US2499328A - Apparatus for drying laundry - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 28, 1950 s. FAWLANSKY 2, 9 ,3

APPARATUS FOR DRYING LAUNDRY Filed Oct. 15, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet l I N VEN TOR.

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Feb. 28, 1950 s, w Ns 2,499,328

APPARATUS FOR DRYING LAUNDRY Filed Oct. 15, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I v I I I r I v I 5 INVENTOR. Jam azz/[a na/gy,

Feb. 28, 1950 s. PAWLANSKY APPARATUS FOR DRYING LAUNDRY Filed Oct. 15, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 MI? A m *4 Q R R A x ,x

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Patented Feb. 28, 1950 APPARATUS FOR DRYING LAUNDRY Sam Pawlansky, Chicago, 111., now by judicial change of name, Sam Women Sam Application October 15, 1947, Serial No. 780,079

4 Claims. (Cl. 34 -80) 1 In my co-pending application for laundry drying racks, for which Patent Number 2, was issued and for which an application for reissue, Serial Number 133,901 was filed on December 19, 1949, I have disclosed a rack from which;; 5

wet laundry may be suspended for the purpose of drying.

The present invention relates to the apparatus for drying laundry, and has for its main object the provision of an air tight sealed box withing which a rack such as disclosed in my said copending application, or a rack of any other suitable construction, with wet laundry suspended thereon, may be received, with means associated with the said box for drying the laundry. A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a box wherein wet laundry may be received, with means associated therewith for speeding the evaporation and adsorption of moisture from wet laundry.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a hermetically sealed box, within which wet laundry may be received hanging on a rack with ample exposure of its surfaces to air,

with means therein provided for circulating the. 25

air in the box and passing the water vapor-laden air through a dehumidifying, adsorptive desiccant and re-circulating the dehumidified air warmed by the heat of adsorption in order that the warm dehumidified air may sustain continued evapora-s tion of the moisture of the laundry.

With the above general objects in view and others that will appear as the invention is better understood. the same cons sts in the novel conhereinafter more fully described and illustrated in the. accom anying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

. In the drawings forming a part of this application, and in which like designating characterspa refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of one form of the present device, including a box with an air tight sealable door leading thereinto in an open position;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of said form of the present device, on a vertical plane, the view having been taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partly cross-sectional, and partly plan fragmentary view, on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; 3-

Fig. 4 is a transverse, enlarged cross-sectional view through a pair of porous boxes of water from its housing l8.

. struction, combination and arrangement of parts 35 water vapor-laden air is forced for adsorbing therefrom its water vapor which was evaporated from the laundry;

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the present device of a modified construction;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view, on line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view on line Fig. 6.

Referring to the present drawings in detail, there is shown therein a laundry drying rack, including four posts l0, one side pair of which is joined by brace II at their lower ends, and by brace l2 at their upper ends. The end pairs of said posts 10 are connected at their lower ends by braces l3. Each post It] carries at its lower end caster 14, by means of which the rack may be rolled upon the floor.

Set within a pair of end posts ID, and rigidly connected thereto, is a plurality of bars l5, which are in a mutually spaced relation on a vertical plane. Each of said bars I5 is provided with a plurality of upwardly projecting lugs l6.

The opposite pair of end posts II] is provided with a plurality of shafts I1, each shaft being on the plane with the corresponding bar l5. Set upon each of said shafts H, in a mutually spaced relation, is a plurality of tape receiving housings l8, each containing a spring-actuated reel, upon which tape I9 is wound. The free end of each tape I9 is provided with ring to be engaged by lug l6 when tape I9 is fully extended in the rack When the free end of tape i9 is released-the spring actuated reel within housing l8 winds said tape I9 and retracts the same into the housing.

The construction of the rack hereinabove de scribed is in all respects identical with that shown and described inmy said co-pending application,

and it is understood that in connection with the present invention a rack of any construction may gasket 2;! is afliged on vapor adsorbing desiccant through which the. 5

be used.

The present invention includes a substantially rectangular box Zlysupported upon casters 22. The vertical walls of said box 2! are upwardly extended abover-the roof thereof in order that in conjunction therewith they may define water receiving pan 23.

One of the end walls of said box 2! is provided with a door openingz24 closed by door 25. Said end wall along themarginal portion adjacent said opening-24 is provided with gasket 26. Similar ,theinner face of door 25 and adj acent-themarginal portion thereof. Two gaskets 26 and 21 are adapted to come in mutual I: contact when door 25 is swung upon hinges 28 to a closed position to form an air tight seal.

