Abstract:
A parts washer is disclosed of the type having a sink, a drum of solvent, and a recirculating system for pumping the solvent from the drum through a hose or nozzle arrangement for spraying the solvent on the parts to be washed in the sink, and then allowing the solvent to drain from the sink back into the solvent drum. In this invention, the solvent drum is fitted with an extra clean-out tube for withdrawing contaminated solvent from the drum, and a return tube for replenishing the drum with clean solvent. The clean-out tube and return tube are fitted with quick-connect couplings for releasably attaching solvent cleaning apparatus thereto, such as filtration or distillation type recycling apparatus.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to manual parts washers, and in particular, to parts washers for cleaning such things as automotive parts, machinery parts and various items of equipment, using appropriate solvents. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Manual parts washers are commonly used in many industries, and are particularly popular in the automotive service sector. The most basic type of parts washer includes a metal cleaning sink with a hinged lid. The sink is mounted on top of a conventional sixteen or thirty gallon drum of solvent. Solvent is applied to the parts to be washer through a brush mounted on the end of a hose, or through a fixed nozzle in a faucet-like arrangement. Usually, a submersible pump is located in the drum to supply the solvent to the cleaning brush or nozzle. 
     As the parts are washed, the solvent becomes contaminated with various contaminants, such as dirt, metal particles, oil, grease, paint, etc., and the contaminated solvent drains back into the drum through a drain hole in the bottom of the sink. Sometimes a filtration unit is provided to catch solid particulate contaminants before the contaminated solvent returns to the drum, but filtration devices are not effective for removing dissolved contaminates, such as greases and oils. Eventually, even with good filtering systems and frequent replacement of the filter elements used therein, the solvent becomes contaminated to the point where the drum of contaminated solvent has to be replaced with a new drum of fresh solvent. This is expensive and results in down-time while the solvent drum is being replaced. 
     In order to overcome these disadvantages, it has been proposed to incorporate a solvent recycling unit, such as a distillation apparatus, right into the parts washer. When the solvent becomes too contaminated, the solvent is transferred from the solvent drum to the recycling unit, where it is cleaned, and then the solvent is returned to the solvent drum. While this reduces the cost of replacing the solvent, a difficulty with this arrangement is that the parts washer cannot be used while the solvent is going through the recycling process. Further, recycling apparatus is prone to breakdown, and if a breakdown occurs during the recycling process, the parts washer is out of commission totally until the recycling apparatus is repaired. 
     In the present invention, the parts washer is adapted to be coupled to an independent recycling apparatus that continuously cleans the solvent, so that the parts washer is usable at all times, and if the recycling apparatus breaks down, it can simply be replaced with another unit without affecting the operation of the parts washer. 
     According to the invention, there is provided a parts washer comprising a cleaning sink having a bottom wall defining a sink drain therein. A solvent delivery tube is attached to the sink and has an outlet device for directing solvent onto a part to be washed in the sink. A solvent container is located below the sink. The container is adapted to contain cleaning solvent and has an inlet opening for receiving solvent from the sink drain. The container also has a container wall including a bottom wall portion. An extraction conduit extends into the solvent container for withdrawing solvent from the container. The extraction conduit is connected to the solvent delivery tube. A pump is operatively coupled to the extraction conduit for pumping solvent from the container to the solvent delivery tube. A clean-out tube extends into the container to a location adjacent to the container bottom wall portion. The clean-out tube has an outlet end portion located outside of the container. Also, means are provided for activating the pump for circulating solvent from the container, through the solvent delivery tube and back to the container. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic elevational view, partly in section, showing a preferred embodiment of a parts washer according to the present invention; and 
     FIG. 2 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 1 but showing some modifications to the embodiment shown in FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of a parts washer according to the present invention is generally indicated by reference numeral  10 . Parts washer  10  includes a cleaning sink  12  typically made of steel, stainless steel or a suitable plastic material that will withstand the solvent used in parts washer  10 . Sink  12  preferably has a bottom wall  14  that is tapered or slopes downwardly to a sink drain  16 . Sink drain  16  includes an optional valve  18  to close the drain. 
