US3161460A

US3161460A - Spraying unit

Info

Publication number: US3161460A
Application number: US62443A
Authority: US
Inventors: Huber Ernst
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1957-10-16
Filing date: 1960-10-13
Publication date: 1964-12-15
Anticipated expiration: 1981-12-15
Also published as: NL232165A; FR1204102A; DE1122657B; BE572052A; CH333852A

Description

E. HUBER SPRAYING UNIT Dec. 15, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001;. 13, 1960 mmucouom u 05 8 3 Dec. 15, I964 E HUBER 3,161,450

SPRAYING UNIT Filed Oct. 13, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 assigns Ice Patented Dec. 15, 1964 3,161,460 SPRAYENG UNKT Ernst Huber, Forchstrasse 132, Zumilron, Switzerland Filed Oct. 13, 1950, Ser. No. 62,443 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Get. 16, 1957, 51,632 8 Claims. (Cl. 8=--l42) This application is a continuation-in-part of my prior patent application Serial No. 766,264, filed October 9, 1958, and now abandoned.

This invention relates to a degreasing agent and more particularly to a spraying composition containing a finely divided absorbent and an organic solvent for fat and grease. The invention further relates to a method for treatment of fibrous materials so as to materially help in facilitating removal of fat and grease from fibrous materials. 1

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a spraying unit which produces a spray consisting of solid absorbent material with variable solvent content.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means fior depositing a solid absorbent with predetermined amounts of organic solvent on fibrous materials, so that in given areas of the deposit varying solvent contents of the absorbent are effective for extraction of oleophilic matter from the fibrous material.

Another object of the invention is a method for removing oleophilic spots and stains from textiles without leaving residues or rings on the textiles.

Still another. object of the invention is a novel method for dry-shampooing, i.e., removal of fat and grease from human hair without application of water.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide for filling of conventional aerosol dispensers which upon discharge from the dispenser produces an essentially coneshaped spray consisting of a finely divided fat-absorbing solid having a high solvent content in a central portion of the cone-shaped spray and a low solvent content in its peripheral zones.

The present invention is based on the surprising discovery that low boiling solvents, that is to say, with a boiling temperature of -10 C. and even below but in any case with a boiling point at normal pressure of below room temperature, may be used for grease and fat extracting purposes under normal conditions, i.e., room temperature (20-25 C.) and atmospheric pressure, it sprayed together with a finely divided absorbent from a pressure can.

Normally, in order to use such low boiling solvents for extraction of fat it would be necessary to effect the ex-' traction in a closed container and under a sufi'icient pressure to avoid vaporization of the solvent. However, in spraying such a low boiling organic solvent together with a suflicient amount of a finely divided solid absorbent under ordinary conditions (room temperature, normal pressure), the absorbent retards vaporization of the low boiling solvent. If, for example, vinyl chloride (having a boiling temperature at 760 mm. Hg pressure of 13.9 C.) is sprayed at room temperature and normal pressure from an aerosol container together with talcum powder (solid absorbent), the spray thus produced will' contain substantial amounts of this solvent even in a distance of 20-30 cm. from the spraying nozzle. Under the same conditions, but without the solid absorbent, the solvent would vaporize almost immediately after release from the aerosol container. 7

This phenomen, which for the sake of convenience will be called transportation effect'in this specification, is not limited-to the specific substances mentioned above but applies to all comparable systems as will be more specifically described below.

This effect, if properly utilized, affords beneficial results particularly in the field of removing fat and grease from fibrous materials such as, for example textiles, human hair, paper, felt, leather, etc.

To accomplish the removal of fat and grease from the material under treatment one has to merely direct the nozzle of a spraying unit (pressure can with an operable valve and nozzle containing a suitable low boiling organic solvent and powdered absorbent in appropriate amounts) to that material, operate the valve, and spray the mixture of absorbent and solvent onto the material under treatment. By appropriately varying the distance between the spraying nozzle and the treated material a deposit with varying content of solvent may be produced. The organic solvent dissolves the grease and/ or fat in or on the treated material and the resulting solution is absorbed by and dispersed in the solid absorbent. After a short time, the solvent evaporates and the dry absorbent is removed from the treated material together with the oil and/or fat.

