US3500839A

US3500839A - Automated washing system for cleaning,sanitizing and drying flexible tubing or the like

Info

Publication number: US3500839A
Application number: US727200A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lloyd F Bender
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1968-05-07
Filing date: 1968-05-07
Publication date: 1970-03-17
Anticipated expiration: 1987-03-17

Description

'March 17, 1970 1.. F. BENDER 3,

SANITIZING AND DRYING FLEXIBLE TUBING OR THE LIKE AUTOMATED WASHING SYSTEM FOR CLEANING,

Filed May '7. 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 mvEN-roz: LLOYD 555N052 BY: W ATTORNEY March 17, 1970 L. F. BENDER 3,500,339

AUTQMATED WASHING SYSTEM FQR CLEANING, SANITIZING AND DRYING FLEXIBLE TUBING OR THE LIKE Filed May 7, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q VAC.

INVENTOKZ LLOYD E BEA/D52 EN.- fiQM Z. 77%

ATTORNEY March 17, 1970 L. F. BENDER 3,500,839

AUTOMATED WASHING SYSTEMFOR CLEANING, SANITlZING AND DRYING FLEXIBLE TUBING OR THE LIKE Filed May 7, 1968 Sheets-Sheet 3 PRESS.

Swrrcn I TIME? Z9 MoroR I o 5 no :5 3o so 1:12AM VA we VALV x VALVE.

VALVE-VD TI ER ACID VALVE mvsm-az LLOYD E BEA/DEE AT'I'OE NEY United States Patent 3 500,839 AUTOMATED WASHING SYSTEM FOR CLEANING, SANITIZING AND DRYING FLEXIBLE TUBING OR THE LIKE Lloyd F. Bender, Hayward, Wis. 54843 Filed May 7, 1968, Ser. No. 727,200 Int. Cl. B08b 3/10, 9/02 US. Cl. 13457 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A washing apparatus includes a fluid circuit for conducting a cleansing solution through conveying conduits and also includes drying means for :blowing heated air through the conduits after they are cleaned. The apparatus further includes a shiftable valve means for the fluids and electrical control means for sequentially operating the valve means and drying means in proper timed relationship.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention pertains to the cleaning of fluid conveying equipment and has automatic electric controls for the sequential operation of various cleaning, sanitizing and drying cycles.

The invention provides automatic cleaning equipment which is able to utilize certain components that are also used in fluid conveying systems of the type shown in my US. Patent 3,273,514, issued on Sept. 20, 1966, and entitled Fluid Conveying Apparatus, US. Patent 3,191,576, issued June 29, 1965, and entitled Milk Line Releaser and Washer Apparatus, or in my co-pending US. application Ser. No. 638,413, filed May 15, 1967, entitled Portable, Automatic Washing Unit for Tanks, now Patent No. 3,448,742, issued June 10, 1969.

With the advent of flexible, plastic tubing or the like in the dairy industry, means must be provided for the operator to completely clean, sanitize and dry this tubing in accordance with various health codes, and this should be accomplished with as little additional expense as possible to the operator. This cleaning should also be accomplished with little change over time and without requiring attention or supervision by the operator. These functions and objectives are accomplished by the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an automatic washing system for cleaning and drying flexible tubing of milk handling equipment or the like and includes electric control means for automatically cycling the apparatus through various steps in the cleaning and drying operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a schematic view of a washing system embodying the present invention, certain parts being shown as broken away or in section for clarity in the drawings;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view, taken along line 22 in FIGURE 1, but on an enlarged scale, and showing the solenoid operated slide valve for the washer releaser;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the control box shown in FIGURE 1, but on an enlarged scale, with certain parts shown as being broken away for clarity;

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional view of one of the twoway valves shown in FIGURE 1, but on an enlarged scale;

FIGURE 5 is an electrical wiring diagram used with the present invention;

3,500,839 Patented Mar. 17, 1970 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIGURE 1 shows the general organization of one form of the invention and includes a fluid circulating means FCM which takes the form of an electrically timed washer-releaser, solution tank T for holding the clear water, washing solution or rinse solution, the electrical automatic control means AC, the air heating means such as an electric dryer D; the two solenoid operated two-way valves which are activated by vacuum, one valve being an intake valve VI and the other a discharge valve VD; and the flexible tubing FT which is to be completely cleaned and dried with the present invention.

