US2115439A - Brushing machine - Google Patents

Description

April 26, 1938. l. w. WOLFNER BRUSHING MACHINE 2 lSheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 28, 1934 f' INY'NTD- EY. la.; 'am y ATTYS.

April 26, 1938. l. w. woLFNr-:R

BRUSHING MACHINE Filed Nov. es, 1954 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 TTT'E Patented Apr. 26, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRUSHING MACHINE' Ira W. Wolfner, Peoria, Ill.

Application November 28, 1934, Serial No. 755,104

2 Claims.

This invention is directed` to barrel cleaning machinery, and has for one of its objects the provision of a brush mechanism and mechanism associated therewith for brushing the interior surfaces of barrels or other circular articles.

Another object is to provide a rotating circular brush adapted to be inserted in a barrel or the like and to automatically adjust its diameter to that of the barrel.

A further object lies in the provision of a rotatable circular brush adapted to be inserted in a barrel or the like and to automatically adjust its diameter to that of the barrel, in combination with means for rotating the brush and manually controlled means for moving the brush perpendicular to its plane of rotation whereby it may be moved longitudinally of the barrel to be placed in contact with all interior surfaces thereof. An additional object is to Aprovide a mechanism capable of moving a brush Within a barrel in combination with a brushrwhich, by reason of its inherent exibility, is capable of automatically adjusting its diameter to that of the barlel.

Another object is to provide a mechanism as noted in combination with a brush mechanism capable of automatically adjusting its diameter in accordance with the interior contour of a barrel and having means whereby the diameter of the brush may be manually adjusted.

A further object is to provide a mechanism, as aforesaid, wherein the brushing mechanism comprises a plurality of brushes revolving in planetary relation.

An additional object is to provide a mechanism of the class described wherein the brushing action is modied by the speed of rotation Vof the brushes.

Additional 4objects will appear in the following description and accompanying drawings in which;

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of my device as the same would appear ready for use;

Fig. 2 is a fragmental View Yshowing details of a brush mechanism to be described; A

Fig. 3 is a plan view taken on line 3-3 in Fig. 5, showing details of a brush mechanism to be explained;

Fig. 4 is a plan View taken on line 4--4 in Fig. 6;

Fig. 5 is a fragmental side elevational View showing details of a brush and operating mechanism to be referred to, and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to that shownV in Fig.

5 showing details of a modified form of brushV ing, scrubbing or cleaning barrels and the like and to this end I provide a mechanism as shown in Fig. 1, comprising a frame structure I0, upon which is mounted a motor II having driving connection with a vertical shaft I2 through mitre gears I3 and I4, a shaft I6 and suitable gears I'I.

MotorA II is herein shown as a driving means .for the apparatus, although driving power from any source may be utilized. In some cases, as will be hereinafter explained, a variable speed drive may be used. Various driving apparatus are thought sufficiently well known to obviate detail description.

Shaft I6 is journalled in bearings I8, disposed in the frame structure, and shaft I2 is journalled in upper and lower bearings I9 and 20 disposed Q0 in bracket portions of the frame.

Shaft I2 is provided with a longitudinalkeyway 2|. Gear I3 is made movable on shaft I2 and is provided with a key engaged in Vkeyway 2I whereby gear I3 is maintained in driving relationship with shaft I2 while the shaft may be freely moved longitudinally within the gear.

The air hoist mechanism 24 is conventionalV and is supported upon the upper part of frame I0 as shown. It is adapted to be operated by air or water from any source and is controlled to operate the piston 22 and shaft I2 by means of a valve mechanism 275, which latter is mechanically or manually operated, as will be explained, through a vertical rod 2lil which is connected with a hand lever 2'I as shown.

The hand lever is pivotally supported at 28 and suitably counterbalanced by a weight 29.

Secured to the lower Yend of the air-hoist piston is an extending arm member 22', and upon the rod 26 there is secured upper and lower collars 26 and 26".

The collars are so adjusted that arm 22' will engage them when piston 22 reaches predetermined positions in its upward and downward stroke. A valve 24 is disposed in the air line leading from valve mechanism 25 to Ythe upper end of the air hoistcylinder whereby operation `of the hoist mechanism to lower the piston 22 may Vthe lower end of a barrel 33, as shown in dottedv outline. Frame 32is disposed in` axial lalignment with shaft l2 and forms a means whereby a barrelmay be quickly and accuratelyspotted Vin position to be operated on by the brush.

The lower end of the-barrel here shown communicates with arduct 34 by means ofl which air may be exhausted through the barrel to carry away any material removed from the barrel by the brush.

YAssuming shaft I2 to be in more or less rapid Y rotation, operation ofthe device is accomplished by manipulation ofk handle 21 to cause air-hoist 24 to propel the shaft andbrush 30 downwardly.

The material of the brush beingexible, contact with` the top of the barrel brings about la Adishing action as indicated at Band throughout continued downward movement of thebrush the tips thereof are heldin ContactV with the interior ksur- Y face of thebarrel asindicated at C and D.

n ro

Continued downward movement ofthe brush eventually places it in position Ein which posin tion it again assumes its normally flat con-` formity. Upon return movement, the brush is distorted in reverse manner as at F and the same movements are vrepeated in-reverse order.

It is tobe noted that the centrifugal force set up during rapid rotation of the brushwill add to the normal tendency ofthe fibres thereof to remain in plane position as at A. y,When the brush fibres are distorted as atB their normal tendency is to assume a plane position which movement is opposed by the surface of the barrel. The con- -tact pressure between Vthe barrel surface and brush tips obviously depends upon the stiffness of the-brush fibresy and their ability to resist distortion. Further, with the brush fibres.v distorted, the centrifugal force noted is active to increase the contact pressure. Thus the contact pressure may be modified by varying the rotational speed of the brush.

