US1310128A - Facturing co - Google Patents

Description

e. 1. MEYER.

BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE.

. APPLI CATION FILED NOV; 22. I915. 1,310,128. Patented July 15, 1919.

4. SHEETSSHEET I.

G. J. MEYER.

BO TTLE WASHING.MACHINE. APPLRIATION FiLED NOV-22.1915.

1,310,128. Patented Ju1y15, 1919.

w/r/vssses [elm MU).

6,1. MEYER.

BO TTLE WASHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILZD NOV. 22, I915.

1,310,128; PatentedJ'l-llyls, 1919.

4 SHEETSSHEE1 3.

e. JfMEYER; BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22. 1915- v 1,319,128. Patented July 15, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- ITED STATES GEORGE J. MEYER, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR '10 GEO. J'. MEYER MANU- FACTURING 00., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN BOTTLE-WASHING MACHINE.

Application filed November 22, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE J. MEYER, a. citizen of the United States. and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and 'State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bottleashing Machines, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompa-nying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a bottle washing machine of the type in which the bottle conveyer is given a continuous traveling motion, and the washing and brushing mechanism is given a reciproeating travel to cooperate with the bottles successively while the latter are traveling, such type of bottle washer being exemplified by Patent No. 1,095,290, to Daniel Schmid. dated May 5, 1914.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a bottle washing machine with mechanism for moving brushes into and out of the bottles with a dwell motion that will prolong the time interval that the brushes remain within the bottles and that will produce a slight longitudinal reciprocation of the brushes before withdrawing them from the bottles,-and thus improve the effectiveness of the operation of the brushes.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for readily adjusting the degree of the brush traveling movement to adapt the machine for use with bottles of dilferent sizes.

Another object of the invention is to provide asafety stop mechanism which will automatically disconnect the machine from its driving means upon the occurrence of an abnormal resistance to the operation of the machine from any cause.

Another object of the invention is to provide a'siinple and eflicient means for driving the brush spindles.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a bottle washing machine with an automatic loading chute which will be adapted to receive bottles from a conveyer of a soaker or the like. and will invert the bottles and insert them in the openings of the bottle carriers of the machine.

Another object of the invention is to pro-- vide such a machine with an electrically lighted inspection discharge chute onto Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 15, 1919.

Serial No. 62,706.

which the washed bottles are deposited from.

the couve-yer chain of bottle carriers.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic unloading means for shifting the bottles from the inspection chute onto a conveyer for removing them from the machine.

Another object of the invention is to perfect details of construction of such a machine generally.

lVith the above and other objects'in view the invention consists in the bottle washing machine as herein claimed and all equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of reference indicate the same parts in the different views,

Figure 1 is a side View of a bottle wash ing machine constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the unloader in its raised position;

Fig. 3 is a detail View showing the reversing loader in position to receive bottles from the feeding couveyer;

Fig. -l is a plan view of the machine;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the gear box;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view thereof:

Fig. 7 is a sectional view through the train of bottle carriers. showing the bottle clamps, cleaning brushes, and rinsers cooperating therewith Fig. 8 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 7; r

Fig. 9 is a detail view on the line w-mbf Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a front view of the automatic stop;

Fig. 11 is a side view thereof; and,

Fig. 12 is a plan view thereof.

