US2418934A - Cleaning machine - Google Patents

Description

April 15, 1947- c. l-uRscl-i CLEANING MACHINE Filed July 11,;1944

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 15, 1947.

c. mscu CLEANING MACH'INE Filed July 11; 1944 s Sheets-Sheet 2 mmvm. [Ivar/ls 17475611 WTUAIVEY April '15; 1947. 2,418,934

CLEANING MACHINE Filed July 11, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 JNVENTOP titan es flt'mr Patented r. is, 1947 UNl'lED STATE S T PATE CLEANING MACHINE Charles Hirsch, South Bend, Ind., assignor to The American Foun Mishawaka, Ind., a c

tainable with conventional equipment.

The features, advantages and details of the invention will appear more fully from the detailed description which follows, accompanied by drawings, showing, for purely illustrative pur poses. an embodiment of theinvention.

Although the novel features, which are believed to be characteristic of the invention, will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the inventionitself, its objects and advantages and the manner in which it may be carried out will be better understood by referring to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which- Fig. l is an elevational side view, partly in section, of a combination washing and drying machine, embodying the features of this invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevational front view, partly in section. of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevational side view of the hot air unit of the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a section of a pervious tumbling or conveyor belt used in the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

- Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional front view showing in detail the mounting of the tumbling belt on head plates ofthe machine.

dry Equipment Company,

orporation of Delaware Application July 11, 1944, Serial No. 5443-14- 9 Claims. (01. 51-163) In the drawings, accompanying and forming part of this description, the invention is explained by reference to specific structure, but it will be understood that the details may be modifled in various respects without departure from.

the broad aspects of the invention.

S milar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the drawings and the specification.

, The machine shown in the drawings consists,

in general, of a cleaning unit A, a tank unit 13, and a hot air unit 0.

Referring to Fig. 1, the cleaning unit A as.

prises a front wall Ill, a back wall ll, side walls l2 and It, a top wall i4, and an inclined bottom wall It. The walls include a cleaning chamber I6, which is accessible from the outside to a vertically slidable door I! and the front wall ill.

The interior of the cleaning chamber i8 containsan endless tumbling beltorconveyor l8, made of wire mesh so as to permit liquid or a stream of air to pass therethrough.

A suitable form of belt construction is sh in detail in Fig. 4. The belt comprises a plurality of transversely extending main rods l9 and intermediate rods 20. The wire mesh or webbing of the belt is formed by wire 2| which is wound substantially in the form of a helix, around a main and intermediate rod, respectively, the helix being flattened so as to form a webbing having elongated links as is clearly apparent from the drawing.

- The main rods extend to and form the bolts I of side chains 22 of the morse type having links 23 arranged in parallel pair and spaced by rollers 24 on the main rods l9.

The tumbling belt is trained around rollers a, 1

2s and 21 and is guided byfhead plates ".ouo

at each side of thebelt so as to form a trough' 29, in which the parts to be cleaned may be placed. The rollers 25, 26 and 21 have shafts 30, 3i and 32, respectively. mounted in the side walls and it of the cleaning unit-A.

The head plates 28 are secured within the cleaning unit by bolts 83 and have secured thereto a guidin edge 3! on which 24 of the conveyor ride.

Referring to the detailed illustration in Fig. 5, the guiding edge 34 is secured to the head plate 28 by bolts 35. the arrangement being such that the edge 36 of the head plate extends in, close proximity over the links 23- of the side chain and far enough over the webbing of the tumbling belt as to prevent small in the spaces between side chain 22.

the webbing 2| and the The tumbling belt is normally-driven in the direction of the arrow 31, power being applied to the driven shaft of the roller 28 through a chain 38, a variable reduction gear 39, and a belt 40 from a motor ll.

