US2698624A - Can washing machine - Google Patents

Description

eet l Jan. 4, 1955 N. J. PETERS CAN WASHING MACHINE Fviled May 23. 1949 Jan. 4, 1955 N. PETERS CAN WASHING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 25. 1949 INVENTOR. d

ATTYS N. J. PETERS 2,698,624

CAN WASHING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 4, 1955 Filed May 2s, 1949 Jan. 4, 1955 N. J. PETERS CAN WASHING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 23, 1949 ATT'Ys Jan. 4, 1955 N. J. PETERS CAN WASHING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet Eyl Filed May 23. 1949 INVENTOR.

N L0 CO l m Si Nm Jan. 4, 1955 N. J. PETERS CAN WASHING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed May 23. 1949 m0 ma s n IILIII lill l |||||l|\\\ lllllllllllll I iJIIIILlllInP l IIIIIIUPIIIILIIIIIMNMI I\| INVENTOR. MM 01.11144 BY QMewnm@ ATT'YS Jan. 4, 1955 N. J. PETERS CAN WASHING MACHINE 8 Sheets-.Sheet '7 Filed May 23, 1949 w .al

INVENTOR.

BY p

M9' ATT'YS Jan. 4, 1955 N. J. PETERS CAN WASHING MACHINE i 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed May 23, 1949 United States Patent O CAN WASHING MACHINE Norman J. Peters, Fond du Lac, Wis., assignor tov Damrow Brothers Company, Fond du Lac, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application May 23, 1949, Serial No. 94,857

7 Claims. (Cl. 134-62) line machine, these machines have to be of `considerable length` and operate at a relatively high rate of speed. The length of the machine offers difficulties in installation and the high rate of operation causes wear on the machine and the cans. In order to. overcome these diiiculties the main object of this invention is to provide a washing machine having. two straight line` rows for can and cover treatment, a single inlet for the cans and covers, respectively, switching or selector mechanism for directing the cans and cover introduced into the machine alternately into said rows, a can turnover for each row, a cover replacer for each row, and a cornmon delivery from the two rows. The above described `machine produces a simpler unitthanl the usual long straight line. machine, the cans are. given better treatment because the machine does not need to run as fast, there is less` wear-on the machine and the cans than for a single straight line machine of the same. capacity. Also with thisv machine itI is possible. to get the same washing treatment `as heretofore in a. shorter space. The

invention provides a longer life, machine without unduly increasing the width andA greatly reducing the length as compared to single row machines withV the same treatments.

A further object off the invention isto. provide a double rotary canl turnover for each can row so that the turn.- Overs rotate atl half the speed of a single turnover and thus reduce wear and tear on the cans and turnovers.

The 'invention further consists in the several` features hereinafter described and more particularly defined by claims at thek conclusion hereof.

In the drawings:` x

Fig. l is a side elevation. view of the.` front half of the washing machine embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation view of the forward part of the rear half of the machine;

Fig.` 3- is a side elevation View of the rest'` or the; rear half of the machine;

Figi. 4 is an` end. elevation; view of the rear end of the, machine;

Fig. 5. is a horizontal sectional viewV taken; on= the line 5 5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6` is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. l;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view takenl oni the line 7-7 of Fig. l;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional` view taken onthe line 8--8 of Fig.. 6;

Fig. 9 is. an end elevation view taken along the line 9-9' of Fig. 8;,

Fig, l0 is a vertical sectional View taken along the li-ne lll-10 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view of the operations on the cans during their travel through the machine;

Fig. l2 is a'detailed view of a part of the mechanism at the delivery end' of the machine, parts beingbroken y away and parts being shown in section;

Fig. 13 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 13-13:v ofV Fig., 7;

c Fig.. 114y is.v al plan -view of parts: of the coverreplacer looking along'thelinerM-.l-t of. Fig; 3; 'j

2,698,624 Patented J an.y 4v 1955 Fig. l5 is` a detailed verticalsectional view showing certain modifications lat the delivery end of the inachine.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 15 designates` the frame of the machine which has spaced openings 1'6 to provide access to the interior, which openings are normally covered, by removable panels (not shown).

