US2130817A - Garment cleaning system - Google Patents

Description

' Sept. 20, 1938. J. c. sHAw GRMENT CLEANING SYSTEM l Filed Aug. 16, 1935 INVENToR JULIAN C. SHAW Patented Sept. 20, 1938 ra'riairr oFFlcE GARMENT CLEANING SYSTEM Julian C. Shaw, Norwood, Ohio, assignor tov The Americanl Laundry Machinery Company, Norwood, Ohio, 4a. corporation of Ohio Application August 16, 1935, Serial No. 36,545

4 Claims.

My invention relates to fabric cleaning systems, and more particularly to an improved system'for washing or cleaning fabric and clarifying or reclaiming the treating liquid or solvent.

5 In processes heretofore utilized in washing or cleaning fabric in which a treating or-cleaning fluid, such asgasoline, benzine, or synthetic cleaning solvents, such as carbon tetrachloride, or water containing soap or a suitable detergent,

is employed, it has been the practice to utilize the batch or a continuous clarification process..

In the batch process, the fabric is treated in a bath of the cleaning fluid or solvent,vor with two or more intermittent baths, the solvent or.

l5 treating medium beingv discharged after each treatment. In the continuous clarification system, the treating vessel is connected with a clari- .ilcation unit, such as a filter. and during the entire cleaning cycle the fabric is treated in a bath of solvent which is being continuously circulated through the treating vessell and clarification sys- 'rue patch system isv advantageous in that a comparatively rapid removal of the grease, dirt 25 and other suspended matter is effected, and since the cleaning fluid or solvent is drained from the fabricat the end of each treatment, suspended matter which is removed from the fabric is not u redeposited.

In the continuous clarification system the treating or cleaning fluid is being constantly claried and reutllized, but as the suspended matter removed in the treating vessel is being continu- A ously diluted with clean fluid, the system is `not Y very emclent, in otherwords, in the continuous methodthere is a waste of clean fluid because it isbeing continuously mixed with uid containsuspended matter.

Ihave provided an improved system in which 40 fabric orgarments may be .washed -or cleaned in a liquid or solvent and the cleaning liquid continuously claried and returned for reuse in the 4 process which is operated in such a manner that the claried liquid or solvent will nctbe mixed '45 with the used solvent in the treating vessel.

It is therefore anobject of my invention to provide an improved system by means of which fabric or garments may be washed or cleaned'inv batches, incombination with a continuous clari- 50 flcation system inwhich dirt or-,other matter f may be removed from the liquid or solvent which is returned for reuse in the process. Another obliect of my invention isto provide an improved system in` which a suflicient amount of liquid or 55 vsolvent is supplied ,for washing or cleaning a system isidle.

vis to provide al cleaning and clarification system in which improved means are provided for controlling the supply and discharge of cleaning fluid to the treating vessel.

My invention will be better understood by references to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic view of my improved system; and

2 is a view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1, 20

showing parts broken away.

As illustrated in the drawing, my improved system comprises a treating vessel I provided with the usual rotatable goods container 2. Arranged abovethe treating vesselll is a storage tank 3 25 which communicates with the treating vessel I through a conduit l which is controlled by valves 5 and S. During the operation of the system valve 5 is in open position and is closed when the A drain pipe 'I controlled by a 30 valve l leads from the lower portion of the treating vessel to a sump tank or collecting vessel 9, and a conduit I0 controlled .by a valve II leads from the sump tank 9 and is connected to the inlet side of a pump I2, the outlet side of which 35 is connected by conduit I3to a clarification unit Il. The clarification unit I4 may be of any suitabletype capable ofremovingsuspended matter from the cleaning fluid, such as a lter, a centrifugal or chemical clarifier, or a still and con- 4o denser. The clarified liquid is then forced through a conduit I5, controlled by a valve I6, into the storage tank'l. If a still and condenser are employed, the condenser may be located above the storage tank. as illustrated in Patent No. 1,995,064 to Russell A. Hetzner,` and it a centrifuge is employed, an additional pump may be provided to force the liquid into storage tank 3.

The clarincation system is also provided with a conduit I8 extending from conduit Ii to the 50 sump tank l so that by closing valve Il liquid may be pumped from the sump tank through the clarification unit and again returned to the sump tankfor recirculation through the lter. By repeatedly circulating the soiled liquid through me filter, removal of all or substantially all of the suspended matter will be assured. A branch conduit I9 leading from the storage tank 3 to the intake side of the pump |2, which communicates with the conduit I at a point indicated by the numeral 2|, provides means for passing liquid from the storage tank through the clarification unit and returning it again to the storage tank. By opening valves Il and 2D and discontinuing the operation of the pump |2, liquid may also be drained from the storage tank directly to the sump tank.

