Oscillating washbox for cylinder head utilizing echelon formation nozzle alignment and an improved nozzle plate design

A bottom wall, a pitched top wall, and sidewalls cooperate to define a washbox for washing a part. The pitched top wall has an interior surface and an exterior surface. The exterior surface is pitched with a maximum distance from the bottom wall at a peak of the pitched top wall. The exterior surface is smooth and free from projections. The washbox further includes ports that extend through the sidewalls to provide fluid to the washbox. A plurality of bores extend through the pitched top wall and are arranged in a row echelon pattern for spraying the part.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The presently disclosed embodiments are directed to the field of parts cleaning and, more particularly toward a method and apparatus with an improved nozzle plate for cleaning the parts.

BACKGROUND

During the manufacture of metallic and plastic parts, a variety of sequential machining operations are performed to create the parts. These machining operations may include turning, drilling, milling, shaping, planing, boring, broaching, and sawing. During these operations, waste chips are generated. Additionally, various coolants and lubricants may be used during these operations that subsequently remain on the part. The waste chips and leftover coolants and/or lubricants may have a negative impact on the quality of the part. Thus, it is important to remove waste chips and fluids from the finished part.

Parts may be subjected to a parts washing between or after the machining operations. A parts washer sprays a fluid on the part to remove the waste chips and/or the leftover fluids. To increase the effectiveness of the parts washer, compressed air may be supplied as a carrier for the fluid to further increase the spray pressure.

Known parts washers are typically comprised of a horizontal fluid supply pipe with a plurality of nozzles extending from the horizontal pipe toward the part to be washed. The fluid and air mixture is fed through the nozzles and sprayed at the part. As the waste chips are dislodged from the part, they tend to accumulate between the nozzles on the horizontal pipe. Over time, the accumulated waste chips fill in any spaces on the horizontal pipe between the nozzles. This accumulation of waste chips continues until the parts washer is cleaned or the nozzles become obstructed and the parts washer must be shut down. Cleaning of the parts washer requires shutting down the washer, thereby impacting productivity and requiring additional labor for cleaning the parts washer.

The use of compressed air as a carrier for the fluid also has numerous drawbacks. For example, by adding pressurized air to the fluid, the combined air/fluid mixture is more atomized, increasing the amount of fluid that becomes airborne. The increased amount of airborne fluid may require increased ventilation and masking in the area of the parts washer.

Therefore, there exists a need in the art for a parts washer that addresses the accumulation of waste chips and which avoids problems associated with the use of compressed air.

SUMMARY

The present invention is directed toward an apparatus and method that allows a part to be washed without waste chips from the part collecting on the parts washer.

More specifically, the apparatus includes a washbox having a bottom wall, a pitched top wall, and sidewalls. The pitched top wall has an interior surface and an exterior surface. The exterior surface is pitched such that a maximum distance from the bottom wall to the pitched top wall occurs at a peak of the pitched top wall. The exterior surface is smooth and free from projections. The side walls define ports through which fluid is provided to the washbox. A plurality of bores extend through the pitched top wall and are arranged in a row echelon pattern. The part to be washed is disposed so that the pitched top wall is between the part and the bottom wall. Fluid that enters the washbox through the ports leaves through the bores and is sprayed onto the part. The chips dislodged from the part are prevented from accumulating on the pitched top wall of the washbox, thereby allowing continued operation of the parts washer.

As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments and its several details are capable of modifications in various respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative and not restrictive.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference toFIGS. 1-7, a parts washer10includes a washbox12, supply lines30, and a movement device40. The washbox12includes a bottom wall14, sidewalls16, and a pitched top wall20. The bottom wall14is generally rectangular in shape.

The sidewalls16include end walls16a, a front wall16b, and a rear wall16c. The end walls16aare planar and solid, as is the rear wall16c. The front wall16b, which faces the movement device40, has a pair of ports18formed therein. The ports18permit fluid to be introduced into the interior of the washbox12, as will be discussed hereinafter.

The pitched top wall20has a planar interior surface24and a non-planar exterior surface26. The interior surface24faces toward the bottom wall14, while the exterior surface26faces away from the bottom wall14. The pitched top wall20has a pair of planar, upwardly sloping sections that form the exterior surface26and meet at a midpoint line that define a peak22. While the sidewalls16and pitched top wall20are illustrated as being attached to one another with fasteners, other methods of attachment are possible and contemplated. For example, high strength adhesives could be used to bond the components together. Additionally, while the pitched top wall20, the bottom wall14, and the sidewalls16are shown as separate components, it is understood that they could instead be an integral assembly made of one or more subassemblies.

A series of bores28extend vertically and completely through the pitched top wall20generally perpendicularly relative to the interior surface24. As such, the bores28are at an angle to the exterior surface26. Each of the bores28include a large diameter portion34adjacent the interior surface24and a small diameter portion32extending from an upper end of the large diameter portion34to the exterior surface26.

This results in the exterior surface26of the pitched top wall20being smooth and free from projections so as to resist the build up of waste chips. As illustrated, there are five rows of bores28. However, more or less rows of bores are possible and contemplated. Inspection ofFIG. 3reveals that the bores28are in a row echelon pattern. This pattern ensures that the part58is completely exposed to the fluid upon movement of the washbox12.

The supply lines30each have a proximal or inlet end36secured to a driven plate48of the movement device40and distal or outlet end38secured to the front wall16cof the washbox12.

