Spraying

Abstract

In a system for washing garments while hung on hangers, a spray soak station comprising a spray chamber, a conveyor extending longitudinally through the station and arrayed for transporting garments on hangers therethrough, two sets of nozzles mounted within the chamber in a first generally horizontal plane below the conveyor, one of the sets being mounted on each side of the vertical plane including the conveyor and each of the sets including a plurality of nozzles mounted along a respective line extending generally parallel to the conveyor, that improvement wherein each of the sets includes a plurality of conical spray nozzles and a plurality of flat spray nozzles, the nozzles being arranged such that at least some of the conical nozzles are intermediate respective pairs of the flat spray nozzles, and each flat spray nozzles is mounted with the plane including the major spray angle thereof forming an angle in the range of about 30.degree. to about 60.degree. with the respective line along which the respective nozzle is mounted.

Description

This invention relates to washing, and more particularly, to spray soaking of garments on hangers in a conveyorized washing system.

Continuous systems for laundering garments while hanging on hangers and carried on a conveyor one-by-one are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,686,899, granted Aug. 29, 1972, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,827,262, granted Aug. 6, 1974, an undivided one-half interest in each of which is assigned to the assignee of the present application. Among other things, the aforesaid patents disclose a conveyor for successive garments on hangers, and a series of soak, wash, and rinse stations through which the garments are successively conveyed. In the wash and rinse stations, and in the soak station of the application, liquid spray is directed in the transverse direction against the broad sides of the garments. In the soak station of the system disclosed in the patent, the garments are completely immersed in a soak tank.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a spray soaking system which completely and efficiently soaks all portions of hanging garments. Other objects include providing such apparatus that is useful for spray bleaching of garments prior to washing, and that is easily cleaned.

This invention features, in a system for washing garments while hung on hangers, a spray soak station comprising a spray chamber, a conveyor extending longitudinally through the station and arrayed for transporting garments on hangers therethrough, two sets of nozzles mounted within the chamber in a first generally horizontal plane below the conveyor, one of the sets being mounted on each side of the vertical plane including the conveyor and each of the sets including a plurality of nozzles mounted along a respective line extending generally parallel to the conveyor, that improvement wherein each of the sets includes a plurality of conical spray nozzles and a plurality of flat spray nozzles, the nozzles being arranged such that at least some of the conical nozzles are intermediate respective pairs of the flat spray nozzles, and each flat spray nozzles is mounted with the plane including the major spray angle thereof forming an angle in the range of about 30.degree. to about 60.degree. with the respective line along which the respective nozzle is mounted. In preferred embodiments in which the conical spray nozzles are hollow spray nozzles having a spray angle of not less than about 50.degree. and are alternately arranged with the flat spray nozzles, each flat spray nozzle has a spray angle of not less than about 60.degree., its spray plane forms an angle of about 45.degree. with its respective line, and the spray planes of successive flat spray nozzles are generally perpendicular, there is featured two additional nozzle sets including alternately arranged conical hollow spray and flat spray nozzles arranged along respective lines generally parallel to the conveyor in a second generally horizontal plane above the first plane, one of the additional sets being on each side of the vertical plane, the nozzles of the first two sets pointing generally upwardly, the nozzles of the additional two sets pointing generally downwardly, the vertical distance between the horizontal planes being on the order of three feet, the horizontal distance between the nozzles in the first plane being about the same as the width of the garments on hangers and greater than the horizontal distance between the nozzles in the second plane, the conveyor arranged to transport the garments with their broad sides generally perpendicular to the direction of movement initially at a first spacing and thereafter at a second spacing, and the soak chamber mounted on a tank having cleaning pipes extending along the two high sides of a diagonally sloping tank bottom.

Other objects, features, and advantages will appear from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, taken together with the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of a spray system embodying the present invention, the section being taken at 1--1 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken at 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIGS. 4 and 5 are sectional views taken, respectively, at 4--4 and 5--5 of FIG. 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings there is shown a spray soak module, generally designated 10, comprising an upper spray chamber 12 having an overall height of about 61/2 feet, an overall length of about 20 feet, and an overall width of about 31/2 feet, mounted on a lower tank 14 having the same overall length, a height of about 11/2 feet and an overall width of about 5 feet. The walls of both chamber 12 and tank 14 are of fiberglass, for ease of cleaning and resistance to the washing liquid.

