism adapted to rehas been contaminated 'by a washing of fabrics in a washing machine, which comprises a container having a contaminated solvent inlet at its top and a reclaimed solvent outlet at its bottom, said container having in its upper portion a volume of `a liquid caustic soda solution into which the used solvent is introduced through said inlet so as to pass therethrough in a downward direction for removing soluble greases from -the solvent, a comparatively small volume of viscous porous soap mixture of 60-80% potassium oleate and 20-40% of oleic acid beneath said caustic soda solution for removing insoluble foreign matter from the solvent as it passes downwardly therethrough, and a considerable volume of solvent from which the above mentioned foreign matter has been removed in said container and extending from the bottom thereof to the viscous porous soap mixture which it su ports.

igned this 19th day of September 1932.

JOHN w. cHAMBERLm f

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