US2058278A

US2058278A - Apparatus for dry cleaning

Info

Publication number: US2058278A
Application number: US677625A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles G Watson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1933-06-26
Filing date: 1933-06-26
Publication date: 1936-10-20
Anticipated expiration: 1953-10-20

Description

V0ct`20, 1936. c;l G, WATSON I 2,058,278

APPARATUS FOR DR CLEANING IN VENTOR.

, ATTORNEY.)1

Oct. 20, 1936. c. G. wATsoN APPARATUS FOR DRY CLEANING 4 Sheets-Sheetl 2 Filed June 26, 1955 INVENTOR Oct. 20, 1936. c, Q WATSON `2,058,278

APPARATUS FOR DRY CLEANING Filed June 26, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEYJ'I Oct. 20, 1936. y Q Q WATSON 2,058,278

APPARATUS FOR DRY CLEANING Filed June 26, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 0000000 0000000 OOOOOO INVENTOR. 6710/4/25 /Zfo/ v BY ATTORNEY.;

Patented Oct. 20, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR DRY CLEANING Charles G. Watson, Youngstown, Ohio Application June 26, 1933, Serial No. 677,625

2 Claims.

This invention relates as indicated to a method of andV apparatus for dry cleaning, but has reference more particularly to certain improvements in the usual cleaning processes and in the construction of Vvarious units of the apparatus employed therein.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a compactly arranged dry cleaning apparatus which shall perform the various functions of cleaning, extracting, drying and deodorizing in a series of successive operations without necessitating the transfer or removal of the articles to be cleaned from the cylinder or basket in which they are initially placed.

Another object ofthe invention is the provision of means for efficiently and economically reclaiming the cleaning solvent employed in the process. Other objects 0i the invention are the provision of an improved construction of the cleaning cylinder or basket, theV shell enclosing' said basket and the supporting structure therefor; the incorporation of a heating unit in said.r shell; the provision of a trap for absorbingl moisture extracted from the articles cleaned, and reducing to a minimum the corrosive effects due to the circulation oi such moisture through the apparatus, and the provision of a single unit including a lint trap, condenser and condensate sump.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. The. annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain means and one mode of carrying out the invention, suchv disclosed means and modeillustrating, however, but one oi various ways in which theprincipleo thev invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic View oi the appa-y ratus and the arrangement of the piping therefor; the upper portion ciA the Viewy showing certain parts of the apparatus in front elevation and:

the'l'ower portion of the View showing certain other parts of the apparatus in plan; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the Washer; Fig. 3A is a transverse crosszsectional` view-of the washer; Figs. 4 to v8 inclusive are detail viewst of the Washer construction; Figs. 9 to 12 inclusive are detail views of the lint. trap, condenser, and" condensate sump construction; and Figs. 13 to 15 inclusive are detail views of the solvent trap con-- struction..

The apparatus as illustrated more or. less diagrammatically in Fig. 1 comprisessolvent storage tanks. I and 2, a solvent still 3 interposed between the storage'tanks, a condenser 4 mounted on the still, a iilter 5,' a combination Washer and heater 6, a sol-vent trap "I, a pump 8, a combination lint trap,` condenser and condensate sump 9, and av ian I0, all of which are interconnected by piping to form a continuous circuity as Willbe hereinafter explained. y y

In addition there are provided suitable valves, sight glasses, couplings, motors and electrical equipment, the location and nature of which will 'appear as the description proceeds.