Referring to Figs. 3' and 4, thev numeral 17 designates an electric drive motor' provided with a pulley 18.connected by a belt 19 with a pulley 2t) on. the inputV shaft of a speed reducer 21 whose output shaft carries a gear 22 meshing with a gear 23 mounted on the main drive shaft 24 of the machine.

Duringy the progress of the cans through the machine, in a vertically disposed: inverted position, they ride on spacedv rails or supports 25', see Fig. l0, and the can covers disposed in an edgewise position rest onv bottom rails or supportsv 26` andV engage side guide rails or supports 27. As is usual in machines of this character, the cans are advanced lengthwise of the machine by a lengthwise extending` reciprocatory feed bar 28 which includes spacedl angle irons 29V that ride on a series of pairs of rollers 30 which, also ride on iiXed tracks 31, each set ofl rollers. 30 having a limited amount of free movement relative to the tracks 31. The bar 2S carries a series of' pivotallyl mounted gravity operated feed dogs 32. The; covers are advanced lengthwise of the machine by a lengthwise extending reciprocatory feed bar 33 which issupported on, the shafts. of a series of spaced rollers 34 that ride on angle iron tracks 35 and which carries a series. of pivotally mounted gravity actuated feed dogs 36. The feed bar 2S with its dogsr 32 and the feed bar 33 with its dogs 36. advance the cans and covers, respectively, through the machine by a step by step movement, the spacing of` the dogs 32 and 36 being such Athat the can` and its. cover are advanced together through the machine and are treated together at the various treatment stations` hereinafter described.

Referringk to Fig. 4, the drive shaft 2.4 carries spaced crank arms 37, one being shown in Fig. 3, operatively connected by links` 38 to levers 39 pivoted on a shaft 4i) and oppositely disposed as shown in Fig. 4. The front lever 39, see Fig. 2, is operatively connected by a link 41 to bracket 42k secured to the can feed bar 28 at the nearer side of the machine as viewed in Fig. 6 while the rear lever 39 is similarly connectedto the can. feed bar 28. at the oppositel side of the machine. Thus the can feed bars 2S are given a reciprocatory motion so that when one feed bar is moving forwardly, the other bar is` moving rearwardly, the cranks 37 being disposed one hundred and eighty degrees apart.

Referring to Fig. 6, at the front end of the machine one of the feedV bars 28 has a suitably guided rack 43 secured thereto which meshes with a gear 44 on a vertically disposedV and journalled' shaft 45. Shaft 45, see Flg. 7:, carries an arm 46y operatively connected by a link 47 to a bracket 48 secured to the cover feed bar 33 at the nearer side of the machine as viewed` in Fig, 6 while a similar arm 46a on the shaft 45 is operatively connected by a link 47a to a bracket 48aA secured to the cover feed bar 33 at the opposite side of the machine. The arms 46 and 46a are one hundred and eighty d'egrees apart so that the cover feed b ars 33 move in opposite directions as they are-reciprocated, but each of these bars move in synchronism' with the can yfeed bar 28, at the same side of the machine and in the same phase relationship.

From the above it willv be noted that the cans and covers on each side of the machine are given a step by step forward movement along the length of the machine, and means are provided for feeding the cans from the` entrance end of the machine alternately to the feed bars 28 and for feeding thecovers from theV entrance end of the machine alternately to the feed bars 33.

