Dry cleaning

摘要

1,015,764. Dry cleaning. I. VICTOR and O. VICTOR [trading as RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CO.]. June 12,1962 [June 13,1961], No. 37036/65. Divided out of 1, 015, 763. Headings D1A and DIP. In a coin-operated cyclic apparatus for dry cleaning clothes at room temperature and ambient pressure, the solvent comprises trichloromonofluoromethane or trichlorotrifluoroethane and 0.1-0. 5% of an additive capable of forming an emulsion with water, e.g. an alkyl sulphate or amide. The apparatus comprises a container 10 having a rotary foraminous cage 20; a solvent reservoir 28 containing a cooling coil 44 and connected to container 10 by a feed pipe 32 and a return pipe 38 for gas; a second reservoir 52 for a concentrated solution of an additive, e.g. alkyl sulphate or amide, dissolved in solvent connected to container 10 by feed pipe 56; a still 68 containing a heating coil 74 and connected to container 10 by a feed pipe 62 and to a condenser 88 by a pipe 86; a pair of absorbers in parallel operating alternately for absorption and regeneration of solvent vapour from a trunk duct 98, the absorbers containing activated carbon pellets, having a common steamregeneration pipe 162, and connected to a common water-cooled condenser 178, the hot water effluent from which is fed via a pipe 184 to heating coil 74 of still 68; a solvent-water separator 94 connected to condensers 88 and 178 by pipes 90 and 180 respectively; and a programme timer 185. Trunk duct 98 draws solvent vapour from container 10 via a pipe 124 (after opening air inlet 14 in container 10), from separator 94 via a pipe 114, from solvent reservoir 28 via a pipe 112, and from the atmosphere within the apparatus via an air inlet 118, which is restricted or closed during vaporization of residual solvent in the clothes in container 10. The clothes are washed first with solvent containing 0.1-0. 5% of additive and then with pure solvent. Regeneration of the absorbent may be effected with steam at above 300‹F followed by hot or cold air. The air leaving the regenerated absorbent should have a relative humidity of 25-30%. Fig. 2 (not shown) is a diagram showing the timing of the various operations.