The combination Washer and heater unit 6 is? shown more clearlyA in Figs 2 to 8 inclusive. Thisunit includes a supporting structure com-v prising pairs of spaced apart end plates. II and. I?. which rest upon and are welded to abase plate or platform I3z and are connected by spaced iront andV rear plates M- and vI5 respectively. Secured as by welding to the upper edges of endY plates I2 and front and rear plates I4 and I5 are pillow block bearing supporting plates I6, which, terminate short of the endvplates II,. theresulting space being taken up by opposite sides I'I'and I8` of a rectangular supporting frame I9, which is secured as by Welding to the upper. ed'gesof'plates II., I4 and I'5- and the inner edges ofV plates I6... Y

The upper edges ofthe sides I1 and |81 of supporting frame I9 are provided with semi-circular recessesV ZIl i-nwhich are received stuing boxes 2-I- provided with the usual adjustable glands 22- and stuing or packing 23. The frame I9 servesV as a support. Vfor the outturned horizontal flange' 24 of the'semi-cylindrical lower half 25 of .the Washer shell .or housing, this half of the Washer. shell being provided in its lowermost portion with. a longitudinally extending sump 26. vSump 26 is in communication with a drain pipe 2,1Which extends throughy the end plates II and I2. Abovev the lower half 25. of the Washer shell is positioned the upper half-28 of the Washer shell orhousing, this halt being likewise provided with an outturnedflangel which rests upon, but is separated from, the ilange 24 by a gasket 30. Aseo-l tionalframe consisting of pair of U-shaped irame members-3| is positioned ony the flange 29, a'ndjV screws 32 are provided to secure the frame and' the. upperand lower halves of the Washer shell"v toeachother aswell. as to the supporting frame. I9. The upper half 28 of the'washer shell has av rectangular opening. 33 through which the articles to be cleaned are adapted to; bepassed. This openingis adapted to be closed by the. load-.- ing door 34. which is mounted for pivotal move. mentabout 'pins' 35' and isv adaptedy to be held in closed position by means of latches 36. The door 34 has secured to its inner surface a gasket 36 and a lining plate 31 which is smaller than the gasket and therefore leaves the marginal portion of the gasket exposed, such exposed marginal portion of the gasket engaging the L-shaped flange of the shell 28. Flange 38 embraces a frame 39 which is mounted on the shell 28.

The upper half 28 of the washer shell, instead of being made substantially semi-cylindrical as is the lower half of the shell, has its rear portion formed to provide a chamber or compartment 40 which is separated from the main portion of the shell by means of a partition plate or baille 4|, provided with a. series of longitudinally spaced openings 42. A U-shaped heater coil 43 extends longitudinally through the compartment 40 and is provided' with an inlet 44 and an outlet 45 for steam or other suitable heating medium. The function of this heater will be presently described.

The washer proper comprises a cylindrical basket 46 having a multiplicity of perforations 41 and imperforate heads 48. The heads 48 have riveted thereto reinforcing conical members 49 to which are welded tubular members 50 into which extend trunnions 5|. The members 50 pass through the stuing boxes 2|, and the trunnions are suitably journaled in pillow block bearings 52 which are supported by the plates 6. Secured to the interior surface of the` basket 46 and extending longitudinally thereof are perforated baffles 53 of U-shaped cross section. The basket 46 is provided with an opening 46a through which the articles to be cleaned are introduced into the basket, and this opening is adapted to be closed by a door 46bwhich, as shown in Figs. 2 and 7, is slidable circumferentially of the basket in guides 46c secured to the basket adjacent the opening 46a. This door is provided with a manually operable latching device (not shown) whereby the door is positively held in either closed or open position.

The conduit 21 which extends from the lower half of the washer shell is in communication with an uptake conduit 54 which in turn is in communication with the lint trap and condenser unit 9, the detail construction of which will now be described, reference being had particularly to Figs. 2, 9, 10, 11, and 12.

