Laboratory apparatus for treating cotton and cotton-blend textiles with organic solvent vapors

Claim 1

A laboratory apparatus for treating fabric samples with vapors, the apparatus comprising: a. a vapor-curing chamber comprising a cylindrical tube having top and bottom apertures, the top aperture being a standard female joint of dimensions which permit the passage of a fabric and holder, the bottom aperture being a standard male joint of dimensions compatible with those of a round bottomed flask onto which it would fit; the vapor-curing chamber having an upper and a lower side arm of about one-fourth the diameter of the said vapor-curing chamber, both arms being extended at right angles to the chamber; the said upper side arm extending a short distance thereafter to form a T, said T being tubular and open at each end, to describe an upper and a lower aperture of the crosspiece of the said T; the said upper aperture being a female standard taper joint to fit thereinto a cold-finger type condenser, the said lower aperture being a ball joint extending downward; the said lower side-arm extending a shorter distance outward than the distance of the upper side-arm and terminating outward as a socket joint, and the other end routing through the vapor chamber downward, to allow the distillate to return; b. a ground glass standard taper stopper to close the upper aperture of the vapor-curing chamber when apparatus is in operation; c. a cold-finger type condenser to fit onto the upper arm of the upper side arm; d. an automatic solvent separator which adapts to the side arms of the vapor-curing chamber at the ball and socket joints, said automatic solvent separator comprising a solvent-separator chamber which received the condensed water and other solvent to form a two-layer system of solvents therein; said solvent separator chamber extending downward to form the right arm of a Y, the stem of which Y being provided with a stopcock, the left arm of which extends upward to end in an open syphon-breaker aperture, said left arm having a socket joint which recycles the desired solvent back into the said vapor-curing chamber; said solvent separator chamber having a high, small-diameter tube extending perpendicularly to the right, to drain off the unwanted water; said small diameter tube also having aN upward extension which also serves as a syphon-breaker; the said socket joint extending from the left arm of said Y being lower than the axis of the said small diameter tube which extends to the right; e. clamps to secure said socket joints; f. a rigid, stainless steel, fabric sample holder, said holder comprising a vertical straight shaft terminating at each end in a coiled configuration, the plannar configuration of each coil being perpendicular to the said vertical straight shaft; said rigid, stainless steel, fabric sample holder being of a dimension compatible to the inner dimensions of the said vaporcuring chamber of (a) and comprising a means of supporting a fabric sample hung thereonto; g. a round-bottomed flask with ground glass standard taper joint compatible with the bottom aperture of the said vapor-curing chamber of (a) and being of a volumetric capacity compatible with the requirements of the entire apparatus; and h. a heating mantle, a source of energy to actuate the mantle, an ice-cold source of water for the cold-finger condenser, supporting brackets and clamps to provide the apparatus with adequate rigidity.