Alliance Laundry Systems LLC

Other

Eminent Technologies LLC

Raytheon Commercial Laundry LLC

Thar Technologies, Inc.

Thar Process, Inc.

The Fizzy Fruit Company, Inc.

Andrew F Kegler

Stephen L Harris

Gregory L Malchow

Lalit M Chordia

James L Roberts

Andrew Huerth

Jose Martinez

Qingyue Ling

Galen D Kaufman

Michael Bonlender

Lon Borgmann

Thomas F L'Esperance

Desai Bhishmakumar

Charles Becht

Bhishmakumar Desai

A system for processing objects to be cleaned that includes a processing vessel, and a storage vessel that includes an upper section for storing clean liquid and a lower section for storing dirty liquid. The upper section and lower section are in flow communication.

Processing system

A closure for a pressure vessel that includes a neck with a groove defined in the inner diameter, and a door assembly that pivots between opened and closed positions. The door assembly includes a door portion sized to be received in an opening of the neck, a guide plate connected to the door portion and rotatable between locked and unlocked positions, a first lock ring segment positioned radially outwardly of the guide plate and a handle. The guide plate includes a first cam path defined therein that receives a cam member of a first lug assembly that extends inwardly from the first lock ring segment. Rotation of the handle (and guide plate) from the unlocked to the locked position moves the first lock ring segment from a locked to an unlocked position. In the locked position, the first lock ring segment is received in the groove of the neck.

Pressure vessel closure

A horizontal axis washing machine having a front opening clothes containing rotary basket with a plurality of elongated internally mounted baffles for agitating items within the basket during a washing operation. The baffles each have a solid outwardly extending rib which has a nonlinear curved configuration for defining a plurality of water lifting and agitating cavities on each side of the baffle. The cavities on one side of the baffle are effective for lifting and agitating wash water with a vortex movement as an incident to rotation of the basket in one rotary direction and the cavities on the opposite side of the baffle are operative for lifting and agitating water with an oppositely directed vortex movement as an incident to rotation of the basket in an opposite rotary direction.

Front loading washer baffle

A washing machine system comprising an outer tub with a basket rotatably supported within the outer tub. The basket receives launderable items and wash water. The washing machine includes a drive motor that rotates the basket during the wash operation, and a balance ring associated with the basket containing counterweights that move within the balance ring to compensate for an imbalanced mass in the basket. The washing machine includes a controller communicating with the motor. The controller sends signals to the motor to rotate the basket at selective rotational speeds, and receives electronic signals indicating the power used to rotate the basket at selective speeds. The controller compensates for the imbalanced mass by preventing the drive motor from rotating the basket at a substantially constant speed between a predetermined minimum resonance speed and a predetermined maximum resonance speed for more than a predetermined maximum dwell time during the wash operation.

Washing machine control system and methods

A high pressure food package and system including a cup for holding a quantity of food product, a lid for covering the cup, and at least one one-way sealing mechanism that permits a gas to pass through the sealing mechanism into the interior space enclosed by the cup and lid and that prevents the gas from escaping from the interior space through the sealing mechanism. The high pressure package (and system and method for using the same) is especially well suited for producing a food product (such as fruits or vegetables) having an effervescent sensory (or carbonated) character.

High pressure food package and system

Apparatus for the continuous processing and solids handling in first near-critical and supercritical fluids. The present invention also allows for treatment of the starting material with the first near-critical or supercritical fluid. The remaining raffinate is then continuously transferred and may be collected in a second fluid.

Continuous processing and solids handling in near-critical and supercritical fluids

The present invention provides methods and apparatuses for the continuous processing and solids handling in near-critical and supercritical fluids. The present invention also allows for treatment of the starting material with the near-critical or supercritical fluid. The remaining raffinate is then continuously transferred and may be collected in a barrier fluid.

A clothes dryer has a test button for testing the fire suppression system of the dryer. The test button is connected to the temperature sensor of the fire suppression system such that when the test button is actuated it presents a signal, such as by shorting the two leads of the temperature sensor together, to simulate the condition of the temperature sensor sensing a high temperature. This triggers the control circuit of the fire suppression system to turn on a water valve to activate the sprinkler system. The fire suppression system is then reset by actuating a reset button.

System and method for testing a fire suppression system in a clothes dryer

A laundry machine having a malfunction detection system for detecting when an obstructing item protrudes outwardly from a perforated tumbler of the machine beyond a predetermined amount during rotation of the tumbler and for detecting when the drive belt for the tumbler is either broken or dislodged from its drive pulleys. In response to either malfunction, a control device is actuated for automatically shutting down operation of the machine. The obstruction detection system includes a cable disposed in closely spaced relation to an outer perimeter of the tumbler for engagement by an obstructing item extending outwardly from the perforated tumbler beyond the predetermined spacing of the cables. In the illustrated embodiment, the obstruction detection system and the drive belt malfunction detection system utilize a common malfunction detection switch and control circuitry.

