US1985408A - Apparatus for cleaning bottles - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 25, 1934. J HERQLD AL 1,985,408v

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING BOTTLES Filed March 6, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l v #77 ra /v5 K Dec. 25, 1934. J. L. HEROLD ET AL APPARATUS FOR CLEANING BOTTLES Filed March 5, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ami/vices J. b. HEROLD. J. 14/. 0A W6 0M AWN WELL v Dec. 25, 1934. J. L. HEROLD ET AL 8 APPARATUS FOR CLEANING BOTTLES I5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 5, 1929 Patented Dec. 25, 1934 r I 1,985,408

UNITED S ATES PATENT 'ossice APPARATUS FOR CLEANING BOTTLES James L. Herold and Joseph W. Dawson, St. Louis, Mo., assignors tozB'arry Wehmiller Machinery Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of- Missouri Application Marcus, 1929. Serial No. 944,292 Claims. (01. 61)

This invention relates to apparatus for cleanand then slowly passed through a soaking liquid ing bottles. One of the objects is to thoroughly to a brushing device which acts upon some of the cleanse the bottles in a relatively small and com soaking liquid while forcibly brushing the botpact unitary apparatus adapted to perform suctles, and this is'followed by a cleansing both inside 5 cessive cleaning operations that have heretofore and outside derived from forcible streams of clean 5 required the use of several large and expensive liquid. I l machines. In addition to greatly reducing the By successivelyperforming these operations, cost of the equipment, and also reducing the space without any substantial intervening lapse of time, occupied thereby, we have shown how the several there is an important coaction in the several oper- 10 cleansing operations may be easily and quickly ations, The bottles arrive at each station at the 10 carried out with the aid of a single operator indesired "temperature and condition for the stead of several operators. operation to be performedthere, and they leave The invention includes certain combinations of each station in a conditionthat enables them to features contributing ,to the above mentioned remost effectively receive the 7 next operation.

5 sults, as well as novel-details'which may bead- Moreover,=owing to thefipeculiar arrangement of 5 vantageously employed either alone, or incomthe ser ies;of stations, several of the operations bination with some orall of the other features: can be properly and easily performed in a small More specifically stated, an objectis to subject p tion of the appa us while t eo t e nathe bottles to successive-soaping operations in turning to the operators station.

different liquids, with intervening or additional Withthe foregoing .and other objects in view, 270

cleaning operations so performed that the effect the invention comprises the'novel construction,

of the soaking is immediately supplemented by combination and arrangement of parts hereinother operations that becomemost effective, and after more specifically described andillustrated relatively inexpensive, when performed with the in the accompanying drawings, whereinis shown soaking operations. the preferred embodiment of the invention. 25

To aidin describing a specific form of thein- However, it is to be understood that theinven- 'vention, we will now briefly refer to a series of tion comprehends changes, variations and modioperations that may be carried out in the system fications which come within the scope of th shown by the accompanying drawings, but it is to claims hereunto appended. A

v be understood that the scope of the invention will Fig. 1 is. .a side elevation of an apparatus embe defined by the terms of the claims. j bodying the features of this invention; W

The bottles may be fed into one end of the I Fig. Zis a longitudinal sectionof the same, machine and eventually discharged at the same with some of the parts shown diagrammatically. end where they are under the observation and Fig. 3 is a section on a larger scale showing one I 5 control of a single operator. Some of the, operaof the bottle holders and a brush in the bottle. p tions may be j performed while the bottles are Fig. 4 is a detail view showinghow the bottles traveling away from said end, and others are discharge their contents afterleaving the brushmost advantageously performed while the bottles ing device. are returning to the same end. Fig". 5 is a vertical section showing portions Four major bottle cleaning principles may be of the washing and wiping, device adapted to 40 carried out by first subjecting the bottles to a discharge streams of chemical solution into the 'presoaking and preheating while they travel bottles. through abody of warm liquid; second, transmit- Fig. 6 is an enlarged top view of the rotary ting the bottles through a body of hotter liquid, nozzle shown in Fig. 5, the wiper being omitted' preferablyahot chemical solution; third, forcibly Fig. '7 is-an enlarged vertical section of the projecting streams of liquid onto the bottles imrotary nozzle. mediatelyafter they leave the chemical solution; Fig. 8 is a top view showing howstreams of fourth, forcibly brushing the bottles-after they clcansingliquid are utilized to rotate the'bottles. pass from said streams. Fig. 9 illustrates a bottle in one of the bottle More specifically stated, the particular system holders, and a spindle which is moved upwardly 50 hereafter described subjects the bottles to two to lift and rotatably support the bottle while it submerged soaking operations indifferent-liquids is subjected to the streams of liquid. I

