GB1139331A - Improvements in or relating to washing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

1,139,331. Washing apparatus. APPLIED CHEMICALS Ltd. and R. G. BLOOMFIELD. 21 Jan., 1966 [21 Jan., 1965], No. 2781/65 Heading A4F. [Also in Division C7] Articles are cleaned by placing them on a platform which may have rollers 61 and lowering them into a bath 31 of cleaning fluid by a hydraulic or pneumatic (as shown) piston and cylinder 34 which operates against a restricted flow to raise and lower the articles slowly, and is operated without the restricted flow to reciprocate the articles in the cleaning liquid. The bath may be made of p.v.c., glass fibre reinforced resin or stainless steel and may have a door at the bottom for removing sludge, and a lid. In operation, a button 20 is pressed to supply air through pipes 23, 7 to the upper end of the piston, simultaneously air passes through pipe 25 to operate a valve 18, allowing air to pass to valve 16 and then on to valve 17. The cylinder 8 is open to exhaust through a throttle valve 21, thus allowing the platform to move down smoothly. When button 20 is released, the pipes 25, 26 are open to exhaust. As the platform is lowered a valve 9 is tripped, supplying air to operate valves 17, 16, to open the top of the cylinder to exhaust and operate the valve 15 and supply air to the bottom of the piston. On upward movement of the piston the valves 9 and 10 are tripped to cause the piston to reciprocate. When the button 19 is pressed, air is supplied through pipe 28 to move valve 18 to exhaust and supply pressure through pipe 1 to the bottom of the cylinder, and by passing through throttling valve 22 the ascent is smooth. The platform is stopped by mechanical stops and the articles removed. For heavy articles guides and cylinder assemblies can be proi vided on opposite sides of the bath.