Patent GB-247655-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in bottle washing machines
IPC: B08B9/36
Filed: 1924-11-19
Abstract: 247,655. Watson, B., and Thomson, A. Nov. 19, 1924. Bottles, washing.-A machine for washing bottles and like vessels comprises in combination a frame 1, Figs. 1 and 2, rotary brushes 11, 12 for brushing bottles internally and externally simultaneously, reciprocating members for feeding the bottles on to and withdrawing them from, the brushes, a table 4 hinged about a horizontal axis, rinsing mechanism intermittently rotated about a horizontal axis and timing mechanism controlling the parts, the arrangement being such that the bottles are received by the table, operated upon by the brushes, and delivered by the tilting of the table to the rinsing mechanism from which they are automatically discharged after being mixed. The bottle in batches are discharged from a soaking machine on to an inclined shoot 2 leading to the grooved table 4 which is pivotally mounted on journals one of which carries a sprocket-wheel 6. The table is normally held horizontal by means of a chain connecting the wheel 6 to a counterweight 8<a> or a bell-crank lever 8. A shaft 46 driven through a gearing from the driving shaft 18 carries a disc 48 having a quadrantal cam groove 49 engaged by a pin 57 on a slidable rack 51 which engages a pinion 54 on a shaft 53. This shaft carries a sprocket wheel 55 connected by a chain 58 to a sprocket wheel 25 on a shaft 24. In operation the shaft 24 is intermittently oscillated and through connections causes reciprocation of a bar 29 whereby the bottles are pushed into contact with the brushes 11, 12. The brushes 11 clean the interior and the brushes 12 the exterior of the bottles. The brushes are rotated in the same direction from the driving shaft 18. The bottles are guided on to the brushes 11 and subsequently removed therefrom by bell-mouthed sleeves 42 slidably mounted and adapted to be actuated through being connected to chains driven indirectly from the shaft 24. The bottles after returning to the table are ejected as the latter is tilted by means of a cam 58 on the disc 48, the cam engaging the bell-crank lever 8. The bottles pass down a shoot 61<b> on to a counterweighted pivoted bar 60 adapted to be subsequently moved aside to allow the bottle to fall gently into conical cups 44a constituting part of a rinsing device. The cups are carried by a rotatably-mounted hollow hub 44 adapted to supply liquid to the cups only when they are in a vertical position at the top of the hub. The rinsing device is intermittently rotated by connection through ratchet-and-pawl mechanism (not shown) with links 45, 59, the latter being connected to the pin 57. The bottles when thev reach a horizontal position are discharged by means of revolving rollers 66. In the construction shown in Fig. 5 the bottles are discharged in an upright position on to a conveyor. The bottles are received from the rinsing device in a partitioned frome 76 with slotted bases, the frame being normally inclined, but being adapted by the means shown to take a vertical position above a number of spaced spars 86 below which is rotatably mounted a shaft 89 carrying radial arms 90. These arms on rotation enter between the spars and pass 'the bottles from the frame 76 to the conveyer 88. Fig. 4 shows a modified means for delivering the bottles on to, and from, the brushes comprising reciprocating bars 73, 74 on a frame adapted to be actuated by means of a lever 70 secured to a cam 68 which is engaged by a pin 67 on a rotating disc 48. The washing machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be arranged to work with the soaking machine so that every time, a batch of bottles is discharged from the latter machine the washing machine is put into motion and works for one revolution of the shaft 46. The worm wheel 47 loose on the shaft 46 is provided as shown in Fig. 7 with radial slots 95 for engagement by a spring-pressed key 106, whereby the wheel 47 is coupled to the shaft 46 causing it to rotate. Towards the end of a complete revolution of the shaft 46 the key 106 is withdrawn by its head 106<a> engaging a bevelled portion of the foot 100<a> of a spring-pressed bolt 100. This bolt is adapted to be raised against the action of the spring 101 by means of a bellcrank lever 104 actuated by a trip gear on the soaking machine, the operation of the trip gear corresponding to the delivery of bottles to the washing machine. In a modification the trip gear may be provided in the shoot down which the bottles slide when they leave the soaking machine.