US2785694A - Drum washing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

March 19, 1957 s. s. WALDE DRUM WASHING APPARATUS .7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. l0, 1954 I/V VENTOR March 19, 1957 s. s. WALDE DRUM WASHING APPARATUS Filed Fb. l0, 1954 7 Sheets-'Sheet 2 QN un@ MQ,

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March 19, 1957 s. s. WALDE 2,785,694

DRUM WASHING APPARATUS Filed Feb. lO, 1954' 7 Sheets-'Sheet 3 /7 /56 q /56 F/G. Z l( IN VEA/T0@ March 19, 1957 s. s. WALDE DRUM WASHING APPARATUS 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 10, 1954 www March 19, 1957 s. s. WALDE DRUM WASHING APPARATUS 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. l0, 1954 m T N E V N r Mrch I9, 1957 s. s. WALDE DRUM WASHING APPARATUS 7 She'ets-Sheet 6 Filed Feb. 10, 1954 March 19, 1957 s. s. WALDE 2,785,694

DRUM WASHING APPARATUS Filed Feb. l0, A1954 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Unite DRUM wAsHrNo APPARATUS Stephen Stewart Walde, London, England, assignor to Victor Biagden Si Company Limited, London, Eng land, a British company Application February lil, 1954, Serial No. 409,430

8 Claims. (Cil 13A-di) This invention comprises improvements in drum washing apparatus for oil drums and like Vessels in which a jet is entered from belowinto the vessel which is to be cleaned through its mouth while the vessel is inverted so that detergent is projected into the vessel through the jet. lt is quite common in bottle-washing and like apparatus to direct a stream of detergent into an inverted vessel which is to be cleaned, but to apply a jet near the bottom of an oil drum, is not adequate, because the size of the drum, the sharp internal corners or joints which it contains and the ainity of oil and like substances for the metal of the drum, necessitate a peculiarly thorough washing action which cannot be attained unless a long jet is entered right inside the drum and unless the interior surface of the drum is closely sprayed repeatedly with detergent. To get a nozzle right inside the drum mechanically, it mus-t have a periodic stroke into and out of the drum of considerable length. ln order to obtain a thorough washing, especially in the case of oil or chemical: drums, it is desirable to ilush the vessel out several times with detergent followed by further flushing with wash water. ln producing a machine for the purpose, in which vessels on a conveyor pass progressively through the machine, the problem arises of how best to produce this repeated long-stroke washing action without undue complication and also of how best to arrange the progress of the conveyor to tit in with the repeated actions of the detergent nozzles.

With a View to overcoming these and other problems which arise in such appartus, the present invention contemplates the employment of a conveyor and a step-bystep mechanism for moving the conveyor in conjunction with a movable frame upon which washing nozzles are mounted, guide-means on the' conveyor to correlate the positions of the drums to be washed with the nozzles, and operating means for synchronising up and down movements of the nozzles with translatory movements of the conveyor and for centering the parts relatively to one another.

By moving the jets up and down, they do not remain permanently in the vessels which are to be washed while these are on the conveyor, but are withdrawn, which facilitates draining. Neither do the jets have to be mounted on the conveyor and the supply' or" liquid to the jets is simpliied.

Furthermore, the jets can be formed to direct the liquid radially on to the walls or" the vessel to be washed as they rise into the vessel; thus the streams of liquid then impinge directly on the internal surfaces of the Vessels and the impingement occurs progressively over the whole surface of each vessel as the jet is moved therein, and so increases the eiiiciency of the cleansing operation. This is particularly important in the case of vessels such as' oil drums, which have a large internal rea and a small oritice.

ln a preferred construction in accordance with the present invention, the jet-carrying structure is mounted 2,785,694 Patented Mar. i9, 1957 lCC for up-and-down movement only, and is driven by a continuously rotatable member connected to an inter mittent feed device for the conveyor in such manner that the up-and-down movement of the jet-carrying structure alternates with a forward movement of the conveyor which occurs when the jet-carrying structure is substantially at rest at the bottom of its stroke. In this Way the jet-carrying structure has only an up-and-down movement to perform, performing this movement during the major part of the cycle of operation, and the vessels on the conveyor move horizontally relatively to the jets While the jets are at the lower part of their stroke and during a minor portion only of the cycle.

The invention further relates to the provision of means whereby detergent and washing water are kept separate from one another, to safety devices for preventing escape of detergent and of further features which are hereinafter more fully described.

The following is a description by Way or" example of two constructions in accordance with the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of apparatus.

Figure 2 is a plan of the same.

