Patent GB-466484-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to the cleaning of bottles, jars or the like containers
IPC: B08B9/36
Filed: 1935-09-28
Abstract: 466,484. Machines for cleaning bottles &c. HILL ENGINEERING CO. (HULL), Ltd., T., HILL, T. E., and HARRISON, N. C. Sept. 28, 1935, No. 26833. [Class 138 (i)] A method of cleaning bottles, jars, milk churns and like vessels comprises intermittently feeding a vessel in a pocket of a conveyer to a position substantially co-axial of a brush, axially inserting the brush within the vessel while this is substantially horizontal, displacing the vessel by the brush out of the pocket towards external brushing means, relatively rotating the brushing means in contact with the vessel, returning the vessel to the pocket while still carried by the inner brush and withdrawing the inner brush from the pocket. In the construction shown, an endless conveyer provided with transverse carriers each comprising pockets 28 for bottles 29 is driven intermittently through the medium of a claw clutch 43, one half of which is driven by means of a rotating crank 22, the other half being periodically brought laterally into and out of engagement with the first half by means of a cam crank 21, connecting rod 46, pivotal lever 47, push rod 48, cam guide 49, link 50 and bell-crank 51, pivoting transversely of the machine. The arrangement is such that the time in which the conveyer is in movement is small relatively to the time in which the conveyer is at rest. The bottles fed into the machine at 32 are carried through soaking compartments 33, 36, 39 and each transverse bottle carrier is in turn brought into alignment with a row of spindles 40 carrying brushes 53. The brushes are adapted to be rotated and longitudinally displaced through means which include a gear box 54 and a splined driving shaft 55. The gear box 54 is secured to carriages 60, 60a adapted to be reciprocated by means of the crank 21. The crank is also adapted to reciprocate carriages 64, 64a, which support brakes 62 for cleaning the bases of the bottles. The carriages are connected to cross-bars 65, 65a to which are bolted spring boxes 76, 76a connected with a bottle guide 73. The guide consists of a cross-bar with spaced depending members 74 adapted to surround partly the bottles conveyed by the carriers. The brushes 77 for cleaning the outsides of the bottles are driven from a gear box 78 through flexible hook and eye joints 79. They are adapted to be raised and lowered by means of a cam strip 80 which is attached to a carriage 64 and is adapted to engage a roller 104 attached to a lever 81 pivoted at 120. The lever is coupled by a link 83 to guides 82 which carry a transverse bearer for the ends of the brushes 77. As the carriages move to the right the cam strip 80 elevates the roller 104 whereby the brushes are raised to the horizontal position. Centring cups 84 are mounted on a transverse guide bar 85 which is coupled at its ends to slide bars 86 secured to spindles mountedin spring boxes 87. The bars 86 are provided with flanges adapted to be engaged by the ends of the gear box 54 so that when the gear box moves to the left the spring in each box 87 is compressed, the spring being released when the gear box moves to the right. When the conveyer is about to stop between successive periods of intermittent movement the bottle-brushing apparatus is in the position shown in Fig. 5. The spindles 40 with the rotating brushes 53 then move into the bottles, the centring cups being spring-pressed towards the bottles upon release of the springs from engagement by the gear box 54. Simultaneously the base brushes 62 push the bottles through the carriers 28 until the necks engage the centring cups 84. Thereafter the inner brushes 53 and the base brushes 62 move in unison to the position shown in Fig. 9, where the brushes 77 which have been raised engage the outside of the bottles. Subsequently the brushes 77 are lowered and the inner brushes and base brushes return to the position shown in Fig. 8. The base brushes are resiliently supported as shown in Fig. 3. Each brush is mounted on a spindle 88 adapted to be displaced against the action of a strong spring 90 within a slide bar 89. The slide bar carries a spindle 96 adapted to be displaced against the .action of a light spring 91, relatively to transverse bars 65, 65a on the reciprocating carriages 64, 64a. Each slide bar 89 is rigid with a rack-bar 92, whilst a pawl 93 is carried by a yoke 95 rigid with the bars 65 65a. The pawl engages the rack-bar, when depressed by means of a cam 97. When the bars 65, 65a are moved to the left each brush 62 engages a bottle, but the bars and pawl 93 continue to move against the action of spring 91. When the pawl is engaged by the - cam 97 the brush 62 is pressed firmly against spring 91. When the pawl is engaged by the cam 97 the brush 62 is pressed firmly against the bottle, a degree of resiliency being provided by the strong spring 90. The portion of the rack-bar 92 engaged by the pawl 93 depends upon the length of the bottle being cleaned, engagement taking place at the right-hand end of the rack when short bottles are being cleaned, as indicated, for example, by the pawl shown in dotted lines.