US1005110A - Bottle-washing machine. - Google Patents

Description

J. M. FELGER.

BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION PILD Nov.2e,191o.

Patented Oct. 3, 1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. M. PBLGER. BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION I'ILED NOV. 26, 1910.

Patented Oct. 3, 19.11.

5 SHETS-SHEET3.

.L M. FBLGER. BOTTLE WASHING MAGHINB.

APPLICATION I'ILED NOV. 26, 1910.

Patented Oct. 3, 1911.

6 SHEETB-BHEET 4.

6 SHEETS SHEET 6.

"J. MI` PELGER. oTfrL WASHING MACHINE. lAPPLICATION FILED NOV. 26, 1910.

' Patented Oct. 3,1911.

1,oo5,11o

'VENTO/ /V/TNESSES UNITED s'rA'rEs PATEN'r oFFion.

JONAS M. FELGER, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA. i

BOTTLE-WAHSHING MACHINE.

Specificaton of Letters Patent.

Patenteu Oct. 8, 1911.

To aZZ 'whom tt may concer'n:

Be it known that I, J oNAs M. FELGER, of Richmond, in the county of Henric and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in .Bottle- NVashing Machines; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention is a novel machine for washing bottles; and is especially designed for use in dairies for cleansing milk bottles in the crates.

The inventio comprises mechanism whereby a crate of bottles may be inserted in the machine and in its traverse therethrough each bottle in the crate will be filled with water, soaked, and then washed inside and outside without being removed from the regular filling crate; and the crate of clean bottles can be removed from the machine ready for the filling operation;

the washing of all the bottles in the crate being accomplished simultaneously and without any manual -handling thereof.

vI will describe a machine that embodies the invention,-and which is illustrated in i the accompanying d1awings,-and will summarize in the claims the novel features thereof and combinations of parts therein, for which protection is desired; but the invention is not restricted to the particular form, proportion, or construction of details,

of the machine shown in the drawings.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete machine. Fig. 2 is an enlarged front end elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of Fig. 2 partly broken away. Fig- 4 is a transverse section on the line 4-4, Fig. 2, looking downward. ig. 5 is an enlarged Vertical section through one of the interior brush Operating shafts and related parts. Fig. 6 is a detail transverse section on line 6- 6, Fig. 2. Figi 7 is a bottomplan view of one of-the bottle plugs. Fig'. 8 is an enlarged detail view, illustrating the means of presenting the bottles to the brushes.

The machine shown in the drawings has four uprights 1 which are attached to a base 1a and which are connected at their upper ends. by two plates, 1b, 1, sulpler osed one above' the other, which carry t e rush Operating devices, and other parts of the mechanism. J ournaled in these plates 1, 1,'

hereafter are a number of vertically disposed tubular shafts 2, see Fig. 5, to each of which is connected-as hereinafter eXplained-a brush 2k which washes the interior of the bottles. The shafts 2 correspond in number with the number of bottles which the crates contain: For example if the crates contain twenty bottles, then twenty shafts 2 are employed; so spaced apart that when the crate is properly inserted in the machine each bottlein the crate will come directly under a corresponding shaft 2. As shown there are twenty shafts 2 arranged in four parallel rows of five each extending longitudinally of the machine.

On the upper end of each shaft 2 is keyed a gear 2a;'zand the adjacent gears 2a in two adjacent transverse rows of shafts 2 (see Fig. 3) mesh with worms 3a on shafts 3 journaled in bearings 3b on the plate 10, and extending between the rows of shafts 2, see F ig. 3. Each shaft 3 lcarries five Worms 8a which operate ten interior bottle-brushes attached to as many shafts 2. Each shaft 3 is provided at one end with a broad loose pulley 3 beside which is a narrow fast pulley 3a; and said` pulleys can be operated by a single belt, running under the pulleys on shafts 8 and over the pulleys on shaft 6, and belted to any suitable driving pulley, not shown, so that by shifting the one belt the shafts 3 can be simultaneously put into or out of operation at the will of the operator.