     Sink  12  includes a wire mesh support filter screen  19 . Support screen  19  has small openings and also functions as a flame arrestor. A filter pad  21  of relatively coarse material is located on top of support screen  19  to prevent large pieces of debris from passing through drain  16  into tank  20 . 
     A solvent container or drum  20  is located below sink  12  and typically contains from about 10 to 17 gallons of solvent  22 . Any type of solvent can be used in the present invention, either petroleum or water based. Container  20  has a container wall  23  including an upper wall portion  24  which defines an inlet opening  26  for receiving solvent from sink drain  16  when valve  18  is open. Container wall  23  also has a bottom wall portion  28 , which is preferably tapered or conical, although it could be a plain flat bottom wall, if desired. An extraction conduit  30  extends into solvent container  20  and extends through or from container wall  24  for withdrawing solvent from container  20 . Extraction conduit  30  has a lower inlet strainer  32 , which is formed of relatively course mesh to prevent foreign particles over 2 to 3 mil. from entering extraction conduit  30 . 
     Extraction conduit  30  includes a suction line  31 , an inlet suction hose  36 , and an outlet hose  46 . Suction line  31  is connected by a quick-connect type connector  34  to inlet suction hose  36  leading to a pump  38 . Inlet suction hose  36  could be a flexible hose or a rigid pipe, as desired. An optional swivel connector  40  may be located in inlet suction hose or line  36 , in which case, quick-connect coupling  34  may be replaced with a regular threaded connector, or both quick-connect connector  34  and swivel connector  40  could be used together if desired. Quick-connect connector  34  and/or swivel connector  40  are used to facilitate removal of container  20  from parts washer  10 , as will be described further below. 
     Pump  38  is preferably an electric centrifugal pump powered through electrical wiring  42  leading from a control box  44 . Any other type of pump could be used for pump  38 , such as an air driven pump, but the latter would require a supply of compressed air for operation and a suitable solenoid valve, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. 
     Outlet hose or conduit  46  supplies solvent from pump  38  to a solvent delivery tube  48  attached to or located in sink  12 . Delivery tube  48  delivers the solvent to a manifold  50  which includes a three-way valve  52  for directing the solvent either to a flexible outlet tube  54 , or a flexible hose  56 , or to both tube  54  and hose  56 . Outlet tube  54  has an outlet nozzle  58  for directing or spraying solvent onto a part to be washed in sink  12 . Flexible hose  56  supplies solvent through a cleaning brush  60 . 
     As mentioned above, pump  38  is a centrifugal pump, and as such, this type of pump usually has a low suction head. Accordingly, a priming fitting or T-fitting  62  with a removable plug  64  is provided so that outlet hose  46 , pump  38  and suction hose  36  can be filled with solvent through fitting  62  to prime pump  38  during initialization of parts washer  10 . Once pump  38  is primed initially, it normally does not have to be primed again unless hoses  36  and  46  are drained or emptied of solvent. 
     Container  20  also includes a clean-out tube  66  which passes through container sidewall  68 . Clean-out tube  66  preferably extends to a location adjacent to the container bottom wall portion  28  to suck out any debris or solid contaminates  70  from the bottom of container  20 . However, the lower end portion or inlet  72  of clean out tube  66  only needs to be below the surface of solvent  22  during all normal operating levels of solvent  22 . For the purposes of this disclosure, where it is stated that clean-out tube  66  extends to a location adjacent to the container bottom wall portion, the term “adjacent to” is intended to include any position as long as inlet portion  72  is normally below the surface of solvent  22 . 
     Clean-out tube  66  also has an outlet end portion  74  located outside container  20 , and a quick-connect coupling  76  is provided on the end of outlet end portion  74  for attaching clean-out tube  66  to a recycling unit or apparatus, as will be described further below. 