Washing liquid is directed into the trough afrom a series of washing nozzles 12in a spray head 43. Washing liquid is supplied to the spray head 43 through a conduit 44 extending from a main supply-valve 45. A branch conduit ll leads from the conduit 45 to a lower spray head 41, ar-

NT.1 0FFICE the side rollers parts from getting cau ht ranged =below the portion of the tumbling belt which orms' the trough 28. The nozzles 88 in the low r spray head 8'! are so directed as to dis- I charge jets of liquid into the trough 28 through the pervious tumbling belt I8. The strength of the jets issued from the lower spray head is adiustable .by a valve 88 in the branch conduit 88.

Washing liquid issued from the spray heads 88 and 81 collects on the inclined-bottom wall I8 and drains through a drain port 88 at the lowermost portion of the cleaning chamber A into the tank 3 below.

The tank 13 comprises front and back walls II and 82, side walls 88 and 8.4, respectively, and a The bottom wall 58 tests on a bottom wall 88. v base 88 and slopes towards a flush and drain port 81.

The interior of the tank B is accessible from the outside through a door 88. Tracks 58 of angle iron'extend from the door to the front wall it of the tank 3. The tracks 88 support strainer op rates with a tiitable latch member 88. The latch member 88 is pivotably mounted at 81, in such manner that its own weight causes it to tilt clockwise into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 if the latch member is free to do so after retraction of the push bar 88. The latch member has an end surface 88 adapted to abut and block the end of the push bar 88 if the latch member is in the position shown in dotted line. The other end of the latch member 88 has projections 88 and 88 defining a space "therebetween into which the end of a locking member 8| ilts. The locking member M is socured to the sliding door II by bolts 82.

In the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 2 the door I! is firmly locked in its closd position bythe'lo'cking mechanism, the locking member baskets 88 and 8I,.releasably interconnected by I a hook member 82. The strainer baskets have bottoms of wire mesh and filter the washing liquid passing through the drain port 88 of the cleaning unit A.

Washing liquid is withdrawn from the tank B through a suction port 88 surrounded by a screened container 88 to prevent impurities in the washing liquid from entering the suction port. A

conduit 88 leads from the suction port 88 to the intake 88 of a pump 81, driven by a motor 88. The pump 81 has a discharge port 88 leading to a conduit 18 connected to the main supply valve 85.

The level of the liquid in the tank B is determined byan overflow trough II extending along the front wall 8| and the side wall 88 and leading to an overflow port" in the back wall 82 of the tank B. l

A conduit I8 leads from the overflow port I! to a drain pipe 14 connected to the sewer or another point ofliquid disposal.

The flush and drain port 81 of the tank 3 is connected to a conduit 18 containing a drain valve I8, which in normal operation of the machine is closed. The valve I6 may be opened to drain the washing liquid from the tank and to remove impurities collecting at the bottom 58.

Impurities removed from the parts cleaned in the machine collect in thestrainer basket 88 below the drain port 58 otthe cleaning chamber I8. The strainer basket 88 may be removed from the machine for cleaning purposes while the machine is in operation. For this purpose, the door 58 is opened and the strainer baskets 88 and 8| moved towards the door until the basket 8| assumes the position normally occupied by the basket 88. The hook connection 82 between the two baskets 88 and GI is then severed and the basket 88 removed from the machine for cleaning while basket 8i continued to filter the washing liquid.

After the cleaning, the basket 68 is placedback on the track 88, hooked onto the basket 8i, and thebasket assembly is then moved back into the position shown in Fig. 1.

Themain supply valve 85 is operable from the front of the machine through an operating shaft II equipped with a hand lever {18 secured by a nut 18. The operating shaft I1 i supported in a bracket 88 mounted on the front wall I8 of the cleaning unit A. A hand lever I8 is double armed and. has an elongated slot 8I therein, engaging a pin 82 of a In these positions the push bar 88 is retracted suiiiciently to recede from underneath the tiltable latch member 86 which will then move into the position shown in dotted lines after opening of the door I'I.