Therefore, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided for a spraying unit extraction of oleophilic matter from fibrous materials comprising in combination a spray can having an operable valve completely sealing said spray can when not operated, said valve having a spraying nozzle directed exteriorly of said spray can, and said spray can containing a sprayable mixture consisting essentially of a solid absorbent in pulverized form and a low boiling organic solvent adapted to dissolve oil and fat, said solvent generating in said spray can a pressure sufiicient to force said sprayable mixture out of said spraying nozzle when said valve is operated sothat upon operation of said valve a spray havinga zone of said absorbent in essentially dry form is produced.

The invention will now be explained in detail with reference to the accommodating drawing, in which:

FIG. '1 shows a graphic evaluation of comparative spraying experiments, and

FIG. 2 a spraying unit producing a cone-shaped spray of solid absorbent with varying solvent content.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a graph showing the variation of weight (ordinate, weight units in grams) with time (abscissa, time in seconds) of test zones in comparative spraying experiments. In order to obtain this data, two commercially available aerosol containers with precision valves were filled with low boiling solvents, with and without a solid absorbent. Upon an automatic balance there was mounted a fiat piece of paper board or porcelain and the balance adjusted to zero. The nozzle of one of the containers was directed to the flat material and the valve operated to release a spray of the content of the container. In order to obtain comparable results, the temperature of the room must be kept constant and the atmospheric pressure registered so as to compare onlyv values measured at the same pressure. Also, the distance between nozzle and testing surface must be kept at a fixed value. After a predetermined period of spraying the respective solvent-absorbent mixture and the solvent alone onto the flat surface mounted on the balance the weight indicated by the balance is registered as a function of time.

In all cases where a mixture of low boiling solvent and solid absorbent was sprayed, the balance indicated a sharp weight increase due to depositing of sprayed material on the surface as indicated by the lines AB and AD in FIG. 1. The peaks B and D of the curves 1 and 2 indicate that after 2.5 seconds of spraying from a given distance (20 cm. for B, 30 cm. for D) 0.70 gram and 1.05 grams, respectively, of the sprayed mixture were deposited on the testing surface. After termination, the weights of the deposits decrease along curve 1 from B to C and along curve 2 from D to B, respectively; at the points C and E the weight remains constant indicating that all solvent is evaporated. The differences between these constant values and the original weights correspond, of course, to the weight of the deposited solid absorbent which in the specific cases shown in FIG. 1 equals 0.32 gram and 0.45 gram respectively. These experiments were repeated under identical conditions but without the solid component. With a spraying distance of 30 cm. no weight increase appeared on the balance. With a spraying distance of 20 em. a small amount of solvent reached the testing surface and a weight increase of 0.06 gram was registered. This 0.06 gram of solvent evaporated very quickly as indicated by the curve 3 between F and G, and 6 seconds after termination of spraying the balance showed the original weight.

It should be noted that the specific values set forth above were the result of a series of experiments, the solvent employed being a mixture of 50%, by weight, of difluoro dichloro methane (boiling point 30 C.) and 50%, by weight, of monochloro difiuoro methane (boiling point 21 C.). Similar experiments with other solvents having similar boiling points gave comparable values. The solid absorbent employed in the above experiments was talcum which if present in mixture with the solvent made up 10%, by'weight, of the mixture. It is evident from these experiments that the solid absorbent acts as a means for carrying the low boiling solvent. This conclusion follows by virtue of the fact that in the above experiments no weight increase was registered on the balance after spraying the solvent alone from a distance of 30 cm. Moreover, the same solvent if sprayed from this distance together with the absorbent was deposited in an amount of 0.38 gram on the testing surface. Of course, the absorbent also delays the evaporation of the solvent from the deposited layer by virtue of its insulating effect.