     Container  20  is also provided with a return tube  78  passing through container wall  68 . Return tube  78  also has a quick-connect coupling  80  mounted thereon for attaching return tube  78  to the outlet of a recycling unit, also as described further below. 
     Quick-connect couplings  76 ,  80  are the female components of these type of couplings and thus are normally closed to prevent solvent  22  from escaping through clean-out tube  66  and return tube  78  even where the level of solvent  22  rises above tubes  66  and  78 . The normally closed components of couplings  76  and  80  are opened by the male portion of the mating coupling component. Quick-connect coupling  80  forms the inlet end portion of return tube  78  and of course, is located outside container  20 . Quick-connect coupling  76  forms an outlet end portion of clean-out tube  66  and is also located outside of container  20 . Quick-connect couplings  76 , 80  can be used also for easy emptying of container  20  and refilling it with fresh solvent, where recycling facilities are not available, or for connecting container  20  to an outside reservoir or drum of solvent, if desired. 
     Electrical power is provided to parts washer  10  by an electrical cord  82  having a conventional electrical plug  84  mounted on the end thereof. Power is supplied through cord  82  to suitable terminals inside control box  44 . Control box  44  contains an indicator light  86  to indicate that the power is on to parts washer  10 , an on/off switch  88 , a delay timer  90  for operating pump  38 , as will be described further below, and a proximity sensor  92  for sensing the presence of an operator of the parts washer, the purpose of which will also be described further below. These components are controlled by a microprocessor circuit board  85 , as described next below. 
     As an operator approaches parts washer  10 , proximity sensor  92  senses this and microprocessor  85  starts timer  90 . Timer  90  delays the start of pump  38  for a short period of time in case the operator is just walking by the parts washer. If the operator remains by the parts washer however, timer  90  causes pump  38  to be turned on. Timer  90  can also ensure that the pump stays on for a predetermined time interval, such as a few minutes if the operator walks away from the parts washer for a short period of time. However, timer  90  ensures that the pump does not keep running beyond a second predetermined period of time such as five minutes or so, if no one is around parts washer  10 . Timer  90  can be set to operate pump  38  for anywhere from a few minutes to twenty or thirty minutes or longer if desired. If desired, pump  38  can also be operated manually using on/off switch  88 . Also, if desired, timer  90  could be eliminated and pump  38  operated simply by proximity sensor  92 . Whether parts washer  10  is operated manually or automatically by timer  90  and/or proximity sensor  92 , it will be appreciated that when pump  38  is activated, solvent  22  is circulated from container  20 , through pump  38  to solvent delivery tube  48  and thus either to nozzle  58  or cleaning brush  60 . The solvent then drains through sink drain  16  and returns to container  20 . 
     Proximity sensor  92  can be any type of proximity sensor, such as an infra red device, a motion sensor or a light beam type of device. 
     Solvent container  20  is mounted on a dolly  94 , so that container or tank  20  can be easily pulled out and replaced with another tank or drum. This might be desirable, for example, where it is desired to change to a different type of solvent Dolly  94  also makes it easy to install container or tank  20  initially. A ground strap  96  is provided to prevent static electricity discharges. A fire extinguisher  98  is provided in case of fire. A heat sensing head  100  senses heat from fire and activates fire extinguisher  98  releasing the appropriate chemicals into sink  12  through a distribution tube or manifold  102 . Parts washer  10  is provided with a hood or lid  104  which is attached to sink  12  by hinges  106 . A lid stay  108  is provided to hold lid  104  open, but lid stay  108  is provided with a fusible link  110  to close lid  108  automatically in the event of fire. A work light  112  is provided to illuminate the washing area. Power is supplied to work light  112  by a cable  114 . If desired, work light  112  can be turned on and off automatically when pump  38  is turned on and off. 
