US3108464A

US3108464A - Lint filtering and disposal arrangement for clothes cleaning machine

Info

Publication number: US3108464A
Application number: US109436A
Authority: US
Inventors: Curtis E Behrens
Original assignee: Borg Warner Corp
Current assignee: Borg Warner Corp
Priority date: 1961-05-11
Filing date: 1961-05-11
Publication date: 1963-10-29
Anticipated expiration: 1980-10-29
Also published as: FR1324546A; DK104400C; NL278336A; GB981437A; DE1204176B

Description

Oct. 29-, 1963 c E BEHRENS 3,108,464

LINT FILTERIN AND DISPOSAL ARRANGEMENT FOR CLOTHES CLEANING MACHINE Filed May 11, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oci. 29, 1963 Filed May 11. 1961 C. E. BEHRENS LINT FILTERING AND DISPOSAL ARRANGEMENT FOR CLOTHES CLEANING MACHINE a Shets-Sheet 2 fnverzjbr'" Cur'i'z's E fiekrens Oct. 29, 1963 c. E. BEHRENS 3,103,464

LINT FILTERING AND DISPOSAL ARRANGEMENT I FOR CLOTHES CLEANING MACHINE Filed May 11, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 5 fnvenl a T" C a. 7-2 i615. 56%476715 United States Patent LINT FHII'ERING AND DISPOSAL ARRANGE- MENT FOR CLOTHES CLEANING MACHINE Curtis E. Behrens, Eflingham, Ill., assignor to Borg- Warner Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed May 11, 1961, Ser. No. 109,436 20 Claims. (Cl. 68-19) This invention relates to clothes-cleaning and drying machines and more particularly to a lint filtering and disposal arrangement for such machines.

Combination clothes-cleaning and drying machines include a cleaning fluid container or casing, a clothescontaining basket or drum rotatably supported in the casing, cleaning fluid supply and drain means, and a heated air supply and circulating means. During automatic sequentially-controlled operations of the machine, the basket is rotated slowly through the fluid in the easing to clean the clothes, the vitiated fluid is drained from the machine, and the basket is rotated rapidly to extract fluid from the clothes to be drained from the machine. Thereafter, when a substantial "amount of fluid has been extracted from the clothes and drained from the machine, the basket is rotated slowly to tumble and distribute the clothes while heated air is circulated through the clothes to dry the clothes. During this drying operation, lint adhering to the clothes is shaken loose from the clothes and enters and is carried by the circulating air. In such machines, filtering and disposal of lint from the clothes is important to prevent the lint adhering to and accumulating on the rotating basket and interior of the machine in such proportions as to seriously impair the satisfactory clothes drying operation of the machines, by choking of the circulated heated air. A lint screen is generally positioned in the path of the circulated heated air to collect the lint on the screen which is removed by the operator to clean the screen, or the lint may be flushed from the screen into the basket by the cleaning fluid in the subsequent use of the machine. In the latter case, the drying operation causes the dried lint to cling to the interior of the basket and mingle with the clothes in the basket during the subsequent fluid cleaning operation. While this problem is undesirable in cleaning clothes in any type of fluid used in such machines, this problem is critical when the cleaning fluid is a dry cleaning solvent as saturated lint, in the form of certain fabric fibers, including bristly wool fibers, has an aflinity to adhere to clothes. As a result, for example, the solvent action on black fibers, clinging to the basket, will affect other colors, including White, of clothes in the basket during a subsequent cleaning operation.

-It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved lint filtering and disposal arrangement for clothes-cleaning and drying machines.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved arrangement for filtering lint in a clothescleaning and drying machine during a drying operation and for automatically disposing of the lint in the machine during a subsequent clothes-cleaning operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved disposal arrangement for lint filtered and collected on a screen of a clothes-cleaning and drying machine during a drying operation and in which the lint is flushed from the screen and discharged exteriorly of the clothes-containing basket into the casing of the machine by the action of cleaning fluid during a subsequent cleaning operation, the "lint-laden fluid then being drained from the machine.

In its broadest aspect, the invention resides in the provision of a new and improved lint-filtering and disposal arrangement for a clothes-cleaning machine having a 3 ,18,464 Patented 0st. 29, 1963 clothes-containing basket rotatable on a non-vertical axis in a fluid-containing casing, a fan for circulating air through and about the basket, and a filter rotatable with the basket and disposed in the circulating air path to collect lint from the air during a drying operation of the machine, with the accumulated lint on the filter being saturated by cleaning fluid during low speed operation of the machine to increase the weight of the lint and thereby loosen but not discharge the lint from the filter so that, during subsequent high speed rotation of the basket to centrifugally extract cleaning fluid from the clothes, the fluid-saturated lint is further loosened and is freed from the filter by centrifugal force and flushed into the casing to drain from the casing. It is also contemplated that, if desirable, the arrangement may be further characterized by the employment of concentric guiding and confining surfaces on or adjacent the filter to direct the cent-rifugally impelled fluid-saturated lint on the filter surface to a point outside of the rotating basket so that the lint can be flushed from the machine by the cleaning fluid thereby preventing the lint accumulations from disposition on the clothes contained within the basket.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the new and improved lint filtering and disposal arrangement for a clothes-cleaning machine contemplates a clothes-containing basket rotatable in a fluid-containing casing and provided with an air-circulating fan in a pocket formed and projecting outwardly from the rear wall of the casing, the arrangement further comprising a filter screen disposed in the pocket and filtering lint from the circulating air, the dried lint on the screen being saturated but not freed by cleaning fluid during the low speed cleaning operation of the machine and being subsequently flushed from the screen by cleaning fluid during the high speed fluid extraction operation of the machine with the lintladen fiuid flowing through an opening in the pocket to the basket exterior and into the casing for drainage from the casing.

