Textile cleaning

Abstract

A textile cleaning apparatus comprising a track adapted to extend along a row of textile machines, a carrier movable along the track, and means for driving the carrier along the track. The carrier includes blower means for directing a stream of air outwardly, conduit means associated with said blower means for directing at least one stream of air onto the textile machines as the carrier moves along the track, and air intake means associated with the blower means. The air intake means includes a chamber and a conduit communicating with the chamber and extending generally vertically alongside a row of machines. The conduit has an outer wall and a tubular filter within the conduit with means associated with the lower end of the filter for closing the space between the filter and conduit such that air drawn upwardly passes along the inner periphery of the filter. Valve means is associated with the filter to normally close the upper end of the filter. Means are associated with the upper end of the filter for closing the space between the filter and the conduit and cooperates with said valve means so that the air flowing upwardly in the filter passes through the filter in order to move out of the conduit into said chamber. Stationary means is provided along the path of the track and includes a clean-out station connected to a source of vacuum such that as the carrier moves past the clean-out station, the upper end of the conduit associated with said clean-out station is brought into register with the clean-out station and the valve means at the upper end of the filter is acutated to permit the material deposited on the interior of the filter to be drawn upwardly into the clean-out station.