US1832839A - Cleaning machine - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 17, 1931.

P. J. SHAMPAY CLEANING MACHINE 7 SheetsSheet 1 Filed June 2, 1927' 1 W. mu mw w Nov. 17, 1931. P. J. SHAMPAY CLEANING MACHINE Filed June 2, 1927 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 17, 1931. J. SHAMPAY CLEANING MACHINE Filed June 2, 1927 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 17, 1931. P. J. SHAMPAY 1,332,839

CLEANING MACHINE Filed June 2, 1927 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Nov. 17, 1931. p. J. SHAMPAY 1,832,839

CLEANING MACHINE Filed June 2, 1927 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 J17; w {y Nov. 17, 1931. P. J. SHAMPAY 1,832,839

CLEANING MACHINE Filed Jun 2, 1927 '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Nov. 17, 1931. P. J. SHAMPAY v CLEANING MACHINE Filed June 2, 1927 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Patented Nov. 17, 1931 PASCAL J. SHAMPAY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA CLEANING MACHINE Application filed. June 2,

u vide a machine of the class named which shall be of improved construction and operation. ther objects will appear from the following description. l

The invention is exemplified in the combination and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings and described in the following specification, and

it is more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

in the draw1ngs, V Flg. 1 is an end elevatlon oi a portlon of a cleanlng machine embodying one form of the present lnvention;

Fig. 1s a vertical section substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4% is a fragmentary elevation of the stamping surface of the cleaning members;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. l;

Fig. 6 is a transverse, vertical section of the portion of the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal vertical section of another portion of the machine embodying the present invention;

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the portion of the machine shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a transverse, vertical section of the portion of the machine shown in Fig. 7;

and V Fig. 10 is a fragmentary elevation showing a detail of construction.

Cleaning machines that remove dust from carpets and other articles to be cleaned by heating or other treatment of the article while dry are open to the objection that the clouds of dust created are diflicult to dispose of without menacing the comfort and health of the workers and others in the neighbor- 1927. Serial 110.11%,984.

hood of the cleaning plant. The present invention avoids all flying dust and dirt by treating the article to be cleaned with a cleansing fluid and by stamping or pressing the article between roughened surfaces to remove the dust and dirt therefrom.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, the numeral 11 designates a supporting frame having a tank'l2 thereon for containing a cleansing-liquid 13. Any suitable cleansing liquid, such as soapsuds, naphtha, clear water or other similar material, may be used. The article to be cleaned is placed in the tank in the form of a roll, shown at 14, and is fed upwardly over a feed table 15 and'be'tween stamping members 16 and 17. The stamping members may be in the form of I-beains, as illustrated in the drawmgs, the lower member 17 being pivoted at 18 adjacent the bottom of the tank 12. The upper member 16 is carried on a pivot rod 19 mounted to slidein guide slots 20 disposed one at each side of the frame 11. The adjacent flanges of the I-beams l6 and 17 are covered by stamping pads 21 and 22. These pads, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, may be composed of a relatively hard rubber base 23 having softer rubber 'ibs or corrugations 24 arranged transversely of the I-beam Webs. The pads may be made of other suitable ma-- terial, butrubber has p-roven to be very efficient in operation for this purpose. It will be noted that thelribs 2 1 are inclined at a slight angle relative to the normal to the side edges of the I-beam flanges. The ribs on the upper pad 21 are inclined in the opposite direction from the ribs on the lower pad so that the ribs of the two pads when brought together will cross.

The ends of the pivot rod 19 are journaled in heads 25 carried at the upper ends of rods 26 disposed one at each side of the frame 11. Rollers 27 are journaled on the lower ends of the rods 26 and bear upon cams 28 which are fixed to opposite ends of a transverse shaft 29 journaled in the frame 11. The shaft 29 is driven by a belt 30 which extends upwardly to a shaft1'31 operated'by Worm gearing 32 from a motor 33 mounted on the top of the frame 11, as shown in Fig. 1.

The cams 28 are each provided with four lobes 35, the lobes of the two cams being arranged in angular registration so that both ends of the. shaft 19 will be raised at the same time when the shaft 29 is rotated. This mechanism will periodically lift the upper I-beam 16 and permit it to drop upon the fabric drawn between the pads 21 and 22.

