US1179195A - Bottle-washing apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

- W. LE BROCQ. BOTTLE WAS HING APPARATUS.

- 1 APPLICATION FILED APR. 30,1910. 1,179,195.

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BOTTLE WASHING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR-30,1910- Pa-tnted Apr. 11, 1916.

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WILLIAM LE BROCQ, OF NEW Y0 it N. Y., essrenon or ONE-HALF T0 WILLIAM G.

FREER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BOTTLE-WASHING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

Application filed A r l so, 1919, serial No. 558,660.

To all whom it may concern Be it known. that I, WILLIAM LE BRoo of the city of New York, State of New York,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Washing Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention contemplates improvements in bottle washing apparatus and its object is to provide automatic mechanism pref erably operated by hydraulic pressure, the entire action of which will be caused by the pressure of the motive fluid without necessitating any handling or manualoperation, save that of placing upon suitable guides the cases containing bottles to be washed and subsequently removing them, the cases being advanced in successive stages for the action of a plurality of cleaners entirely by the pressure of the motive fluid.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in vertical section, showing a bottle washing apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention. Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are detail views illustrating the brushes and the means for rotatin the latter and also the means for contro ling the fluid supply to the spindles andbrushes. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a specific valve mechanism hereinafter referred to.

Referring to the drawings 1 deslgnates a pressure tank adaptedto contain water or other motive fluid supplied under pressure from a pump 2. Through a pipe 3 the water is conducted to the apparatus and I have shown the latter inclosed within a basin 4 through the bottom of which extends the branches from pipe 3. One of these branches 5 extends to a turbine 6 mounted on a shaft 7 carrying a pinion 8 which engages a gear wheel 9 mounted on a shaft 10. This gear wheel carries a cam surface/12 adapted to engage a bell crank lever 13 mounted upon a bracket- 14 on a cylinder 15 in the bottom of the basin. A plate spring 16 acts upon the vertical arm of the lever 13 and the gear wheel 9 rotates in the direction of the dart. The, horizontal arm of the lever is secured to a' piston rod 17 whose balanced piston 17 is movable within the cylinder 15, the latter having an open bottom 15, inlet port 18 in communication with pipe 3 and ports 19 and 20, port 19 leading to a cylinder 21 and port I 20 belng in communication with cylinder 22.

When the parts described are in the osition illustrated, that is with piston 1 the bottom of cylinder 15, ports 18, 19 and 2( are uncovered and the water passes from pipe 3 into the cylinder 15 and thence to cylinders 21 and 22. When however, the cam 12 on the gear wheel 9 contactswith lever 13 the latter will be swung on its pivot and elevate the piston 17 above ports 19 and 20, allowing the water within cylinders 21 and 22 to pass through ports 19 and 20 and out of'the. open bottom of cylinder 15 into the basin.

The cylinder 21 contains a plunger 23 on which is mounted a spindlehead 24;. This head is hollow and carries the spindles 25 1n communication with the head, and of the usual or any preferred'construction, such as tubes suitably perforated to eject streams of cleaning water. The cleaning water isv supplied to the spindle head 24: through a p1pe 26 having a flexiblejoint 27 and valve mechanism in the latter. By this means water is only sup lied to the spindle head when the latter is in its uppermost osition, that is, when the spindles project lnto the bottles to be cleaned.- The movement of the splndle head in lowering cuts off the supply of water. These features will be further described in detail. The pipe 26 may communicate with the main supply 3 by a branch 28.

The cylinder 22 contains a plunger 29 on which is-also mounted a hollow head 30. Instead of the spindles carried by the head 24, the head '30 carries a plurality of rotating brushes 31. As illustrated v in Fig. '2 these brushesare'each mounted upon a hollow spindle or shaft 32. The shafts 32 rotate and the centrifugal force causes the brushes to bear outward and in contact with the surface of the bo'ttle.' Springs 33 connected to the shaft and the brushes retract 100 the brushes when the shafts stop rotating. Brushes 34 carried at the upper extremity -of the shaft, are adapted to the cleaning of the bottom of the bottle. The positions of. the brushes when, out of operation are inca'ring 36 carried upon the hollow head '30 110 and in communication with the latter. Each of the casings 36 is formed with ports 37 through which'the water passes and impinges upon the blades or vanes 38 of the turbine, causing the latter to rotate and carry with it the shaft and the brushes. I have illustrated the turbine keyed to the shaft and the latter extended through the top of the casing 36. The shaft is hollow throughout its length so as to conduct the cleaning water into the bottles.