A venting 'arrangement is also provided com-- prising a conduit 22 which leads fromthe upper portion of treating vessel I to the upper portion of the sump tank 9 which equalizes the pressure in those two vessels and a conduit 23 extending from the upper. portion of storage tank 3 to the upper portion of sump tank 9 which equalizes the pressure in the storage and sump tanks.

Valve 6 is provided with a stem 25 which extends through apertures in the bottom and head of a longitudinally disposed cylinder 26 and is affixed to a piston 21 which reciprocates in the cylinder with the stem 25.' 'I'he head 28 of the cylinder is provided with a vent 29 and coiled around the stem 25 between the piston 21 and the head 28 is a spring 39 which normally forces valve 6 to closed position.

In a like manner the stem 3| of valve 8 extends through apertures in the bottom and head of cylinder 32 and is aixed to a piston 33 which reciprocates with the stem in the cylinder 32. The head 34 of cylinder 32 is also provided with a vent 35and a spring'36 coiled around stem 3| is disposed between the head 36 and the pision 33 which normally forces valve 8 to closed position. It will be noted that when valves 6 and 8 are in closed position, pistons 21 and 33 a`re in spaced relationship with the bottomy of the respective cylinders, forming air chambers from which conduits 40 and 4| lead to valve casings 42 and 43, respectively.

Valve casing 42 is provided with partitions in which ports 46 and 41 are formed. 'I'he partitions aiso provide seats for valves 48 and 49 which are connected together by a valve stem 50 which extends through the ports 46 and 41 and through apertures in the ends of the casing. In a like manner valve casing 43 is provided with partitions in which ports 51 and 58 are formed, the partitions providing seats for valves 59an`d 60. Valves 59 and 60 are connected together by a stem 6| which extends through ports 51 and 58 and through'apertures in the endsof ing 43.- v

A spring 64 coiled around valve stem 50 is disposed between the valve l49 'and one end of casing 42 which normally maintains valve 48 in open position and valve 49 in closed position. In a like manner a spring 65 is coiled around valve stem 6I between the valve 56 and one end of valve easing 43 which normally maintains valve 59 in open position and valve 69 in closed position. Casings 82 and 43 are each provided with an exhaust port 66 and 61, respectively.

Valve stems 59 and 6| are actuated by means of cams 69'and 19 xed to a drum 68. Drum 68 is provided with journals 13 and 13a which are rotatably mounted in suitable bearings 1| and 12, the journal 13 of the drum being provided with a gear 14 which nio-:lies with a worm gear 15 attached 'to the` sin-ifi 16 of a motor 11.

cas'- A suitable fluid under pressure, such as air,v is supplied to the portion of casing 42 controlled i the conduit seat and opens valve 49 against the action of spring 64. Fluid under pressure from conduits 18 and 19 then enters casing 42, passes through port 41 and conduit 40 into the servo-motor 26, forcing piston 21 outwardly against the action of spring 30, thereby opening valve 6. Assuming .that valve is open, the solvent or cleaning medium then passes from the storage tank 3 into treating vessel As the rotation of cylinder 68 is continued, cam 69 passes from engagement with "valve stem 50 and spring 64 forces valve 49 to closed position and opens valve 48. Air under pressure in cylinder 26 then passes through the conduit 40 and ports 46 and 66 to the atmosphere and spring 30 forces the valve 6 to closed position. As cylinder 68 is lrotated still further, the cam on the cylinder 68 engages valve stem 6|, opening the valve Stand closing the kvalve 59. `Air under pressure then passes through conduits 18 and 80, port 58 and conduit 4| to servo-motor 32, forcing the piston 33 outwardly against the action of spring 36 and opening valve 8. While the cam 1|) is in engagement with valve stem 6|, the soiled liquid or solvent is drained from the treating vessel.

It will be noted that cams 69 and 10 are arranged upon drum 68 in such a manner that after the solvent or cleaning liquid hasbeen introduced into the treating vessel, suicient time is permitted for the washing operation before valve 8 is opened to drain the used solvent into the sump tank. During the period in which the cleaning agent or solvent is being introduced and drained from the treating'vessel, and also during the washing period, the soiled liquid is being pumped from the sump tank 9 and forced throughthe conduit I3 and clarication unit I4 into the storage tank 3. If it is desired to recirculate the soiled liquid-through the ilter, valve 215i is opened and valve i6 is closed, and after the liquid is forced through the clarification unit ILit is returned togsump. tank 9 through i8 for recirculation through the filter. After the liquid has been passed through the lter a suicient number of times to clarify the liquid, valve 24 is closed and valve i6 is opened and the liquid is passed into storage tank 3. Instead of passing the ltered liquid back to the sump tank through the pipe 96, valves i@ and 20 may be opened and valves 2d and it closed, and liquid from the storage tank 3` may bepassed through the conduit i9 and recirculated through the clarication unit.