The latch member 88 remains in the tilted position owing to its own unbalance. In the tilted position it locks the push bar 88 and prevents an opening of the main supply valve 85 as long as the door is open.

when the door is moved towards itsclosed position the locking member 8| strikes the projection 88 of the tiltable latch member 88 and tilts the same, thereby unblocking the path of the pushbar 88 and permitting free movement of the valve lever" to the right beyond the center position,

to open the valve 88. As the valve lever I8 is being moved beyond the center position, the push bar 88 moves underneath the end of the tiltable latch member 88, thus locking the door in its closed position.

The door I! is provided with brackets 88 near itsupper edge, having a pin 84 therein movable in an elongated slot 85 in one end of rods 88. The other end of the rods 86 is pivotally connected at '81 to a chute 88. The chute88 is pivotally door is being moved towards its open position, they mounted at 88 to the front wall I8 of the cleaning unitA.

The door I! may be moved in a vertical direction by a handle I88 secured to the door. As the pins 84 travel in the elongated slots 85 of the rods 88 until they reach the, upper end of the slots.

- The rods 88 then move with the door causing the chute 88 totilt and assume the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 to permit the discharge ofparts from the trough 88 of the conveyor I8.

push bar 88.. The push'bar 88 isslidably supported on the bracket 88 at 881 and andoo- A hot air unit 0 is mounted on one side of the cleaning unit A; The hot air unit consists in general of a housing I8l enclosing an air pump I82 driven by a motor I88. The housing I8'I has an intake port I88 and an outlet port I85 to which intake and outlet air ducts I88 and I81 are connected. Valves I88 and I88 are arranged in the air ducts for opening and closing the air ducts at will. A by-pasa duct 8 connects ducts I88 and I8! and contains a valve III for opening and closing the by-pass duct.

by a shaft I it and bevel gears I It'for joint opera tion.- The shaft H2 extends through the ducts and carries at its rear end a pinion lid whose teeth mesh with the teeth of a rack I It at one end of a push rod IIB supported on a roller m. l

The rod I It extends in the back of the machine and is connected to a lever II! on an extension ll of the operating shaft ll of the main supply valve 55.

The position of the movable members of the valves I 08,- I09 and III and of the main supply valve 45, respectively is such that the air ducts I06 and I? are closed and the bypass lid is open while the main supply valve is open, its operating lever 18 being .in the extreme right position. Washing liquid is then supplied to the washing nozzles d2 from the main supply valve while drying air may circulate through the by-pass duct IIO. I

When the hand lever I8 is moved into its center position, the main supply valveth is closed, the valves I08 and I09 are open admitting drying air into the cleaning chamber It while the bypass valve III is closed.

'A movement of the hand lever 18 to the extreme left leaves the liquid supply valve to closed but causes air valves I08 and I09 to close and bypass valve IiI to open, thus shutting-oil the flow of drying air through ducts I 08 and I01 sothat parts may be placed into or removed from the cleaning chamber. I

. Air is withdrawn from the cleaning unit A through the intake air duct I06 connected to the top wall It of the cleaning unit A at a flange whereby all surfaces of the parts become exposed to the action of the washing liquid.

Washing liquid is admitted to the spray heads t3 and 41 by opening the main supply valve 55. The spray heads 49 and 0'! discharge powerful jets of washing liquid against the tumbling parts from above and from below. The lower Spr y head 41 serves a triple purpose: It firstly sprays the parts in the trough through the mesh of the tumbling belt I8. Secondly, it cleans the belt as it passes over the spray head and, thirdly, it loosens up the parts in the trough. The strength of the Jets issued from the lower spray head tl is adjusted at the valve 39 to obtain a Jet pressure not quite enough to blow the parts out of th trough, but sumcient to prevent the parts from packing too tightly in the trough, thereby facilitating the removal of impurities.

During the washingoperation, the valves tilt and I09 in the air ductlllt and I01 remain closed. At the end of the'washing period, the supply valve for the washing liquid is closed bymoving the hand lever It into the center position. The

movement of the hand lever I8 is transmitted to the air valves I08 and I09 through the push rod H2 opening the air valves.

