Abstract:
A parts cleaning machine comprises a housing having a wheel with a fixture journalled for rotation thereon. The wheel comprises one or more pockets within which the fixtures may rotate. Drive mechanism comprising a wheel drive for indexing the wheel and a fixture drive for rotating the fixture at a predetermined location or locations during indexing of the wheel is provided in the housing. The wheel drive is actuated by a motor and a gear reducer operatively connected to the pocketed wheel. The fixture drive is actuated by a motor and an endless belt, or the like, is operatively connected to a drive gear on a shaft extending upwardly from the fixture. The wheel may be moved from a load station to a wash station, where spray nozzles may spray wash liquid onto the parts to be cleaned as they are rotated in the fixture at the wash station. Then the wheel is indexed to move the fixture to a blow-off station, where blow-off nozzles can blow air against the cleaned parts to remove wash liquid and dry the cleaned parts. Thereafter, the wheel is indexed to return the fixture to the load station, where the cleaned parts can be removed from the fixture and parts to be cleaned can be placed into the fixture to begin the next cycle of operation. Optionally, a rinse station can be included in the housing, where a rinse liquid can be sprayed onto the cleaned parts between the wash station and the blow-off station.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to a parts cleaning machine, and more particularly to a compact, multi-stage, rotary style parts cleaning machine having a pocketed wheel rotatable about a generally vertical wheel axis and a rotatable fixture in at least one pocket rotatable about a generally vertical fixture axis at a predetermined rotary position of the pocketed wheel. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Various types of parts cleaning machines are known in the trade. One type of parts cleaning machine is known that includes a reservoir with two tanks, one containing wash solution and the other containing rinse solution. The basket is movable between a loading position, a cleaning position, and a rinse position. When the basket is in the cleaning position inside the reservoir, it is alternately rotated in opposite directions. An example of this type of parts cleaning machine is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,053 to Wilson. 
     Another type of parts cleaning machine, as shown for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,645,791 to Sadwith, includes a platform rotatable in a housing, with parts to be cleaned supported on the platform and with a plurality of nozzles positioned in the housing for spraying streams of water on the articles to produce a scrubbing, scouring, or lifting effect on dirt and foreign matter present on the articles being washed. Since the parts to be cleaned are stationary on the platform, cleaning of irregular shaped parts is sometimes difficult and a relatively large number of spray nozzles and a relatively large volume of cleaning solution or wash solution is need to try to reach and clean all surfaces of the parts to be cleaned. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,500 to Diamond discloses a combustion chamber cleaning machine including a revolvable main turntable having a plurality of individual minor turntables for supporting the combustion cylinders and rotating them. The drives and controls for the main turntable and the minor turntables are relatively complex and costly. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,985 to Smith, there is shown a programmable apparatus for cleaning semiconductor parts which includes a chuck mounted on a rotation mechanism rotatable around a first axis and the element to be cleaned rotates around a second axis spaced from the first axis in a planetary member. The drives for the main turntable and the minor turntables are subject to contamination because of their location in the cleaning chamber. 
     It is known in multi-stage rotary washers to transfer parts along a circular path. After a part is loaded in the housing of the rotary washer, the transfer mechanism indexes the part into the first station of the rotary washer. Each successive index transports the part to the next station. Eventually, after passing through each of the processing stages, the washed part reaches the unload station, where it is removed from the rotary washer. The transfer mechanism rotates about a single axis. Because of this, liquid solution spray nozzles and air blow-off nozzles, which are used to clean, rinse and dry, respectively, have to be positioned in numerous locations throughout the processing stages. Numerous nozzles are needed to assure that wash and rinse solution and air impinge upon critical surfaces multiple times, for cleaning and drying of the parts. 
