Patent GB-736493-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in bottle washing machines
Inventor: GUNNER FREDERICK LEO STEPHEN
IPC: B08B9/44
Filed: 1951-10-22
Abstract: 736,493. Conveyers. HOPKINS & SONS, Ltd., G. Oct. 20, 1952 [Oct. 22, 1951], No. 24641/51. Class 78 (1). [Also in Group XXIII] In a bottle-washing machine of the kind in which bottles are passed through a cleansing chamber by an endless conveyer the bottles being loaded at one end of the chamber in group units each comprising a line of bottles, loadable simultaneously, and unloaded at the other end of the chamber in similar group units, means are provided to feed bottles in spaced relation and in group units to the loading means by which they are presented in line to a conveyer rack into which they are caused to fall by gravity, the unloading means receiving the bottles by gravity from the rack, and means are also provided for moving the rack conveyer intermittently step-by-step in unison with the group by group feed of the bottles and in synchronism with the loading and unloading means. General construction.-The machine, Fig. 1, comprises a cleansing chamber 10; an endless conveyer having a pair of chains 13 to which are secured racks to contain rows of bottles; a transverse endless loading conveyer 21 from which a group of bottles 11 are pushed by a bar 25 into a loader 24 which is then swung to a position so that the bottles fall by gravity into a rack; a star wheel mechanism 23 for transferring bottles in spaced groups to the conveyer 21 from a feed conveyer; and a discharger 41 including a push-bar which transfer bottles to a discharge conveyer 42. The chamber 10 is divided into compartments 14, 15, 16 for warm caustic solution, hot caustic solution and rinsing water respectively, the liquid in each compartment being recirculated, after falling to the bottom thereof, through filters 17 and by pumps 18. Sludge boxes may also be provided. The chains 13 pass over sprockets 32, the rear sprocket shaft being driven step-by-step from a ratchet wheel 33 forming part of an electric motor operated primary drive unit 34 of the machine. This unit drives a main shaft 35 which through bevel gearing 36 and a chain drive 37 at the right hand end of Fig. 1, operates the loader 24, and by bevel gearing 38 and chain drive 39 operates the discharger 41 at the left-hand end of Fig. 1. Also the shaft 35 drives the push-bar 25 and the star wheel mechanism 23 through the medium of a chain drive. The racks each comprise a channel member and number of bottlereceiving apertured cups welded thereto, as described with reference to Figs. 8 and 9 (not shown). The jets (not shown) are described in Specification 721,221, [Group XXIII]. Star wheel mechanism.-As shown in Fig. 10, the star wheel 88 is mounted on a hollow shaft 89 rotated by bevel gearing 91 driven indirectly from the main shaft 35. This wheel picks up, between each gap thereof, one bottle from the feed conveyer 22, Fig. 2 (not shown), and passes it to the conveyer 21, the gaps in the wheel spacing the bottles on the conveyer 21. In order to group the bottles in a number to suit the number of cups in a rack certain gaps in the wheel 88 are adapted to be blanked off at intervals, during which intervals, no bottles are fed. Blanking-off is effected by an arcuate plate 92 actuated at the required time by a push-rod 93 loaded by a spring, which rod passes through the hollow shaft 89. The push-rod is operated by a cam 94 through a rocker 95 so that during normal feed of the bottles it remains stationary above the wheel as the latter rotates, but at the appropriate time is caused to fall so that the plate 92 rests on the star wheel and closes two or more gaps therein. A pin 96 on the plate 92 then engages with the wheel so that the plate rotates with the wheel. Loading mechanism.-The push-bar 25, Fig. 4, mounted on slides 26 and operated by a bellcrank lever 27 connected by a link 28 to one end of a bell-crank lever 29, the other end of which engages a cam by a roller 31, is reciprocated at the correct time and pushes bottles from the conveyer 21 into an angled tray 43, Fig. 3. At each end the tray 43 is pivotally connected by arms 45 to a cross-bar 46. Integral with the bar 46 is an abutment member 47 against which the vertical wall of the tray 43 bears when tilted. Secured to the ends of the cross-bar 46 are the ends of arms 48 the other ends of which are free on a rocker shaft 49 parallel to a continuously rotated cam-shaft 51 carrying a cam 52. An actuating arm 53 pivoted on a stub shaft 54 has a roller 55 to engage the cam 52. The free end of the arm 53 is connected by a link 56 to a lug 57 fast on the rocker shaft 49. A second lug 58 fast on the shaft is connected by a pitman 59 to the forward end of a link 45. Movement of the arm 48 is effected by a lever arm 61, rotatable with the shaft 49, which engages an adjustable abutment 62 on the arm 48. An adjustable stop 63 determines the lowermost position of the parts. When the arm 53 is swung upwardly by the cam 52 the link 56 causes the shaft .49 to rotate and cause the tray 43 to move to the full line position, Fig. 3, by the action of the pitman 59, and to abut the stop 47. Further rotation of the shaft 49 causes the arm 61 to engage the arm 48 and all of the members to move together until they reach a position D where the bottles 11 slide by gravity from the tray 43 into a bottle rack 12 positioned to receive them. The parts return to a position A, to receive a further group of bottles, by their own weight. Discharging mechanism.-As shown in Fig. 7, the mechanism 41 comprises a table member 64 carried by a pair of radial arms 65 loose on a rocker shaft 66. The shaft 66 is moved by an actuating arm 67 pivoted on a stub shaft 68 and having a roller 69 engaging a cam 71 on a continuously rotated shaft 72. The free end of the arm 67 is connected by a link 73 to a lug 74 fast with the shaft 66. A second lug 75 fast on the shaft 66 is connected by a pitman 76 to a push-bar 77 which forms with the member 64 an angled tray. Movement of the arms 65 is effected by a lever arm 78 fast with the shaft 66. An adjustable stop 79 is provided. As the arms 67 swing to the left in Fig. 7, the tray formed by the table and push-bar moves to the position indicated in broken lines below a fixed inclined table 84 down which bottles from a conveyer rack slide by gravity into the tray. The bottles are prevented from sliding from the racks before reaching the table 84 by pivotally suspended buffers 87 profiled to conform to the shape of the rack conveyer. The tray after receiving the bottles is moved to a position where the table 64 is coincident with the discharge conveyer 42 as determined by another adjustable stop 79a. The bottles are then pushed off the table 64 on to the conveyer 42 by reciprocation of the push-bar 77 due to pitman and further rotation of the cam 71. The push-bar 77 is fitted with guide pins slidable in bearing members 82 formed on the arms 65, to ensure parallel movement of the rod. Main drive unit.-An electric motor 97, Fig. 11, drives an eccentric 98 which oscillates a carrier member 99 having pivoted thereon a weighted pawl 101. Movement of the member 99 rotates the ratchet wheel 33 keyed to a shaft 103 which drives two of the main conveyer sprocket wheels 32. The motor 97 also continuously drives the main shaft 35 through worm gearing. Reference has been directed by the Comptroller to Specification 707,403.