while they slowly travel away from one end of To illustrate one form .of the invention, ,we the apparatus, and thereafter, while the bottles have shown an apparatus comprising an elonare returning to said end, they are forcibly washed gated housing'provided with an endless bottlecarrier including endless chains 1, shown diagrammatically in Figures 1 and 2, and bottle holders 2 carried by said chains. It is to be understood that any suitable power mechanism (not shown) may be employed to impart an intermittent movement to the bottle-carrier, so that the bottles will move step by step, as is usual. in this art, and that any suitable supports maybe employed to guide the bottle-carrier in the endless course herein shown. We have omitted some of the structural details as they are not necessary to an understanding of the invention.

The bottles enter the front endofthe machine by passing over a curved guide 3' at the left of Fig. 2, and after making a complete circuit through all of the stations, the bottles are discharged at the same end of the machine by passing onto an inclined guideA, which lies immediately above the guide 3, as shown in Fig.2. j

, The bottles may be forcibly discharged onto it canbe shifted tomove'the bottles to the upright position shown at B in Fig. 2.

The endless bottle-carrier travels in the direction indicatedby arrows in Fig. 2. It moves downwardly from the inlet guide 3 and passes througha preliminary soaking compartment 9,

preferably containing relatively fresh" water wherein the bottles are'submerged asthey travel over a stationary platewhich confines the botties in the bottle holders.

intermediate compartment 12', the lower ends of said hood 13 being extended into the respective liquids'toform liquid seals, whereby'vapor is confined in thehood. Therefore, as the bottles slowly travelfrom oneof said liquids to theother, they are soaked in a body of warm vapor which era tends from one body of liquid to the other. The bottles then travel slowly through the elongated soaking compartment 12- which preferably contains a chemical solution, such as caustic soda, wherein the=bottlesare submerged. At this time, the bottles are confined in the holders by means of a plate-14. They travel approximately from "end to end of this long compartment 12 and then rise -atthe' rear portion of the'apparatus, where the lziottlecarrier is guided upwardly in an inclined course and then turned over a rotary device 15 (Fig, 2) to discharge the liquid contents of the bottles onto the bottles in said inclined course, thereby producing a shower which aids in cleaning the rising bottles. It will be noted that the bottles are inverted as the bottle-carrier passes over the rotary device 15. v V V The inverted. bottles then begin their return movement at a high elevation, and in a horizontal course,.above the liquid in the compartment 12.

A closed hood-16 at the rear of the machine (Fig. 2): extendsv fromthe liquid in the soaking compartment 12 to the liquid in another soaking compartment 17 to confine the vapors which rise from these liquids, so the. bottles are again subjectedto' a vapor soak? at thebeginning of their movementtoward. the: front of the machine, and thisiwaction. continues from the. time the bottles brushing. operations. aretwo of these brushing devices 21, one above leave the liquid in compartment 12 until they enter the liquid in compartment 1'7.

While the bottles are in the upper portion of the hood 16, they are acted upon by streams of liquid which forcibly cleanse the inner and outer faces of the bottles in a peculiar mamier which will behereafter described... At thistime the bot tles areyinverted, so the washing' liquid,.,,preferably a chemical solution will drain into the compartment 12, instead of passing into the compartment 17.

