IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WASHING PLATES, DISHES AND SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1885

page_text: I GEORGE WILLIAM BENJAMIN CREES of 5 Regent Street Clifton in the county
of Gloucester, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WASHING PLATES, DISHES AND SIMILAR ARTICLES
to be as follows:-
In carrying out my invention I provide a long narrow and deep box of metal
wood or other suitable material and if the latter, line it inside with zinc or any
other non-corrosive metal or material to prevent the escape of water, or, I place
the trough or box within another trough or box of a shape suitable to receive
the first.
At each end of the trough box or vessel are fixed blocks which carry wires, rods
or bars of any convenient section of metal or other material which guide the plates
or similar articles through the trough box or vessel.
The guides are so arranged, formed and shaped that, at a certain portion of the
travel of the article through the vessel, the article is automatically lifted up in such
a manner that, in again descending it will be reversed in its position upon the
guides and that that part of the plate or article which first was uppermost should
then be undermost.
This arrangement will allow the plate, or article to be first cleaned on the face
and then on the back or vice versa before leaving the machine.
At one end of the trough or vessel a drum of polygonal section revolves in
bearings the spindle or shaft of which carries at its outer end a star wheel or some
other mechanical equivalent by which a slide is opened and closed to allow the
plates or articles to pass into the machine.
Over this drum at the slide end of the trough or vessel pass two or more endless
link chains.
At certain distances crossbars are fixed to the chains to suit the size or sizes of
the plates or other articles and these crossbars are furnished with pins points or
projections to carry the plates or articles forward and through the machine.
These endless link chains in passing through the machine are kept in position by
guides or pulleys fitted to the inside of the trough or vessel.

page_text: At the other end of the trough vessel or machine is another polygonal drum of
the same. section as the one beforementioned over which the endless link chain
again passes and returns on the outside of the trough or vessel to the first drum.
Just below the level of the cover of the machine is a trap door which is made to
open as the plate or article passes out and closes again after it.
The plates or articles are lifted or pushed up into a guide box which allows them
to slide down again and they are then landed upon an open frame or tray made of
wire or other material and placed at a suitable angle or inclination to allow the
plates or articles to gradually slide down and be piled one upon another.
Inside the box, trough or vessel numbers of rotating or revolving brushes of
suitable size and stiffness are placed in convenient and suitable positions for the
purpose of washing and cleansing the plates or articles.
The spindles or shafts of these revolving brushes pass through glands and bushes
in the sides of the trough, or vessel, and are made water tight by suitable packing.
Or, they may be arranged to be wholly within and inside the trough or vessel and
in that case the glands bushes and packing can be dispensed with.
The brushes are fitted with pulleys either plain or grooved to receive a driving
belt, strap cord or link chain and obtain motion from one or more driving pulleys
mounted upon the upper part of the machine or they may be otherwise driven.
The machine is set in motion by a crank fixed to one of the chain drums and
may be driven by hand or other power. A flywheel of suitable dimensions may
also be mounted upon the same drum to give regularity of motion.
I supply and renew the hot or boiling water from a boiler or any other water
heater and also provide an overflow pipe to remove scum grease or other impurities
in the water and any surplus water. Suitable openings doors or other means for
draining are provided and fixed in the bottom.

page_text: similar Articles.
I GEORGE WILLIAM BENJAMIN CREES of 5 Regent Street Clifton in the county
of Gloucester Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :—
My invention is designed for the purpose of washing and cleansing plates, dishes
and similar articles automatically by a suitably designed and constructed machine
wherein the articles to be washed and cleansed are passed in a dirty or soiled state
into the machine at one end and emerge at the other end in a clean state.
To elucidate the nature of my invention and the manner of performing the same
I have annexed to this specification the two accompanying sheets of drawings and
now refer to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.
On Sheet I; Fig. 1 is an exterior right hand elevation of my machine.
Fig. 2 is an exterior left hand elevation.
On Sheet II Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional elevation corresponding to the exterior
view Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 a plan of same partly in section the apparatus at the end of the tank or
trough being removed.
Fig. 5 a plan shewing the end parts.
Fig. 6 vertical transverse section of tank or trough taken through the driving
shaft.
Fig. 7 a vertical transverse section through the feed box.
Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse section through the delivery box.
I construct a trough or box of suitable material dimensions and shape A Figs. 1.
2. 3. 4. 5. 6 which contains the apparatus or machinery necessary for the purpose
of my invention and which consists of several parts and operates as follows.
The plates dishes or similar articles to be washed or cleansed are placed in a
suitable feeding box shewn in section in Fig. 7 with their rims or edges resting
upon a feeding screw B or if preferred upon an endless belt or band provided with
suitable projections to fit the rims of the plates or other equivalent for feeding the
articles forward can be used, and this screw B is actuated by a pair of mitre
wheels C C one of which is mounted upon a transverse shaft passing through the
sides of the box or trough A and is set in motion by spur wheels D D¹ and belting
chain or other transmission leading to the mainshaft or fly wheel shaft E.
A series of single and double guides F F F formed of wire or metal rods or
bars are placed and fixed in the trough A by means of blocks G G and clamped
thereto by set screws or otherwise in such a manner as to guide and restrain the
plates &c in a desired and suitable position while travelling through the machine
and allow them to be operated on.
In one of my methods of washing plates dishes &c. the guides F F F³ by their
form are intended to reverse the position of the articles after one side has been
cleaned so that the other side may also be cleaned.
The particular shape of the guides F F F in this method is shown in Figs. 3
and 4 wherein the guide first assists in lifting up the plate &c into a vertical