In FIG. 2 the spraying unit is shown producing a spray cone. The spraying unit consists of a container 1 with an operable spray valve 2 on the top thereof and completely sealing the container 1. The valve consists of a movable valve member 3, with a conduit 4 and a nozzle 4a. A sealing disc 5 is connected to the bottom of the valve member 3 and is pressed on the valve seat by means of a spring 6. A dip tube 8 is attached to the chamber 9 and extends down to the bottom of the container 1. It should be noted that similar spray cans as shown in FIG. 2 are well-known in the art and that spray cans other than the one shown may be employed. It should be emphasized that the present invention does not rely on a specific type of spray can but that it is based on a novel combinaiton of such a can with a solid absorbent and a low boiling solvent redounding in a unique operation and result. Only by employing such a novel combination the surprising and beneficial results of the present invention are obtainable since the mixture of solid absorbent and low boiling organic solvent may be stored at room temperature in a pressure container only; and its utilization is possible only if the pressure container is equipped with means for releasing the mixture in the form of a spray.

The operation of the spraying unit will now be more clearly explained with reference to FIG. 2. The container 1 is filled with a suitable mixture consisting essentially of a low boiling organic solvent and a finely divided solid absorbent. The consistency of the mixture must be such as to permit spraying, i.e., the mixture must be able to pass through the dip tube 8 and particularly the valve 2. Also, the low boiling solvent must generate, under normal conditions, a pressure in the room 11 sufiicient to force the mixture through dip tube 8 and valve 2 and out of the nozzle 4a at such a rate that the mixture is atomized to form a fine spray or aerosol. The nature of the solvent and the solid absorbent necessary to attain these results will be discussed below.

The spray 12 originating from the nozzle 4a diverges and generally approximates the form of a cone. At the top of the cone, that is, in the immediate vicinity of the nozzle 4a, the spray has practically the same composition as the original mixture 10 in the container. As the coneshaped spray diverges an increasing portion of the solvent evaporates from the periphery of the cone. This is to be exemplified by the cross-sections e e and e in FIG. 2. The peripheral zone z consisting of essentially dry absorbent increases with respect to the central zone 13 as indicated by the zones Z1 and Z2 in the planes of the crosssections e and 0 In the plane of the cross-section e the solvent is evaporated entirely and the spray consists essentially of dry absorbent. It should be noted that theoretically there is no sharp transposition between the dry zone and the wet or solvent containing zone. If the variation of the solvent content would be measured quantitatively e.g., in the entire cross-section e a gradual change would be observed. For practical purposes, however, it is not important whether in the dry zone (e.g., Z and Z2) the absorbent is entirely free of solvent, or whether it contains small amounts of solvent. The important criterion is, whether or not a given particle of the absorbent holds enough solvent to effect transfer of the solvent to another medium. Therefore, in order to determine the relative proportions of the dry and the wet zones, a porous material, e.g., blotting paper, card-board, etc., is placed before the nozzle at a given distance so that a circular deposit is formed upon this porous material when the valve is opened. The solid absorbent is precipitated on the side of the material directed towards the nozzle, whereas on the opposite side a circular zone of permeated solvent is visible. By comparing the diameters of the circular solid deposit and the circular permeated solvent zone the extent of the dry or wet zones in a given spray may be determined. Preferably, both sides of the porous material in the path of the spray are photographed simultaneously and immediately after closing of the valve in order to minimize the effects of solvent evaporation.

With the spraying unit according to the invention it is possible to produce a deposit, the solvent content of which may be altered by varying the distance between the nozzle and the treated material. Also, it is possible by repeated spraying operations at various distances to deposit successive layers with different solvent content. Furthermore, it is possible to cover a given area with a deposit having a solvent containing center and a dry zone concentrically surrounding the center.

If, therefore, the spraying unit described above is to be used for removing spots from textile materials a deposit of absorbent material with high solvent content is sprayed onto the textile material on the spot and its immediate vicinity. Simultaneously, or in a successive operation, a layer of dry absorbent is sprayed around the wet deposit. This makes it possible to remove the spot after drying of the deposit together with the solid absorbent.

It should be noted that, of course, not every type of spot can be removed by this method. Non-oleophilic spots, that is, discolorations of textiles by dyes, metal oxides, sugar solutions, etc., could not be treated successfully since the low boiling organic solvent of the spraying unit according to the invention does not, in general, interact with such nonoleophilic substances. However, effective means for removing non-oleophilic spots are known and may be applied preceding to or after the treatment of the oleophilic spots according to the invention. Also, the majority of spots to be removed from textiles soiled in daily use are of the oleophilic type, i.e., extractable in an organic solvent such as benzene. The organic solvent of the spraying unit according to the invention may contain a minor amount of a lower aliphatic alcohol such as, for example, methyl or ethyl alcohol. Such an alcohol containing solvent is effective also for spots of ball-pen ink and the like, which are not purely oleophilic in character. The essential advantage of the method for removing spots according to the invention resides in the fact that the formation of rings is completely eliminated. Such rings are an undesirable side effect of prior art spot removers; they are caused by solvent or solution migration in the textile or porous material effecting the spreading of the spot material. In the field of chromatography this migration effect is well known and utilized for identification and isolation of chemical substances such as proteins, fatty acids, etc., from the solutions of these substances.

Since, according to the invention, a deposit of dry absorbent is sprayed around the solvent'containing zone, this migration is blocked since the dry absorbent absorbs the solvent which would otherwise migrate in the textile and cause the spreading of the spot, that is, the formation of rings.

According to another important aspect of the invention the spraying unit described above is used for dry-shampooing of human hair. The secretion of fat from the skin tends to make the hair oily or greasy and an important part of the technique of hair styling resides in preparing the hair properly so that the hair appears bright and dry. This usually is done by shampooing using water Example II A mixture of 36 parts of powdered sodium stearate and 6 parts high molecular polyoxypropylene were introduced into a suitable aerosol dispenser which, after closing with the valve, was filled under pressure with 125 parts of dichloro tetrafluoro ethane and 125 parts of trichloro fiuoro methane. The aerosol dispenser was well shaken to ensure that no sedimentation of the solid components would clog the dipping tube. Thereafter, the mixture was sprayed onto textile specimens with spots according to the procedure outlined in Example I and comparable results were achieved.

It should be noted that part of the solid absorbent was dissolved in the low boiling organic solvent. However, after evaporation of the solvent from the sprayed-on deposit the entire absorbent was present in a finely divided 7 solid form. Since this solid has, in the presence of water,

and various detergents. After this washing the hair has to be dried. Accordingly, attempts have been made to develop dry-shampooing mixtures, i.e., powders effecting a degreasing of the hair treated without the use of water. Prior art dry-shampooing mixtures, however, have not met with great success. The essential advantage of the spraying unit according to the invention for'use in dryshampooing is the fact that the solvent content of the absorbent sprayed onto the treated hair may be regulated freely and adapted in such a way that only that amount of solvent necessary for removing the lipophilic film on the hair is used and the lipophilic components of the hair are not extracted so that undue dryness of the hair and conse quent brittleness is avoided.

The following examples are given to illustrate the invention. All parts given are parts by weight. The values set forth in the examples as well as the specific components, however, should not limit the scope of the invention since various modifications are obvious to those experienced in the art.

Example I C.). The can was closed with a valve as described in connection with FIG. 2, including the dipping tube. After Warming to room temperature the can was well shaken to intimately mix the contents. The nozzle of the can was directed at a spot of lipstick on a white cotton cloth at a distance of about 10 cm. and during approximately 5 seconds a thick wet circular deposit with a diameter of about 4 cm. was sprayed onto the spot. Without interruption of the spraying operation the distance between nozzle and cloth was increased to about 15-20 cm. and a dry deposit applied concentrically to the wet deposit so that the diameter of the entire deposit was approximately 15 cm. The spraying time for depositing the dry layer was about 7 seconds. After 5 minutes the deposit was dry and could be. brushed olf easily. The original spot was practically removed. Traces of the spot could be observed only if the cloth was viewed against a light. A second treatment as described before removed even these traces. By similar operation oleophilic spots of various kinds (mineral and vegetable oil) were removed from various kinds of textiles, e.g., wool, cotton, nylon, etc. It is to be noted that pigments, i.e;, insoluble particles, are removed togetherwith a spot if the essential part of the material constituting the spot is oleophilic and that, of course, all kinds of colored substances dissolved in the constituting material of the spot are generally removed with the latter.

anionic properties the cleansing effect of the deposit was outstanding even in cases where an essential part of the spot material was hydrophilic.

Example III An aerosol dispenser can with a capacity of about 7.5 fluid ounces was charged with 20 grams of talcum and filled, at a temperature of about 4t) C., with 40 grams of dichloro difluoro methane and 40 grams of dichloro tetrafiuoro ethane. After filling the dispenser was closed with the valve assembly and warmed to about room temperature. With this spraying unit dry-shampooing was carried out in the following way: The nozzle of the dispenser was directed from a distance of about 15-20 cm. upon the hair and the entire hair covered with deposit so that the hair appeared White and was covered with a thin layer of talcum. The distance between nozzle and hair was varied during the spraying'operation so that the talcum deposit was slightly moist with sol-vent. The spraying was completed after about 15-20 seconds. The deposit dried rapidly and was brushed out of the hair after about 3-5 minutes after completion of the spraying. The treated hair which before the dry-shampooing was greasy and oily displayed an excellent appearance. The individual hairs did not adhere to each other and the treatedhair had a silky gloss. The entire shampooing procedure took about 5 mintues, including the removalof the dried absorbent.

it may be desirable to incorporate a small amount of perfume in the filling of the aerosol dispenser.

While in the above the invention has been described with reference to specific solvents and absorbents it is to be understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the solid absorbent in pulverized form may be any suitablematerial which may be obtained in pulverized form, provided that it has a fat absorbing effect. The relation existing between the surface area of a given sub stance (as measured, e.g., by absorption methods such as the BET-method and.express-ed in centimeters of surface per gram of substance) and its absorbing capacity is well-known. Accordingly, essentially amorphous substances are preferred and crystalline substances are generally less suitable. If the absorbent is an inorganic substance it should preferably be essentially insoluble in water and should not react therewith. In case the absorbent is, or contains, a solid organic material it might be somewhat soluble in water and, in general, it will be soluble, at least to some extent, in the low boiling organic solvent. The absorbent should be stable under the conditions of storage and application, and should have no undesirable or toxic eifect upon the human organism. The condition of non-toxicity is of primary importance for the dryshampooing but also in spot removing the use of toxic absorbents such as, for example, lead carbonate is undesirable. The color of the absorbent does not influence the eifect of the sprayed-on deposit but for commercial purposes a light color is desirable and white is preferred.

Typical examples of suitable inorganic absorbents are, for example, calcium carbonate, aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, Water insoluble silicates such as talcum, magnesium oxide, titanium oxide, silicagel, silicious earth, etc. Talcum and silicagel are preferred, the latter having a remarkable geling eifect in the mixture with the solvent. Typical examples for organic absorbents are starch, sodium or potassium stearate or palmitate, solid soap, polyoxyethylene, po-lyoxypropylene, etc. The organic absorbents may have surface active properties and may belong to the anionic or nonionic group of surfactants. Organic and inorganic absorbents may be used alone or combined, and any of the above mentioned specific examples may be combined in any suitable way with the other absorbents mentioned.

