US3170181A

US3170181A - Cleaning and drying device

Info

Publication number: US3170181A
Application number: US264193A
Authority: US
Inventors: Werder William Von
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-03-11
Filing date: 1963-03-11
Publication date: 1965-02-23
Anticipated expiration: 1982-02-23

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 11, 1963 m h i" Airmen er.

Feb. 23, 1965 w. VON WERDER 3,170,181

CLEANING AND DRYING DEVICE Filed March 11, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 70 o o o o v o o o ,INVENTOR.

Arrow/er.

United States Patent 3,170,181 I CLEANING AND DRYING DEVICE William Von Werder, Hyattsville, Md. (8239 New Hampshire Ave., West Hyattsville, Md.) Filed Mar. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 264,193 Claims. (Cl. -4)

This invention relates to cleaning and drying devices for hairbrushes, combs and the like.

In a beauty salon there is a need for maintaining utensils such as brushes, combs, rolls, etc. in a clean and sanitary condition, at all times. The manual cleaning of these utensils and the drying processes now in use are often tedious chores and are sometimes unsatisfactory because they are not carried out carefully and thoroughly.

The object of the present invention is to provide a combination cleaner and drier unit which will clean the utensils thoroughly in a cleaning fluid, and when the fluid is withdrawn, will quickly dry them by circulation of hot air.

A further object is to provide a container of suitable size having a motor driven fan with a heater element, and a wire cage around the fan and heater element, the motor being mountable over an opening in the top of the container through which its shaft extends to the fan near the bottom of the container, the motor and fan unit being removable through said opening for inspection or repair.

A further object is to provide a drain cock at the bottom of the container and an inlet valve near the top.

A further object is to provide a rotatable perforated drum in said container, perforated at least at its closed bottom and entirely open at the top for receiving the articles to be cleaned and dried through the opening in the top of the container, the drum being mounted for rotation by the fan motor, the fan in this case comprising peripheral vanes about the drum for inducing a downward flow of the fluid in the outer annular portion of the container.

A further object is too make the perforated bottom of the drum annularly wavy to induce turbulence into the fluid flow produced by the fan, for better cleaning and drying penetration throughout the parts of the articles being cleaned or dried within the drum.

Other and more specific objects will become apparent in the following detailed description of some preferred forms of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view in elevation of a preferred form of the invention,

FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof on a reduced scale,

FIG. 3 is a broken sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 is a sectional view in elevation of another form of the invention,

FIG. 6 is a plan view thereof on a reduced scale, and

FIG. 7 is a sectional plan view taken on the line '7-'7 in FIG. 5.

The two general forms of the invention differ primarily in that in one form the articles treated are not rotated, in the other they are.

The first form comprises the container 10 having a circular cover, half of which is fixed to the top of the container, the other half 12 being hinged on a diametrical hinge 14 and has a knob 16 with a latch cam 18, for locking it in closed position as shown in full lines in FIG. 1 and for lifting it into open position as indicated in dotted lines, when desired.

The fixed half 20 of the cover has an opening 22 over which the motor 24 may be mounted on a sealing ring 26, and firmly locked thereto by cam latches 28. The openice ing 22 is large enough to permit insertion of the impeller 30 on the end of the shaft 32 therethrough, with the wire cage 34 in place around the impeller, and the heaterelement 36 fixed therein. The coarse wire grid 33 in the bottom of the container is for holding the articles placed therein for cleaning, off the bottom surface of the container and any dirt accumulated thereon, and to provide clearance under the articles for the circulation of the drying air during the drying operation. 7

A drain cock 4!) is provided for draining the dirty fluid after the cleaning operation and before drying is begun. A heater switch 42 may be provided on the motor for turning on the heater either to heat the cleaning fluid in the container if desired and to heat the air during the hot air drying operation. A three position (hi-lo-otl) switch 44 may be provided on the motor for operating the impeller at a lower speed during the cleaning operation to provide ample turbulence in the cleaning fluid, and at higher speed during the drying operation to provide a good blower fan turbulence of hot air. A circular slotted vent valve 46 may be provided around an upper portion of the container for opening by means of an external ear 48 during the drying process to vent the vapor laden air from the container. More venting may be provided if necessary, by opening the drain cook 40 and the cover 12. A filler cock 56 may be provided for connection to a source of cleaning fiuid supply.

A preliminary hair removing bristle brush 52 may be provided on the cover 12 for use on the articles before inserting them inside the container, to keep away large accumulations of air from the cleaning fluid. This preliminary hair removal may be done by a rotating bristle brush 54 mounted on the upper end of the motor 56 as shown in FIG. 5. A hinge guard cover 58 may be used to prevent accidental entanglements when not in use.

FIG. 5 further shows the modification with a rotating drum 60, open at the top for the reception of the articles to be cleaned or dried. A door 62 hinged on the side of the container 64 may be provided for access to the inside of the container. A latch cam 66 on the handle 68 may be provided for locking this door in sealed position during the cleaning operation, and for opening it during the drying operation.