Welded or otherwise affixed to the side Walls of box 2| and in a spaced relation with the bottom wall thereof is ledge 23, which adjacent one end thereof is recessed as at 30, thereby defining a pair of tongues 3|, each in contact with the adjacent side Wall of box 2| as is seen in Fig. 3.

The bottom wall of box 2|, the side walls thereof and said ledge 29 define air vent 32. One end of said air vent 32, adjacent said recess 33 is capped out of exhaust opening 36- ofair-pump fixture- Ledge 29 terminates short of the adjacent end wallofboxll and of door 25 permitting passage ofair from box 2| into airvent 32. Otherwise said air vent 32, including said hood 33, is airtight...

' Receivable within air vent 32, and fitting same tightly ina longitudinal relation therewith, is a plurality of packages 31, each made of substan- 1 tiallyrectangular container 38 made of wire cloth or of any other suitable material. Each of said containers. 38 receives. comminuted and well packeddesiccant, such assilica gelor any other suitable dehumidifying, hygroscopic, adsorptive desiccant. Each of. said. packages 31,, adjacent 'oneend thereof, may be. provided with handle 39, whereby the package may be handled wheninserted into or removed from said air vent 32.. Attached to the wall of the adjacent package 31, at 40 is link member 4| of a resilient metallic material. Said link member 4| has a central bulging portion-disposed away from package-31 with which the same is connected at 40.

The ends of said link member 4| normally contact the wall of package 31 with which the same is connected, while the central bulging portion thereof is hookedwith handle 39 of the adjacent;

package 31, in a transverse relation therewith, .asis. clearly seen in Fig. 4. As said packages 31 are inserted into venti32 the same are hooked up in succession through the medium of said handles 39 and link members 4|. As theouter-rmost package-31 is pulled-by itshandle 39, all of said packages: 31 are caused: toshift' out of said fair went '3 Z-Jdue :to the connection of allof saidpaokages'through-said handles '39 and link members. Another function-of said linkmembers 4! is to act as spacers'between' the several packages: 31 and shock: absorbers; preventing Y crushing ordistortionof. packages 31,.whichiwere liable toensue as thesameare shifted 'into'vent 32.

Receivable within box 2| is the laundry drying rack hereinabove described. The same is adapted to'rest by a pair of end posts Hi upon tongues 3|, while the opposite air of end posts El rests upon the end of ledge 23 adjacent door 25. Stops 42,-

'aii'lxed"either to the-adjacent vertical wall of box 2| or to tongues 3|, prevents the rack from com- 4 ing in contact with the adjacent end wall of box 2|. The rack is insertable into box 2| through door opening 24, and to facilitate its rolling into box 2| incline 43, supported by its upper end upon'ledge 29 and extended through door open- .ing 24,:.may beprovidedfas is. seen in Fig. 2. Of course; laundry. to 1 be dried ris 2suspended upon J -tapes I I.

When the rack with laundry thereon is in position within box 2|, door 25 is then shut and the drying apparatus is set in operation. On starting motor 35 air is sucked from air vent 32 and hood 33 into pump fixture 3d, and expelled through its exhaust opening 33 into the space of box 2!, above ledge 29, to circulate around the suspended laundry. As the air is drawn from air'vent 32, and expelled through said air pump fixture 34, new supply of air from the box enters air vent 32 at the opposite end thereof through recess defined by door 23 and the adjacent end of-ledge-Zfi. Asiong as the air pump is in operation there is constant air circulation between air. vent 32 and the upper portion of box 2|, as is indicated by arrows in Figs. 2 and 6. The air forcedxthroughthe air pump has the degree of moisture content reduced due to the adsorption thereof'by the desiccant contained in packages 31. That air which has been forced to circulate around the laundry upon the rack receives the moisture thereof to be again passed through desiccant packages 31, to be again expelled through the airpump. This process continues until the laundry'has become dry and-its moisture transferred to. the-desiccant in-Lpackages 31 due to the air circulation aforesaid.

