US1684828A

US1684828A - Case-washing machine

Info

Publication number: US1684828A
Application number: US721714A
Authority: US
Inventors: Irving R Hippenmeyer
Original assignee: Creamery Package Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Creamery Package Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1924-06-23
Filing date: 1924-06-23
Publication date: 1928-09-18
Anticipated expiration: 1945-09-18

Description

spf; 18, 1828.

l. R. HIPPENMEYER GASE' wAsHING MACHIN sept 1s. 192s;

l. R. HIPPENMEYER CASE WASHING MACHINE Filed Jiinzs.Y E24 3 Smets-Sheet, 2

sept. 1s, 19211 l. R. HIPPENMEYER CASE WASHING MACHINE 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 d June 2 ffl/wr i f2@ jaw-WW Patented Sept. 18, 1928.

"TUNITED STATES `1,884,828 PATENT OFFICE.

I BVING B. HIPPENMEYER,

0F WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE CREAMEBY PACKAGE MFG. COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or inninois.

CASE-WASHING MACHINE.

Application led June 23, 1924. Serial No. 721,714.

The invention relates to machinery for washing the cases or crates in which bottles 'are handled, with reference more particularly to milk bottle cases. l

The handling of bottled milk between the dairy plants and their customers is generally accomplished with the use of cases holding a quantity of bottles. The empty bottles are collected and replaced in the crates for return to the dairy plants. Before the bottles are refilled with milk they are generally removed from the cases and washed in machines adapted to that purpose, being then retilled and again placed in cases. During the period in which the bottles are being washed', it is desirable also to Wash the eases before the refilled bottles are replaced inthem. The case washing operation should thoroughly cleanse the cases on all sides for the removal of any soil accumulated upon them before they are again put in service.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a machine through which bottle 'cases may be conveyed in an end to end series for spray Washing, and so liandled by ithe conveying mechanism within the machine that allsurfaces of the (aises are exposed' dur-` ing their passage through the machine to the cleansing action of the spraying devices provided therein.

Otherobjeets and advantages will be apparent in the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which has been selected for illustration in the accompanying drawings. It will understood, however, that various changes 1n form, construction and arrangement may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as ex ressed in the appended claims.

n the drawings, Fig. 1 represents a plan View of the machine with the top covering removed. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevationof the machine taken through the center of the tank and looking toward the side of the latter supporting the operating mechanisms. Fig. 3 is a front end view ot the machine. Fig. 4: is a cross sectional elevation taken on the plane of the line 4 in Fig. 1 and illustrating the arrangement of the spray pipes in relation to the conveying means.`

The machine comprises a tank 1 supported upon upright standards 2 secured at intervals to the opposite lateral walls of the tank. The

tank is adaptedto contain a quantity of washing solution in its lower portion to be applied to bottle cases passed through the upper portion of the tank.V Bottle cases entering thev machine are received upon a series of spaced rollers 3 positioned at the front end.0f the tank and extending partially into the tank, the rollers 3 being pivoted in a pair of lateral supporting bars f1 mounted on suitable brackets secured to the side walls of the tank. The. rollersare arranged in downwardly inclined serial relation for the movement of cases thereover by gravity.

Positioned inwardly 'of the series of rollers 3 is a driven ,chain conveyor of which v the upper operating run is inclined, first upwardly and then downwardly. The doubly inclined conveyor comprises a pair ol laterally spac-ed chains 5 and 6 supported at the end adajacent the series of rollers by a pair of sprockets 7 and 8 mounted upon an idler shaft 9' journalled in suitable bearings supported on the side walls of the tank. The upper runs of the chains 5 and 6 are also operatively supported on a central pair of sprockets 10 and 11 positioned substantially above the end sprockets 7 and 8, the center sprockets 1() and 11 being supported on an idler Shaft 12 journalled in suitable end bearings mounted on the sidewalls of the tank. The opposite ends of the operative runs of the chains 5 and 6 are supported on a pair of driving sprockets 13 and 111, positioned substantially below the central vsprocket-s 10 and. 11. The driving sprockets 13 and 14 are secured on a drive shaft 15 'journalled in suitable bearings mounted on wall of t-hetank for connection with driving means hereinafter described.