Figure- 3 is a. section upon the line 3 3, of Figure l, looking' in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 isa View similar to Figure l, but of a modified form of apparatus'.

Figure 5 is a plan of the same.

Figure 6 is a section upon the line ole-6, of Figure 4 looking in the direction of the arrows, and

1:"1`gure7 is a detail of the driving gear of the construction shown in Figures 4 6.

Figure 8 is a detail o a cradle for oil drums, and is equally applicable to the construction shown in Figures I, 2.y and 3, or to the construction shown: in Figures 4 to 7, and

Figure 9 is a further detail showing the entry of a detergent nozzle through a bung-guide into an oill drum, and

Figure 10 is a section through the bung holev of a drum.

Referring tirs-t to the construction shown in Figures l to 3, this comprises a chain conveyor l1 whichV runs over pulleys l2, 13,14 and l5, so that ithas an upper horizontal Working path 1-6 and a lower return path 17. The pulleys are supported in bearings on side frames i3, 19'.

cradle- plate 37 or 38, as the case may be. cradlerEhe side frames are made by vertical plates which are stifiened` along the top by angle-irons Ztl, 21, and by vertical ribs, 22, 23 at intervals. The lower ends of the ribs, 22, 23 rest onl flanges 24, 25, andthe flange 24 is su ported oua 'concrete base 26, which forms one side of a pit 27. i Theange 25 rests on the top of a detergent reservoir 28,V which is located in the pit. lt is also supported at ends on the concrete.v

Between the side frames ES, E9 along their top edge there is secured angle- iron guides 29, 3?, which formv ledges along which the two-side chains il run when` passL ing along their upper horizontal working path. rl`he side chains 11 support, and are kept spaced apart by, cradles 3l, a construction of which appears in` Figures S andv 9'.- Each of the cradles 3l consists of two angleemember's 32,. 33 set parallel to eacl other with one i'lange vertical andthe other flange eXtending from thev top of the iirst horizontally towards the other of the two angle-members. The angle-members are united at each end by vertical cross-plates Se, S, and the cross-plates are drilled to receive bolts 36, which pass throughY the`V chain il and acti as hinge-pins for some of the links". Welded to the outside of each of the angle-irons 32 33 is an upstanding.

plates serve to support the sides of drums 40, which are laid horizontally ron the cradle. It is a matter of great importance to locate each drum acctuately in relation to the cradle so that the bung-hole of the drum comes into an exact position between Ithe angle- irons 32, 33 where i-t can be entered in due course by the washing nozzles of the machine.

To this end each cradle carries a bung-locating funnel 41, which is located mouth downwards and stem lupwards between the angle- irons 32, 33. rlfhe funnel 41 has ears 42, on each side, which are bolted to supporting ears 43, welded to the undersides of the angle- irons 32, 33. The mouth or lower end of the funnel is wide enough to catch and guide a nozzle 44 located on an upstanding stem 45, if the nozzle is advanced upwardly into it from below. The neck 46 of the funnel tapers to a size a little larger than the stem 45, and the diameter of this part of the funnel is substantially smaller than the opening of any normal bung in an oil drum. The neck of the funnel therefore acts as a locating member for the bung of an oil drum which may be rested on the cradle- plates 37, 38, with its bung beneath it and surrounding the neck 46. If a drum is so positioned on the cradle, land the nozzle 44 is pushed upwardly through the funnel, the funnel will guide it so that the nozzle enters the drum through the bung-hole. The manner of lifting and lowering the nozzles 44 is hereinafter explained.

