US3234571A

US3234571A - Laundry machines

Info

Publication number: US3234571A
Application number: US321497A
Authority: US
Inventors: Buss Benjamin Alvin
Original assignee: Ametek Inc
Current assignee: Ametek Inc
Priority date: 1963-11-05
Filing date: 1963-11-05
Publication date: 1966-02-15
Anticipated expiration: 1983-02-15

Description

Feb. 15, 1966 B. A. BUSS 3,234,571

LAUNDRY MACHINES Filed NOV. 5, 1963 SEQUENCE 7 CONTROLLER 26 22 23 STEAM 27 CONTROL 2O 1O um'r STEAM INVENTOR.

DEM/0mm A um 5055 BY Wm ATTORNEXS United States Patent 3,234,571 LAUNDRY MACEHNES Benjamin Alvin Buss, East Moline, 111., assignor to Arnetek, Inc, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 5, 1963, Ser. No. 321,497 6 (Zlaims. (Cl. 8158) This invention relates to washer-extractors and particularly to an improved washer-extractor including a unique control for the duration of the application of steam during the extraction portion of the cycle of operation.

Washer-extractors, particularly those of the large commercial size, often introduce steam into the basket containing the articles being laundered during the spinning of the basket at extraction speed. This procedure is intended to produce a predetermined moisture content substantially uniformly throughout the cake or the articles being acted upon. Otherwise, the moisture content varies throughout the mass, with excessively dry spots occurring throughout the mass.

I-Ieretofore, it has been the practice to arrange the cycle controller for the washer-extractor somewhat arbitrarily to introduce steam, after extracting speed is initiated, for a period of from about two and one-half to three minutes. While such an arrangement has proved reasonably satisfactory, complaints have arisen. The duration of steam application varies in accordance with several conditions, including temperature of water of the last bath, size of load, pressure and quality of steam, degree of extraction before introduction of steam, detail of machine, and extraction speeds. The first three of these conditions are the most important.

It has been found that the temperature of the exhaust from a washer-extractor bears a direct relation to the time steam should be introduced during extraction in order to produce optimum conditions of moisture retention.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a means for controlling the duration of the application of steam to the interior of the basket of a washer-extractor in order to provide optimum moisture retention.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a washer extractor in which the control is substantially independent of the temperature of the water of the last bath, the size of the load, and the pressure and quality of steam.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a washer-extractor in which the temperature of the exhaust from the washer-extractor acts as an index of the time of steam application.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a system wherein time and temperature control the operation.

In one aspect of the invention, a washer-extractor may comprise a perforated cylindrical shell forming a drum adapted to contain articles to be laundered. The drum may be mounted for rotation on a horizontal, hollow shaft within a housing having imperforate walls. Steam may be admitted, under the control of a solenoid valve, to the interior of the shaft and directed into the interior of the drum through radial passages leading from the interior to the exterior of the shaft.

In another aspect of the invention, an exhaust passage may be connected to the imperforate housing, and it may include within it a fan for exhausting the vapors from the extractor.

In still another aspect of the invention, a thermostat may be located within the exhaust passage, and it may lead to a control unit for operating a solenoid valve within ice the steam inlet line. -In a still further form, a timer may be arranged to be stopped until the predetermined temperature is attained. When the temperature is attained for which the thermostat is set, such is an indication that the cake or load is heated all the way through.

The above, other objects and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following speci fication and accompanying drawing which are merely exemplary.

In the drawing:

The figure is an elevational vieW, partly in section, of a Washer-extractor to which the principles of the invention have been applied.

Referring to the drawing, the principles of the invention are shown as applied to a washer-extractor including a perforated shell forming a drum 10 having imperforate end walls through the center of which a hollow shaft 11 extends and to which latter the drum 10 is fixed. The shaft 11 may extend through the end walls of the housing 12 and be journaled in bearings within a casing 13 that surrounds the housing 12.

The interior of the perforated shell drum 10 may include perforated, arcuate dividers 14 forming compartments within which articles to be laundered may be located. The portion of hollow shaft 11 within the drum 10 may include perforations 15 for a purpose to be described.

Shaft 11 may extend to the outside of housing 12 and may have fixed to its one end a pulley 16 that is connected to a motor (not shown) by belt means 17 for rotating drum 10. The one end of shaft 11 may be connected, through a rotary seal, to a stationary line 18 through which steam is directed to the interior of drum 10 via the perforations 15. In order to control the flow of steam to drum 10, a solenoid operated valve 19 may be located within the steam line 18.

Housing 12 may include an exhaust duct 20 to the upper end of which a double-path duct 21 may be attached. Duct 21 may include paths of

fluid flow

22 and 23 on each side of a transverse passage 24. In passage 24 there may be located a motor 25 that drives a fan 26 for inducing fluid fiow through

paths

23 and 24 to exhaust the interior of housing 12 and hence drum 10.

It has been found that optimum moisture retention, uniformly distributed throughout the load, bears a definite relation to the final temperature of the exhaust through the duct 20. This relationship seems to be substantially independent of the temperature of the last rinse water, the size of the load, as well as the pressure and quality of the steam admitted through line 18.

In order to take advantage of this relation, a temperature responsive device 27 is mounted within the duct 20 in the path of flow of the exhaust from housing 12. Device 27 is connected to a control unit 28, the output of which operates the solenoid valve 19. Control unit 28 may include a thermostat with variable settings, within a range of F. to F., for example, with a switch that would interrupt the circuit to a sequence controller 28' until the preset temperature had been reached by the exhaust in duct 20, at which time the valve 19 would be closed and the sequence controller 28' would be restarted.

