Trough-type solvent washer

Claim 1

A THROUGH-TYPE VOLATILE SOLVENT WASHER FOR REMOVING SOILS FROM THE SURFACE OF NON-ABSORBENT ARTICLES, SAID WASHER COMPRISING: A SUBSTANTIALLY AIR-TIGHT TREATMENT CHAMBER HAVING AN INLET AND AN EXIT, A CONTINUOUS CONVEYOR EXTENDING THE LENGTH OF THE CHAMBER FOR TRANSPORTING ARTICLES THROUGH THE TREATMENT ZONE, A FIRST SPRAYING ZONE HAVING MEANS FOR DISCHARGING A CHLORINATED HYDROCARBON SOLVENT FROM A PLURALITY OF DISCHARGE NOZZLES ON ARTICLES LOCATED ON THE CONVEYOR, A SECOND SPRAYING ZONE LOCATED ADJACENT SAID FIRST ZONE AND HAVING MEANS FOR DISCHARGING SAID SOLVENT ON THE ARTICLES ON THE CONVEYOR AFTER THE ARTICLES HAVE PASSED THROUGH THE FIRST SPRAYING ZONE, A DISTILLATE RINSE ZONE LOCATED ADJACENT SAID SECOND SPRAYING ZONE AND HAVING MEANS FOR DISCHARGING A DISTILLATE OF THE SOLVENT ON THE ARTICLES ON THE CONVEYOR AFTER THE ARTICLES HAVE PASSED THROUGH THE SECOND SPRAYING ZONE, A BLOW-OFF ZONE LOCATED ADJACENT SAID DISTILLATE RINSE ZONE AND HAVING MEANS FOR DISCHARGING HEATED AIR ON THE ARTICLES AS THEY PASS ON THE CONVEYOR, SAID MEANS INCLUDING AN EXHAUST FAN, A DISTILLATION APPARATUS WHEREBY VAPOR SOLVENT IS CONDENSED FROM THE HEATED AIR AFTER IT IS PASSED OVER THE ARTICLES AND MEANS FOR RETURNING SAID CONDENSED SOLVENT FOR SUBSEQUENT SPRAYING USE, AND A PAIR OF VAPOR SOLVENT RECOVERING MEANS LOCATED ADJACENT BOTH ENDS OF THE CHAMBER WHEREBY SOLVENTLADEN AIR IS WITHDRAWN FROM THE ENDS OF THE CHAMBER AND THE SOLVENT DISTILLED FROM THE AIR FOR RE-USE IN THE SPRAYING ZONE.