It will be appreciated that other forms of fluid circulating means such as a pressure pump (not shown), other forms of two-way valves, may also be used with the present invention.

FLUID CIRCULATING MEANS Referring in greater detail to FIGURE 1, the washerreleaser type of fluid circulating means FCM may be of the general type shown and described in my aforesaid US. Patent 3,273,514. The washer-releaser would include the hollow vessel 1 of spherical shape and transparent material which has an integral fluid discharge conduit 3 extending downwardly from its lowermost side, and a one-way dump valve 3a, such as shown in my Patent 3,352,248, of Nov. 14, 1967, for releasing fluid when the vessel is opened to atmosphere. The vessel has a fluid inlet 4 at its upper end and a vacuum conduit 5 adjacent its upper end and to which is attached by a conduit 6, a slide valve SV. The slide valve is electrically operated by a timer 7 driven by an electric motor 7a so as to alternately subject the vessel to a vacuum from conduit 8, or to the atmosphere via an opening 9 in the slide 10 of the valve. If a more complete description of the valve SV is deemed to be either necessary or desirable, reference may be had to the said Patent 3,273,514. It is believed suflicient to say that a vacuum pump motor 11 provides the vacuum to which conduit 8 is attached. As the timer 7 causes either one of the solenoids 13 or 14 (FIGURES 2 and 5) to shift the slide in one direction or the other, either vacuum is drawn from the vessel 1 or alternatively, the vessel is opened to atmosphere. When the vessel is subjected to vacuum, it draws fluid from conduit 15 attached to its inlet 4, and when the vessel is opened to atmosphere, fluid is released via valve 3a and to the conduit 17 attached to the vessel discharge conduit 3.

Thus the washer-releaser FCM acts as a pump to draw fluid into the vessel and then release the fluid.

DRYER The dryer D is an air heater and blower and may be of the type shown in US. Patent 3,067,756, issued Dec. 11, 1962, and includes an electric motor which draws air in through its enlarged end 18 and forces the air, after it is heated, out of its restricted outlet 19.

TANK

The tank T includes a closeable drain 20 at its bottom and when the drain is closed, as will appear, the tank can hold either clear water, a washing solution, or a rinse solution. The tank is filled or emptied by the action of the electrically operated, automatic control means AC, to be described.

CONTROL MEANS The box 22 for the control means AC is preferably 3 mounted directly on the tank and houses some of the components shown in the electrical diagram of FIGURE 5.

Drain closing means in the form of a drain stopper 23 is fixed on the lower end of a rod 24 which extends downwardly from the box 22. The rod 24 is vertically shiftable in a bushing 25 fixed on the bottom of box 22 and a spring 26 biases the rod downwardly to normally close the drain. An electric solenoid 27 is connected to the top end of rod 24 and is energized by a timer 29, via cam 30, to cause the rod and stopper to raise, thus opening the tank drain 20.

A pair of

water hoses

33 and 34 are connectible to conventional spigots (not shown) of cold and hot water lines, respectively, for furnishing the necessary Water. The water flows through lines 33 and 34 (FIGURE 3), through a mixer valve 35 which is operated by a solenoid 36 and down a feeder tube 37 into the tank T.

Hot Water from line 34 can also be diverted by a hot water valve 38, operated by solenoid 39, into a jar 40 of detergent and carries detergent via tube 41 into the feeder tube 37 and thus into tank T.

The timer 29 also has a cam 42 (FIGURE 5) causing actuation of the solenoid coils of the solenoids 36 or 39 (FIGURES 3 and 5). As will appear later, the timer is arranged so that the tank will first fill, for example, with Water at about 95 temperature for the first rinse. The tank later fills with hot water including detergent and after that washing cycle, the tank is again filled with clear water for the final rinse during which a measured amount of acid, from container 43 (FIGURE 1) and its vacuum actuated pump 43a (FIGURES 1 and 3), may be dispensed into the rinse solution. More specifically, the addition of the acid is regulated by cam 44 (FIG- URE 5) which actuates the solenoid coil 43b (FIGURES 3 and 5) which in turn operates a vacuum valve 43c that admits vacuum via line 43d to pump 43a.