The moisture retention in two loads of articles, treated during tests under wide-1y differing conditions, was substantially the same. (1) Using 166 F. water for the last bath, steam was introduced thirty seconds after the extraction motor was energized. The exhaust fan 26 was started about forty seconds later. Steam pressure was approximately 120 pounds per square inch, and the high level of the exhaust temperature was 192 F. The final moisture retention was 49.6%. (2) Using 90 F. water for the last bath, introducing the steam in the same Way as before, starting the fan 26 at the same time, and with the steam at 107 pounds per square inch, the high level of the exhaust temperature was 187 F. The final moisture retention was 48.4%.

From the foregoing, it is evident that the control of the duration of steam admission to the drum by the temperature of the exhaust provides a substantially uniform optimum moisture retention in the load over widely varying conditions. When the thermostat is actuated by a predetermined steam temperature, such is an indication that the cake has been heated throughout its thickness.

In a further form, the sequence controller 28 may be arranged to be stopped when steam is first admitted and then reactivated when the steam at the thermostat reaches a predetermined temperature.

Although the various features of the improved washerextractor have been shown and described in detail to fully disclose one embodiment of the invention, it will be evident that changes may be made in such details and certain features may be used without others without departing from the principles of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a washer-extractor, an imperforate housing; a drum having a perforated cylindrical wall mounted in said housing and fixed to a hollow shaft that extends outwardly of said housing, said shaft being connected to a steam line through a rotatable seal; means for rotating said shaft; radial passage means in said pipe for passing steam to the interior of said drum; an exhaust duct leading from said housing; a fan in said exhaust duct for exhausting vapors from said housing; a valve for controlling the flow of steam to said hollow shaft; temperature responsive means in said exhaust duct; and a control unit responsive to the operation of said temperature responsive means for controlling said valve.

2. The method of extracting moisture from a load of material and providing a uniform moisture retention in said load, which method comprises centrifuging said load at an extracting speed while injecting steam through said load; and controlling the duration of steam injection in accordance with the temperature of the steam exhaustingv from said lead.

3. In a washer-extractor, an imperforate housing; a drum having a perforated cylindrical wall mounted in said housing and fixed to a hollow shaft that extends outwardly of said housing, said shaft being connected to a steam line through a rotatable seal; means for rotating said shaft; radial passage means in said pipe for passing steam to the interior of said drum; an exhaust duct for exhausting vapors from said housing; a solenoid operated valve for controlling the flow of steam to said hollow shaft; temperature responsive means in said exhaust duct; and a control unit responsive to the operation of said temperature responsive means for controlling said valve.

4. In a washer-extractor, an impenforate housing; a drum having a perforated cylindrical wall mounted in said housing and fixed to a hollow shaft that extends outwardly of said housing, said shaft being connected to a steam line through a rotatable seal; means for rotating said shaft; nadial passage means in said pipe for passing steam to the interior of said drum; an exhaust duct leading from said housing; a fan in said exhaust duct for exhausting vapors from said housing; a valve for controlling the flow of steam to said hollow shaft; temperature responsive means in said exhaust duct; and a control means for effecting a cyclic operation of said washer-extractor and including means for stopping said cyclic operation after the extracting speed is begun, the valve opened and the fan is energized, said control means further including means responsive to said temperature responsive means for closing said valve and restarting said cycle of operations.

5. In a washer-extractor, an imperforate housing; a drum having a perforated cylindrical wall mounted in said housing land fixed to a hollow shaft that extends outwardly of said housing, said shaft being connected to a steam line through a rotatable seal; means for rotating said shaft; radial passage means in said pipe for passing steam to the interior of said drum; an exhaust duct for exhausting vapors from said housing; a solenoid operated valve forcontr-olling the flow of steam to said hollow shaft; temperature responsive means in said exhaust duct; and a control means for effecting a cyclic operation of said washerextractor and including means for stopping said cyclic operation .after the extracting speed is begun, the valve opened and the fan is energized, said control means further including means responsive to said temperature responsive means for closing said valve and restarting said cycle of operations.

6. In a washer-extractor, an imperforate housing; a drum having a perforated cylindrical wall mounted in said housing and fixed to a hollow shaft that extends outwardly of said housing, said shaft being connected to a steam line through a rotatable seal; means for rotating said shaft; radial passage means in said pipe for passing steam to the interior of said drum; an exhaust duct for exhausting vapors from said housing; a solenoid operated valve for controlling the flow of steam to said hollow shaft; timer means for actuating said rotating means and valve for rotating said drum and admitting steam thereto during a washer-extractor cycle and including means for interrupting the operation of said timer means during said actuation; temperature responsive means in said exhaust duct; and a control unit responsive to said temperature responsive means for closing the steam valve and reactivating said timer means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,675,160 6/1928 Carroll 34-53 X 2,198,412 4/1940 McDonald 68-24 X 2,573,966 11/1951 Hamlin 8-1493 X 3,102,407 9/1963 Stilwell 6824 X WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

Claims

2. THE METHOD OF EXTRACTING MOISTURE FROM A LOAD OF MATERIAL AND PROVIDING A UNIFORM MOISTURE RETENTION IN SAID LOAD, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES CENTRIFUGING SAID LOAD AT AN EXTRACTING SPEED WHILE INJECTING STEAM THROUGH SAID LOAD; AND CONTROLLING THE DURATION OF STEAM INJECTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEMPERATURE OF THE STEAM EXHAUSTING FROM SAID LOAD.