An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Cleaning Clothes and other Fabrics.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 16th Jan., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Cleaning Clothes and
other Fabrics.
We, HERMANN CONSBRUCK of 5 Buchstrasse, Hamburg, Germany, Merchant,
and FRANZ KONRAD of same place Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be perforined, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improved method of and apparatus for rapidly
cleaning and washing clothes or fabrics of all kinds. No unpleasant smells or
steam or injurious gases escape during the washing operation, and, as a consequence,
the washhouse can he kept thoroughly dry and healthy.
The above advantages are mainly obtained by placing in the cleansing fluid
(which may be a solution of salamoniac and soda) in the boiler or vessel,
electrodes (for example zinc and carbon poles) which are electrically connected
together or circuited. The electrical connections between the electrodes are, for
the sake of simplicity, made to assume the form of a sieve or grating, upon which
the clothes are placed, and the feet of which form the electrodes. In this manner
is produced a closed galvanic clement the exciting fluid of which is the cleansing
liquid. Gas (such as ammonia for instance) is disengaged at the electrodes and
besides exerting a powerful cleaning action accelerates the formation of steam and
increases its tension.
If the circuit connecting the electrodes is broken in different places the electric
current, passing along the circuit, acts electrolytically, at these places, on the fluid
in the boiler and forms products of decomposition (alkalies, acids) having a
powerful cleaning action. To prevent the current passing through the metallic
walls of the boiler the electrodes and the bottom of the sieve must be insulated.
In order to prevent the escape of the gases and vapours from the boiler a valve
of a special construction is provided.
At the end of the cleaning operation the gases and vapours are as far as possible
withdrawn from the boiler by means of a valve whilst any vapours which may
thereafter still be left in the boiler are condensed therein by means of cold water.
And in order that our said invention may be properly understood we have
hereunto appended an explanatory sheet of drawings, whereon,
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the boiler.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the sieve bottom.
Fig. 3 is an inverted plan of the lid of the boiler.
Figs. 4 to 8 are detail views.
The clothes or fabrics to be cleaned are packed in the boiler a, which is
preferably made of tinned iron, and rest upon the metallic sieve bottom b which
is provided with wooden insulating feet . A solution of sal-ammoniac is now
placed in the boiler and thereafter the frame c is fitted in place and secured to the
boiler wall by means of pins, finally the cover e which is provided with a safety
valve d is fitted in position. This cover e is of a peculiar construction and is
capable of being rendered gas tight in the simplest manner. The cover which is
convexed has a flange e' between which and the rim of the boiler is fitted an india
rubber ring i. When the frame c is inserted in place the screw f of the cover is
passed through a screwed hole in its centre and is screwed up tight so as to squeeze
the ring i to such a degree as to form an air and gas tight joint.
The cover is provided with stiffening devices consisting of a sleeve h made in one
with the cover and upon which is screwed a second sleeve h¹ having attached to it

page_text: a number of stays k. These stays, at their outer end, are hinged close to the edge
When the sleeve h' is screwed upwards on the sleeve / a strain is
put upon the stays & which of course serves to stiffen the cover.
of the cover e.
On top of the cover is fitted a safety valve d which is of such a construction as
to only allow the passage of steam at a certain pressure whilst preventing the
escape of boiling water. This is done by fitting within the casing d' of the valve
(see Fig. 4) two sheet metal clack valves m & n enclosing between them a leather
disc L. Each valve is perforated and Fig. 5 shows the perforations in the valve m
whilst Fig. 7 shows those in the valve n. As seen at Fig. 6 the leather disc Lis
also perforated but the perforations in this case are so .fine that they only allow the
passage of steam at a certain pressure whilst preventing the passage of liquids.
The proper size for the perforations is determined by experiment. Should
steam and water escape up through the opening q (Fig. 4) the water is prevented
passing further and has to drain back again into the boiler.
Fitted in connection with the valve d by means of a tubular piece d is a second
valve o which consists of a casing o having a tabular screwed piece o in it. The
valve o is carried by the screwed piece and by removing the latter the valve can
be taken out of place.
From this second valve a pipe p leads to the pipe y and tub r.
The modus operandi is as follows:-
The boiler is slightly heated and the zinc and carbon electrodes N, N, which are
insulated from the bottom of the boiler by the wooden feet and support the
sieve b, at the same time generate by contact with the solution of salammoniac a
weak electric current which passes through the sieve and causes ammonia to be
evolved. The ammonia produces an energetic cleaning action and at the same
time facilitates the production of steam. After the clothes have been subjected
for a short time to the action of the steam the valve o is opened so as to effect a
connection between the inside of the boiler and the steam escape pipe p. The
gases and vapours generated in the boiler are now allowed to escape by the pipe p
to the tub r, which is filled with water, and are there condensed. The piece
with the valve o is now entirely screwed out of place and removed whilst cold
water is introduced into the boiler through the casing o2 in order to condense any
vapours or gases remaining therein so that when the boiler is opened to remove the
clothes no noxious smell or injurious alkaline vapour escapes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
consider novel and desire to claim is:-
1. Cleaning clothes and other fabrics by subjecting them to the action of a
cleansing fluid and also to the action of gases evolved from said fluid by the action
of an electric current, substantially as herein before described.
2. An apparatus for carrying out the above claimed method of cleaning clothes
and other fabrics characterized by a boiler provided with an insulated sieve bottom
having feet which act either entirely or partly as electrodes, substantially as
hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings annexed.
3. The combination with an apparatus of the class set forth of an escape
valve (o, o, o,) and a safety valve (d m, n, l,) constructed and arranged substan
tially as hereinbefore described and shown on the drawings annexed.
4. The construction of boiler with its metallic sieve bottom b and stayed cover e
having a flange el and ring i the whole being constructed and arranged substantially
as hereinbefore described and shown on the drawings annexed.
Dated this 23rd day of September 1896.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70 Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent: