Nov. 20, 1951
A. MILLER
2,575,672
METHOD OF‘ DRYING LAUNDRY
Filed March 1, 1946
Ib
INVENTOR
ABE MILLER
Patented Nov. 20, 1951
2,575,672
UNITED S TATES
0
2;575,67:Z~
I
METHOD'GF' DRYING LAUNDRIt
Abe. Miller, Detroit, Mich.
Application ‘March 1, 1946,, Serial no. 651,205‘
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5:01am; (01. 68*241)
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This invention relates to a method of drying
:znczwith the number of partitions present in the
and, in particular, it relates to a, method of dry
rue '.
ing- in which wet laundry is subjected to a press
‘The present invention is intended for use with
ing operation in order to express therefrom, sub
sin-apparatus which iszmore-fully described in my
stantial quantities of water, so as to leave the
earlienpastentapplication, Serial No; 628,084, ?led
laundry in a semi-dry condition. More particu
on. November 13, ‘1945, and reference ‘may be had
larly, the invention relates to a method for break
thereto for a more complete. understanding of
ing up a bale of compressed semi-dry laundry into
the, apparatus with which the present invention
smaller units.
cooperates.
The present invention provides a method for 10
Among‘ the principal objects of the present
drying or semi-drying a quantity of laundry ‘by
invention is to provide in combination with a
forcing, upwardly through a truck containing.
the wet laundry, the quantity of laundry against
a retaining and draining compartment. ‘Hy
bale pressing apparatus a method whereby a plu
tomary and necessary to manually separate the
thevv ‘ha-leis separable‘; and,
‘Figure 41*is a-‘perspective view, partly broken
ra-lity of partitions are removable prior to the
pressing-operation; to provide a method of com
draulic means is used to compress the ‘laundry 15 pressingiaundry’into'bale form in which the bale
which permits a considerable force to be applied‘,
maythereafter be easily separated into smaller
thus leaving the laundry in a. semi-dry state.
units;1 to provide a method of forming a, bale of
When the laundry is thus compressed ‘into a ‘bale
compressed ‘laundry which requires no manual
or cake, automatic means are actuated for open
separation or division of the bale; and, to proing a door associated with the container and for
vide a. method» of causing the bale of laundry
forcing the cake of semi-dry laundry out of the
to ‘be divided into a plurality of smaller units
container and onto a conveyor.
by an e?icient and economical method.
When laundry is thus compressed into a bale,
"These and other objects and advantages will
the overlapping articles of laundry which con
appear more fully in the following detailed dc»
stitute the bale usually make it difficult to break
scriptionwhen considered in connection with the
accompanying ‘drawing, in which:
up the bale into smaller units. Bales of this
character are usually relatively vlarge andv are
Figured is a diagrammatical view, in elevation
therefore diilicult to handle as a single ‘unit.
andliin section, of an apparatus with which the
present invention is cooperable;
Furthermore, the bales of semi-dry laundry, after
they leave the compressing unit, are usually 30 _.'Figure i2 is a perspective view partly broken
away illustrating a partitioned truck container;
placed inaa rotatable u drying cylinder- in which
the material is agitated and subjected ‘to a cur‘
‘Figure-3 is-a perspective view of a‘balevoi com
pressed l‘aundiry :'-illustrating the manner in which
rent of hot air. It has therefore been cus
bale into smaller units in order that it may be
more effectively acted upon in subsequent drying
away, of a ‘truck container which is a modi?ca
tion of the container shown in Figure 2.
‘With reference to- the drawing and in particu
In accordance with the practice of my inven
tion I provide a box-like truck into which the 4/6 lar to Figure l, I show an apparatus consisting
generally of a housing 1| attached to a base or
wet laundry is originally placed. This truck :in
door 2. An‘ hydraulic cylinder 3 is positioned in
cludes partitions which maintain the wet laun
a; pit 4- located below the ?oor level and in
dry in a separate state. When the truck is
cludes a platen .5. attached to a piston rod 6 of‘
?lledxwith the'wet articles of laundry the-par
the-‘cylinder 3. A truck container 1-‘ provided with
titions are removed and the contents thereafter.
casters .8. is adapted for positioning within ‘the
compressed into bale form. ‘Since the articles-oi
housing; -'| and above the cylinder 3. A door 2‘!
laundry, in part, are prevented from overlap
forming part of the housing l permits ingress
ping each other, due to the presence of the parti
or" egress of the’ container ‘1 with the housing ‘I.
tions, the bale of laundry after it is compressed
Theoontalner 1. ‘is provided with a movable bot-~
is easily-broken up into smaller units in accord- 50 tom plate 9 which is engageable with the-platen
operations.
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2,576,672
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As thus shown and described, it is believed
l for moving the contents of the truck 1 up
pressed laundry out of the chamber In and onto
apparent that I ‘have provided a novel method for
permitting bales of wet laundry to be broken up
into smaller units; and while I have described and
illustrated a container which is divided into four
compartments it is to be understood that I con
template a container which may be divided into
a conveyor belt M, or other receptacle, from
whence the bale may be moved to a subsequent
two or more compartments.
While I have shown a preferred method of
wardly out of the container 1 and in a com
pressed state in the chamber Hi. When wet laun
dry is thus compressed into the chamber In a door
I I may be opened and a cylinder [2 having a
platen l3 operated to force the bale of com
10 practicing my-invention, it is to be understood
processing station.
that it is susceptible of those modi?cations which
appear obviously within the spirit of the inven
tion and as appearing within the scope of the
As shown in Figure 2, the truck container 1
which includes a vertically movable bottom plate
9 is provided with partition members I5 which
divide the container into four separate compart
ments. These partition members are removable
as a unit from the container 1 by manually lift
ing the partitions in an upward vertical move
ment out of the container 1.
appended claims.