     The known multi-stage rotary washers have several drawbacks, however. The equipment footprint is large, that is, the rotary washer occupies considerable floor space, and the equipment itself is relatively complex. Thus, there exists a need for an improved multi-stage rotary washer for cleaning parts which is relatively compact and obviates deficiencies and disadvantages of prior art rotary washers. 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be made more apparent in the description which follows. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect, this invention pertains to a parts cleaning machine comprising a housing defining a cleaning chamber having an inlet opening. Disposed in the housing is a wash media source, e.g., a tank containing wash solution. A pocketed wheel having one or more pockets defined therein is positioned in the cleaning chamber defined by the housing for rotation about a generally vertical wheel axis. At least one fixture for supporting a part or parts to be cleaned is rotatably carried on the pocketed wheel within one of the pockets for rotation about a generally vertical fixture axis spaced from the generally vertical wheel axis. A pocketed wheel drive, preferably located above the wheel, is provided for rotating the wheel. A separate fixture drive is provided for intermittently rotating the fixture while at a predetermined location or locations to which the fixture has been transported by rotation of the wheel. The pocketed wheel drive and the fixture drive can be actuated by the same motor, or each drive can be provided with a separate motor, as desired. Spray nozzles are provided in the housing in communication with a wash media source, such as, a tank containing a wash liquid or rinse liquid for the parts. A drying gas source, such as a blower is operatively associated with blow-off nozzles in the housing for drying the washed parts. Controls are provided for controlling actuation of the pocketed wheel drive and the fixture drive. Preferably, the fixture comprises a foraminous or wire mesh basket for holding parts. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The attached accompanying drawings illustrate a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention. In the drawings, like numerals in the various views refer to like elements, and 
     FIG. 1 is an elevation view, partly in section, of the parts cleaning machine of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view of the parts cleaning machine, taken along plane  2 — 2  in FIG. 1, to show interior components; 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of a parts cleaning machine, similar to FIG. 2, but illustrating an embodiment of a parts cleaning machine having a pocketed wheel carrying three fixtures; 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view, similar to FIG. 2, but illustrating an embodiment of a parts cleaning machine having a pocketed wheel carrying ten fixtures, and including a drain station in the housing; 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view, similar to FIG. 2, but illustrating an embodiment of a parts cleaning machine having a pocketed wheel carrying ten fixtures, and including both a rinse station and a drain station; 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view, similar to FIG. 2, but illustrating an embodiment of a parts cleaning machine having a pocketed wheel carrying ten fixtures and a widened inlet opening in the housing to accommodate both a load station and an unload station; and 
     FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view similar to FIG. 2, but illustrating an embodiment of a cleaning machine having a pocketed wheel carrying eleven fixtures, with a widened inlet opening for accommodating both a load and an unload station, and including both a rinse station and a drain station in the housing. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 show a parts cleaning machine  10  of the present invention. The parts cleaning machine  10  comprises a housing  12  which defines a cleaning chamber and contains the operating components. For ease of moving, casters or wheels  18  can be provided for cleaning machine  10 . Positioned in the bottom of the housing  12  and accessible through an access door  14  in the housing  12  is a holding tank  16  for a wash liquid which serves as a wash media source in fluid flow communication with a wash station or stations. In order to heat the wash liquid to a desired temperature, a heater  20  is provided. The wash liquid holding tank  16  is provided with a drain  22 . An optional rinse liquid holding tank, similar to tank  16 , can be provided as well if it is desired to rinse the washed parts. 
     Spray nozzles  24  at a wash station in the housing  12  are operatively connected in fluid flow communication to the tank  16  via pump  26 , filter  28  and conduit  30 . At the rear of machine  10 , the housing  12  is provided with a hinged access door to facilitate cleaning or change of the filter  28 . 
     A pocketed wheel  32  having a top plate  31  and downwardly depending walls that define a single pocket  33  is positioned in the housing  12 . The pocketed wheel  32  is carried on shaft  34  journalled in housing  12  for rotation about a generally vertical wheel axis. The pocketed wheel  32  is accessible through the inlet opening  13  in the front of the housing  12 . The shaft  34  is carried in a bearing  35  at its lower end on support  38  in housing  12 . At its upper end, the shaft  34  is journalled in a bearing  37  on top plate  31  of the pocketed wheel  32 . The pocketed wheel  32  is actuated by a drive motor  44  connected to a drive gear on the shaft  34  via a gear reducer  46 . Various types of motors, e.g., electric, hydraulic, pneumatic, and the like, can be utilized as drive motors, as desired. The top plate  31  together with the housing  12  define a drive compartment  39 . The drive motor  44  is located in drive compartment  39  and is thus protected from the liquids and contaminants that may be present in the fixture compartment  15  below the drive mechanism. The top plate  31  is rotatable together with the pocketed wheel  32  and can be a part thereof. The drive motor  44  for the pocketed wheel drive and the drive motor  58  for the fixture drive are both in drive compartment  39  and mounted to the plate  11  of the housing  12 . If desired, the pocket wheel drive and the fixture drive can be actuated by the same motor. 