Another angle-member 47, welded to end- plates 48, 49 extends across the chain from side to side near to each of the cradles 31 and the end-plates are bolted by bolts 59 to the conveyor chains, as seen most clearly in Figure 8. The end- plates 48, 49 support the cross-member 47 at a level somewhat higher than the cradle 31, and the cross-member 47 forms a support which is utilised in conjunction with the cradle when drums of the type which have bungs in their end are employed. Again the bunghole is located by the neck 46 of the funnel 41, and the drum is supported partly on the angle-iron 32, and partly on the cross-member 47, as indicated by the' chain line 51 in Figure 9. This holds the drum on its end in a slightly sloping position with the bung in the lowermost place so that any oil which the drum may contain will drain out at the bung-hole. Oil is similarly drained out if present, from the drums 40, and it ows over the outside of the funnel 41. One end of the conveyor constitutes a loading station. Below the loading station an oil collecting tray 52 extends between the side- plates 18, 19 from side to side. The oil collecting tray has its bottom inclined downwards towards the centre, where there is a drain 53 to deliver oil into a sump 54. The tray 52 is long enough to extend under several oil drums as located on the conveyor, and therefore, each drum will remain above the tray for several steps of the conveyor movement, and this will give an opportunity for excess oil to drain out and be collected for recovery and re-use or for fuel or otherwise. The driving mechanism of the conveyor is located towards the other end, and comprises a continuously rotating drive shaft 60, 'operated at a slow speed by a motor 61, through a reduction gear 62. The shaft 60 carries a locking disc 63 and a Geneva-cross feed mechanism, and secured to each face of the locking disc 63 is an arm 64, which projects beyond the edge of the locking disc. The arms 64 support between them an operating roller 65. On an adjacent parallel shaft 66 is located a Geneva-cross 67, and the roller 65 co-operates with the slots in the cross to move the shaft 66 intermittently through one quarter of a revolution at each revolution of the shaft 60. The shaft 66 is geared by a chain 68, running over sprockets 69, 70 to the shaft which carries the chain sprockets 14 of the conveyor. Thus the conveyor is advanced step by step upon rotation of the shaft 60 and the velocity ratio of the gearing is Ymade such that each quarter revolution of the shaft 66 will move the conveyor forward a step which is equal to the pitch spac-v ing between the drum locating funnel necks 46 on the cradles 31.

The shaft 60 also carries a sprocket 71, which is connected by a chain 72 to a sprocket 73 on a nozzle operating shaft 74. 'Ihe nozzle operating shaft carries a bevel gear 75, which operates a shaft 76 extending alongside the frame 18, and this in turn through another bevel gear 77, operates a shaft 78. The shafts 74 and 78 rotate in unison with one another and each of them carries cranks 79, which support a crank-pin 80. The crank-pin 80 Works in a horizontal slot 81, in a jet-carrying frame 82. The jet-carrying frame is best seen in Figure 1 of the drawing where it is seen in dotted lines, -although it is shown in full lines in Figures 2 and 3. The jet-carrying frame may be built up of two channel-membersgspaced apart back to back, one above another and provided with front and back plates 83, 84, between which there is supported a longitudinal pipe 8S. The pipe 85 carries the nozzle stems 45 as most easily seen in Figure 3. lt terminates at 86. One end of the pipe is connected by a rubber hose 87 to a xed supply pipe 88. The supply pipe 88 receives detergent from a centrifugal pump 89, driven by an electric motor 90,7and the pump drains from the detergent tank 28.

At the other end of the jet-carrying frame 82, there is a water supply pipe and nozzle 128 which is connected by a rubber pipe 96 to a supply pipe 97 supplied with water by a centrifugal pump 98 driven by electric motor 99.

One end of the detergent reservoir 28, is divided olf by a partition 10) to form a wash Water sump 101, and the centrifugal pump 98 drains from the sump 101.

Below the main portion of the conveyor from the end of the tray 52, as far as the partition 100, there is a detergent'collecting tray 102, with an inclined bottom having a lateral outlet 103 into aspout 104, which enters the detergent tank 28, so that after use, the detergent is returned to the tank. Below the last section of the convevor and above the wash water sump 101, is a wash water collecting tray 105, which collects wash water and delivers it back to the sump 101. Both the detergent portion of the tank 28, and the wash water sump are heated by steam coils, 196 in the case of the former, and 167 in the case of the latter. Below the outlets from the drains 192 and 185, and above the liquid level in the tank 28 and Sump 101, are strainers 168, 189. The top of the tank is preferably covered in with chequerplate, not shown in the drawing.

When drums like the drums 4l) are laid on the cradles 31, the ends of the drums project at each side beyond the side frames 18, 19 as shown in Figure 3. It is important that the detergent liquid, which is hot and normally strongly alkaline, should only enter the drums and should not be sprayed about freely. lf the operator failed to place any drum in position, when the empty cradle reached the nozzles 44, there would be a stream of detergent sprayed about unhindere'dly. It is important, therefore, to stop the machine before this happens. Tov this end, a rail 11@ supported on links 111, 112, is providedon the outside of the frame 19, and the link 112 carries a counterbalance weight 113, which tends to make the rail rise. The link 111, carries a. cam 114 to engage an electric switch 115. As long as the Yweight ofthe drums keeps the rail 11i) depressed, the cam 114 will be out of engagement with the switch 115. In this condition, theswitch 115 completes the ycontrol circuit for the motor 61, and therefore, once the apparatus has been started, `it will keep running, lf the operator fails to load a drum, there is a suflicient gap between the two cradles von each side of the one unloaded, to permit the rail 110 to rise as the previously-loaded drum runs off it. The cam 114 will then swing into engagement with theswitch 115, and break its circuit, and that of the driving motor 61, until the operator places a drum on the unloaded position, whereupon the apparatus willrestart automatically.

