US2440419A - Washing apparatus for bottle washers - Google Patents

Description

Inventors:

VApril 27, 1948. c. L@ TRIER ETAL WASHING APPARATUS FORYBOTTLE WASHERS Original Filed May 1937 5` Sheefs-Sheet l Illlllllllll1 I l IW l I l l l 1 l l ||.ll` l l [limi l I I l l l l April 27, 1948. c'. L. TRIER ErAL l WASHING APPARATUS FOR BOTTLE WASHEHSf.

riginal Filed'May 6, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Snventors:

April 27, 1948. c. L. TRIER ETAL 2,440,419

WASHING APPARATUS FOR BOTTLE WASHERS 4 Original Filed May 6, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Snnentcws:

attorney A Patented Apr. 27, 1948 WASHING APPARATUS FOR BTTLE WASI-[ERS Carl L. Trier, Baltimore, Md., and Jesse W. Fogg, Barrington, Ill., assignors to Cherry-Burrell Corporation, Wilmington, Del., a corporation Original application May 6, 1937, Serial No.

141,084, now Patent No. 2,367,652, dated January 16, 1945. Divided and this application April 25, 1940, Serial No. 331,588 t f claims. (01.134448) Y This invention relates to improvements in` bottle washing machines and more particularly to improvements in the novelarrangement of mechanisms for washing the inside and outside of bottles by spraying washing solutions or water onto the same.

This application is a division of our copending application Serial No.` 141,084, now Patent No. 2,367,652, dated January 16, 1945,` entitled Bottle Washing machinery, which was filed May 6,' 1937, and in which or divisions or which other novel features of our improvements in bottle washing machinery are fully disclosed and claimed.

A In the construction of the conventional type of bottle4 Washing machinery provisions are nor- Vmally made for the pre-rinsing of bottles to be `washed before they are passed or carried into the washing solutions on the interior of the washing machine. It is also Aconventional practice to wash` the bottles after they have been soaked in a soaking solution by `spraying Washing solutions orcleansing water onto the inner and outer surfaces of the bottles. All such washing opera-tions are normally carried out upon the :bottles while they :are suspended in carriers or supports in bottle conveying mechanism within the washing machine. which `conveying Vmechanism Vusually moves by intermittent stepsto thereby provide for thef `necessary time required for the various Washing and rinsing operations which are performed during the dwell ofthe conveyor. v

Inthe bottle Washing machines of large capacities of the general type constituting the sub- `ject matter of this invention the bottle conveyors on the inside of the Washer are usually of a width suicient to accommodate a plurality of bottles Varranged*transversely ofthe conveyor. Such a conveyor usually consists of spaced chains pro- Vvided with transversely extending frames con- -taining bottle pockets.

Obviously in machines of large capacities e'iiiciency and cost of operation become important items.

Accordingly, itis desirable to include mechanisms in bottle washers whichconserve the use of washing solutions, etc., which become especially wasteful when all of the washing and rinsing operations continue to operate even in to permit effective and eiicient operation. Ac-

cordingly, the improvements in the efciency of the washing mechanisms of bottle washersv which normally depend substantially or to al great eX- tent upon the manner of impingement of the streams or jets of water or washing solutions against the peripheries of the bottles becomes an element of importance.

'The preferred embodiment of the invention in improvements rin bottle washing machinery includes a bottle washer casinghousing an intermittently movable bottle carrier or conveyor provided with bottle supports or pockets which are adapted to grip and maintain the` bottle in relatively xed p'ositionlw'ith respect to the bottle supportsV or pockets. `,'Ihegsupports or pockets are also so constructed as to expose substantially al1 of the periphery of the bottle to the effect of the jets or sprays of washing water or solution while the bottles are being conveyed to the washing machine. The bottle washer is provided with one or'more bottle spraying devices operable upon the bottle during periods of dwell of the conveyor, as well as bottle attempering means operable upon the bottles intermediate somenof the washing operations topermit vgreater temperature variations and gradients between the temperatures of the various Washing solutions or waters.

The prime object of this invention is to provide an improved bottle washer having novel prerinse mechanisms whereby the operation of the pre-rinse mechanisms takes place only when there are bottles to be rinsed present in the pockets at the pre-rinse station and whereby only that portion of the pre-rinse mechanisms which is associated with the pockets containing bottles is placed in operation.

The foregoing objects and other important features `of the invention, which will become more apparent as the nature of` the invention is better understood upon examination of the specication, drawings and claims, are preferably accomplished as illustrated in the preferred embodiment of the invention in bottle washing machinery in which are provided a plurality of improved and novel features involving the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described.