H8. The air withdrawn-from the cleaning unit enters the hot air unit C and-passes through the pump I 02. Compressed air leaving the pump I02 passes through an electric air heater II9, the air supply duct I01 and enters the cleaning unit A at a flange Ill. The air supply duct I01 continues inside the cleaning unit and leads to drying nozzles II8 arranged in air discharge heads II9.

The housing of the hot air unit is accessible through a door I23, which is normally tightly .closed. An adjustable air port I 24 is arranged in a 'side wall of the housing IM to permit the Pump I02 to withdraw supplemental air from the atmosphere to replace air leaving the cleaning unit through leaks in the sliding door'II and at the tiltable chute 98, which'forms in its upwardly tilted position the lower section of the door through which the cleaning chamber I9 is accessible.

A control lever I25 in the hot air unit operates electrical controls, not shown in detail, for starting and stopping of. the pump motor I03 and for supplying electriccurrent to the air heater II9.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

Parts to be cleaned are placed in the trough 29 through the-open door I I, 98. The door is then closed causing the locking member 9| near the lower right hand corner of the door to engage the rotatable latch member 86 and to move the member into a position in which it will unblock the push bar 83 of the hand lever I9 which operates the main supply valve 45.

The motor 4| is then started to move the tumbling belt I9 in the direction of the arrow 31,

. parts to climb over the roller 21 and .to slide down Hot air will now be supplied to the air-discharge h'eads I2I issuing powerful jets of drying air against the parts tumbling in the trough 28 of the tumbling belt I8.

The drying operation is aided veryefiectively by the tumbling of the parts, causing the parts to be turned over continuously whereby drops of liquid are shaken off and cavities in the parts are emptied of washing liquid, which during the.

washing operation accumulated therein.

At the end of the drying operation the hand lever I8 is moved to the extreme left causing the flow of drying air to the cleaning chamber to be interrupted. The door I1 is then opened. The

opening movement of the door causes discharge chute 98 totilt downwardly as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The parts resting in the trough 29 of the conveyor I9 may then be discharged by reversing the direction of the belt, causing the the chute 99 into a, receptacle.

The features and advantages of the invention are numerous.

The treatment of parts of the washing liquid while the parts are being tumbled on a pervious belt provides a most eflicient and rapid cleaning or the parts. All surfaces of the parts are reached by the washing liquid, and the cleaning of the parts is aided mechanically by the friction between the tumbling individual parts.

causing parts in the trough 29 to be carried up- The provision of a. lower nozzle aids in the washing operation by loosening up the parts, and

facilitating the removal of impurities. In addition. thejets issued from the lower nozzle maintain thetumbling belt clean and prevent impurities from collecting in the mesh of the conveyor.

The tumbling of the parts during the drying operation greatly reduces the drying time and makes the machine particularly suitable for the cleaning of parts having cavities inwhich washing liquid tends to collect.

The provision of a two-section door the lower section of which is in the form of a discharge chute contributes substantially to the efllciency and economy of the machine making it unnecessary for an operator to handle the cleaned parts 4 when removing them from the machine.

A further feature of the machine resides in the be employed and other means used for mountingor supporting the belt. The trough portion of the belt may obviously rest on rotatable supporting end disks instead of fixed end plates to reduce friction. Such modifications, substitutions, additions and omissions may be made, as will readily occur to persons skilled in the art. Such changes, however, do not involve a departure from the scope and spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A cleaning machine comprising, in combination, an endless pervious belt trained around rollers, a section of the belt being curved so as to form a tumbling trough in a space of air adapted to receive parts to be cleaned; an upper nozzle above the trough portion or the belt adapted to discharge a jet of liquid under pressure into said trough and against parts therein; a lower nozzle below the trough portion of the belt adapted to discharge a jet of liquid under pressure against the underside oi said belt and through said belt into said trough, so as to prevent parts from packing tightly in said trough; means below said belt for collecting liquid passing through said belt, said means including a tank; conduits for supplying said nomles with liquid under pressure from said tank; a valve in the conduit leading to said lower nozzle; and means for driving saidbelt.