Referring to Figs. l, 6, and 8, a can receiving platform 49 projects out from the front endof the machine upon which the cans are placed in inverted position withVV the tops of their mouths resting on V frame bars 50. For feed'- ing ther cans, one at a time from the platform 49 onto a'y switching platform 51, a dog-52y is pivotally mounted on a vertically disposed shaft 53 carried by a mounting block 54 secured to the outer extended end of the rack 43 and normally urged by a torsion spring 55 against a stop 56 on the block. The feed bar 28 on the opposite side of the machine has a rod extension 57 and a dog 52a is pivotally mounted on a vertically disposed shaft 53a carried by a mounting block 54a secured to the outer end of said rod 57, said dog being normally urged by a torsion spring 55a against a stop 56a on the block. The dogs 52 and 52a are shown at one of their extreme positions of movement, and since the feed bars 28 which move these dogs move in opposite phase in the other extreme position, the dog 52a will beat the outer end of the platform 51 when the dog 52 is at the end of its inner travel and in the same position at its side of the machine as the dog 52a is shown in the drawings. Thus when a can is placed on the platform 51 back of the dog 52 or 52a at its outermost position, it will be carried inwardly by this dog to a position where its neck rests on the platform 51, and in order to give the can a quick shove or push onto this platform, adjustable stops 58 are provided, one for each dog so that as the tail end of the dog 52 or 52a hits this stop. as shown in Fig. 6, where one stop 58 is acting on the dog 52a, said dog will have its can engaging end swung inwardly to push the can into the mid area of the platform. On their return strokes the dogs 52 and 52a are free to swing outwardly past a can positioned on the platform 49. As the cans are fed one at a time onto the switching platform 51, they are moved to alternate feed bars 28 by a switching member comprising a roller 59 mounted on an arm 60 carried by the shaft 45. As the arm 60 is oscillated back and forth by the oscillation of the shaft 45 through its geared connection with one of the feed bars 28 as previously explained the roller 59 in swinging counterclockwise engages one can fed onto the platform by the dog 52 and pushes it along the platform 51 into a position where, for example, the forward dogs on the feed bar 28 at the nearer side of the machine as viewed in Fig. 6 may engage it to carry it along this feed bar and as said arm with its roller moves clockwise to the full line position shown in Fig. 6, it engages another can fed onto the platform 51 by the dog 52a and pushes it along the platform 51 into a position where the first set of feed dogs on the feed bar 28 at the rear side of the machine may engage it to feed it through the machine. Thus by the pushing mechanism above described, which receives its motion from the feed bar 28, the cans are carried from the platform 49 onto the platform 51 and delivered, first one can to one feed bar and the next can to the other feed bar. The platform 51 has side walls 51a that are fianged as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 6 to receive parts of the neck of the can.

Referring to Figs. 7, 8, and 9, the can covers are placed one at a time in a tiltable cover chute 61 pivoted on a shaft 62 carried by an extension of the frame 15. Beneath the chute 61 is a reciprocatory auxiliary cover feed carriage 63 provided with a gravity actuated feed dog 64, said carriage being slidably mounted on guide rails 65 mounted beneath a cover receiving platform 66 upon which the covers are deposited mouth side down by the chute 61. An arm 67 is mounted on the shaft 45 and has an end 68 operatively connected by a pivot bolt 69 to one end of a link 70, the other end 71 of said link being connected with the carriage 63 so that as the shaft 45 oscillates, the carriage 63 is moved back and forth beneath the platform 66, which is apertured as shown 1n Fig. 7 to allow the dogs 64 to project upwardly to engage the covers, one at a time and feed them from the place they are deposited by the chute 61 forwardly along the platform 66 to where they may be engaged by an oscillatory switching arm 72 secured to the shaft 45 directly above the arm 67 and also directly above the arm 60 for the cans, said arm 72 acting similar to the can switching arm 60 to feed first one cover over the platform 66 to one cover guide chute, formed by the rail 26 and guides 27, and its feed bar 33 and the next cover in the opposite direction over said platform to the other cover guide chute and its feed bar 33. The platform 66 as shown in Figs. 7 and 13 has an upper at portion 66a which is bent down at the sector shaped portions 66b to merge with a lower outer curved platform portion 66a` so that as a cover, fed to the platform portion 66a, mouth side down, is pushed over the platform by the arm 72 and passes over one of the portions 66b, it is canted or tipped down until its edge rests on the portion 66e so that the cover is delivered edgewise between the guides CJI 27 and onto the rail 26 to be carried by the dogs 36 on its feed bar 33 through the machine. To prevent the covers rolling when moved to the feeding stations, the rails 27, see Fig. 2, are provided with a series of notches 27a into which they drop during the non-feeding movement of their feed bar 33.

