Patent ID: 6619076
Filing Date: 2003-09-16
Classification: D06F

Abstract:
An apparatus for cooking a starch solution and dispensing the cooked solution to a commercial laundry washer, comprising:a) a vessel with an interior surrounded by a wall for holding a volume of liquid; b) a water supply inlet for supplying water to the vessel interior to make a starch solution that includes the volume of liquid and uncooked starch; c) a steam supply inlet for adding steam to the vessel so that the volume of liquid within the vessel can be heated; d) a level controller for controlling the level of fluid within the vessel and in between minimum and maximum fluid levels; e) a recirculation flow line that has an inlet and an outlet that each communicate with the vessel interior; f) a pump mounted in the recirculation flow line for pumping fluid from the inlet to the outlet for recirculation fluid within the vessel interior, said pump having a an output sufficient to maintain a vortex flow of the solution in said vessel; g) a filter pipe vertically standing in said vessel connected to the inlet for filtering the starch solution prior to said pump recirculating the solution to the inlet; h) a commercial washer; i) a discharge flow line for transmitting a heated starch solution from the vessel interior to a laundry washer; and j) a discharge pump for dispensing the heated starch solution from the discharge flow line to the laundry washer.