Cleaning apparatus and method
AssigneeHarco Graphic Products, Inc.
InventorCharles W. Harpold
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The specification discloses an apparatus and method for cleaning printing screens or the like work surfaces in which solvent is pumped from a reservoir to the surface to be cleaned at a point closely adjacent a vacuum cleaning tool. The vacuum cleaning tool is connected by a vacuum line to the reservoir and vacuum means are provided to draw a vacuum on the reservoir whereby solvent is delivered to the surface to be cleaned and residue laden solvent is vacuumed off the surface to be cleaned through the vacuum tool and vacuum line. A clean up tray and light panel are provided to facilitate the clean up operation. A control assembly comprising independently or simultaneously actionable foot pedals for control solvent feed and vacuum is provided.
Claims33
A compact, self-contained cleaning apparatus for solvent cleaning printing ink from a printing screen comprising:
- a solvent reservoir for holding organic solvent;
- a clean up tray for catching solvent and ink from a printing screen;
- vacuum means operably connected to said reservoir for drawing a vacuum on said reservoir, said vacuum means being operably connected to said reservoir near the top thereof and above the level to which the reservoir is to be filled with solvent;
- a vacuum hose extending from said reservoir and including a cleaning tool mounted on an end thereof remote from said reservoir said cleaning tool having brush means for loosening ink from the screen and means for defining a vacuum opening in said cleaning tool connected to said vacuum hose such that a vacuum is drawn on said vacuum opening to remove loosened ink from said screen;
- solvent pump means operably connected at an inlet of said pump to said reservoir for pumping solvent out of said reservoir at an outlet of said pump;
- a solvent feed line extending from said outlet of said solvent pump to a terminal end located adjacent said brush means on said cleaning tool whereby solvent is pumped by said solvent pump means from said solvent reservoir, through said feed line and onto a work surface to be cleaned adjacent said brush means on said cleaning tool to wet the brush means with solvent, and whereby solvent containing cleaned up printing ink is drawn through said vacuum opening by vacuum back through said vacuum line and back into said solvent reservoir such that the solvent in said reservoir is continuously recycled to the work surface to cooperate with the scrubbing action of said brush means to loosen and remove ink from a screen.
A method for cleaning printing ink from a printing screen comprising:
- providing an organic solvent reservoir;
- pumping organic solvent from said reservoir to said work surface to be cleaned at a point directly adjacent a cleaning tool having brush means thereon;
- brushing the surface to be cleaned with said cleaning tool brush means to loosen ink on the surface to be cleaned;
- and
- drawing a vacuum on said solvent reservoir and connecting a vacuum opening on said cleaning tool to said solvent reservoir via a vacuum line whereby solvent applied to the surface to be cleaned is immediately picked up along with loosened ink by said cleaning tool and drawn by said vacuum back into said solvent reservoir.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.