A second pair of conveying chains 16 and 17 are operatively positioned endwardly ad: Y

jacent the chains 5 and 6. The second pair of chains 16 and 17 are supported for opera- 4 tion on an upward inclination and are adapted to receiveqthe cases from the downwardly inclined portions of the chains 5 and 6. The

chains 16 and 17 `are supported. at the inner ends of their runs by a pair of sprockets'.

18V and 19 secured to a shaft 2O journalled'in suitable bearings mounted on the side walls of the tank. The chains 16 and 17 are supported at the uppe'r and outer ends of their runs upon ka pair of sprockets 21 and 22 mounted upon an idler shaft 23, journalled in suitable bearings supported upon the side walls of the tank. The lower inner shaft 2O is driven by a sprocket 24 mounted thereon outwardly of the conveyor chain sprockets, and operatively connected by a chain 25 with a sprocket 26 secured on the drive. shaft 1.5.

Another series of rollers 27 is provided at the rear end of the machine to receive the cases from the chains 16 and 17. The rollers 27 are positioned in spaced relation and pivotally supported in side rails 28 and 2l? carried by brackets mounted on the side walls of a rearwardly extended canopy 3() supported on the end wall of the machine. The bottle cases are laterally guided in their passage through the machine by a pair of

guide rails

31 and 32 support-'ed by brackets 33 secured to the side walls of the tank. The carrying runs of the two pairs of chains are- Supported between their operating sprockets upon the pairs of under-positioned

guide plates

34, 35 and 36, secured to suitable brackets mounted on the tank side walls.

Spaced inwardly from the front end of the machine is a spray supply pipe 37 extending across the tank beneath the series of rollers 3, and connecting with a riser pipe 38 which in turn is connected with an overhead cross pipe 39, the latter being connected with a downwardly extending laterally positioned pipe 40. The lateral and overhead sections are provided with spray openings forvthe d ischarge of the washing solution upon the side surfaces andthe upper and inner surfaces of` thc passing cases. A branch pipe connection 41 extends from the supply pipe 37 inwardly adjacent the end of the series of rollers 3, and is there connected with a cross pipe 42 positioned transversely and beneath the path of the. cases.

The cross pipe 42 is provided with upwardly directed spray openings. As the cases, represented in the drawings by the letter A, pass downwardly over the inclined rollers 3, and are received by the upwardly inclined run of the conveyor chains 5 and 6, it will be observed, as illust-rated in Fig. 2, thatthe adjoining cases are tipped in cndward relation to each other, so that their end surfaces are fully exposed t-o the discharge of the solution from the cross pipe 42, thus effecting the thor- 'ough cleansing of the end surfaces, an action which is not possible when the cases are moved through spraying baths on the same plane and in abutting relation. y

Another supply pipe 43 is positioned inwardly of the rear end of the tank and is connected with a laterally positioned riser pipe 44 which leads to an overhead cross pipe 45 and therefrom to a downwardly positioned lateral pipe 46, the upright and overhead sections being inwardly provided with spray openings to effect a second washing of the lateral surfaces and inner surfaces ofthe passing cases. A branch pipe 47 leading from the I 'supply pipe 43 connects with a second cross pipe 48 having upwardly directed spray openings and positioned adjacent the meeting point of the angularly related runs of the downwardly inclined rear portion of the conveyor chains 5 and 6 and the upwardly inclined chains 16 and 17. The passing cases are at this point again endwardly tilted. so that the washing spray from the cross pipe 48 is thoroughly applied to the end surfaces of the passing cases.