Telescoped within the lower part of each shaft 2 is a. tube 2` which has atslot 2b traversed by a pin 29, so that tube 2c must rotate with the shaft 2 but can slide therein. The tube 2 is normally projected by means of a helical spring 21 interposed between the inner end of the shaft and the vpin 2gby which` ythe pinion 2a is fixed to shaft 2. Fast Vwithin the lower end of tube 2 is a brush-holding rod 2h which is provided with grooves 2i on its side to allow water to desoend vthrough the tube into the bottle. This brush-holder 2h has a socket in its lower end to' receive the. shank or stem 2j of a brush 2k which maybe secured to the holder 2h by' a screw 2m or in any other suitable .manner. The brushes 2k are adapted to Wash the interior of'the bottles and I shall refer to tli-1m as `interior brushes simultaneously; and each interior brush is .All the interior brushes can be rotated I I yieldable vertically to enable the brush to aldjust itself to slight variations in the height of the bottles, or unevenness of the bottle supports' in the crates, and thus prevent injury tothe bottles by being caught between unyielding surfaces. I do not claim the particular construction of these brushes; whichmay be of any suitable standard make.

The bottles while in the crates are presented to the brushes bymeans hereinafter described; and while the bottles are being washed internally they are also scrubbed externally by-means of brushes 4k (Figs. 2 and '8), which 'I shall term exterior brushes,-attached to the lower ends of shafts 4 also journaled in the plates 1b, 10;

.and there should be one exterior brush shaft exterior brush shafts 4 may be driven by gears 4n meshing with pinions'2u on the adjacent shaft or shafts 2 (as shown in Figs. 4 and 5),-the gears 2, 4n being attached to their shafts below the plate 1. By this arrangement of brushes each bottle in the crate, (see Figs. 2 and 8) will be scrubbed both externally' and internally at the same time.

In order that the brushes 4k may 'operate eifectively on the bottles the latter are. rotated during the scrubbing process by the following means: Loosely mounted on the lower end of eahshaft 2 below the plate 1b is a pinion 5 which has a groove 5a in its hub engaged by a retainer pl te 5b fast to the plate 1b, (see Figs. 2 and so that the pinion 5'is upheld independently of the related shaft 2. The pinion 5 is also provided on its'lower side with. a preferably externally threadedxhub 'portion 5G, to' which is attached or screwed a bottle plug 5d which is tapered on its lower side and is adapted to enga'ge and partly enter the mouth of the bottle B. Each plug 5d is provided with grooves 5e in its side to permit water to escape from the bottle; and it is also provided with an interioi` bore 5r so that Water entering the plug can pass on into the bottle.

The pinions 5 on four adjacent plugs 5d are adapted to mesh with a driving pinion 5h loosely mounted on an adjacent .exterior brush shaft 4, (see Eigs. 4 and 8). Each pair of adjacent pinions 5h :(see Fig. 4) may be rotated by means of a-worm 5i at` Vtached to a shaft 51 extending transversely through the machine and journaled in bearings 1j attached to the underside of plate 1b; and shaft 5j is provided-with a pulley 5k on one end 'which is driven by a belt 5l from a pulley '6l on a transverse shaft' 6 journaled in bearings 6b at-tached to the upper plate l; and said shaft 6 is provided at the end adjacent pulleys 3,3d with a fast pulley 6d a-nda loose pulley 6, which are arranged the reverse of the pulleys 3, 3d (see Figs. 2 and 3) so that when the driving belt is shifted to engage fast-pulleys 3d it engages loose pulley 6, and When shifted to position to engage loose pulleys 3 it engages fast pulley 6d. VVhen s'hifted to an intermediate position it would only engage the loose pulleys 3, 6. w

The bottles B are yieldingly pressed upward, (by means hereinafter described) during the scrubbing Operations so that their months engage the plugs 51 with sufficient force to cause the bottles to turn with the plugs as the latter are rotated by the driving geai'ing above described. It will be seen that by the means described the bottles are caused to rotate slowly in a direction contrary to the rotation of' the rapidly rotating interior brushes during the washing Operations while the exterior brushes rotate oppositely to the interior brushes. Clean water is supplied to the bottles through the shafts 2, tubes 2c and plugs 5d, from a tank T, supported upon the lplate 1, to which water is supplied in any suitable manner, and from which the water is admitted through tubes t into the upper end of 'each tubular shaft 2.