The organization and method lof operation will be best understood from the following description of the specific embodiments when read in connecti-on with the accompanying drawings in which: y y

Figure v 1 is a View showing the improved bottle washer largely in side elevation and` partially in section. y c

. Figure. `101isa detail View in i l-'Iiof `the casing of 'The improved bottlemwashing Lm'achinef externally.

ing device which is adapted to wash the bottles Figure 7 is a detail sectional viewnon an en-A 15 larged scale taken along the line 'i-l of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a detail view in cross section .o `olle of the preferred types of improved Washing nozzles: i `Figuraf) is-a lvieWSimilareto Figure A8v showing another preferred ltype-jof.- washing .-nozzle.A

Y plan of the nozzle shWn'inF'gllIeSn:1f '3.a i

Referrinig'ito the riigures,A als and identifying lettersfareused to identify like Y elements;|Iarpresents1a frame-like supportifor a soaking tank i 6 onxw-hichis 'erected a -tOpfpDItioIl the improved bottle washing machine. i:

- LAt the-opposltesidesiof the'washen casing-.zare

provided igen erallysymmetricallygarranged:upper vguides or tracks' i8 which mayioemadeofngkrnvzhichflikefilirier- 4 are arranged in a row extending transversely of each respective frame and which are adapted to .engage and maintain bottles,insubstantially fixed position Yrelative Vto theeleA ,nts on; the pockets 26 andthe frames 25. By this 'procedure of maintaining the bottles in relatively xed position the alinement of the bottles with the various washing .fmechanismshereinafter to be described is facili- --f 'tated. The pockets 26 are so constructed and opcrate in sucha fashion as to contact and grip the .bottles 22 Aonly...atfspaced points about the outer "periphery of.thebead on the neck of the bottle.

ironi as fshownfforexample, n.Figure 5,= togzsup- L port thefrollerslllof the conveyorzz. ,-Theflower nightoffthe'fconveyon20 is supported on similar symmetrically arrangedy guides or; lower tracks 2|; asindicated '-inFigure 121 'lflfiewflight` ofzthe conveyor 2U inf-thef-lowerf'portion of. the; bottle washing -machirie moveseiroxn 'left tto right, as

viewed yinrligure 1; andthe whole- VorganizationLcf the bottle washer represents-fnovel` improvements i and 'arrangementsirr aimo'reifor less conventional type of"l: ottlewashing'machine;L5

is adapted to receivessoiled-bottlesfat all'cadin'g station" A"in"asubstantially inverted position, as shown' in.- Figures-1 and' 2, -to carry. l'thebottles pre-rinse station B K'Figures 1-'-and"2 through a soaking' tanki 18,as indicated -at-station C; and thence upwardly ir'r" a-partially inverted position for` draining the bottles; as shovvn-v atstationlD,

`to the washing station;li;rinsin-gI station -F,\steri-,..

lizing or chlorinating station unloading lstation' I-I. l' Y A The nature :ofthe intermittently'movable chain conveyor `generally* indicated by "the numeral l2i),

G and thence to the screwhmeanse3'3. .The. dogs..32, are, howevenree' to move -pivotallyf inthe opposite. direction about fulcruinmpins 34 nwhereby. they .are -connected to bottlesiduring eachV period or The conveyor is preferably given an interniittrentvorr stepfby-step movement, each step .being euuiyalenttg the distance from center to Icenterot theticonsecutive carrier elements or frames Y25. By locating the chain propelling means immediately adjacent the discharge station H it is possible to.4 keep all slack out of the chains 0i; thefeqnvevrl pre1Carrieniramesiand nartieula 3611.110? Phe. 69X!- veyor.-2U.as.the.bottles are conveyed through the washing-emachine I The:preferred` ypei.

.fonveyorfadvanlnng `mechanism'. includes Lleversi121 pivote@onta rock shaft 28 at opposite sidesy .oxthe .bottletwahing al slotted f 'extensionv ..29..z,which .is :engaged by a levers 2.1 sare eacnprovided at their uppersends with dogs32v-adjustablylimited as lto their moyement-in one directionby .adjustableistops onset and .supported lupon .their-f respectivelevers 21.