The cleansing fluid 13 within the tank 12 covers the portion of the fabric passing between the stamping surfaces of the I-beams, so that the fabric will be subjected to a periodic stamping and pressing action as it passes between the corrugated pads. This stamping action will loosen the dirt in the fabric and permit it to be washed out by the cleansing liquid.

The I- beams 16 and 17 are periodically rocked forwardly upon their pivotal supports 18 and 19 by cams 36 carried on stud shafts 37 j ournaled in the sides of the tank 12. The peripheries of the cams 36 bear against the web of the I-beam 17, and eat 11 cam is provid el with a projection 38, which projections force the lower I-beam 17 to the left as viewed in Fig. 6 each time the stud shafts 37 are given a complete revolution. The web of the I-beam 17 is held against the cams 36 by springs 39 attached by means of bars 40 to the end of the tank 12. The I-beain 17 carries a finger 41 at each end thereof which projects upwardly past the edge of the work 14 and engages the flange of the upper I-beam 16. The lingers 41 carry the upper I-beam forwardly simultaneously with the forward movement of the lower I-beam 17. Springs 42 are provided for drawing the upper I- beam back to initial position.

The stud shafts 87 are connected by gearing 43 to the shaft 29, the gear ratio being suh that the stud shafts have the same rate of rotation as the shaft 29. The upper I- beam 16 is raised four times for each rotation of the shaft 29, and the I-beams are rocked forwardly once for each rotation of the stud shafts 37, so that there is one forward rocking movement of the I-beams for every fourth vertical reciprocation of the upper I-beam 16. The parts are so timed that the forward rocking movement of the I-beams takes place during the period when the upper I-beam is at its lower position, so that the work is gripped between the pads 21 and 22 during the forward rocking movement of the I- beams. In this way the work is fed forwardly a short distance at every fourth reciprocation of the I-beam 16. The I-beam 16 is lifted to clear the work before the parts are permitted to swing backwardly, so that the work is not retra ted during the return movement of the I-beams. The work is held against reverse movement by the rollers 44 and 45, through which the work passes after it leaves the stamping members.

The upper roller 44 is driven by a sprocket wheel 46 connected by sprocket chains 47 and 48 and co-operating sprocket wheels with the shaft 29. Springs 49 press the upper roller 44 downwardly upon the roller so as to grip the work between the two rollers. Before the work reaches the rollers 44 and 45, it is directed upwardly over a guide bar 50, which lifts the work out of the liquid 13. A spray pipe 51 is arranged above the work between the stamps l6 and 17 and the rollers 44 and 45, which pipe discharges streams of water or other rinsing iquid upon the work to rinse the cleansing fluid therefrom. The rollers 44 and 45 not only assist in feeding the work through the machine, but also wring any excess liquid from the work. The work passes from the machine over the edge of the tank 12, and may then be dried or subjected to further cleaning treatn'ient, as the conditions may require.

An apron of canvas or other flexible material is preferably suspended at the front side of the stamp 16 to intercept liquid which is splashed upwardly at the downward move ment of the stamp. A similar apron 53 is suspended from the spray pipe 5i adjacent the rear side of the stamp 16. The feed table 15 is hinged to the end walls of the tank 12 at 54 to permit the table to be raised for the insertion of rolls of material into the tank 12.

It is usually desirable in cleaning carpets and other articles which collect a great deal of dirt first to remove the loose dirt or dust and thereafter to more thoroughly cleanse the carpet or other article from dirt that adheres more closely to the article. The portion of the invention thus far described may be used for the preliminary removal of dust, and the article then subjected to further treat ment for complete cleaning.