The bottles to be washed are arranged in ordinary bottomless crates C (see *Fig 8) which are divided by metal rods or bands into compartments or stalls for the bottles; and the bottles are supported in the compartments upon smaller intersecting wires, so that the bottles can be readily -engaged by lifting devices Operating upwardly from below the crate and between the intersecting wires. This form of crate is well known and does not need any further explanation or illustration herein.- In the machine shown each crate should contain ltwenty compartments, for as many bottles, such compartments corresponding in axial arrangement to the arrangement of the interior brush-actuating shafts 2.

A crate C filled With bottles is first placed upon a pair of horizontal guide bars 9 mounted at one end of the machine and then slid inwardly beneath a tank T', which may be constructed like tank T, provided with a series of depending tubes t'` so that while the bottles inion'e crate are being washed, the bottles in another crate may ,be filled with water and allowed to soak. Any overflow from the tanks or bottlesl during the operation of the machine can be directed into 'a receiving tank T2 from which the wai i from the continuously driven shaft 88. The*` at the vproper times by means of cams 7m on a shaft '7D journaled in bearings uponA the base 1a (Figs. 1 and 2); and each of vsaid cams operates against a roller Tq attached to a bar 7 f, provided with grooved rollers 7S by which it is guided to move vertically between adjacent uprights 1; the bars 7r being connected by bars 7t to the platform 7 so that the cams 7 n cause the reciprocation of platform 7. Beneath the platform 7 is a second vertically movable platform 7b, which is provided with eyes 7c guided upon uprights 1. The platform 7b may also be raised and lowered by means of pitmen 7L1 pivotally connected to the sides of the platform 7b (see Fig. 2), and also to the cams 7. The platform 7b has a greater extent of Vertical movement than platform 7 fora purpose hereinafter shown. Movable with the platforins 7, 7h, are a series of bottle lifting rods 76, which are guided in openings in the platforms 7, 7b, and are normally projected upwardly by means of Springs 7 f interposed between the platform 7b and 'collars 78 on the rods 7* (see Fig. 8). The upward movement of these rods may be limited by collars 7h thereon below platform 7b.

The weight of the loaded crate and the platforms 7 7b may be substantially counterbalanced by weights W which are connected by cables w to the platform 7b; said cables running over suitable guide pulleysl w' (see Fi'gs. 1 and 2.)

The shaft 7p may tently, so as to operate the cams 7n in the proper manner and time, by means of a dwell gear 8 (Fig. 1) meshing with a dwell' gear 812 fast to a shaft 8*?l suitably journaled in bearings on the baseof the machine, and

which in turn is driven by a pinion 8e mesha ing with a worm` 8f on a shaft 8f which is substantially Vertical, and is journaled in suitable bearings 8h, 8n respectively attached to the base 1a and to the bracket 6b. Shaft 8g is driven by means of a bevel gear 8j on its upper end meshing with a bevel gear 6j on the shaft 6. The gears 8 and 8b have relat-ed dwell portions 8a and 8c so proportioned and located that during each rotation of the shaft 8d an intermittent motion will be iinparted by said gears to the shaft 71' dwells of gears 8, 8h are so vproportioned that the bottles will be held stationary after presentation to the scrubbing brushes long enough to be thoroughly scrubbed thereby.

