Apparatus for treating articles with solution to remove solids and then filtering the solution

An apparatus for chemically removing solid matter from articles being treated by a chemical treatment liquid and filtering from the treatment liquid the solid matter thus removed, said apparatus including a treatment chamber, article supporting means in an upper portion of said chamber for supporting articles being treated, means for delivering treatment liquid to spray means in said chamber for spraying onto articles supported therein for removal of solid matter from articles by the spray of the treatment liquid, and collection means at a lower portion of said chamber of collecting treatment liquid for recycling to said delivery means, said apparatus including:

• (a) separating filter means disposed at a sufficiently acute angle to the vertical to allow falling treatment liquid to pass therethrough and to allow solid matter not passing through the filter means to be washed along the filter means;
• (b) filter washing means for delivering treatment liquid across said filter means for washing solid material therealong;
• (c) a residence zone at a lower end of said separating filter means for accumulating solids washed along the filter means, and distinct from said collection means;
• and
• (d) evacuation means for evacuating an evacuate of treatment liquid and and solid material from said residence zone,
• wherein an additional filter means is provided, connected to said means for receiving the evacuated and filtering solid material from the treatment liquid therein
• wherein said residence zone is defined by a trough for receiving solid material and treatment liquid, with the trough having a discharge line interconnecting said trough with the upper portion of said chamber for receiving treatment liquid flowing into the trough and recycling it back to the upper portion of said chamber, and wherein said evacuation means includes propulsion means for periodically delivering a stream of treatment liquid through the trough to evacuate accumulated solid materials therefrom, and wherein the evacuation means further includes a discharge conduit from said trough, with valve means in said discharge conduit, and with means operationally connecting said valve means and said propulsion means whereby upon actuation of said propulsion means there is substantially simultaneously effected a setting of said valve means from a position of normal flow between said discharge line and said chamber, to an alternate position of flow between said discharge conduit and said additional filter means, whereby accumulated solid material is delivered, by way of said discharge conduit, to said additional filter means.

An apparatus for treating printed circuit boards, film and like articles having portions with polymer resist that is to be removed as solids by means of a resist stripping solution by spraying the solution on articles while the articles are conveyed along a path and filtering from the stripping solution the resist thus removed, wherein the apparatus comprises a treatment chamber, article conveying means in the chamber for conveying articles form an opening at one end to a discharge at the other end, spray nozzles in the chamber and disposed for spraying the stripping solution on the articles, and a collection zone in the chamber for collecting the stripping solution for recycling to said nozzles;

• said apparatus including:
• (a) at least one screen disposed at a sufficiently acute angle to the vertical to allow falling solution to pass therethrough while screening out resist particles and to allow the resist particles not passing through at least one screen to be washed along at least one screen;
• (b) at least one screen washing nozzle and being disposed generally at the upper end of at least one screen and washing resist particles along at least one screen;
• (c) a trough at the lower end of at least one screen, separate from said collection zone, for accumulating particles and solution washed along at least one screen;
• and
• (d) evacuating means connected to said trough, for evacuating solution and particles from said trough,
• including a filter connected to said evacuation means, for receiving the solution and particles from the trough, with the trough having a discharge line interconnecting said trough and chamber for delivering solution from the trough to means for returning said solution back to the chamber, and wherein said evacuation means includes propulsion means for periodically delivering a sufficient stream of solution to the trough to evacuate accumulated particles therefrom.

