Abstract: In a linen or clothes washing machine having a drum (12) with a substantially horizontal axis, which is internally subdivided into two compartments (14a, 14b) by a partition (16) passing through the axis thereof, the drum (12) is rotated at an angular velocity or speed such that the linen (24a, 24b) is subject to a substantially constant radial acceleration with a mean value between approximately 0.70 and 0.95 g, in which g represents the gravitational acceleration. To this end, the system controlling the rotation of the drum (12) preferably includes a closed loop speed control device. An efficient washing is ensured by making the two linen loads (24a, 24b) drop whenever the drum performs a half-turn.

Abstract: A continuously and combiningly operable breadth expansion and vibration enhanced spray dyeing machine, which can provide dyeing and other processing operations on a fabric in a continuous way. The dye and treating agents are spraying onto the fabric. By a high speed air flow, the fabric can have a violent vibration to speed up the processing effect. Therefore, the fabric can be processed with small amount continuous dyeing and other processing operations in a short period of time.

Abstract: A dyeing process comprising a number of liquid treatment steps such as washing and rinsing, after the application of the dyeing liquor to the textile, the fabric being centrifuged after each treatment step; and a centrifuge adapted for carrying out the centrifugation.

Abstract: In a laundry drum, a liquid diverter includes a driver having a driver interior and a run-off ramp therein. The driver interior receives liquid scooped and lifted by the drum during rotation thereof. The driver discharges scooped liquid in its lifted position into the drum interior. The run-off ramp is oriented horizontally or has a descending gradient when the drum rotation axis is orientated in a direction deviating from horizontal and when the drum is in a rotary position in which the driver is in its highest position, and thereby, permits, in all of the drum's rotation directions, a flow of scooped liquid on the run-off ramp in a direction of a rising part of the rotation axis when in the driver's lifted position. The liquid is conducted into only part of the drivers in a case of low liquid level as a result of the inclination.

Abstract: A plate-tilting apparatus adapted to be used in a semiconductor-manufacturing process is disclosed. The plate-tilting apparatus is used for preventing thin wafers from being collected in a cassette contacted with each other after the thin wafers are taken out of a solution. It includes a plate having the container locked thereon and having a first edge pivotally connected to a basal plane of a tank used in the semiconductor-manufacturing process, and a plate-lifting device connected to a second edge of the plate opposite to the first edge for lifting the second edge of the plate, so that the plate can be tilted at a specific angle.

Abstract: A dyeing machine fabric guide arrangement having a plurality of shafts respectively installed in the housing of a dyeing machine above a respective dye vat, a plurality of fabric guide rings respectively mounted on the shafts for guiding a respective fabric through a respective dye vat in the housing, and a plurality of hand wheels respectively fixedly fastened to the shafts outside the housing for enabling the operator to rotate the shafts and to change the angular position of the fabric guide rings respectively, so as to further adjust the tension of the respective fabrics passing through the fabric guide rings.

Abstract: The invention, in a first aspect is a multi-piece rotor for use in a chemical spray cleaner. The rotor comprises a top plate, a bottom plate, a plurality of struts, and a pair of retainer bars. The top plate defining an aperture keyed to a wafer cassette. The bottom plate includes an interior surface on which the wafer cassette may bottom and an exterior surface defining an aperture for receiving a rotating shaft. The struts separate the top and bottom plates, each strut fastened at a top end thereof to the top plate and at a bottom end to the bottom plate. The retaining bars fasten to adjacent ones of the struts on the radially proximal surface thereof. In a second aspect, the invention is a rotor constructed from polyphenelyne sulfide for use in a chemical spray cleaner.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for desorbing processing liquid from a processing liquid delivery line is provided. Non-thermal energy, such as ultrasonic energy or electromagnetic energy, is applied to a processing liquid delivery line. The non-thermal energy may be applied directly to the processing liquid delivery line, or may be applied indirectly via a conducting medium which distributes the energy along the length of the processing liquid delivery line. When non-thermal energy in the form of electromagnetic energy is employed, the frequency of the electromagnetic energy is adjusted to match the vibrational frequency of the absorbed molecules of processing liquid.

Abstract: A method and appliance for determining the angular position of a laundry drum and a power consumption of an electric motor driving the drum to derive therefrom a laundry weight in the drum includes directly driving the drum with the motor from a lower laundry position to a raised position where a laundry center of gravity is offset from a rotation axis to produce a loading weight from the driving current of the electric motor measured when the raised position is reached. Alternatively or additionally, the drum is turned until the controller detects a power consumption of the electric motor corresponding to a stored maximum current value to derive a weight of the laundry from a signal corresponding to the angular distance. The controller stores a predetermined, defined maximum current value and measures a power consumption of the electric motor.

Abstract: A collapsible pig attached to the end of a tubing and having a seal to the bore of a pipeline for pulling the tubing into the pipeline at up to a predetermined pressure differential across the seal and while allowing the fluid in front of the pig to flow into the end of the tubing without pressure restriction, alternately having reversed flow from within the tubing exit the end of the tubing through jetting nozzles, and having the seal collapse at a pressure differential higher than the predetermined pressure differential.

Abstract: A washing machine, provided with a twistable washing tub inside a perforated spin-drying tub for improving its cleaning effect, is disclosed. The twistable washing tub is repeatedly twisted and untwisted at its sidewall during a washing process, thus repeatedly compressing and releasing the laundry and improving the laundry cleaning effect. The washing machine includes an outer tub containing water therein, and a drive unit installed at a position outside the outer tub and generating rotating force. A washing tub is rotatably set within the outer tub, and is connected to the drive unit at its lower portion. This washing tub is twistable and deformable at its sidewall to compress the laundry contained therein during a rotating action of the washing tub.

