Apparatus for treating fabric items

Claim 2

Apparatus for treating fabric items such as mops, mats, rugs, and the like with a dust control fluid, said apparatus comprising: means for conveying a large number of such items successively past a given point and for then discharging said items, means for releasing a measured quantity of dust control fluid for application to said items individually, and roller means for bearing upon each said item to increase the extent of application of said dust control fluid to each said item, said roller means being mounted relative to said conveying means so that each said item is passed under said roller means between said roller means and said conveying means by operation of said conveying means.

Claim 3

Apparatus for treating fabric items such as mops, mats, rugs, and the like, with a dust control fluid, said apparatus comprising: means for conveying said items comprising a substantially horizontal conveyor means upon which each said item is supported for travel through said apparatus between inlet and outlet ends of said conveyor means and from which each said item is discharged after treatment, and including means for driving said conveyor means, means for releasing a dust control fluid for deposition on each said item, roller means located above said conveyor means for bearing upon each said item as said item passes under said roller means to increase the extent of application of said dust control fluid to each said item, and sensing means located between said roller means and the inlet end of said conveyor for detecting the presence of said item on said conveyor means and for operating said means for releasing dust control fluid in response to detection of said item.

Claim 4

Apparatus for treating fabric items such as mops, mats, rugs, and the like, with a dust control fluid, said apparatus comprising: means for conveying said items comprising a substantially horizontal conveyor means upon which each said item is supported for travel through said apparatus between inlet and outlet ends of said conveyor means and from which each said item is discharged after treatment, and including means for driving said conveyor means, means for releasing a dust control fluid for deposition on each said item, roller means located above said conveyor means for bearing upon each said item as said item passes under said roller means to increase the extent of application of said dust control fluid to each said item, and sensing means located between said roller means and the inlet end of said conveyor for detecting the presence of said item on said conveyor means and for operating said means for releasing dust control fluid in response to detection of said item.

Claim 5

The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said roller means comprises a pervious roller for absorbing and spreading said dust control fluid.

Claim 6

The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said roller means further comprises a hard-surfaced roller between said pervious roller and the outlet end of said conveyor means for bearing upon said item and for forcing said fluid into said item, said conveyor means comprising a relatively flexible belt.

Claim 7

The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said means for releasing a dust control fluid comprises valve means for metering a predetermined quantity of said fluid in response to detection of said item, and wherein said valve means releases said dust control fluid upon said pervious roller means.

Claim 8

The apparatus according to claim 5 further including trough means located between said valve means and said pervious roller means and open at the bottom adjacent said pervious Roller means, said valve means being provided with nozzle means for applying fluid to said pervious roller means, said trough means confining spray from said nozzle to said pervious roller means.

Claim 9

The apparatus according to claim 2 further including a rotating brush positioned above said conveyor means between said roller means and the outlet end of said conveyor means for raising the nap on a said item after compression thereof by said roller means.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 2 further including a feed table from which said items are fed onto said conveying means, said feed table including a pair of rollers with a feed belt extended therebetween, an outlet feed roller supporting the outlet end of said feed belt being adjacent the inlet end of the conveying means so that items on said feed belt may be urged onto said conveying means by manually moving said item forward on said feed belt.

Claim 11

The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said means for releasing a dust control fluid comprises valve means for metering a predetermined quantity of said fluid in response to detection of the said item.

Claim 12

The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said valve means is provided with nozzle means for applying said fluid directly upon said item.

Claim 13

The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said sensing means comprises at least one vertically movable roller for operating said valve means, said vertically movable roller being located above said conveyor means and moving upwardly to operate said valve means in response to a said item passing under said vertically movable roller.

Claim 14

The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said valve means comprises multiple valve means disposed above said conveyor means and a common manifold locating said valve means transversely of said conveyor means, said manifold being connected to a supply of said dust control fluid, each valve means being provided with a nozzle extending below said manifold and having an inlet opening within said manifold for receiving dust control fluid and delivering the same to its nozzle in response to actuation of said valve means by said sensing means.

Claim 15

The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said sensing means comprises pivotal arm means and roller means for detecting each said item upon said conveyor means, each said valve means including a valve stem operatively connected to said arm means and a valve head normally urged into position for preventing flow of said dust control fluid from said manifold to said nozzle but operable from said valve stem to provide flow of said liquid to said nozzle as said arm means is pivoted by said roller.

Claim 16

The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said valve means comprises multiple valve means disposed above said conveyor means, and wherein each of said valve means is operated by a separate sensing means roller, each of said valve means being provided with a nozzle, said sensing rollers and said nozzles being spaced laterally across said conveyor means so that only nozzles associated with sensing rollers contacting portions of a said item are supplied with fluid.

Claim 17

The apparatus according to claim 9 provided with a tank for said dust control fluid, a pump continuously driven for providing a pressure head of said dust control fluid for said valve means, and a bypass pressure regulator between said pump and said valve means for returning dust control fluid to said tank between operations of said valve means.

Claim 18

Apparatus for treating fabric items such as mops, mats, rugs, and the like, with dust-control fluid, said apparatus comprising: means for conveying said items comprising a substantially horizontal belt conveyor upon which each said item is supported for travel through said apparatus between inlet and outlet ends of said conveying means and from which each said item is discharged after treatment, and including means for driving said conveying means, dispensing valve means for releasing dust-control fluid upon said items, saiD valve means being located above said conveying means, sensing means for detecting the presence of a said item on said conveying means and for operating said valve means for releasing dust-control fluid in response to detection of a said item, said sensing means comprising at least one movable roller which moves to operate said valve means in response to a said item passing on said conveying means such that a said item lifts said roller to operate the valve means with said item being drawn under said movable roller between said movable roller and said conveying means, and further roller means, located above said conveying means toward the outlet end of the conveying means from the sensing means, for bearing upon each item, as a said item passes under said further roller means, to increase the extent of application of said dust-control fluid to each said item.

Claim 19

Apparatus for treating fabric items such as mops, mats, rugs, and the like, with dust-control fluid, said apparatus comprising: means for conveying said items comprising a substantially horizontal belt conveyor upon which each said item is supported for travel through said apparatus between inlet and outlet ends of said conveying means and from which each said item is discharged after treatment, and including means for driving said conveying means, dispensing valve means for releasing dust-control fluid upon said items, saiD valve means being located above said conveying means, sensing means for detecting the presence of a said item on said conveying means and for operating said valve means for releasing dust-control fluid in response to detection of a said item, said sensing means comprising at least one movable roller which moves to operate said valve means in response to a said item passing on said conveying means such that a said item lifts said roller to operate the valve means with said item being drawn under said movable roller between said movable roller and said conveying means, and further roller means, located above said conveying means toward the outlet end of the conveying means from the sensing means, for bearing upon each item, as a said item passes under said further roller means, to increase the extent of application of said dust-control fluid to each said item.