Patent GB-618241-A (GB)
Title: A combined washing and vacuum-drying device
IPC: A47L1/08
Filed: 1945-11-24
Abstract: 618,241. Reservoir pads; combined washing and vacuum devices. DUNSMORE, A. C. Nov. 24, 1945, No. 31735. [Class 19] [Also in Group XXVIII] Apparatus for washing and drying surfaces, e.g. motor car bodies, comprises a hand unit (Fig. 1) formed of a non-pervious casing b which may be flexible or rigid and may be formed of impervious rubber, plastic, metal, rubberized cloth or rubber-impregnated canvas, the open side of the casing being covered by a pervious, flexible and absorbent cover p, a fiexible porous pad f within said casing and on which the pervious cover bears, in combination with a vacuum unit, a flexible hose interconnecting the hand unit with the vacuum unit and means by which water for washing can be admitted to the hand unit to be diffused through said pervious cover for washing and by which the interior of the casing can be placed in communication with the vacuum unit at will so that moisture and water from a surface to be dried can be drawn through the pervious cover. The vacuum unit may be an injector for connection to a fluid pressure supply, the flexible hose connecting the vacuum zone of the injector with the interior of the casing and means being provided by which water can be admitted to the casing for washing and by which fluid under pressure can be supplied to the injector for creating the suction whereby water and moisture are drawn through the porous pad to be entrained with the fluid discharged by the injector. The absorbent cover p may be of chamois leather, soft chromeleather or finely woven linen and the interior of the hand unit may be filled with non- cellular sponge rubber, fibre strands, wire wool, granulated rubber or natural sponge and a grid g may be provided to prevent any granular filling passing to the flexible hose L. The vacuum pump unit may consist of a wateractuated injector (Figs. 2 and 3), the vacuum zone c being provided with a spigot s to which is fitted the flexible hose. The injector is provided with a cock or valve B which functions as a selector valve controlling the passage of water through the injector to a discharge nozzle k. In use the injector is coupled to the tap and the valve B turned to its closed position. The water tap is opened so that water passes into the injector and thence through the flexible hose to the hand unit where it oozes through the pervious cover p. The hand unit is now moved over the surface to be washed and -the valve B is then opened so that the water and moisture from the washed surface are drawn through the porous packing and through the flexible hose and together with the induced flow of air are entrained with the water discharged through the outlet k. The invention also includes an apparatus adapted for installation in buildings, comprising a pipe adapted for connection to a source of suction, a pipe adapted for connection to a source of water supply, sockets located at convenient points and interconnecting said pipes, in combination with the hand unit and flexible hose by which the hand unit can be connected to any selected socket and a selector valve by which the interior of the hand unit can be placed in communication with either of said pipes or isolated from both. In such installations, the flexible hose may be formed with two cores and the selector valve m (Fig. 5) may be provided on the hand unit. The barrel of the valve is provided with two passages m<SP>1</SP> and m<SP>2</SP> and a finger-piece m<SP>3</SP>. The passage m<SP>1</SP> places the hand unit in communication with the water pipe and the passage m<SP>2</SP> places it in communication with the suction pipe whilst in a third position of the barrel the hand unit is isolated from both pipes. Such selector valve may also be provided on hand units connected by double-cored hose to an injector, one core being connected above the suction zone and the other to the suction zone. If the water mains pressure is inadequate to give efficient vacuum-drying, the vacuum may be induced by steam under pressure or by compressed air, by an arrangement such as that shown in Fig. 8, in which a valve s<SP>1</SP> has a passage s<SP>4</SP> which places the water supply in communication with spigot s to which the flexible hose is connected whilst on rotating the valve, steam under pressure or compressed air is delivered through passage s<SP>3</SP> to the injector and at the same time the spigot and hose are placed in communication with the vacuum zone of the injector by passage s<SP>5</SP> in the valve and the pipe connection s<SP>6</SP>. Modified forms of hand unit are described, thus the hand unit may be mounted on a rigid tubular extension handle so as to be used on otherwise inaccessible surfaces or may be in the form of a gauntlet glove in which case the hand unit may be made detachable from the glove and the flexible hose connection could be made inside the glove, a spigot inside the glove making a push fit connection with the flexible hose. If the filling of the hand unit is granular, a sheet of firm, flexible gauze may be placed over the filling or a tubular spreader consisting of cylindrical or "fish-tail" shape gauze may be attached to the throat of the hand unit or to the flexible hose so as to penetrate into the porous filling. If the filling is homogeneous, a series of ribs may be formed on the non-pervious face of the hand unit so as to even the distribution of the applied suction. In another form, the filling may be granulated rubber contained in a bag of fine net or muslin to which is affixed a replaceable bag of the material used as pervious membrane, or a bag of pervious membrane water-proofed on one side so as to form the impervious casing could be used. According to the Provisional Specification, the hand unit may consist of a hollow casing having a flat underside in the form of a rigid or flexible mesh or grille on which is fitted a layer of permeable and absorbent material such as chamois leather which may be retained in position by means of a spring ring or clip.