In Fig. 7 there is shown the apparatus for further cleaning the carpet after it has passed through the preliminary dust-removing mechanism ust described. 111 this figure the discharge or wringer rollers 44 and 45 are shown, and the work 14 as it leaves these rollers is directed downwardly over a feed board 55, which may be of brass or other non-corrosive material, into a tank 56 con taining a cleansing liquid 57'. From the feed board the fabric passes over guide rods 58, which are curved downwardly into the bath of cleansing liquid 57, and are then directed upwardly to guide the fabric over the edge of the tank 56. Curved rods 59 are spaced upwardly from the rods 58 to hold the fabric down in the bath 57. feed wheel is mounted to rotate above fabric 14 as it passes through the bath 5A, the wheel being provided with radially extending plates 61., shown more clearly in Fi g. 10, the plates having teeth 62 on their outer edges which extend between the rods 59 to engage the fabric and feed it forwardly through the bath 5?. The wheel 60 is provided with any suitable form of drive for imparting rotationthereto. A spray pipe 63 is arranged above the tank 56 to discharge cleansing liquid into the tank.

Adjacent the exit side of the tank 56 is a pair of stamps 64 and 65 somewhat similar to the stamps 16 and 17 but in this case the lower I-beam is not pivotally'mounted, but is stationarily supported on brackets 66, one at each end of the I-beam. The upper I-beam 65 is carried on a pivot shaft 67 the ends of which are slidably mounted in guides 68, theshaft being raised and lowered by rods 69 and cams 70, similar to thearrangement employed for the I beam 16. No mechanism is provided for rocking the Lbeams 64; and 65 back and forth, but the fabric is fed between the stamps when the upper I-beain 65 is raised by wringerrollers 71 and 72. A spray pipe 73 is disposed adjacent'the exit side of the rollers 71 and 72 and sprays a rinsing fluid upon the fabric. The fabric then passes over into a tank 74:, in which the rinsing fluid is collected, and is subjected to a third pair of stamps 7 5 and 7 6 while the fabric is in contact with the rinsing fluid in the tank 7 4. An additional spray pipe 77 discharges further rinsing fluid on the fabric as it leaves the tank 74, and the fluid is finally wrung from the fabric by wringer rollers 78 and 76. The rollers 71, 72, 78 and 79 may be driven by suitable power driving mechanism not shown.

A supply pipe 80 is provided for the tank 74, and a hopper 81 is disposed below the entire cleaning mechanism shown .in Fig. 7 for receiving the fluid which flows downwardly from the various parts and directing 1t through a discharge conduit 82 into the sewer or other drain.

It has been found that efficient cleaning may be effected by placing the roll of carpet or other fabric, without any preliminary reatment, in the tank 13, in which the cleaning fluid may be either clear water or soapy water, and then passing the fabric from the mechanism associated with this tank directly to the portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 7. The mechanism shown in Fig. 6 effects the dusting operation which is commonly performed by beating or shaking, or by vacuum cleaning apparatus; but this dusting is accomplished without contaminating the atmosphere and is done more efficiently and with less effort than is usually required with apparatus heretofore employed. The further cleansing is then effected in the portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 7, in which a strong soap solution or other cleansing fluid may be used in the tank 56, which is thoroughly removed by the rinsing apparatus and the wringer rollers. In this way a complete cleaning of the worst soiled fabrics is usually accomplished by a single passage of the.

fabric through the cleaning mechanism.

It will be seen that the water entering through the pipe 80 into the tank 7 4 will rise in the tank at the side thereof toward which the carpet is moving. The flange will prevent the water from flowing transversely of the tank at the bottom thereof so that the rising water flows across the top face of the member 75 through the grooves in the corrugated pad on top of this member. This will wash back all of the dirt released by the members 75 and 76 so that it will overflow the tank 7A at the rear side thereof. The portion of the tank 7d back of the member 75 may be omitted if desired and the water rising in the front part of the tank will then simply flow across the space between the stamping members and fall from the rear edge of the lowermost stamping member.

I claim:

1. In a cleaning machine, a member having a supporting surface thereon, a second member having a contact surface movable into and out of engagement withsaid supporting surface, and means for actuating said members so that the latter direct successive lengths of a fabric between said surfaces, and means for supplying a cleaning fluid to saidfabric.

2. A cleaning machine comprising a receptacle for containing a cleaning fluid, a support having its upper surface adjacent the surface level of the fluid in said tank, means for directing a fabric into contact with the fluid and over said surface while saturated with the cleaning fluid contained in said receptacle, and a stamping device movable up and downinto and out of contact with the fabric on said surface to facilitate removal of dirt from said fabric, said stamping member and support being actuated to feed said fabric between said stamping device and said support in a direction transverse to the direction of stamping movement.

