US2116862A - Apparatus for treatment with solvents - Google Patents

Description

C. F. DINLEY APPARATUS FOR TREATMENT WITH soLvENTs May'lO, 1938.

Filed Nov. 28, 1934 3 Sheets-Shet 1 F A w i Y wf/ /f//o o /o w/o //o o o o /o 0%@ 0/,0 y 0/0 o nv T/f2 ./.l f 1 o JUG; l;

INVENTOR- Clarezwe if? Dawley, BY

ATTORNEYS.

May l0, 1938.-

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M Clm'ezwe if? znZ/eg, BY

May 10, 1938. c. F. DINIQEY 2,116,862 APPARATS FOR TREATMENT WITH ysoLvENTs Filed Nov.- 28, 1954 sheetssheet s ATTORNEYS.

Patented May V10:19313 APPARATUS ausm ron TREATMENT wrm soLvsNTs clarence r'. ninley, '-netrou, man., mig-nm, -by

assignments, to Solvent Machine Company,'trnstee, Detroit, Mich., a corporation oi' Michigan Application Hmmm es. 1934,- serm Na. 755,246 4' claim.. (ci. s1`c) My invention relates to treatment with solvents for such purposes as cleaning andr degreasing. and lto the use of volatile solvents. It is especially adaptable anduseful for cleaning metal"`sheets, plates, or other fiat articles or work. For ex- `ample, plates that have been worked or operated on with the aid of lubricant may advantageously be4 cleaned according to my invention, either for shipment or preparatory to electroplating. enamelling, painting, or other finishing operations. Various solvents whose vapors are heavier than air may be used,l such as benzine. benzol, and chlorinated solvents like carbon 'tetrachloride, j trichloromethane, 'tetracliloronnethane,` dichlorethane, tetrachlorethane. trichlorethylene, and. tetrachlorethylene, whose vapors are uninilammable. The work may be treated with the liquid solvent or with the solvent vapor, lor both; and in 'many cases, treatment with hot or even boiling liquid solvent is desirable. In suitable forms of embodiment, such as hereinafter de` scribed, my invention ailords a compact and eiiicient machine, wherein large quantities of work can be rapidly, thoroughly, and' economically" cleaned, with small labor costs and little loss of solvent. Various other features and advantages of. theinventionyill appear from `the description hereinafter of a species thereof, and from the drawings.

' In the drawings, Fig. Ils an end elevation of one preferred form of apparatus suitable for the purposes of my invention.'

Fig. 1I shows the apparatus in cross-section as indicated by the line and arrows lI-II in Fig. III.l l 4 Fig. III is a side view of the apparatus from the right of Fig. I, with certain portions broken away and in vertical longitudinal section.

The apparatus shown in Figs. I, 1I, and III comprises a `sheet metal treating vessel or enclosure Il that contains the solvent, whether with the solvent; For-when the solvent employed is highlyl volatile light gasoline or bensine:. or when the work is immersed in the solvent while itselistill hot or warm; or when theolvent is used hot or4 even boiled during use; or .when the solvent is purposely used in the vapor state; or when the work is allowed to drain or dry in the upper portion of. the vessel after treatment with the solvent;-in all such cases. solvent vapor will be present,-and will tend to accumulate to the point of overflowing over the upper edge of the vessel I Il.c As here shown, the vessel I9 is provided with heating means, such as steam coils IIV near the bottom of a work-treating well" I2 in its lower portion, forheating, vaporizing, or even boiling the liquid solvent used. The escape of solvent vapor thus or otherwise present in the vessel I0 may be prevented by suitable upward extension of its walls, and by condensation oi.' the vapor from the upper part of the vessel.