The compartment 1'7 contains relatively fresh water, and the bottle-carrier passes downwardly into. this. liquid. at one side of the vapor seal 18, and then upwardly from the surface of the liquid at the opposite side of said compartment. At this opposite side, the rising bottle holders are approximately horizontal, so the bottles B carry water from the soaking compartment 1'7, as shown in Fig. 3. The bottles are then acted upon by a brushing device shown diagrammatically in Figuresl, 2' and 3.. This brushing device is'claimed and more fully illustrated in an application for patent filed by us on June 27, 1929, Serial Number 374,035, which has matured into Patent No. 1,950,146, granted March 6, 1934. The brushing device comprises a housing 19 slidable on a horizontalguide 29, and horizontal spindles 21 extending from said housing and adapted to enter the bottles as shown most clearly in Fig. 3', each spindle being'provided with a brush 22. The spindles may be rotated by gearing in any suitable manner (not shown) and. the power for this rotary movement may be derived from a pulley 23 on. the housing. 19, and. a belt 24 to drive said pulley.

The housing 19 is moved horizontally on the guide 20, so as to move the rotating'brush spindles 21 into and out of the bottles while the bottlecarrier is at. rest.

Abutments 25 (Figures 2 and 3) prevent longitudinal displacement of the bottles during the It will be noted that there the other, so each bottle is subjectedto two brushin'g'operations. At this time, the horizontal bottles contain water which they carried from the compartment 1'7, and it is not necessary to supply water through the brush spindles.

operation, However, before they are tilted the bottles pass a yielding deflector 26 (Figures 2 and 4), preferably a rubber flap extending from a trough 2'7, the object being to deflect the water into this trough. Some of the water passing from the bottles is discharged onto this flap 26, and some is discharged directly into the trough 27.

The empty bottles then travel horizontally between an upper horizontal pipe 28 and a pair of lower pipes 29, as shown in Figure 2. The upper pipe 28 discharges streams of fresh cleaning water onto the bottles to wash the outer faces, and the lower pipes discharge streams of fresh water into the bottles to cleanse their inner faces. As the inverted bottles continue their forward movement in the long horizontal upper course, they pass over a pair of pipes 30 (Fig. 2) which may be used if desired to discharge hot sterilizing waten or chlorine, in the bottles.

The inverted bottles are then" drainedi'and :dried as they travel to'the front of the machine where the carrier moves downwardly to the discharge device 7 which pushes the bottles from the holders and onto the guide 4, as previously described.

We'will now refer to the washing operations which occur in the upper portion of-the hood l6 (Fig. 2) when the bottles are inverted inpass- "ing from the soaking compartment 12 to the soaking compartment 17. w 13A pair of horizontal pipes 31 is located above 'the'course of the bottle-carrier, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 8 and 9, and these pipes have nozzles 32 arranged as shown in Fig. 8 todischarge streams "O; f liquid onto the peripheral faces of the bottles. The'streams are projected from thenozzles 32 'in lines at angles tothe axis of the bottle, and We will show how the bottle is rotated in response to the energy derived from these streamswhich act upon the periphery of the bottle. This'feature is claimed 'inlan-application for patent filed by us on December 5, 1928, Serial Number 324,- 005, Patent No. 1,824,993 issued on September 29,1931. V V 5 Fig. 9 shows that the bottom of an inverted bot- -tle may be cleansed by these streams when the bottle is in one of the bottle holders-2, and in the upper right hand portion of Fig.2 we have shownhow the bottle B may occupy an elevated position directly between the streams which-rotate the bottle as it moves upwardly and downwardly relative to the bottle holder. v

- The 'means for raising and lowering the bottles between said streams comprises a spindle 33 (Figures 2 and 9) adapted to lie entirelybelow the bottle as shown in Fig. 9, and adapted -to occupy the elevated positionshown in Fig. 2. Any suitable means (not shown) may be employed to raise and lower the spindle 33.

A cap 34, rotatably mounted on the upper end of said spindle 33, has a pointed top adapted to enter thebottle, and a flange'35 (Fig. 9) adapt- "ed to form a seat for the lower portion of the bottle.