The condenser comprises a cylindrical casing 55, closed at the bottom by a flanged disc 56 and at the top by the casing 51 of a fan 58, an openended tube 59, which is secured to the casing 51, serving to establish communication between the interior of

casings

55 and 51. Surrounding the lower end of tube 59 but spaced therefrom is a condenser coil 60 provided with a water inlet 6| and a water outlet 62. An inclined bulkhead or baille plate 63 is disposed beneath the condenser` coil, and a sight glass 64 permits the condensate which drips over the plate 63 into the sump below to be observed. An outlet 65 is provided for the removal of the condensate which has collected on the bottom 56. The casing 55 has secured thereto adjacent its front end a horizontally disposed cylindrical casing 66, with which the uptake conduit 54 communicates. Casing 55 is also provided with a circular opening 61 which is concentric with the casing 66, and surrounding this opening and secured to the casing 55 is a collar 68. Collar 68 provides a support for a lint trap which consists of a pair of concentric suitably reinforced

cupshaped screens

69 and 10, the inner screen 10 being preferably of a coarser mesh than the outer screen 69. The construction of the lint trap is such that it may be readily slipped olf the collar 68 when it is desired to remove the trap. In order to gain access to the lint trap for the purpose of inspecting or removing same, a cover 1| is provided, this cover being normally in engagement with a gasket ring 12 at the base of an annular member 13 which is welded or otherwise secured to the casing 66 adjacent the end thereof. An air-tight engagement of the cover with the gasket is secured by means of a toggle-action locking device comprising a lever 14 which is pivoted to the casing 66 as at 15, and a yoke 16 which is pivoted to a lug 11 extending from the cover 1| and to the ends of the lever 14. By moving the lever 14 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 11, the cover 1| is released and may be moved aside so as to permit access to the lint trap. The fan 58 is adapted to be driven by a motor 18 which is mounted on the casing 51. When a gate valve 19 is open, air blown by the fan 58 enters the washer shell. Auxiliary gate valves and 8| are also provided for the purpose of opening the washer shell and fan casing respectively to the atmosphere.

The solvent trap 1 is shown most clearly in Figs. 13 to l5 inclusive, and comprises a cylindrical casing 82 having an'inlet 83 and an outlet 84, and closed at the bottom as by a anged disc 85. Supported on the disc 85 is a removable lter unit comprising a perforated plate 86 having an upstanding ange 81 at its edge, said plate having secured thereto a pair of vertically extending screens 88, between which is interposed a suitable moisture absorbent 89 such, for example, as cotton waste. The filter unit is so disposed that the screens 88 and interposed cotton waste form a wall extending diametrically across the casing 82, so that all liquid which enters they inlet 83 must pass through this wall before reaching the outlet 84. The casing 82 is normally closed at the top by a cover 90 which is similar in all respects to the cover 1| of the casing 66 and is adapted to be locked in closed position by toggle means similar to that employed for locking the cover 1|.

'Ihe operation of the apparatus will now be described, reference being had particularly to the diagrammatic View of Fig. 1.

The apparatus has been designed particularly with a View to the use of carbon tetrachloride, trichlorethylene, and other non-inflammable, non-explosive cleaning solvents, such solvents being capable of being evaporated without residual odors and of cleaning the most delicate fabrics without injury thereto. Other advantages of such solvents are that they do not separate on fractional distillation and may therefore be redistilled and used over and over with extremely slight loss.

In lling the apparatus with the solvent, carbon tetrachloride for example, all of the valves are closed and a connection is established between the solvent drum (no-t shown) and valve |00. Valves |00, |0| and |02 are then opened and the solvent forced by motor driven pump 8 into storage tank 2. After tank 2 is lled, valve |02 is closed and valve |03 opened and tank is filled. The pump is then stopped and the open valves closed.

The lter 5 is then lled with solvent. This is accomplished by opening valves |03 and |84, thereby permitting the solvent to flow from tank 2 into the lower half 25 of the washer shell. Valve |02 is then closed and valve |05 and air release petcock |06 on top of the lter opened. Pump 8 is then vstarted and pressure gauge |01 observed. When the filter is full, the solvent will overflow through petcock |06, and the pressure gauge indicate an increased pressure.

PumpY a is then stopped andpetcock |06 "and all the valves are closed. Air. vent |085. is opened.