In order to prevent a cover being fed into the machine when no can is in position for feed into the machine, a plate 73 is mounted to slide below and transversely of the guide rails 65, see Fig. 9, so that when said plate is moved toward the right as viewed in that figure, it engages the lower end of the feed dog 64 as said dog moves forwardly with the carriage 63 and thus tips the upper spaced ends of said dog 64 downwardly out of feeding engagement with any cover that may have been placed on the platform 66 by the chute 61, said plate 73 being of a length to hold the dog 64 in this non-feeding position during the rest of the forward travel of the carriage 63. Referring to Figs. 7 to 9, for moving this plate 73 into and out of cover feed blocking position it is connected by links 74 to a shaft 75 carried by spaced crank arms 76 mounted on an oscillatory shaft 77 journalled in fixed brackets 78 and carrying a crank arm 79 connected by a twisted link member 80 to a crank arm 81 on an oscillatory shaft 82 which as shown in Figs. 6 and 8 carries a weighted crank arm 83 and a crank arm 84 having a cross bar 85 adapted to be engaged by the bottom portion of a can as the can is fed into the machine, thereby rotating or swinging the shaft 82 clockwise and thus through arm 81 pulling down on link 80 to swing shaft 77 counterclockwise to move the plate 73 out of dog release position through the movement of cranks 76 and links 74 attached to said plate. Thus the feed carriage is not effective to feed a can cover into the machine unless a can has been placed in the machine to receive this cover.

The cover chute 61 is tipped downwardly to the cover receiving position shown in Fig. 8 by a link 86 operatlvely connecting the forward end of said chute with an upright 87 fixed to a slidable shaft 88 adjacent a shock cushioning spring 89 on said shaft, said cover chute having a semi-circular stop portion 90 to limit lengthwise movement of the cover in the chute. The shaft 88 at its forward end, see Figs. 7 and 8, carries a lug 91 disposed in the path of movement of a lug 92 mounted on the carriage 63. so that when said carriage nears the end of its forward feeding in stroke, the lug 92 engages the lug 91 and pushes the shaft 88 forwardly or toward the right as viewed in Figs. 7 and 8 causing the member 87 to pull on the link 86 so as to tip the front end 61a of the chute 61 upwardly so that a cover deposited thereon may slide down onto the platform 66 t0 be fed in by the dog 64 on the next feeding in stroke of the carriage 63. The chute 61 is a cover placement means. If one cover has been placed in said chute and an attempt is made to put a second cover in, the covers will not move and the rst cover is not moved by the carriage until the dog 64 moves back to take it. The dog 64 drags one cover out of the way before another cover can come down and block the feeding action of the carriage 63.

From the foregoing description it will be noted that as the sets of cans and covers are delivered to the machine, they are alternately routed first to one set of cover and can feed bars and then to the other set of cover and can feed bars and are carried along the can and cover rails through the different treatment stages until they reach the rear end portion of the machine where as shown in Figs. 2 and 5 the can rails 25 incline downwardly at their ends 25a so that as the can is pushed by its feed bar 28 off said rails, it tips forwardly and its neck slides onto the rails 93, see Figs. 3 to 5, of one of the oppositely disposed cradles 94, each cradle having side wings 95 engageable with the side of a can and top rails 96. These oppositely disposed cradles or double cradles 94 are mounted on a continuously rotating shaft 97, and there is a double cradle for each line of cans, the cradles of each double cradle being disposed one hundred and eighty degrees apart, so that the shaft 97 may be rotated at half the speed of that required for a single cradle and thus slow down the movement of the cradles so that they are easier on the cans. The shaft 97 carries a sprocket 98 connected by` a chain 99 with a sprocket 100 on the,y or .geu- @i f `9 P.. i `I y `er which al 'me cradle ed to lany upright 'poslrionas its r j I opp'osirely ulsposed kickers orpusne'ls each con pri ngopppsriely disposed arms 103 j carrylilgroners wi,'vynieh arms"work between the rails y79a" or trie" cradiefand as said 'kickers revolve one Vof Vthe `"armsaus*movesu'p aga'mst'the back 4the "craole as it strikes the platform 101 and Vpushes it forvfvarul'y along said platform. 'lhe'shaft 1 02 1s driven f4at the'sainespeedjasinesnart 97 by a' onev to one ratio Asprint-leem `1pb"-ahd l'at'cn'ain the'. 'esseu at :lui-:to provide clearance for thearms 1the cans are pushed onto me platrorm mi by the kickers rrom each orf'tlrejturnovers, they are'moved, one a'i 1e, ally or' said 'platform 4by j 4 roa posnionjcfetr a pari or'l oscillatory arms 1nd 'shtfyvr'i dotted 1m' lt-"ig, 5 in its centrally disposed position wniie'anotner canCrb is shown in dotted abent Tt usnedj by one or the 'arms 1158 into said central `lnftheir ycentrally disposed position the cans enfdress gravityj'delivered Conveyor by a kicker or pusher havingopposne'ly disposed'arms 110 mountedon a shaft are; pushed,fone at' a time, onto therollers 1051 f an s which 1s rotated twice as' fast Vas'th'e shaft 102 by "afsprocket 112'on'shaftj102 connected byfa chain 113 to a sprocket 114 on the shaft 111.