Pan'23 maybefilled with. water only for the purpose of reducing: the temperature of newly reactivated hot-fidesiccant .inpackages '3? and for bringingrit to a room temperature'immediately upon its leaving the ovenso as not to deteriorate the rubber gaskets'ZG and. 21. This is accompiished by depositing packages 31 containing hot desiccant in vent '32 and. closing door 25, with no laundry rackorrlaundry inbox' 2|. Pump 3 2 is then set insoperation'and air withinthe apparatus is caused-to circulate through'ventfit and box 2 I as/hereinabove "described. The: temperature of air coming in contact with the .roof of box 2| is reduced due to the cool water in pan 23. This operation-is: continued .until: the desiccant has beenicooled to'arroom'temperature; When this hasbeen efiected; residualwateraif; any is removed from .pan'f23'- and the-apparatus will then be'in conditionfor'normal use for drying the laundry. All 'partslwhich are common to the'preferred form of the invention, 'hereinabove described, and to the modified iform thereof, illustrated in Figs. 2 .5, 6.and:'1,' are:marked.with thesame reference characters. In;';the:-said.modifiediform or" the inventi'oniboxtzl. is. devoid of air vent 32 and ledge-29;; Theregthezlaundry drying rack rests directlynpon.thesbottomwall of box 2i. The end wall IOfbOXi2 with whichudooi: 25 cooperates, isprovided with'zianfnpwardly directed extension 44, providedatits; upper end with acircular opening, within whichv the adjacent. end of cylinder is; tightly. fitted." Saidcylincler. 5 is preferably jmade of. metaltofl 'high :de'gree :of conductivity.

Affixed'ito ttheouter face-of: said extension 44, and in a concentric relation with cylinder iiiis a circular gasket465i Closure' 41 suspended upon extension 44 byhingeefi; carries similar gasket 49. :Whenzsaid closure 41: remains in'ia closed'position, shown in Fig. 6, gaskets 4t and 39 contact and form'an airtight-seal. Latch 59 maintains closure '41 inraclosed "positioniwith relation to qmsupporting; members .I'5l :havesemi-circular .re-

amaze 53 extends through the roof of box 2| and passes downwardly into said box 2| and along the adjacent end wall of said box 2|, and centrally thereof. The opposite end of said pipe 53 is connected to air pump 34 operable by motor 35, as

in the preferred form of the invention. The air sucked through pipe 53 is directed in an upward direction into box 2|, as indicated by arrows in Fig. 6, for causing the circulation thereof among the laundry pieces suspended on tapes 19 in the laundry drying rack which remains in an operative position within box 2|, as seen in Figs. 5 and 6.

Air conduit 54 is extended into box 2|, adjacent the opposite end thereof, and within a corner thereof defined by said end wall and one of the side walls of box 2|. The open, lower end of said conduit 54 is disposed adjacent the bottom wall of box 2|. Said conduit 54 is extended through the roof wall of box 2|, and vthe upper end thereof is bent toward the longitudinal center of box 2|, and is connected to cylinder 45 at the adjacent end of the latter.

Said cylinder 45 receives through its open end when closure 41 is opened, a plurality of packages 55, which are of like construction and contents as packages 31 used in connection with the preferred form of the invention hereinabove described, except that the former are of a cylindrical formation, snugly fitting within cylinder 45.

Handles 39 and link members 4|,,cooperating with said packages 55, are of like construction and operation as the corresponding parts employed in connection with packages 31.

The outermost package 55, which is adjacent to closure 41, is spaced away fromthe adjacent end of cylinder 45, in order not to obstruct the inlet mouth of conduit 54, as is seen in Fig. 6.

During the operation of the modified form of the apparatus, both door 25 and closure 41 should remain in closed positions.

During the operation of pump 34 the air is circulated and re-circulated through cylinder 45, pipe 53, box 2| and conduit 54 which altogether define an intercommunicating airtight system. Air leaving box 2| enters conduit 54 through the open, lower end of the latter and is forced into cylinder 45 due to the suction produced by air pump 34. In cylinder 45 theiairladen with moisture extracted from the moistlaundry upon the rack within box 2|, filter throu h desiccant containing packages 55. The desiccant of course adsorbs water vapor from the air passing therethrough, so that the re-circulatedj-air leaving pump 34 from pipe 53 is dehumidifled, to act anew upon the laundry within box 2 I This process of air circulation continues as long as pump 34 continues to operate.