Having thus described my invention, what I
claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:
A handle portion '
1. In the method of semi-drying wet laundry,
the steps comprising, placing wet articles of
~ laundry in a container in separate compartments
l6 facilitates this manual operation. ~ -
In order to maintain the partitions in proper 20 formed by divisional partitions, removing the
' partitions while allowing the articles of laundry
registry with the container 1, projections I‘! are
, to remain in the container, and forcing the
provided at each upper corner of thepartitions
laundry out of the container and into a com
l5. These projections I‘! are adapted for regis
pressed state without substantial disturbance of
the line of demarcation formed by the partitions
which separated the articles of laundry and
allowing the compressed bale of semi-dry laundry
try with slots l8 formed in the side walls of the
container 1. Additionalfprojections i9 extend
from the lower edge of the partitions l5 at or.
near the outer lower edge of the partitions.
to separate readily into units as determined by
These projections 19 are engageable with slots
the pattern of the partitions.
20 formed in the bottom plate 9. By such an
arrangement, the partitions 15 are maintained 30 -2'. In the method of semi-drying wet laundry,
the steps comprising, placing wet articles of
in rigid relationship with the container 1 while
laundry in a container in separate compartments
at the same time the partitions are readily re
formed by divisional partitions, removing the
movable in an upward manner. Preferably, the
partitions while allowing the articles of laundry
partitions are formed of light sheet metal, such
to remain in the container, and forcing the
as aluminum or magnesium alloy in order to
laundry out of the container in a direction
facilitate manual handling.
parallel to the planes of the partitions and into a
In the operation of the present method of com
compressed state without substantial disturbance
pressing wet laundry the partitions 15 are posi
of the line of demarcation formed by the parti
tioned, as shown in Figure 2, in relation with the
container '1. Articles of wet laundry are placed 40 tions which separated the articles of laundry,
7 and allowing the compressed bale of semi-dry
in the container until the four compartments,
laundry to separate readily into units as deter
as shown, are ?lled, or partially ?lled with the
mined by the pattern of the partitions.
articles of laundry. Thereafter, by means of the
3. Inthe method of semi-drying wet laundry,
handle I6, the partitions I5 are withdrawn from
the steps comprising, inserting partitions in a
the container 1 and the container is positioned
temporarily ?xed position in an open top con
within the housing I, as shown in Figure l, and
tainer, placing articles of wet laundry in the
the door 2| is closed. The hydraulic cylinder 3
separate compartments formed by the divisional
is energized and the wet laundry is moved out
partitions, removing the partitions while allow
of the container ‘I and compressed into the com
ing the articles of laundry to remain in the con
partment Hi to form a bale of compressed laun
tainer, forcing the laundry out of the container
dry 25. When the door I l is opened and the bale
and compressing the laundry without substan
25 is ejected from the housing by means of the
tial disturbance of the line of demarcation
cylinder l2, the bale will readily break up into
formed by the partitions which separated the
smaller units 26, such as illustrated in Figure 3.
This is due to the fact that the articles of laundry 55 article of laundry, and allowing the compressed
bale of semi-dry laundry to separate readily into
do not overlap each other from one compartment
units as determined by the pattern of the parti
to another when originally placed in the con
tions.
tainer 1. When the partitions are removed and
4. The method of extracting water or other
the laundry is compressed into a bale the move
ment is entirely in a vertical direction parallel 60 liquid from laundry material contained in a
laundry basket which comprises, ?rst placing in
to the vertical planes of the partitions I5, thus
the basket a removable partition unit to form
preventing any appreciable overlapping of arti
separate compartments within the basket, then
cles of wet laundry after the partitions are
removed.
a
_
depositing wet laundry articles in the compart
Figure 4 illustrates a modi?cation of the in 65 ments, then removing the partition unit from
the basket to leave the wet laundry in the basket
vention and shows a container 22 which is sub
in several contiguous groups, and then simulta
stantially similar to the container 1. Partitions
neously submitting the material of the several
23 extend diagonally of the container 23 so as to
groups to the action of a power press head to ex
form four separate compartments of triangular
shape in plan view. A handle 24 facilitates man-, 70 tract the liquid therefrom, without appreciably
intermingling the articles of one group with those
ual removal of the partitions 23. By utilizing '
of another and then separating the groups.
partitions which extend diagonally of the con
5. The method of extracting water or other
tainer 22, it becomes unnecessary to use special
liquid from laundry material contained in a
means to prevent displacement or the partitions
laundry basket which comprises, ?rst placingin
relative to the container.
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2,575,672
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the basket a removable partition unit to form
separate compartments within the basket, then
depositing wet laundry articles in the compart
ments, then removing the partition unit from the
basket to leave the wet laundry in the basket in
several contiguous groups, and. then simulta
neously submitting the material of the several
groups to the action of a power press head to re
move the material from the basket and to extract
the liquid therefrom, without appreciably inter
mingling the articles of one group with those of
another.
ABE MILLER.
REFERENCES CITED
The following references are of record in the
?le of this patent:
UNITED STATES PATENTS
Number
Name
Date
255,798
Leake ____________ __ Apr. 4, 1882
1,671,913
Troy ____________ __ May 29, 1928
1,768,922
Oliver ____________ __ July 1, 1930
FOREIGN PATENTS
Number
162,105
Country
Date
Great Britain _____ __ Apr. 28, 1921