or' acanbn thel one vof the cans' Cdbeing E'acn arm 10,8 is mounted on an oscillatory generally verticallydisp'osedshaft 115 which is journalled at its lowerend'in a`bear'ing 116, see Figs. 3, 4, and 12 and atfitsfpperportioniin aibearing bracket 116m Oscil- `latory motion o r' eachshaft 'connectionbetween it and the crank 37 at the same side `or the machine comprising a universal joint coupling 11j connecting one end of a link 118 with its drive 'crank-37- and au'niversal joint coupling 113e connecting afthedelivery end of the jmachine so that the shaft 115 cannot be oscillated, then the ycrank arm 119 as itis turned 1i act' throughjthe balls 121 to raise the collar 122 and "doingso actuate a motor cut out switch 125, whose acta't'or'carries a 'roller'1/26 engageable withthe upper end of the collar 122.

the machine'a each" side by the feed bars 33 are delivered to dcwr'ivva'rdlyV inclined .chuts'127 that terminate in a, curved plate 123 having a curved front end 122i where intheir "edgewisep'osition they are further gidedbya nger'1`3''onan'oscillatory cover receiving chute 13`11`carriedVV by 'a"shaft" 132 pivotally mounted in ty wnvvardly inclined position in bearing brackets 133,

y cverj strikes"the -curved plate 128 having an additnal'fdeiiecvtor'rod 128e which, when engaged by the c 4erjcau'sesit'to turn'toward the main portion of the "te 131;'an`d to'drop, mouth down, upon said chute. Thereafter, he' chute `131 is swung'from its upper posit1. t, l.

a `arrri"134,engagingthe bottm ofthe chute 131 which igime'mimany sper'dliarqggh a ,drive connection with the Ashaft '115. ""lhisdrivel-connection.includes a small bevel gear 135 on''shaft 115 meshing With a larger bevel geen 13.6,.10056.. 0.11.3 ,Shaft 137.jo11rnalled` in bearings 138, said gear 136 carrying a lug 139 intermittently engageable with a lug 140 fixed to the shaft '137. Also pivotally mounted at 141 on the upper end of the shaft 115 is a pusher arm 142 which is oscillated by said .sh-aft and free to slide at end 143 on and olf of the bottom of the chute, said pusher arm being moved by said shaft to a position behind a cover just before the cover is laid,

115 is'ctfected by-a driving ,ya

the `other"endrof the link with a crank arm 119y loose is yieldingiy heid in 1672 or 163 will -be in a -position to engage mouth down, in the chute and then, as the chute is gepr-ay` xnozzlesurq Adirecuwashing uid through the menthe; tnecvanmto its iuterior spray nozzles 1450irect huid onto the s1des of the can, Vsteam nozzles 146 also `spiayhttie outside bottom ,portions OI the cans, spray .QZZQQH'Z alla, 1.4.6 2L.Ct.QI1...QPPOS1'Ie.sidesiof rhe cover. All ofthese novzzlesare .connected by suitable piping, some of which is shown in bigs. l, 2 and b,wirh supply piping 149 through v alves 1nd. Each valve lia'llis a selr'fclosing valve 4.and is Opened bya levenrsl carrying aroller 1:2 that is engaged by Vthe .mouthof the can anclmevedA by said canlovalve opening position asY the can reaches a treatment position or as in the .case or' Vthe valve fory the y,nozzelfiethe can moves .past Athe..lever 151. l ieferring to Fig. ll, the letters A to Q designate themdiiferent stagelof can and cover treatment. At the loading station A and the switching Ystation B the cans andcovers are being drained. .j ,Atstation C, theinside of the can isushed by `a, waterspray. At station .D, the inside and outside of the can and the inside. of the coyerare pre-rinsed and then Adrained at station E. .At station F the insideand outsideof. the can and itsv cover is treated ,to a solution washandthen drained atstation G. v,At statiodH,y the Vinside and outsideofthe can and its cover is treated to a hot wash, andat .station i a, sterile rinse. is applied to inside of .the kcan andcover. AtV stationAJ the inside of thecan and. cover is given a/vsteam 4treatment, and at station K. air atv room..tem perature is `blown into the inside ofl the can and cover. At station L the cans are turned-oven At station M the `cover is placed on the can, `and at N the Acovered can is ready for discharge to the, delivery conveyor. Between stations D and E, F and G, H and I` the cans and covers areV given a, blow Voff operation indicated by the arrows O, v1)and Q, respectively, the stationsC to Mgand the treatmentsOpRnand Q are the same for each line or row of the machine.

