US1771698A - Apparatus for cleansing and removing grease and the like from solid articles - Google Patents

Description

July 29, 1930.

G. WOLFF 1,771,698 APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING AND REMOVING GREASE AND THE LIKE FROM SOLID ARTICLES Filed May 8, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 lll III July 29, 1930. WQLFF 1,771,698

APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING AND REMOVING GREASE AND THE LIKE FROM SOLID ARTICLES Filed May 8, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 G. WOLFF 1,771,698 EANSING AND awovme GREASE July 29, 1930.

APPARATUS FOR CL AND THE LIKE FROM SOLID ARTICLES FiledMay 8, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR GEORG WOLFF' BY X u mm ATTORN EY Patented July 29, 1930- UNI ED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORG- WOLII, OI 'MUNIGH, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR '10 DIR. ALEXANDER WACKER GE- SELLSGHAF'I. FUR ELEKTROCHEMISGHE INDUSTRIE, OF MUNICH, GERMANY APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING REMOVING GREASE AND THE LIKE FROM SOLID ART Application filed Kay 8, 1928, Serial No This invention relates to an apparatus for cleansing and removing grease and the like from solid articles by means of organic solvents, and has for its object to greatly save time necessary for cleansing, and to avoid completelythe loss of volatile solvents in an open washing vessel, therefore being without any danger for persons.

Liquid solutions such as benzine, benzol,

trichlorethylene, carbon tetrachloride, have been used for cleansing solid articles such as metals, glass, celluloid and horn, which are coated with oil, grease, resin, wax or the like.

These solutions are particularly effective if they are used in a warm condition, but care must b'taken that the vapours developed from the solution do. not escape from the washing vessel, since .considerable loss and danger to the operators may in this case occur. For such warmed solutions, closed gastight washing vessels are usually employed and the vapoursremaining in them after the washing process are removed either by suction or depositedby coohng before the cover is raised. ThlS process is inconvenient and wastes time and generally is by no means perfeet. 1

According to the present invention, heated solutions of the kind named can be employed in an open washing vessel without the abovementioned drawbacks, by arranging cooling bodies, for example a coiled tube traversed by cold water, above the level of the washing liquid. The gases developed are then directly condensed by contact with the cooling bodies and the condensate drops back into the washing liquid. If the cooling eflE'ect is proportioned so that the whole heat of evap-' rows . 276,006, and in Germany March 4, 1927.

space, they dry in a very short time by the evaporation of the liquid adhering to them. The vapours formed in this way do not leave the vessel, but fall down by gravity and are deposited on the cooling bodies. This particular property of the vapours is of particular advantage when trichlorethylene and liquid, because their vapours have a very high specific gravity '(specific weight).

advantage of complete non-inflammability, and on that account can be heated without danger by open flames, they are s ecially adapted for the described method 0 operation in open washing vessels.

The figures of the accompanyingdrawings represent diagrammatically examples of carbon tetrachloride are used as the washingpart b of the vessel .there are two pivoted sets of coiled tubes 0 traversed by cooling water, and the vapours arising from the heated washing liquid are deposited on these coils,

sothat they do not reach the upper part b.

The-articles to be cleansed are placed in a perforated basket d. which is suspended by chains or cords and is lowered into the part a by gearing e operated by a crank f. For this purpose the coils c are turned for a short time by means of a handle 9 into a vertical position shown in dotted lines against the side wall of the vessel, and after the passage of thebasket are again returned to their horizontal position. The main operation of cleansing of the articles is effected b the immersion into the hot washing liqui whereupon the basket is again raised above the evel of the liquid, but is left for some time e5 Slnce also these two solutions have the great in the vapour space below the tubes 0. The perfectly pure condensate deposited on the cooling tubes drops down on the articles with the considerable advantage that they) undergo a second washing process. The asket ii is then raised into the upper part b, the tubes 0 being again turned for a short tim'eto the side of the vessel. In this position the warm articles are vapours sin ng down and being deposited on the cooling tubes below. The purified and dried articles are then removed. from the U basket and replaced b impure articles, with which the operation described is repeated. .Fig. 2 represents an open washing vessel It, the lower portion of which is filled with the washing liquid, which 1s warmed by'a heating device, not represented. Cooling tubes 71 are arranged over the level of the, liquid and are fixed to the inner wall of the vessel, and even in this position suflice to prevent the vapours from rising. A basket 1a,; prepared from perforated sheet metal, containing the articlesijo be washed,1s lowered between the coolingfftiibes by gearing Z and immersed in the hot washing liquid. By a change in the gearing the basket in can then be rotated in the liquid about its axis. This -is necessary if articles with hollow spaces,