The level of the fluid in tank T is controlled by a normally closed pressure switch 45 which causes the closing of the solenoid operated water valve. The pressure switch 45 is activated by a predetermined level of the fluid in a pressure tube 46 which extends from the switch 45 down into the tank T, and the switch 45 thus regulates the water valves and consequently the flow of water into the tank.

TWO-WAY VALVES The intake valve VI is operated by the solenoid 50 (FIGURES 3 and 5), which is energized from the 25 ampere contactor 51, and which solenoid operates a vacuum valve 50a. Valve 50a permits suction to be applied via conduit 50b to shift the spring returned valve VI. This valve is of the two-way type and its spool 52 (FIG- URE 4) is shiftable to permit either (1) fluid from the tank T to be picked up in conduit 53 and conducted via conduit 54 to the flexible tubing FT to be cleaned; or (2) hot air to be blown from the dryer D which is driven by electric motor 57, through conduit 55 and into conduit 54 for drying the tubing FT.

The discharge valve VD is constructed like and operates in the same manner as valve VI, but it serves to return solution which is received from the releaser to the tank via conduit 58 (FIGURE 1), or it diverts or dumps fluid to a waste drain or the like via conduit 59. The discharge valve is operated by the solenoid coil 61 which is energized by a cam 62 of the timer 29. More specifically, coil 61 operates a vacuum valve 63 which admits vacuum via conduit 64 to the spring returned valve VD.

The timer 29 also has another cam 65 which, through coil 66 of a 40 ampere contactor 67, actuates the vacuum pump motor 11 and the timer 7 of the fluid circulating means FCM.

Thus, the 25 ampere contactor 51 controls the dryer D and the two-way valve VI.

The 40 ampere contactor 67 controls the vacuum pump motor 11 and the timer 7 of the fluid circulating means.

4 OPERATION When it is desired to clean the flexible tubing FT without unwinding it from the portable tank cart 75 on which it is mounted,

conduits

15 and 54 are connected to the flexible tubing at the quick detachable points 15a and 54a, respectively, to place it in communication with the fluid circulating means FCM and the intake valve VI. Alternatively, the flexible tubing can be connected directly to the washer-releaser and valve VI without the use of

separate conduits

15 and 54.

A chart showing the timer sequence is shown by way of example in FIGURE 6. The timer knob 77 is set to the on position and the tank fills with degree water. After the tank is filled, the motor 11 will start to operate the fluid circulating means for a rinse cycle, say five minutes, the normally open intake valve VI permitting fluid from the tank T to flow to the flexible tubing. The discharge valve VD at this time diverts the rinse fluid to the drain. The drain stopper in the tank then is opened when the solenoid 27 is energized for, say three minutes, to allow the tank to drain.

Solenoid 50 is then energized and valve VI shifts, and dryer motor 57 and vacuum pump 11 then both operate. After the tank is emptied, solenoid 27 is de-energized and drain stopper 23 is then closed by spring 26 and the dryer D stops. The tank T then fills with hot water mixed with detergent and the vacuum pump motor 11 then operates, for say, ten minutes, to wash the tubing FT. The drain stopper 23 then again opens the tank drain for three minutes to drain the tank T and the dryer D and vacuum motor 11 both operate.

The drain stopper 23 is closed again by spring 26 and the dryer D stops. The tank T again fills to the set level with 95 degree water.

After the tank T is filled, the fluid circulating means FCM functions for a five minute rinse period. After about one minute has elapsed in the rinse period, a measured amount of acid will be dispensed into the rinse solution.

The drain stopper then opens for eight minutes and the dryer motor and motor 11 operate.

The drain stopper closes and the dryer, vacuum pump and fluid circulating means also stop.

By this time the timer has rotated to the off position, the entire washing and drying operation having been completed.