^ The lower portion of the vessel In is internally contracted to form a deep, narrow, elongated treating "well I2 adapted to contain the sheets or vplates S to be treated, above the heating coils il.' Above the treating well I2, the interior oi the vessel I0 expands to a greater width and affords lateral vapor space open to theA well I2 within the vessel. It isfnot generally necessary that such expansion be to both sides of the well I2: on the contrary, a single lateral chamber Il will ordinarily answer the purpose. The chamber I3 'ailords roomor space for vapor evolving and rising from the well I2 to spread out laterally and be condensed. Condensation in the upper portion of the vessel III may be eiiected by the external atmospheric/cooling of the walls, if they are of suicient height; though generally it is preferable to supplement or (largely) replace atmospheric cooling with more eiIective cooling means, so that the vesselI III need not be so deep as inere atmospheric cooling would require. '.lhe particular type and arrangement of cooling means-'whether internal cr whether on one side, two or more sides, or all around' the vessel I II--is broadly immaterial, except that the greater the extent ofthe cooling means perimetrlcally of the vessel, the less its extent vertically need be to give adequate exposed cooling area. The solvent vapor, being heavier than air, will always low by gravity toward the region or area where it is most rapidly 'cooled and condensedi--iust as ii there were anvactual outlet for the vapor at such region. As' here shown, the uppervessel walls are (externally) water jacketed at Il, preferably aroundV three sides of the chamber I3, f om a little above the top of the well I2, almost to topjof the vessel Il. The Jacket Il has inlets II, for water (or other cooling medium) at its lower e on the external, and

l right-hand side oi' the chamber i3, and has water outlets i'i. I1, ii at its upper edge, at the middle of the right-hand side and at its 'upper corners on the ends of chamber i3. Thus a cool condensing zone or region is maintained in the chamber i3, which draws the vapor rising from the well i2 aside into the chamber.

The pure liquid solvent condensed in the chamy partition-like upward fold of the sheet metal forming the wall of the vessel it. .As shown, the

top of dam i9 slopes rather gently upward away from reservoir I8 toward the crest of the dam, to facilitate overcw of drops of water oating at the surface of the solvent in reservoir I8. Such water-drops oat partly submerged in the solvent in reservoir 18,-'something like icebergs.and the comparatively gentle slope of the top of the dam I9 allows solvent at any time overflowing the latter to roll these water-drops up the slope and over the crest. The atmospheric exposure of the solvent in the open vessel III naturally results in the presence of some water in the solvent in wells i2 and I8.

As here shown, provision is made for spraying the work S in the well i2 with liquid solvent, preferablyinstreams or sprays directed lengthwise of the well, or parallel with the surfaces of the plates. More even distribution of the sprayed liquid may be assured by directing the sprays on the work S from both ends of the vessel I0 and well I2. For this purpose, spray devices 29, 29 may be mounted on the end walls about at the top of the well I2,with sufficient space between them, however, to leave the top of the vessel I9 open for the introduction and removal of sheets S substantially unimpeded. Each of the spray -devices 20 comprises a. suilcient number of spray nozzles 2i (four being here shown) arranged to distribute the spray fairly uniformly amongst a batch of upright sheets slightly spaced apart, and thus wash their sides thoroughly. As here shown, there are openings with removable covers 22 in the end walls of the vessel I0, aiording more convenient access to the nozzles 2i for the purpose of aiming themand adjusting them to give the f exact throw, spread, and flneness of spray desired. For supplying purified solvent to the spray devices 20, 20, there are pipe connections 22, 24, 2l from the well or reservoir I9 to the nozzles 2i. A (rotary) pump 26, which may be driven by an (electric) motor 21, is preferably interposed between pipes 23 and 2B. A valve 28 is shown interposed in the pipe 23 leading from well Il to the suction of pump 26, to prevent undesired leakage or pumping away of solvent from the weil I8. A valved connection 29 is shown from K the well I8 through the darn I9 into the well I2,

