US1760218A

US1760218A - Dry-cleaning machine

Info

Publication number: US1760218A
Application number: US351769A
Authority: US
Inventors: Thibault Onesime; Reid Robert
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1929-04-01
Filing date: 1929-04-01
Publication date: 1930-05-27
Anticipated expiration: 1947-05-27

Description

May 27, 1930. o. THIBAULT ET AL 1,760,218

DRY CLEANING MACHINE Filed April 1,, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 MEI 7W5 was: re /54a: 7

May 27, 1930. o. THIBAULT Er AL 1,760,218

DRY CLEANING MACHINE Filed April 1, 1929 2 SheetsSheet 2 Patented May 27, 1930 1 UNETED STATES PATE'T OFFICE om ismn TI-IIBAULT Ann Bonnier REID, or sAnnI'neo, CALIFORNIA DRY-CLEANING MACHINE Application filed April 1, 1929. Serial No. 351,769.

Our invention relates to machines for dry cleaning clothes and other articles of wearing apparel, and it has for a purpose the provision of wearing apparel.

It is also a purpose of our invention to provide a dry cleaning machine which is characterized by the functional relationship of a movable body upon which the articles to be cleaned are supported and adapted to be moved in the presence of a cleaning liquid to circulate the liquid around and through the articles, and a plurality of objects freely movable and adapted to be actuated under moveinent of the body to act on the articles to be cleaned in a manner to augment circulation of the cleaning liquid, and to otherwise aid in cleaning the articles.

A further purpose of our invention is the provision of a dry cleaning machine which embodies a casing removably fitted in a frameand adapted to contain a quantity of cleaning liquid, and a rotary drum rotatable in the easing and removable therefrom to permit thorough cleaning of the drum and casing when required.

WVe will describe only one form of dry cleaning machine embodying our invention, and will then point out the novel features 111 claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a View showing in side elevation one form of dry cleaning machine embodying our invention with the upper section of the casing in open posltion; .Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on Y the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

which it is mounted in the form of the machine; and I Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the bearing blocks. p

In carrying out our invention, we provide a, frame consisting of two end members each of which includes a pair of legs 15 secured detachably to a cross-plate 16, the plate being of substantial width, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and having bolted or otherwise secured thereto a bar 17 which constitutes a bracket for supporting other parts of the machine. As

plate 16 are cut away atcorresponding points to accommodate a block 18 having an opening 19 therethrough so as to provide a bearing for a shaft to be described hereinafter. As clearly illustrated in Fig. 6, this bearing block 18 is flanged, as indicated at 20, to provide lips for confining the block'against horizontal displacement from the frame, although the block may be removable vertically from the frame to allow removal of the shafts which the two bearing blocks receive when it is desired to remove the drum upon which the shafts are fixed. e

The frame is adapted to removably receive a casing including a lower section 21 and an upper section 22, the latter section being hingedly connected, as indicated at 23, to the lower section so that it can be moved to cocupy open or closed position. The

twosections

21 and 22, when in closed position, cooperate toprovide a casing of cylindrical form in which'a drum is adapted to be received.

As illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 5, the upper edges of'the opposite ends of the lower section 21 of the casing are provided with L- shaped flanges 24 which, in the applied position of'the casing section to the frame, are adapted to engage over the upper edges of the plate 16 of the frame in order to support the casing section as a unit on the frame. The manner in which one flange 24 engages the corresponding plate 16 is best illustrated in from the frame when cesired, in order that the casing as a whole may be disassociated with respect to the frame members to facilitate disassembling of the entire machine incident to storage or shipment.

The machine also includes a drum generally indicated at D, and which is adapted to be housed within the casing when the two sections of the latter are in closed position. This I drum D is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, as comterthe drum.

hereinafter.

opening through which articles to be cleaned,

prising end heads 25 of disk form connected by a circular series of slats 26. The slats are slightly spaced provide restricted intervening slots 27 through which the cleaning fluid contained in the lower casing sect-ion may en- The inner surfaces of the slats 26 are transversely corrugated, as indicated at 28, in order to provide surface protuberances on the inner periphery of the drum, which function in manner tobe described The drum is provided with an or have been cleaned, may be inserted or removed, and this opening is controlled by a door 29 which constitutes a part of the peripheral. portion of the drum, and is constructed by sectioning certain of the slats 26 and connecting the movable sections of the slats b 1 the leaves of a .,air of hinges 30 of thepiano type. Qn a stationary part of the drum are mounted a pair of spring-pressed latches 31 normally engaging the projecting ends of the 'ges and manually movable to diseng e such ends to permit movement of the door co open position.