The heads 24 and 30 are supplied with water by a pipe 26. In Fig. 3 I have shown the flexible connection 27. Arm A is shown connected to arm B by a knuckle jointhaV- ing ports which are in alinement when the arms are in the position shown in full lines. In this position water passes from pipe 26 through the arms A and B to the heads 24 and 30. When, however, these heads lower by reason of the water passing out from their respective cylinders, then the arms A and'B will be caused to assume the position indicated in dotted lines. This'will close the passage between arms A and B and cut off the supply of cleaning water.

At 40, Fig. 1, I have shown the mechanism by which the bottle cases are advanced for action by the spindles and brushes. This comprises a cylinder 41 in communication with pipe 3 by a branch 42. A port 43 in this cylinder leads to one end of a cylinder 44 and a port 45 communicates with the opposite end of the cylinder 44. I have shown two pistons 46 within cylinder 41 and mounted upon a single piston rod 47. Outside of the cylinder the rod is secured to a lever 48 fulcrumedon a bracket 49. mounted upon the cylinder. The piston rod 47 passes through a bearing 47 secured to the basin 4. A spring 47 is coiled on the rod between the bearingand a collar keyed upon the rod. The link 50 is fulcrumed to lever 48 and to a bell crank lever 51 on a bracket 52 mounted on the cylinder 21. The arm 53 of lever 51 lies in the path of movement of the hollow head 24 and when the latter lowers and contacts with this arm, levers 51 and 48 are shifted, moving the pistons 46 to the positions indicated indotted lines. This compresses spring 47. In its upward movement, the head 24 releases arm 53 and the expansion of spring 47 returns the levers and pistons to the positions shown in full lines,

In cylinder 44 I have shown a piston 54 whose rod carries at its outer end a slide 55 movable on tracks 56 extending across the basin 4. These tracks are of such size and relative disposition as to accommodate the cases 57 in which the bottles 58 are carried in an inverted position.

Assuming that the pistons 46 are in the positions indicated in full lines, the Water passes through branch 42, cylinder 41 and port 43 to the right'hand end of cylinder 44 forcing the piston 54 and the slide 55 to the positions illustrated. When the head 24 lowers and, through contact with arm 53,

the only manual operation necessary is to place the cases upon the tracks. All of the subsequent operations of advancing the cases to subject the bottles successively to the action of the spindles and the brushes, as well as the means for raising and lowering the hollow heads carrying the spindles and brushes, are essentially automatic and are accomplished solely by the head or pressure under which the motive fluid is maintained.

I have illustrated only one set of spindles and one set of brushes, but obviously either or both of these may be increased and the specific apparatus shown may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim as my invention 1. In an automatic bottle washing apparatus, a cylinder, a piston movable vertically therein, a spindle head carried by said piston, means for supplying a motive fluid under pressure, means for intermittently admitting fluid into the cylinder to raise the piston and the head, and to subsequently permit the piston and head to lower, fluid operated means for advancing bottles into operative relation to said head, and means for automatically. setting said bottle advancing means into motion by and upon the lowering of the head.

2. In an automatic bottle washing apparatus, a'cylinder, a piston movable vertically therein, a spindle head carried by said piston, means for supplying a motive fluid under pressure to said cylinder, means for intermittently admitting said fluid to the cylinder to raise the piston and to subsequently permit it to lower, another cylinder, a piston movable in said last named cylinder, valve mechanism controlling the move mentof the last named piston in said cylinder, a communication between said valve mechanism and the motive fluid supply. a member operable by the movement of the second named piston to advance the bottles into operative relation to .the spindle head, and means operable by and upon the lowering of the spindle head for actuating the valve mechanism in a direction to actuate the bottle advancing member.