3. A cleaning machine comprising a tank for containing a cleaning fluid, a support disposed in said tank and having a contact surface adjacent the surface level of the fluid in said tank, said surface having rios of yielding material thereon, and a reciprocating stamping device movable into and out of contact with a fabric supported on said surface. 1

4. A cleaning machine comprising a tank for containing a cleaning fluid, a support having an upper surface disposed adjacent the surface level of the fluid in said tank, a stamping device having a contact surface movable into and out of engagement with the surface of said support, said surfaces having yielding ribs thereon arranged to cross one another, and means for directing a fabric between said surfaces.

5. A cleaning machine comprising co-opcrating members having engaging faces, ribs on said faces disposed in angular relation to each other so that the ribs on one face cross the ribs on the other face, and means for moving said members to'bring said faces into and out of engagement.

6. A cleaning machine comprising a pair of members having co-operating faces, means for moving one of said members relative to the other to bring said faces into and out of engagement, yielding projections on said faces for engaging a fabric directly between said faces, and means for moving said members for feeding a fabric transversely thereto.

7. In a cleaning machine, a pair of members having co-operating aces, yielding projections on said faces for engaging a fabric, means for periodically moving one of said members to bring said faces into and out of engagement with said fabric, and means for periodically moving said members in unison with each other while said faces are in engagement in adirection to feed said fabric through the machine, said last-named means being timed to operate less frequently than the means for moving said members into and out of engagement.

8. A. cleaning machine comprising a pair of bars having laterally extending contact faces at adacent edges thereof, one of said bars being disposed above the other, pivotal supports for said bars adjacent the separated edges thereof, means for periodicall raising and lowering the uppermost one of said bars, cam mechanism for swinging said bars about their pivotal supports in unison with each other while said contact faces are together, springs for holding said bars against said cam mechanism, means for directing a fabric between the contact faces of said bars, and means for supplying a cleansing fluid to said fabric.

9. A cleaning machine comprising a tank for holding a cleansing fluid, a pair of bars arranged one above the other and having contact faces adjacent the surface level of the fluid in said tank, means for raising and lowering the uppermost one of said bars to move 1 said surfaces into and out of engagement,

means for directing a fabric between said bars, means for supporting said fabric above the surface level of the fluid in said tank after it leaves said bars, means for directing a rinsing fluid on said fabric, and means for wringing the fluid from said fabric.

10. A cleaning machine comprising a tank for containing a cleansing fluid, guides for directing a fabric through the fluid in said tank, and relatively movable stamping members for periodically stamping said fabric between co-operating surfaces thereof after said fabric leaves said tank.

11. A cleaning machine comprising a tank for containing a cleaning fluid, guides for directing a. fabric through said tank, a feed wheel having contact points thereon for moving said fab ric between said guides, a pair of stamping members having relatively movable contact faces for engaging said fabric as it leaves said tank, means for reciprocating one of said members relative to the other to pcriodically compress the fabric between said faces, wringer rollers for receiving said fabric from said stamping members, a rinsing tank, a pair of stamping members having contact faces periodically movable into and out of engagement for stamping said fabric while in contract with a rinsing fluid in said rinsing tank, a pair of wringer rollers for removing excess fluid from said fabric after it leaves said rinsing tank, and a drain hopper for receiving overflow fluid from said cleansing fluid tank and said rinsing tank.

12. A cleaning machine comprising a tank of sufficient size to contain a rolled rug or carpet at one end thereof, a pair of stamping bars disposed one above the other transversely of said tank and having contacting surfaces adjacent the surface level of the fluid in said tank, means for rocking said bars transversely thereof, means for periodically raising and lowering the uppermost one of said bars to cause said bars to periodically engage a fabric between the surfaces of said bars, a feed table for directing the fabric between said bars, rollers for feeding the fabric from said tank and for removing excess fluid therefrom, a second tank for receiving the fabric from said rollers, means for supplying cleansing fluid to said second tank, means for feeding the fabric through said second tank, a pair of stamping bars for periodically compressing the fabric after it leaves said second tank, a pair of rollers for removing excess fluid from said fabric, means for supplying a rinsing fluid to said fabric, a pair of movable stamping bars for periodically compressing said fabric in the presence of said rinsing fluid, rollers for removing excess rinsing fluid from said fabric, and a drain hopper for receiving overflow fluid supplied to said fabric from said rinsing fluid supplying means.