     Rotatably carried on the pocketed wheel  32  within the pocket  33  is a fixture  50 , which in the shown embodiment is a wire mesh or foraminous basket for holding parts to be cleaned. The fixture  50  is carried by the top plate  31  of the pocketed wheel  32  in the pocket  33  and is mounted for rotation about a generally vertical fixture axis, which is offset or spaced from but substantially parallel to the generally vertical wheel axis of the pocketed wheel  32 . The fixture  50  is transported by the pocketed wheel  32  from the loading station shown in FIG. 2 to a wash station proximate to the spray nozzles  24  and then to a blow-off position proximate the blow-off nozzles  25 . 
     At the wash station, the fixture  50  is rotated by the fixture drive about its generally vertical fixture axis in order to facilitate the cleaning of the parts in the foraminous basket. To that end, the fixture  50  includes a shaft  52  which is driven rotatably by the fixture drive which includes a drive gear  54  on the shaft  52 , an endless drive chain, band, or belt  56  which is adapted to engage the drive gear  54 , and drive motor  58  operably associated with the drive gear  54  on the shaft  52  via a gear reducer  60 . As seen in the embodiment of FIG. 2, fixture  50  is at the loading station, the associated gear  54  is not engaged with belt  56 , but the belt  56  is trained over five idler gears  57  carried on shafts  59  depending from and secured to the top  11  of housing  12  in order to desirably position the belt  56 . When fixture  50  is transported from the loading station to a wash station, the belt  56  engages the drive gear  54  associated with drive motor  58  and gear reducer  60  and rotates the fixture. 
     At a blow-off station, the fixture  50  is rotated to facilitate removal of the wash liquid from the washed parts while the parts are situated in the path of a drying gas stream, such as an air stream. 
     Within a control panel  62  are suitable controls for controlling the pocketed wheel drive so as to move or index the pocketed wheel  32  from station to station and for controlling the fixture drive to rotate the fixture within the cell or pocket  33  in the wheel  32 . 
     Partitions  64 ,  66 ,  68 , and  70  are provided in the housing  12  in order to divide the interior of the housing  12  into operating zones or stations where various cleaning activities take place. The partitions  64  and  66  define the wash station, where the washing of the parts takes place. Partitions  68  and  70  define a blow-off station where liquid is removed from the cleaned parts and drying may occur. A drying gas source, such as the blower fan  72  in the housing  12 , is operatively connected to the blow-off nozzles  25  in the blow-off station via suitable conduit  29  in the housing  12 . A drying gas, e.g., air from the blower fan  72 , is discharged under pressure from the nozzles  25  and force liquid from the surfaces of the cleaned parts and to aid in drying the cleaned parts. Other treatment stations can be provided as well, for example, for applying a corrosion inhibitor onto the cleaned parts. 
     As can be seen in FIG. 2, the fixture  50  is accessible through the inlet opening  13 . The embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 includes only one fixture  50  on the pocketed wheel  32 . At the load position, the drive gear  54  on the shaft  52  is not engaged with the endless belt  56 . Hence, the fixture  50  is not rotated about its axis at the load station, but is stationary to facilitate the loading of parts to be cleaned into the foraminous basket. Pocketed wheel  32  is actuated by the pocketed wheel drive and the fixture  50  is moved to a preselected position proximate the spray nozzles  24 , e.g., a wash station between partitions  64  and  66 . At this location or station, the drive gear  54 , which may be a spur gear, is engaged with the endless belt  56 , driven by the fixture drive, and rotates the fixture about the fixture axis. The drive gear  54  is also operatively connected to the endless band or belt  56  while the fixture  50  is in the blow-off station, hence, the fixture  50  will be rotating while in the blow-off station. 