as a meansfor keeping down the solvent level in well I8 if desired. v

Work may be introduced into vessel Il! and well I2', and withdrawn, by any suitable means, here shown as including a rack 39 for holding a multiplicity of plates or sheets upright and slightly spaced apart. This rack 30' is shown as including a. rectangular framework including U-frames 3| of channel section interconnected at their upper ends by longitudinal angle bars 22, Aand at their lower ends bygrooved channel-like memaisance bers t3 welded to the upper sides of the bottom cross-bars of the. iJs. The top of each U-frame di is closed by an (inverted) U-yoke 34 whose side arms rit inside the yoke arms and are secured to them by bolts 95. The cross bars of the two outside yokes 3Q carry short (inverted) grooved channel-like members 36 welded to the lower sides off these cross bars. ,The upper and lower edges of the plates or sheets S are engaged and held in the grooves oi' the members 33 and 36,-the plates S being inserted and removed `from either end of the rack 30. The rack l0 may be supported by bails 3l, 3i connected to eyes f 39 attached to the upper ends of two intermediate U-frames 3i, 3i. The rack may be raised and lowered by a cable lliiwith a hook 4I for engaging a link 42 interconnecting the bails 31, 21,

by means of overhead crane, derrick. tackle, or

any .other convenient means. As shown; the walls of the vessel I0 are braced by an enclosing framework comprising uprights 44 which are attached to the sides of the vessel, and also form supporting legs for it. The lower ends of the legs 94 are attached to a base frame 45 of angle section.V The pump 26 and the motor 2l are mounted on an intermediate horizontal frame composed of cross angles 46 and longitudinal angles Il. The upper edge of the vessel Il has an external rim of angles 48, and the waterjacket i5 rests on horizontal angles 49 that ex-A tend all the way around one side and the ends of the vessel, and brace its walls. The heating coils II are shown mounted on a side plate 5l which is removably secured over an opening in the end wall of the vessel I0, so that the coils can be taken out by simply detaching this plate Il. As shown in Figs. II and III, the bottom of the well I2 slopes'downward to one end. where valved drainage outlet 5I is provided.

Preferably the vapor and condensing chamber il may normally be covered over with a cover i2. shown as a. plate secured to the rim 4l at its ends and at its right-hand side: this narrows the top opening of the vessel I0 to an aperture directly over the-well I2 (and of substantially corresponding width)v permitting easy introduction andbwithof the vessel I0, so that it is adapted to slide. under the cover $2 when not in use, as shown in Fig. II. 'Ihere is a longitudinal angle 56 under the cover plate 54, with its ends suitably secured to the ends of the vessel Il: this a`ngle 56 serves to support the cover M and prevent it from sagging, especiallywhen closed.- The cover 54 may be, normally left open as in Fig, II when the apparatus is in use to clean work, but may be temporarily closed at other times to minimize loss ot solvent vapor from the vessel Il.

In Figs. I and II, a narrow, deep, open-top sheet metal tank 89 is shown close alongside the vessel Il; it may contain hot oil for annealing zinc, brass, copper, or other metal sheets after coI lateral extensions 65 which are welded to the adjacent carrier uprights 44 of vessel III.

One mode of use and operation of the apparatus shown in Figs. I-III is as follows:

'I'he well I2 is lled with trichlorethylene or other volatile solvent about to the level L shown in Fig. II, or somewhat higher, and sheets or other work S are placed in the well above the "liquid solvent. The solvent is continually heated and boiled by steam supplied to the heating coils II,`and its vapor continually rises amongst and through the sheets S, and spreads out into the chamber I3. Cooling water being all the while circulated through the jacket' I5, the solvent va. por is continually condensed in the chamber I3,

'and grease from the sides of the sheets. When the spray has sufficiently washed ofi' the sheets S, the pump 26 is stopped; but the boiling of the solvent in the bottom of well I2 is continued until the sheets S warm up to the temperature of the hot solvent vapor in the well,when steam may if desired be temporarily shut off from coils II. Thereupon the hot sheets S are slowly lifted out y of the vessel I0, the solvent draining and drying off from them as they rise through the upper part of the vessel above well I2, so that they come'out clean and dry, and loss of solvent is substantially avoided. The apparatus is now ready for another batch of sheets.

