Improvements in Brushes, and Apparatus in Connection therewith, for Cleaning Railway Milk Cans.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 24th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 7th Dec., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brushes, and Apparatus in Connection therewith,
for Cleaning Railway Milk Cans.
I, STEPHEN YEOMAN, of Bradenstoke, near Chippenham, in the County of
Wiltshire, Dairy Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
The construction of the rotary brush and its attachment to spindle of machine
in such a manner that the wooden sections or stocks may be expanded after the
can has been placed in position for cleaning, such expansion causing the bristles
to press closely against the sides of the cau, provision however being made for
preventing over-pressure.
The expansion is caused by means of a lever actuating a spindle or rod which
passes through the driving spindle and centre of brush, and upon which are fixed
radiating arms, which arms are connected with the staves or stocks that require to
be moved outwards. The lever is worked by foot and held in position by a ratchet
catch when released the sliding spindle recedes and pulls sections of brush
towards the centre, thus allowing the can to be casily removed.
Each brush stock is provided at the end nearest frame of apparatus with bristles
to fit the sloping mouth of can; the other or expansible end of stock has bristles.
projecting horizontally to clean the corner portion of can bottom, the central part
of bottom being cleansed by a pronged or star-shaped brush attached to the end
of the rod which serves to expand the sections. By such an arrangement the
whole space or internal surface of can bottom is brushed when the can is in position
for cleaning and the machine is at work.
These
The milk can is cleaned externally, bottom excepted, by means of two stationary
brushes secured to water-tank, underneath or slightly below centre of can.
brushes can be adjusted to fit tins of different sizes.
The apparatus may be modified to admit of extra stocks or sections being
attached to central rod by rigid arms, not intended for expansion, which stocks or
sections would form a brush of the same diameter throughout, suitable for cleaning
straight or canister-shaped cans, and would not interfere with the expansible portion.
Dated this Twenty-third day of January 1895.
Improvements in Brushes, and Apparatus in Connection therewith,
for Cleaning Railway Milk Cans.
I, STEPHEN YEOMAN, of Bradenstoke, near Chippenham, in the County of
Wiltshire, Dairy Manager, 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 relates to an improved apparatus, capable of being actuated by
band or mechanical power, for cleaning railway milk cans, and other cans or
canisters, and consists of an arrangement of suitable brushes within and without
[Pill
2
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page_text: the can or canister, the latter of which are stationary or substantially so, while the
former or some of them are arranged to rotate upon a suitable spindle, and are
capable of expansion and contraction laterally, the latter to allow the can to be
first placed thereon, and after cleaning to be removed therefrom, while the former
permits the brushes to reach every portion of the interior of the can or canister
being cleaned.
In order that my said invention, and the manner of its operation may be fully
understood, I have hereunto appended a sheet of drawings of which :-
Fig. 1 is part longitudinal section of the entire apparatus with the adjustable
brushes in a position to permit the can or canister to be placed thereon and removed
therefrom.
Fig. 2 is a like view with the brushes expanded and otherwise adjusted for
cleaning the can.
Fig. 3 is an end view of so much of Fig. 2 (with the can removed) as is necessary
to make my invention fully understood.
For the purposes of my invention I construct of wood or other material, a
preferably rectangular franc A, carrying suitable lubricated bearings such as a, a',
for a hollow shaft or sleeve B, which may be arranged to be rotated by hand or
mechanical power, but in the accompanying drawings I have chosen to presume
the latter to be employed, and for this purpose have shewn the said sleeve or
hollow shaft provided with fast and loose pulleys bb. The said hollow shaft B,
extends beyond the frame A, at one side, for a suitable distance into a wooden or
other trough C, capable of holding sufficient water for the purpose. The hollow
shaft B has a spindle D passing entirely therethrough, and capable of sliding
freely therein, one end of which has pivotally connected thereto, a suitable lever
such as E, preferably pivotted at its lower end at c to one of the cross bars of the
frame A, whereat a suitable plate or other spring such as F is provided, the tension
of which operates to keep the upper end of the lever E as far as permissable away
from the frame A. To the lever E is connected one end of a chain, rope, cord or
wire d, which passes therefrom over a suitable grooved pulley or wheel G, its
opposite end being connected to a levere pivotted upon A, not necessarily arranged
as shewn, but in any other suitable way capable of being operated by the foot of
the attendant, a suitable rack or ratcheted plate f being fixed upon one of the
supports H of the trough C, with which e may engage.
Upon the end of the hollow shaft or sleeve B fartherest from E, is fixed by any
suitable means, or formed integrally therewith, a slotted or other collar, having:
two or more, but preferably three or four lugs or ears such as J, each having a
slotted eye or aperture to each of which is pivotally connected by suitable pins,
screws, or bolts a metallic plate L, the object of the said slotted eyes being that
the plate L may be pivotted nearer to or farther from the sleeve B to accomodate
cans or canisters of varying diameter. To each of the said plates L is screwed
or otherwise connected, the stock of a longitudinal bristle, bass, fibre or other
brush M, each of which is curved at its pivotted end g to fit the mouth of a milk
can, while their opposite ends are thickened so that bristles or the like may extend
horizontally therefrom to reach and clean out the corners of the bottom of the
can, and such portions of the bottom not reached by the central brush hereinafter
described, and in order that the bristles or the like upon the remainder of the said
brushes M may not be unduly bent or injured in use, suitable plugs of rubber,
rubber composition or other resilient material N may be provided in any number
along each brush, bolted or otherwise connected to the stock of same.