`1 Each of# the dogs 32 isinftheiplane, ofthe rollers g,... Upon. .the:. oscillation .of .theifleversf .2;1 in; a

` clockwise: direction,-.as view'edin Figures 1. and.2,

-the dogs 3-2 swingtoithe left. and upwardlygto ride over then-rollers ieg-dropping by gravityfibehind each fcfltheirollerscyer whichfthey. pass. I.lllurlng the counter-clockwise oscillation othelevers 21,

- 'eachof the-dogsZ .willengageitheprearportion .of vthe adjacentrollerili.immediately ahead 'chit propelledfbyi tneountierclockwisamoyementof which conveys .or carries the-bottlesv22frorn one` i washing operation station-tol another through the improved bottle Washeris bestshownvin Figures i 2 to.5. Thereisia chainVA at each side'of-thewashing machine and eachichamcomprises-inner links andouter links spacedby rollers' ISi.;-These-rollers`- turn upon pivot pins 23 whichvpivotally connect adjacent links in each of the chains;

. Each of the innerlinksof the conveyorchains is formedto provide abracket arm124 projecting centrally or toward the opposite conveyor chain.

The carrier frames 25 which bridge the space Iloetween thechains of theoonveyor are mounted at their oppositae'ds upon the bracket arms 24, as clearly shownin Figure 5.

Each of the frames 25 is provided with bottle'V vSupports or gripping means or pockets 26 which the armsonilevers 21,.fthus-advancing thelentire conveyor. 20 ,onel-istep. @hear-rangement ofithe iconveyo-r guides I8 and 2l,.as.lillust1atedin,Fg urev -1, is such thatv all. of .theslack inl-.the .chains y of they conveyor 2 [1 -will .occur fatfstation, Lin :the tank i6 where it ;canno\t-.readily. .effect theiregistration of theibottles. ZZ-invthel pooketsxwhh 1 the several. Washing and attemperingmechanisnis positioned. f adj acentnthe :path of, V,travel 4.of the bottles while they are..being.conveyed through Betweenthesconveyor'feed.n ationA andth station L-"it is preferredto operatethe pre-rinse thewashingmachine by the conveyor..20

jets with directreference .to .the;bottles., themsrelvesfthus eliminating anyneed.forimeichanical i registration of the-prerinsemechanismfwiththe thusialso enabling the `constri'iction of Aa`-prerinse mechanism by which the operation thereof may be prevented in the absence of bottles to actuate the mechanism.

The pre-rinse water supplied to the pre-rinse mechanism is supplied under-pressure through pipe35 best shown in Figures 2 and 4. This pressure may be derived either from the City water mains or from ,a pump 38 through connections 31, as shown in Figure 1. In any case the pipe 35 is provided with a series of orices directed axially of the bottle openings or pockets 2B in the conveyor 28 and the bottles supported therein.

Each such orifice of the pipe 35 is individually connected or associated with a sleeve valve 38 which is provided with an aperture 39 registerable with the associated discharge orice of the pipe 35. Obviously there are a series of sleeve valves 38 and the respective sleeve valves are in end-to-end engagement and are spaced from the end of the pipe 35 by the spacer tube 49.

Fastened to each sleeve valve 38 is at least one sleeve actuating lever 4| having its terminal portion 42 (Figure 2) in the ,path of the bead portion of the bottle carried in one of the pockets 26 which passes over the particular sleeve valve 38. It is broadly immaterial whether the sleeve valve 38 is rotatable step by step and provided with a number of levers 4| and a corresponding number of apertures or jets 39 or whether it is rotated in a port-opening direction by a bottle contacting a single lever 4| and is then rotated in the opposite direction by a weight or spring connected .to the sleeve valve. As exemplifying the generic concept the simpler construction has been illustrated in which a single lever 4| and a single jet orince 39 are provided on the valve 38 and in which the valve 38 is returned following each bottle-induced opening to its closed position by theqeiiect of gravity on a counter-weight or by the effect of a closing spring, both of which are arrangements well within the scope of the knowledge of a mechanic.

At the end of each lever 4| in the preferred construction opposite the end of the lever which engages the bead of a bottle is a counter-weight which tends to oscillate each sleeve valve 38 individually to a position such that the jet oriice or port 39 of that particular valve will not register with the complementary orifice lor aperture in .the pipe 35. When a bottle encounters the terminus 42 of the lever 4| it will cause lever 4| to oscillate its respective sleeve 38 until the jet oririce 33 of that respective sleeve registers with the complementary eorice in the pipe 35 whereupon the pre-rinsing liquid under pressure in the pipe 35 will escape through the alining openings and will enter the mouth of the bottle to wash therefrom any extraneous or` foreign matter which may readily be separable from the bottle.

A drain pan 44- catches the eiliuent from the rinsed bottle and is provided with a drain (not shown) for disposing thereof. This avoids undue pollution .of the soaking solution in the soaking 1 tank I6 of the bottle washing machine.