Referring toFigsZ and 5 of the drawings, the cold air blowers 153 for treating the cansand covers at the station .K are shown. These blowers are driven by .L separate motors V15V-i through belt and pulley drives 155.

y:.1 air into,` lthenrnouth of the can Aand upwardly extending Referring/torFigs. 3 and 4, the covers carried through discharge conduitY 158` for blowingcoolingair into the mouthsof the covers. y instead ofthe-rotary pusher I may use a chain typerconveyor working intheslot101a of the-platform 101, a detail of which is shown in Fig. l5 in which thenumeral V159 designates the endless conveyor chain which runs over adriver sprocket 160 and `an idler sprocketl, the Alast namedA sprocket being disposed adjacent the conveyorrollers l109.` Spaced links of the chain 159are provided with can engaging projections 162 and 163 to engage alternate cans C as they are fed to the central portion of the platform through the action of thev arms 108 as previously described. The shaft.164 for the drive sprocketV 160 carries a sprocket indicated in Fig. l5, but not lshown in detail and connected by aV chain 165 with a sprocket not shown on the drive shaft 24,;the, ratio `of this Vdrive being such that whenever a can is presented to the mid-section of the platform by theaction of either of the arms '108, one of the lugs the can :to push it along-the platform and onto the'rollers 109.

From the foregoing it will be noted that a double straight line can and cover Washing machine is provided having a single can and cover inlet and a single covered can delivery. This machine permits an eight second treatment period on cans progressing through the machine at the rate of six cans per minute on each row, and the usual machines provide only tive seconds per 7 treatment at this rate. It will also be noted that the cans and covers in each row get the same treatment but not at the same time since there is a phase dihCrence or' 180 between the rows on one side of the machine with those ot the other. This permits maximum utilization ot the wash solutions.

'lhe single inlet and single outlet for the double row machine as described above is preferred, but some of the advantages of this arrangement could be obtained by using eitner a single outlet or a single delivery, and such possible variations in the construction have been included in the claims.

l desire it to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to any particular form or construction or parts except in so rar as such limitations are included in the claims.

what l claim as my invention is:

l. ln a can washing machine having pairs of can wash treatment rows including spraying devices for directing washing fluids onto the cans, the combination of a receiving platform, a switching platform, means operable to advance the cans, one at a time, from said receiving platrorm to said switching platform, and an oscillatory switching member for moving the cans over the switching platrorm, one at a time, alternately to said treatment rows, each of said treatment rows including a can feeding means, and means operatively connecting said oscillatory switching member with one of said can feeding means.

2. The can washing machine as defined in claim l wherein the means for advancing the cans from the receiving platform to said switching platform is operatively connected to one of the can feeding means for a treatment row.

3. ln a washing machine of the type described having pairs of wash treatments rows including spraying devices for directing washing fluids onto the cans and covers, the combination of can and cover feeding mechanisms for feeding cans and covers separately into the machine, one can and one cover at a time, a switching platform for the cans received from the can feeding mechanism, a cover platform between the cover feeding mechanism and each of the cover treatment rows, an oscillatory switching member for moving the cans over the switching platform, one at time, alternately to the can treatment rows, an oscillatory cover moving member for alternately moving the can covers over the respective cover platforms to the cover treatment rows, and a common drive means for said oscillatory switching member and said oscillatory cover moving member, said switching member and said oscillatory cover moving member operating in the same phase relationship so that the cans with their covers undergo treatment in the can and cover wash treatment rows at the same time.