2. A cleaning machine comprising, in combination, a cleaning housing having an aperture; cleaning means in said housing; and a two-section' door in said housing for closing said aperture, the. door including an upper section vertically slidable in said housing and a lower section pivoted about a substantially horizontal axis and tiltable into a closed position in which the lower section cooperates with said upper section to close said aperture, and an open position in which it forms a downwardly inclined surface for the discharge of articles from said housing.

3. A cleaning machine comprising, in combination, a cleaning housing having an aperture; cleaning meansin said housing; a two-section in said housing for closing said aperture the door including an upper section vertically slidable in said housing and a lower channel shaped section tiltable about a substantially horizontal axis and tiltable into a closed position in which the lower section cooperates with said upper section to close said aperture and an open position in which it forms a downwardly inclined chute adapted to receive articles from said belt for discharge from said housing; means interconnectlngsaid upper and lower sections for joint movement into an open and a closed position; and means for interlocking said door and said supply valve-to prevent a discharge 0! fluid while the door is open.

5. A cleaning machine comprising incombination, a housing; a pervious belt guided in said housing for movement along a curved path so as to form a tumbling trough in a space oi air ing edge being so curved as to form a trough in adapted to receive in said trou h parts to be cleaned; a nozzle for discharging a jet oi liquid into said trough from above; a nozzle for dis-- charginga jet or liquid into said trough through said belt irom underneath; means for supplying a liquid to said nozzles: means below said belt for collecting liquid passing through said pervlous belt; and means for driving said belt.

6. A cleaning machine comprising in combination,a housing; a pair of headplates in said housing; a pervious movable belt guided to: movement along a guiding edge of said headplates, the guidpervious belt mounted in said housing for movement along a curved part so as .to form a trough adapted to receive in said trough parts to becleaned; a nozzle in said housing for discharging a jet of liquid into said trough: a nozzle in said housing for discharging a jet of air into said door in said housing for closingsaid aperture,

the door including an upper 1 section vertically slidable in said housing and a lower channel shaped section pivoted about a substantially horizontal axis and tiltable into a closed position in which the lower section cooperates with said upper section to close said aperture, and an open position in which it forms a downwardly inclined chute for the discharge of articles from said housing; and means for operatively connecting said trough; means below said belt for collecting liquid passing through said belt; an air duct for withdrawing air from said housing. said duct leading duct; air propelling means in said duct for propelling air through said duct and said heating to said air nozzle; air heating means in said means; and means for interrupting the iiow of liquid to said air nozzle.

8. A combination washing and drying machine comprising in combination, a housing; a pervious belt mounted in said housing for movement along a curved part so as to form a. trough adapted to receive in said trough parts to be cleaned; a

nozzle in said-housing fordischarging a jet of means below said belt for collecting liquid passing through said belt; and means for selectively supplying air under pressure to said air nozzle respectively,

9. A combination washing and drying machine. comprising in combination, a housing; a prvious belt mounted in said housing for movement along a curved path so as to form a trough adapted to receive in said trough parts to be cleaned;

. a nozzle in said housing for discharging a jet of liquid into said trough; a nozzle in said housing ior discharging a Jet of air into said trough; means below said belt-for collecting liquid passing through said belt; and air heating and propelling unit adjacent said housing, said unit communicating with the interior of said housing to withdraw air therefrom; a. duct leading from said unit to said air nozzle; and means for selectively controlling the discharge of liquid and of air through the said liquid and air nozzles, respectively, CHARLES HIRSCH.

REFERENCES 011 Km The following references are oi record in the file of this patent:

Number Wiener Feb. 23, 1932

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