US1381553A - Cleaning-machine - Google Patents

Description

A. L. HILDRETH AND A. M. MCLENDON.

CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19. I920.

Patented June 14, 1921.

L. HIlZdre/ZZL .M. j'f llenalon UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLEANING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 14, 1921.

Application filed April 19, 1920. Serial No. 374,981.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we ALoNzo L. HILDRETH' and ALEXANDER M. MCLENDON, both citi- Zens of the United States, and both residing in Savannah, in the county of Chatham and State of Georgia, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cleaning-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and eflicient machine for cleaning garments, cloths, pieces of fabrics, etc. I

In carrying out our invention, we use a table of simple construction, and in the top thereof we mount two rotary brushes, one of which is employed to remove dust from the article operated upon, and the other to remove spots or stains therefrom.

The dusting brush is mounted in a casing which is connected with an exhaust pump or fan, and the other brush is mounted in a small tank or receptacle containing a cleaning fluid. Gearing is provided for driving the brushes and the fan, and the dusting brush, which extends a short distance above the table top, is divided into sections in order to more efiiciently operate on the article being cleaned and to permit the exhaust mechanism to better perform its functions. In order to support and guide the article being cleaned while passing over the dusting brush, we employ rods or wires which bridge the opening in the table through which the dusting brush extends and which are arranged between the brush sections in such manner as to permit the bristles to properly operate upon the cloth while the latter is properly supported and held in the best condition for cleaning purposes.

Our improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the machine. Fig. 2 shows a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail view in perspective of the casing of the dusting brush.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a section of the brush.

The table A may be of any suitable construction. The top a of the table issupported by the legs a, an held at the desired elevation. A tank B for containing a cleansing fluid b is attached to the underside of the table top below an opening a therein which is preferably located near one corner of the table. WVithin the tank is located a rotary brush C secured to a shaft a carrying a pulley 0 by which it is driven. The brush extends a short distance above the top of the table as indicated inFig. 2. The brush C is adapted to clean parts of the clothes or fabrlcs which are spotted or stained and, therefore, may be of relatively small dimensions.

A relatively large opening D is made in the table top and is preferably located centrally thereof and below this opening there is a casing E of general cylindrical form. It is open at the top, closed at opposite ends, and connected at its lower end with an exhaust pipe F leading to an exhaust pump or fan G. The upper edge e of the casing on one side of the top opening extends to the to of the table or a short distance above it, w ile the opposite edge e extends a considerable distance above the table top.

A shaft H'extends through the casing and carries a series of brushes L, which are held a short distance apart on the shaft. Each of these brushes is cylindrical in general form and is divided into sections, as shown by intervening spaces Z. Bridge wires M are arranged across the opening D. One end of each wire is attached to the lower edge e of the casing and the other end crosses the elevated edge 6' thereof. Each wire is bent as indicated at mand rests on the top of the table. There is preferably a bridge wire between each two brushes and a bridge wire at each end of the casing.

The shaft H is supported in suitable bearings h and one end is extended beyond the side of the table and'carries a driving pulley N operated by the belt N. The shaft H also carries a pulley O belted to the fan G and a'pulley P belted to the pulley c' on the shaft 0 of the brush C. Said shaft is mounted in suitable bearings 00 as indicated in Fig. 1.

All working parts of the apparatus are operated by the belt N' and the gearing is such as to give proper relative speeds to the two brushes and the fan.

The machine is adapted to operate upon garments of various kinds, upon pieces of cloth, and various kinds of fabrics. The article is placed on the table, preferably being moved from the right hand end thereof, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, over the dusting brush. \Vhile being moved over the dusting brush, the article is supported by the bridge wires M and held in a smooth and level condition. The bristles of the brushes L extend upwardly between the bridge wires as indicated 1n 'Fig. 2 and operate most efliciently upon the cloth to loosen. the dust therein, the loose dust being drawn by the exhaust mechanism through the pipe F and expelled in obvious ways. The cloth may be passed back and forth over the dusting brush until dust is entirely removed therefrom, then if there be any spots on the material these may be removed-by placing the spotted or stained part of the cloth over the brush C while the latter is rotating. This brush applies the cleansing fluid to the spots and at the same time exerts a brushing action thereon.

Experience has demonstrated that a machine constructed and operated in the manner above described is most efiicient. It can be built at small cost and operated at small ex ense.

o claim as our invention 1. A cloth cleaning machine, comprising a tablediaving an opening in its top, a rotary brush extending upwardly through said opening, a casing for the brush secured to the under side of the table, bridge wires extending upwardly and rearwardly from their front ends across the opening for supporting the cloth while being cleaned above the plane of the table, and exhaust mecha nism connected with the lower portion of the casing below the brush for drawing air through the cloth and the bridge wires while supported by said wires and While being acted on by the brush.

2. A cloth cleaning machine, comprising a table having an opening in its top, a rotary sectional brush extending upwardly through said opening, a casing for the brush secured to the under side of the table having an opening at the top and having its upper front edge fiush with the top of the table and its rear edge above the top of the table, bridge wires extending across the opening for supporting the cloth while being cleaned, the front ends'of which are supported by the front edge of the casing and the rear portions of which are supported by and elevated by therear edge of the casing, and exhaust mechanism connected with the lower port-ion of the casing below the brush for drawing air through the cloth and under the bridge wires while the cloth is being supported by said wires and being acted on by the brush.

In testimony whereof, We have hereunto subscribed our.names.

ALONZO L. HILD'R-ETH. ALEXANDER M. MGLENDON.

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