In a second exemplary embodiment of the invention, the new and improved lint filtering and disposal arrangement for a clothes-cleaning machine may be positioned exteriorly of and rotatably with the basket and disposed in the path of the circulating air for collecting lint from the air and for saturation of the accumulated lint by the fluid in the casing during the low speed cleaning operation and subsequent removal of the saturated lint by centrifugal force during high speed extraction operation, the filter being effective to direct the removed lint into the casing for drainage from the machine.

A further feature of the present invention is the location of the filter on the basket in a manner to filter the lint from the air circulated by the fan but being eflectively spaced from the basket to permit continuous air flow circulation through and about the basket should the filter become clogged with lint preventing or substantially decreasing the flow of air through the filter.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferredfor-m of the invention is shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a combination clothes-cleaning and drying machine illustrating a preferred embodiment of the lint filtering and disposal structure of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the machine shown in FIG. 1, said view being partly in section and with certain portions broken away to show details;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the lint filtering and disposal structure shown in FIG. 2, said view being taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows, certain portions of the structure being broken away to more clearly illustrate details;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the lint filtering and disposal structure shown in FIG. 3, said section being taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of another lint filtering and disposal arrangement of a combination clothes-cleaning and drying machine, said section being taken in a plane similar to that of FIG. 2.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a clothes cleaning and drying machine in which the numeral designates the cabinet. Within the cabinet 10 is disposed an imperforate casing or tub 11 having a front wall 12 and a rear wall 13. The tub 11 is supported by a suspension system generally indicated at A mounted on a base structure B, the suspension A comprising pivots C and D attaching the tub to the base structure with the pivots C and D being directly below the center of the tub and being connected to the bottom of the tub by a pair of front and rear brackets, one of which is shown at E. The suspension arrangement for the tub is more particularly shown and described in US. Patent 2,978,892 issued April 11, 1961. An access opening 14 is provided in the front wall of the casing 11 and a corresponding opening 15 is provided in the cabinet 10. A gasket 16 connects the two openings and a door 17 is provided to close the opening in the cabinet 10.

A drum or a basket 18 is disposed in the casing 11 for the reception of clothes to be cleaned and dried and is rotatably supported by means of a spider 19 on a sleeve shaft 20, connected to the rear wall 13 of the casing 11, and a pulley 21, fixedly secured to the shaft 20, adapted to be rotated by a belt 22 in driven relation to a driving pulley 23 connected to the driven shaft of a two-speed transmission driven by an electric motor. The two-speed transmission is controlled by a clutch operated to provide low speed or slow rotation of the basket, or high speed for rapidly rotating or spinning the basket. The clutch is actuated by a solenoid to provide slow speed to tumble the clothes basket during a portion of a cleaning operation and during the drying operation and also to provide a relatively high speed to rotate the basket, for example, during the extraction of the cleaning fluid from the clothing.

Details of belt and pulley arrangements, and drive means including the transmission and motor and control means therefor are more completely illustrated and described in US. Patent 3,006,176 issued October 31, 1961.

The cylindrical wall of the basket 18 has a plurality of openings 24 therein and is provided with a front opening 25 spaced from the opening of the front wall 12 of the casing 11. An annular ring 26 is suitably attached to the front wall 12 of the casing 11 and a second annular ring 27 is attached to the ring 26 and spaced therefrom by pins or rivets 28. The rear wall of the basket 13 is provided with a plurality of openings 29 defined by the legs of the spider 19. The front of the basket 18 has a cylindrical flange 30 defining the opening 25 and the front wall 12 of the casing 11 has a plurality of hearing rollers 31 secured thereto to support the front of the basket. Air circulating means, in the form of a suction type blower or fan 32, is provided in the rear wall of the basket 18. The fan 32 has a plurality of curved blades 33 fixedly secured to a hub 34 which hub is driven by a belt and pulley arrangement, the pulley being indicated at 35 and the belt being indicated at 36, driven by an electrical motor. Operation of the fan is controlled by a clutch engageable, upon energization of a solenoid, to couple the pulley arrangement to the drive shaft of the motor to effect rotation of the fan during the drying operation as disclosed in said US. Patent 3,006,176. The fan is of a very large diameter (for example, 16 inches) and is rotated at a relatively low speed to provide a high rate of air flow to the machine during the drying operation. As seen in FIG. 2, the fan 4 is disposed within a pocket P formed by the spider 19 formed and centrally located in the back wall 19 of the basket.