The Yarm 22 and .collars 26 and 26Y areprovided for the purpose of assisting an attendant in operating the brush as above described.

I The collars are adjusted to be engaged by the arm when the piston reaches the end of a desired stroke. A that when hand lever .21 is elevated the air of the hoist is directedsoas to lower the piston; whereas when the hand leverisdepressed the piston is elevated. With valve 2K4 'closed the piston may be elevated in the usual manner but' a. lowering stroke thereof is prevented. f

It will now become apparentthat to'operat the brush as described an attendant has but to open valve 24 whereupon air will be admitted to the upper endof the hoist cylinder'to force piston 22 downwardly. f 4 f Such movement will eventually bringarm 22' into engagement with collar 26" andl continued movement-will cause `downward movement of hand lever 21 to direct air into the lowerend of the cylinder to elevate thai piston. ,Elevational The valve mechanism 2,5'is kso larranged Y movement of the piston places arm 26i in engagement with upper co1lar'26fto bring about a reversal of the movement above described.

In this manner the brush is automatically caused to travel forwardlyr and backwardly through the barrel for any desired length of time.

Arrestment of the reciprocal movement dek scribed may be brought about by means of the closing of valve 24 or any other obvious means. By adjustment of collar 26'Yout of the stroke collar 26"'to reverse the valve 25 and automatically cause the piston tobe elevated. There being no automatici. reverse movement brought v about at vthe upper end of the stroke, the piston will obviously remain in elevated position pending fiuther manipulation of hand lever 21.

In the work of cleaning barrels it is often desired to operate upon a barrel having a bottom member tted therein and, due to the dished form of thebrush and contact of the hub thereof as -in Fig. 2 wherein the brush has additional brushingkelements 35V which are angularly di-Y rected in position to contact the lower portions of a barrel.

In Figs. 3 and 5 I show a brush mechanism adapted for use with my device which includes a cone member 36 secured to frame lil, below which is a hub member 31 secured to shaftY l2, the same having radially directed extending portions 38 Whichcarry pivotally mounted arms 39. The

upper ends of arms 39 are provided with rollers* 40 and the'lower ends thereof are provided with outwardly directedv brushrelements lll.

It'will be apparent that rapid rotation of shaft |2wil1 set up centrifugal force tending to propel brushes 4l outwardly. With kthe parts in position shown in solidl lines, the brushes `are obviously heldin contracted position. Downwardr ing of the brushes will obviously control the pressure exerted upon the barrel surface by the brushes andensure that the brushes will follow *theY interior'contour of the barrel with fidelity.

`It is to be notedrthat a member having any Y suitable conformity maybe substituted for cone 36 to cause the brushes to follow any arbitrary pattern or contour.

The latter described brush mechanism may be used for thesame purpose as that notedin connecton; with brush 30, but has preferred application for certain work suchfas, for example,

where it isr desired to ymore vigorously brush or4 scrape vvthe interior surface of d containers. Y

The brushing elements 4I may be made from wire or the .likewhich has sulcient stiffness to preclude its satisfactory use in a brush arrangement such as 30.

A stif brush would, for instance, bey particularly effective when used for the purpose of removing charcoal from used whiskey barrels, Where a scratching or scraping action is desired.

As an additional modification of my brush mechanism I show, in Figs. 4 and 6, a mechanism including the usual drive shaft I2 to which is secured a spider frame 42 carrying a plurality of shafts 43 journalled in boss portions 44.

Circular brushes 45 are secured to the lower ends of shafts 43 and pinions 46 are secured to the upper ends thereof.

Pinions 46 are arranged in planetary relation to revolve with and about a sun gear 4l which is secured to a sleeve member 48. The sleeve is made slidable in bearing 20 and has a longitudinal groove 49 in which is engaged an inwardly extending portion of a screw 5D which is mounted in the body structure of bearing 20.

The described arrangement provides a mechanism in which shaft I2 is vertically movable and rotatable in the usual manner, to rotate brushes 45 about the center of the shaft, while sleeve 48, carrying gear 41 is vertically movable unitarily with the shaft but is stationary as to rotation.

It will be apparent that rotation of shaft l2 will bring about planetary rotation of brushes 45 while at the same time the brushes will be revolved about their axes.

The foregoing arrangement may be particularly useful when it is desired to use the apparatus for scrubbing operation in a receptacle, wherein it is desirable to utilize a brush made from animal or vegetable fibres which may be too soft to admit the use of long bristles such as would be required in brush 30.

Numerous additional modifications of the structure of my device are possible. VVHowever, I do not wish to be limited in structure or principle except within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A device of the class described including a vertically disposed rotating shaft,a brush secured to the lower end thereof, a receptacle disposed to hold a barrel in position to receivev said brush, said shaft being longitudinally movable to insert the brush in the barrel and move the same longitudinally thereof, said brush comprising a hub portion having radially extending flexible brushing fibres normally lying parallel to the plane of. its rotation, said brush having an external diameter larger than the interior of the barrel whereby, when the brush is inserted in the barrel the fibres thereof are distorted out of said plane line with the tips thereof resiliently contacting the interior surface of the receptacle, an air cylinder and piston disposed in axial alignment with said shaft, a rotatable coupling connecting the piston with said shaft, valves controlling operation of said piston and means on the piston engaging said valves so as to automatically cause continuous reciprocal movement of said piston and brush.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 provided with means for rotating the brush at controlled predetermined speed to thereby control the centrifugal force set up in the brush elements where-V by the pressure of. the brush tips upon the interior surface of the receptacle is modilied in accordance with the speed of rotation of the brush. f

IRA W. WOLFNER.

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