What I claim is: 1. Apparatus for automatically washing and drying fluid conduits and comprising a fluid tank having an openable drain, drain closing means, supply means for supplying water to said tank, fluid circulating means in fluid receiving communication with a conduit to be washed and dried, a dryer for heating and blowing air;

shiftable intake valve means when in one position being in fluid receiving communication with said tank whereby fluid from said tank is conducted through said conduit to wash the latter, said intake valve means when in another position being in air receiving communication with said dryer whereby air is forced through said conduit to dry the latter;

shiftable discharge valve means having a fluid receiving connection with said fluid circulating means, and when said discharge valve means is in one position fluid from said circulating means is discharged into said tank, and when said discharge valve means is in another position'fluid from said circulating means is dumped;

and electric control means including a timer, said control means operative to (1) actuate said water supply means to fill said tank, (2) actuate said fluid circulating means, (3) actuate said drain closing means, (4) shift the positions of both of said valve means, and (5) actuate said dryer.

2. A system for automatically washing and drying fluid conduits, said system comprising, a fluid tank having an openable drain, drain closing means, supply means for supplying Water to said tank, fluid circulating means in fluid receiving communication with a conduit to be washed and dried, a dryer for heating and blowing air;

a two-way intake valve when in one position being in fluid receiving communication with said tank whereby fluid from said tank is conducted through said conduit to wash the latter, said intake valve when in another position being in air receiving communication with said dryer whereby air is forced through said conduit to dry the latter;

a two-way discharge valve having a fluid receiving connection with said fluid circulating means and when said discharge valve is in one position fluid from circulating means is discharged into said tank, and when said discharge valve is in another position fluid from said circulating means is dumped;

and electrical control means including a timer, said control means operative to 1) actuate said water supply means to fill said tank, (2) actuate said fluid circulating means, (3) actuate said drain closing means, (4) shift the positions of said two-Way valves, and (5) actuate said dryer, all in timed sequence.

3. Apparatus for automatically washing and drying fluid conduits and comprising, a fluid tank having an openable drain, shiftable drain closing means, supply means for supplying water to said tank, fluid circulating means in fluid receiving communication with a conduit to be washed and dried, a dryer including an electric motor for heating and blowing air;

a two-way discharge valve having a fluid receivin connection with said fluid circulating means and when said discharge valve is in one position fluid from said circulating means is discharged into said tank, and when said discharge valve is in another position fluid from said circulating means is dumped;

said two-Way valves having shiftable valve spools of the solenoid actuated and spring returned type, and electric control means including a timer and electric solenoid means, said control means operative to (1) actuate said water supply means to fill said tank, (2) actuate said fluid circulating means, (3) shift said drain closing means, (4) shift the spools of said two-way valves, and (5) actuate the electric motor of said dryer, all in timed sequence.

4. A system for automatically washing and drying fluid conduits, said system comprising: a fluid tank having an openable drain, shiftable drain closing means, and pressure tube means extending from said tank to sense the fluid level therein, solenoid controlled supply means for supplying water to said tank, fluid circulating means in fluid receiving communication with a conduit to be washed and dried, a dryer for heating and blowing air;

a two-way discharge valve having a fluid receiving connection with said fluid circulating means and when said discharge valve is in one position fluid from said circulating means is discharged into said tank, and when said discharge valve is in another position fluid from said circulating means is dumped;

and electriic control means including a timer, electric solenoid means, and a pressure sensitive switch connected with said pressure tube means, said control means operative to (1) actuate said solenoid controlled supply means to fill said tank, (2) actuate said fluid circulating means, (3) actuate said shiftable drain closing means, (4) shift the positions of said two-way valves, and (5) actuate said dryer, all in timed sequence.

5. A system for automatically washing and drying fluid conduits, said system comprising: a fluid tank having an openable drain, shiftable drain closing means, and pressure tube means extending from said tank to sense the fluid level therein, solenoid controlled supply means for supplying Water to said tank, fluid circulating means in fluid receiving communication with a conduit to be washed and dried, a dryer for heating and blowing air;'

a two-way discharge valve having a fluid receiving con nection with said fluid circulating means and when said discharge valve is in one position fluid from said circulating means is discharged into said tank and when said discharge valve is in another position fluid from said circulating means is dumped;

said two-Way valves having shiftable valve spools of the solenoid actuated and spring returned type, and electric control means including a timer, electric solenoid means, and a pressure sensitive switch connected with said pressure tube means, said control means o erative to (1) actuate said water solenoid controlled supply means to fill said tank, (2) actuate said fluid circulating means, (3) actuate said shiftable drain closing means, (4) shift the spools of said two-way valves, and (5) actuate said dryer, all in timed sequence.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS,

DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.