13. A. cleaning machine comprising a mem her having a supporting surface, a rubber pad disposed. on said surface, a stamping member having a lower surface co-operating with said supporting surface, a rubber pad secured to said lower surface, said pads having ribs thereon extending transversely of said surfaces, the ribs on one pad being inclined at an angle to the ribs on the other pad, and means for raising and lowering said stamping member to move said pads into and out of co-operative relation with one another.

14:. A cleaning machine comprising a member having a supporting surface, a rubber pad disposed on said surface, a stamping member having a lower surface co-operating 'ith said supporting surface, a rubber pad secured to said lower surface, said pads having ribs thereon extending transversely of said surfaces, the ribs on one pad being inclined at an angle to the ribs on the other pad, means for raising and lowering said stamping member to move said pads into and out of engagement, means for feeding a fabric between said surfaces, and means for supplying a cleansing fluid to said fabric.

15. A cleaning machine comprising a pair of stamping members having ribs thereon, and means for causing the cleaning liquid to flow transversely of said stamping members across the operating surfaces thereof and through the spaces between said ribs.

16. A cleaning machine comprising a lower stationary stamping member, means for feeding a fabric across the upper surface of said member, a tanlz for a cleaning fluid having the surface of the fluid therein adiacent and above the upper surface of said lower stationary stamping member, an upper stamping member, means for moving said upper stam ing member into and out of contact with the fabric on said lower stam nq member. means for supplying cleansina fluid to the tank at one side of sa d stamping members and means to cause said fluid to flow between the surfaces of said stamp ng members in contact with the fabric being cleaned and preventing the c eansing fluid from passing; from one side of the stam ing members to the other side thereof without first passing between said stamping members.

17 A cleaning machine compr sing a pair of members having CO-ODQI'KHUSI faces, means for periodically moving said members into and out of enga ement with the surfaces of a piece of m ter al which is to be cleaned. means for directing successive lengths of said material transversely between s id members comprising means for periodically moving said members'transverselv of said first movement a d while sa d members are in engagement with the material.

18. A means for cleaning a fabric and simultaneously feeding said fabric through a cleaning machine com rising opposed members for simultaneously operating on opposite sides of said fabric while said fabric is saturated with a cleaning fluid. means for pivoting said members, means for moving said members about, their pivots in one direction while said members are in engagement with the fabric to thereby feedthe fabric through the machine, and yielding means for moving said members about their pivots in the opposite direction and while said members are out of operative engagement with the fabric being cleaned.

19. A device for feeding material through a cleaning 7 machine comprising opposed guides between which the material is fed, a rotatable member, relatively stiff fingers and a tank in which said feeding means is arranged adapted to receive the cleaning fluid so that when said tank'is filled with said cleaning fluid, said feeding means will be partially submerged in said cleaning fluid and so that said fingers will simultaneously agitate said cleaning fluid and said material as said fingers move the material forward through the guides to thereby assist in removing some of the dirt from said material.

20. A cleaning machine comprising a pair ofv members for exerting pressure on opposite sides of a carpet and for feeding the carpet between said members, means for moving the engaging surface of said members in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the carpet to effect the feed of said carpet between said pair of members, said members having spaced ribs thereon to assist said members in forcing the dirt out of said carpet.

21. A device for feeding material through a cleaning machine comprising opposed guides between which the material is fed,

a rotatable member, and a member having a serrated edge secured thereto and rotatable therewith so that said serrated edge will move adjacent said guides with the projections on said serrated edge extending between adjacent guides for feeding the material through the cleaning machine.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this 31st day of May, A. D. 1927.

PASCAL J. SHAQMPAY.

on said rotatable member for engaging the material while it is between said spaced guides, and means for rotating said rotat able member to cause said fingers to move said material through saidspaced guides,

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