Patent GB-822923-A (GB)
Title: A machine for washing bottles or other receptacles
IPC: B08B9/32
Filed: 1956-06-08
Abstract: 822,923. Bottle washing machines. BOUVIER, H. E. June 8, 1956 [June 9, 1955], No. 17854/56. Class 138(1). A machine for washing bottles or other receptacles has a rotary receptacle holder or rotor comprising a driving shaft 2, Fig. 1, a plurality of spider elements la-le, mounted to rotate with the shaft 2 and conveyer blades 10, 10<SP>1</SP>, extending parallel to the shaft 2 are attached to the arms of the elements 1a-1e, the blades 10, 10<SP>1</SP> forming circumferentially spaced passages adapted to receive receptacles as they are fed one by one into the machine, a circular cage or stator within which the rotor is mounted to rotate, the perimeter of the cage being provided with annular guide-channels having flanges 14, which channels interconnect to form a continuous channel 15 along which the receptacles are moved from one channel to another by the blades 10, 10<SP>1</SP> and washing members e.g. 24 arranged to rotate with the rotor and adapted to carry out continuously a cleanisng operation on the receptacles during at least a part of their passage through the machine. The spider element 1a, 1e, at the ends of the rotor are mounted on hollow shafts 3 and 3<SP>1</SP> secured for rotation with the hollow shaft 2 directly carrying the spider elements 1b, 1c, and 1d and a driving pulley 2c. The shaft 2 is provided with plugs 9, to divide it into two sections 2a, 2b. The ends of the shafts 2a, 3 at the left hand side of the machine pass through a bearing 4a and communicate respectively with chambers 7a, 7b of a casing 5 on the frame 4 of the machine and having a partition 7. At the right hand end of the machine the shafts 2b, 3<SP>1</SP> similarly pass through a bearing 4a and communicate respectively with chambers 71a and 71b of a casing 51. The annular flanges 14 surrounding the rotor are carried by longitudinal members 13, Fig. 2, of the frame 4 and as shown in Fig. 3, the flanges are connected by short straight portions 14a at the bottom of the frame so that the channels and the corresponding connecting portions 15a form a spiral-like channel 15 extending along the length of the frame. The left hand ends of the longitudinal blades 10 Fig. 1, carried by the spider elements have shaped portions 10a, Fig. 3, whereby bottles B on a loading device 16 are moved by the rotating blades 10 into the first channel and thence rotated around the channels 15 and moved from one end of the machine to the other whereafter they are removed by a discharge device. As shown in Fig. 1, the hollow shafts 2a, 3 are connected by flexible hoses 41 to tubes 25 carrying short injectors 23 and long injectors 24. The ends of the tubes are rotatably mounted in bearings 26 movable in annular grooves 27, Fig. 2, eccentrically mounted in the frame 4, whilst the tubes are slidable in slots 28 in the spider elements. Clearly as the rotor rotates the injectors will move radially relative to the rotor and the long injectors 24 will move into and out of bottles. The tubes 25 are plugged so that the short injectors 23 are connected with the shaft 3 whereas the injectors 24 are connected with the shaft 2a. The shafts 2b 3<SP>1</SP> are connected by tubes 22, 22<SP>1</SP>, with sections 21a and 21b respectively of tubes 21 plugged at 30, concentrically mounted relative to the shaft 2, and carrying short injectors 20, 20<SP>1</SP>. The injectors 20, 20<SP>1</SP> thus only rotate with the rotor. Bottles B are supported by their necks and centered on the rotor relative to the injectors by clips 18 and the widths of the channels and the spring between blades 10 can be adjusted by wedges to suit various receptacles. Referring to Fig. 1, the machine is divided into zones, viz. a preliminary rinsing zone where rinsing is effected by the injectors 23 ; a washing zone where washing is effected by the injectors 24 ; a draining zone between the wheels 1c and 1d; a second rinsing zone where rinsing is effected by the injectors 20 and a final rinsing zone where rinsing is effected by the injectors 20<SP>1</SP>. The chambers 7a, 7b and 7<SP>1</SP>a are connected by pumps 39, 42 and 44 with liquid reservoirs 35 to 38 under the frame 4 and the chamber 7<SP>1</SP>b is connected by a pipe 40 connected to a fresh liquid supply. The circuit of the pump 44 includes a heat exchanger 43. The various liquids for the zones are collected in the associated reservoirs and recirculated with or without filtering. In a modification described with reference to Fig. 9 (not shown) the preliminary injectors may be fixed in the frame 4 so as not to rotate with the rotor. In another modification described with reference to Fig. 10, (not shown) all the injectors may be concentric with the rotor which is eccentrically mounted in the frame 4, the partitions 10 then being movable substantially radially and carried by the ends of the frame and the channels 15 are then so arranged in the frame as to cause the radial movements of the bottles relative to the rotor. The injectors may be replaced by. brushes or used conjointly therewith and the brushes may be rotated about their longitudinal axes. The external washing of the bottles is effected by liquids overflowing from the upper parts to the lower parts of the machine. Also external cleaning of the bottles may be effected by injectors fixed or movably mounted outside the path swept by the bottles and fixed or moving brushes may also be provided for this purpose. Safety devices 56, Fig. 3, and 57, Fig. 2, are provided to ensure stopping of the machine in event of, interruption in the feeding of bottles to the machine, or the injectors failing to enter the mouths of the bottles, respectively.