Abstract: A processing apparatus is provided for cleaning a wafer W. In the apparatus, a carbonated solution in the form of mist is ejected onto the wafer W through a nozzle 41, so that the film of carbonated solution, i.e., a conductive liquid film is formed on the wafer W. Next, a pure water highly pressurized by a jet pump 47 is ejected on the wafer W for cleaning it. The film of carbonated solution prevents devices built on the wafer W from being broken electrostatically. A liquid passage 52 from a supply source 51 of the carbonated solution up to the nozzle 41 is made of material which does not dissolve its metallic components into the carbonated solution in spite of the contact of the liquid passage 52 with the carbonated solution.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described for removing contaminants from an article using a supercritical or near supercritical solvent fluid held at substantially constant pressure in a pressure vessel. The article to be cleaned is first contacted with a solvent fluid in which the contaminant is soluble at a first supercritical or near-supercritical temperature. The contaminant-containing fluid is then cooled or heated to a second supercritical or near supercritical temperature to lower the solubility of the contaminant in the supercritical fluid and thereby precipitate or phase separate the contaminant. The contaminant is then recovered. Movement of the solvent fluid within the pressure vessel is preferably by convection induced by heating and cooling means in the vessel.

Abstract: The invention provides a pair of parallel megasonic transducers that generate parallel columns of megasonic waves across a cleaning container. Semiconductor wafers move back and forth transverse to the columns. The transducers have their back side potted with a silicone elastomer to prevent corrosion. In another embodiment megasonic waves from in-line transducers are dispersed with a cylindrical quartz rod. Water is enriched with ozone by pumping ozone under pressure through a filter into sealed housing of deionized water.

Abstract: A spray cleaning apparatus discharges pressurized fluid through apertures or nozzles to clean debris and compacted grass clippings from an interior surface of a blade housing. The apparatus includes a hollow body defining a fluid passage with an inlet connectible to a source of fluid under pressure. At least one upwardly extending surface is provided for positioning the hollow body with respect to a wall of the blade housing such that at least a portion of the hollow body extends under the wall of the blade housing. An angled portion of an upper surface of the hollow body is positioned with respect to the at least one upwardly extending surface to expose the angled portion to an interior of the blade housing. A plurality of apertures extend through the angled portion for spraying pressurized fluid when the hollow body is connected to a source of pressurized fluid. The angled portion includes a self-centering concave surface with a curved leading edge.

Abstract: An ozonization system (100, 200 or 300) for washing and cleaning objects (71) is described. The system includes a container (110, 210 or 310), an ozonization unit (50) and a diffuser assembly. The container can be a standard kitchen sink, a commercial sink, enclosure (30) or an airtight box (410). The ozonization unit contains a pump (8), an ozone generator (6) and a water separator (162, 262 or 362) which are all controlled by a control circuit (5). The diffuser assembly in one embodiment is a diffuser wand assembly which fits within the standard spray opening (110A) of a kitchen sink. The diffuser tip (129) is inserted into the container and the ozone is diffused into the container through the diffuser tip. In another embodiment, the container has a diffuser plate (214 or 314) spaced apart from the bottom. The ozone is inserted into the gap (213 or 313) between the diffuser plate and the bottom of the container. The ozone is diffused from the gap through the diffuser plate into the container.

Abstract: Paint accumulations can be removed from paint atomizer applicator heads by passing pressurized solvent through the heads for prolonged time periods, e.g. one hour or more. Several paint applicator heads can be connected to an overhead piping system located in a treatment tank, so that solvent and entrained particulates can collect in the tank. An external filter and motor-operated pump can be connected to the tank and piping system for recirculating the solvent through the paint applicator heads on a continuing basis.

Abstract: An apparatus (10, 300, 400) for cleaning spray guns (18, 418) has a closed vessel (14) having an inlet (24, 424), a drain (22, 422) and a port (29) for receiving a nozzle (30) of a spray gun. A spray impeller (36, 136, 236, 336, 436) is rotatably mounted within the vessel (14) and in fluid communication with the inlet (24, 424). The spray impeller (36, 136, 236, 336, 436) has an offset cleaning nozzle (42, 44, 144, 141, 142, 242, 244, 442, 444) for projecting a cleaning spray towards the port (29) and a rotational nozzle (46, 48, 148, 246, 248, 446, 448) for projecting a rotational spray to effect rotation of the spray impeller (36, 136, 236, 336, 436). The port (29) has a seal (76, 78, 80) for sealingly receiving the spray gun (18, 418) and positioning the nozzle (30) of the spray gun in the cleaning spray.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the continuous dyeing of warp ends, in particular cotton warp ends, with indigo or other dyestuff groups which, after impregnating and squeezing out, require oxidation or thermal treatment for fixing. The method eliminates the disadvantages of traditional methods for the continuous dyeing of warp ends. In particular, the required bath amount is considerably reduced by this method. By using a new dyeing reactor (1), the residence time of the warp ends in the dyeing installation can be varied without having to increase the bath volume. The option of heating or cooling the dyeing bath enables a fixing temperature between below room temperature and over 100° C. to be chosen. Optimal conditions can thus be created for all dyeing methods which are habitual for warp ends.

Abstract: An apparatus for washing and recovering a contaminant from an object. A washing agent flows over the object, and the washing agent and contaminant are received in a basin. A slurry of the washing agent and contaminant are circulated through at least one separator and one filter to produce a cleaned slurry flow. The cleaned slurry flow is recirculated into the basin. A first pump which is used to flow the washing agent over the object has a supply port and a pressurized output port. A pressurized fluid supply is coupled to a variable regulator with a variable pressure output. A second pump driven by the variable pressure output impels the washing agent into the supply port of the first pump.