Process for the chemical cleaning of textiles

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR RECOVERING SOLVENT FROM A DRY-CLEANING PLANT DURING A DRYING PHASE OF A WORKING CYCLE IN WHICH TEXTILE TREATED WITH SOLVENT IN A DRUM DURING A PRECEDING WASHING PHASE ARE DRIED BY AN AIR STREAM CIRCULATING THROUGH THE DRUM, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF ASPIRATING SOLVENT-LADEN AIR FROM SAID DRUM, RECIRCULATING THE ASPIRATED AIR THROUGH SAID DRUM IN A SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSED CIRCUIT, EXTRACTING SOLVENT FROM THE CIRCULATING AIR BY COOLING THE LATTER BEFORE RETURNING IT TO SAID DRUM, SO PROCEEDING FOR A PERIOD SUFFICIENT TO RECOVER MORE THAN HALF THE ORIGINAL QUANTITY OF SOLVENT UNTIL THE RATE OF SOLVENT RECOVERY DECLINES SUBSTANTIALLY FROM A PEAK VALUE, AND THEREUPON REMOVING THE REMAINING SOLVENT FROM THE DRUM AT AN ACCELERATED RATE BY FLUSHING SAID DRUM WITH FRESH AIR AND CONDUCTING THE FLUSHING AIR WITH ITS ENTRAINED SOLVENT FROM THE DRUM THROUGH AN ADSORBER FOR SAID SOLVENT.