In these drawings 15 indicates a frame mounted upon adjustable supports 16 by which it may be leveled, and 17 is a cam shaft suitably journaled therein and having gearing connection with a. suitably driven shaft 18. Sprocket wheels 19 on a shaft which is geared to cam shaft 17 give motion to a chain conveyer 20 which passes therearound and also around idle sprockets 21 and 22. This chain conveyor has the links of the chain members thereof connected by wooden cross strips 23 forming bottle carriers having tapering openingsto receive the necks of bottles so that the bottles are carried thereby in an inverted position. .& pair of cross-shaped frames 24 are suspended by links 25 on each side of the frame and together they form a vertical slotted swinging guide frame carrying the bottle clamping mechanism and the brushing and rinsing mechanism. This guide frame is reciprocated by having a roller 26 on one of the links 25 traveling in a cam groove of a cam gear 27 on the cam shaft 17, which groove 1 is so shaped as to produce the slow forward and quick return movement of the frame. Slidably mounted in the vertical slots of the frame 24 is a lower clamping frame 28 which is moved vertically in the slots-by means of adjustable links 29 connecting it with levers 30 which are pivotally mounted on the frame 24 and are operated by a bell crank lever 31 which is fulcrumed on the frame and has a roller at one end riding in a cam groove of the cam gear 27, while a link at the other end connects it with one of the levers 30. ()n the lower clamping frame 28 are carried rows of spring pressed telescoping sleeves 33 to form yielding funnel-shaped bottlemouth-engaging members through which brush spindles 34 pass to enter the bottles, as will be later described. On this frame also are a series of water pipes 35 having funnel-like bott-le-mouth-engaging members 36 to fit against the bottles, While jets of water are ejected through openings in the pipes into the. interior of the bottles, there preferably being one of such water pipes ahead of the two rows of brushes, and two of the water pipes at the rear of the rows of brushes, as shown, so that each bottle will first receive a rinsing, then a preliminary brushing, then a final brushing, followed by a second rinsing and a third rinsingas it travels through the machine.

Also slidably mounted in the vertical guide slots of the movable frame 24 is an upper clamping frame 37 which is lowered at the same time that the lower frame is raised. This movement of the upper clamping frame is produced by adjustable connecting rods 38 connecting it with the shorter ends of levers 30. Each of the connecting rods 38 comprises a screw member threaded in a swivel nut on the upper clamping frame 37 and a sleeve member pivotally mounted on the lever 30, and a connecting shaft 38' passing through the machine and journaled at its ends in the two sleeve members carries beveled pinions meshing with beveled pinions on both screw members and also carries a crank 38" at one end by which it may be turned for producing simultaneous and equal adjustment of the two connecting rods 38.

The upper clamping frame 37 has a pair of horizontal rods 33 at its ends which form pivotal supports for a: number of bottle gage frames 40. These gage frames carry gage members 41 at their ends directly above the brush spindles 34, and have downwardly projecting cam fingers thereon to receive and center the bottoms of the bottles between them and hold the bottles in clamping relation with the yielding funnelshaped sleeves 33 while the internal scrubbing by means of the brushes on spindles 34 is being performed. The gage frames are releasably held in their normal positions by spring pressed clamping jaws 4-2 thereon engaging the lower surfaces of square clamping rods 43 extending across the clamping frame 37 and positioned with their diagonals vertical and horizontal.

Spring clamps 42 hold the gage frames 40- in their normal positions until they are overcome by an abnormal pressure on the bottles, as upon a brush spindle 34 being lifted against a crowned bottle or a bottle containing a cork or other obstruction. The bottle being lifted by the upward movement of the brush spindle carries the jaws of the spring clamp 42 above the engaged surfaces of the clamping rods 43 and the gage frame is free to swing upwardly to allow the bottle to be lifted without injuring the mechanism. There are as many bottle gage frames 40 as there are bottle openings in each of the bottle carriers 23, but any one of them, when raised, will engage and lift a cross bar 44 which is carried by arms 44 pivotally mounted on the rods 39. shaped cam blades 45 are carried by the cross rods 44 at one end thereof and are adapted to engage arc-shaped cam wings 46 on a trip member 47 which is pivotally mounted on a vertical axis to lugs on the frame 37. An arm 48 extending from the trip member 47 is bent outwardly and downwardly to engage a trigger of an automatic stop mechanism to stop the operation of the machine whenever said arm is moved by the swinging of the stop member 47 incident to the movement of one of the cam blades 44' against the cam edge of one of the wings 46, shown in Fig. 9, as upon the lifting of one of the bottle gage frames 40 in the manner described. One of the rods 39 has arms 49 adjustably mounted on it carrying a rotary brush 50 which is driven in any suitable manner and serves to scrub the bottoms of the bottles as they pass from beneath the upper clamping frame, and a water pipe 51 above the brush sprays water thereon to facilitate the cleaning operation. Above the water pipes 35 there are water guards 52 comprising sheet metal plates with downwardly turned edges suitably secured to the clamping bars 43 to intercept the sprays of water from the water pipes 35 when bottles are missing.

