Means for removing ink from a screen and including a cleaning head and accumulator

Claim 1

Apparatus for removing ink from a screen utilized in a silk screen printing process with a solvent, said apparatus comprising a cleaning head having first and second spaced orifices therein, accumulator means for collecting said solvent after removal of said ink from the screen, said accumulator means including a side wall and upper and lower end walls cooperating to define a chamber within the accumulator means, first opening means in said accumulator means through which a vacuum is formed in said chamber, second opening means in said accumulator means, conduit means extending between said second opening means and said second orifice placing said second opening means and second orifice in flow communication, other conduit means having its one end connected to said first orifice and having its other end adapted for placement in a supply of said solvent, said cleaning head adapted to be placed over said screen and having a vacuum formed between said first and second orifices, and float means within said chamber, said float means being shiftable between the end walls of said accumulator means as said chamber fills with solvent entering from said second opening means, said float means having a draft line representing the depth the float means extends into said solvent when floating thereon, said first opening means being located above said draft line in all operative positions of said float means, said float means carrying means for blocking said first opening means to reduce the vacuum in said chamber as said float means is shifted by said solvent to a selected position within said chamber.