GB2027750A

GB2027750A - Cleaning and Degreasing Apparatus with Filter

Info

Publication number: GB2027750A
Application number: GB7909889A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: PRICE BROS Ltd
Current assignee: PRICE BROS Ltd
Priority date: 1978-03-30
Filing date: 1979-03-20
Publication date: 1980-02-27
Also published as: IT1113231B; IT7921407A0; DE2912318A1; JPS5513184A; FR2421001A1

Abstract

Cleaning equipment comprises a chamber 11 containing a support for articles to be cleaned, a reservoir 15 for cleaning liquid, and a pump 14 for delivering cleaning liquid from the reservoir to liquid-spraying pipework within the chamber, liquid from the chamber being drained back into the reservoir through a sluice 17. An open-topped filter tray 18 is mounted beneath the sluice and above the normal surface level of liquid in the reservoir so that liquid passing through the filter tray, or spilling over the sides thereof, falls under gravity into the reservoir. The condition of the filter thus has no effect on the operation of the pump. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in Cleaning Equipment The invention relates to cleaning equipment and has been developed in relation to equipment for degreasing and cleaning engine gearboxes and other transmission components and housing elements.

The invention relates, in particular, to cleaning equipment of the kind comprising a chamber containing a support for articles to be cleaned, a reservoir for cleaning liquid and pumping means for delivering cleaning liquid from the reservoir to pipework within the chamber, the pipework being apertured so that, in use, jets of cleaning liquid from the apertures are applied to articles supported within the chamber.

In such equipment, the dirty cleaning liquid drains from the articles being cleaned and is led back to the reservoir for recirculation. Since the liquid is contaminated by foregin matter cleaned from the articles, it must be filtered before being recirculated by the pumping means. Hitherto, this has been effected by locating a suitable filter between the outlet from the reservoir and the inlet to the pump, or between the pump discharge outlet and the pipework. However, in such arrangements, as the filters gradually become blocked with foreign matter, they affect the operation of the pump, causing cavitation or a drop in volume flow or pressure. This effect worsens until a point is reached where the filter must be removed and cleaned or replaced to maintain the equipment operative.It is an object of the invention to provide an effective filtering arrangement which does not have this disadvantage.

According to the invention there is provided cleaning equipment, of the kind referred to above, wherein an open-topped filter tray is mounted at a lower level than said chamber in a position to receive liquid draining from articles being cleaned in the chamber, and wherein said tray is located above the normal surface level of liquid in the reservoir in such manner that liquid passing through said filter tray, or spilling over the sides thereof, falls under gravity into said reservoir.

It will be appreciated that with such an arrangement the condition of the filter tray will have no effect on the operation of the pump. If the tray becomes completely blocked, the drained liquid will merely overflow the sides of the tray and pass directly into the reservoir.

There may be located below the aforesaid chamber a sloping floor structure adapted to receive liquid draining from the chamber and guide it into the filter tray.

The following is a more detailed description of one embodiment of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic vertical section through a component cleaning machine according to the invention, and Figure 2 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the machine.

The machine comprises an outer casing 10 defining a washing chamber 11 in which is supported a carrier 21 for components to be cleaned. The casing 10 has a hinged side door, not shown, through which components may be introduced into the carrier.

Disposed within the chamber 11 is pipework comprising a looped spray bar 12 to which cleaning liquid is supplied through a delivery pipe 13. The spray bar 12 is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, around the component carrier, and is formed with tangentially directed spray apertures so that, in use, jets of the cleaning liquid issuing from the apertures are applied to the components in the carrier and the spray bar is also rotated under jet reaction.

A delivery pump 14 delivers cleaning fluid to the delivery pipe 13 from a reservoir tank 1 5 mounted below and to one side of the casing 10.

The floor 1 6 of the washing chamber 11 slopes downwardly towards the tank 1 5 and a horizontal sluice 17, having an elongate horizontal aperture, is provided at the lower edge of the floor 1 6 so that cleaning liquid draining from components in the washing chamber flows down the floor 1 6 and through the sluice 17 into the tank 1 5.

An open-topped filter tray 1 8 rests on parallel rails 1 9 above the normal level of liquid in the reservoir tank and is positioned to receive cleaning liquid draining through the sluice 1 7. A hinged lid 20 is provided on the reservoir tank to provide access to the filter tray which may be simply lifted from the rails 1 9 and removed for cleaning.

In operation of the machine, the operator loads the components to be cleaned into the component carrier and wheels the carrier into the washing chamber 1 securing the carrier within the chamber and closing the door of the chamber.

The pump 14 is then actuated and delivers the cleaning liquid, which may be heated, from the reservoir tank 1 5 to the pipework 1 2 within the chamber 1 The cleaning operation continues for a predetermined period which may be preset on an adjustable cycle timer. During the course of the cleaning operation the liquid sprayed onto the components drains from the chamber 11 through the sluice 17 and falls into the filter tray 18 from where it passes, under gravity, back into the reservoir of liquid in the tank 15.

By arranging the filter tray between the sluice 1 7 and the liquid in the tank, it will be appreciated' that the condition of the filter tray will have no effect on the operation of the pump 14, regardless of the condition of the filter If the filter tray should become completely blocked, the drained liquid will merely overflow the sides of the tray and fall directly into the reservoir of liquid beneath. This is in contrast with the arrangements used hitherto in which filters have been located between the outlet from the reservoir and the inlet to the delivery pump, or between the pump discharge outlet and the pipework in the washing chamber. In such arrangements the filters affected the operation of the pump as they gradually became blocked with foreign matter.

Claims

1. Cleaning equipment comprising a chamber containing a support for articles to be cleaned, a reservoir for cleaning liquid, pumping means for delivering cleaning liquid from the reservoir to pipework within the chamber, the pipework being apertured so that, in use, jets of cleaning liquid from the apertures are applied to articles supported within the chamber, and an opentopped filter tray mounted at a lower level than said chamber in a position to receive liquid draining from articles being cleaned in the chamber, said tray being located above the normal surface level of liquid in the reservoir in such manner that liquid passing through said filter tray, or spilling over the sides thereof, falls under gravity into said reservoir.

2. Cleaning equipment according to Claim 1, wherein there is located below the aforesaid chamber a sloping floor structure adapted to receive liquid draining from the chamber and guide it into the filter tray.

3. Cleaning equipment according to Claim 2, wherein said reservoir comprises a tank located to one side of and below said chamber and wherein an aperture leading into the tank, above the normal surface level of liquid therein, is disposed on a lower edge of said sloping floor structure.

4. Cleaning equipment according to Claim 3, wherein said aperture is in the form of an elongate horizontal slot.

5. Cleaning equipment according to any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the filter tray rests on supports disposed above the normal surface level of liquid in the reservoir so that it may be readily removed from said supports for cleaning.

6. Cleaning equipment substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.