3. In an automatic bottle washing apparatus, a cylinder, a piston movable vertibines also carried by said last named head 1 of said pistons and heads for advancing the i cally therein, a spindle head carried by said piston, means for supplying a motive fluid under pressure, means for intermittingly admitting said fluid into said cylinder to raise the piston and subsequently permit it to lower, a horizontally disposed cylinder, a piston movable therein, a bottle advancing member operatively connected to said secondnamed piston, a valve mechanism operatively connected to said second named cylinder and adapted to control the movements of the'piston in said cylinder, means tending to. actuate said valve mechanism in one direction to admit the said fluid" into said second named cylinder whereby to retract the bottle advancing member, and means operable by and upon the lowering of the head, and means operable by and upon the lowering of the spindle head for establishing communication between said bottle ad-' vancing means and the motive fluid supply, ,to actuate said bottle advancing means.

5. In an automatic bottle washing apparatus, cylinders, pistons movable vertically therein, heads carried by said pistons, spray spindles carried by one of said heads, revoluble brushes carried by the otherhead, turand arranged to operate said brushes when fluid is admitted to said head, means for supplying motive fluid under pressure to v said cylinders, valve mechanism controlling the communication between said cylinders and the motive fluid supply,mleans for in termittingly opening, communication from the'motive fluid supply to said cylinders to raise said pistons and to subsequently permit them to lower, and motive fluid means operable by and. upon the lowering of one bottles into operative relation to the spray spindles and brushes. 7 6. ln an automatic bottle washing apparatus, cylinders, pistons movable vertically therein, heads carried by said pistons, spray spindles carried by one of said heads, rev oluble brushes carried by the other head, turbines also carried by said last named head and arranged to operate said brushes when fluid is admitted to said head, means for supplying a motive fluid under pressure to said cylinders, valve mechanism common to both of said cylinders, means for intermittingly actuating said valve mechanism whereby the motive fluid will be admitted from the supply to said cylinders to raise said pistons and heads and to subsequently permit them to lower, and motive fluid means operable by and upon the lowering of one" of said heads for advancing the bottles into operative relation to the spindles and brushes.

,7. In an automatic bottle washing apparatus, a cylinder,-a,piston movable vertically therein, a head carried by the piston, means for supplying a motive fluid under pressure, communications between the cylinder and the motive fluid supply and between the head and the motive fluid supply, means for intermittingly opening the. communication between the motivefluid supply and the cylinder to raise the piston and head and to subsequently permit it to lower, and an automatic valve in the communication between the head and motive fluid supply whereby upon the lowering of the'head said last named communication will be closed.

8. An automatic bottle washingapparatus, comprising a basin, a cylinder mounted therein, a piston movable vertically in said cylinder, a head carried by said piston for the purpose specified, means for supplying motive fluid under pressure, valve mechanism mounted in said basin, and arranged to intermittingly admit motive fluid from said supply to the cylinderbelow the piston 100 and to discharge the fluid from the-cylinder into the basin whereby the piston will be alternatively raised and lowered, another cylinder mounted in said basin, a piston mountedtherein, valve mechanism controlling the said last named piston, and communicating with the motive fluid system, a track extending across the basin, a bottle advancing member mounted in said track and adapted in its operative travel to move the bottles into operative relation to said head, and means operable by and upon the lowering of the head for automatically actuating the valve mechanism whereby the motive fluid will be admitted into the second named cylinder in a manner to act against said second named piston, and operatively move the bottle advancing member.

9. In an automatic bottle Washing apparatus, a motive fluid supply, a cylinder hav- 12 0 ing a piston and spindle head carried by said piston, a second cylinder also having a piston and carrying aseries ofturbines, brushes carried by said turblnes, means for admitting a motive fluid to said spindle head and to said turbines,'and means for raising and lowering said pistons, comprising a'valve mechanism controlling the admission and exhaust of motive fluid toand from said cylinders, and a mechanical device for controlling said mechanism oper- In testimony whereof, I have signed this ated by the motive fluid, and asecond valve specification in the presence of two subscrib- 1 mechanism and devices operated thereby for ing itnesses.

, successively advancim a plurality of series of bottles into operative relation with said WILLIAM LE I spindles and brushes, said latter valve'mech- Witnesses: 3 anism being actuated by the movement of GRAFTON L. MCGILL,

said spindle head. CHAS. H. TOPPTNG.

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