The spindle 33 ,is moved upwardly to lift the bottles from the position shown in Fig. 9 tothe position shown in Fig. 2, and then moved down,- wardly to replace the bottle in the holder.v The bottle is free to rotate with. the cap .34'at the topof the spindle 33, and it is rotated by the power derived from the streams of liquid issuing from the nozzles 32, thereby forcibly cleansing the entire outer face of the bottle." These streams of liquid are preferably obtained from the chemical solution in the compartment 12,

as will be hereafter described. A fter leaving-this cleansing station; the bottlesfpass to an adjacent station where theirinner; faces are forcibly cleansed by streams of liquid and at the same time forcibly wiped. In performing this double operation, we preferably employ vertical spindles 36 (Figures -1, 2 and 5) carried by horizontal pipes 37 which maybe raised and lowered'by any suitable mechanism (not shown). This washing and wiping device is claimed inan application for patent on Nozzles filed by William Schuchardt and James L. Herold on May 9, .1928, Serial Number 276,237, Patent No. 1,850,570, issued on March 22,1932. However, said device may be employed to perform one of the operations in the present invention. Each spindle 36 of this device is in the 'form'of a vertical tube through which liquid is discharged from a horizontal'pipe 37. The upper 'nd of each'spindle 3Q is'provided with a nozzle 38 screwedonto a short tube 39 (Fig. 7) having a-flange 40 at the bottom. An anti-friction collar 41 is interposed between said flange 40 and the bottom of a member 42 whichis wardly from the position shown by dotted lines I in Fig. 5 and then downwardly to said position.

A flexible wiper 44 (Figures 5 and 7) is secured in a slot at the upper end of the nozzle 38 and this wiper rotates with the nozzle to forcibly wipe the inner face of the bottle. The liquid discharged through the nozzle 38 is preferably derived from the chemical solution in the I compartment 12, as will be hereafter described, so the bottles are subjected to the cleansing action of the chemicalsolution and at the same time forcibly wiped by the rotating wiper 44. A very thorough cleansing operation is thus performed in a novel manner. a

\ Itfwill now be understood that the inverted bottles in the upper portion of the hood '16. at the rear of the machine areforcibly cleansed,

first by a device acting upon the outer, faces of the bottles, and then by a pair of devices which act successively on the inner faces of the bottles, the liquid used in these operations being derived from'the compartment 12..

We will now describe a suitable means for delivering and circulating the liquids in the apparatus. 1

Fig. 1 shows a fresh water supply pipe 45 provided with valves 46 and 4.7. This'supply pipe has branches 48 and49 at itslower end. The branch 48 includes a valve 50, and; this branch terminates at 51 in the, preliminary soaking compartment 9. .The branch :49 is providedwith valves 52 and 53, andiit leads to the fresh water soaking compartment 1'7, as:indicated'at54 in Fig. 1. A pipe 55 extends downwardly from the branch pipe 49 to the intermediate compart ment 12. The valves referred'to may-be positioned to supply fresh water to the various com partmentsbefore the system is placed in" service. Thefresh water pipe45 (Fig. 1) is also provided with a branch 56 leading to the discharge pipe 28 above the course of bottles, and also to the pair of discharge pipes 29'immediately' below said course.

. Valves 57 in this branch may be operated in anysuitable manner to control the discharge of fresh water through the pipes 28 and 29. When the system is in operation, water overflows from the fresh water compartment 17 to the preliminary compartment 9 bypassing through'an over flow pipe 58 (Fig. 1) and then through the pipes 49 and 48' to'the compartment 9,the valves being then positioned to provide for this overflow.

The other overflow (Fig.1) .includesa pipe 59v leading fromuthe preliminary compartment 9,

and a pipe 60 leading from the intermediate compartment 12. i I The trough 27, 'whi'ch'receivesth'e water dis charged from the brushed bottles, has an overflow 61 (Fig. 1) leading to the pipe 49 whereby this water isv conducted to the pipe 48 and then intothe preliminary compartment 9.

A pan 62' (Figures 1 and 2) receives fresh water drained from the bottles during the final washing operations. This pan (Fig. 1) discharges its contents through a tube 63 and a pipe 64 leading to the compartment 1'7.