In addition to the clamping frames, the vertical slots of the swinging reciprocated Arcframe 24 serve to guide the vertical movements of a gear box 53, into which the tubular brush spindles 3i are journaled, and communicate with longitudinal water chambers 54 thereof to which water is supplied under pressure. Extending longitudinally of the gear box is a shaft 55 on which are a number of beveled pinions 56 meshing with beveled pinions 57 of gear Wheels 58, each of the later meshing with inions 59 on four of the brush spindles 34. hus the shaft 55 drives all of the brush spindles in the same direction and at the same speed. The ends of the gear box 53, while sliding in the grooves of the guide frames 24, are pivotally mounted on the ends of counterweighted levers 60 which are fulcrumed on upstanding pivot links 61 which in turn are ivotally mounted to the sides of the frame.

he two levers 60 are connected at their outer ends by a counterwei ht 62 which counterbalances the weight of the gear box to facilitate the raising and lowering thereof. One of the links 61 has an electric motor 63 mounted thereon, orpreferably on a separate pedestal pivotally mounted with the link, and a belt 64 connects said motor with a pulley 65 on the shaft 55 of the gear box for driving the spindles.

A link 66 is mounted on a wrist pin on the cam gear wheel 27 and connects with one arm of a bell crank lever 67 which is fulcrumed on the frame, the other arm of said bellcrank being connected by an adjustable connecting rod 68 with one of the counterweighted levers 60, so that the turning of said cam gear 27 causes the levers 60 to swing and raise and lower the gear box with its revolving brush spindles. The adjustable connection between the connecting rod 68 and the bell crank lever 67 comprises a sleeve 69 pivotally connected to the upper end of said connecting rod and slidably mounted on the arm of the bell crank lever 67 and controlled by a right and left hand screw 70 which is threaded in lugs on the sleeve and the bell crank lever respectively. The pivotal connection between the connecting rod 68 and the sleeve 69 passes the line of dead center, or the line wvliich connects the fulcrum center of the bell crank lever 67 with the point of connection between the connecting rod 68 and the lever 60, so that a dwell is produced in the movement of the brush spindles as they reach their highest point of travel so as to prolong the scrubbing action thereof at the bottom of the bottle where cleaning is most difficult The upward movement of the brushes within the bottles is of gradually diminishing speed, and after the brushes reach their uppermost position they move downwardly a short distance and then back to their uppermostposition before moving downwardly out of the bottles. This'sho'rt' reciprocation at the end of the upward movement of the brushes assures a thorough cleaning of the bottoms of the bottles by increasing the duration of the brushing operation at these points.

The connection between the connecting rod 68 and the lever 60 is a yielding connection that will release the connecting rod 68 upon the occurrence of an abnormal resistance to the upward movement of the brush spindles. This connection preferably consists of a pair of rollers 71 which are mounted on the. lever 60 and are held by adjustable spring pressure in engagement with notches on opposite sides of the connectin rod 68, said rollers being capable of yie ding by moving apart when their spring pressureis" overcome and permitting the rod 68 to slide therebetween. A rod 72 is connected with one of the rollers 71 and connects with a bell crank 73 in the line of the pivotal axis of the lever 60, which bell crank is connected by a rod 74 with an automatic trip mechanism to stop the operation of the machine as soon as the connecting rod 68 is allowed to slip between the rollers 71, the movement of the rollers in spreading apart serving to pull upon the rod 72 and 4 thereby push upon the rod 7i to effect such result. g,

