Patent GB-691320-A (GB)
Title: An improved machine for the washing of drinking glasses and the like
IPC: A47L15/00
Filed: 1950-07-26
Abstract: 691,320. Washing drinking glasses. OGDEN, G. S., and MACKENZIE, G. L. July 26, 1950 [July 29, 1949; Dec. 12, 1949; April 14, 1950], No. 18644/50. Class 138 (i). [Also in Group XXIX] A drinking glass washing machine includes a platform to support the glasses, water spraying devices associated with the platform, a water motor mounted relative to the platform, and rack mechanism operably connected to the motor for reciprocation relative to the platform, the rack mechanism being adapted to press upon the glasses to cause them to move along the platform past the spraying devices. Operation and general construction.-Inverted glasses placed on a platform 51, Fig. 1, perforated as at 52, between guide rails 54, are propelled through an open ended transparent plastic canopy 55 by the teeth 43 of a raisable and lowerable rack 46, Fig. 3, which is reciprocated by a water motor 16. The teeth 43 with the rack are raised during the operative stroke of the motor so that the teeth protrude through a slot 53 in the platform, which slot is parallel to the guide rails and nearer one than the other. During transit through the canopy the interiors of the glasses are cleaned by jets 61, 60, Fig. 2, of hot and cold water, directed from underneath the platform whilst the outsides are cleaned by hot and cold water from overhead spray pipes 59, 58 arranged within the canopy. Also the glasses are made to rotate since the teeth 43 are nearer to one guide rail than the other. The cold jet 60 and pipe 58 are supplied with water which is exhausted from the motor 16 whilst the hot jet 61 and pipe 59 are supplied direct from the water supply having a tap 26 which also supplies the motor 16. This water is heated by an electric heater 63 which is operable, by a switch controlled by the water supply pressure. Water can drain through the platform to a pipe 66. Splashing of water is reduced by the canopy being provided with buffles 57 and narrow end pieces 56. In the embodiment shown, the glasses are first treated with cold water and then with hot but it may be arranged that the glasses are first treated with hot water and then cold. In the latter arrangement a third upwardly directed jet may be provided to give the glasses a final spray so that they are delivered in a cold state. Also the guide rails instead of terminating in curved ends may continue in a straight path. In this case overcrowding of the platform by glasses may be avoided by the weight of the glasses causing a push bar (not shown) at one end of the platform to be pressed to cause, through the operation of a switch and relay, the shutting off of the tap 26 and switching off the heater. The platform 51 is supported in a tray 13, Fig. 2, having side walls 14 which tray is mounted over a trough 11, Fig. 3, housing the motor 16 and the rack operating mechanism. The trough 11 is mounted along the inner edge of a bar counter and is provided with connections for the drain pipe 66 and the water supply pipe. Rack mechanism.- The rack 41, Fig. 3, has secured thereto a bracket member 44 slidable vertically on an upwardly projecting pin 29 reciprocable by the motor 16. The rack is slidably supported for longitudinal and vertical movement on top of bearing members 45 in slots provided in two upright members 40. The members 45 can slide vertically in the slots. Also slidable both longitudinally and vertically in the slots of the members 40 and below the members 45 are end members, having cam surfaces 48, connected to a cam bar 46. Padded stop members 49 are secured to the bar 46 and it will be seen that as the rack 41 reaches the end of its operative stroke from the right to the left of Fig. 3 the bracket will contact the left hand member 49 and cause the cam surfaces 48 to ride down bearing surfaces 50 arranged in the bottoms of the slots of the members 40. The rack is thereby lowered so that the teeth 43 are also lowered through the. platform slot 53. During the inoperative stroke of the motor from left to right the rack is in the lowered position but near the end of this stroke the bracket 44 contacts the right hand member 49 and this causes the rack to be raised again. Water motor construction and operation.- The motor 16, Figs. 2 and 6, comprises a main cylinder 17 having opposed pistons 19 connected by a rod 18 and a valve cylinder 24 having opposed valve heads 38 and a central head 37 connected together by a rod 36. The ends of the valve cylinder are connected to the cylinder 17 by pipes 30, 31 and the valve cylinder ends of these pipes are always open even when the heads 38 are at the ends of their strokes. The valve cylinder has a central water supply pipe 25 controlled by the tap 26, pipe connections 22, 23 on either side of 25 leading to the opposite ends of the main cylinder and exhaust pipes 33, 34 adjacent the pipes 23 and 22 respectively. The pipes 33, 34 connect to a common pipe 35 which supplies cold water to the cold jet 60 and to the pipe 58. The pin 29 is connected to the rod 18 and passes through a slot 28 in the main cylinder. In the position shown water entering at 25 to the valve cylinder passes through pipe 22 to move the left hand piston 19 to the right i.e. direction B, the water in front of the right hand piston 19, from the previous cycle, being exhausted through pipe 23 and pipe 33 to the pipe 35. When the left hand piston 19 completely passes the pipe 30 water will enter that pipe and push the valve heads 38 to the right. Water'in front of the right hand head 38 will then be pushed through the pipe 31 into the cylinder 17 between the pistons 18 where it can leak past the relevant piston 19. At the end of this inoperative stroke to the right conditions in the valve cylinder are reversed the water from pipe 25 then passing through pipe 23 to the right hand end of the main cylinder whilst the pipe 22 is connected to pipe 35 by the pipe 34. The pistons 19 therefore move to the left.