To mount the drum D for rotative movement within. the casing of the machine, we provide a pair of cleats 32 (Fig. 2) secured to the outer faces of the heads 25 so as to extend diametrically thereof. and with their medial portions provided with hubs in one of which is secured a'stub axle 33, and in the other a shaft 34-. The two shafts are journaled in the bearing blocks 18, with the shaft 34 of such length as to project from the bearing and the plate 16 of the adjacent frame in order that it may be operatively connected to a source power (not shown), or provided with a crank (not shown), by which the drum may be manually rotated. Thus, the drum is supported by the shafts for rotative movement withi the casing, and when the upper section of the casing is in closed posiface of the articles.

tion as illustrated in Fig. 2 it provides a closed housing for the drum. In practice, the lower casing section 21 is adapted to contain a suitable cleaning liquid which seeks its own level in the drum by entering the latter through the slots 27 as has been described.

F or the purpose of augmenting circulation of the cleaning liquid in the drum in respect to the articles to be cleaned contained in the drum, and to otherwise promote the rapid and thorough cleaning of the articles, we provide a multiplicity of objects such as the balls 35 3). These balls are formed preferably wood, and of aweight sufficient to produce the desired motions in respect to the articles to be cleaned whenand under rotative movement of the drum. 4 I

The'operation of the machine is as follows:

With the articles to be cleaned positioned in the bottom of the drum, as illustrated in g 3, and so as to be submerged in the cleaning liquid, and the balls 35 in position on top of the articles, let it be assumed that the drum is rotated in a clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow. Under such movereturn, liquid precipitates onto the articles,

thus producing what may be termed a rinsing action that serves to greatly aid in removing the dirt from the articles. The balls 85 constantly roll on the surface ofthe articles producing a gentle rubbing and depress.

ing action on the articles to further circulate the cleaning liquid around and through the articles. Of course, the articles themselves are elevated in the drum by reason of the rising corrugated slats, but they are not elevated to any appreciable degree before gravity acts to return them to the bottom of the drum so that the balls which tend to move with the liquid are caused to roll on the sur- The restricted or relatively narrow slots 27 between the slats restrict drainage of the cleaning liquid back into the casing and thus at all times retains in the drum a quantity of liquid sufficient to be elevated by the corrugations of the slatstues the machine has been found to be par ticularly useful in the rapid and thorough cleaning of extremely delicate garments and gloves.

Should it be desired to clean the drum and the interior of the casing, the drum can be readily removed from the casing and the easing from the frame, as will be manifest from a consideration of the preceding description of the construction and association of the parts enumerated.

Although we have herein shown and described only one form of dry cleaning machine embodying our invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made herein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the splrit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim: 1. In a machine of the character described, a frame having cross members, bearings in the cross members, a casing having a lower section and an upper section movable on the lower section to open and close, extensions on the lower section engaging the cross members for supporting the lower section within the frame, and a drum having shafts engaging within the bearings for supporting the drum for rotative movement within the casing.

2. In a machine of the character described, a frame, bearing members removably fitted in the frame, a casing having a lower section and an upper section movable on the lower section to open and close, extensions on the lower section engageable with the frame for suspending the lower section within the 3 frame, and a drum having shafts engaging within the bearings for supporting the drum for rotative movement within the casing.

3. In a machine of the character described, a frame having end plates, angle bars secured 5 to the plates, said plates and bars having openings therein, bearing blocks disposed within the openings of said bars and plates, a casing having a lower section and an upper section movable on the lower section to open 0 and close, flanges on the lower section engaging said plates for suspending the lower section within the frame, said flanges having cutaway portions to accommodate said bearing blocks, and a drum having shafts engag- 5 ing within the bearing blocks for supporting the drum for rotative movement within the casing.

ONESIME THIBAULT. ROBERT REID.