for example complete motor casings, are to:

be cleansed, since only .by a rotary move-F ment of this kind can the washing liquid be made to penetrate into all the hollow spaces. When the basketjc is again raised over the tubes i, it must in this position be agaln rotated, in order that the hollow spaces of the articleswhich are filled with liquid can be completely emptied and dried. The gearing means used for lowering and raising it in Fig. 2 is shown in detail in Figs. 5 and 6. Fig. 5 is a plan view partly in section of the gearing used in the modification of the apparatus shown in 2 while Fig. 6 is a front elevation of same. i This gearing means comprises a bevel gear 1, actuated by a crank 2, mounted in the bracket 3 attached to the washing vessel h. The bevel gear 1 meshes with the bevel gear 4 fixed on the shaft v 5 at one end thereof, said shaft carrying a;

worm 6 at its opposite end. The work 6 actuates worm wheel 7 fixed on one end of shaft 8 which carries a pair of drums 9 (only one of which is shown in Fig. 5) .for' reeling and unreeling the rope or chain 25' supporting the basket is on both sides. The bevel gear 1 also meshes with the bevel gear 10 rotatably mounted near one end of shaft 11.. The shaft 11 carries the worm 12 at its opposite end which meshes with the worm Wheel 13 fixed basket 70. A clutch member 16 is mounted 1 on shaft 11 beyond bevel gear 10 so as to be capable of a' limited movement along the qgl ickly and completely dried, the.

longitudinal ms of shaft 11, but fixed to prevent angular movement about the shaft. This of its path clutch member is moved to. The

recesses in bevelgear 10 are not shown in-Fign. 5 as the clutch in such position that its fingers 17 are inserted in the recesses in bevel gear 10, in other word's,..the shaftlllis-ishowni in gear with the bevel gear 10 in this figure. Pivotedlever 19 carrying projection 20 which fits in a recess 21iof the'clutch member 16 is provided for moving the clutch member along the shaft 11 soth'at. it may engage either one of the. bevel gears4 and ,10 which gears rotate in'opposite directions owing ,to the fact gliat they'are on opposite sides of bevel gear To raise orlower the basket the lever 19 11, upon actuating crank 2, to rotate in the same direction as shaft 5 and consequently causing drums 9 and 15 to rotate in opposite directions. Whether the basket 70- is raised or. lowered depends .upon which direction Y crank 2 is turned.

. To rotate the basket is either in the washing liquid or in the cooled. area above it, the lever 19 is moved to the right (Fig. 6) throwing bevel gear 10 in gear with shaft 11 and causing both shafts 5 and 11 to rotate in opposite directions and consequently causing the drums 9 and 15 to rotate in one and the same direction. With the apparatus geared this way the rope or chain 25 can be reeled on either one of drums 9 or 15 depending upon the direction in which crank 2 is turned.

