Patent GB-812276-A (GB)
Title: An improved cask washing machine
Inventor: GUNNER FREDERICK LEO STEPHEN
IPC: B08B9/08
Filed: 1955-06-23
Abstract: 812,276. Cask washing machines. HOPKINS & SONS Ltd., G. Sept 21,1956 [June 23, 1955], No. 18205/55. Class 138(1). [Also in Group XXX] A cask washing machine is of the kind in which casks are disposed in line along a stationary main frame at equidistant stations, and a carriage 24 with chocks similarly spaced to the stations is mounted within the main frame and moves in a cycle so as first to lift all the casks from their stations, then to transport them forward, lower them into their adjoining stations, and finally to return to its initial position ; the machine is characterized in that the cycle of operations of the carriage is effected hydraulically. Hydraulic operation: (Fig. 1 (Provisional)). As described, the lifting and lowering mechanism is actuated by an hydraulic cylinder 8 and piston 9, and the forward and backward traverse mechanism is actuated by an hydraulic cylinder 10 and piston 11 ; as the pistons 9 and 11 reach either of their extreme positions, the hydraulic tappet valves 14 and 15 are actuated in turn by cam slotted plates attached to the carriage, Fig. 3 (Complete) (not shown), and thereby divert fluid pressure, produced by a pump 12, to each cylinder in turn. Fig. 1 (Provisional) shows the position of the pistons and valves immediately before the carriage is raised. The cylinders 8, 10 continue to operate in sequence automatically until hydraulic pressure is cut off by the control valve 13. The valve 16 by-passes some hydraulic pressure to exhaust during the backward traverse of the carriage, the duration of which may thereby be varied to enable appropriate cleaning operations to be carried out on the casks during this interval. The valve 17 prevents lowering of the carriage, as the piston 9 moves outwardly, at so great a rate as to create a vacuum in the pipes. Lifting and lowering mechanism: (Fig. 2 (Provisional)). The piston 9 is connected to a roller 28 moving in a horizontal guide 22 and attached by a link 20 to a lever 21, pivoted at 25, and to the arm 21b of which a roller 26 is pivoted and lies in a horizontal guide 23 attached to the carriage 24. As the piston 9 moves into the cylinder 8, the roller 28 moves to the position 28b, and the lever 21 is swung through 90 degrees thus raising the carriage. Such lifting mechanisms are provided at each end and on each side of the carriage, all four mechanisms being actuated by the one cylinder 8. Traversing mechanism: (Fig. 5 (Provisional)). The piston 11 is connected by a crankshaft 30 to a crank 31 having a crank pin 33 which lies in a vertical guide 34 attached to the carriage 24, and a pinion 35, keyed to the crankshaft 30, engages a fixed rack 36 so that movement of the piston 11 causes the crank pin 33 to move in a cycloidal path and thus cause the carriage to move forwards or backwards. An alternative method of linking the crank pin 33 to the carriage 24 is described and shown in Fig. 1 (Complete) (not shown). Valve operating mechanism: (Fig. 7 (Provisional)). For cleaning the casks, steam and water valves are actuated by a cask depressing a spring-loaded detector rod 41 as it is deposited at a station, thus enabling a weighted arm 39 to drop and be engaged to a striker block 38 suitably linked to the carriage which is moving in reverse traverse. The arm 39 is pivoted to one arm 40a of a bell crank lever the other arm 40b of which actuates a tappet valve inserted in the steam or water supply line. General operation:: At the entry end of the machine each cask is rotated on rollers to bring the bung-hole into coincidence with a spring loaded plug and thus ensure that cleaning nozzles will be able to engage the bung-hole when required. At each station, the cask is progressively cleaned, both inside and outside, by suitable brushes and sprays. The machine is sunk so that the carriage is just above floor level.