A heater assembly 38 is fixedly secured to the front wall 12 of the casing 11. More particularly, the heater assembly 38 comprises an annular aluminum structure 39 having a plurality of annular Calrod type heating coils 40 contained therein, the heating coils 40 being suitably connected to a supply of electric circuit to effect heating of the heater assembly during the drying operation of the machine. During this drying operation, the air flow is shown by the arrows in FIG. 2, the fan 33 being effective to cause circulation of the heated air to flow into the tub and around the basket and through the perforations 24 of the basket, as well as between spaced front walls of the tub and basket, the

annular rings

27 and 26, and through the opening 25 between the ring 27 and the cylindrical edge 30 of the basket to effectively provide streams of heated air to dry the clothes in the basket. The heated air is then drawn by the fan through the pocket P and through the openings 29 defined by and between the spokes of the spider 18 and the rear wall 13 of the tub to be recirculated in the machine. As it is contemplated that the clothes-cleaning and drying machine be used with a drying cleaning solvent, a condenser 41 is positioned adjacent the lower portion of the wall 13 of the casing 11 for condensation of the solvent vapors produced by the drying operation. More particularly, the condenser 41 comprises a plate of arcuate configuration and having upper and lower connected

passages

42 and 43 with the upper passage 42 being connected to a supply of cold water flowing through a pipe 44, the

passages

42 and 43 to a pipe 45 leading to the exterior of the machine. As shown in FIG. 2, the condenser is mounted on the rear wall 13 of the casing 11 by securing means 46.

As previously pointed out, the clothes cleaning and drying machine is designed to utilize a dry cleaning solvent for cleaning the clothes in its preferred form and, accordingly, the solvent is introduced into the tub through a hose 47 connected to a suitable source of solvent under pressure, the hose being connected to an inlet pipe 48 extending within and connected to the bottom of the tub 11 as shown in FIG. 2. When a sufficient supply of the dry cleaning solvent has entered the tub 11 to the level indicated at L, the solvent flows from the tub through an overflow hose 49 to be recirculated to the tub.

The clothes-cleaning and drying machine is also provided with a sequential controlling device for controlling automatic operation of the machine including a cleaning cycle in which the dry cleaning solvent flows into and out of the machine while the basket for cylinder is rotated at low speed for tumbling the clothes for a predetermined period of time effective to thoroughly clean the clothing; a drain cycle in which the solvent is drained from the tub through the pipe 4-8 and flows through the pipe 47 into a sump and then the basket is rotated at high speed to effectively centrifugally extract the solvent from the clothes for passage through the pipe 43 and hose 47 from the machine; the drain and centrifugal extract cycle thereafter is followed by the introduction of solvent into the tub with the drain closed and the basket rotated at high speed to power clean the interior parts of the machine, including the basket, of lint and soil in a brief period of time; the basket then being rotated at slow speed to effect further cleaning of the clothes; subsequently, the tub is drained while the basket is rotated at slow speed to distribute the clothes in the basket; and finally the basket is rotated at high speed to again centrifugally extract the solvent from the clothes, the solvent being drained from the machine during this operation to complete the clothescleaning cycle of the machine. The power cleaning operation is rendered highly effective by the use of V-shaped scoops secured to the cylindrical exterior of the basket, one of the scoops being shown at 18a, and as illustrated and described in US. Patent 3,006,176. Thereafter, a drying cycle occurs in which the heater assembly 38 is activated to produce heat while the fan 33 is rotated to provide circulation of the heated air as previously described while the basket is rotated at slow speed to tumble the clothes in the basket. During this time, cold water flows through the condenser 41 to condense the solvent vapors of the machine, the condensate flowing down the rear wall 13 of the tub 11 and into the pipe 48 to be drained from the machine.

The present invention is directed to an improved lint filtering and disposal arrangement, which in its preferred form, as shown in FIGS. l-4, inclusive, include a cover assembly 50 and a filter screen assembly 51, the cover assembly including a multi-part perforated plate mounted within the pocket P of the basket and the filter screen assembly 51 being supported on the plate, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4. During the drying operation, the filter screen assembly 51 is effective to remove lint from the heated circulating air and this lint is drawn, by the air movement of the fan, through perforations 72 in the cover assembly 50 to impinge on the screen assembly 51.

Prior to the present invention, lint collected on a screen, disposed within and rotatable with the clothes-containing basket, required the operator to remove the lint at the end of the drying operation by reaching into the basket to detach the lint from the screen for disposal, or to remove the lint-laden screen from the machine, to prevent the lint reducing, or obstructing the free flow of the heated air about and through the clothes during a subsequent drying cycle. In addition, in such machines, the lint was exposed to and removed by water during the subsequent cleaning operation, but the lint adhering to the screen at the central portion thereof was not only difficult to remove but remained on the screen during subsequent cleaning operations due to the negligible centrifugal force of the cleaning fluid, that occurred at or adjacent the central axis of rotation of the screen, being ineffective to cause the fluid to remove the lint at the central portion of the screen with consequent build-up of lint periodically breaking loose and mingling with the clothes in the basket, or engaging the screen during the drying operation to obstruct the air flow.

In addition, the screen was positioned the basket in such manner that, during a cleaning operation, lint, adhering to the screen from a previous drying operation, was flushed into the basket to mingle with the clothes within the basket. This arrangement was objectionable as the lint adhered to the clothes to an extent that all of the lint was unable to be removed from the clothes during the drying operation. This problem is critical in the use of dry cleaning solvents for cleaning clothes, as lint remaining in the basket from a previous drying operation and comprising bristly wool fibers, have an aflinity to adhere to clothes due to the solvent action. As a result, for example, solvent action on black fibers remaining in the basket affects clothes of other colors, including white, in the basket.

