US1272346A

US1272346A - Apparatus for drying bottles.

Info

Publication number: US1272346A
Application number: US17633717A
Authority: US
Inventors: Fredrick L Jefferies; William Spain
Original assignee: Corn Products Refining Co
Current assignee: Corn Products Refining Co
Priority date: 1917-06-22
Filing date: 1917-06-22
Publication date: 1918-07-09
Anticipated expiration: 1935-07-09

Description

F. L. JE-FFERIES & W. SPAIN. APPARATUS FOR DRYING BOTTLES.

APPLICATION HLED JUNE 22. Hill.

1 {272,346. Patented July 9, 191s.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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MAM, M

F. L. JEFFERIES & W.-SPMN.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING BOTTLES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22.1911.

1 72,346. Patented July 9, 1918.,

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

F. L. JEFFERIES & W.'SPMN.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING BOTTLES. APPLICATION FILED w n: 22. 1912.

Patented July 9, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Jib 1 6556; 4

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDBICK L. JEFFEBIES AND WILLIAM SPAIN, OF RIVERSIDE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOBS TO CORN PRODUCTS DEFINING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING BOTTLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1918.

Application filed June 22, 1917. Serial No. 176,887.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, F REDRICK L. JEF- rnnms and \VILLIAM SPAIN, citizens of the United" States, residin at Riverside, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Drying Bottles, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to drying apparatus and particularly to the type of drying apparatus suitable for drying receptacles such as bottles or the like.

The invention has as its primary object the provision of a new and improved ap paratus suitable for drying receptacles whereby the drying operation may be performed thoroughly, rapidly and economically. The invention contemplates more particularly an apparatus for drying the interior and exterior surfaces of receptacles having restricted openings such as bottles or the like.

The invention consists of the novel arrangements, constructions and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed for carrying out the above stated object and such other objects as may appear from the following illustrations and description.

The referred embodiment of our invention isi lustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of reference desi nate corresponding parts, and in whic l Figure 1 is a side view, in elevation, of an apparatus constructed in accordance with our invention, certain parts of which are broken away for purposes of clearness.

Fig. 2 is a view, in elevation, of the fan employed in our preferred construction, showing the side opposite to that shown in Fi 1.

ig. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; i

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

'Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 7 is another enlarged section taken on line 77 of Fig. 6.

In the drawings we have illustrated our invention in connection with an apparatus suitable for drying bottles. This form of apparatus, however, has been employed merely for the purpose of illustrating one of the principal uses for which our inventwo is particularly adapted, namely, drying the interior of receptacles having restrictedv openings such as bottles, and the like. When drying bottles, for example, and particularly bottles intended to be filled with cooking oils, such as corn oil, for example, it is necessary to remove all moisture from the interior of the bottle. Should the bottle not be entirely free from moisture before being filled with oil, the water becomes mixed with the oil in such manner as to give the oil a cloudy and unsightly appearance.

()ur preferred manner of drying bottles, so as to avoid the above results, is to introduce heated air into the interior of the bottle so as to expel any excessive amount of water and evaporate the remaining moisture which is not expelled in the above manner. The vapor resulting from such evaporation is forced out of the bottle by the incoming air and thereby prevents any condensation of vapor in the bottle.

While the apparatus illustrated in the drawings embodies our invention in a preferred form, it will be obvious that the structural features may be modified without de arture from the invention.

eferring to the drawings, the apparatus is shown as consisting of supports 10 and 11 which are connected together by means of angle irons 12. The depending flanges of these angles serve as a convenient means of supporting an air heating trunk or chamber composed preferably of a sheet metal casing 13 havi an open top end having its vertical side we ls secured to the aforesaid flanges of the angles 12 in any suitable manner, as, for example, by means of the cross-bars 14. Steam coils 15 and 16 extend lengthwise of the casing and are preferably disposed in staggered relation with respect to each other, so that the air introduced into the casing by means of the fan 17 will be heated rapidly. A belt conveyer 18 extends. over

drums

19 and 20 and operates across the open top of the air heater so as to provide, in effect, a movable closure for the same. The belt 18 is preferably made of canvas webbing sufiiciently stiff and heavy to prevent it from sagging under the weight of the bottles being dried, and the edges 21,