Each of the shafts 74, 78 carries a cam 116, '117, respectively. The cams bear on spring plungers 118, 119,V

and automatic valves 120 121 in the pipe lines 97 and respectively.v These cams 116 IIT keep the valves 12h, 121 closed when the frame, 32 is. lowered, so that the nozzlesV 44 are not inside the drums. They allow the valves to open as the nozzles rise and keep them open as long as. they are inside the drums. The pumps 89, 9S, being centrifugal pumps, can. have their delivery cut-off in this way without diihculty.

in the use of this apparatus., the motor 61 being; started and the pumps 89 and 98 in operation, with thev tank 28 filled with hot detergent and the sump. 161 with hot wash water, the machine is started by laying drums on the cradles of the conveyor as far as the washing position. The conveyor moves forward step by step, and at each step while the conveyor is at rest, the frame. 82 is raised to bring the nozzles 44, and the wash water nozzle 129 up into the drums. As the nozzles rise into the drums, they spray the interior of each drum progressively with liquid, as indicated in FigureV 9 at 121. The' spray is arranged to extend radially outward from the nozzle and also upwards, but not downward, so that when the nozzle is at its uppermost position,y the upper part of the drum has detergent liquid inipingi-ng at high speed upon it. This produces a stream of liquid. which runsy down; the interior walls of the drum and runs out at the bottom around the exterior of the funnel 41, the stem 46. or this funnel being sufficiently smaller than the bung-hole' to permit such out-dow, and sufficiently high to ensure that the outlet is kept separate from the entering detergent, even when the nozzle 44 is lowered to the level of the funnel. As the nozzle 44 is lowered, the impinging jets 121, and detergent follow the descending stream of detergent and liquid down the walls of the drums and chase all the dirt out through the bung-hole. This is of great importance in ensuring clean drums, because both the alkaline action of the detergent, and the heat and physical disturbances caused by the impinging jet, are necessary to ensure complete cleansing- Each drum is entered in the construction shown by four nozzles 44 successively. Thereafter, it drains into the tray 1112 at one of the stations 122 in Figure l. Thereafter, hot wash water is delivered into it by the nozzle 12%, and finally it drains at the three stations 123, 124 and 125. Being hot facilitates the draining process.

if it is important to conserve detergent, it is possible to have an additional hot water nozzle on the frame S2, in advance of the detergent nozzles 44, to help to carry out any easily removed material from the drum 4Q before it is sprayed with detergent. if it is desirable to dry the drums after washing with water, an additional hot air nozzle may be incorporated and moved up and down with the frame S2 at one or more of the stations 123, 124, 125.

While the drum is at the initial station after it has been loaded and is still above the tray 52, any oil or other liquid which it contains has an opportunity to drain out into the tray 52 and collect in the tank 54. it is frequently surprising how much oil or other liquid can be collected in a day in this manner, and this economises detergent because the detergent does not become emulsied with so much oil or the like.

Referring now to the construction shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6, this is broadly similar to that shown in Figures l to 3, and similar parts are given similar reference numbers. The construction shown in these figures however, comprises two conveyors 11, side by side, which are supported on a frame-work consisting of uprights 139, 131, each of which run for the greater part of their length through tunnels formed of iron sheeting 132, 133, sub-divided by a central partition 134. This obviates any risk of damage in the event of the hereinbefore described safety devices failing to operate, and serves also to collect steam from the operations. The trays 102 are hung from the framework 130, 131, and have large lateral delivery extensions 135. These extensions 135 are coupled to the nozzles of the centrifugal pumps 136, which deliver by pipes 137' to a head-tank,v not shown inthe drawing. Similarly the draining tray has an outlet 138 toV a pump 139, delivering to another headtank, not shown. In the head-tanks. the liquids are allowed to settle or they may be subjected to a de.- emulsication process, and the clarified liquor is delivered under pressure through other pumps to the frame 82 and the nozzles thereon.

