Cleansing by laundering and like processes

• US 3,914,107 A
• Filed: 06/20/1973
• Issued: 10/21/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Christopher Ian Arthur Ellis
• Original Assignee: Christopher Ian Arthur Ellis
• Inventors: Ellis, Christopher Ian Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Hornsby, Harvey C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coe, Philip R.
• Application Number:
  US05/371,892
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 8/158 68/12R,13R,207
• US Class Current: 8/158
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 35/006 for washing or rinsing only

Abstract

This invention relates to a method of cleansing by laundering or like processes of a load of materials and/or articles made from polyester-cotton, synthetic fibres, blends of synthetic fibres and natural fibres which have been treated in such a way as to impart a non-iron or minimum iron finish thereto. The method is concerned with cleansing without detrimentally or seriously affecting such finishes. This is achieved by adopting a cleansing method which includes the step of continuously sensing conditions of the wash liquor during a cooling cycle of the process between the washing and rinsing cycles, and controlling the progress thereof by reference to said conditions to obtain a graded and stepped cooling pattern. The step essentially consists of continuously measuring the rate of cooling of the wash liquor and load and maintaining a predetermined rate of change, continuously monitoring the alkali and detergency values of the wash liquor and automatically introducing further alkali and/or detergent into the wash liquor in response to a reading below a predetermined value to maintain the alkali and detergent concentration above the predetermined value, and continuously determining the level of the wash liquor within the vessel and adjusting it upon the addition of cooling water, alkali and/or detergent to maintain it at a predetermined level, the temperature, alkali and detergency monitors being operable to a temperature below the thermal barrier of the material or articles being laundered.

Claims

1. A METHOD OF CLEANSING BY LAUNDERING AND LIKE PROCESSES OF A LOAD OF MATERIALS AND ARTICLES MADE FROM POLYESTER-COTTON, SYNTHETIC FIBRES, BLENDS OF SYNTHETIC FIBRES, AND NATURAL FIBRES WHICH HAVE BEEN TREATED TO IMPART A FINISH THERETO, INCLUDING THE STEP OF CONTINUOUSLY SENSING CONDITIONS DURING A COOLING CYCLE OF SAID PROCESS BETWEEN THE WASHING CYCLE AND THE RINSING CYCLE AND CONTROLLING THE PROGRESS THERE OF REFERENCE TO SAID CONDITIONS TO OBTAIN A GRADED AND STEPPED COOLING PATTERN, SAID STEP COMPRISING CONTINUOUSLY MEASURING THE RATE OF COOLING OF THE WASH LIQUOR AND LOAD AND MAINTAINING A PREDETERMINED RATE OF CHANGE, CONTINUOUSLY MONITORING THE ALKALI AND DETERGENCY VALUES OF SAID WASH LIQUOR AND AUTOMATICALLY INTRODUCING FURTHER ALKALI AND DETERGENT INTO SAID WASH LIQUOR IN RESPONSE TO A READING BELOW A PREDETERMINED VALUE THEREBY TO MAINTAIN THE ALKALI AND DETERGENT CONCENTRATION ABOVE SAID PREDETERMINED VALUE, AND CONTINUOUSLY DETERMINING THE LEVEL OF SAID WASH LIQUOR WITHIN SAID VESSEL AND ADJUSTING IT UPON THE ADDITION OF COOLING WATER, ALKALI AND DETERGENT TO MAINTAIN IT AT A PREDETERMINED LEVEL, THE TEMPERATURE, ALKALI AN DETERGENCY MONITORS BEING OPERABLE TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW THE THERMAL BARRIER OF THE MATERIAL AND ARTICLE BEING LAUNDERED.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said predetermined rate of change of cooling of the wash liquor is effected by controlled additions of cold water.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein, when the temperature of the wash falls below the thermal barrier, at least one outlet valve is opened when the rinsing cycles are initiated.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein, during the cooling process and as dilution takes place, the comparatively clean liquor being discharged through at least one outlet valve and containing alkali, detergent and heat, is stored and transferred to subsequent washing cycles.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein bleach addition during said rinsing cycle is controlled volumetrically on a timed basis.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein bleach addition during said rinsing cycle is controlled automatically by reference to a conductivity cell signal.

7. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the progress of said cooling cycle is controlled by a programme card designed to control the sequence of the operation by a solid state binary digital systeM.

8. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein, during a washing cycle, the liquor discharged through at least one outlet valve and containing alkali, detergent and heat, is stored and transferred to subsequent washing and cooling cycles.

9. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein, during a rinsing cycle, the liquor discharged through at least one outlet valve and containing alkali detergent and heat is stored and transferred to subsequent washing cooling and rinsing cycles.