DEGREASING APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 3,610,260 A
• Filed: 03/28/1969
• Issued: 10/05/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomas James Kearney
• Original Assignee: Thomas James Kearney
• Inventors: Kearney, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Craig, Jr., Albert G.
• Application Number:
  US04/811,458
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 134/12,19,61,66,108,140,151,158,160,67,68,73,74,83,63,82 202/17D 198/220 417/80
• US Class Current: 134/12
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/041 Cleaning travelling work
• CPC Class Codes: C23G 5/04 Apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for cleaning articles conveyed along a predetermined path, by bathing and rinsing the articles with a solvent, followed by a drying of the articles, with the solvent being recirculated for reuse, and with solvent particles that are evaporated during the drying operation being reclaimed for reuse.

Claims

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein means are provided also carried by said troughlike member for rinsing articles cleaned within said troughlike member, said rinsing means being located between said cleaning means and said drying means.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said rinsing means includes means for spraying solvent on articles conveyed from the bath.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means which defines a substantially contained atmosphere comprises a cover for said troughlike member, wherein said member and said cover are closed to atmosphere intermediate their ends, with article inlet and article outlet means being provided at ends of said member.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said article inlet means comprises solvent bath means sealing said article inlet to said covered troughlike member.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said article outlet means comprises a pair of serially disposed flap means at the downstream end of said troughlike member for isolating the atmosphere within said member.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said oscillating means includes a plurality of longitudinally flexible members, including eccentric means for providing longitudinal back-and-forth movement of said troughlike member.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said member is disposed for defining an upwardly sloping path of travel of articles conveyed between inlet and exit ends of said member.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cleaning means comprises means for providing a solvent bath for immersion of the article with said latter means being connectable to a source of solvent.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said cleaning means includes means for spraying solvent into the bath.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, including collecting tank means for receiving solvent from the bath, including delivery means for supplying solvent to said tank means upon said solvent reaching a predetermined level within said troughlike member, filtering means being disposed in said tank means, and pump means for delivering filtered solvent frOm said tank means to said spraying means.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said conveying means includes an elongated troughlike member and means for oscillating said member in the direction of the path of travel of articles being conveyed, wherein a still is provided for purifying solvent from said tank, said still being connected to said rinsing means for providing pure solvent thereto.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said drying means includes means for providing heat to the environment of articles being conveyed through said troughlike member to evaporate solvent from the articles into the substantially contained atmosphere defining means, and means for delivering air containing solvent vapor from said latter means, wherein said delivering means is connected to exhaust-inducing means.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said means for providing heat comprises steam chambers.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, including condensing means for condensing solvent from air thus exhausted.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 including exhaust inducing means in the combination, which comprises means for utilizing a stream of solvent to create a partial vacuum for drawing air containing solvent vapor through said delivering means.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said exhaust inducing means includes a tank for containing solvent and means for cooling solvent contained therein, pump means for recirculating solvent from said tank to a jet means, and jet means for receiving solvent pumped therethrough and for creating the partial vacuum.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said conveying means comprises a plurality of substantially parallel troughlike members, each having one of said cleaning and drying means carried thereby.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said cleaning means include immersion means and spraying means, wherein one said troughlike member is provided for each of said immersion means, spraying means and drying means, with said troughlike members being vertically spaced from one another and with adjacent said members being connected by hopper means for facilitating the passage of articles from one said member to another.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said article cleaning means includes at least an article immersion section, having a sloped bottom surface adapted to be at least partially immersed in solvent, with said bottom surface having upwardly projecting means for assisting the movement of articles along said troughlike member, up the sloped bottom surface thereof.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said projecting means comprise ribs having substantially vertical forward surface portions facing toward the upper end of said sloped surface, and raked rearward surface portions for permitting the sliding of articles over said rubs in a forward direction during oscillation of said member.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said projecting means comprise diamond configured floor plate portions, with surfaces of said portions arranged to urge articles in a desired direction during oscillation.

23. The method of articles comprising immersing the articles in a solvent bath, rinsing the articles with solvent, and drying the articles by heating them to evaporate solvent from the articles into a confined chamber, all of the above steps being accomplished within an oscillating trough as the articles are conveyed by oscillation of the trough during the conveying of articles through successive respective immersion, rinsing, and drying zones.

24. The method of claim 23, including recirculating the immersion and rinsing solvent, and cleaning and redelivering the solvent.

25. The method of claim 23, including reclaiming solvent evaporated from the chamber by exhausting solvent laden air from the chamber and condensing solvent therefrom fore reuse, as a continuous operation.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the exhausting is effected by providing a solvent flow and using the flow to create a partial vacuum for withdrawing solvent laden air from the chamber.

27. Apparatus for cleaning articles comprising means for washing the articles with a solvent, means for drying the articles by causing evaporation of solvent therefrom in a contained air zone, means for exhausting solvent laden air from the zone, and means for extracting evaporated solvent from the solvent laden air, wherein said exhausting means includes a solvent flow means for creating a partial vacuum operative to remove solvent laden air from the zone.