At the end of the bottle scrubbin opera'- tion the platforms 7, 7b are lowere to the position shown in Fig. 8, and then the crate. of washed bottles is run out upon stationary guide rails 9a at the end of the machine opposite, rails 9, the platform 7 being then lowered" into position substantially flush with rails 9, 9B, so that la crate of water filled bottles maybe slid in upon the crate be driven intermitvsupporting rails 7 attached to platform 7, (see Fig. 8). This can be done while one of dwells 8a on the gear. 8 is in engagement with a correspondingdwell 8 on gear 8b. Then the gears 8, 8b impart motion to the shaft 71), and cams 7, and the platformsy 7, 7b are raised. As the platforms 7, 7b rise cams 7 cause platform 7b to approach toward' the platform 7 and this causes spring 7 f to project rods 7e above the platform 7; and these rods 7e entering the lower portion of the crate engagethe several bottles'therein and raise these bottles partially out of the crate, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8,-and cause them to yieldingly engage with the plugs 5d. After these parts are raised to the position shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 2, and dotted linesin F ig. 8, the shaft 7p is stopped by the dwells in gears 8, 8b coming into engagement; and while the parts are thus stopped eachbottle is rotated 'as above described, and scrubbed by the more rapidly rotating eXterior and interior brushes k, k. At the end of the well the platforms 7, 7b and crate of washe bottles are lowered; the rods 79 withdrawing from the crate (as shown in full lines Fig. 8) and the bottles dropping away from the brushes; so that the crate of washed bottles can be slid out upon the guide rails 9a while a crate of soaked bottles is slid upon the guide bars 7 of 'platform 7 ready tobe subjected to the action of the brushes.

The machine is entirely automatic and no shifting of the belt is necessary in the ordinary Operations thereof, as the dwell gears regulate thev time of scrubbing the bottles, and also the time for raising a.ndlowering the crates of bottles; and the operator simply has to feed crates of unwashed bottlesl to the machine and remove the crates of cleansed bottles therefrom.

In actual practice after the bottles leave the washing apparatus they pass on to rinsing and sterilizing devices, not shown in the drawings, 'as they form no part of the presbelow the brushes adapted to support a crate of bottles, means for moving the crate support toward the brushes, and means for yieldingly raisin each bottle in the crate during 'the scrub ing operation.v

2. In a bottle 'washing machine, the combination'of a series of vertically disposed A parallel brushes adapted to scrub' the interior of bottles, gearing for simultaneously rotating all these brushes, a platform below -t e brushes adapted to support a crate .of bo tles', means for moving the platform an crate vei'tically toward the brushes so "s-t'o 13 ing the scrubbing operation; with a second cause the latter to enter the bottles, and means for yieldingly raising each bottle in the Crate during the scrubbing operation.

3. In a bottle Washng machine, the combination of a series of vertically disposed parallel brushes adapted vto scrub the `interior of bottles, gearing for simultaneously rotating all these brushes, a platform below the brushes adapted to support a Crate of bottles, means for moving the platform and Crate vertically toward the brushes so as to Cause the latter to enter the bottles, and means for yieldingly raising each bottle in the Crate during 'the scrubbing operation;

lwith means for rotating the bottles on their own' axis during the scrubbing operation.

4. In a bottle washing machine, the Combinationof a series of vertically disposed parallel brushes, and means for rotating the 'i same,v a pair of movable platforms below the brushes, means for reciprocating said platforms to and from thebrushes, and for giving one of said platforms a greater extent of travel than the other; the upper platform being adapted to receive a Crate of bottles and raise the Crate so as to simultaneously present all the bottles therein to the brushes, and yieldable spring pressed rods movable with the lower platform and adapted to project through the upper platform into the Crate and raise all the bottles therein and hold them in yielding contact with the brushes during the scrubbing operation.