The lint filtering and disposal arrangement of the present invention, contemplates as one of its features, that the screen assembly 51 filter the lint from the circulating heated air during the drying operation and, thereafter, during low speed rotation of the basket for tumbling the clothes, the accumulated lint on the screen is saturated by the cleaning fluid to increase the weight of the lint thereby loosening the lint but not sufiiciently to pull the lint from the screen. Thereafter, during high speed basket rotation operation to centrifugally extract the cleaning fluid from the clothes, as the filter surface of the screen is coaxial with the basket rotational axis, the saturated lint is further loosened and freed from the screen and impelled radially outward of the filter by centrifugal force, the lint-laden fluid being directed downwardly and through openings in the pocket in and defined by the legs of the spider of the basket rear wall into the tubso 6 that there is no possibility of the lint-laden fluid entering the basket to mingle the lint with the clothes contained in the basket.

More particularly, this lint filter and disposal arrangement shown in FIGS. 1-4, inclusive, comprises the screen assembly 51 having a cone-shaped screen 52 enclosing the forward suction side of the fan and secured to a mounting member or frame 53 having four spokes 54 projecting radially from the hub 55 thereof terminating in an annular rim 56 coterminous with :and securely fastened to the outer edge of the screen. The rim 56 of the frame 53 and the outer edge of the screen are spot welded to each other and project beyond the fan blades 33 and are angularly disposed to overlie the outer ends of the blades. The screen has its centrally located edge portion 57, defining the opening therein, spot welded to the hub 55, and the hub is shaped to extend axially toward and overlie, in telescoping relation, the cylindrical portion 58 of a cup-shaped support member 59 and is secured thereto by any suitable means, such as rivets or screws 60. The cup-shaped support member 59 has the outer periphery of its end wall 61 engaging the inner surface of the hemispherical imperforate plate 62 of the cover assembly 50, which is provided centrally with spaced inwardly projecting hollow bosses 63 engaging the wall 61 and se cured thereto by nut and bolt assemblies 64, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The cover plate assembly 50 comprises a radially outer section '65, a radially inner central section 62, and a supporting rim section '66. As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the rim section 66 includes a support ring '67 having its outer cylindrical edge in telescoping engagement with, and spot-welded to, the cylindrical portion 68 of the basket rear wall for supporting the screen and

cover assemblies

50 and 51 on the rear wall of the basket. The support ring 67 is provided with a plurality of perforations or openings 69 in circumferentially spaced relation for "a purpose to be later described. The rim section 66 also comprises a connecting ring 70, and the section 65 has its outer periphery underlying and connected to the ring by screws 71 extending through the opposed arcuate-sectioned portions of the

rings

67 and 70. The section 65 is provided with perforations 72 for flow of heated air therethroug-h. The radially inner central section 62 is imperforate and is fitted into and has its edge overlapping and spot-welded to the recessed inner edge of the section 65.

In the operation of the machine, and assuming the clothes-cleaning operation of the machine has been completed and the solvent drained from the machine, the drying cycle is initiated to' dry the clothes. During this cycle, the basket is slowly rotated to tumble the clothes while the heater assembly 38 is energized to heat the air and the fan circulates the heated air in, about and through the basket. It will be observed the lint screen and cover assemblies are positioned on the basket rear wall so that the heated air is caused, by the suction of the fan, to flow through the perforated section 65 of the cover assembly and also through the lint screen 52 and is discharged by the fan from the pocket P through the openings 29' defined by the spider 19 outwardly and around and into the basket as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 2. As the lint-laden air flows through and about the screen, the lint collects and accumulates on the screen. It will be noted, in the event the lint should build up on the screen to an extent that the screen becomes clogged, the lint-laden air is caused to make a right angle turn around the clogged screen and, as the lint is heavier than the air, the heavy lint cannot turn as sharply as the air and will be deposited on the rough surface of the previously deposited lint on the screen. Accordingly, adequate air flow is maintained, even with the screen clogged, to carry on the drying process.

Upon the compltion of the drying operation, the clean clothes are removed from the basket, and soil clothes are then placed in the basket. In the subsequent operation of the machine, during the cleaning cycle, solvent flows into and out of the tub while the basket rotates at slow speed to tumble the solvent-saturated clothes :for a predetermined period of time. During this time, the solvent flows through the

perforations

69 and 72 in the

sections

66 and 65 of cover assembly to throughly saturate the lint accumulated on the screen during the previous drying operation and making the lint heavy and loosening the lint on the screen but not sufficient to free the lint from the screen. The solvent is then drained from the machine. During the subsequent basket spin and centrifugal extraction period, the basket is rotated at high speed to centrifugally extract and remove a substantial portion of the solvent from the clothes. When the basket is thus rotated, the heavy wet lint on the screen is subjected to centrifugal force and is freed from the screen and moves radially outwardly from the screen assembly and, due to the angle of inclination and disposition of the screen relative to the cover assembly 50 and spider 19 of the basket, the saturated-lint is forced by the substantial centrifugal force engendered by the high speed rotation of the basket to move through the openings between the spokes of the spider into the chamber 72 between the rear walls of the basket and tub and radially outwardly exteriorly of the basket.

At this time, solvent is again introduced into and flows through the machine While the basket continues to rotate at high speed to provide power cleaning of the lint by the Vashaped spaced scoops 13a secured to the outer cylindrical surface of the basket to remove the lint from the interior of the tub and parts contained therein and which cling to and accumulate thereon from the previous drying operation so that the lint is effectively scoured from the interior of the tub and parts contained therein for subsequent flushing, with the lint from the screen, from the machine.

Thereafter, the basket is rotated at low speed for again tumbling the clothes to further clean the clothes and this causes the lint to float on the solvent around the outside of the basket to the overflow opening in the tub and to the overflow hose 49' into a suitable filtering device capable of removing the lint from the solvent.