page_text: position and then gradually allows it to descend again and in this way reverses it
and turns it over.
To move the plates &c through the machine I employ endless link chains HH'
on each side of the trough A passing through it and following as closely as possible
the guides F F. Suitable means are provided for taking up the slack of the chains
as will be well understood. These link chains are connected by transverse bars I
to ensure the fair and proper distance between them and they are fitted with
projecting pins fingers or carriers J intended to push the plates &c along the
guides E E¹ and so through the machine.
The endless link chains H H travel over suitable chain pulleys K and gipsy
wheels L L which may be as shewn of round form or they may be polygonal and
placed at the ends of the trough A; and these are set in motion by the main or
fly-wheel-shaft E. The projecting pins fingers or carriers J are distributed and fixed
upon the endless link chains H H in such a manner that when the chains are
travelling through the trough or box A or in other words through the machine one
carrier should be precisely under the end of the feeding screw B when that is
ready to deliver a plate &c to the carrier. The plate &c thus delivered to the
carrier by the screw B and received upon the carrier and by it placed upon the
endless link chains H H¹ is now moved down into the trough A which I have
previously filled with boiling or hot water to which I add soda or any other
dissolvent of fatty matter and the guides F F' and the carriers J bring the plate &c
under a revolving brush D which washes or cleanses one side of the plates &c.
I provide a suitable number of these brushes which revolve or rotate upon their
own axes and are mounted in suitable bearings with stuffing boxes and glands N
or other kind of packing and are provided on the outside of the machine with
chain or belt pulleys O for setting the brushes in motion.
.
The plate &c having been cleaned on the one side is still carried forward and by
a special formation of the guides F F' is reversed or turned over as already
described and this reversal may be more than once if desired by so arranging the
apparatus.
To prevent the carriers J from jamming the plates &c in the guides when
reversing or turning them over, I employ a metal slide P (Fig. 3) which is moved
horizontally backwards and forwards by a cam eccentric Q and pivoted levers R, R¹,
R' working in guides S and on studs T to ensure the fair working of the slide P,
the whole controlled by a spring as shewn.
The cam eccentric Q is actuated by a spur wheel U driven by the feeder wheel V
or by any other convenient method to accommodate the time of the arrival of any
of the the carriers J opposite to the slide P.
The slide P is drawn forward just as a carrier J mounts the top of the central
chain pulley K¹ below the slide and receives the plate &c and the slide P being
then pushed back by the cam eccentric Q arrests the too quick descent of the
plate &c and allows it to easily drop back from the carrier J.
The carriers now push the plate &c further forward under one or more revolving
brushes M¹ and finally carry or push it through a vertical partition V which rests
in grooves in the trough A for easily moving up or down and has its bottom armed
with long bristles W.
A corresponding partition X also armed on its top edge with long bristles W₁
nearly meets the upper partition, the bristles forming a yielding connection
between the two partitions, that is between the upper V and the lower one X.
The guides F F₁, the link chains H H¹ and carriers J are enveloped by these
bristles. The plate &c having been pushed through this wall of bristles W W¹ has
undergone a last process of cleansing.
I provide this one, or more, partitions also, for the further reason that they
and the bristles mounted upon them have the effect of dividing the water in
the machine or trough A into two or more bodies and keeping and confining the
dirt and grease to the first and second division as the case may be and thus
preserve-a cleaner body of water for the final passage of the plates &c through it.