The basket 46 is thenloaded withfapredetermined weight of varticles to be cleaned', it` being desirable not to load the basket morethan api proXimatelytwo-thirds of its volume-capacity. Valves |02 and |04 are then opened and the washer shell and basket filled: with solvent -to a predetermined level. Valve |`02 isvthenf closed, valves |05and |09 opened and pump 8 started'. The basket is then rotated at a slow speed;` i. e., about 25 R. P. M., by motor ||0 through reduction gear enclosed in housing III, alternately in each direction for periods of" about'twenty'seconds. During this washing process, the. solvent is being continuously drawn from sump 26 through conduit 21 and outlet ||2 into inlet 83 of the solvent trap, through the filter unit in the solvent trap, through outlet 84, through the lter 5 and back into the washer shell.. In this manner` dirt and other foreign matter are removed from the articles in the basketandrde.- posited in the lter so that thearticles are always being washed in clean solvent.. When the solvent appears clear through the sight glass I I3, valve |02 is opened, valve |04 closed, and the solvent pumped into tank 2. When the sight glass ||3 shows that solvent is no longer passing therethrough, valve |0I is'opened, valves |05' and |09 closed, and rotation of the basketstopped. The washing period varies from about ten to fifteen minutes according tothe nature of the load.

With the pump still operating, the basketis rotated in one directionathigh speed, i`. e., about 500-l R. P. M., for about three Ato ve minutes, so as ,to extract as much solvent as possible from the washerA and articles therein'. This operation is generally designated as extraction. After this operation the basket and pump are stopped and the load is ready for drying.

The small amount of solvent remaining in the articles is recovered during the ,drying operation. For this purpose, valve 19 is openedand'valves 80'v and 8| closed and the basket rotated at low speed as inA the washing` operation, and the fan 58 set in operation. At the same time, steamhis'introduced through valve H5. into inletJ 44 passing through the heater coil 43 and out through the outlet 45. This steam heats the air which is blown into the compartment 40 of the washer shell and the heated air issues from the openings 42 and into the washer basket vaporizing the remaining solvent in the articles. The vapor laden air passes through conduit 21 and uptake conduit 54 and enters the casing 66. Any lint which is carried by the stream of air is trapped by and deposited on the screen 69 which is preferably cleaned after each cleaning cycle. The vapor laden air then passes downwardly into casing 55, the vaporized solvent being condensed by the coil 60 and falling on the bulkhead 63. The vapor free air then passes upwardly through tube 59 and is recirculated through the Washer by the fan. The recovery of the vaporized solvent may be observed through the sight glass 64, and when solvent ceases to drip from the bulkhead 63, the drying is completed. The drying operation usually requires from about ten to thirty minutes, depending upon the nature of the load, and at the close thereof, the flow of steam through the heater coil is stopped as well as the flow of water through the condenser coil. Periodically, the condensate at the bottom of casing 55 is removed by After the last load has been washed, all of the I solvent except that in the lter ispumped into the storage tanks and all of the valves'are then closed.