Optionally cylinder 45 may be enclosed within a cloth sheath 56, which may besoaked with water, which due to its vaporization; cools cylinder 45 and decreases the temperature of the contents thereof, including the "desiccant within packages 55 and the air passing therethrough. Thus the exchange of the temperatures on the outside and on the inside of cylinder 45, and their equalization is effected. If however cylinder 45 is made of metal having a high degree of heat conductivity, such as aluminum for instance, or is provided with cooling fins formed on its surface and if pipe 53, conduit 54, supports 5| and extension 44 are heat insulated and furthermore if means are provided to plug pipe 53 and conduit 54, so as to stop air communication between cylinder 45 and box 2|, then sheath 56 may be dispensed with because then not enough heat would be transmitted from freshly reactivated hot silica gel in cylinder 45 to deteriorate quickly gaskets 26 and 21.

It is preferab e to mois en sheath 56 only at the time when newly reactivated desiccant. still in a hot condition, ha been placed in cylinder 45, in order to bring its temperature to a normal room temperature. Sheath 56 should not be moistened during normal operation while laun dry undergoes the drying process.

When the desiccant in packages 31 and 55 has come to a saturation point, the same may be readily reactivated, without necessarily removing the same from containers 38.

When exposed desiccant is placed in box 2|, vent 32 or cylinder 45 may be eliminated. because due to conventional air currents in box 2| the moisture-laden air will come directly in contact with the desiccant for having its moisture adsorbed thereby.

While there is described herein a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is nevertheles to be under tood that minor changes ma? be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

1. An ap aratus for drying laundry compris-' ing an air-tight compartment. means in said compartment adapted to receive suspended moist loose exposed laundry. a flue connected at opposite ends with the compartment. means in said flue adapted to receive a dehumidifying agent, said means comprising a plurality of openmeshed containers. a handle on one end of each container, a FM; on the opposite end of each container inserted through the handle of an adjoining container wherebv the several containers are interconnected and slidably inserted into and removable from the flue as a unit, and a fan for circu ating air through said compartment and said flue.

2. An apparatus for drying laundry comprising an air-tight compartment having suspending means adapted to receive moist loose exposed laundry, a flue disposed outside of said compartment. means in said flue adapted to receive a quantity of dehumi ifying material, said means comprising a. plurality of open-mesh containers, a handle on one end of each container, a link on the opposite end of each container inserted throu h the handle of an adjoining container whereby the several containers are interconnected and slidably inserted into and removable from the flue as a unit, pipes connected to both ends of said flue and extending into said compartment, one of said pipes having an open end within said compartment extending below said laundry supporting means, and an air pump connected with the inner end of the other of said pipes being adapted to induce movement of air enclosed within said compartment in a continuous path through said compartment, said pipes and said flue, the air moving in said compartment around the laundry therewithin withdrawing moisture therefrom, the moisture-laden air moving into said flue through one of said pipes being acted upon by said dehumidifying material in said flue for reducing the moisture content thereof.

7 3--Anq,ap e:r tus=.for dr n tlaunsriryr com-pr si r 1g angir-tightr compartment having a bottom :endva r-cL Qr-Qet on rfind thereDi, w .floo tn. ,se .compartment:spacedfi b v s id ottom an @0- npperetine with th bot om toi rm. a;. .1 t r 1 betwreen, said; :fioor. being spaced from. said d or at .on nd, io -e r; circulation,therebetween, we ,c, irou1atine, means connectedto the, pppositeiend of said flue, means in -saidfiueadaptfid, toxeceive ;,a .deh n1id f ine a ent. said eans p is neeplu talit tof Qpemmesh, on ai er ha, handleo on n hof leach contein rtelinkpn o p sit r.endof .eeccontainer i se tedrt reu h the h nmd eroli an v. o nine contai whe eby. th s ver l containers are. inte connected, and. inse e int and eafromihelfluer a ra un t. a dum an .1 1 said. eom rrtme t b n adapted to receive s pende mois laun ry- .4.,Aniee eretus1. 9r,qry ne mater a omp ing a compartment adapted to receive the mate- 2 rial to be dried, a';flue communicating with said compartment, a p'lurality of, 'foraminouscontaine rs enc1o,sing a desiccant, a handle on one end of each ofisaid containere, a link on the opposite end oteach ofi said, containers insertable, through 25 57,513

and detachable from the handle of. an adjacent ,zcontainen whereby the plurality of said containers are linterconnectable, and slidably insertable into and removable frornseid flue as a unit,.and a fan Germany --?F- .T 'Aug. 26, 1932

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