It will be apparent that my improved lint filtering and disposal arrangement is effective to prevent lint accumulation on the screen from entering the basket to mingle with or be deposited on the clothes contained in the basket.

An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of the centrally located imperforate section 62 of the cover assembly which is effective to confine the flow of air through the substantially large annular perforated area of the section 65, and also the generally parallel substantially co-extensive screen portion of the screen assembly. More particularly, the section 62 of the cover assembly and the hub 59 of the screen assembly portions are instrumental in insuring that the lint on the screen, and that which may adhere to the section 62, is subject to substantial centrifugal [force during rotation of the basket at high speed during the extraction of the solvent from the clothes for completely cleansing the lint from the screen and cover assemblies. It will be apparent that, during this machine operation, the solvent will be whirled with increasing centrifugal force outwardly of the axis of rotation of the basket dependent on the radial distance of the solvent from the basket rotational axis, the force being comparably negligible at and adjacent the axis and increasing in proportion to the radial distance of the solvent from the axis. In the present arrangement, due to the imperforate section 62 and hub 59 the lint in the air streams will impinge and be confined to the perforate section 65 and the screen, so that these areas will be subjected to solvent fiow, at considerable centrifugal force, during rotation of the basket at high speed, the small amount of lint, if any, adhering to the section 62 and hub 59 being readily flushed away 8 during relative low agitation speed or high extraction speed of the basket.

At the conclusion of this clothes-tumbling operation, the solvent is drained from the machine and the basket continues to rotate at slow speed to continue to distribute the clothes. Subsequently, the basket is rotated at high speed to centrifugally extract the solvent from the clothes and the extracted solvent is drained from the machine; and then the heater assembly is energized and the fan rotated to circulate the heated air to dry the clothes.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 5, like numerals indicate the various casing, tub and basket portions of the cleaning and drying machine similar to those described with reference to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, inclusive. With particular reference to the embodiment of the new and improved lint filtering and disposal arrangement of FIG. 5, this arrangement is disposed exteriorly of the basket and between the basket and tub

rear walls

19 and 13, the lint filter generally indicated at is secured to the basket and, accordingly, rotates with the basket. More particularly, and as an example of another arrangement disclosing my invention, the lint filter comprises an imperforate annular inner support 101 welded, or otherwise firmly secured, to the radially inner axial portion of the spider 19 of the basket to support the filter on the basket. The support 101 carries the filter screen 162 of sem-itoroidal shape extending radially outwardly of the support and overlying the openings 29 provided between the spaced legs of the spider for flow of the air circulated by the fan 33 through these openings and the screen 102 as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 5. The outer terminal edge of the filter is defined by an annular rim 103 to which the radially outer edge of the screen is firmly connected. Extending between and spacing the rim 103 from the radially outer portion of the rear wall of the basket are four circumferentially spaced fastening means 104 for securely holding the rim 103 to the basket and in spaced relation to the basket to define a passage between the filter and basket permitting continuous circulation of air, as indicated by the arrows, in the event the filter should become clogged with lint to impede or obstruct the passage of air therethrough.

It will be apparent that, during the clothes-cleaning and drying cycles of the machine in the sequence of operations previously described, heated air is circulated by the fan 33 as indicated by the arrows in the drying operation so that the air flows through the basket and openings 72 in the cover plate assembly 50 and is impelled by the fan through the openings defined between the legs of the spider 19 and the screen 102 for recirculation about and through the basket. Accordingly, lint, picked up from the clothes in the basket by the air flow, will be deposited and accumlate on the screen. It will be observed the screen has a substantially large lint-collecting area as it extends radially from the support 161 to adjacent the cylindrical wall of the tub 10.

After removal of the dried clothes and insertion of soiled clothes in the basket for a subsequent cleaning operation, the tub is supplied with cleaning fluid and the basket is rotated at low speed to tumble the clothes. During this time, it will be seen that the activated cleaning fluid will be instrumental in saturating the lint accumulation on the screen to increase the weight of the lint thereby also loosening the lint from the filter but insufficiently to free the lint from the filter. As the filtering surface or screen is located coaxially with the basket rotational axis, the high speed rotation of the basket and thereby the filter, during centrifugal extraction of the fluid from the clothes, will further loosen and free the liquid-saturated accumulated lint on the filter by the centrifugal force resulting from the basket and filter rotation. The freed lint will be directed along the screen and radially outward of the basket through the passages defined by the rim 103 and the adjacent side of the rear wall of the basket. In other words, the confining confronting surface of the filter and rear wall of the basket and the concentric passages between the rim 103 of the filter and adjacent rear wall of the basket will direct the lint from the filtering surface to a point outside of the rotating basket so that the lint will be flushed by the cleaning fluid from the machine preventing any possibility of the lint accumulations being deposited upon the clothes contained within the basket.

While my improved lint filtering and disposal arrangement has been illustrated and described with reference to the use of a dry cleaning solvent, it is also applicable to clothes-cleaning and drying machines utilizing water or other fluids as a cleaning agent, such as described and illustrated in my U.S. Patent 3,006,176. Accordingly, it is intended that the appended claims cover clothes-cleaning and drying machines using dry cleaning solvent, water, or any other fluid capable of cleaning clothing.

