Textiles: fluid treating apparatus – Machines – With gas – steam or mist treating
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-11
2001-11-06
Stinson, Frankie L. (Department: 1746)
Textiles: fluid treating apparatus
Machines
With gas, steam or mist treating
C068S020000, C034S209000, C034S210000, C223S051000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311526
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application relates to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/096,589, filed on Aug. 14, 1998, and claims priority to that provisional application. This invention relates to a U-turn tunnel finisher designed for commercial and industrial garment laundering plants. The tunnel finishers are used to remove wrinkles which are set into the garments during the laundry process, particularly when laundering cotton or cotton blend fabrics. In many cases these finishers are also used to dry the garments after laundering.
In general, the garment finisher is used to process garments after they have been laundered. The garment is then placed on a hanger and placed on a conveyor which carries the garment through the finishing machine. The garment is first conditioned with live steam injection, then heated and agitated with hot air, raising the fabric temperature to about 260-280 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature the remaining moisture is evaporated from the fabric. This causes the fibers in the garment to return to their memory state, with the fibers in their natural, relaxed condition. The wrinkles in the garment “fall out”, and the garment is returned to a relatively neat appearance suitable for uniform-type garments such as uniform shirts, pants and similar garments.
The efficiency of this process and the quality of the appearance of the garment after processing is dependent on the dwell time of the garment inside the machine. The garment must remain in the finisher for a length of time sufficient to permit the temperature of the garment to be raised to the correct temperature well above the evaporation point of water so that the remaining moisture in the garment is evaporated.
Dwell time must also be compatible with daily production needs. Laundries must purchase a finisher or finishers with capacity large enough to handle present production as well as production increases over a long period of time. Prior art U-turn finishers are manufactured in such manner that an increase in production can be obtained only by purchasing additional finishers.
Specifically, prior art finishers include in a single cabinet all of the functioning elements necessary to the operation of the finisher, including the heating source, blowers, electrical and heating controls, steam-injection zone, air plenum and exhaust hood. In the U-turn type of finisher, damp garments on a hanger enter and exit on the same end of the finisher, making a U-turn at the opposite end. In a straight-through finisher, damp garments on a hanger enter one end and pass in a straight line through the finisher, exiting the other end.
In accordance with the invention, applicant has invented a U-turn tunnel finisher which is easily expandable in increments at substantially less cost than purchasing complete additional finishers. This has been done by designing and placing the functions of the finisher in modules so that they can be separated when necessary with modules designed only to permit an increase in dwell time without the need for adding further heat exchangers, controls and the like. The modules that merely increase dwell time—the expansion modules—may be constructed in varying lengths as needed. The finisher can finish garments wet to dry, damp to dry, or dry to dry.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a U-turn tunnel finisher which is expandable to accommodate required increases in production.
It is another object of the invention to provide a U-turn tunnel finisher which is expandable to accommodate required increases in production.
It is another object of the invention to provide a tunnel finisher which includes one or more expansion modules varying in length which can be inserted between the original machine modules for increasing the dwell time of the garments in the tunnel finisher.
It is another object of the invention to provide a tunnel finisher which includes separable rear module and front modules which collectively contain all of the necessary functioning components of the finisher, whereby the rear and front modules, when separated, accommodate between them at least one expansion module which permits additional dwell time of the garments in the finisher.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved in the preferred embodiments disclosed below by providing an expandable tunnel garment finishing apparatus that includes a front module having an entrance for receiving garments on hangers for being conveyed through the apparatus, an initial treatment zone downstream from the entrance for treating the garments with steam and heat, a final treatment zone downstream from the initial treatment zone for treating the garments with hot air, and an exit downstream from the final treatment zone and adjacent the entrance through which the finished garments exit the finishing apparatus. The finishing apparatus also includes a rear module communicating with the front module for receiving garments conveyed therefrom. The rear module includes a heating apparatus for heating the garments, and a U-shaped intermediate treatment zone downstream from the initial treatment zone and upstream from the final treatment zone for receiving the garments from the initial treatment zone and for delivering the garments to the final treatment zone and the exit of the front module. The front and rear module are separable for receiving therebetween at least one expansion module having an expansion treatment zone cooperating with the initial, intermediate, and final treatment zones for providing the garment finishing apparatus with an extended total treatment zone sufficient to permit accelerated flow of the garments through the finishing apparatus while maintaining sufficient dwell time of the garments in the finishing apparatus to permit completed finishing at the accelerated rate of flow of the garments.
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the finishing apparatus includes one expansion module positioned intermediate the front module and the rear module for providing the garment finishing apparatus with an extended total treatment zone sufficient to permit accelerated flow of the garments through the finishing apparatus while maintaining sufficient dwell time of the garments in the finishing apparatus to permit completed finishing at the accelerated rate of flow of the garments.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the finishing apparatus has a total length of 288 inches.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the heating apparatus has a burner rating of 800,000 BTU.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the finishing apparatus includes two adjacent, detachably connected expansion modules positioned intermediate the front module and the rear module to further extend the total treatment zone for maximum accelerated flow of the garments through the finishing apparatus while maintaining sufficient dwell time of the garments in the finishing apparatus to permit completed finishing at the maximum rate of flow of the garments.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the finishing apparatus has a total length of 384 inches.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the heating apparatus has a burner rating of 1,200,000 BTU.
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Adams, Schwartz & Evans P.A.
Leonard Automatics, Inc.
Stinson Frankie L.
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