We will now refer to a means for transmitting chemical solution from the compartment 12 to the discharge pipes 31 and 3'7 in the upper portion of the hood 16 at the rear of the apparatus. A pipe 65 (Fig. 1) leads from the forward end portion of the compartment 12 to a pump 66 having a discharge pipe 67 leading to the pair of pipes 31. A branch 68, extending from the pipe 6'7, leads to flexible tubes 69 (Fig. 1) andthese tubes are connected to the pipes 3'7. Strainers '70 (F.g. 2) are located in the course of the chemical solution flowing to the pipe 65.

We gradually increase and then gradually decrease the temperature of the bottles. The desired temperatures may be obtained in starting the system by means of steam coils '71 located in the compartments 9, l2 and 1'7, as shown in Fig. 2, said coils being supplied with steam through the medium of pipes 72, shown in Fig. 1.

Before the system is placed in service, the steam may be regulated to obtain a high temperature in the compartment '12 and lower temperature in the compartments 9 and 1'7.

However, when the system is in operation, there is a heat exchange which automatically tends to maintain-the desired variation in the temperatures; The highest temperature is in the chemical solution in the long compartment 12. The delivery of steam to this compartment may be regulated to maintain the desired maximum temperature, and heat will then be transmitted from the chemical solution to provide the gradual increase and gradual decrease in the temperature of the bottles.

The hot liquid in the longcompartment 12 contacts with the partition wall 73 at the forward end of said compartment so as to transmit heat to the presoaking and preheating compartment 9 which lies at a point remote from the heating coil '71 in the long compartment 12, so there is a very gradual increase in the temperature of the bottles as they pass through the compartment 9 and enter thelong compartment 12. This gradual increase in temperature continues as the bottles approach the heating coil '71 in the long compartment 12.

The temperature decreases as the bottles rise from the hot chemical solution at the rear of the apparatus, and this gradual decrease continues as the bottles are acted upon by the streams from the pipes 31 and 3'7, said streams being transmitted from the relatively cool forward end of the long compartment 12.

The bottom and one side wall of the fresh water compartment 17 contacts with the hot liquid in the long compartment 12, so the fresh water is maintained at the desired lower degree of temperature by the transmission of heat through said bottom and side wall. Thewarmest portion of the body of fresh water lies 'at the points where the bottles enter said water. The final cooling occurs at the streams of fresh water which strike the bottles after they leave the brushing device.

An important factor of the heat exchange lies in the constant transfer of heat from the bottles and bottle carrier to the liquid in the compartment 1'7. After being heated by the hot liquid in compartment 12, the bottles and their holders pass through the vapor in hood 16 and enter the liquidin. compartment 1'7; Heat is thus transmitted. to the. body of liquid in compartment 17 which'receives cool fresh water from the final rinsing pan 62; This constant heating and cooling maintains the body of. liquid in 1'7 at temperatures between the two extremes, the temperature being relatively high at the point where the bottles enter this body of liquid, and somewhat cooler wherethey leave it, but the conditions are constant, and the desired gradual cooling of the bottles is accomplished in a simple manner by utilizing the heat of the bottles and bottlecarrier for one extreme, while adding cool water for the other extreme.

to the preliminary compartment 9 where a similar heat exchange takes place.

7 The l relatively warm, or moderated, liquid whichenters the compartment 9, transfers some of' its-heat to the cold bottlesand bottle carriers.

The average temperature in this compartment 9 bears a fixed relation to the low temperature of the cool incoming bottles and the highertemperaturein the adjoining compartment 12, but there is aconstant blending of the warm and cool portions of the liquid, and a verygradual increase in the temperature of the bottles as they pass through this liquid.

It will now be readily understood that the unitary system herein disclosed is adapted to very gradually increase andthen gradually decrease the temperature of the bottles, so as to avoid breakage while the following successive operations are performed.

The bottles travel through a continuous series of bodies in contact with each other as follows:

First, through the preheating and presoaking liquid in the compartment 9 where the bottles are submerged; second, through a confined body of vapor in the hood 13 extending from said liquid to the hot chemical solution in compartment 12; third, through said hot chemical solution in which they are submerged; fourth, through the confined body of vapor in the hood 16 which extends from the chemical solution to the water in the compartment 17, and fifth, through the body of fresh water in the compartment 1'7. Some of the treatments occur while the bottles are traveling away from the front of the machine, and other operations are performed during the return trip.