A screw conveyor 16 extends longitudinally through spray chamber 12, midway between the sides 18, 20 of the spray chamber and about 2 inches below its top 22. As shown, conveyor 16 extends beyond the inlet end 24 and outlet end 26 of spray module 10. It is designed to transport garments 28 on hangers 30 with their broad sides perpendicular to the direction of travel, i.e., to the axis of the conveyor, from a hanging station (not shown) before the inlet end 24 to a washing station (not shown) after the outlet end 26. The garment spacing is maintained by each garment hanger riding in the spiral groove 17 of conveyor 16. Groove 17 is not uniform the full length of the conveyor, rather, it includes an initial subsection which maintains the garments on approximately 1 inch centers for the first 10 feet through the chamber, and a second subsection which maintains the garments at approximately 2 inch centers the next 10 feet through the chambers. There is, of course, a smooth transition, at the chamber center, between the two subsections. The screw conveyor is rotated at such a speed that 27 minutes are required for a hanger to be transported from inlet 24 to outlet 26.

A pair of spray pipes, upper spray pipe 32 and lower spray pipe 34, is mounted on each side of conveyor 16, with the longitudinal axis of each spray pipe extending parallel to the axis of conveyor 16. Upper spray pipes 32 are spaced 10 inches from each other (5 inches on either side of the vertical plane including conveyor 16) in a horizontal plane spaced about 6 inches below conveyor 16. The exact distance depends principally on the design of hangers 30 and is such that the top of a garment on the hanger will be about 6 inches below pipes 32.

Lower spray pipes 34 are spaced 17 inches from each other (81/2 in. on either side of conveyor 16) in a horizontal plane spaced 38 in. below the plane of upper pipes 32. This distance is such that the bottom of the sleeve of a shirt on the hanger will be at least 1 inch above the nozzles on pipes 34. The bottom of a shirt tail, or of pants or dresses on the hanger, will be below the pipes 34. In the illustrated embodiment, lower spray pipes 34 are 49 in. above the bottom of tank 14.

A plurality of spray nozzles are mounted at 6 inch intervals along the full length of each of pipes 32, 34, with the central spray axis of each nozzle perpendicular to the axis of the respective pipe. As shown in FIG. 2, the nozzles on pipe 32 are mounted with their spray axes pointing generally downwardly; the nozzles on pipes 34 with their spray axes pointing generally upwardly.

The nozzles mounted on each pipe are of two types, flat spray nozzles 42 (VeeJet Brand, No. HH 1/4 8010, sold by Spraying Systems Co. of Bellwood, Illinois) and hollow cone spray nozzles 44 (Whirljet Brand, No. 1/4 B 5, sold by Spraying Systems Co. of Bellwood, Illinois). On each pipe, the two types of nozzles are alternately arranged, as illustrated in FIGS. 3-5.

As shown in FIG. 5, each nozzle 44 produces a hollow conical spray having a spray angle .alpha., of not less than about 50.degree. at 40 p.s.i. (preferably, not less than about 70.degree. at 40 p.s.i.) and an annular impact area. The nozzles of the preferred embodiment are rated at 1.0 gallon per minute (gpm) at 40 p.s.i. and have a spray angle of 70.degree. at 20 p.s.i. and 79.degree. at 80 p.s.i.

Each flat spray nozzle 42, as shown in FIG. 4, produces a spray pattern having a significant angular dispersion, spray angle .beta., in one plane (its plane of spray or spray plane) and virtually no angular dispersion in the perpendicular plane, thereby producing an impact area having a length, l, that is several times its width, w. The nozzles of the illustrated preferred embodiment have a rated capacity of 1.0 gpm and a spray angle of 80.degree. at 40 p.s.i. In other embodiments, other types of flat spray nozzles having a spray angle of not less than about 60.degree., and preferably not less than about 75.degree., at 40 p.s.i. may be used.

As shown in FIG. 3, each flat spray nozzle 42 is mounted on a respective pipe 32, 34 with the plane of the spray (the plane including spray angle .alpha. and impact area length l) at a 45.degree. angle to the axis of the pipe and, thus, to the plane (perpendicular to the conveyor 16) of the garments being transported through spray chamber 38 by the conveyor. Successive flat spray nozzles 42 are offset from the pipe axis in different directions, so that the angle between the spray planes of successive nozzles 42 is about 90.degree.. In other embodiments, the angle of offset between the spray plane of each flat spray nozzle and the respective pipe (or advancing garment plane) may vary between about 30.degree. and about 60.degree..

For supplying spray liquid to pipes 32, 34, an inlet pipe 36 extends from a pump 38 (rated capacity of 80 gpm at 60 p.s.i.) through tank 14 into the bottom of chamber 12, and then splits into two branches 40, each of which is connected to an end of one of pipes 32 and an end of one of pipes 34. Tank 14 has an inlet from a fresh liquid source 48; pump 38 has an inlet 50 within tank 14 for recirculating liquid from the tank. Valves 47 are provided in branches 40 above pipes 34 so that, when liquid is forced into the inlet pipe from pump 38, it may be sprayed from either the nozzles on lower pipes 34 alone, or, when desired, from the nozzles on upper pipes 32 as well.