My improved venting arrangement comprising conduits 22 and 23 equalizes the pressure within the system which, as shown, is closed or substantially closed against entrance of air. For instance, when liquid is being drained into the sump tank 9 from the treating vessel i, the air displaced in the sump tank is conducted into the treating vessel through theconduit 22.' When soiled liquid is pumped'from the sump tank through the clariiication unit and into the storage tank, the air displaced in the 'storage tank passes into the sump tank through the conduit 23, and when the treating compartment is being filled, the air displaced therein is passed into the sump tank and to the storage tank through the conduits `22 and 23. If it is desired to drain the contents of storage tank 3 into the sump tank throughconduits I9 and I 0, the air displaced in the sump tank is passed into the storagetank through the conduit 23. By this arrangement of conduits, it will be seen that the system may be completely closed and equalization of pressure within the system may be lobtained.

From the foregoing specification, it. will be apparent that I have provided an improved system in which the advantages of both the batch and the continuous clarification systems are obtained. By utilizing my improved system, it will be seen that it is not necessary to use-such a large clarification unit, or if the same size clarification unit is employed, two or more cleaning units may be used in connection with each` clarification system. Assuming, for example, that the clarification system has a capacity of 1200 gallons of sol- ,vent or cleaning liquid per-hour and that the washing ,cycle is minutes. In the continuous system 300 gallons of' liquid pass through the treating vessel and clarification system during minute operation in the continuous system. In

such operation, however, only 150 gallons of the cleaning' or solvent fluid would be employed as compared to 300 gallons when the continuous system is utilized. The same clarification systemv could therefore be utilized with two cleaning units, or a'clarication system having only one-half the capacity of that utiliz'ed in the continuous method could be employed.

The foregoing example illustrates a washing operation in which ten separate baths are employed. If the number of baths are reduced,

however, it might be possible in my improved system'to employ as many as four units in connection with a clariiication system of the capacity specified, whereas, only one cleaning unit can be employed when the usual continuous clarcation system is utilized.

Since the location of cams 69 and 10 upon drum 68 automatically determines the time of operation of valves 6 and 8, it will also be seen'that my improved system is Y substantially automatic in operation and will therefore require substantially no manual attention.

It will be understood that the term clarification unitias employed in the specification, and claims is not only intended to include a filter or centrifugal or chemical clarifier, but also other clarifying or reclaiming units or apparatus in winch suspended matter or impuritiesmay be removed from the used treating uid or solvent. For example, in place of the filter, a still and condenser may be employedin which case not only the suspended matter but also soluble im-` tions of my invention will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. My disclosure and description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

What I claim is:

1. In a system for treating fabric, a storage tank, a collecting vessel, a treating vessel communicating with the storage vessel and the collecting vessel, a clarification unit, communicating means between the collecting vessel and the inlet of the clarification unit and communicating means between the outlet of the clarification unit and the storage tank and between the outlet ofthe clarification unit and the collecting vessel, and means for forcing used liquid from the co1- lecting vesselthrough the clarification unit and alternatively passing it either to the storage tank or returning it tothe collecting vessel for recirculation through the clarification unit without passing it through the treating vessel.

2. The process of cleaning fabric which comprises intermittently supplying solvent to fabric from a supply tank at repeated intervals of comparatively short duration, treating the fabric for a comparatively short period between the intervals `at which solvent'is supplied to the fabric, draining the fluid from the fabric into a sump tank after each treating operation and continuously passing used liquid from the sump tank through a ilter and returning it to the supply tank during the fabric treating operations `and While solvent is being supplied to and drained from the treating apparatus at a rate which is approximately just sufficient to supply additional vclarified liquid for each treating operation.

3. The process of cleaning fabric which com- Arises intermittently supplying solvent to fabric from a supply tank at repeated intervals of comparatively short duration, washing the fabric for a period of approximately sixty seconds between the'intervals at which solvent is supplied, draining the liquid-from the fabric after each treating operation into a sump tank and continuously passing used liquid from the sump tank through a filter and returning it to the supply tank during fabric treating operations and during the periods vat which solvent is being supplied and prises intermittently supplying solvent to fabric from a supply tank at repeated intervals of comparativelyshort duration, Washing the fabric 'lor a period of time approximating a minute between the supply intervals, draining the liquid -from the fabric into a sump tank after each washing operation, the number of washing operations being sumcient to clean the fabric and being substantially in excess of the yusual washing and rinsing operations employed in the batch system, and continuously passing used liquid from the sump tank through a lter and returning it to the supply tank during fabric treating operations and during the periods at which solvent is being supplied and drained from the treating apparatus at a rate-which is approximately just suicient to supply additional clarified liquid for each treating operation.

JULIAN C. SHAW.

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