When the solvent in the well I2 becomes so contaminated with grease and dirt that cleaning is necessary, thevalves at 28 and 29 are closed, the cover 53 is preferably closed, and steam is supplied to the coils II and cooling water to the jacket I5 until all (or approximately all) the solvent is distilled over into the well or reservoir Il. The residue of dirt, grease, and solvent (if any) in the bottom of well I2 is drawn on at BI, and

the well cleaned out. The heating coils II may even be removedby taking oil' the plate 50 on which they are mounted, to facilitate thorough cleaning of the coils and of the bottom of the well I2. After the cleaning has been completed and the coils II, etc., replaced, the valves 2l and 29 may be opened-thus draining most of the purliied solvent back into well I2. Thereupon the apparatus is ready for operation as before.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. Apparatus of the character described, for treating work with volatile solvent whose vapor is heavier than airgfomprising in comliation an air-excluding tre' g vessel open at the top for the introduction and removal of work, but internally narrowed, substantially below the top, so that its narrow lower portion forms a Vaporizing and treating well for receiving the work to be treated and for containing a body of liquid solvent in its bottom, while its wider upper portion affords a chamber above and to the side of the well and laterally open thereto, said chamber reservoir with the pure condensate; and nozzle means at a wall of said well for receiving condensate from said reservoir and spraying the work in the well therewith.

2. Apparatus of the character described, for treating work with volatile solvent whose vapor is heavier than air, comprising in combination an air-excluding treating vessel open at-the top for the introduction and removal of work, but internally narrowed, substantially below the top, so that its narrow lower portion forms a vaporizing and treating well for receiving the work to be treated and for containing a body of liquid solvent in its bottom, while its wider upper portion affords a chamber above and to the side of the well and laterally open thereto, said chamber being provided with a solvent reservoir at its bottom a cooling jacket for the chamber wall maintaining in the chamber a cool condensing zone for drawing vapor rising from said well aside into the chamber and there condensing it, thus supplying said reservoir with the pure condensate; and nozzle means at a wall of said well for receiving condensate from said reservoir and spraying the: work in the well therewith.

I 3. Apparatus of the character described, for treating work, such as plates or sheets, with volatile solvent whose vapor is heavier than air, comprising in combination an air-excluding treating vessel open at the topfor the introduction and removal of work, but internally narrowed, substantially below the top, so that its narrow lower portion forms a deep, narrow, elongated vaporlz'- ing and treating well for receiving sheets in upright position and for containing a body o! liquid solvent in its bottom, while its wider upper portion aords a chamber above and to the side of the well and laterally open thereto, said chamber being provided with a solvent reservoir at its bottom; cooling means for maintaining in said chamber a cool condensing 4zone for drawing the vapor rising from said well aside into the chamber and there condensing it, thus supplying said reservoir with the pure condensate; and nozzle means at a wall of said well receiving condensate from said reservoir and spraying it amongst the upright sheets in streams directed substantially parallel with their surfaces. A

4. Apparatus of the character described, for treating work, such as plates or sheets, with volatile solventwhose vapor is heavier than air, comprising in combination an air-excluding treating vessel open at the top for the introduction and removal of work, but internally narrowed, substantially below the top, so that its narrow lower portion forms a deep, narrow, elongated vaporizing and treating well for receiving sheets in upright position and for containing a` body of liquid solvent in its bottom, while its wider upper portion aifords a chamber above and to the side of the well and laterally open thereto, said chamber being provided with a solvent reservoir at its bottom; cooling means for maintaining in said chamber a cool condensing zone for drawing the vapor rising from said well aside into the chamber and there condensing it, thus supplying said reservoir with," the pure condensate; nozzlemeans at an end of said well for spraying condensate from 'said reservoir lengthwise of the well on the upright sheets therein: and means for pumping the condensate from said reservoir under pressure to said nozzle means.

- CLARENCE F. DINLEY.

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