Claims
- 1. A stone-washing machine comprising the combination of a rigid, open base frame having opposite sides, a horizontally disposed drum defining a substantially horizontal axis of rotation, said drum having opposite imperforate end walls of regular polygonal shape defining aligned peripheral edges, a plurality of imperforate substantially rectangular panels each of which extends between an aligned pair of said peripheral edges, said panels engaging one another and said end walls to provide a liquid tight drum, one of said panels having at lest a major section which is selectively removable to define an enlarged opening for loading and unloading the drum with solid stone-like objects and textile objects which are to be stone-washed, means for introducing liquid such as potassium permanganate into the drum, support means on said frame for rotatably supporting said drum about said axis, said support means including a pair of spaced coplanar support wheels supported for rotation at one of said sides of the base frame, drive means for rotating said drum about said axis, and guide means on said drum including a circular track circumscribing one end of the drum and rigidly secured thereto, said circular track being of generally outwardly directed U-shaped cross section to define a pair of spaced circular leg portions disposed in substantially parallel planes extending perpendicular to said axis, said support wheels being supported for rotation about axes which are substantially parallel with said first-mentioned axis and having a width fitting into said track, said support wheels having opposite lateral surfaces disposed in facing relation to said leg portions of the associated track to provide means for constraining said drum against axial movement along said axis relative to said frame.
- 2. A stone-washing machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said guide means also includes a second circular track similar to the first-mentioned circular track and circumscribing the opposite end of the drum and rigidly secured thereto, said support means also including a second pair of spaced, coplanar wheels having widths fitting into said second circular track and supported for rotation on the other of said opposite sides of the frame.
- 3. A stone-washing machine as defined in claim 2 wherein said drive means is connected to one of said wheels for rotating same.
- 4. A stone-washing machine as defined in claim 3 wherein said one of said panels is completely removable to form an enlarged opening the size of said one of said panels.
- 5. A stone-washing machine as defined in claim 4 wherein said means for introducing liquid comprises a conduit passing centrally through one of said end walls and connected to a supply of potassium permanganate.
Priority Claims (1)
| Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
| 8700715 |
Mar 1987 |
NLX |
|
Parent Case Info
The invention relates to an apparatus for processing textiles with a mixture of solid bodies and/or liquid, such as stones in a chemical solution or the like, in order for example to achieve a "worn" look, this apparatus being provided with a drum driven for rotation.
It is current practice to give textile goods a worn appearance by "washing" them with a mixture of solid bodies, such as stones, in a liquid, for instance a solution of potasium permanganate, whereby jeans material obtains a worn appearance, this being known in the trade as "stone-washed".
Known machines for stone-washing are provided with a rotatably driven drum, whereby the drum is provided with shaft end parts rotating in bearings, this construction being known for industrial washing machines. Such machines are however prone to damage because the stones with the liquid result in considerable extra weight.
The invention has for its object to provide an apparatus with which stone-washing can be performed in simple manner without this entailing an appreciable weight increase in the construction relative to the known apparatus.
The apparatus according to the invention is distinguished in that the drum is formed with at least one circular track, each of which rolls over at least one pair of wheels supported by a frame.
In the present embodiment the drum itself has a weight that is no greater than in the known devices, but, as a result of the use of the roller track, the drum can be supported much more favourably than with the usual shaft end part construction. The roller tracks can be arranged on the most suitable location of the drum periphery for as favourable a distribution of forces as possible.
One of the supporting wheels or rollers is preferably driven, which results in the construction being even further simplified.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
| Number |
Date |
Country |
| 3129699 |
Feb 1983 |
DEX |
| 1175623 |
Dec 1959 |
FRX |
Patent Grant
4881385