The movement device40includes a driver42, a driven shaft44, a bracket46, and the driven plate48. The movement device40is mounted upon a supporting table50. The bracket46is generally U-shaped, including a forward arm46a, a rearward arm46b, and a base plate46cextending between the forward and rearward arms46a,46band affixed to the table50. The forward and rearward arms46a,46binclude a pair of aligned openings47through which the supply lines30coaxially extend. The openings47have bushings or the like to reduce frictional engagement as the lines30slide through the openings47. The rearward arm46balso has an opening49though which the driven shaft44extends. While the bracket46is shown as being a separate component from the table50, the bracket46could alternatively be integral with the table50.

The movement device driver42is a servomechanism or a hydraulic cylinder, as is known in the art for providing linear movement. The movement device driver42is attached to the bracket46and the driven shaft44extends from the driver42, through the rearward arm46b, and is connected to a first side of the driven plate48. The driven plate48is also connected to the supply lines30.

The driven plate48has a first side48a, facing toward the rearward arm46b, and an oppositely disposed second side48b. A pair of openings52formed in the driven plate48are aligned with the openings47in the forward and rearward arms46a,46b. More specifically, flanged couplings54at the inlet end36of the supply lines30are affixed to the first side48aof the driven plate48so as to surround the openings52and mechanically fix the driven plate48to the supply lines30such that the driven plate48and supply lines30move together. A pair of mounting stubs56are threadably inserted into the openings52and serve as connections for flexible fluid supply tubes to provide pressurized fluid to the supply lines30, as discussed hereinafter.

Therefore, as is shown inFIG. 1, extension of the driven shaft44causes the washbox12to retract. As is shown inFIG. 2, retraction of the driven shaft44causes the washbox12to extend. This extension and retraction of the washbox12allows for fluid to make contact with the part and loosen any waste chips from the part. Furthermore, it allows the washbox12to be used to effectively clean parts that are longer than the washbox12.

As can be seen fromFIG. 4, the distance between the interior and exterior surfaces24,26increases when traveling from the sidewalls16toward the peak22. Although not illustrated, is it considered apparent that the pitched top wall20could be constructed with different layouts.

For example, as is shown inFIG. 6, the pitched top wall20could instead be constructed so as to only increase in thickness when traveling from one of the sidewalls16and not to decrease in thickness when traveling toward the opposing sidewall. This results in the pitched top wall20having a single face. In this instance, the pitched top wall20is pitched so as to be at a maximum distance from the bottom wall14at the peak22. From an elevational view, this example would look like a shed roof. In comparison, the pitched top wall20that is illustrated inFIGS. 1-5looks like a gable roof from an elevational view. Further still, as is shown inFIG. 7, the pitched top wall20could be shaped like a pyramid/cone (e.g. hip roof). This results in the pitched top wall20having four faces20a,20b,20c,20d. Each face20a,20b,20c,20dis pitched so as to be at a maximum distance from the bottom wall14at the peak22. It is noted that the pitch of all of the top walls20shown in the figures further helps to prevent the waste chips from accumulating on the exterior surface26of the washbox12.

Furthermore, while the pitched top wall20is illustrated as varying in thickness, the pitched top wall20could instead be of uniform thickness. In that instance, instead of the interior surface24being generally parallel to the bottom wall14, the interior surface24would instead be generally parallel to the exterior surface26, but the pitched top wall20would have the same pitch as the illustrated embodiment.

While the illustrated embodiment includes two supply lines30, it is considered apparent that more or less than two supply lines30could be used to provide the fluid to fill the washbox12. Additionally, the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the small diameter sections32of the bores28is less than the sum of the cross-sectional area of the ports18. This dimensional difference will provide additional fluid pressure for dislodging the waste chips from the part. Furthermore, while it is only shown that the supply lines30enter the washbox though the sidewall16, entry thought the bottom wall14is also possible and contemplated. Finally, although not illustrated, it is understood that numerous gaskets or other types of sealing components would be employed with the parts washer10so as to minimize fluid from exiting from any location other than the bores28.

As shown inFIG. 5, the part58to be washed would be situated so that the exterior surface26of the pitched top wall20of the washbox12would be between the part58and the bottom wall14. The spray is illustrated with dashed lines from the washbox12to the part58. The part58is fixtured by commercially known means. The part58may be larger or smaller than the washbox12. As will be discussed below, because the washbox12extends and retracts and the row echelon layout of the bores28, the fluid from the washbox12will make contact with all portions of the part58even when the part58is longer than the washbox12. This results in more waste chips being dislodged from the part58.

A method of washing a part is illustrated inFIG. 8. In Step100, the washbox12with pitched top wall20and bores28in a row echelon pattern is provided. Then, to fill the washbox12, fluid is initially supplied to the washbox12with a flow rate greater than a flow rate of the fluid exiting the bores28(Step110). In Steps120and130, the washbox12is aligned with the part58and fluid is sprayed thought the row echelon bores28toward the part58. Then, the washbox12is extended and retracted along a common plane (Steps140,150). In Steps160and170, the waste chips are permitted to slide off of the washbox12and the fluid being supplied to the washbox12is stopped.

While, for purposes of simplicity of explanation, the method has steps shown and described as executing serially, it is to be understood and appreciated that the present invention is not limited by the illustrated order, as some steps could occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other steps from that shown and described herein. For example, the chips are permitted to slide off of the washbox12during all steps of the method. Additionally, Steps140and150may be repeated a plurality of times so as to wash the part58multiple times.

Many other benefits will no doubt become apparent from future application and development of this technology. As described hereinabove, the present invention solves many problems associated with previous type devices. However, it will be appreciated that various changes in the details, materials and arrangements of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the principle and scope of the invention, as expressed in the appended claims.