US3580261A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Printing screen cleaner
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1969-05-12
•
Granted: 1971-05-25
•
Expires: 1989-05-12
Abstract
Abstract Printing screens are carried through a tunnel by an overhead conveyor. In an enlarged central section of the tunnel are opposed rows of spray heads to direct a cleaning solvent at the screens under pressure. A solvent with material removed from the screens drains into a removable separating tray to extract at least a portion of the material from the solvent. The solvent then drains into a sump from which it is pumped back to the spray heads. At opposite ends of the central cleaning section are entrance and exit sections having doors which are pushed aside by the screen as it is moved through the tunnel. A fan draws air in from the ends of the tunnel and discharges it out a stack. Fire quenching means has spray heads in the tunnel.
Inventors
- 👤 John W Key
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 21:36
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41F; B41F35/00; B41F35/001; B41F35/003; B41F35/005; B41P; B41P2235/00; B41P2235/10; B41P2235/26; B41P2235/30; B41P2235/31
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
319 words
An apparatus for cleaning objects of approximately a given width, such as printing screens, with a liquid solvent to remove material from the object, said apparatus comprising: a frame; enclosure means on said frame and defining a tunnel through which the object can pass, said tunnel having a central cleaning section and entrance and exit sections at opposite sides of the central section, and defining an exhaust duct communicating with said central section, said enclosure means having a bottom with an opening therein through which liquid solvent can drain, said sections all being closed at the top, said entrance and exit sections having doorways at the distal ends thereof through which said object can enter and leave the enclosure means, there being a linear path between said doorways and through said sections, said entrance and exit sections being narrower in a direction transverse to said path than is said central section and only slightly wider than said given width; conveyor means mounted on said frame and trained for movement along said path extending from beyond said doorways and through said tunnel for supporting and moving one of said objects through said tunnel; cleaning means mounted on said frame and including, a sump below said bottom and positioned to receive solvent from said opening, spray means in said central section and at opposite sides of the path of the object to direct sprays of liquid solvent under pressure at opposite sides of the object, and pump means communicating with said sump and said spray means to withdraw solvent from said sump and to deliver it under pressure to said spray means; fan means in said enclosure for producing a flow of air into the doorways of the entrance and exit sections and out through said exhaust duct; and fire quenching means in said enclosure including a spray head to discharge a fire quenching substance upon the occurrence of a fire.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
319 words
An apparatus for cleaning objects of approximately a given width, such as printing screens, with a liquid solvent to remove material from the object, said apparatus comprising: a frame; enclosure means on said frame and defining a tunnel through which the object can pass, said tunnel having a central cleaning section and entrance and exit sections at opposite sides of the central section, and defining an exhaust duct communicating with said central section, said enclosure means having a bottom with an opening therein through which liquid solvent can drain, said sections all being closed at the top, said entrance and exit sections having doorways at the distal ends thereof through which said object can enter and leave the enclosure means, there being a linear path between said doorways and through said sections, said entrance and exit sections being narrower in a direction transverse to said path than is said central section and only slightly wider than said given width; conveyor means mounted on said frame and trained for movement along said path extending from beyond said doorways and through said tunnel for supporting and moving one of said objects through said tunnel; cleaning means mounted on said frame and including, a sump below said bottom and positioned to receive solvent from said opening, spray means in said central section and at opposite sides of the path of the object to direct sprays of liquid solvent under pressure at opposite sides of the object, and pump means communicating with said sump and said spray means to withdraw solvent from said sump and to deliver it under pressure to said spray means; fan means in said enclosure for producing a flow of air into the doorways of the entrance and exit sections and out through said exhaust duct; and fire quenching means in said enclosure including a spray head to discharge a fire quenching substance upon the occurrence of a fire.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cleaning means includes separating means to remove material from said liquid solvent.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
75 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said separating means comprises a removable tray between said opening and the sump to receive liquid and material from the opening adjacent one end of the tray and to discharge into the sump from a point adjacent the other end of the tray, said tray having a series of dividers thereacross between said ends of the tray to divide the tray into a series of basins.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
101 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 3, including door means in said entrance and exit sectioNs, said door means being normally closed and being pushed open by the object as it moves through the through the tunnel, each door means comprising a plurality of gates arranged in an approximately vertical row, said gates being affixed to one side of the enclosure means and extending to adjacent the other side of the enclosure means, said gates being individually biased to a position transverse to the path and being individually movable to a position along said one side of the enclosure means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