Each of the plates L is pivotally connected to one end of an arm h, the opposite
ends of which are pivotally connected to the ears of a collar K, adjustable upon
the spindle or rod D, while upon the extreme end of said rod is socketed a circular
or star shaped brush O, arranged for adjustment as the bristles wear by the means
of a thumb screw or its equivalent k, the periphery of the said brush having
recesses m, (Fig. 3) alike in number to that of the number of brushes M employed.
Within the trough C is provided one or more brushes P, fixed therein by any

page_text: suitable or convenient means. these being for cleaning the outside of the can, and
in order that these may not press unduly upon the can to the possible detriment of
the brushes themselves, I prefer to mount one or both ends of these upon an
elastic foundation, such for instance, as that of a spiral or other spring represented
by p in Figs. 1 and 2.
In practice, the attendant would release the lever e when the tension of the
spring F would operate the lever E in the withdrawal of that end of the rod or
spindle D, from the sleeve B, and this movement of B, carrying with it the collar K
and brush O. the former by means of the arms would collapse or draw inwardly
the brushes M, the free ends of the stocks of which would sink into the recesses m
of the latter, as shewn at Fig. 3, thus placing the brushes M parallel with each,
other, and while in this position, the milk can R would be placed over and surround
these as shewn in Fig. 1. The attendant would then depress the lever e causing
the lever E and rod or spindle D to take the position shewn by Fig. 2 or
approximately so, which movement of D would, by the agency of the collar K and
its arms 7, expand or push outwardly the brushes M, until these were in rubbing
contact with the sides of the can R, the same movement of D placing the brush O
in contact with the bottom of R as shewn in the same figure, when the attendant
would cause the lever e to engage with such tooth of the rack as would retain
the said parts in this position, with the outside of the can in contact with the
brushes P, a suitable quantity of water having been first placed in the can R
itself, and of course in the trough C, when, by rotating the sleeve or hollow
spindle B, the brushes would rotate and clean the inside of the can at every part,
and when such internal cleaning was perfected the attendant would further depress
the lever e so as to engage with the next or the next notch in f, thus further
expanding the brushes M and extending the brush O, when these would bite the
can R, with such tenacity as to cause this to revolve therewith, when the
stationary brushes P would operate to clean the outside of the can. The outside
of the bottom of the can R may be cleaned by an ordinary hand brush if needed,
while the detached lid of R may be cleaned by a rotary brush upon the sleeve B
(not shewn) or upon an adjacent spindle operated therefrom or by the same power
as that which may be employed to give motion to the pulleys b, い。
In order that the water placed in the can R may not flow out of its mouth during
the cleaning operation, I mount loosely upon the sleeve or hollow spindle B, or
connected to the lugs J, a circular wood or other disc S, which would be kept in
close contact with the mouth of R by the tension of a spiral or other spring such
as p', the face of S in contact with R being preferably coated with leather, rubber
or other resilient substance to effect the water tight closure of the mouth of the
To remove the can after cleaning, the attendant would release the lever e
from contact with f, when the spring F would again place the brushes as at Fig. 1
when the can may be removed.
can.
The apparatus as described may be modified to admit of extra brushes between
the brushes M, the stocks of which would be preferably straight, and held in
position by arms attached to the spindle D, or the stock of the brush O, or both,
and arrange to slide between the lugs J, the bristles of these brushes being
useful for cleaning straight or canister shaped cans, as the rotary brush formed by
such auxiliary sticks would be of uniform diameter from end to end.
The metallic portions of the said apparatus may be of any suitable metal or
combination of metals, and when iron, steel or other metal is employed liable to
oxidation by contact with water, I may find it convenient to electroplate, tin or
galvanize these for the prevention of same, and to maintain the cleanliness of the
apparatus generally.
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 :-
First. In an apparatus for cleaning railway milk cans and cylindrical cans aud.

page_text: canisters, the employment of rotating brushes, arranged to collectively expand and
contract in diameter and otherwise move by the operation of a sliding spindle,
actuated by a spring-governed lever for the internal cleansing of such vessels in
combination with stationary brushes for externally cleansing the same connected
and operating substantially as herein described and shewn by the accompanying
drawings.
Second. In an improved apparatus for internally and externally cleaning railway
milk cans such as R and cylindrical cans and canisters, the combination of a
frame A, carrying a hollow spindle or shaft B, rotated by hand or mechanical
power, and forming a sleeve for a rod or spindle D, arranged to slide therein, and
carry a collar K, and circular or star shaped brush O with recesses m, the said
sleeve or hollow spindle having a slotted or other collar provided with two or more
lugs or ears such as J, to which are pivotally connected a like number of brushes
such as M, also pivotally connected by arms h to the collar K on D. The trough C
upon a frame H, in which are fixed by any suitable means brushes such as P for
cleaning the outside of R. The disc S operated by a spring such as p¹ for closing
the mouth of R. The manner of expanding and contracting the diameter of the
rotary brush formed by the brushes M, and extending and withdrawing the
brush O, by the sliding of the rod D, by the means of a lever E having a spring
such as F, and connected by a chain or its equivalent d to a lever such as e engaging
with a rack such as f, the whole connected, combined and operating substantially as
and for the purposes herein described and shewn by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 24th day of October 1895.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for Applicant.