When the solvent attains a dark amber co-lor due to the dissolved greases, fats and oils, it may be distilled. This is. accomplished by opening valves |02 or |03'and |04, thereby drainingv the solvent from the storage tanks into the washer. Valve |02 or |03, whichever has been opened, is closedand valves |0| and are opened and the pump 8 started, thereby. pumping the solventinto the still 3. Valve VI I8 or ||9 depending on which of the storage tanks is empty is then opened and water admitted. into' the coil in .condenser 4. 'VSteam is then admitted into the still. through valve |20 and the solvent vaporized, passing upwardly into the condenser. The condensed solventmay be, observed as it flows past the sight glass 2| or |22. Sludge may be removed from the still through valve |23.' Provision. is also made for draining and lcleaning the filter 5i. If all of the valves have beenpreviously closed, valves. |09 and |24 and petcock |05 are opened, all of the solvent in the iilter being. .thus drained into the washer, entering the conduit 21a-t the opening |25.. The open. Valves andpetcock are then closed. Valves |0| and IIT are then opened, and Ythe drained solventpumped into the still. The pump is then stopped, all valves closed, and valves |05 and |26. opened. Steam is then admitted into a coil (not shown) in the lower portion of filter 5 through lvalve |21',` there-r Among other advantages of providing a hori-V Zontally split shell and separate supporting frame therefor, may be enumerated the following: (l) The assembly of the shell aswell as the removal of the upper half thereof for inspection and removal of the basket are greatly facilitated. (2) All of the load, except the weight of the solvent used in washing, is carried outside of the basket on rigid bearing supports, thereby permitting the washer shell to be made of light gauge sheets. (3) The shell being made of light gauge material permits the attainment of rapid changes of temperature during the injection of hot air in the drying operation and of cold air during the freshening operation. Due to the light construction and design of the shell, it does not absorb a great deal of heat during the drying operation and consequently cools very rapidly for the next Washing operation. In this connection it may also be noted (see Figs. 5 and 6) that except for the flange 24, the washer shell does not touch the supporting structure which may be of steel and consequently very little heat is conducted from the shell to such supporting structure. The corrosive effect upon metals of carbon tetrachloride in combination with Water or moisture increases as the temperature rises. Consequently it is of the utmost importance that the washing operation be conducted at as loW a temperature as possible, and such temperature as above stated is easily attained as a result of the present construction. (4) The light gauge construction of the Washer shell permits the use of the novel light Weight loading door which has been previously described and which may be curved to the same contour as the shell and stretched tightly over the door opening With small light Weight clamping bolts.

Among other. advantages of incorporating the heater as an integral part of the Washer shell may be mentioned the following: (l) The elimination of long air pipe connections and the con-A duction of heat in close proximity to the Washer during the drying operation, thereby obtaining rapid drying of the. articles being cleaned. (2) It permitsv the hot air to be brought into the top of the Washer shell and removed at the bottom, thereby accelerating the drying operlation, since air laden with solvent fumes is heavy and tends to settle to the bottom of the Washer shell. The natural flow of solvent laden air being from the top of the shell to the bottom, this condition is best attained by placing the heater at the top of and inside of the Washer shell.

The Wall of cotton Waste in the solvent trap 1 is particularly effective in absorbing the moisture extracted from the articles during the washing and extracting operations, thereby reducing to a minimum the corrosive effect of carbon tetrachloride in combination with moisture. The absorption of this moisture also tends to increase the speed and eiciency of the subsequent drying operation. This Wall of Waste also removes much of the lint and any foreign matter such as buttons, pins, etc. which might otherwise remain Yin the solvent. 'I'he flanged perforated plate V86 of the filter unit forms a basket for foreign matter and prevents it from entering the pump.

By incorporating the lint trap condenser and condensate sump as parts of an integral structure, the use of long air pipes is eliminated and heat losses avoided. The induction of the solvent laden air into the top of the condenser casing about the tube 59 and the reversal of the direction of the air flow by the fan by taking the air from the center of the condenser near the lower end thereof tends to precipitate the condensed solvent onto the plate 63, thereby aiding in the attainment of rapid and efficient drylng.

Other `modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the means and the steps herein disclosed, provided those stated by any of the following claims or their equivalent be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a dry cleaning apparatus, a substantially rectangular supporting frame, a Washer shell supportedon said frame, said shell comprising a semi-cylindrical lower portion having an cut- Wardly extending flange resting onvsaid frame and an upper portion having an outwardly extending flange disposed above said rst-named flange, a sectional frame mounted on said second-named flange and means for securing said sectional frame to said supporting frame.

2. In a dry cleaning apparatus, 4a Washer shell comprising a substantially cylindrical member having an enlargement in the upper portion thereof formed by integral portions of said member which extend tangentially therefrom, a perforated partition plate interconnecting said tangentially extending portions of said member and separating said enlargement from the balance of the cylindrical member, a U-shaped tubular member disposed in said enlargement, means for circulating steam through said tubular member and means for blowing air over said tubular member and into said shell.

CHARLES G. WATSON.