The automatic stop mechanism for step ping the operation of the machine when the connecting rod 68 is released from its driving connection with the lever 60 or when one of the bottle gage frames 10 is lifted, as previously explained, comprises a spring actuated arm 75 which is pivotally mounted on a plate 76 secured to the frame and bears against a shoulder or fixed collar 77 on a clutch operating rod 78- which connects with a clutch operating lever 78 and extends to a position in convenient access to the attendant. A trigger plate 79 is pivot-ally mounted between ears on the plate 76 and at its upper part is provided with a raised, inclined stop 80 to engage and hold the arm 75 in the full line position of Fig. 10, to which it may be moved against the action of its spring either by pressure on the rod 78 or by means of the handle 81 projecting from the upper end thereof. The. movement of the arm 75 is limited by stop lugs .32 on the plate. 76. The stop 80 on the trigger plate 7 9 is only in position to engage and hold the arm 75 when said trigger plate is in its normal forward position in which it is held by a coil spring 83 in the rear thereof. The trigger plate 7 9, however, may be swung rearwardly to disengage the stop 80 from the arm 75, as by such upward its dotted line position in Fig. 10, and in being swung pushes with its rounded hearing surface against the shoulder of said collar 77 on clutch operatin rod 78, and thus moves such clutch operating rod to disengage the clutch to stop the operation of the machine;

The swinging movement of the trigger plate 79 to carry the stop 80 out of the path of arm 75 will also be produced by the movement of the arm 48 of the upper bottle clamp safety stop mechanism previously described as taking place when one of the bottles is lifted by the brush spindle, and for this purpose the upper edge of the trigger plate '7 9 has a horizontal arm 85 projecting from it in position to be engaged by the vertical trip arm 48 so that when the latter is swung inwardly it swings the trigger plate 79 rearwardly against the pressure of its spring 83 to release the lever 75, whereupon the spring of said lever causes it to swing to the dotted line position to open the clutch and stop the machine. In order that injury may not be caused to the machine by starting it in operation again after it.has been automatically stopped, and before the cause for stopping the machine has been discovered and removed, a dog 86 is provided to engage the arm 75 and prevent its being returned to its normal position as long as the trigger plate 79 remains in its depressed position.

This dog 86 is pivotally mounted on the trigger plate 79 and has a tooth 87 extending only part way across its lower surface so as to only be in the path of travel of a tooth 88 on the end of'arm 75 when the trigger plate 79 is in its depressed position. When the trigger plate 79 is in its normal forward position the arm 75 is free to swing without interference by the dog, the dog merely resting thereon so that after the obstruction has been removed, and thereafter the trigger plate 79 has been restored to its normal forward position, the machine may be started in its operation by swinging the arm 7 5 to its full line position where it will again be engaged by the stop 80. This resetting of the arm 75 may be performed by pressure on the rod 78 or by pushing on the handle 81.

At the front end of the machine an automatic loader is provided which is adapted to receive the bottles from a conveyer such as the belt conveyer of a soaker and then invert them and deposit them in the openings of the bottle carriers in the ascending flight of the bottle conveyer 20. This loading mechanism comprises side frames 88 pivotally mounted concentric with the idle sprockets 22 of the conveyer, preferably on the same shaft therewith, and connected at their rear ends by a counterweight 89 and having a reversible chute 9O pivotally mounted at their outer ends and divided by partitions 105 to limit their movement.

into pockets to receive and hold the bottles from the time they are discharged by a bottle delivery conveyer 91 until they are inverted and deposited in the openings of the bottle carriers 23. The swinging movement of the loader is provided by an arm 92 on one of the side frames 88 thereof, having a connection '93 with the driving mechanism of the soaker or other mechanism of which the conveyer 91 is a part, so that the operation of the loader will be properly timed with relation to the operation of the delivery conveyer 91. The operation of the loader is also in synchronism with the operation of the bottle washing machine, the latter being driven from the soaker operating mechanism for this purpose. A pinion 94 is provided on one end of the loading chute 90 to engage teeth of a stationary segmental rack 95 for inverting the loading chute at the beginning of its upward movement, and an arc-shaped stationary guide plate 96 has the necks of the bottles bear thereon when the chute is inverted and until it completes its swinging movement by carrying the bottles off of said guide plate and dropping them into the openings in the carriers 23. When this is done the loader is returned to its position for receiving the next row of bottles from the conveyer 91, and just before completing such movement the pinions 94 rengage the teeth of the segmental rack 95 and restore the chute to its position for receiving the bottles.