5. In a bottlel washing machine, the combination of a seriesof vertically disposed parallel interior brushes, and means for rotating the same; a pair of movable' platforms below the brushes, means for reciprocating said platforms to' and from lthe' brushes and giving one of said platforms a greater extent of travel than the other; and vieldable spring press-ed rods movable with the lower platform and adapted to project through the upper platform into a Crate of bottles placed thereon and simultaneously raise all the bottles in the Crate into yielding Contact with the brushes during the scrubbing operation; with means for rotating the bottles vwhile they are being scrubbed.

6. In a bottle washing machine, thev combination of a series of vertically disposed parallel interior brushes, and means for rotating the same; a pair of movable platforms below the brushes, meansfor.recip-, rocating said platforms to and from the brushes and giving one of said platforms a greater extent of travel than the other, the upper platform when lowered'adapted to receive a |'Crate of bottles, and yieldable spring pressed rods movable With the lower platform and adapted to project through the' upper platform into the Crate and raise .the bottles therein and hold them in yielding Contact with the interior brushes durmeans for rotating the exterior brushes,

and means for rotating the bottles while they are being scrubbed.

7. In a bottle washing machine, the Combination of a series of vertically disposed parallel brushes adapted to scrub the interiorv of bottles, gearing for simultaneously rotating these brushes, a platform below the brushes adapted to support a ,Crate of bottles, means for raising the platform and Crate so that the brushes can simultaneously enter the bottles,'and means for yieldingly raising each bottle in the Crate during the scrubbing operation, the bottles being independently yieldablc; with a series of brushes adapted to scrub the exteriors of the bottles while the interior brushes are Operating thereupon; and means for rotating the exterior brushes.

8. In a bottle washing machine, the combination of a series of vertically disposed parallel brushes adapted to scrub the interior of bottles, gearing for simultaneously rotating these brushes, means for raising a Cratepf bottles toward said brushes so a's to cause the latter to enter the bottles, and-` means for independently raising each bottle in the Crate and holding it in yielding contact with the brush during .the scrubbing operation; with a series of brushes adapted to scrub the exterior of the bottles While the interior brushes are Operating thereupon, and means for rotating the exteror brushes; with means for rotating the bottles on their own axes during. the scrubbing operation.

9. In a bottle scrubbing machine, thel combination of a bottle Crate support, a series of vertically disposed brush shafts thereover, brushes yieldably attached to the lower end of said shafts, a bottle-plug loosely mounted on the lwoer end of each shaft, means for independently but simultaneously yieldably raising all the bottles in the Crate into contact with the plugs, and meansl for causing the plugs to positively rotate the bottles Contrary to the brushes While the brushes are Operating thereupon.

10. lIn a bottle scrubbing machine, the combination of a bottle Crate support, a series of Vertical shafts thereabove, brushl holding` shafts yieldably attached to the lower ends of said Vertical shafts, a bottleplug loosely mounted on the lower end of each Vertical shaft above the brushes; means for simultaneously raising all the bottles in the CrateIi-nto contact withthe plugs and for yieldingly holding each bottle 1n contact 'with its plug so that the brushes may voperate upon the nteriors of the bottles; and means for' Causing the plugs to positively rotate the bottles oppositely vto the brushes while the brushes are Operating thereupon.

11. -In a bottle scrubbing machine, the combination of a bot-tle crate support, a series of Vertical shafts thereabove, brush holding shafts yieldably attached to the lower ends of said Vertical shafts, a bottleplug loosely mounted on the lower end of each Vertical shaft above the brushes; means for Siinultaneously raising all the bottles in the Crate into contact With the plug and for yieldingly holding each bottle in contact with its plug so that the brushe may operate upon the interiors of the bottles, the bottles being independently yieldahle; and

means for causing the plugs to positively -rotate the bott-les oppostely to the brushes While the brushes are Operating thereupon; with a set of brushes aclapted to scrub the exterior of the bottles simultaneously Wit-li the action of the interior brushes t-hereon, and means for rotating the exteror brushcs.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I atfix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JONAS M. FELGER.

Witnesses:

L. M. F ELGER, E. S. WALLAGE.

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