4. ln a washing machine of the type described having pairs of wash treatment rows for cans and covers respectively including spraying devices for directing washing fluids onto the cans and covers, the cans being fed along said can treatment rows in inverted position and the covers being fed along cover treatment rows, the combination of separate can turnover mechanism to receive cans from each can treatment row and a cover replacer mechanism to receive covers from each cover treatment row, means for operating the can turnover mechanism for one can treatment row in alternate phase relationship with that of the can turnover mechanism of the other row, means for operating the cover replacer mechanism for one cover treatment row in alternate phase relationship with that of the cover replacer of the other row, said can turnovers and said cover replacer mechanisms being synchronized so that the turned over can from one of said can treatment rows receives its cover from one of said cover treatment rows, a platform to receive the cans delivered by each of the turnover mechanisms, each cover replacer mechanism acting to place the cover on its associated can after delivery of the uprighted can to said platform, and alternately acting means engageable with a covered can on said platform to move said covered can along said plattortn trom its treatment row position to a central position Ior delivery from the machine, olie covered can at a time.

D. ln a can washing machine, having can wash treatment rows along which the cans progress and including spraying devices ror directing washing iiuids onto the cans, means tor intermittently reedmg cans along said rows, a platform, means ror delivering the washed cans from said rows to said platform, one at a time and in opposite phase relationship, an oscillatory arm disposed at' the end of each treatment row tor moving the cans, one at a time, from said row along said platform to a central position between said rows, a power operated oscillatory shaft for each arm, said oscillatory sharts oscillating in opposite phase.

o. ln a can washing machine having spaced can wash treatment rows along which the cans progress in inverted position and cover wasn treatment rows above said can treatment rows along which the covers progress, each of said rows including spraying devices for directing washing fluids onto the cans or covers in its row; means for intermittently feeding a can and its cover along said can and cover rows respectively, can turnovers for each can row, a platform for receiving the uprighted cans, one at a time from each can row, cover replacer mechanism for each cover row for depositing covers on the uprighted cans of each can row including a cover receiving chute and an oscillatory pusher for moving said covers olf said chute for disposal upon the mouth of a can, a power operated oscillatory shalt disposed at the end of each can an d cover treatment rows, a can pusher arm on each shaft for moving the covered cans, one at a time from said spaced treatment rows along said platform to a central position between said rows, said oscillatory cover pushers being respectively mounted on said oscillatory shafts, said oscillatory shafts oscillating in opposite phase.

7. lri a can washing machine having spaced can wash treatment rows along which the cans progress in inverted position and cover treatment rows above the can treatment rows along which the covers progress, each of said rows including spraying devices for directing washing fluids onto the cans or covers in its row; means for intermittently feeding a can and its cover along said can and cover rows respectively, can turnovers for each can row, cover replacers for each cover row to deposit covers on the uprighted cans, a platform for receiving the covered cans, an oscillatory shaft disposed at the end of each can and cover treatment row, said oscillatory shafts oscillating in opposite phase, cover replacer operating means driven from each of said oscillatory shafts, an oscillatory arm mounted on each shaft for moving the covered cans, one at a time along said platform to a central position between the can and cover treatment rows.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,289,824 Lathrop Dec. 3l, 1918 1,453,738 Wolf May 1, 1923 1,803,627 Lathrop May 5, 1931 1,914,146 McClatchie June 13, 1933 1,939,401 McClatchie Dec. 12, 1933 2,054,293 McClatchie Sept. 15, 1936 2,225,532 Decker Dec. 17, 1940 2,293,192 Campbell Aug. 18, 1942 2,302,887 Peters Nov. 24, 1942 2,307,262 Gran Jan. 5, 1943 2,369,742 Klaiber Feb. 20, 1945 2,371,419 Bergmann Mar. 13, 1945 2,404,232 Hunter July 16, 1946 2,515,871 Hartmann July 18, 1950 2,617,434 Bowman Nov. 11, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 443,129 Great Britain Feb. 21, 1936

Images