The latter are carried by the conveyor chains 16 and 17 upwardly tothe series of rollers 27 and directed out of the machine. As the cases reach the rollers 27, they may be subjected to a cooling rinse bath sprayed upon them from a pipe 49 extending around the four sides ofthe path of the cases, and having suitable openings for the direction of lateral sprays upon the cases. It will be noted also that as the cases enter the area ot' the rinsing spray their ends are upwardly separated so that the end surfaces of the cases are rinsed 'as well as the side surfaces. f

The chains may be operatively driven and thewashing sprays supplied from the solution contained in the tank by any suitable means` that herein illustrated comprising as a prime source of power a motor 50, mounted on a suitable platform 51 secured to the tank structure, and having endwardly eX- tended shafts 52 and 53 operatively connected with the rotors of the

respective pumps

54 and 55 drawing solution through the screened

inlet pipes

56 and 57 lfrom the interior of the tank. The

pumps

54 and 55 discharge the solution under pressure through the sc'reened outlet connections 58 and 59 to the respective supply pipes 37 and 43 within the tank. The motor shaft 53 also carries a pulley 60 connected by a belt 61 to a pulley 62, mounted on a shaft 63 journalled in a casing 64, suitably supported on the side of the tank; The casing 64 encloses a conventional worm and spiral-gear drive 'for the transmission of power from the shaft 63 to the sprocket drive shaft 15 extending into the casing, whereby the conveyor chains are operatively driven. The upper side of the tank is preferably enclosed by sections of removable covers 65 suitably supported at the upper extremities of the side walls of the tank.

The rinsing spray pipe 49 may be supplied with cold rinse water by suitable connection with an independent supply of Coldwater (not shown). l

Water for the solution within the tank may besupplied by t-he valve controlled inlet pipes 66 and 67 commonly connected with a source of Water supply. The solution may be maintained at suitable temperature by means y through the valve controlled pipes 70 and 71 with a suitable source of steam supply.

I claim as my invention:

l. A case washing machine, comprising a tank adapted to contain washing Huid, a downwardly inclined gravity conveyor supported within`and at one end of said tank and adapted for the movement of a series ot cases into said tank, an endless conveyor belt 'operatively supported in the central portion of said. tank having a doubly inclined carrying run adapted to receive cases from said gravityconveyor, said carrying run extending upwardly from adjacent the lower end of said gravity conveyor and downwardly toward the opposite end of said tank, a second endless conveyor belt operatively supported in said tank having an upwardly inclined carrying run positioned endwardly adjacent the downwardly inclined portion of said first conveyor belt and adapted to receive ,cases therefrom, and spraying devices posiand downwardly toward the opposite end, a

inclined carry-.

second endless conveyor belt operatively supported in said tank, having an upwardly inclined carrying run positioned endwardl y adjacent the downwardly inclined portion of said conveyor belt and adapted to receive cases therefrom, and spraying devices posiy tioned adjacent the lower ends of said conveyor carryingr runs adapted to spray wash,- ing fluid upon the exposed ends of said cases passing thereover ,in angularly tilted relation.

3. A case washing machine, comprising a tank adapted to-contain Washing fluid, a sectional conveyor operatively supported in said tank, one section-fofl said conveyor including an endless-belt having adownwardly inclined rumianother section of said conveyor includingl an endless belt having an upwardly inclined run, said sections being positioned so that the lower ends of the zones of travel of the inclined runs of said endless belts respectively. terminate in adjacent spaced resaid endless belts being adapted-toffe lation,

move a series of cases throughsaid tankin successive relation and to tiltv saidl cases-in passing from one to the other/cisaidbeltsso-V that the end surfaces of-adjacent-1cases-aregf- L separated 1n passing overt-hespace betweenv the ends of said inclined runs; and means for spraying washing fluid upon said end. surfaces while passing over said space. v

In witness whereof I have hereunto attached my signature.

IRVING R. HIPPENMEYER.