What is claimed is:

1. In a fabric-cleaning and drying machine having fluid-cleaning, fluid-extraction, and air-drying operations, a container; a fabric-containing basket mounted in said container for rotation about a non-vertical axis; means for circulating air through and about said basket during a drying operation; a lint filter connected to said basket for rotation therewith and disposed in the path of circulating air to filter lint from the air during a drying operation and also being disposed to be exposed to the fluid during the cleaning operation for fluid-saturation of thelint on said filter; and means for rotating said basket and thereby said filter, during a fluid-extraction operation, to remove and expel the lint, saturated by cleaning fluid, from said filter under the influence of centrifugal force, said filter being positioned on said basket to direct the expelled saturated lint radially outwardly into said container.

2. In a fabric cleaning and drying machine having fluid-cleaning, fluid-extraction, and air-drying operations, a container; a fabric-containing basket mounted in said container for rotation about a non-verticalaxis; means for circulating air through and about said basket during a drying operation, said basket having an opening for passage of air between said basket and said container; a filter connected to said basket for rotation therewith and disposed adjacent said opening in the path of circulating air to filter lint from the air during a drying operation, said filter also being disposed to be exposed to the fluid during the cleaning operation for fluid-saturation of the lint on said filter; and means for rotating said basket and thereby said filter, during a fluid-extraction operation, to remove and expel the lint, saturated by cleaning fluid, from said filter, under the influence of centrifugal force, said filter directing the expelled saturated lint radially outwardly into said container.

3. In a fabric-cleaning and drying machine having fluid-cleaning, fluid extraction, and air-drying operations, a container; a fabric-containing basket mounted in said container for rotation about a non-vertical axis and having front and rear Walls, said front Wall being provided with an access opening; means for circulating air through said basket and an opening in the rear wall of said basket during a drying operation; a filter connected to said basket for rotation therewith and disposed adjacent said opening in the path of circulating air to filter lint from the air during a drying operation, said filter also being disposed to be exposed to the fluid during the cleaning opera-tion for fluid-saturation of the lint on said filter; and means for rotating said basket and thereby said filter during a fluid-extraction operation to remove and expel the lint, saturated by cleaning fluid, from said filter, under the influence of centrifugal force, said filter directing the expelled saturated lint radially outwardly into said container.

4. In a fabric-cleaning and drying machine having fluid-cleaning and air-drying operations; a container; a

basket mounted in said container for rotation about a non-vertical axis; means for circulating air axially through said basket and radially exteriorly of said basket during a drying operation; a filter connected to said basket for rotation therewith to intercept the circulating air flowing axially through said basket through said openings to filter lint from the circulating air, said filter also being position to direct cleaning fluid, during the cleaning operation, and air, during a drying operation, radially outwardly between said basket and container; and means for rotating said basket during said cleaning operation to saturate the lint on said filter with cleaning fluid, and to expel the saturated lint from said filter under the influence of centrifugal force radially outwardly of said basket into said container.

5. In a. fabric-cleaning and drying machine having fluid-cleaning and air-drying operations, a container; a fabric-containing basket mounted in said container for rota-tion about a non-vertical axis, said basket having a front wall provided with an access opening, and a rear wall; means for circulating air through and about said basket during a drying operation; a lint filter connected to said basket for rotation therewith and disposed in the path of circulating air flowing axially through said basket to filter lint from the air during a drying operation, said filter and the rear wall of said basket providing a radially extending passage therebetween into said container for cleaning fluid during the cleaning operation and for air during a drying operation; and means for rotating said basket and thereby said filter during a cleaning operation to remove and expel the lint, saturated by cleaning fluid, from said filter under the influence of centrifugal force, said filter and the rear wall of said basket directing the expelled saturated lint through said passage radially outwardly into said container.

6. In a fabric-cleaning and drying machine having fluid-cleaning and air-drying operations, a container; a fabric-containing basket mounted in said container for rota-tion about a non-vertical axis; means for circulating air in a path through said basket and between said basket and said container during a drying operation; a lint filter connected to said basket for rotation therewith and extending radially of said axis and disposed in the path of circulating air to filter lint from the air during a drying operation, said basket and said filter providing confining surfaces defining a passage leading to concentric openings radially spaced from said axis, to direct cleaning fluid from said basket across said filter and radially through said openings into said container; and means for rotating said basket and thereby said filter during a cleaning operation to remove and expel, by centrifugal force, the cleaning fluid-saturated lint from said filter for movement radially of said axis through said passage and said open ings into said container.

7. In a fabric-cleaning and drying machine having fluid-cleaning, fluid-extraction, and air-drying operations; a container; a basket mounted in said container for rotation about a non-vertical taxis and including an end wall having a centrally located portion projecting axially outwardly therefrom and provided with openings radially spaced from said axis; means for circulating air through said basket and through said openings into said container; a filter supported on said end wall portion of said basket and located in the path of the circulating air to filter lint from the circulating air; and means for rotating said basket during said cleaning operation to saturate the lint on said filter with cleaning fluid, and also during said fluid-extraction operation to expel the saturated lint from said filter, said filter being effective to direct saturated expelled lin-t toward and through said openings and exteriorly of said basket into said container.

8. In a fabric-cleaning and drying machine having fluid-cleaning, fluid-extraction, and air-drying operations; a container; a basket mounted in said container for rotation about a non-vertical axis and having an end wall thereof provided with a pocket projecting axially outwardly therefrom, said pocket having openings radially spaced from said axis; means for circulating air through said basket and said openings into said container; a filter in said pocket and rotatable with said basket and being located in the path of the circulating air to filter lint from the circulating air; and means for rotating said basket during said cleaning operation to saturate the lint with cleaning fluid, and during said fluid-extraction operation to expel the saturated lint from said filter, said filter being effective to direct the expelled saturated lint toward and through said opening for passage into said container.

