Cleaning machine utilizing non-liquid cleaning agents

Claim 2

In a cleaning machine for use with powdered and/or granular cleaning agents: a. a cleaning drum having a front air influent opening; b. means supporting the cleaning drum for angular movement about a substantially horizontal axis; c. means forming an enclosure for the drum, including an access door registering with said drum front opening; d. said door having openings for admission of air to the drum; e. means operable to exhaust air from said enclosure; f. a plurality of hollow tumble vanes in the drum and extending inwardly from the periphery of the drum; said tumble vanes having a series of openings for flow of air and entrained cleaning agents from the drum to the interior of the tumble vanes; g. means forming effluent openings at the region of the bases of the tumble vanes and providing communication between the interior of the tumble vanes and said enclosure at the periphery of said drum; and h. baffle plates in said tumble vanes for gravity return of cleaning agent to the interior of said drum in the absence of a current of air induced by said air exhausting means.

Claim 3

The cleaning machine as set forth in claim 1 in which said tumble vanes have surfaces on opposite sides, at least one of which is provided with said openings in an array extending only partially from the base of said one surface toward the distal end of the tumble vane; the said baffle plates extending in spaced relationship behind said array of holes to form a trap for entering cleaning agent, the trap opening beyond the array of holes.

Claim 4

The cleaning machine as set forth in claim 1 in which said door comprises a pair of spaced plates with louver-like openings formed by stamped regions adjoining lances in the plates, the inner plate having stamped regions projecting inwardly to shield the edges of the lances from the material in the drum; the louver-like openings in the respective plates being oriented so that cleaning agent impinging on the inner plate is directed to return to the drum and so that the material impinging upon the outer plate is directed to return to the space between the plates.

Claim 5

The cleaning machine as set forth in claim 1 in which each of said baffle plates extends behind one side of the corresponding tumble vane with a proximal edge on the same side of the corresponding effluent opening as said one tumble vane side with a distal edge located radially inwardly and in spaced relationship to the baffle plate; said one tumble vane side having said openings in an array all of which openings lie opposite the baffle plate whereby cleaning agent entering the Tumble vane via the openings is trapped by the baffle plate and returned to the drum via the openings upon continued angular movement of the drum.

Claim 6

In a cleaning machine for use with powdered and/or granular cleaning agents: a. a cleaning drum having a circular edge forming front air influent opening; b. means supporting the cleaning drum for angular movement about a substantially horizontal axis; c. means forming an enclosure for the drum, and having a frontal opening registering with and surrounded by said drum opening, the said circular edge of said drum located in close proximity to said enclosure to form a substantially sealed relationship thereto; d. an access door for said enclosure opening, and itself having air passages therethrough for entry of air into the drum; an air pump operable to exhaust air from said enclosure following a cleaning cycle; f. a plurality of tumble vanes in the drum of generally triangular cross-sectional configuration, each tumble vane having surfaces on opposite sides, one of which is provided with an array of openings for entry of air into the tumble vane; g. said drum having effluent openings at the periphery thereof and located at the bases of said tumble vanes for registry with the interior spaces thereof; h. and a baffle plate for each tumble vane and located behind the array of openings to form a trap for cleaning agent entering the tumble vane, and having a distal edge located to prevent direct movement of cleaning agent to corresponding effluent opening; said baffle forming a trough at the periphery of the drum when the tumble vane is near the top of the drum, the distal edge of the baffle ensuring shuttling of cleaning agent across the openings inside the tumble vane upon rotation of the tumble vane for return of cleaning agent to the drum.

Claim 7

In a cleaning machine for use with powdered and/or granular cleaning agents: a. a cleaning drum having a circular edge forming front air influent opening; b. means supporting the cleaning drum for angular movement about a substantially horizontal axis; c. means forming an enclosure for the drum, and having a frontal opening registering with and surrounded by said drum opening, the said circular edge of said drum located in close proximity to said enclosure to form a substantially sealed relationship thereto; d. an access door for said enclosure opening, and itself having air passages therethrough for entry of air into the drum; an air pump operable to exhaust air from said enclosure following a cleaning cycle; f. a plurality of tumble vanes in the drum of generally triangular cross-sectional configuration, each tumble vane having surfaces on opposite sides, one of which is provided with an array of openings for entry of air into the tumble vane; g. said drum having effluent openings at the periphery thereof and located at the bases of said tumble vanes for registry with the interior spaces thereof; h. and a baffle plate for each tumble vane and located behind the array of openings to form a trap for cleaning agent entering the tumble vane, and having a distal edge located to prevent direct movement of cleaning agent to corresponding effluent opening; said baffle forming a trough at the periphery of the drum when the tumble vane is near the top of the drum, the distal edge of the baffle ensuring shuttling of cleaning agent across the openings inside the tumble vane upon rotation of the tumble vane for return of cleaning agent to the drum.