US1531768A

US1531768A - Apparatus for cleaning and drying ice-cream brick molds

Info

Publication number: US1531768A
Application number: US497751A
Authority: US
Inventors: Theodore L Valerius; Larsen Olaf
Original assignee: Creamery Package Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Creamery Package Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1921-09-01
Filing date: 1921-09-01
Publication date: 1925-03-31
Anticipated expiration: 1942-03-31

Description

March 3i.- 1925.

T. L. VALERIUS AET Al.

Armin-U5 ron mamme Ann DRn-rie Ica cama Bitzcx uozsbsmea sept. 1, 1921 2 Shoots-'Sheet 1 1 try-:T122:-

f6. C. "f

Patented Mar. 3l, 1925.

UMTED STATES riri'efizirr orsi-C13.

THEODORE L. VALERIUS AND OLA?? LAR-SEN, OF FORTy'IKINSON,` WISCONSIN, AS-

SIGNORS TO* THE CREAMERY FACKAGE MFG. COMPANY, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND DRYING IOE-CR-EAM BRICK MOLDS.

lApplication led September To all whom It may cof/cern Be it known that we, Tie-mononnv L. VA- LrmUs and OLAF Larsen', citizens of the vUnited States, Vresiding at Fort Atkinson, in the county ci Jelierson and Stateof Wisconsin, have invented Certain new and useful Improvements vin Apparatus for Cleaning and Drying Ice-Cream Brick Molds, of which the following Vis a speciiication.

Our invention relates to means for washing, draining, sterilizing and drying in a thorough, convenient, sanitary and rapid manner, the metallic molds or pans in which ice cream intended for sale in the vform of bricks, slices or cubes, is frozen.

The obj ect of our invention is to produce an apparatus which can be conveniently controlled by one man and in which the molds or pans to be treated are passed in a continuous row, first through a washing field, then through a draining field, and then through a drying field, to be delivered in clean, dry and sanitary condition ready to be lilled with cream.

The utility of our apparatus will become apparent vfrom the following specification, and the accompanying drawings in which a construction incorporating the| various eatures oi' our invention is shown and on which:

Fig. 1Z1 is a side elevational view of the left half of the apparatus,

Fig. 1b is a side elevational view of the right halt of the-apparatus,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view from plane 2 2, Fig. la,

Fig. 3 is aplan view ot one end of the washing section,

Fig. 4 is .a plan view showing the guiding means for changing the positionsfo't the molds when traveling from the draining section to the drying section,

Fig. 5 is a vsectional view on 3piane 5.-5, Fig. 4, Y

Fig. 6 i's an enlarged sectional view on plane 6 6, Fig. 1b, and

Fig. 7 is an end view of the entrance end of the apparatus.

The apparatus comprises the entrance section E, the washing section WV, the. draining section D, and the drying section H. Atthe washing section is provided the supporting structure comprising the rectangular iframe '1Q mounted ou legs 1,1-,k Secured. to and ris- 1, 1,321. Serial No. 497,751.

ing from the legs 11 at the ends of the `frame are standards 12 and 13 of :rectangular shape which are connected together aty their upper corners by angle bars 14;. A cover 15 extends between the tops ot the standards and -removable side wallsl and 1-7 form with the cover a chamber in which -themolds are washed. Extending from the opposite sides of each -standard are the brackets' 18 and "I9 'of -L-shape for supporting lrespectively the mold `bodies B .and their covers C. The bases of the brackets. incline downwardly and the rupright members thereof kincline inwardly and engage at' their upper ends as clearly shown in Fig. 2, the base members of the bracket 18 being longer than those of the bracket 19 in order to accommodate the larger body parts of the molds. The brackets 18 are connected by a iloor plate 2O yand the brackets 19 are connected by a floor plate'21 on which `floor plates the body and cover parts, respectively, rest while traveling through the washing field. The upright parts ot' the brackets are connected respectively by bars 22 and 23aga-inst which the open sides ot the body and cover Aparts lean, the interior ot' the body and cover parts being thus exposed to Areceive washing water and to readily discharge the washing water owing to the inclined position of the supporting brackets. Y l

Above the brackets the standardsvsupport varches 25 between which extendthe guide bars 26 for prevent-ingtipping of the body and cover parts ot the molds out of their inclined positions on the supporting brackets.

The entrance section E of lthe apparatus is formed of the walls .27 and 28 which have the rsame inclination as the upright 'sections 'of the brackets 18 and 19, and lead thereto.

.The walls at their lower ends `are bei'i'rto form the troughs29 and lv80 Jor'receiving the lower ends of the lbody and cover parts of the molds, the lfloors of the troughs being inclined and leading to the floor plates 20 'and 21 of the bracket members in the `washing field. The body and cover parts are set on edge in the troughs and rest in inclined 'position against the walls Y27 and 28, and `the inold partsare then pushed into the washing lield in a continuous row.

Extending longitudinally through .the washing section housing between the bracket trames therein is the spray 'or jetA 'pi-pe '31,

and extending through the upper part of the housing above the mold parts therein are the

jet pipes

32 and 33. These jet pipes are connected by

branch piping

34 and 35 with the main piping 36 connected with the pump 37 which is driven by a motor M. Below the washing field the tank 38 is sus` pended from the frame lO and is connected by pipes 89 with the inlet end of the pump 37. The water for washing the mold parts is thus drawn from the tank and jetted or sprayed over the parts, from which it flows back into the tank. Fresh water may be supplied through the pipe 40 and steam t-hrough the pipe 4l. Before using the apparatus, water and steam are charged into the tank until the water is at the desired temperature. The same water may then be used for a period of washing and, if desired, there may be a continuous infiow of steam and water, the overfiow pipe 41a being provided for the tank which keeps the water from rising above a certain level and .through which scum and dirt floating on the water may escape. The pump delivers the cleaning water to the jet pipes under considerable pressure `and the jets are directed with considerable force against the insides of the mold parts and the outsides thereof, the molds being thus thoroughly washed. In the form of mold shown the body part has the cover receiving bead or iange b and the cover part has the peripheral flange c for engaging with the bead. These flanges engage the floor plates and hold the lower sides of the body and cover away from the plates so that the washing water can readily iiow along and clean the bottom sides of the parts.