The top of tank 14 is covered by a horizontal screen 52, to prevent lint and the like from garments carried on conveyor 16 from dropping into the tank. Access into soak chamber 12 is provided through doors (not shown) in side wall 20; and a hatch cover 54 is provided on the top of tank 14 to permit access to within the tank.

The bottom 56 of tank 14 is not flat, but slopes diagonally downwardly from the corner defined by its two high sides adjacent outlet end 26 and side 18. A drain outlet 58 is provided at the lower corner of the tank. A cleaning spray pipe 60 extends along the high sides of bottom 58, with spray openings spaced therealong and directed toward the tank bottom.

In operation, screw conveyor is rotated at the rate required to advance hanger-carrying groove 17 at a speed of 400 inches per hour, and garments on hangers are placed on the conveyor at inlet 28 at 1 inch intervals. As mentioned previously, the conveyor advances the garments, with their broad sides perpendicular to the direction of movement, through spray chamber 14 in about 27 minutes.

Pump 38 is activated, and soak liquid from fresh liquid source 48 is pumped through pipes 32 and the nozzles 42, 44 thereon, and sprayed upwardly against the garments, thoroughly innundating them. Normally, valves 47 are closed so that no liquid is sprayed from the nozzles on pipes 32. If extra soaking is desired, or if downward spray is desirable because of the type of garment, valves 47 are opened and liquid from pumps 48 also is sprayed through the nozzles 42, 44 on pipes 32 downwardly against the moving garments.

Initially, after tank 14 has filled to about three-fourths of its depth, the pump is connected to tank inlet 50, and the liquid in the tank is recirculated. When the liquid becomes too dirty, it is drained from tank through drain outlet 60, the tank bottom 58 is washed by spray from pipe 60, and fresh liquid is supplied from source 48.

Generally, the soak liquid is water. However, various chemicals may be mixed therein. Often, the chemicals are mixed by pouring them into tank 14 through hatch cover 54 after the tank has been partially filed. With some chemicals, such as liquid bleach, an injector 70 is provided in inlet pipe 36 and is connected to a chemical (bleach) source 72. Flow of bleach from source 72 to injector 70 is controlled by valve 74.

It has been found that when, for example, the garments to be washed are stained with blood or the like, it is highly advantageous to mix bleach with the spray liquid and bleach spray the garments at the time of initial soak and before washing.

As previously mentioned, the spray washing module of the present invention is useful with, for example washing systems of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,686,899 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 194,345, the disclosures of both of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. When used with the system of the patent, soak spray module 10 is substituted for soak zone 22 of the patent, with the inlet end of the conveyor 16 connected to receive garments from patent delay zone 18 and the outlet end of conveyor 16 connected to advance garments to patent spray zone 24. In the system of the prior application, soak spray module 10 of this application is substituted for soak spray station 16, and the outlet end of conveyor 16 is connected to discharge garments into prior application washing station 18. However, turning apparatus, such as that disclosed in the patent must be interposed between soak module 10 and prior application washing station 18 to rotate the garments from the soak module 90.degree., to place their long dimension parallel to the direction of travel, before they enter the washing station.

Other embodiments will be within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. In a system for washing garments while hung on hangers and including a spray soak station comprising a spray chamber, a conveyor extending longitudinally through said station and arranged for transporting garments on hangers through said chamber with the broad sides thereof generally parallel to each other and perpendicular to said conveyor, two sets of nozzles mounted within said chamber in a first generally horizontal plane below said conveyor, one of said sets being mounted on each side of the vertical plane including said conveyor, each of said sets including a plurality of nozzles mounted along a respective line extending generally parallel to said conveyor, and each of said nozzles being arranged to direct spray fluid against said garments on hangers being transported through said chamber on said conveyor, that improvement wherein:

each of said sets includes a plurality of conical spray nozzles and a plurality of flat spray nozzles, and the nozzles of said each of said sets are arranged such that at least some of the conical nozzles of said each set are intermediate respective pairs of flat spray nozzles of said each set.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said flat spray nozzles is mounted with its plane of spray forming an angle in the range of about 30.degree. to about 60.degree. with the planes of said broad sides.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the flat spray nozzles and conical spray nozzles of each of said sets are alternately arranged along the respective line of said each set.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said flat spray nozzles has a spray angle at 40 p.s.i. of not less than about 60.degree., and each of said conical spray nozzles is a hollow spray nozzle producing an annular impact area and having a spray angle at 40 p.s.i. of not less than about 50.degree..

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said spray angle of said flat spray nozzles is not less than about 80.degree., and said spray angle of said conical spray nozzles is not less than about 75.degree..

6. The system of claim 1 wherein, in each of said sets, the planes of spray of successive ones of said flat spray nozzles are generally perpendicular to each other.