As soon as the bottle passes a position of alinement with the jet orice in the sleeve valve 38 of the pre-rinse mechanisms the lever 4| of the respective sleeve valve so passed will be cleared by the bead of the bottle and will be closed by the weight 43 which causes the sleeve valve 38 to rotate into a closed position. If, as the various frames of the conveyor move past the pre-rinse station B, any of the bottle pockets in a frame 25 lacks a bottle the corresponding sleeve valve 38 will remain closed during the passage of the empty bottle pocket past the pre-rinse station. 'I'his follows as a necessary consequence of the operation of the pre-rinse mechanism which requires the presence of a bottle in the bottle pocket before the lever 4| of the sleeve valve 38 can open the valve.

It will be noted from Figure 2 that the pre-rinse station B in the path of the conveyor 2in is not covered. Consequently the jets or streams of pre-rinse Water from the valve 38 mightln the absence of a bottle in the pockets 26, spray out of the bottle washing machine if it were not for the individually `operable sleeve valve arrangement whereby the valves depend absolutely upon the presence of a bottle in the bottle pocket for their operation.

After the Ibottle leaves the pre-rinse station B it is inverted to a right side up position and is immersed in and passed through a soaking solution in the soaking tank I3. Since the bottle will be right side up in this soaking tank and is immersed in the solution it will promptly ll with the hot soaking solution. As the bottle approaches the station D it will pass out of the soaking tank, be partially inverted and drained of its contents which will then return Ato the soaking tank, leaving the bottle empty.

The bottles, in passing from'station D to the washing station E, are subjected to a cooling draft of ai!` which tends to attemper th-e bottles and `enable the use of soaking solutions and washing waters of greater temperature differentialsthan is possible in the conventional type of bottle Washer. At station E the bottles carried in the frames 25 will in three successive advances stop in registration with washing mechanism which delivers jets of water from the pipes or headers 4l5 shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 which are operatively connected through suitable piping or conduits with pump 36.

From the headers 45 in the preferred embodiment of the invention the washwater spraying into or impinged against the periphery of each of the bottles is supplied in two streams or jets. These streams or jets are angularly divergent from each other and also pitched so that the streams of wash water will follow a helical path when they encounter the inner surface of a bottle. In Figures 8 to 10 are shown views of two different types of jet nozzles effective for the purpose of impinging streams of water against the inner periphery of the bottle neck in such a manner as 'to cause the streams of water to follow a helical path upwardly along the inner surface of the bottle registered with a nozzle.

The nozzle 46 shown in Figure 8 has an inner chamber 41 communicating with one of the headers 45. The jet orices 48 of the nozzles communicate with the chamber 41 and are angularly divergent from each other, as shown in Figure 8,

and are also inclined in opposite directions with reference to an axial plane at right angles to the section on which Figure 8 is taken. Consequently the jets of water discharged from the jet orifices 48 will tbe thrown into contact with or` impinged against opposite sides of the interior of a superposed bottle and at the same time will be 4. In a bottle washing machine, a conveyor provided with a bottle support adapted to maintain a bottle in securely xed position relative to said support, a spraydischarge device provided with an orifice directed toward a supported bottle at a predetermined station along the path of said conveyor, means for actuating the conveyor, a valve controlling said orifice, and means for transmitting conveyor movement to said valve for the 4opening thereof, said means being disposed in the path of a bottle carried by said conveyor to transmit such movement only through said bottle.

5. In a bottle washing machine, the Icombination with a. conveyor providing a series of carriers, each provided with a row of bottle supports, of a spray pipe extending transversely of the conveyor provided with orices spaced to register with bottles in said supports at a predetermined conveyor station, sleeve valves rotatable upon said pipe and provided with valve openings registrable with said orices, and means for rotating said sleeve valves individually, said means being disposed in the path of bottles carried by said supports for operation by said bottles in the course of conveyor movement to said station.

CARL L. TRIER. JESSE W. FOGG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Clifford May 10, 1904 Rubin Mar. 7, 1905 `Pilley Apr. 8, 1919 Anstiss May 9, 1922 Gruetter Apr. 18, 1923 Perkins Oct. 210, 1934 Wolf Sept. 7, 1926 Price Oct. 16, 1928 Carvalho May 21, 1929 Ladewig et al. Nov. 5, 1929 Enz Dec. 17, 1929 Herold et al Sept. 29, 1931 Duiord Oct. 6, 1931 Hippenmeyer Nov. 10, 1931 Roberts Apr. 5, 1932 Braun 1 Oct., 22, 1935 Williams Oct. 22, 1935 Dostal Sept. 1-8, 1937 Wolcott et al. Apr. 16, 1940 Ohme et al Oct. 8, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Number Denmark July 13, 1908

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