9. In a fabric-cleaning and drying machine having fluid-cleaning, fluid-extraction, and air-drying operations; a container; a basket mounted in said container for rotation about a non-vertical axis and including an end wall formed to provide a spider projecting axially outwardly therefrom; means for circulating air through said basket and through openings in said spider into said container; a filter supported in said spider and located in the path of the circulating air to filter lint from the circulating air; and means for rotating said basket during said cleaning operation to saturate the lint on said filter with cleaning fluid, and during said fiuid-extnaction operation to expel the saturated lint from said filter, said filter being effective to direct saturated expelled lint toward and through said openings in said spider and extreriorly of said basket into said container.

10. In a fabric-cleaning and drying machine having fluid-cleaning, fluid extraction, and air-drying operations; a container; a basket mounted in said container for rotation about a non-vertical axis and including an end wall provided with a pocket projecting axially outwardly therefrom, said pocket having openings radially spaced from said axis; means for circulating air through said basket and through said openings in said pocket into said container; a filter screen in said pocket and rotatable with said basket; a perforate member supported by said basket and closing said pocket, said screen and perforate member being located in the path of the circulating air; and means for rotating said basket during said cleaning operation to saturate the lint on said filter with cleaning fluid flowing through said perforate member, and during said fluid-extraction operation to expel the saturated lint from said filter, said filter being effective to direct saturated expelled lint toward and through said openings and exteriorly of said basket into said container.

11. In a fabric-cleaning and drying machine having fluid-cleaning, fluid-extraction, and air-drying operations; a container; a basket mounted in said container for rotation about a non-vertical axis and having an access opening in the front wall thereof and a pocket-defining spider projecting axially outwardly of the rear wall thereof; a fan in said pocket for circulating air through said basket and spider into said container; a perforate plate supported by said spider and closing said pocket; a filter screen supported in said pocket by said spider and located between said plate and fan to filter lint from the circulating air; and means for rotating said basket during said cleaning operation to saturate the lint on said filter with cleaning fluid flowing through said plate, and during said fluidextraction operation to expel the saturated lint from said filter, said filter being effective to direct saturated expelled lint between the legs of said spider and exteriorly of said basket into said container.

12. In a fabric-cleaning and drying machine having fluid-cleaning and air-drying operations; a container; a basket mounted in said container for rotation about a non-vertical axis and having an access opening in the front wall thereof and a pocket projecting axially outwardly of the rear wall thereof, said pocket having openings radially spaced from said axis; means for circulating air through said basket and said spider into said container; a perforate plate supported by said basket and closing said pocket,

said plate having an annular perforate portion surrounding an imperforate curved central portion intersecting said basket axis; a filter in said pocket and rotatable with said basket, said filter having an annular conical screen portion surrounding an irnperforate central conical portion connected to said central portion of said plate, said screen portion of said filter being located in the path of the circulating air to filter lint from the circulating air; and means for rotating said basket during said cleaning operation to saturate the lint on said filter with cleaning fluid and to expel the saturated lint from said filter, said filter being effective to direct saturated expelled lint toward and through said openings and exteriorly of said basket into said container.

13. In a fabric-cleaning and drying machine having fluid-cleaning and air-drying operations; a container; a basket mounted in said container for rotation about a nonvertical axis and including an end wall having a pocket projecting axially outwardly therefrom and provided with openings radially spaced from said axis; a fan within said pocket for circulating air through said basket and through said openings into said container; a plate supported by said drum and closing the mouth of said pocket, said plate having an annular perforate portion surrounding an imperforate curved central portion intersecting said basket axis; a filter in said pocket and rotatable with said basket, said filter having an annular screen portion surrounding an imperforate central portion connected to said central portion of said plate, said filter being located between said plate and fan to filter lint from the circulating air; and means for rotating said basket during said cleaning operation to saturate the lint on said filter with cleaning fluid and to expel the saturated lint from said filter, said filter being effective to direct saturated expelled lint toward and through said openings and exteriorly of said basket into said container.

14. In a fabric-cleaning and drying machine having fluid-cleaning and extraction, and air-drying operations, a container; a fabric-containing basket mounted in said container for rotation about a non-vertical axis and having a front wall providing an access opening and a rear wall having an opening for flow of fluid and air exteriorly of said basket; means for circulating air through said basket and also said opening in said basket into said container; a lint filter connected to said basket for rotation therewith, said filter extending radially of said axis and positioned adjacent said opening to filter lint from the air during a drying operation; and means for rotating said basket and filter at low speed during the fluid-cleaning operation to saturate the lint with cleaning fluid and thereafter rotating said basket and filter at high speed during the fluid-extraction operation to expel the saturated lint from said filter and for movement of the lint radially outwardly of said basket into said container.

15. In a fabric-cleaning and drying machine having fluid-cleaning, fluid-extraction, land air-drying operations; a container; a basket mounted in said container for rotation about a non-vertical axis; means for circulating air through said basket and between said basket and said container; a filter supported on said basket exteriorly of said basket and extending radially of said axis to intercept the circulating air flowing between said basket and said container to filter lint from the circulating air; and means for rotating said basket during said cleaning operation to saturate the lint on said filter with cleaning fluid, and during said fluid-extraction operation to expel the saturated lint from said filter, said filter being effective to direct the expelled lint radially outwardly of said basket into said container.