7. In a system for washing garments while hung on hangers and including a spray soak station comprising a spray chamber, a conveyor extending longitudinally through said station and arranged for transporting garments on hangers through said chamber with the broad sides thereof generally parallel to each other and perpendicular to the direction of movement thereof through said chamber, two first sets of nozzles mounted within said chamber in a first generally horizontal plane below said conveyor, one of said first sets being mounted on each side of the vertical plane including said conveyor, two further sets of nozzles mounted within said chamber in a second generally horizonal plane above said first horizontal plane, one of said further sets being mounted on each side of said vertical plane including said conveyor, and each of said first and further sets including a plurality of nozzles mounted along a respective line extending generally parallel to said conveyor, that improvement wherein:

each of said nozzles of said first sets is arranged to direct spray fluid generally upwardly and against said garments on hangers being transported through said chamber on said conveyor;

each of said nozzles of said further sets is arranged to direct spray fluid generally downwardly and against said garments on hangers being transported through said chamber on said conveyor;

the horizontal distance between said first sets is greater than the horizontal distance between said further sets;

each of said first and further sets includes a plurality of conical spray nozzles and a plurality of flat spray nozzles; and,

the nozzles of each of said first and further are arranged such that at least some of the conical nozzles of said each set are intermediate respective pairs of flat spray nozzles of said each set.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the vertical distance between said first horizontal plane and said second horizontal plane is about 3 feet, and the horizontal distance between said sets in said first plane is approximately the same as the width of said garments on hangers.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said flat spray nozzles is mounted with the plane of spray thereof forming an angle in the range of about 30.degree. to about 60.degree. with the planes of said broad sides, and the flat spray nozzles and conical spray nozzles of each of said sets are alternately arranged along the respective line of said each set.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said angle is about 45.degree., each of said conical spray nozzles is a hollow spray nozzle having a spray angle at 40 p.s.i. of not less than about 50.degree., and each of said flat spray nozzles has a spray angle at 40 p.s.i. of not less than about 60.degree..

11. The system of claim 9 wherein successive flat spray nozzles of each of said sets are offset in opposite directions relative to said planes perpendicular to said conveyor and said lines.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the planes of spray of said successive flat spray nozzles of each of said sets are generally perependicular to each other, said angle with the planes of said broad sides is about 45.degree., said conical spray nozzles are hollow spray nozzles having spray angles of not less than about 75.degree. at 40 p.s.i., and said flat spray nozzles have spray angles of not less than about 80.degree. at 40 p.s.i.

13. In a system for washing garments while hung on hangers and including a spray soak station comprising a spray chamber, a conveyor extending longitudinally through said station thereof, and arranged for transporting garments on hangers through said chamber with the broad sides thereof generally perpendicular to the direction of movement, two sets of nozzles mounted within said chamber in a first generally horizontal plane below said conveyor, one of said sets being mounted on each side of the vertical plane including said conveyor, each of said sets including a plurality of nozzles mounted along a respective line extending generally parallel to said conveyor, and each of said nozzles being arranged to direct spray fluid against said garments on hangers being transported through said chamber on said conveyor, that improvement wherein:

each of said sets includes a plurality of conical spray nozzles and a plurality of flat spray nozzles;

the nozzles of said each of said sets are arranged such that at least some of the conical nozzles of said each set are intermediate respective pairs of flat spray nozzles of each set; and,

said garments are transported through an initial portion of said chamber at a first spacing and through a subsequent portion of said chamber at a second spacing greater than said first spacing.

14. The system of claim 7 wherein the flat spray nozzles and conical spray nozzles of each of said first and further sets are alternately arranged along the respective line of each of said first and further sets, each of said flat spray nozzles of said first and further sets is mounted with the plane of spray thereof forming an angle in the range of about 30.degree. to about 60.degree. with the planes of said broad sides and successive flat spray nozzles of said first and further sets are offset in opposite directions relative to said planes of said broad sides.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said soak station includes a tank on which said spray chamber is mounted, and a pump having its outlet connected to said nozzles, a first inlet adapted for connection to an exterior fluid source and a second inlet within said tank.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said tank is rectangular in horizontal cross section and the bottom of said tank slopes diagonally, a drain opening being provided at the lowest corner of said bottom and a spray pipe being mounted along one of the higher edges of said bottom for directing washing spray against said bottom.

17. The system of claim 15 including a conduit extending from said outlet of said pump toward said nozzles and including means for injecting washing chemicals into fluid flowing from said pump through said conduit.

18. The system of claim 15 including valving operative for permitting flow from said pump to all of said nozzles or to said nozzles in said first horizontal plane only.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the planes of spray of said successive flat spray nozzles of each of said sets are generally perpendicular to each other, said conical spray nozzles are hollow spray nozzles having spray angles of not less than about 75.degree. at 40 p.s.i., and said flat spray nozzles have spray angles of not less than about 80.degree. at 40 p.s.i.