GB915500A - Dry cleaning apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

915,500. Dry-cleaning. WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION. April 17, 1961 [April 18, 1960], No. 13842/61. Class 138 (2). Apparatus for dry-cleaning includes a cleaning machine 5 (Fig. 1), a filter 19, a solvent tank which is preferably divided into two compartments 28a, 28b, a pump 14, solvent conduits 18, 20, 23, 26, 36, 37, 42, 70 and electricallyoperated valves 24, 34, 43. The machine 5 comprises a rotatable perforated clothes container 10 driven by a motor 11, a pre-settable sequential controller 60, an air heater 63 (Fig. 5), and a blower 65 driven by a motor 64. An air circuit coupled with the blower 65 includes a solvent condenser 69 and motoroperated ganged valves 66A, 66B. During a pre-dry period clothes are tumbled in the container 10 whilst the blower 65 draws atmospheric air through the machine by way of the valve 66B and the air heater 63, and then discharges it at the valve 66A through an outlet 67. At the same time, the pump 14 draws filtered solvent from the compartment 28a, passes it through filter tubes 19a and returns it to the compartment 28a through a pressure relief valve 27, the valve 24 being closed. Whilst the solvent is being circulated filter aid material is emitted by a dispenser 50 through an electrically-operated regulator 51 into a dispenser well 50a and is carried by the solvent to be deposited upon the filter tubes 19a ; simultaneously, a cooling coil 74 coupled to a refrigeration unit 76a operates to cool the solvent. In a following wash period the valve 24 is open and the valve 34 is arranged to permit unfiltered solvent to be pumped from the compartment 28b into the filter apparatus and thence through a nozzle 8 into the container 10; surplus solvent passes back to the compartment 28a through the pressure relief valve 27, whilst solvent collected in a sump 13 drains away to the compartment 28b. Throughout this period dispensing means 53, 53a, 54 supplies further quantities of filter aid material together with additives such as activated carbon. During a succeeding spin-drying period the valve 24 is closed and unfiltered solvent is pumped from the compartment 28b through the filter 19 into the compartment 28a, a weir 29 permitting surplus solvent to escape into the compartment 28b. In a dry period air from the machine 5 is circulated through the solvent condenser 69 (Fig. 5), and the air heater 63, condensed solvent being returned to the tank 28a, 28b through the conduit 70. At this time also the valve 43 is opened to permit back flushing of the filter tubes 19a by solvent flowing through them from the top of the filter under the influence of a cushion of air trapped in the zone of an outlet 21. Sediment and filter aid material is thus discharged into a filter basket 44a in a sediment trap 44 from which solvent can drain into the compartment 28b. Dumping of the sediment is further assisted by the provision of an atmospheric check valve 47 and possibly by the use of a compressed-air tank (not shown). During a final deodorizing period the blower 65 passes unheated air through the machine 5 from the valve 66B to the valve 66A and its outlet 67. An alternative arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 2 (not shown), in which a single tank is used instead of the two compartments 28a, 28b.