Laundry machine with malfunction detection systems

A liquified gas dry cleaning system is provided which includes a cleaning vessel for containing a pressurized cleaning fluid and a storage tank for receiving and storing a cleaning fluid supply. The system also includes a cleaning fluid recovery still for separating contaminants from the cleaning fluid along with a filtration system for filtering contaminants from the cleaning fluid. A purge tank for receiving gaseous cleaning fluid which is in fluid communication with the cleaning vessel is also provided. The cleaning vessel, storage tank, purge tank, solvent recovery still and filtration system are arranged in a plurality of modules. The modules are in fluid communication with each other through a fluid line for carrying liquified cleaning fluid and a gas line for carrying gaseous cleaning fluid. The fluid line and gas line each include a respective junction for permitting separation of the modules. The fluid line junction and the gas line junction are disposed and configured such that the modules can be assembled in different configurations without any requiring any rerouting of the liquid and gas lines.

Liquified gas dry-cleaning machine with convertible installation configuration

A liquified gas dry-cleaning machine having a cleaning vessel with a chamber for containing a wash bath and items to be cleaned and a removable door for sealing the cleaning chamber during a dry-cleaning operation. The dry-cleaning machine has a door opening and closing apparatus which includes a pivot frame for moving the door outwardly from the cleaning vessel in an arced path of movement, and a slide for lowering the door on the pivot frame in a linear path of movement to a position below the level of the cleaning vessel. Reverse movement of the pivot frame thereupon positions the door in a tucked stored position at the same axial location with respect to the cleaning vessel as when the door is closed so as not to impede access to the cleaning chamber nor increase the axial reach of an operator necessary for removing items from the chamber. The door opening and closing apparatus further includes a protective plate which is carried by the pivot frame and is movable between a raised position for protecting operating personnel during door opening and closing operations and a lower position for permitting access to the cleaning chamber following a door opening operation.

High pressure cleaning vessel with a space saving door opening/closing apparatus

A liquified gas dry-cleaning system having a cleaning vessel, a rotary basket supported within the cleaning vessel for containing items during cleaning, and a door movable between a closed position sealing the cleaning vessel and an open position for permitting access to the rotary basket and items contained therein. A lint filter is mounted within the cleaning vessel for removing lint and other course particulate matter from the liquified gas wash bath as it is drained from the cleaning vessel following a dry-cleaning cycle. The lint filter has a filter surface which is disposed under a front entry opening of the basket for easy access and manual cleaning each time the cleaning vessel door is opened and items are removed from the basket following a cleaning cycle.

Liquified gas dry-cleaning vessel with self-contained front access lint panel

A liquified gas dry-cleaning machine having a cleaning vessel with a chamber for containing a wash bath and items to be cleaned, a removable door for sealing the cleaning chamber during a dry-cleaning operation, and a locking ring for retaining the door in closed position. A door opening and closing apparatus is provided which includes a pivot frame for moving the door in an arced path of movement into and out of closed position with the cleaning vessel. The door and locking ring have respective locking lugs with a specifically designed geometry for enabling arced movement of the door into and out of the closed position and for centering the door in aligned relation to the cleaning chamber as an incident to such movement. The locking lugs further have mating locking surfaces designed for point contact in a manner that minimizes stress concentrations at n the roots of the locking ring lugs.

Dry cleaning vessel door opening apparatus with self-aligning and reduced stress locking lugs

A liquified gas dry-cleaning system including a storage tank containing a liquified gas derived from a liquifiable gas, a pressure vessel for containing a liquid bath derived from the liquifiable gas, and a circulating system for transporting the liquified gas between the storage tank and the pressurized vessel. The pressurized vessel includes a compressor mounted in a wall structure of the vessel for use in evacuating a gaseous form of the liquifiable gas released from the liquid bath during a cleaning cycle. Positioning of the compressor in this manner allows heat generated during each compression stroke of the compressor to be directed to the interior of pressure vessel to minimize the effects of a temperature decrease incident to the gaseous evacuation.

Liquified gas dry-cleaning system with pressure vessel temperature compensating compressor

A pressure vessel which includes a door operating apparatus which enables a door to the pressure vessel to be moved between open and closed positions quickly and easily is provided. The door operating apparatus includes a translation rod supported on the pressure vessel for sliding movement relative to the housing of the pressure vessel such that the sliding movement of the translation rod guides the door in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the door opening in the housing between the open and closed positions. The translation rod further being supported on the pressure vessel for pivotal movement with respect to the pressure vessel housing so as to enable the door to pivot about an axis defined by the translation rod into a fully open position. A handle can also be pivotally connected in off-center relation to a front face of the door for movement between a retracted position wherein the handle is arranged substantially adjacent to the front face of the door and an extended position wherein the handle extends away from the front face of the door and towards an outer periphery of the door.

Growing community of inventors

Ripon, WI, United States of America

Andrew F Kegler