In Fig. 3 an open washing vessel is represented of which the lower portionis divided by'partitions into three containers m m 172 which. are filled With the-washing liquid and can be heated, j Also, in this case the cooling bodie'sghaye',the form ofcooling tubes n which a rran'ged at the walls of the vessel above t h containers and prevent the vapours from rising. The'ai ticles to be cleansed are placed-in the perforated basket 0, which isimmersed successively by hand by means of a rod and strap in the containers m m m the main cleansing taking place in the'first container. m which,oonsequently, receives the greatest portionpfthe impurities, while the containers m and;m', serve for final washings. In consequ of these after immersions, the apparatus {is articularly suited for washing articles which require'to be very completely cleansed ;';.f,or example if they areto be nickel-plated later. The .pure condensate dropping fromtlie cooling'tubes is reeeived bya trough-p and led to the container m which contains the "urest liquid. From this container the-liqui can flaw gradually over overflows 9 into the Containers m and 722,. After the cleansing has been completed, the basket is suspended as shown in the space above the cooling tubes and the articles are allowed to dry before they are removedfrom the apparatus. From time to time the very impure contents of the container m, are removed and fresh liquid introduced into the container m by the overflow from which the container m is again completely filled. Also, constantly fresh solution can he allowed to flow to the container m and an equal quantity of the impure liquid from thecontainer m, allowed to escape. It ispossible to complctely remove the impurities by distillation and recover the solution.

Fig. 4 shows an automatically operating cleansing apparatus. In this case a large number of perforated baskets sfilled with the articles to be cleansed are suspended on an endless cord or chain gear running over rollers 1', and by means of these are introduced through an opening u, into the washing vessel 'w and immersed in succession in the containers t t and t filled with warm washing liquid, and are finally removed through an opening 11. from the vessel to. Cooling pockets 1) are arranged at the openings u and u between which pockets the articles to be cleansed are slowly drawn. These cooling pockets prevent the vapours developed in the vessel from escaping from the openings and they also dry the articles as they pass through them before their discharge. v I

The gearing is driven preferably by a motor and so slowly that it is possible to fill and empty the baskets outside the washing vessel without bringing the gearing to rest. The container 1, in which the articles are first immersed. retains the largest portion of the impurities, while the containers t and t serve for the later immersions. The condensate flowing from the cooling pockets and also constantly fresh quantities of solution are introduced into the container t,,, which contains the purest liquid. There is a gradual flow from the container t through the overflow a: to the container t and from this to t from which the impure liquid is led to a distillation apparatus.

What I claim is v 1. Apparatus for cleaning and removing grease and the like from articles comprising a washing vessel having a permanently unobstructed open top through .which the articles to be cleaned are adapted to be inserted, said vessel being adapted to be partially filled with a volatile cleaning liquid, and cooling means in the upper part thereof above the level of said liquid to condense and thereby prevent vapors from escaping through the open top of said vessel.

2. Apparatus for cleaning and removing tially filled with a volatile cleaning liquid and cooling means arranged along the sidewalls in the upper part of the vessel above the level of said liquid to condense and thereby prevent vapors from escaping through the open top of said vessel.

3. Apparatus for cleaning and removing grease and the like from articles comprising a washing vessel having a permanently unobstructed open top through which the articles to be cleaned are adapted to be inserted said vessel being adapted to be partially fille with avolatile cleaning liquid, and cooling means in the upper part thereof above the level of said liquid to condense and thereby prevent-vapors from escaping through the open top of said vessel, said vessel extending above said cooling means to provide a space wherein articles may be dried within the vessel.

4. Apparatus for cleaning and removing grease and the like from articles comprising an open top washing vessel adapted to be partially filled with a volatile cleaning liquid,

cooling means in the upper part thereof above the level of said liquid to condense and thereby prevent vapors from escaping through the open top of said vessel, and means for lower ing and raising articles into and out of liquid. I

5. Apparatus for cleaning and removing grease andlthe like from articles com rising an open top washing vessel adapte to be partially filled with a volatile cleaning liquid, coolingmeans in the upper part thereofabove the level of said liquid to condense and theresaid by prevent vapors from escaping through the open top of said vessel, and means for lower: ing and raising a container for said articles into and out of said liquid, said means embodying mechanism for giving the container a rotary motion both in and above said liquid.

' Signed at Munich, Germany, this 26th day of April, A. D. 1928.

. GEORG WOLFF.

an open to p washing vessel adapted to be par-

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