64 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein in each of said entrance and exit sections there is one vertical row of said gates affixed to a first side of the enclosure means and a second vertical row of said gates affixed to a second side of the enclosure means, said first and second rows being spaced from each other along said path.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
95 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes door means in said entrance and exit sections, said door means being normally closed and being pushed open by the object as it moves through the tunnel and in each of said entrance and exit sections there is one vertical row of door means affixed to a first side of the enclosure means and a second vertical row of door means affixed to a second side of the enclosure means, said first and second rows being spaced from each other along said path.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
72 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein each door means comprises a plurality of gates arranged in an approximately vertical row, said gates being affixed to one side of the enclosure means and extending to adjacent the other side of the enclosure means, said gates being individually biased to a position transverse to the path and being individually movable to a position along said one side of an enclosure means.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
315 words
An apparatus for cleaning objects of approximately a given width, such as printing screens, with a liquid solvent to remove material from the object, said apparatus comprising: a frame; enclosure means on said frame and defining a tunnel through which the object can pass, said tunnel having a central cleaning section and entrance and exit sections at opposite sides of the central section, said enclosure means having an opening in the bottom thereof through which liquid solvent can drain, the tunnel at said entrance and exit sections being only slightly wider than the width of the object and the tunnel at the cleaning section being substantially wider than at the entrance and exit sections; door means in both the entrance and exit sections for normally closing the tunnel at said entrance and exit sections and being pushed open by the object as it moves through the tunnel, each door means comprising a plurality of gates arranged in an approximately vertical row, said gates being affixed to one side of the enclosure means and extending toward the other side of the enclosure means, said gates being individually biased to a position transverse to the path and being individually movable to a position along said one side of the enclosure means; conveyor means mounted on said frame and trained for movement along a path through said tunnel for supporting and moving one of said objects through said tunnel; and cleaning means mounted on said frame and including, a sump below said enclosure and positioned to receive solvent from said drain, spray means in said central section and at opposite sides of the path of the object to direct sprays of liquid solvent under pressure at opposite sides of the object, and pump mean communicating with said sump and said spray means to withdraw solvent from said sump and to deliver it under pressure to said spray means.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
315 words
An apparatus for cleaning objects of approximately a given width, such as printing screens, with a liquid solvent to remove material from the object, said apparatus comprising: a frame; enclosure means on said frame and defining a tunnel through which the object can pass, said tunnel having a central cleaning section and entrance and exit sections at opposite sides of the central section, said enclosure means having an opening in the bottom thereof through which liquid solvent can drain, the tunnel at said entrance and exit sections being only slightly wider than the width of the object and the tunnel at the cleaning section being substantially wider than at the entrance and exit sections; door means in both the entrance and exit sections for normally closing the tunnel at said entrance and exit sections and being pushed open by the object as it moves through the tunnel, each door means comprising a plurality of gates arranged in an approximately vertical row, said gates being affixed to one side of the enclosure means and extending toward the other side of the enclosure means, said gates being individually biased to a position transverse to the path and being individually movable to a position along said one side of the enclosure means; conveyor means mounted on said frame and trained for movement along a path through said tunnel for supporting and moving one of said objects through said tunnel; and cleaning means mounted on said frame and including, a sump below said enclosure and positioned to receive solvent from said drain, spray means in said central section and at opposite sides of the path of the object to direct sprays of liquid solvent under pressure at opposite sides of the object, and pump mean communicating with said sump and said spray means to withdraw solvent from said sump and to deliver it under pressure to said spray means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein said cleaning means includes separating means to remove material from said liquid solvent.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
86 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein said separating means comprises a removable tray between said opening and the sump to receive liquid and material from the openIng and the sump to receive liquid and material from the opening adjacent one end of the tray and to discharge into the sump from a point adjacent the other end of the tray, said tray having a series of dividers thereacross between said ends of the tray to divide the tray into a series of basins.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
64 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein in each of said entrance and exit sections there is one vertical row of said gates affixed to a first side of the enclosure means and a second vertical row of said gates affixed to a second side of the enclosure means, said first and second rows being spaced from each other along said path.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2549070A
Cited
US971745A
Cited
US2154559A
Cited
GB429205A
Cited
US2399205A
Cited
US2413853A
Cited
US2766764A
Cited
US3049135A
Cited
US3227167A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-05-24 | 1974-11-23 | 1975-05-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-05-24 | 1978-11-23 | 1979-05-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-05-24 | 1982-11-23 | 1983-05-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |