Dennis Leon Morrison

US Patent:

42356008, Nov 25, 1980

Filed:

Nov 9, 1978

Appl. No.:

5/959009

Inventors:

Joseph A. Capella - Gainesville FL
Dennis R. Morrison - Kemah TX

Assignee:

Health Physics Systems, Inc. - Gainsville FL

International Classification:

B08B 300

US Classification:

8137

Abstract:

Garments are deposited in a cleaning drum and the drum is agitated during a wash cycle. A dry cleaning solvent is continuously added to the drum during the wash cycle and continuously removed from the drum during the wash cycle to flush the radioactive particulate material separated from the garments into a sump. The solvent is pumped from the sump for addition to the drum during the wash cycle and the pumped solvent is filtered to remove substantially all of the radioactive particulate material suspended in the solvent. The apparatus for decontaminating the radioactive garments comprises a sump for supporting a dry cleaning solvent. A drum for supporting the radioactively contaminated garments during a wash cycle which separates the radioactive particulate material from the garments means are provided for continuously pumping the dry cleaning solvent from the sump to the drum and for continuously removing the solvent and separated particulate material from the drum into the sump. A filtering means is used to continuously remove substantially all of the particulate material suspended in the solvent that is carried to the drum.