Abstract A method for enhancing the removal of water-soluble soil during dry cleaning, which contemplates the application of a preconditioning treatment to the goods to be cleaned before the dry cleaning thereof, but in the same equipment in which the dry cleaning treatment will be performed. Preconditioning consists of treating the goods with a mixture of water and detergent which has been substantially vaporized prior to introduction into the dry cleaning equipment. A predetermined water moisture level is established inside the dry cleaning equipment through introduction therein of the water and detergent mixture and maintained throughout the preconditioning treatment and the dry cleaning treatment following. Concentrated detergent in amounts based upon the weight of the goods to be cleaned is introduced into the dry cleaning equipment during the preconditioning treatment of the goods to insure the availability of sufficient detergent for the preconditioning treatment in those instances in which a pre-existing moisture level in the dry cleaning equipment would not require the addition of sufficient water and detergent mixture to provide the needed detergent by that means. Special treatment agents may be introduced into the dry cleaning equipment to achieve some desired effect and include the watersoluble type in which case they are introduced with the preconditioning treatment, or the solvent-soluble type, introduced with the solvent dry cleaning treatment.
Inventors
👤 Knight E Mc
Bibliographic Details
Application Number—
JurisdictionUS
Data Sourcegoogle_patents
Last Synchronized2026-11-04 14:54
CPC Classifications
D; D06; D06L; D06L1/00; D06L1/02; D06L1/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 3
Claim 1
Independent Claim
225 words
A METHOD OF DRY CLEANING TEXTILES USING A WASHING APPARATUS HAVING A CLEANING TANK WITH A ROTATABLE DRUM THEREIN TO CONTINUOUSLY WORK SAID TEXTILE WITHIN SAID CLEANING TANK, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: DETECTING THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF THE TEXTILES IN SAID ROTATABLE DRUM WITH A WATER DETECTING UNIT, WHICH UNITS HAS CONTINUOUSLY CIRCULATED THERETHROUGH VAPORS FROM SAID CLEANING TANK; SUBJECTING SAID TEXTILES WHILE TUMBLING SAME IN SAID ROTATABLE DRUM TO A PRE-CONDITIONING TREATMENT, WHICH TREATMENT CONSISTS OF INTRODUCING CONTROLLED AMOUNTS OF WATER AND DETERGENT INTO SAID CLEANING TANK, RELATIVE TO THE MOISTURE CONTENT DETECTED THEREIN BY SAID WATER DETECTING UNIT, TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN A PRE-DETERMINED MOISTURE LEVEL IN SAID TEXTILE FOR OPTIMUM WATER SOLUBLE SOIL REMOVAL THEREFROM AND ALLOW A CONCENTRATION ACTION UPON SAID TEXTILES BY SAID DETERGENT, THEREBY DECREASING THE TIME IN WHICH THE WATER MOISTURE CONTENT IN THE TEXTILES IS ESTABLISHED AT THE LEVEL FOR MAXIMUM WATER-SOLUBLE SOIL REMOVAL AND PROMOTING THE ACTION OF DETERGENCY FOR MORE EFFECTIVE SOIL REMOVAL; FOLLOWED BY INTRODUCING A DRY CLEANING SOLVENT COMPOSITION INTO SAID CLEANING TANK AND AGITATING THE TEXTILES IN SAID ROTATABLE DRUM THEREIN TO EFFECT SOLVENT CLEANSING THEREOF; WHILE CONTINUNING TO DETECT THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF SAID TEXTILES WITH SAID WATER DETECTION UNIT; AND MAINTAINING SAID MOISTURE AT SAID PREDETERMINED LEVEL FOR OPTIMUM WATER-SOLVENT SOIL REMOVAL THROUGHOUT THE CLEANING OF SAID TEXTILES.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
225 words
A METHOD OF DRY CLEANING TEXTILES USING A WASHING APPARATUS HAVING A CLEANING TANK WITH A ROTATABLE DRUM THEREIN TO CONTINUOUSLY WORK SAID TEXTILE WITHIN SAID CLEANING TANK, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: DETECTING THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF THE TEXTILES IN SAID ROTATABLE DRUM WITH A WATER DETECTING UNIT, WHICH UNITS HAS CONTINUOUSLY CIRCULATED THERETHROUGH VAPORS FROM SAID CLEANING TANK; SUBJECTING SAID TEXTILES WHILE TUMBLING SAME IN SAID ROTATABLE DRUM TO A PRE-CONDITIONING TREATMENT, WHICH TREATMENT CONSISTS OF INTRODUCING CONTROLLED AMOUNTS OF WATER AND DETERGENT INTO SAID CLEANING TANK, RELATIVE TO THE MOISTURE CONTENT DETECTED THEREIN BY SAID WATER DETECTING UNIT, TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN A PRE-DETERMINED MOISTURE LEVEL IN SAID TEXTILE FOR OPTIMUM WATER SOLUBLE SOIL REMOVAL THEREFROM AND ALLOW A CONCENTRATION ACTION UPON SAID TEXTILES BY SAID DETERGENT, THEREBY DECREASING THE TIME IN WHICH THE WATER MOISTURE CONTENT IN THE TEXTILES IS ESTABLISHED AT THE LEVEL FOR MAXIMUM WATER-SOLUBLE SOIL REMOVAL AND PROMOTING THE ACTION OF DETERGENCY FOR MORE EFFECTIVE SOIL REMOVAL; FOLLOWED BY INTRODUCING A DRY CLEANING SOLVENT COMPOSITION INTO SAID CLEANING TANK AND AGITATING THE TEXTILES IN SAID ROTATABLE DRUM THEREIN TO EFFECT SOLVENT CLEANSING THEREOF; WHILE CONTINUNING TO DETECT THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF SAID TEXTILES WITH SAID WATER DETECTION UNIT; AND MAINTAINING SAID MOISTURE AT SAID PREDETERMINED LEVEL FOR OPTIMUM WATER-SOLVENT SOIL REMOVAL THROUGHOUT THE CLEANING OF SAID TEXTILES.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
59 words
A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the steps of: drying said textile following the solvent cleansing thereof and while in said washing apparatus; and introducing, during the drying thereof, additional water and detergent in a spray to reduce the buildup of static electricity in said textiles and to reduce the migration and accumulation of lint thereon.