GB718863A - Method of extracting the liquid from fabric materials - Google Patents

Abstract

Fabric materials which have been washed by low speed tumbling within a drum the lower portion of which dips into a cleaning liquid are spin dried by a method which comprises (i) a primary extraction of the major proportion of the liquid by rotating the drum at an intermediate speed sufficiently low to obviate objectionable adherence of the materials to the inner wall of the drum, (ii) reducing the rotative speed to a point sufficient to permit the materials to fall by gravity away from the wall of the drum, and (iii) a secondary extraction of an additional amount of the remaining liquid by rotating the drum at a higher speed. In step (ii) the drum may be actually stopped. After step (ii) the drum may be rotated at slow speed to distribute the materials substantially uniformly around the drum, then rotated again at the intermediate speed, followed by step (iii). The invention is applied to a conventional washing machine having a perforated drum rotating about a horizontal or inclined axis and in which a complete cycle of operations is carried out, including soaking, washing, rinsing, spin drying and final drying by tumbling in the presence of hot air currents (see Group XIII). The load on the motor may be reduced by rotating the drum at the intermediate speed prior to each high speed extraction so as to effect a gradual acceleration. Solenoid operated gear changing mechanism is controlled by a timer.