     Sink  12  is mounted on a base or cabinet  116 , so that container  20  can be replaced without having to lift or move sink  12 . Base or cabinet  116  includes an access opening  118  to allow hoses to pass therethrough from a solvent reservoir or a solvent recycling unit to be connected to quick-connect couplers  76 ,  80 . 
     A tank level indicator  81  in the form of a sight glass is provided to indicate the level of solvent  22  in container  20 . However, other types of level indicators can be used in parts washer  10 . If an electronic level indicator is used, a signal could be provided to shut-off pump  38  in the event that the solvent level drops below the level of strainer  32 , or if the solvent level rises too high in container  20 . An electronic level indicator would be connected to microprocessor circuit board  85 , and a sound alarm or flashing lights could also be employed to signal a low or high limit being reached for solvent  22 . 
     Referring next to FIG. 2, a parts washer  120  is shown, which is a modification of parts washer  10 . Like reference numerals are used in FIG. 2 to indicate parts or components that are similar to those of the embodiment shown in FIG.  1 . In parts washer  120 , room is provided in cabinet  116  for a solvent recycling unit or apparatus  122  indicated by chain dotted lines. Recycling apparatus  122  has an inlet line  124  releasably coupled to the clean-out tube outlet end portion or quick-connect coupling  76 . Recycling apparatus  122  also has an outlet line  126  connected to quick-connect coupling  80  to deliver recycled solvent back to container  20  through return tube  78 . If desired, outlet line  126  could be attached to a hose or tube going directly into sink  12 , in which case, return tube  78  could be eliminated. Recycling unit or apparatus  122  is electronically connected to microprocessor circuit board  85  by a control cable  135  connected to recycling apparatus  122  by a releasable or quick-connect type connector  136 . If desired, power could be supplied to recycling apparatus  122  through cable  135 , or a separate power supply cord could be employed on recycling apparatus  122 . 
     A drain extension tube  128  is releasably connected to sink drain  16  by a quick-connect coupling  130 . Extension tube  128  has an internal or central tube  132  which communicates with sink drain  16 , and an outer concentric tube  128  which is of larger diameter than inner central tube  132 . The annular space between central tube  132  and outer tube  134  becomes the suction line of solvent extraction conduit  30  and communicates with inlet suction hose  36  to form the inlet for pump  38 . If desired, sink drain  16  could have an extension tube that is connected directly to return tube  78 . Where recycling apparatus  122  is not present or outlet line  126  is disconnected from quick-connect coupling  80 , the central tube  132  could have its own quick-connect coupling which releasably connects tube  132  to quick-connect coupling  80 . In this case, inlet suction hose  36  could be connected to outer tube  134  and be like a suction line  30  in the embodiment shown in FIG.  1 . 
     Solvent recycling apparatus  122  could be a filtering apparatus, or it could be a distillation unit. It is desired, however, that recycling apparatus  122  be able to operate while parts washer  120  is operating. Recycling apparatus  122  can operate continuously or intermittently, but it is desired that pump  38  be able to operate even when recycling apparatus  122  operates. Of course, recycling apparatus  122  could be operated manually, by its own on/off switch, or it could be controlled by microprocessor circuit board  85  through control cable  135 . 
     Having described preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the structures described above. For example, pump  38  could be a submersible pump and be located inside container  20 . Suction line  31  and inlet suction hose  36  would then not be required and only outlet hose  46  would come out of tank  20 . Outlet hose  46  could then be provided with a quick-disconnect coupling to allow for the removal of tank  20  from parts washer  120 . It will be noted that tank  20  in parts washer  120  is not mounted on a dolly as in the case of FIG.  1 . However, a dolly could be provided in parts washer  120  if desired. Parts washers  10  and  120  are shown to have both an outlet tube and nozzle  54 , 58  and a flexible hose and brush  56 , 60 , although only one or the other of these combinations could be used in either parts washer. Where only one type of solvent delivery device is used, manifold  50  would not be required. 
     As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance defined by the following claims.