The particle size of the absorbents should be such as to permit spraying of the resulting mixture (dispersion or solution) by means of commercially available aerosoldispensers. Preferably, the absorbent present in the mixture as solid, i.e., in undissolved form, should have an average particle size of below 100 microns, preferably below 50 microns; an average particle size of about 30 microns is even more preferred.

The weight ratio of solid absorbent to low boiling organic solvent preferably is in the range from about parts absorbent per about 100 parts solvent to about 30 parts absorbent per about 100 parts of solvent. An amount of about 20% by weight of solid absorbent in the filling of the spray can is preferred.

The low boiling organic solvent preferably is a mixture of at least two components, i.e., organic substances characterized by a specific boiling point, the two components having different boiling points. The essential criteria for choosing appropriate components are:

(1) The resulting solvent (mixture) must under normal storing conditions (-25 C.), generate a pressure in the aerosol dispenser sufiicient for spraying of the mixture of absorbent and solvent from the dispenser. In general, the pressure in the dispenser should be within the range from about to about 50 psi.

(2) The resulting spray must under normal conditions of application (IS- C., atmospheric pressure), consist partially of essentially dry absorbent, i.e., have a dry zone as outlined above.

In general, a mixture of one component with a boiling point in the range from about C. to about 15 C. and a second component with a boiling point in the range from about 10 C. to about C. will give the desired results if mixed in a suitable ratio. A ratio in the range from about 1:2 to about 2:1 will, in general, be suitable.

The solvent may also contain small amounts, preferably below 10%, by weight, of a further organic component with a boiling point ranging from about 45 C. to about 80 C.

Preferably, the spray produced by the spraying unit according to the invention, should not be easily inflammable. This may be achieved by incorporating a halogenated organic component in the solvent. Toxicity and other undesirable side effects, such as irritation of the skin by the spray, should be avoided particularly for spraying units used for dry-shampooing.

Examples of components for the low boiling solvent are: low boiling halogen-substituted hydrocarbons especially fluorochloro hydrocarbons and chlorohydrocarbons such as, for example, difluoro dichloro methane, monochloro difluoro methane, dichloro tetrafluoro ethane, low boiling Freons (reg. trade name, Du Pont de Nemours & Co, Wilmington, Del.), methylene chloride, chloroform, methyl chloride, ethyl chloride, vinyl chloride; unsubstituted aliphatic hydrocarbons such as, propane, butane and pentane; lower aliphatic alcohols such methyl alcohol and ethyl alcohol; aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene; ketones such as acetone or methyl-ethyl ketone; and similar organic compounds.

The mixture of absorbent and solvent may if desired contain further additives such as perfume, color, dispersing agents and other substances commonly employed in the art of making aerosols.

Having thus described the present invention what is desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent, is:

1. In a pressurized spraying unit of the type including a spray can, an operable valve completely sealing the spray can when not operated, a spraying nozzle for the valve and a pressurized fluid medium in the can for spraying through the nozzle upon operation of the valve; the improvement in which said pressurized fluid medium consists essentially of a solid absorbent in pulverized form and capable of absorbing oleophilic matter from fibrous materials, and an organic solvent capable of dissolving oil and fat and having a boiling point, at substantially atmospheric pressure, less than ambient room temperature; said solvent generating, in the spray can, a pressure sufficient to force said pressurized fluid medium, including said absorbent, out of the spraying nozzle, when the valve is operated, in the form of a conical spray diverging outwardly from the nozzle; said solvent evaporating progressively lengthwise of the direction of the spray; the evaporation of said solvent progressing from the laterally outer surface of the spray cone toward the center line thereof whereby to form a central zone of said solvent and said absorbent decreasing progressively in cross sectional area longitudinally of said spray and laterally sur rounded by a conically annular zone of said absorbent increasing progressively in cross sectional area longitudinally of the spray; said solvent being substantially fully evaporated in advance of the outer end of the spray cone whereby the outer end of the spray cone consists of a substantially conical spray of said absorbent.