At the rear end of the machine is an inspection rest and unloading mechanism into which the bottles are discharged from the bottle loaders 23 as they pass around the idle sprockets 19. Arms 97 adjustably mounted on the sides of the frame support at their ends a sheet metal inspection box 98 which is lighted by electric lamps 99 in .the bottom thereof, and have stationary,

inclined guide rods 100 down which the bottles are adapted to slide when leaving the bottle carriers 23. The bottles are assisted in their disengagement from the bottle carriers 23 by the action of a suitably driven discharge roller 101 against which they contact after leaving an adjustable, stationary, curved bottle. discharge guard 102 which is in position to engage the bottoms of the bottles and prevent their falling from the carriers before reaching the roller 101. Journaled across the inspection box 98 is a shaft 103 carrying a frame of parallel arms 104 which at the same time the bottles slide down the chute rods 100 are in position to receive them. As shown in Fig. 1, the bottles come to rest by engaging stationary bent spring stop fingers A crank on the shaft 103 is connected by a link 106 with a cam lever 107 which is pivotally mounted on the arm 97 and has a roller traveling in a cam groove of the cam gear 27 which with each cycle of operation of the machine for each row of bottles on the carrier causes the shaft 103 to swing upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2, thereby causing the discharge frame 104 to lift the bottles by sliding them along the curved stop fingers 105 and onto a traveling conveyor belt 108 by means of which they are carried upright to the filling machine. Before the next row of bottles is ready to be discharged into the inspection box 98 the frame 104 is returned to its position for receiving them, and by the time one row of bottles is ready to be discharged onto the belt conveyor 108 a preceding row has passed out of the way thereof.

The time interval between the fall of the bottles onto the inspection rack formed by the frame 104 and their discharge therefrom is suflicient to permit the attendant to thoroughly inspect each bottle with the light shining through from beneath so that any bottle which is not perfectly clean may be removed.

The machine of this invention with its bottle conveyer 20 in continuous uninterrupted travel is adapted to have the bottles fed thereto by the automatic loading device, such bottles being taken by the chute 90 and inverted and dropped into the openings of the bottle carriers, and then in their travel along the horizontal flight of the conveyer chain the rows of bottles are subjected to successive rinsing and scrubbing operations from the mechanism carried by the oscillating frame 24, the bottles becoming clamped between the upper and lower clamping members of said frame, and while so clamped having the rotating brush spindles forced into them with the reciprocat-' ing motion at the end of their upward travel, so that the interior thereof becomes thoroughly scoured. Then the bottles are discharged into the inspection chute for an inspection before automatic delivery to the discharge conveyer. The degree to which the brush spindles will be forced upwardly into the-bottles is determined by the adjustment of the right and left hand screw which increases or diminishes the throw of lever 67 by moving its pivotal connection with the connecting rod 68 nearer to or farther from its pivotal axis. This, of course, varies the throw of the levers 60 operated thereby, and consequently the distance of travel of the gear box 53 which carries the brush spindles. The upper clamping frame 37 may be adjusted in position for accommodating bottles. of different sizes by turning the screw members 38 by means of their crank shaft 38'.

Upon the occurrence of an obstruction to 'the proper operation of the machine the automatic stops are effective for stopping the machine, thus preventing accidental injury thereto. A lever 109 is fulcrumed on the frame and is connected with a water valve 110 in a pipe supplying water to the. machine and is operated'by a handle 111, which is convenient to the operator.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a bottle washing machine having a traveling bottle conveyer, inclined parallel rods forming an inspection chute in position to recelve the bottles from the conveyer, and means for producing a light beneath the inspection chute.

the pivotal connection between the connecting rod and the bell crank lever being so positioned that it passes the line connecting the fulcrum of the bell crank lever with the connterweighted lever connection of said connecting rod in the extreme position of the brushing member, whereby a short reciprocation is produced at the end of the travel of the brushing member.

