Pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system and method for making the same

There is disclosed a pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system for use to clean the cylinders of printing machines. The system includes a pre-soaked fabric roll saturated to equilibrium with low volatility organic compound solvent which is wrapped around a cylindrical core having open ends to form a roll. The saturated, wrapped fabric roll is inserted in a heat-sealable or heat-shrinkable and heat-sealable plastic sleeve, the sleeve being to intimate contact with the fabric roll after being subjected in heat-sealing or heat-shrinking and heat-sealing, thus permitting transporting and storage of the system until use without detrimentally affecting the cleaning ability of the fabric roll.The system may also include a slotted canister in which the saturated wrapped roll is inserted before it is placed into the plastic sleeve and heat-sealed or heat-shrunken and heat-sealed thereon or end caps inserted in the open ends of the core.A method for making the system is also disclosed.

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Claims

1. A pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system for use to clean the cylinders of printing machines comprising:

(1) a pre-soaked fabric roll saturated to equilibrium with low volatility organic compound solvent disposed around an elongated cylindrical core having open ends, and
(2) a heat-sealed plastic sleeve disposed around and in intimate contact with said fabric roll, whereby the pre-soaked, saturated fabric roll can be transported and stored vertically and horizontally until use without substantially disturbing the distribution of said solvent in said fabric roll and detrimentally affecting the cleaning ability of the fabric.

2. A pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system as defined in claim 1 wherein the fabric is a cloth fabric.

3. A pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system as defined in claim 2 wherein the cloth comprises non-woven synthetic fiber material.

4. A pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system as defined in claim 2 wherein the cloth comprises woven synthetic fiber material.

5. A pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system as defined in claim 2 wherein the cloth comprises non-woven natural fiber material.

6. A pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system as defined in claim 2 wherein the cloth comprises woven, natural fiber material.

7. A pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system as defined in claim 2 wherein the cloth comprises a mixture of synthetic and natural fiber materials.

9. A pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system as defined in claim 1 wherein the fabric is paper fabric.

11. A pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system as defined in claim 1 wherein the low volatility organic compound solvent comprises at least one organic solvent compound which does not readily evaporate and is selected from the group consisting of vegetable oils and citrus oils having a volatility in a range of from about zero up to about 30 percent.

12. A pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system as defined in claim 1 wherein the low volatility organic compound solvent comprises at least one organic solvent compound which readily evaporates and which is selected from mineral spirits and aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents and a volatility in a range of from about zero up to about 100 percent.

13. A pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system as defined in claim 1 wherein the heat-sealed plastic sleeve is comprised of a heat-sealable plastic material selected from the group consisting of heat sealable polyethylenes, heat-sealable polyolefins, polyvinyl chlorides, and heat-sealable polyamides.

14. A pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system as defined in claim 1 wherein the heat-sealed plastic sleeve is also heat-shrinkable and is comprised of a heat-sealable and heat-shrinkable plastic material selected from the group consisting of heat-sealable and heat-shrinkable polyethylenes, heat-sealable and heat-shrinkable polyolefins, heat-sealable and heat-shrinkable polyvinyl chlorides, and heat-sealable and heat-shrinkable polyamides.

15. A pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system according to claim 1 including a canister disposed between the pre-soaked fabric roll and the heat-sealed plastic sleeve.

16. A pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system according to claim 1 including end caps located in the open ends of the elongated cylindrical core and extending over the peripheral edges of the fabric roll.

17. A method for making a pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system comprising contacting a strip of cleaning fabric with low volatility, organic compound solvent which does not evaporate readily at ambient temperature and pressure and pre-soaking and saturating said fabric with said solvent, draining off excess solvent from said saturated fabric and obtaining a fabric saturated to equilibrium with said solvent; wrapping the drained, saturated fabric around an elongated cylindrical core having open ends and forming a roll; disposing a heat-sealable plastic sleeve around the drained, saturated, wrapped fabric roll and subjecting said plastic sleeve to a temperature sufficient to heat-seal said plastic sleeve around said drained, saturated, wrapped fabric roll in intimate contact with the fabric roll, whereby the pre-soaked, saturated fabric roll can be transported and stored vertically and horizontally until use without substantially disturbing the distribution of said solvent in said fabric roll and detrimentally affecting the cleaning ability of the fabric roll.

18. A method for making a pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system as defined in claim 17 wherein the strip of cleaning fabric is wrapped around the elongated cylindrical core to form a roll before contacting said strip of cleaning fabric with the solvent.

19. A method for making a pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system according to claim 17 including subjecting the heat-sealable plastic sleeve to a vacuum and drawing the heat-sealable plastic sleeve into intimate contact with the wrapped fabric roll after disposing the wrapped fabric roll in said heat-sealable plastic sleeve and before heat-sealing said plastic sleeve.

