GB569826A - Improvements in or relating to degreasing plant - Google Patents

Abstract

569,826. Cleaning bottles &c. ROSS, J. C., und SMITH, F. K. Sept. 30, 1943, No. 16067. [Class 138 (i)] An apparatus for degreasing articles such as oxygen-bottles is constructed with a series of carriers 90 into which the inverted bottles 77 are inserted, the carriers being mounted on the rotary cover 6 of a tank 1 which is fitted with means for supplying the interior of the bottle with a stream of vapour such as trichlorethylene from a pipe 26, Fig. 4, and subsequently of air from a pipe 25. When the air is supplied the vapour is returned to the tank 1 and condenses therein, or is withdrawn through a condenser. A water seal 3, 5 is arranged between the cover 6 and tank 1, and a water seal 8 protects the ball bearings 14 upon which the cover 6 rotates. As applied to a manually-operated, machine for dealing with six,bottles at a time as indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 6, six carriers 90 are employed, and at the loading point 61 a cleansed bottle is removed and a now one inserted. The insertion of a new bottle upon protecting rings 91, Fig. 3, of a carrier depresses a ring 87 and so opens a valve 86 against the action of a spring 85, which closes the valve to prevent escape of vapour to the atmosphere, when a bottle is removed from its carrier. When a new bottle is inserted the cover 6 is rotated by hand through one sixth of a revolution, after an aspirating tube 69 is raised so as to be inserted into the bottle. This is effected by a rod 65 operated by a handle 68 provided with a slotted arm 74 which can be turned to engage an adjustable stop 78 on a fixed rod 76 so as to hold the tube 69 at the desired position. The rotation of the cover 6 causes a cam-roller 41, Fig. 4, to engage a cam surface attached to the tank so as to open a spring-closed valve 39 to connect a vapour manifold 28 with a flexible tube 62 which is joined to the aspirating tube 69. After half a revolution of the cover 6 the roller 41 runs off its cam and the supply of vapour is cut off, and a valve 38 is opened by a similar cam 54 to connect the tube 62 to the supply of compressed air, which drives the vapour into the tank 1. The machine may be arranged to deal with a larger number of bottles at a time than six, and two attendants may be employed. In a modification, Fig. 8, a cover 106 supporting sixteen bottle-carriers is rotated by power, and a central valve connects eight of the aspirating tubes to vapour and eight to compressed air. Each carrier 190 is automatically raised to the position shown in Fig. 8, after the completion of a degreasing operation, by means of a pneumatically-operated piston 192, but when a new bottle is inserted the piston is depressed by air supplied under control of a valve operated by a roller 206 or a cam-track 207. The supply of air to the bottle is also cut off by a valve when it is in the " change " position. In a further modification, the aspirating tubes may be fixed relatively to the tank which may be rectangular in section. The supply of vapour and air may be controlled by electromagnetic valves operated by a time clock.