At the beginning of the return trip, the inner and outer faces of the bottles are forcibly acted upon by the streams of liquid discharged from the pipes 31 and 37, near the rear of the machine, and the bottles then travel through the fresh water compartment to the brushing device which acts upon some of this relatively fresh water while brushing the bottles. The final cleansing operations are then performed by streams of fresh water discharged from the pipes 28 and 29 to the inner and outer faces of the bottles. If desired, a sterilizing liquid could be discharged from the pipes 30. Ample time for draining and drying is then allowed before the bottles reach the, discharge device '7 at the front of the machine.

We claim: 7

1. In a bottle cleaning apparatus, a preliminary soaking compartment adapted to contain warm liquid, an intermediate soaking compartment adapted to contain a liquid at a higher temperature, another soaking compartment forcibly projected onto the outer faces of the" adaptedto containliquid'at a temperaturelower thanthat of the intermediate..compartment,an endless bottle carrier traveling through asai'd compartments in the order. named to subject the bottles. to successive soaking. operationsiwhile gradually increasing and then gradually d'ecreas-'v ing the temperature of thelbottles,zthe last mentioned soaking .compartment having its bottom wall and one of its side walls in contact with. the hot liquid in said intermediate compartment, said'fintermediate compartment :being provided with a wall contactingwith'the hot liquid therein and alsowith the relatively cool: liquid insaid preliminary-soaking.compartment, so asto transfer heat from the hottestiliquid to the'cooler liquid .insaid preliminary soaking compartment, and means for heating the liquid in said'intermediate compartment to maintain: the desired temperatures. Y

.2. In a bottlecleaning apparatus, a preliminary'soaking compartment adapted to contain warm liquid, an intermediate soaking compartment adapted to contain a chemical solution at a higher temperature; a final'soaking compartment. adapted to contain water at a temperaturelower than that of the. chemical solution, a bottle-- carrien traveling through said compartmentsin;

the order named -.to-subject thebottlesato successive soaking. operations, a hood extending from thel-liquid-lin. the prelirniriary soaking compartment to the solution in said intermediate compartment to confine the vapors in the course of the bottles from the preliminary to the intermediate compartment, a hood extending from the liquid in said intermediate compartment to the liquid in saidfinal compartment to confine the vapors in the course of the bottles from the intermediate to the final soaking compartment, a discharge device whereby streams of the chemical solution from said intermediate compartment are bottles in the last mentioned hood, a second discharge device whereby streams of the chemical solution from said intermediate compartment are forcibly projected onto the inner'faces of the bottles in the last mentioned hood, said'second discharge device including a rotary wiper acting on the inner faces of the bottles; a pair of brushing devices movable into and out of the bottles at points beyond said final soaking compartment, and means whereby streams of liquid are pro-- jected onto the bottles at points beyond said brushing devices.

3. In a bottle cleansing apparatus, a soaking tank adapted tocontain a hot chemical solution, an endless bottle carrier traveling through said solution and above said solution, means for heating the liquid in said soaking-tank, said means being remote from the place where the bottle carrier enters said solution, a discharge device arranged above said solution and adapted to forcibly discharge streams of liquid onto the bottles, and means whereby a stream of hot chemical solution is withdrawn from said tank near the portion thereof where the bottle carrier enters said solution and then forcibly projected from said discharge device onto said bottles.

4. In a bottle cleaning apparatus, a preliminary soaking compartment, an intermediate soaking compartment adapted to contain a hot chemical solution, another soaking compartment higher than said preliminary and intermediate soaking compartments, said other soaking compartment having a bottom wall directly above and adjacent to said intermediate soaking compartment so as to provide .for the.transrnission' of heat from said intermediateisoaking compartment, through said bottom Wall .andthence into saidother soaking compartment, .and an endless bottle-carrier.

traveling through saidpreliminary and interme-.

diate compartments .at-a relatively low elevation and-returning through the-other soaking compartment at a higher elevation...