3. A bottle washing machine, comprising a bottle holder, a brushing member movable with relation thereto and having suitably driven brush spindles adapted to enter the bottles on the bottle holder, a suitably fulcrumed counterweighted lever connected with the brushing member, a drive shaft having an eccentric wrist pin, a suitably fulcrumed bell crank lever, a link connecting one arm of the bell crank lever with the wrist pin, a sleeve slidably mounted on the other arm of the bell crank lever, an adjusting screw for moving the sleeve nearer to or farther from the fulcrum of the bell crank lever, and a connecting rod connecting the sleeve with the counterweighted lever.

4. A bottle washing machine, comprising a frame, a continuously moving bottle conveyer thereon, vertical guide frames suspended by links from the frame, an upper and lower bottle clamping means mounted on the vertical guide frames and adapted to engage the bottles between them, a gear box slidably mounted in the guide frames and carrying suitably operated brush spindles for entering-the bottles when so clamped, counterweighted levers fulcrumed on links pivotally mounted on the frame, a bell crank shaft havin lever fulcrumed on the frame, a connecting rod connecting one. arm of the bell crank lever with a counterweighted lever, a drive an eccentric wrist pin, and a link connecting the wrist pin with the other arm of the bell crank lever.

5. A bottle washing machine, comprising a frame, a continuously moving bottle conveyer thereon, vertical guide frames suspended by links from the frame, an upper and lower bottle clamping means mounted on the vertical guide frames, suitably operated levers fulcrumed on the vertical guide frames and having connections With the upper and lower bottle clamping means, the connections for the upper bottle clamping means comprising screw members threaded in the upper clamping means, yoked sleeve members pivotally mounted on the lovers and fitting around the screw members, and a shaft having a crank handle journaled in the yoked sleeve members and having beveled gear connections with each of the screw members whereby the turning of the shaft will simultaneously adjust both ends of the bottle clamping means, a brushing member slidably mounted on the guide frames and carrying suitably) operated brush spindles for entering the ottles when so clamped, and means for sliding the brushing member in the guide frames.

6. In a bottle washing machine, a bottle conveyer adapted to carry bottles in an inverted position, upper and lower bottle clamping means engaging and clamping the bottles between them while held by the conveyer, brush spindles adapted to be projected from the lower clamping means into the interior of the bottles, swinging bottle gage frames on the upper clamping member engaging the upper ends of the bottles,

spring pressed clampingjaws thereon, and

a rod en aged by theblamping jaws permitting t e gage frames to yield under abnormal pressure.

7. In a bottle washing machine, a bottle conveyer adapted to carry bottles in an inverted position, an upper and lower bottle clamping means engaging and clamping the bottles between them while held by the conveyer, brush spindles adapted to be projected from the lower clamping means into the interior of the bottles, swinging bottle gage frames on the upper clamping member engaging the upper ends ofl the bottles, spring pressed clamping jaws thereon, a rod engaged by the clamping jaws permitting the gage frames to yield under abnormal pressure, a swinging frame passing over the gage frames to be lifted thereby, and means for stopping-the operation of the machine operated by the movements of'the swinging frame.

8. In a bottle washing machine, a bottle conveyer adapted to carry bottles in an inverted position, an upper and a lower bottle clamping means engaging and clamping the bottles between them while held by the conveyer, brush spindles adapted to be projected from the lower clamping means into the interior of the bottles, swinging bottle gage frames on the upper clamping means engaging the upper end of the bottles, spring pressed clamping jaws thereon, a rod engaged by the clamping jaws permitting the gage frames to yield under abnormal pressure, a swinging frame passing over the gage frames to be lifted thereby, a trip memher having cam engagement with the swinging frame to be moved thereby, an arm carried by the trip member, and a stop. mechanism operated by the movements of the arm.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE J. MEYER.

Witnesses:

KATHERINE HOLT, R. S. C. CALDWELL.

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