The `iet pipes may be supported in any convenient way in the washing section housing. As shown they are supported in the end walls 42 which close the ends of the housing except for the spaces between the brackets and the arches.

The draining section D forms a continuation of the washing section, and has the

floor plates

43 and 44 forming a continuation of the floor plates in the washing section, the

bars

45 and 46 forming continua tions of the

bars

22 and 23 of the washing section, so that the body and cover parts of the molds pass through the drain. section in the same position as in the washing section to permit the water to drain 'from the inside and outside thereof, the drain section being preferably enclosed and having the bottom 47 along which the drain water flows back into the tank 38.

After passing through the drain section the mold parts reach the dryer section H. The dryer section is mounted on pedestals 48 and comprises the outer framework 49 (Fig. 6) containing the W-shaped guide trough 50 having the outwardly inclined side walls 5l and 52 and the upwardly

inclined base walls

53 and 54 on which the body and cover parts, respectively, of the molds are supported, the body parts resting with their bottoms against the wall 50 and with their flanges against the wall 53, and the cgver parts resting with their tops against the wall 52 and with their flanges against the wall 54. In order to tip the mold parts to their new positions in the dryer field, as shown in Fig. 5, the upper guide bars 4o and 46 coming from the drain section diverge a sul'iicient distance, Ias indicated at 45, 46 in Fig. 4,'to cause the body and cover parts to be tipped from their positions in the drain section to their new positions in the dryer section.

lVe preferably utilize electrical means for providing the necessary heat in the dryer section. As shown, electrical heating elements 55 are supported against the rear sides of the walls 5l and 52 so that the heat is applied to the bottoms of the body and cover parts to produce rapid evaporation of any moisture within these parts and to quickly dry them. Suitable switch mechanism 56 is provided for controlling the electrical circuit for the heating elements.

The apparatus can be readily taken care of by one man, who inserts the mold parts at the entrance end and in so doing pushes along the molds and covers previously inserted. ln the washing field the parts are thoroughly washed and rinsed, and in the draining field the water rapidly drains from the parts, and they will also be dried to a considerable extent owing to the heating they receive while in the washing section. After leaving the draining section the mold parts are automatically tipped over against their backs and the heat which they receive thoroughly dries them. The application of the hot water to the mold parts and the heating thereof during passage through the driving section causes the parts to be thoroughly sterilized, and when the parts are delivered from the apparatus they are clean and sanitary and ready to be filled with cream. As the washing and draining sections are entirely enclosed, the surroundings may be kept in dry and sanitary condition. With our apparatus there is also no wastage of water, as only suiiicient fresh water is added to compensate for the dirty water which liows olf through the drain pipe 42 from the tank.

7e do not desire to be limited to the exact construction, arrangement and operation shown and described, as changes and modifications could be made which would still come within the scope of our invention.

le claim as our invention:

l. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a continuous guideway along which the body and cover parts of llO ice cream brick molds may be shifted in separate rows, water jet pipes extending along a section of said guideway for directing water jets to said mold parts, said guideway comprising means to support said parts in inclined position with their open sides down to receive the water on the inside and outside when traveling past said jet pipes and to discharge the cleaning water, heating elements arranged along another section of said guideway to form a heating field, and means for automatically tipping said mold parts before reaching the heating field whereby they are inclined with their open sides up while being dried.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of opposed guide members along which the body and cover parts of ice cream brick molds may respectively be shifted, jet pipes adjacent a section of said guide members, said members at said section being inclined and the body and cover parts resting with their open sides against said members whereby cleaning water will be discharged therefrom, said members at a succeeding section being inclined in the opposite direction to support the closed sides of the body and cover parts, means for automatically tipping said parts during their travel from one of said sections to the other, and means for heating said parts when in the last named position.

In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a supporting guideway along which the body and cover parts of ice cream brick molds may be shifted in separate rows, a portion of said guideway being adapted to support said parts with their closed sides up, means for applying cleaning water interiorly and exteriorly of the parts when in this position, means for automatically tipping said parts While traveling over another portion of said guideway to bring them into position with their closed sides down, and means for heating said parts when in this latter position.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a continuous guideway along which the body and cover parts of ice cream brick molds may be shifted, water jet pipes arranged along a section of said 0uideway, ,for supporting the mold parts on edge with their open sides inclined downwardly when traveling past said jet pipes whereby said parts will be washed inside and outside, means for producing heat along another section of said guideway, said guideway having means for tipping the mold parts before reaching said heating sect-ion to position said parts with their open sides inclined upwardly.

5. In an apparatus of the class described in combination, a continuous guideway along which the body and cover parts of ice cream brick molds may be shifted in separate adj acent rows, said guideway having a portion comprising under supports for said body and cover parts and inner lateral guide bars adapted to retain said parts in inclined position with their open sides down, means for washing said parts while in such position, said guideway having another portion continuous with said first portion comprising under supports for said parts and outer lateral guide walls adapted to retain said parts in inclined position with their open sides up, said inner lateral guide bars eX- te-nding divergently into said second portion of said guideway to tip said parts laterally outward upon said guide walls, and means for heating said guide walls.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

THEODORE L. 'VALERIUS OLAF LARSEN.

said guideway comprising means