The driving mechanism for the conveyors is housed in a casing 14d at the discharge end of the conveyor, and' comprises an electric motor operating through a reduction gear 141, and a drive including a sprocket 142, a chain143 and sprocket 144 to a shaft 145. Thev shaft 145 drives a longitudinal shaft 146, through bevel gears 147, and the. shaft 146 is connected by further bevel gears 143, 149, with the. crank shafts 74, 78, corresponding to thel similarly numbered shafts of Figures 1-3.. The drive of the conveyor sprocket 14', is taken through. an interrupted gear to an intermittent shaft 150, and thence by a chain 151, to the sprocket 70.

The interrupted gear is shown iin Figure 7 and comprises a gear 1:52 on the shaft 145, which has a section of teeth 153 standing out between a plain. portion 154, which is concentric with the shaft 145, and is coincident With the pitch line of the teeth 153` The. driven. wheel 155 has. four sections of teeth 15.6.` adapted to, mesh with the teeth 153' of the gear 152. The. sections of teeth 156 are separated from one another by Ilocking sections 157, which are curved so as to lit against the plain portion 154 of the gear 152. The gear 152 being driven in a direction indicated by the arrow A, when the teeth 153 come just past the position shown in the drawing, so that the rst tooth 158 enters the hollow 159 in front of the teeth 156 and gear 155, the gear 155 will commence to be driven. The locking section 157 of the gear 155 will not prevent this because the shoulder 160 at the end of the plain portion 154 of gear 152, will have moved on towards the centre line between the centres of shafts 145, 150, and as the wheel 155 continues to turn, the shoulder 160 will reach a position so near to the centre line that the slight working clearance necessary between the two wheels will permit the movement to continue. The teeth 153, 156, meshing together will drive gear 155 through one quarter of a revolution, and then the locking portion 157 will engage the portion 154 of gear 152, and the gear 155 will be held from rotation while the shaft 145 makes three-quarters of a revolution. The conveyor is thereby driven intermittently, with periods of rest corresponding to three-quarters of a revolution of shaft 145, during which periods the frame 82 is raised and lowered. The advance of the conveyor takes place during the bottom quarter of the revolution of the cranks 80. In order to cushion the start and stop of the conveyor, a tiexible coupling may be introduced between the gear 155 and the sprocket which drives the chain 151.

The operation is similar to that hereinbefore described.

I claim:

l. In apparatus for cleansing oil drums, the combination of a chain conveyor, disposed so as to have a substantially horizontal working path and a return path, a plurality of drum-cradles mounted upon said conveyor, a hollow bung-guide on each cradle projecting upwardly therefrom, said bung-guides being of such external diameter as to be capable of entering bung-holes of drums and centering the same on the cradle and being open toward the underside of the working path of the conveyor and spaced from one another at an even pitchdistance, means for moving the conveyor step by step through a distance equal to the aforesaid pitch-distance, a vertically-movable nozzle-frame beneath the conveyor,

a series of nozzles mounted upon long nozzle pipes on Y the frame at a pitch-distance equal to the aforesaid pitch-distance so as to be in line with the bung-guides when the conveyor is at rest, means for raising and lowering the nozzle-frame to pass the nozzles through the bung-guides, means interconnecting the step by step mechanism for advancing the conveyor with the means for raising and lowering the nozzle frame so that the advance movement of the conveyor takes place when the nozzle frame is lowered, means for supplying detergent liquid to the nozzles in the nozzle frame, a collecting tray beneath the conveyor and the nozzle frame for liquid, and a reservoir for detergent liquid connected to said tray to receive liquid therefrom and to deliver such liquid to the supply means to the nozzle.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the jets are so formed to direct liquid from them radially outwards from the jets on to the walls of the drums and the nozzle pipes are long enough to rise within the drums above the halfway line thereof so that the jet liquid impinges upon the walls of the drums at a progressively moving zone which covers by direct impingement the whole drum surface as the jet rises and falls.

3. A drum washer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step by step feed mechanism of the chain is effected by a Geneva-cross mechanism.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for atording step b'y step movement to the conveyor comprises an interrupted gear. Y

5. Apparatus for cleansing oil drums as claimed in claim 1, wherein valve means are provided for cutting off the ow of detergent to the nozzles in combination with means forv operating said valve means comprising a ramp close to the path of the oil drums, means to urge the said ramp towards the oil drums, and connections from the ramp to the said valve means, whereby in the event of a break in the continuity of the line of oil drums on the conveyor, the detergent is cut oi.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a casing is provided around the conveyor andvoi-l drums over the portion of the travel of the conveyor where thepnozzles enter the drums.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bungguides have funnel-shaped openings to the underside of the working path of the conveyor.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the jets deliver liquid throughout their entire up-and-down movement within the drums.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS .sans

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