.5; In abottle cleaning. apparatus, a prelimi-'- nary soaking: compartment, an .intermediate soaking compartment adaptedutocontain a hot chemical solution, another soakingcompartment higher, than saidpreliminary and intermediate soaking compartment and having a bottomcwall directlyabove and adjacent to said intermediate soaking compartment to provide for the trans! mission of heat from said intermediate soaking compartment, through said bottom wall. and thence into said other soaking compartment, an endless bottle-carrier traveling through said preliminary and intermediate compartments at a relatively low elevation and returningthrough the other soaking compartment at a higher elevation,

and a washingjdevice at a still'higher. elevation adapted to forcibly project streams of liquid onto the bottles passing from said intermediatesoakingi; compartment to said higher soaking compartment.

I ,6, In abottle cleaning apparatus, a preliminary, soaking; compartment adapted toacontain .warm

intermediate soaking compartment being provided with a heating element remote from the portion thereof where the bottle carrier enters said intermediate soaking compartment, and means whereby the hot solution is withdrawn from said intermediate compartment near the portion thereof where the bottle carrier enters said intermediate compartment and forced through said discharge device so as to gradually cool the bottles leaving said intermediate soakin'g compartment.

7. In a bottle cleaning apparatus, a bottlecarrier movable in an endless course and provided with inlet and discharge devices at one end of the apparatus so as to receive and discharge the bottles at the same end, a preliminary soaking compartment and an intermediate soaking compartment through which the bottle carrier passes while traveling away from said end, another soaking compartment higher than said preliminary soaking compartment and said'intermediate soaking compartment through which said carrier travels While returning to said end,-

the bottom of said higher soaking compartment beingv directly above and adjacent to said intermediate soaking compartment to provide for the transfer of heat from said intermediate soaking compartment to said higher soaking compartment, said higher soaking compartment being provided with an overflow leading to one of said other compartments.

8. In a bottle cleaning apparatus, a preliminary soaking compartment adapted to contain warm liquid, an intermediate soaking compartment adapted to contain a liquid at a higher temperature, a relatively clean soaking compartment adapted to contain water at a temperature lower than that of the intermediate compartmentya bottle-carrier traveling through said compartments in the order named to subject the bottles to successive soaking operations, a discharge device whereby streams of liquid are forcibly pro.- jected onto the-outer faces of the bottles passing from said intermediate to said relatively clean compartment, a second discharge device whereby streams of liquid are forcibly projected onto the inner faces of the bottles passing from said intermediate to said relatively clean compartment, means whereby liquid is withdrawn from said intermediate compartment and forcibly transmitted to'said discharge devices, said second discharge device including a rotary wiper acting on the inner faces of the bottles; a brushing device movable into and out of the bottles at points beyond said relatively clean soaking compartment, and means whereby streams of liquid are projected onto the bottles at points beyond said brushing devices.

9'. In a bottle cleaning apparatus, a soaking tank, a bottle carrier movable through said soakin'g tank and adapted to carry the bottles upwardly therefrom in. positions wherein liquid from the soaking tank is retained. in the bottles, a brushing device movable into the bottles containing said liquid, means whereby the bottles are tilted beyond said brushing device to discharge said liquid, and means for transmitting said liquid to said tank, said means including a deflector in the course of-the bottles adapted to deflect the liquid discharged therefrom, said deflector being yieldable to permit the bottles to pass the deflector.

10. In a bottle cleaning apparatus, a prelimi-/ nary soaking compartment adapted: to contain warm liquid, an intermediate soaking compartment adapted to contain a liquid'at a higher tem-'- peratura'another soaking compartment adapted to contain liquid at a temperature lower than that of the intermediate compartment, and an endless bottle-carrier traveling through said compartments in the order named to subject the bottles to successive soaking operations while gradually increasing and then gradually decreasing the temperature of the bottles, the last mentioned compartment being directly above and adjacent to said intermediate compartment and in heat,transferring relation thereto and at a higher elevation than said preliminary soaking compartment and provided with an overflow leading to said preliminary soaking compartment.

JAMES L. HEROLD. JOSEPH W. DAWSON.

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