# US 6,295,684 B1 · Apparatus for cleaning laminated sheets > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 6,295,684 B1 - Document ID: US6295684B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 09/298,162 - Filed: 1999-04-23 - Granted: 2001-10-02 - Earliest claimed: 1998-11-12 - Inventors: Robert Skinner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6295684B1 ## CPC - B08B 1/20: Cleaning of moving articles, e.g. of moving webs or of objects on a conveyor - B08B 1/34: rotating about an axis parallel to the surface - B08B 3/041: {Cleaning travelling work} - F26B 13/26: using sorbent surfaces, e.g. bands or coverings on rollers - B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL - F26B: DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM (drying devices for combines A01D41/133; racks for drying fruit or vegetables A01F25/12; drying foodstuffs A23; drying hair A45D20/00; body-drying implements A47K10/00; drying household articles A47L; drying gases or vapours B01D; chemical or physical processes for dewatering or like separating liquids from solids B01D43/00; centrifugal apparatus B04; drying ceramics C04B33/30; drying yarns or fabrics in association with some other form of treatment D06C; drying frames for laundry without heating or positive air circulation, domestic laundry-or spin-driers, wringing or hot pressing laundry D06F; furnaces, kilns, ovens F27) ## Abstract An apparatus is disclosed for the cleaning of solubly marked laminated sheets. A laminated sheet is fed over a cleaning surface along which are disposed a plurality of solvent-carrying wipers. The solvent-carrying wipers will wipe the markings from the sheet and the sheet feeder will then deposit the wiped sheet at the other end of the apparatus. Drying means could wipe excess solvent from the sheet following its passage over the wipers. The device will be of particular assistance in the gaming industry, where reusable gaming cards might be substituted for disposable paper cards currently employed for substantial economic savings. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for use in the cleaning of solubly marked laminated sheets by a solvent, each of said sheets having at least one solvent-impermeable face carrying soluble markings thereon, said apparatus comprising: a cleaning surface, said cleaning surface having an intake end and an output end between which is defined a cleaning path; a continuous sheet feeding belt which moves a solubly marked laminated sheet over the cleaning surface along the cleaning path from the intake end, with the solubly marked face of the sheet facing the cleaning surface, and deposits said sheet at the output end; a solvent source containing solvent; at least one sheet wiper disposed on the cleaning surface along the cleaning path, the sheet wiper having a wiping surface facing upwards from the cleaning surface which will contact the solubly marked face of a sheet as it is fed over the cleaning surface; the solvent source in communication with the sheet wipers so that solvent is communicated from the solvent source to the wiping surfaces. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sheet wiper comprises a cleaning roller rotatably mounted on an axis transverse to the cleaning path and having a portion thereof exposed along or above the cleaning surface which is the wiping surface, the remaining portion of the roller below the cleaning surface being the under-surface portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a rotary drive connected to the cleaning roller. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the cleaning roller is rotated towards the output end of the cleaning surface by the rotary drive. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the solvent source is a reservoir located directly below the cleaning surface and the under-surface portion of the cleaning roller passes through the solvent in the reservoir as each cleaning roller is rotated, solvent thus being communicated from the reservoir to the cleaning surface as the cleaning roller continues its rotation and the under-surface portion having been immersed in the solvent rolls into position as the wiping surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the cleaning roller is hollow with a permeable wall, and solvent is communicated to the wiping surface of each roller from the solvent source by pumping it into the hollow rollers wherefrom it will flow out of said permeable wall onto the surface of the roller. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a cleaning sleeve press roller rotatably mounted on an axis substantially parallel to the axis of the cleaning roller, and located under the cleaning surface and above the solvent such that a surface of the cleaning sleeve press roller bears against a surface of the cleaning roller as same rotates up out of the solvent. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a return for the removal of excess solvent from the cleaning surface. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one sheet dryer disposed along the cleaning path between the sheet wiper and the output end. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the sheet dryer comprises a drying pad with an absorbent drying surface exposed along the cleaning surface. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a drying fan located below the cleaning surface to assist in drying the recovered solvent from the sheet dryer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the sheet dryer comprises a drying roller, and wherein the drying roller: has an absorbent surface; is rotatably mounted on an axis transverse to the cleaning path; has a portion thereof exposed along or above the cleaning surface which is the absorbent drying surface, the remaining portion of each roller below the cleaning surface being the under-surface portion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the absorbent surface of the drying roller is an interchangeable absorbent sleeve.