     Because the parts to be cleaned are rotating within the confines of a pocket  33  of the pocketed wheel  32 , the number of spray nozzles  24  and blow off nozzles  25  can be reduced significantly. Contamination of parts in adjacent pockets is avoided as well. It will be understood, however, that though a single spray nozzle  24  and a pair of blow-off nozzles  25  are shown in FIG. 2, each of these nozzles may be replaced by a nozzle array suitably arranged to maximize the spray of solution and air, respectively. The unique arrangement of the present invention has considerable impact upon the resulting parts cleaning machine, namely, the pumps for liquid solution and the blower fan for air can be smaller, thereby reducing horsepower requirements and kilowatt usage, and the liquid tanks or reservoirs can be smaller, reducing the overall footprint or floor space required. The net effect is a compact parts cleaning machine with appreciably reduced operating costs. Overall, the parts cleaning machine with a pocketed wheel and the drive mechanism of the present invention affords a considerable advantage over existing parts cleaning equipment. 
     Turning to FIG. 3, there is shown a modified parts cleaning machine  100  that includes a pocketed wheel  132  with three pockets  133 , and having a fixture  150  in each pocket. The housing  112  is constructed and arranged basically in the same manner as the housing  12 . The modified parts cleaning machine  100  operates much the same as the parts cleaning machine  10 , except that capacity is increased through the use of three fixtures rather than one, each situated in a separate pocket of the pocketed wheel. 
     The drive mechanism for the machine  100  is substantially the same as that previously described, except that five idler gears  157  are employed. The spur drive gears  154  on the fixtures  150  are engaged with the endless chain, band, or belt  156  at the wash and the blow-off stations, so as to rotate the fixtures  150  when positioned at these locations. The spur drive gear  154  is disengaged from the chain  156  when the pocketed wheel  132  is indexed with a fixture  150  at the loading station. Hence, the fixture  150  at the loading station will not be rotated. The spur drive gear  154  can also be disengaged while the pocketed wheel  132  is indexed from station to station. 
     Initially, parts to be cleaned can be loaded into the fixture  150  in the pocket  133  of the wheel  132  aligned with the inlet opening  113 . The fixture  150  at the load station is not rotating since the spur drive gear  154  at the upper end thereof is disengaged from the belt  156 . The controls in the control panel  162  are operated to actuate the first drive means comprising drive motor  144  and index the wheel  132  from the load station to the wash station. At the wash station the spur drive gear  154  on the fixture  150  is engaged with the belt  156 , which is driven by drive motor  158  and associated drive gear  154 , and the fixture  150  is rotated so as to enhance cleaning of the parts. The wheel  132  is then rotated to the blow-off station by the drive motor  144 . The fixture drive gear  154  is engaged with the endless belt  156  and the fixture  150  will be rotated at the blow-off station. Air (or like drying fluid) may be blown through the spray nozzles  125  to remove wash solution and dry the parts. The wheel  132  next is indexed to the load station, where the drive gear  154  is disengaged from the belt  156  and the fixture  150  does not rotate so as to enable removal of the cleaned parts from the fixture  150 . As the wheel  132  is indexed from station to station, the parts in each fixture  150  are cleaned and dried. 
     FIGS. 4,  5 , and  6  illustrate yet another embodiment of parts cleaning machine with ten pockets provided in the pocketed wheel. The parts cleaning machine  200  shown in FIGS. 4,  5 , and  6  includes a pocketed wheel  232  with pockets  233  and with a fixture  250  in each of the pockets  233 . The drive mechanism is substantially the same as that previously described, except that the endless belt  256  is trained over seven gears  254  and one idler gear  257 , whereby three fixtures  250  are disengaged from the belt  256  and seven fixtures are driven by the belt  256  as the wheel  232  is indexed from position to position. Belt  256  is driven by fixture drive motor  258  and associated drive gear  254 . 