The motor 56 has a shaft 70 passing through the center of the top 72 of the container, and drives the drum 60 in its thrust bearing 74 in the bottom of the container 64. The drum 60 has peripherally spaced helical vanes '76 around its sides to provide a downward flow in the annular space between the drum and the container wall. A perforated bottom 78 in the drum may be made annularly wavy to provide an ample washing turbulence in the cleaning fluid flow upwardly therethrough during the low speed operation of motor 56, and a good drying penetration of the hot air flow through the articles during the high speed operation.

The heater element 80 in this case may extend peripherally in the upper portion of the container, resting on bracket supports 82 extending inwardly from the wall of the container, near the level of the top of the drum 60.

The present device is adaptable as a sterilizing unit when not in use as a cleaner or dryer. Any sterilizing fluid may be used in the bottom ofthe container, in which the articles may then be stored for sterilization until they are again used.

Many other obvious modifications in the details and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: I

1. A cleaner and dryer unit for brushes, combs and the like, comprising a container for said brushes, combs and the like, having an access door and a shut-off valve controlled ventilator opening to the atmosphere at the top and a drain cock at the bottom adapted to completely drain the container for the drying operation,

perforated means for holding said brushes, combs and the like spaced off the bottom of the container,

a heater element in said container for heating the fluid contained therein during both the cleaning and drying operations,

an impeller element close to said heater element so as to cause a full flow of the fluid past said heater element, said flow being directed downwardly for inducing a turbulent circulation of said heated fluid under said perforated means and upwardly through the items to be cleaned and dried during the correspond ing operation, the ventilator valve being preferably open during the drying operation.

2. A cleaner-dryer unit as defined in claim 1, and a preliminary hair removing means on the outside of said container for preconditioning the articles to be cleaned before they are placed in the container.

3. A cleaner-dryer unit as defined in claim 1, and a motor on top of said container for driving said impeller element.

4. A cleaner-dryer unit as defined in claim 3, said motor being a two-speed motor having a low-speed for the cleaning operation in a cleaning liquid and a highspeed for the drying operation in hot air.

5. A cleaner-dryer unit as defined in claim 4, said motor having a shaft extending to the impeller element in the container for inducing a downward flow against a restricted portion of the bottom of the container.

6. A cleaner-dryer unit as defined in claim 5, said impeller element and shaft being eccentrically positioned relative to the container, and a guard screen formed around the impeller means to avoid damage of the articles being cleaned or dried in the container.

7. A cleaner-dryer unit as defined in claim 5, said impeller means comprising a hollow drum centrally mounted in said container having peripherally spaced helical vanes for inducing an annular downward flow of fluid in said container.

8. A cleaner-dryer unit as defined in claim 7, said drum having a perforated bottom spaced from the bottom of the container to provide an upward flow of the fluid through said hollow drum, said drum being open at the top to receive the articles to be cleaned or dried.

9. A cleaner-dryer unit as defined in claim 8, said perforated bottom of the drum being annularly wavy to increase turbulence in the circulating flow for better penetration of the fluid around and between the articles in the drum.

10. A cleaner-dryer unit as defined in claim 9, a preliminary hair removing means comprising a bristle brush mounted above said motor on an extension of its shaft, and a guard cover mounted over said brush.

19/00 Great Britain.

8/99 Switzerland.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A CLEANER AND DRYER UNIT FOR BRUSHES, COMBS AND THE LIKE, COMPRISING A CONTAINER FOR SAID BRUSHES, COMBS AND THE LIKE, HAVING AN ACCESS DOOR AND A SHUT-OFF VALVE CONTROLLED VENTILATOR OPENING TO THE ATMOSPHERE AT THE TOP AND A DRAIN COCK AT THE BOTTOM ADAPTED TO COMPLETELY DRAIN THE CONTAINER FOR THE DRYING OPERATION, PERFORATED MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID BRUSHES, COMBS AND THE LIKE SPACED OFF THE BOTTOM OF THE CONTAINER, A HEATER ELEMENT IN SAID CONTAINER FOR HEATING THE FLUID CONTAINED THEREIN DURING BOTH THE CLEANING AND DRYING OPERATIONS, AN IMPELLER ELEMENT CLOSE TO SAID HEATER ELEMENT SO AS TO CAUSE A FULL FLOW OF THE FLUID PAST SAID HEATER ELEMENT, SAID FLOW BEING DIRECTED DOWNWARDLY FOR INDUCING A TURBULENT CIRCULATION OF SAID HEATED FLUID UNDER SAID PERFORATED MEANS AND UPWARDLY THROUGH THE ITEMS TO BE CLEANED AND DRIED DURING THE CORRESPONDING OPERATION, THE VENTILATOR VALVE BEING PREFERABLY OPEN DURING THE DRYING OPERATION.