Patent GB-428328-A (GB)
Title: Method of cleaning, drying and aerating wearing apparel or the like, and apparatus for carrying out said method
IPC: D06F43/06
Filed: 1934-04-13
Abstract: A process for cleaning fabrics, furs, or articles of clothing especially those made of cotton, consists in alternately immersing and withdrawing the articles from a bath of volatile solvent, squeezing the articles at intervals during immersion, and spraying them with solvent when withdrawn from the bath.  Articles are then freed from solvent by treating with warmed air, and finally aerated with cold air.  A chamber B is provided with a plunger 41 having apertures 43 and jointed to a vertically reciprocating rod 64.  The upper end of the rod is connected through a spring 68 to a cross-bar 67, the spring permitting axial movement of the plunger when compressing <PICT:0428328/III/1> the articles.  The outer ends of the cross-bar are connected to rack bars 69 positioned in grooves 70 and actuated by pinions 74 mounted on a rod 72 which is driven by a motor 78.  The lower side of the plunger 41 is provided with channels 45 adapted to receive carrier bars from which the articles are suspended by hangers. Solvent such as trichlorethylene is admitted from a tank through a pipe connected to the chamber B at 32 and flows over a distributer plate 36 having a raised edge provided with orifices pierced through raised bosses.  When the solvent on the distributer plate rises to the top of the bosses it passes in a uniform shower through the orifices to the lower part of the chamber B.  The motor 78 is then started and through a set of electrical contacts 71, 85 mounted on the rack bars 69, coacting with fixed electrical contacts 82, 83, 84, the plunger is moved from its fully raised position to the bottom of the chamber and then raised a short distance and lowered again repeatedly, whereby the suspended articles are first immersed in the solvent and then submitted to squeezing at intervals while immersed in solvent, whereby the articles are alternately saturated with solvent and then squeezed free of solvent.  The fixed electrical contacts are connected to solenoids, reversing switches, relays and synchronous motors whereby the plunger performs a cycle of operations consisting of a long stroke, a series of short strokes and finally a long stroke which raises the cleaned articles from the solvent.  The whole cycle of operations may be repeated.  During these operations solvent is withdrawn from the base of the chamber B and passed through a trap removing solid bodies, a filter and finally forced over the distributer plate forming a spray rinse. A final spray rinse with clean solvent is then effected.  The used solvent is finally drawn off from the chamber B and after filtering is recovered by distillation in a still mounted above the solvent tank.  Air is then forced by a fan through a heater G and admitted to the suspended articles to remove solvent vapours therefrom.  The solvent-laden air passes through a condenser in which solvent is removed and returns to the solvent tank.  Cold air is then admitted to the chamber B to aerate the cleaned articles, and then passes out into the atmosphere.