2. The improvement in a pressurized spraying unit, as claimed in claim 1, said organic solvent consisting of a mixture of at least two organic components, one of said components having a boiling point in the range from about 30 C, to about -10 C., the other of the said components having a boiling point in the range from about 10 C. to about 45 C., the weight ratio of the said components of the solvent being in the range from about 1:2 to about 2:1, and the weight ratio of said absorbent to said solvent being in the range from about 1:20 to about 3:10.

3. The improvement in a pressurized spraying unit, as claimed in claim 2, wherein said organic solvent contains up to 10%, by weight, of a component with a boiling point in the range from about 45 C. to about C.

4. The improvement in a pressurized. spraying unit, as claimed in claim 2, wherein said solid absorbent consists of an inorganic material with an average particle size of below 50 microns.

5. The improvement in a pressurized spraying unit, as claimed in claim 2, wherein said solid absorbent consists of an organic material having surface active properties and being at least partially dissolved in said low boiling organic solvent.

6. A method of removing oleophilic matter from fibnous materials comprising the steps of confining a pressurized fluid medium consisting essentially of a solid absorbent in pulverized form and capable of absorbing oleophilic matter, and an organic solvent capable of dissolving oil and fat and having, at substantially atmospheric pressure, a boiling point less than ambient room temperature; releasing said pressurized fluid medium as an outwardly diverging substantially conical spray directed toward the fibrous material to be treated, said organic solvent evaporating progressively longitudinally of said spray, with the evaporation progressing inwardly from the laterally outer surface of the spray cone toward the center thereof, to provide, outwardly along the length of the spray, a central zone of progressively decreasing cross sectional area and comprising solvent and absorbent, and laterally surrounded by a comically annular zone of said absorbent essentially free of solvent increasing progressively in cross sectional area, said central zone terminating short of the outer end of said spray; and varying the distance between the apex of said conical spray and the fibrous material being treated to predeterminedly vary the proportion of the solvent and the absorbent deposited on such fibrous material.

7. A method of removing oleophilic spots from textiles comprising the steps of confining a pressurized fluid medium consisting essentially of a solid absorbent in pulverized form and, capable of absorbing oleophilic matter, and an organic solvent capable of dissolving oil and fat and having a boiling point, at substantially atmospheric pressure, less than ambient room temperature; releasing said pressurized fluid medium as an outwardly diverging conical spray directed on the spot to be treated; said organic solvent evaporating progressively longitudinally of said spray, with the evaporation progressing inwardly from the outer surface of the conical spray to provide a central zone of progressively decreasing cross sectional area longitudinally outwardly of said spray and comprising absorbent and solvent, and laterally surrounded by a conically annular zone of said absorbent essentially free of solvent increasing progressively in cross sectional area outwardly longitudinally of said spray; initially maintaining the apex of the spray cone at a distance from the textile material such that a layer containing both said solvent and said absorbent is deposited on the textile material in the immediate vicinity of the spot and surrounded by an annular layer of absorbent essentially free of solvent; thereafter increasing the distance at the apex of the spray cone from the textile material to deposit only absorbent essentially free of solvent in the immediate vicinity of the spot; and, after drying of the deposited absorbent, mechanically removing the deposited absorbent from the textile material.