     In the embodiment of FIG. 4, two arrays of spray nozzles  224  are provided to spray a wash liquid onto two fixtures  250  concurrently. Provided in the housing  212  are removable partition walls  266  and  268 . In the region of the partition wall  266  wash solution can drain from the washed parts. One or more arrays of blow-off nozzles  225  are provided in the housing  212  to remove any liquid remaining on the cleaned parts after draining. 
     In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the partitions  264  and  270  are arranged somewhat differently from the partitions in the embodiment of FIG. 4. A rinse nozzle  280  is provided between the partitions  264  and  270 . The rinse nozzle  280  may comprise an array of spray nozzles operatively connected to a tank of rinse solution in the housing  212 . The single spray nozzle or array of spray nozzles  224  spray wash solution into one fixture at the wash station. As the wheel  232  is indexed, the fixture  250  containing the washed parts will move from the wash station and wash solution can drain from the cleaned parts. At the rinse station, spray nozzles  280  can spray rinse solution onto the cleaned parts. The blow-off nozzles  225  are adapted to blow off the remaining liquid from the cleaned parts in two cells or pockets  233  of the wheel  232 . 
     In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the inlet opening  213  in the housing  212  is widened to permit access to two cells or pockets  233  of the wheel  232 . The pocketed wheel  232  is indexed by the drive mechanism including wheel drive motor  244  from the load station to the wash station, where the spray nozzle  224  are positioned to spray wash solution into a single pocket  233 . The pocketed wheel  232  is indexed to position a single pocket  233  at the blow-off station, where the remaining liquid can be blown from the cleaned parts by spray nozzle  225 . The fixture drive mechanism in FIG. 6 is basically the same as the drive mechanism of FIGS. 4 and 5, except that the idler gears  257  are positioned such that at the load station the drive gears  254  of the two fixtures  250  positioned at the load station are disengaged from the belt  256 , so that the fixtures  250  at the load station do not rotate to permit loading and unloading of parts to be cleaned into and out of the fixtures  250  at the load station. For example, parts to be cleaned can be loaded into the right fixture  250  at the load station as viewed in FIG.  6  and cleaned parts can be removed from the left fixture  250  at the load station as viewed in FIG.  6 . The endless belt  256  is driven by fixture drive motor  258  and associated drive gear  254 . 
     Turning to FIG. 7, a modified parts cleaning machine  310  is provided with eleven pockets  333  in the pocketed wheel  332 . The configuration is similar to the embodiment of FIG. 6 in that the inlet opening  313  in the housing  312  is widened to permit access to two fixtures  350  at the load station. As in FIG. 6, the right fixture  350  in FIG. 7 may be used to load parts to be cleaned and cleaned parts can be removed from the left fixture at the loading station. The parts cleaning machine  310  incorporates a wash station having spray nozzles  324  for spraying wash solution into a single cell or pocket  333  of the pocketed wheel  332 , a rinse station where spray nozzles  380  can spray rinse solution into a single cell or pocket  333  of the pocketed wheel  332 , and a blow-off station, where blow-off spray nozzles  325  are positioned to remove liquid from the cleaned parts in a single cell or pocket  333  to dry same. 
     The drive mechanism for the ten pocket parts cleaning machine  210  of FIG. 6 is substantially the same as the drive mechanism for the eleven pocket parts cleaning machine  310  of FIG. 7. A drive gear  354  associated with each fixture  350  is adapted to engage the endless belt  356 . The idler gear  357  is positioned so that the drive gear  354  for the two fixtures  350  at the load station are not engaged with the belt  356 . Thus, the two fixtures  350  at the load station are not rotated while at the load station. The pocketed wheel  332  is rotated by the wheel drive motor  344  while the endless belt  356  is drive by fixture drive motor  358  and associated drive gear  354 . 
     The parts cleaning machine of the present invention is readily adaptable for a variety of configurations to suit the needs of selected users. The parts cleaning machine is compact, requires a minimum of floor space, and is relatively inexpensive to build and to operate. 
     While presently preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated above, it will be apparent to persons of skill in the art that the invention may be otherwise embodied without departing from the spirit and the scope of the appended claims.