20. A method for making a pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system according to claim 17 including inserting the wrapped fabric roll into a slotted canister before it is introduced into the plastic sleeve.

21. A method for making a pre-packaged, pre-sealed cleaning system according to claim 17 including inserting end caps in the open ends of the elongated cylindrical core which extend over the peripheral edges of the fabric roll before said fabric roll is inserted into the plastic sleeve.

22. A method for making a pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system as defined in claim 17 wherein the cleaning fabric is immersed at ambient temperature and pressure in the low volatility organic compound solvent to saturate said fabric and then drained at ambient temperature and pressure to remove excess solvent before said fabric is wrapped on the cylindrical core to form a roll.

23. A method for making a pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system as defined in claim 17 wherein the cleaning fabric is immersed at ambient temperature and pressure in the low volatility organic compound solvent to saturate said fabric and then drained at ambient temperature and pressure to remove excess solvent after said fabric is wrapped on the cylindrical core to form a roll.

24. A method according to claim 17 wherein the cleaning fabric is paper.

25. A method for making a pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system comprising contacting a strip of cleaning fabric with low volatility, organic compound solvent which does not evaporate readily at ambient temperature and pressure and pre-soaking and saturating said fabric with said solvent, draining off excess solvent from said saturated fabric and obtaining a fabric saturated to equilibrium with said solvent; wrapping the drained, saturated fabric around an elongated cylindrical core and forming a roll; disposing a heat-shrinkable and heat-sealable plastic sleeve around the drained, saturated, wrapped fabric roll and subjecting said plastic sleeve to a temperature sufficient to heat-shrink and heat-seal said plastic sleeve around said drained, saturated, wrapped fabric roll in intimate contact with the fabric roll, whereby the pre-soaked, saturated fabric roll can be transported and stored vertically and horizontally until use without substantially disturbing the distribution of said solvent in said fabric roll and detrimentally affecting the cleaning ability of the fabric roll.

26. A method for making a pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system as defined in claim 25 wherein the plastic sleeve is heat-shrunken and heat-sealed at a temperature in a range of from about 300.degree. F. to about 400.degree. F.

27. A method for making a pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system as defined in claim 25 wherein the plastic sleeve is heat-shrunken and heat-sealed at a temperature in a range of from about 350.degree. F. to about 375.degree. F..Iadd.

28. A pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system for use to clean the cylinders of printing machines comprising:

(1) a pre-soaked fabric roll saturated to equilibrium with low volatility organic compound solvent disposed around a core, and
(2) a sealed sleeve disposed around and in contact with said fabric roll, whereby the pre-soaked, saturated fabric roll can be transported and stored vertically and horizontally until use without substantially disturbing the distribution of said solvent in said fabric roll and detrimentally affecting the cleaning ability of the fabric..Iaddend..Iadd.

29. A pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system as defined in claim 28 wherein the sealed sleeve can be opened or removed from the fabric roll for use of said fabric roll and including in combination therewith means for positioning said pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system adjacent a cylinder to be cleaned..Iaddend..Iadd.30. A pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system as defined in claim 1 wherein the sealed sleeve can be opened or removed from the fabric roll for use of said fabric roll and including means locating said fabric roll adjacent to and operatively associated with a cylinder to be cleaned..Iaddend..Iadd.31. A pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system as defined in claim 28, in combination with mounting means for mounting the pre-soaked fabric roll in a position to clean a cylinder while the fabric is in contact with and being fed past said cylinder..Iaddend..Iadd.32. A pre-packaged, pre-soaked cleaning system for use to clean the cylinder of printing machines comprising in combination:

(1) a pre-soaked fabric roll saturated to equilibrium with cleaning solvent disposed around a core, said fabric roll having a sealed sleeve which can be opened or removed from said fabric roll for use of said fabric roll, disposed therearound, and said system including
(2) means for locating said fabric roll adjacent to and operatively associated with a cylinder to be cleaned..Iaddend.
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Patent History
Patent number: RE35976
Type: Grant
Filed: Aug 28, 1996
Date of Patent: Dec 1, 1998
Assignee: Baldwin Graphic Systems, Inc. (Stamford, CT)
Inventors: Charles R. Gasparrini (Port Chester, NY), Walter H. Cano (Bridgeport, CT)
Primary Examiner: Jacob K. Ackun
Law Firm: Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P.
Application Number: 8/697,611
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: Brush (206/209); Flaccid Wrapper (206/410); Shrink Film Package (e.g., By Heat Or Vacuum) (206/497); Liquid Treating (53/431)
International Classification: B65D 8567;