16. In a fabric-cleaning and drying machine having fluid-cleaning, fluid-extraction, and air-drying operations; a container; a basket mounted in said container for rotation about a non-vertical axis and including an end wall provided with openings radially spaced from said axis; means for circulating air through said basket and through said opening into said container; a filter supported on and adjacent said end wall of said basket and extending radially of said axis to intercept the circulating air to filter lint from the circulating air; and means for rotating said basket during said cleaning operation to saturate the lint on said filter with cleaning fluid, and during said fluid-extraction operation to expel the saturated lint from said filter, said filter and said end wall of said basket providing spaced generally radial confining surfaces effective to direct the expelled lint radially outwardly of said basket into said container, said surfaces also being effective to provide a passage [for the continuous circulation of air in the event said filter is clogged with lint during a drying operation.

17. In a fabric-cleaning and drying machine having fluid-cleaning, fluid-extraction, and air-drying operations; a container; a basket mounted in said container for rotation about a non-vertical axis and including an end wall provided with openings radially spaced from said axis; means for circulating air through said basket and through said openings into said container; a filter supported exteriorly of said basket on said end wall of said basket and extending radially of said axis and having a screen portion in spaced relation to said basket and wall and adjacent said openings to intercept the circulating air flowing through said openings to filter lint from the circulating air; and means for rotating said basket during said cleaning operation to saturate the lint on said filter with cleaning fluid, and during said fluid-extraction operation to expel the saturated lint from said filter, said spaced filter screen portion and said end wall of said basket providing confining surfaces effective to provide a passage to direct the expelled lint through said passage and radially outwardly of said basket into said container.

18. In a fabric-cleaning and drying machine having fluid-cleaning and air-drying operations; a container; a basket mounted in said container for rotation about a nonvertical axis and including an end Wall provided with openings radially spaced from said axis; means for circulating air through said basket and through said openings into said container; a filter supported exteriorly of said basket on said end wall of said basket and having a semi-toroidal screen portion extending radially of said axis in spaced relation to said end wall and overlying said openings to intercept the circulating air flowing through said openings to filter lint from the circulating air; and

14 means for rotating, said basket during said cleaning operation to saturate the lint on said filter with cleaning fluid and to expel the saturated lint from said filter, said spaced filter screen portion and said end wall of said basket providing a passage for movement of the expelled lint radially outwardly of said basket into said container.

19. In a fabric-cleaning and drying machine having fluid-cleaning and air-drying operations; a container; a basket mounted in said container for rotation about a nonvertical axis and including an end wall provided with openings; means for circulating air through said basket and through said openings into said container; a filter sup ported on said end wall of said basket and having a screen portion spaced outwardly of said basket end Wall and eX- tending radially of said axis adjacent said openings to intercept the circulating air to filter lint from the air; and means for rotating said basket during said cleaning operation to saturate the lint on said filter with cleaning iluid and to expel the saturated lint from said filter, said filter screen being eifective to direct the expelled lint radially outwardly of said basket into said container.

20. In a fabric-cleaning and drying machine having fluid-cleaning and air-drying operations; a container; a basket mounted in said container for rotation about a non-vertical axis and including an end wall having a spider portion providing openings radially spaced from said axis; means for circulating air through said basket and through said openings into said container; a filter exteriorly of said basket and supported on said spider and having a screen portion extending radially of said axis in spaced relation to said spider and disposed adjacent said openings to intercept the circulating air flowing through said openings to filter lint from the circulating air; and means for rotating said basket during said cleaning operation to saturate the lint on said filter with cleaning fluid and to expel the saturated lint from said'filter, said spaced filter screen portion and a portion of said basket end Wall radially outwardly of said spider providing a passage for movement of the expelled lint into said container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,785,557 Stilwell Mar. 19, 1957 2,893,135 Smith July 5, 1959 2,93 2,96l Robbins Apr. 19, 1960

Claims

1. IN A FABRIC-CLEANING AND DRYING MACHINE HAVING FLUID-CLEANING, FLUID-EXTRACTION, AND AIR-DRYING OPERATIONS, A CONTAINER; FABRIC-CONTAINING BASKET MOUNTED IN SAID CONTAINER OF ROTATION ABOUT A NON-VERTICAL AXIS; MEANS FOR CIRCULATING AIR THROUGH AND ABOUT SAID BASKET DURING A DRYING OPERATION; A FILTER CONNECTED TO SAID BASKET FOR ROTATION THEREWITH AND DISPOSED IN THE PATH OF CIRCULATING AIR TO FILTER LINT FROM THE AIR DURING A DRYING OPERATION AND ALSO BEING DISPOSED TO BE EXPOSED TO THE FLUID DURING THE CLEANING OPERATION FOF FLUID-SATURATON OF THE LINT ON SAID FILTER; AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID BASKET AND THEREBY SAID FILTER, DURING A FLUID-EXTRACTION OPERATION, TO REMOVE AND EXPEL THE LINT, SATURATED BY CLEANING FLUID, FROM SAID FILTER UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF CENTRIFUGAL FORCE, SAID FILTER BEING POSITIONED ON SAID BASKET TO DIRECT THE EXPELLED SATURATED LINT RADIALLY OUTWARDLY INTO SAID CONTAINER.