Dry cleaning machine and separating device therefor

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR DRY CLEANING SOILED GARMENTS AND THE LIKE, INCLUDING: MEANS PROVIDING A CLOSED CHAMBER INTO WHICH GARMENTS AND THE LIKE MAY BE INTRODUCED; A SOLVENT RESERVIOR; FILTER MEANS; CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING SAID RESERVOIR TO SAID CHAMBER AND TO SAID FILTER MEANS AND CONNECTING SAID CLOSED CHAMBER TO SAID FILTER MEANS; MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CONDUIT MEANS FOR CIRCULATING SAID SOLVENT FROM SAID RESERVOIR THROUGH SAID CLOSED CHAMBER, SAID FILTER MEANS AND BACK TO SAID RESERVOIR; MEANS FOR PROVIDING A CLOSED AIR FLOW PATH INCLUDING SAID CHAMBER; VENT MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID LAST MENTIONED MEANS; VALVE MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY CONNECTING SAID CHAMBER TO SAID VENT MEANS AND TO SAID AIR FLOW PATH TO CAUSE SAID CHAMBER TO CONSTITUTE A SECTION OF SAID CLOSED FLOW PATH; MEANS FOR MOVING AIR THROUGH SAID CLOSED FLOW PATH; A COOLING MEANS DISPOSED IN SAID MEANS PROVIDING SAID CLOSED AIR FLOW PATH FOR COOLING AIR FLOWING FROM THE CHAMBER THROUGH SAID CLOSED AIR FLOW PATH; HEATING MEANS FOR HEATING THE AIR PREVIOUSLY COOLED BY SAID COOLING MEANS AND MOVING THROUGH SAID CLOSED AIR FLOW PATH BACK INTO SAID CHAMBER; A LIQUID SEPARATOR DEVICE; CONDENSATE CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CLOSED AIR FLOW PATH AND SAID DEVICE FOR CAUSING LIQUID CONDENSATE CONDENSED BY SAID COOLING MEANS TO FLOW OF SAID DEVICE WHEREIN SOLVENT IS SEPARATED FROM EXTRANEOUS LIQUIDS; CONDUIT RETURN MEANS CONNECTING SAID DEVICE TO SAID RESERVOIR FOR RETURNING SEPARATED SOLVENT FROM SAID DEVICE TO SAID RESERVOIR; AND VALVE MEANS CONNECTED IN SAID CONDUIT RETURN MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY CLOSING SAID CONDUIT MEANS TO FLOW IN EITHER DIRECTION THERETHROUGH, SAID LIQUID SEPARATOR DEVICE INCLUDING A VESSEL, SAID CONDENSATE CONDUIT MEANS OPENING TO SAID VESSEL ADJACENT ITS UPPER END; A SIPHON TUBE HAVING AN INNER SECTION OPEN ADJACENT THE BOTTOM OF SAID VESSEL, AN UPPER INTERMEDIATE SECTION, AND AN OUTER SECTION EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID INTERMEDIATE SECTION AND CONNECTED TO SAID CONDUIT RETURN MEANS; A SIPHON VENT TUBE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID INTERMEDIATE SECTION AND OPENING TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID VESSEL ABOVE SAID UPPER SECTION; AND VALVE MEANS FOR CLOSING SAID SIPHON VENT TUBE WHEN THE SOLVENT IN SAID VESSEL RISES TO A FIRST PREDETERMINED LEVEL AND FOR OPENING SAID VENT TUBE TO INTERRUPT THE SIPHONING ACTION TO SAID SIPHON TUBE WHEN THE SOLVENT IN SAID VESSEL DROPS BELOW A SECOND PREDETERMINED LEVEL.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR DRY CLEANING SOILED GARMENTS AND THE LIKE, INCLUDING: MEANS PROVIDING A CLOSED CHAMBER INTO WHICH GARMENTS AND THE LIKE MAY BE INTRODUCED; A SOLVENT RESERVIOR; FILTER MEANS; CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING SAID RESERVOIR TO SAID CHAMBER AND TO SAID FILTER MEANS AND CONNECTING SAID CLOSED CHAMBER TO SAID FILTER MEANS; MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CONDUIT MEANS FOR CIRCULATING SAID SOLVENT FROM SAID RESERVOIR THROUGH SAID CLOSED CHAMBER, SAID FILTER MEANS AND BACK TO SAID RESERVOIR; MEANS FOR PROVIDING A CLOSED AIR FLOW PATH INCLUDING SAID CHAMBER; VENT MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID LAST MENTIONED MEANS; VALVE MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY CONNECTING SAID CHAMBER TO SAID VENT MEANS AND TO SAID AIR FLOW PATH TO CAUSE SAID CHAMBER TO CONSTITUTE A SECTION OF SAID CLOSED FLOW PATH; MEANS FOR MOVING AIR THROUGH SAID CLOSED FLOW PATH; A COOLING MEANS DISPOSED IN SAID MEANS PROVIDING SAID CLOSED AIR FLOW PATH FOR COOLING AIR FLOWING FROM THE CHAMBER THROUGH SAID CLOSED AIR FLOW PATH; HEATING MEANS FOR HEATING THE AIR PREVIOUSLY COOLED BY SAID COOLING MEANS AND MOVING THROUGH SAID CLOSED AIR FLOW PATH BACK INTO SAID CHAMBER; A LIQUID SEPARATOR DEVICE; CONDENSATE CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CLOSED AIR FLOW PATH AND SAID DEVICE FOR CAUSING LIQUID CONDENSATE CONDENSED BY SAID COOLING MEANS TO FLOW OF SAID DEVICE WHEREIN SOLVENT IS SEPARATED FROM EXTRANEOUS LIQUIDS; CONDUIT RETURN MEANS CONNECTING SAID DEVICE TO SAID RESERVOIR FOR RETURNING SEPARATED SOLVENT FROM SAID DEVICE TO SAID RESERVOIR; AND VALVE MEANS CONNECTED IN SAID CONDUIT RETURN MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY CLOSING SAID CONDUIT MEANS TO FLOW IN EITHER DIRECTION THERETHROUGH, SAID LIQUID SEPARATOR DEVICE INCLUDING A VESSEL, SAID CONDENSATE CONDUIT MEANS OPENING TO SAID VESSEL ADJACENT ITS UPPER END; A SIPHON TUBE HAVING AN INNER SECTION OPEN ADJACENT THE BOTTOM OF SAID VESSEL, AN UPPER INTERMEDIATE SECTION, AND AN OUTER SECTION EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID INTERMEDIATE SECTION AND CONNECTED TO SAID CONDUIT RETURN MEANS; A SIPHON VENT TUBE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID INTERMEDIATE SECTION AND OPENING TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID VESSEL ABOVE SAID UPPER SECTION; AND VALVE MEANS FOR CLOSING SAID SIPHON VENT TUBE WHEN THE SOLVENT IN SAID VESSEL RISES TO A FIRST PREDETERMINED LEVEL AND FOR OPENING SAID VENT TUBE TO INTERRUPT THE SIPHONING ACTION TO SAID SIPHON TUBE WHEN THE SOLVENT IN SAID VESSEL DROPS BELOW A SECOND PREDETERMINED LEVEL.