An apparatus for treating printed circuit boards, film and like articles having portions with polymer resist that is to be removed as solids by means of a resist stripping solution by spraying the solution on articles while the articles are conveyed along a path and filtering from the stripping solution the resist thus removed, wherein the apparatus comprises a treatment chamber, article conveying means in the chamber for conveying articles form an opening at one end to a discharge at the other end, spray nozzles in the chamber and disposed for spraying the stripping solution on the articles, and a collection zone in the chamber for collecting the stripping solution for recycling to said nozzles;

• said apparatus including:
• (a) at least one screen disposed at a sufficiently acute angle to the vertical to allow falling solution to pass therethrough while screening out resist particles and to allow the resist particles not passing through at least one screen to be washed along at least one screen;
• (b) at least one screen washing nozzle and being disposed generally at the upper end of at least one screen and washing resist particles along at least one screen;
• (c) a trough at the lower end of at least one screen, separate from said collection zone, for accumulating particles and solution washed along at least one screen;
• and
• (d) evacuating means connected to said trough, for evacuating solution and particles from said trough,
• including a filter connected to said evacuation means, for receiving the solution and particles from the trough, with the trough having a discharge line interconnecting said trough and chamber for delivering solution from the trough to means for returning said solution back to the chamber, and wherein said evacuation means includes propulsion means for periodically delivering a sufficient stream of solution to the trough to evacuate accumulated particles therefrom, and wherein the evacuation means further includes a discharge conduit from said trough, with valve means in said discharge conduit, and with means operationally connecting said valve means and said propulsion means whereby upon actuation of said propulsion means there is substantially simultaneously effected a setting of said valve means from a position of normal flow between said discharge line and said chamber, to an alternate position of flow between said discharge conduit and said filter, whereby accumulated particles are periodically delivered, by way of said discharge conduit to said filter.

An apparatus for chemically removing solid matter from articles being treated by a chemical treatment liquid, including a treatment chamber, article supporting means in an upper portion of said chamber for supporting articles being treated, means for delivering treatment liquid to spray means in said chamber for spraying onto articles supported therein for removal of solid matter from articles by the spray of the treatment liquid, and collection means at a lower portion of said chamber, for collecting treatment liquid for recycling to said delivery means, said apparatus including:

• (a) separating filter means disposed at a sufficiently acute angle to the vertical to allow falling treatment liquid to pass therethrough and to allow solid matter not passing through the filter means to be washed along the filter means;
• (b) filter washing means, for delivering treatment liquid across said filter means for washing solid material therealong;
• (c) a residence zone at a lower end of said separating filter means for receiving solids washed along the filter means, and distinct from said collection means;
• and
• (d) evacuation means for evacuating an evacuate of treatment liquid and solid material from said residence zone;
• wherein said residence zone is defined by a trough for receiving solid material and treatment liquid, with the trough having a discharge line connected thereto comprising means for receiving treatment liquid flowing into the trough and delivering said liquid to means for recycling it back to the upper portion of said chamber, and wherein said evacuation means includes propulsion means for periodically delivering a stream of treatment liquid through the trough to evacuate accumulated solid material therefrom.

An apparatus for treating printed circuit boards, film and like articles having portions with polymer resist that is to be removed by means of a resist stripping solution by spraying the solution on articles while the articles are conveyed along a path, wherein the apparatus comprises a treatment chamber, article conveying means in the chamber for conveying articles from an opening at one end to a discharge at the other end, spray nozzles in the chamber and disposed for spraying the stripping solution on the articles and a collecting zone in the chamber for collecting the stripping solution for recycling to said nozzles, said apparatus including:

• (a) at least one screen disposed at a sufficiently acute angle to the vertical to allow falling solution to pass therethrough while screening out resist particles and to allow the resist particles not passing through the at least one screen to be washed along the at least one screen;
• (b) at least one screen washing nozzle disposed generally at the upper end of the at least one screen for spraying the at least one screen and washing resist particles along the at least one screen;
• (c) a trough at the lower end of the at least one screen, separate from said collection zone, for receiving resist particles and solution washed along the at least one screen;
• and
• (d) evacuation means connected to said trough, for evacuating solution and particles from said trough;
• with the trough having a discharge line, said discharge line connecting the trough to the chamber for delivering solution back to the chamber, and wherein said evacuation means includes propulsion means for periodically delivering a sufficient stream of solution to the trough to evacuate accumulated particles therefrom.