8. A method for dry-shampooing hair covered with oleophilic matter, comprising the steps of confining a pressure fluid medium consisting essentially of a solid absorbent in pulverized form and capable of absorbing oleophilic matter, and an organic solvent capable of dissolving oil and fat and having, at substantially atmospheric pressure, a boiling point less than ambient room temperature; releasing said pressurized fluid medium as an outwardly diverging conical spray directed toward the hair to be shampooed, said organic solvent evaporating progressively longitudinally of said conical spray with the evaporation progressing inwardly from the lateral outer surface of the spray cone to provide a central zone, of progressively decreasing cross sectional area, comprising absorbent and solvent, and laterally surrounded by a conically annular zone of said absorbent essentially free of solvent and increasing progressively in cross sectional area longitudinally outwardly of said spray; controlling the distance of the apex of the conical spray from the hair being treated to deposit on the hair a thin layer of said solid absorbent charged with a controllably variable amount of said solvent; and, after evaporation of said solvent from said thin layer, mechanically removing said thin layer of absorbent from the hair thereby to remove the oleophilic matter from the hair.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,150,031 3/39 Hatfield 8-142 2,174,793 10/39 Langan et a1 8-142 2,268,964 1/42 Saffell 222-394 2,344,247 3/44 Hopkins et al. 8-142 2,621,973 12/52 Lodes 239-337 X 2,624,623 1/53 Saacke 239-337 2,655,480 10/53 Spitzer et'al. 252-305 2,658,714 11/53 Fooshee 251-353 2,686,081 8/54 Cooksley 239-337 2,686,652 8/54 Carlson et al. 222-394 2,728,495 12/55 Eaton 222-394 2,742,321 4/56 Mina et al. 252-305 X 2,748,985 6/56 Seymour 222-394 2,764,454 9/56 Edelstein 252-305 X 2,879,231 3/59 Allen et al. 252-305 X 2,897,172 7/59 Maeder 252-305 X 2,959,325 11/60 Beard 167-39 OTHER REFERENCES Beard: Powder Aerosols, Soap and Chemical Specialties, vol. 31, No. 1, January 1955, pp. 139, 141 and 169, 167-39A Lit.

NORMAN G. TORCHIN, Primary Examiner. WILLIAM B. KNIGHT, MORRIS O. WOLK, Examiners.

Claims

7. A METHOD OF REMOVING OLEOPHILIC SPOTS FROM TEXTILES COMPRISING THE STEPS OF CONFINING A PRESSURIZED FLUID MEDIUM CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A SOLID ABSORBENT IN PULVERIZED FORM AND CAPABLE OF ABSORING OLEOPHILIC MATTER, AND AN ORGANIC SOLVENT CAPABLE OF DISSOVING OIL AND FAT AND HAVING A BOILING POINT, AT SUBSTANTIALLY ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, LESS THAN AMBIENT ROOM TEMPERATURE; RELEASING SAID PRESSURIZED FLUID MEDIUM AS AN OUTWARDLY DIVERGING CONICAL SPRAY DIRECTED ON THE SPOT TO BE TREATED; SAID ORGANIC SOLVENT EVAPORATING PROGRESSIVELY LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID SPRAY, WITH THE EVAPORATION PROGRESSING INWARDLY FROM THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE CONICAL SPRAY TO PROVIDE A CENTRAL ZONE OF PROGRESSIVELY DECREASING CROSS SECTIONAL AREA LONGITUDINALLY OUTWARDLY OF SAID SPRAY AND COMPRISING ABSORBENT AND SOLVENT, AND LATERALLY SURROUNDED BY A CONICALLY ANNULAR ZONE OF SAID ABSORBENT ESSENTIALLY FREE OF SOLVENT INCREASING PROGRESSIVELY IN CROSS SECTIONAL AREA OUTWARDLY LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID SPRAY; INITIALLY MAINTAINING THE APEX OF THE SPRAY CONE AT A DISTANCE FROM THE TEXTILE MATERIAL SUCH THAT A LAYER CONTAINING BOTH SAID SOLVENT AND SAID ABSORBENT IS DEPOSITED ON THE TEXTILE MATERIAL IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE SPOT AND SURROUNDED BY AN ANNULAR LAYER OF ABSORBENT ESSENTIALLY FREE OF SOLVENT; THEREAFTER INCRESING THE DISTANCE AT THE APEX OF THE SPRAY CONE FROM THE TEXTILE MATERIAL TO DEPOSIT ONLY ABSORBENT ESSENTIALLY FREE OF SOLVENT IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE SPOT; AND, AFTR DRYING OF THE DEPOSITED ABSORBENT, MECHANICALLY REMOVING THE DEPOSITED ABSORBENT FROM THE TEXTILE MATERIAL.