22 preferably rest upon the horizontal flanges of the angles 12. This construction in addition to preventing any sagging of the belt, also prevents any appreciable escape of heated air around the e es thereof. In order to maintain the belt as tight as may be required, the drum 20 is movably mounted on the support 11 by means of slides 23 which are adjusted by screw bolts 24. 25, 25 designate idle rollers disposed at con venient points beneath the apparatus so as to support the lower strand of the belt 18. Numerals 26 designate a plurality of air pipes which extend through apertures 27 (Fig. 6) in the belt and are secured to the belt by means of

nuts

28, 29. Metal wash: ers 30 are interposed between belt 18 and the nuts 28, 29 to stiffen the connections between the pipes and the belt and hold the pipes in perpendicular relation to the belt. In order to provide suitable clearance for the nuts 29, the

drums

19 and 20 are provided preferably with leather bands 31, which may be secured thereto by means, of screws 32. Coil springs 33 surround the pipes 26 to provide resilient stops for the bottles. This enables the operator to ut the bottles over the pipes very rapidly without danger of breaking or chipping the neck of the bottle. The springs, it will also be noted, hold the orifice of the bottles a short distance away from the nuts 28 so as to permit the free escape of the air which is in troduced into the interior of the bottles through the pipes 26. A sheet metal housing 34 is secured to the horizontal flanges of the angles 12 and extends over the belt conveyer 18 and u standing air pipes 26 so as to provide an inc osed passageway throu h which the bottles 35 are conveyed during t e drying operation.

In operation, the conveyer 18 is driven in the direction indicated by the feathered arrow in Fig. 1, by any suitable means such, for example, as the worm 36 and gear 37, which ma be operatively connected with any suitable ibrm of motor (not shown). The bottles 35 are put in place over the air pipes 26 and are sup orted in inverted position by the coil springs 33 in a manner which permits .the free discharge of water and air. The bottles are conveyed through the inclosed passageway formed by the housing 34 and removed from the conveyer when they reach the other end of the machine. Air is forced into the casing 13 of the airheating member by means of the fan 17 and passes over the heating coils 15, 16. The heated air passes from the heater into the interior of the bottles through air pipes 26 so as to remove all moisture from the inner surfaces thereof. The heated air es caping from the bottles as they pass through the inclosed passageway 34 will be somewhat confined within the said passageway and therefore serve to dry the exterior surface of the bottles, and also to keep the bottles warm so as to more effectively dry the inner surfaces thereof, which isthe principal function of the machine. 38 designates a suction or air-return pipe leading from one end of the housing 34 (as indicated in Figs. 1 and 5) t0 the inlet port 39 of the fan 17 (shown best in Fig. 2). By this arrangement circulation of air through the apparatus is established which efl'ects an economy of heat.

As further modifications could obviously be made without de arture from our invention, we do not wis to limit the invention to the exact. structure shown and described except so far as specific limitations may appear in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In apparatus for drying receptacles, the combination of a hot air trunk, a conveyer which is movable lengthwise of the trunk and forms the top of the same, and means for holding receptacles in inverted position on said conveyer provided with air ducts for introducing hot air from the trunk into the receptacles.

2. In apparatus for drying receptacles, the combination of a hot air trunk, a conveyer which is movable len hwise of the trunk and forms the top of t e same, means for holding receptacles in inverted position on said conveyor provided with air ducts for introducing hot air from the trunk into the receptacles, and cushioning supports for the necks of the receptacles.

3. In apparatus for drying receptacles, the combination of a receptacle support, a tubular member extending through said support over which a receptacle is adapted to be placed in inverted position, and a coiled spring surrounding the lower end of the tubular member and bearing against said support upon which the receptacle is adapted to rest so that the open end of the same is raised from the support.

4. In apparatus for drying receptacles, the combination with a supporting structure, of an air heater, and a conveyer provided with means for supporting said receptacles in inverted osition so that the openings thereof are eld out of contact with said conveyor, said supporting means providing air ducts extending into said receptacles and communicating with said air heater.

5. In an apparatus for drying receptacles. the combination with a supporting structure. of an air heater. :1 fan for introducing air into said heater, a conveyor provided with means for retaining said receptacles in inverted position and adapted to close the upper side of said heater. :1 housing extending over said conveyor and providing a passage through which said receptacles a re convcvrd. means permitting the escape of air from said heater into said passage, and a return pipe leadin from said passage to the intake of said an.

6. In apparatus for dryingreceptacles, the combination with a supporting structure, of an air heater, a conveyer provided with means having air ducts adapted to retain said receptacles in inverted position, said ducts communicating with sai heater so as to introduce heated air into the interior of said receptacles, a housing providing a passage through which said receptacles are conveyed, and means interposed between the open ends of said receptacles and said conveyer to permit air to escape from said receptacles into said passage so as to dry the exterior surfaces of said receptacles.

7. In an a paratus for drying receptacles, the combination with a supporting structure, of an air heater, a coiiveyer provided with means havin air ducts adapted to retain said receptac es in inverted osition, said ducts communicating with sai heater so as to introduceheated air into the interior of said receptacles, a housing providing a passage through which said receptacles are conveyed, and coiled springs interposed between the open ends of said receptacles and said conveyer so as topermit the heated air to escape from said receptacles.