page_text: The plate &c having passed this last partition V X travels further along the
guides F F being still pushed by the chains H H and carrier J and is lifted
through a trap door Y which falls back in its place resting against the guides F F
immediately a plate has come through and for the time supports the plate &c.
At this end of the machine I provide a receiving box Z Figs. 3 5 and 8 to
receive the plates &c as they come up through and are delivered upon the trap
door Y standing upon their rims or edges. They are then ranged up edgways
in the receiving box Z by the padded ram A¹ Fig. 3 working through the upper
end of the machine and actuated by a cam A* (Fig. 1) and bell crank lever moving
in a slot in A¹ and so arranged and timed in unison with the movements of the
plates &c that the ram A¹ is pushed out and ranges up the plates one after another
as soon and in the order as they appear upon the trap door Y.
To prevent breakage and damage I provide and adjust a sliding partition B¹
Figs. 1, 5, 8 of either open or close work in the receiving box Z against which the
plates &c rest as they come up through the trap door Y and this partition B¹ is
pushed along and slides upon suitable guide bars B' obedient to the push of the
ram and in exact proportions to the space required for receiving a fresh plate &c in
the box Z.
These boxes made to suit the different sizes of the plates &c when full, can be
taken out and replaced by empty ones and so on as required.
In a like manner boxes of suitable dimensions fitted with dirty plates can be
placed over the feeding screw B and replaced by others when empty.
For the purpose of supplying hot or boiling water for use in connection with my
invention I provide a boiler or any other form of water heater fitted with suitable
valves cocks and pipes for the proper and safe conveyance of the hot or boiling.
water to the machine. Or if the box or trough of the machine be made entirely of
metal I may heat it directly and so obtain hot water for the cleaning operation.
I also provide overflow and drain pipes with valves or cocks to remove the dirty
water or I.fit doors in the bottom of the trough for the same purpose if so preferred.
I do not limit myself to any number of rotary or revolving brushes nor do
I confine myself to a horizontal position of them as under circumstances it may be
convenient to arrange them vertically or inclined, with others placed horizontally
in the same trough.
For the purpose of supporting and working the revolving brushes I fix them
upon spindles which pass through stuffing boxes or water tight bushes or glands N
through the sides bottom or ends of the machine but I do not confine myself to
have one continuous spindle through the sides of the machine and through the
brush though I may adopt this method when the brushes work in a vertical or
inclined position.
For the easy and convenient fixing and removal of the brushes-that is to say-
the revolving brushes, I have a short spindle C which carries at one end a pulley
or chain or toothed wheel D' for setting it in motion and pass this short spindle
through a stuffing box or watertight bush or gland N into the machine.
The part of this spindle which is inside the machine is made square and fits into
a corresponding square socket F in a metal bush G³ securely attached to one end
of the revolving brush. At the other end of the revolving brush I provide and
securely fix a deep metal socket H' of rectangular section into which I fit a square
spindle I pressing upon a spiral or other kind of spring J placed at the bottom of
the metal socket H. At the outer end of the square spindle I' is a collar K* from
which rises a cylindrical stud L' of suitable length to serve as a bearing. The
cylindrical stud L' fits into a corresponding metal bush M* or bed, fixed in the
machine, and allows the brush to revolve freely, the spring J at the bottom of
the recess keeping the whole brush apparatus in its proper place and position.
It is evident that if the spindle 1' is pressed back upon the spring J the
cylindrical stud L' forming part of it will leave the bush and allow the brush to be
drawn out and freed from the square end of the spindle C at the opposite end and
thus permit the brush to be readily lifted out of the machine,
•

page_text: When I fix the revolving brushes in a vertical or inclined position I prefer to
have only one spindle at one end leaving the other end of the brush free so that
hollow or irregularly shaped articles can be washed or cleaned by holding them
against the revolving brushes.
The special form of the guides F F where the plates &c are being reversed or
turned over, when travelling through the machine, I make adjustable to suit the
various sizes of plates and dishes. I provide and fix a hand lever N' and con-
necting rods 0° which actuate by means of cross bars and bearers the back portion
of the guides F³ and by altering the position of the hand lever N* these slide in
and out and so alter the relative distance between the back guides F³ increasing or
decreasing the space between them as required.
Although I have described an important feature of my invention that is to say
the plates or dishes &c passing through the machine being automatically reversed
I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to always use the reversing
arrangement and that I may provide and use revolving brushes on top and bottom
⚫ and on both sides of the guides F F and thus wash and cleanse similar articles
passing between the revolving brushes and guides by the chains and carriers
without reversing or turning them over.
When I make my machine of a size to take in one or more rows of plates &c
I may provide longitudinal divisions which can be removed at pleasure and by
removing one or more divisions I proportionally increase the space in the machine
and am thus enabled to pass a large and oval or square shaped dish where before
there was space only for an ordinary size of plate or dish.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
Firstly. In apparatus for washing plates dishes and similar articles the employ-
ment of connected and guided, endless chains or bands such as H H having
carriers J mounted thereon in combination with guides or tracks such as F F¹ F³
for the purpose of moving such plates dishes or similar articles by such carriers
along said guides or tracks, against revolving brushes, and subsequently delivering
the plates dishes and similar articles through a trap door into a receptacle where
they may be piled substantially as described.
Secondly. In machines for washing plates dishes or similar articles in which an
endless chain or band carries along such articles capable of being treated by
revolving brushes so arranging or applying such endless chain or band that the
faces of the plates dishes or similar articles carried thereon may be reversed or
turned over in a certain portion or portions of their travel in order to subject their
alternate surfaces or faces to the action of the brushes as described.
Thirdly. In combination with the trough or tank A and mechanism contained
therein for feeding and travelling the plates dishes and similar articles through the
said trough or tank-the trap door Y and receiving box Z and appliances for
piling the washed articles one on the other substantially as described.
Fourthly. The construction arrangement and combination of machinery for
washing plates dishes and similar articles substantially as described and illustrated
by the accompanying drawings.
101 .
J
T
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