Fluid content sensing and control mechanism for automatic dry cleaning machines

Claim 1

IN AUTOMATIC DRY CLEANING APPARATUS HAVING ACTUATABLE RECEPTACLE MEANS FOR RECEIVING A SOLVENT ADAPTED TO CLEAN ARTICLES OF CLOTHING DISPOSED THEREWITHIN AND OPERABLE TIMER MECHANISM HAVING MEANS THEREON FOR DRIVING THE LATTER TO THEREBY ACTUATE SAID RECEPTACLE MEANS AND THUS SUBJECT SAID ARTICLES TO A NUMBER OF SUCCESSIVE CLEANING OPERATIONS INCLUDING PURGING OF SOLVENT FROM SAID RECEPTACLE MEANS, THE IMPROVEMENT OF WHICH COMPRISES MEANS FOR INTERRUPTING THE OPERATION OF SAID TIMER MECHANISM DURING THE SOLVENT PURGING OPERATION, SAID MEANS INCLUDING: A STATIONARY TUBE ADAPTED TO BE OPERABLY COUPLED WITH SAID RECEPTACLE MEANS FOR RECEIVING THE SOLVENT PURGED THEREFROM; ACTUATABLE, NORMALLY CLOSED SWITCHING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID TUBE AND ADAPTED TO BE OPERABLY COUPLED WITH SAID DRIVING MEANS FOR NORMALLY MAINTAINING THE LATTER IN AN ENERGIZED CONDITION; AN OPEN TOP CONTAINER WITHIN THE TUBE AND DISPOSED IN RELATIVELY CLOSE PROXIMITY THERETO AND BEING SPACED THEREFROM FOR RECTILINEAR MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO THE TUBE IN ONE DIRECTION TO A PREDETERMINED POSITION UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE SOLVENT ENTERING SAID TUBE, SAID CONTAINER HAVING A BOTTOM PROVIDED WITH AN OPENING THEREIN HAVING A REDUCED CROSS SECTION WITH RESPECT TO THE CROSS SECTION OF THE OPEN TOP OF SAID CONTAINER, THE OPENING BEING DISPOSED FOR PERMITTING THE GRAVITATION OF SOLVENT FROM SAID CONTAINER AT A RATE LESS THAN THE RATE AT WHICH SOLVENT ENTERS SAID CONTAINER, SAID SWITCHING MEANS BEING NORMALLY DISPOSED BELOW SAID CONTAINER AND PROVIDED WITH A STATIONARY POLE AND A SHIFTABLE POLE, THE LATTER HAVING AN ARM THEREON; AND MEANS ON SAID TUBE AND ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID ARM FOR MOVING SAID SHIFTABLE POLE OUT OF ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH SAID STATIONARY POLE WHEN SAID CONTAINER MOVES TOWARD SAID POSITION.