8. In apparatus for drying receptacles, the combination with a supporting structure, of an air heater, a'conveyer for said receptacles" provided with means formed with air ductswhich extend into the interior of said receptacles and communicate with said air heater, a housing over said conveyer, a fan for forcing air into said heater, and a return pipe leading from said housing to the intake opening of said fan.

9. In apparatus for drying receptacles, the combination with a supporting structure, of a belt conveyer for sa-idreceptacles provided with-air pipes. which extend intothe interior of said receptacles and communicate with said air heater, a housing over said conveyer, means for supporting the edges of said belt, a fan for forcing air into said heater having an intake openingto the atmosphere, and a return ipe leading from said housing to the inta e opening of said fan which partly covers the same.

10. In apparatus for drying receptacles, the combination with a supporting structure, of an air heater comprisin a casin havin steam coils arranged therein, an en less be t conveyer adapted to support receptacles and to close the upper side of said casing, and provided with pipes communicating with said air heater and adapted to introduce heated air into said receptacles, and means for taking up the slack in said conveyer,

comprising a pulley slidably mounted on said support, and screws adapted to hold the same in any adjusted position.

-means for holding the bottles-out of contact 11. In apparatus for drying bottles, the combination with an air heater, of a conveyer which extends over and forms the tog of the heater, and means for supporting an introducing heated air into said bottles, comprising pipes attached to the conveyer, communicating with said heater and extending into the necks of the bottles.

12. In apparatus for drying bottles, the combination with an air heater, of a belt conveiyer which extends over and forms the top 0 the heater and means forsujiporting and introducing heated air into sai bottles, comprising pipes attached to the conveyor, communicating with said heater and extending into the necks of the bottles.

13. In apparatus for dr ing bottles, the combination with an air eater, of a belt moving support which extends over and forms the to of the heater, and means thereon for int ucing heated air into said bottles, comprising pipes attached to the support, communicating with said heater and extendinginto the necks of the bottles, and

with said belt to a thereof.

14. In apparatus for drying bottles, the combination with an air heater, of a belt conve er which extends over and forms the top 0 the heater and means for su porting and introducing heated air into sai bottles, comprising pipes attached to the conveyer, communicating with said heater and extending into the necks of the bottles to a point near the bottom thereof, and coiled springs between the necks of the bottles and the belt for holding the bottles out of contact with said belt.

15. In apparatus for drying receptacles, the combination of a hot air trunk, a conveyer which is movable lengthwise of the trunk and forms the top of the same, means for holding receptacles in inverted position on said conveyer provided with air ducts for introducinghot air from the trunkinto the receptacles, and a hood on the trunk extending over said conveyer.

16. In apparatus for drying receptacles, the combination of a hot air trunk, a coni veyer which is movable lengthwise of the trunk and forms the top of the same, means for holding receptacles in inverted position on said oonveyer provided with air ducts for introducing hot air from the trunk into the receptacles, a hood on the trunk extending over said conveyer, air-heating means arran ed in said trunk, and a return pipe from the 00d to said trunk.

17. In apparatus for drying receptacles, the combination of a hot air trunk, a conveyer which is movable len hwise of the trunk and forms the top of t e same, and a plurality of tubular members fixedto said conveyer providing means for holding repoint near the bottom ceptacles in inverted ition on the conveyer and for introducing air into the same from said air trunk.

18. In apparatus for drying receptacles, the combination of a hot air trunk, a conveyer which is movable len hwise oi the trunk and forms the top of t e same, a pinrality of tubular members filled to said eonveyer providing means for holding receptacles 1n inverted position on the eonveyer and for introducing air into the same from said air trunk, and a hood on the trunk extendin over said conveyor.

19. n apparatus for drying receptacles, the combination of a hot air trunk, a conveyer which is movable len hwise offthe trunk and forms the top of t 'e same, a pluralit of tubular members fixed tQ'Sflld conveyer roviding means for holding receptacles 1n inverted position on the conveyer and for introducing air into the same from said air trunk, and cushioning devices for the necks of the receptacl'es.-

20. In apparatus for drying receptacles, the combination of a' eonveyer means providing a passageway through w ich the conveyer moves, means for supporting receptacles m inverted position on the conveyer, and means for mtroducln heated air into the receptacle while moving through said 80 passe way. p

21. n apparatus for dryin receptacles, the combination of an air trun a conveyer movable longitudinally of the air trunk,

means for introducing heated air into the 86 movable longitudinally oi the air trunk. means for introducing heated air into the trunk,-means for supporting receptacles in inverted position on the conveyer so that 46 heated air from the air trunk is introduced into the interior of the same, and a hood which extends over a portion of the trunk and conveyer.

FREDRICK L. JEFFERIESQ WILLIAM SPAIN.

receptacles, t6 the combination of an an trun a conveyer