Dry-cleaning apparatus and methods of operation

Claim 3

IN A DRY CLEANING APPARATUS, A DRY CLEANING MACHINE HAVING A ROTARY DRUM FOR THE MATERIAL TO BE CLEANED, MOTOR MEANS FOR ROTATING THE DRUM, AND MEANS FOR STARTING AND STOPPING THE MOTOR MEANS TO CARRY OUT SUCCESSIVE TREATING CYCLES; A STORAGE RESERVOIR FOR CHLORINATED SOLVENT SUCH AS PERCHLORETHYLENE TO WHICH A QUANTITY OF FILTER AID IN POWDER FORM HAS BEEN ADDED; AN UPRIGHT UP-FLOW FILTER HAVING SCREEN MEANS POSITIONED MEDIALLY OF ITS HEIGHT; A CONDUIT EXTENDING FROM THE RESERVOIR AND CONNECTED TO AN INLET TO THE LOWER PART OF THE FILTER; A CONDUIT EXTENDING TO THE MACHINE FROM AN OUTLET OF THE FILTER POSITIONED AT THE TOP HALF THEREOF; A CONDUIT EXTENDING FROM THE MACHINE TO THE RESERVOIR; A PUMP IN THE FIRST MENTIONED CONDUIT FOR DRAWING SOLVENT FROM THE RESERVOIR AND CAUSING IT TO TRAVERSE THE FILTER AND THE MACHINE BEFORE RETURN TO THE RESERVOIR DURING EACH TREATING CYCLE; A DRAIN CONDUIT HAVING A NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE THEREIN AND EXTENDING FROM THE MACHINE TO THE RESERVOIR; AUTOMATIC TIMING MEANS FOR OPENING THE VALVE TO PERMIT THE MACHINE TO DRAIN AT THE END OF EACH CYCLE, AND AUTOMATIC MEANS FOR STOPPING THE PUMP FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TO PERMIT PART OF THE SOLVENT TO FLOW FROM THE FILTER BACK INTO THE RESERVOIR BY WAY OF THE FIRST MENTIONED CONDUIT AND THEREBY BREAK LIQUID FLOW COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE PUMP AND THE INLET SIDE OF THE FILTER DURING A PORTION OF EACH CYCLE WHEREBY CLINGING FILTER AID IS SLOUGHED FROM THE FILTER SCREEN BY INTERRUPTING THE LIQUID FLOW AND ALLOWING SOLVENT GRAVITATION THROUGH THE SCREEN FROM THE TOP OF THE FILTER TO THE INLET SIDE THEREOF; A SLUDGE RECEIVER; A CONDUIT WITH A NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE THEREIN EXTENDING FROM A DRAIN OUTLET AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FILTER WHEREBY, UPON OPENING OF SAID VALVE AFTER PROTRACTED USE OF THE APPARATUS, THE SLUDGE IS PERMITTED TO PASS TO THE SLUDGE RECEIVER; MEANS FOR ADMITTING A QUANTITY OF WATER OR OTHER DISPLACING LIQUID INTO THE SLUDGE RECEIVER TO DISPLACE THE SOLVENT FROM THE SLUDGE; AND A CONDUIT LEADING FROM THE RECEIVER TO THE RESERVOIR AND HAVING THEREIN A NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE AND A WATER SEPARATOR WHEREBY, UPON OPENING THE LAST MENTIONED VALVE, THE DISPLACING WATER CAN BE SEPARATED BY GRAVITY FROM THE SOLVENT AND THE RECOVERED SOLVENT CONDUCTED TO THE RESERVOIR.

Claim 4

IN A DRY CLEANING APPARATUS, A DRY CLEANING MACHINE HAVING A ROTARY DRUM FOR THE MATERIAL TO BE CLEANED, MOTOR MEANS FOR ROTATING THE DRUM, AND MEANS FOR STARTING AND STOPPING THE MOTOR MEANS TO CARRY OUT SUCCESSIVE TREATING CYCLES; A STORAGE RESERVOIR FOR CHLORINATED SOLVENT SUCH AS PERCHLORETHYLENE TO WHICH A QUANTITY OF FILTER AID IN POWDER FORM HAS BEEN ADDED; AN UPRIGHT UP-FLOW FILTER HAVING SCREEN MEANS POSITIONED MEDIALLY OF ITS HEIGHT; A CONDUIT EXTENDING FROM THE RESERVOIR AND CONNECTED TO AN INLET TO THE LOWER PART OF THE FILTER; A CONDUIT EXTENDING TO THE MACHINE FROM AN OUTLET OF THE FILTER POSITIONED AT THE TOP HALF THEREOF; A CONDUIT EXTENDING FROM THE MACHINE TO THE RESERVOIR; A PUMP IN THE FIRST MENTIONED CONDUIT FOR DRAWING SOLVENT FROM THE RESERVOIR AND CAUSING IT TO TRAVERSE THE FILTER AND THE MACHINE BEFORE RETURN TO THE RESERVOIR DURING EACH TREATING CYCLE; A DRAIN CONDUIT HAVING A NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE THEREIN AND EXTENDING FROM THE MACHINE TO THE RESERVOIR; AUTOMATIC TIMING MEANS FOR OPENING THE VALVE TO PERMIT THE MACHINE TO DRAIN AT THE END OF EACH CYCLE, AND AUTOMATIC MEANS FOR STOPPING THE PUMP FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TO PERMIT PART OF THE SOLVENT TO FLOW FROM THE FILTER BACK INTO THE RESERVOIR BY WAY OF THE FIRST MENTIONED CONDUIT AND THEREBY BREAK LIQUID FLOW COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE PUMP AND THE INLET SIDE OF THE FILTER DURING A PORTION OF EACH CYCLE WHEREBY CLINGING FILTER AID IS SLOUGHED FROM THE FILTER SCREEN BY INTERRUPTING THE LIQUID FLOW AND ALLOWING SOLVENT GRAVITATION THROUGH THE SCREEN FROM THE TOP OF THE FILTER TO THE INLET SIDE THEREOF; A SLUDGE RECEIVER; A CONDUIT WITH A NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE THEREIN EXTENDING FROM A DRAIN OUTLET AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FILTER WHEREBY, UPON OPENING OF SAID VALVE AFTER PROTRACTED USE OF THE APPARATUS, THE SLUDGE IS PERMITTED TO PASS TO THE SLUDGE RECEIVER; MEANS FOR ADMITTING A QUANTITY OF WATER OR OTHER DISPLACING LIQUID INTO THE SLUDGE RECEIVER TO DISPLACE THE SOLVENT FROM THE SLUDGE; AND A CONDUIT LEADING FROM THE RECEIVER TO THE RESERVOIR AND HAVING THEREIN A NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE AND A WATER SEPARATOR WHEREBY, UPON OPENING THE LAST MENTIONED VALVE, THE DISPLACING WATER CAN BE SEPARATED BY GRAVITY FROM THE SOLVENT AND THE RECOVERED SOLVENT CONDUCTED TO THE RESERVOIR.