Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning Tin Plates.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 12th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 15th Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning Tin Plates.
I, JOSIAH SMITH, of 22, Conduit Street, in the City of Gloucester, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a machine for cleaning tin plates, whereby the grease
which adheres to the surface of the tin after the plates leave the tinning pots is
efficiently and economically removed.
The machine comprises two open troughs, of semi-cylindrical or other convenient
shape, arranged end to end; one trough being higher than the other. These
troughs hold a quantity of sharps, bran, saw-dust or other cleaning material.
The second trough is placed higher than the first in order that the cleaning
material may not be carried out by the plates. Each trough contains a large iron
pulley, faced with caoutchouc and keyed on a shaft which rotates in bearings at
the sides of the trough. These pulleys have a diameter nearly equal to the
distance from end to end of either trough. An endless belt made of soft leather
passes around each trough. Each belt presses against the lower half or portion of
the periphery of its corresponding pulley, and then goes over two small pulleys,
one of which is placed at each end of the trough near the large pulley; the belt
being kept tight by means of an adjustable pulley beneath the trough. Each large
pulley and belt are placed near one side of the trough in which they work; one
pulley and belt being, however, on the right-hand side and the other on the left-
hand side of the machine. The two small pulleys in the middle of the machine
are mounted on a shaft, which, being fitted with a driving rigger, serves as the
driving shaft. From the opposite side of the trough to that on which the pulley
and belt work, three small guide-rollers, cased with caoutchouc, project; two
being close together and the other one near the large pulley. The outer one of
these rollers is fixed on the same spindle as the outer small pulley. Between the
two small pulleys on the driving shaft, a fluted caoutchouc roller is mounted. This
roller is slightly larger in diameter than the other rollers. A similar fluted roller
is also secured on the middle of the spindle which carries the outer small pulley
and the outer guide-roller at the outlet end of the machine. A. V-shaped guide is
placed above the machine between the large pulleys. Suitable chutes or inclines
are also provided for guiding the greasy plates to, and for conducting the cleaned
plates from, the cleaning troughs.
The greasy plates may be fed to the machine automatically. They may be
placed in a box or receptacle one above the other on a moveable bottom or plat-
form chained to weights, which always keeps the plate (for the time being upper-
most) pressed against the partly open top of the box or receptacle. An endless
band is mounted on pulleys fixed at each end of the box or receptacle above the
top thereof. This band is furnished with teeth or catches, which, as the band is
caused to move, engage with the plates one by one and force them out of the box
or receptacle on to a chute, whence they descend, under the influence of gravity,
to the inlet end of the machine; this action going on continuously until all the
plates have been removed from the box or receptacle, which can then be refilled.
After leaving the cleaning troughs, the plates may be conducted to a dusting
device consisting of three pairs of rollers; the two outer pairs being of caoutchouc
or covered therewith, and the inner pair of wood covered with sheepskin. The
three upper rollers revolve in one direction, and the three lower rollers in the
opposite direction.
The action of the machine is as follows: A greasy plate, having been caused
to slide out of the box or receptacle by the toothed band, slides down the chute to

page_text: the inlet end of the machine, where it is gripped between the belt and the
caoutchouc facing of the large pulley, and drawn through the cleaning material in
the first trough; the plate being guided by the rollers at the side of the trough.
After reaching the far end of the trough, it leaves the cleaning material and passes
into the V-shaped guide. When nearly in its highest position in the guide, the
first fluted roller engages with its lower edge and lifts it from one side of the
V-shaped guide to the other. It then falls between the belt and the caoutchouc
facing of the large pulley in the second trough, and is drawn thereby through the
cleaning material in that trough the plate being guided by the rollers at the side
of the trough. After arriving at the far end of the trough, it leaves the cleaning
material and passes along a guide placed at a tangent to the large pulley. When
nearly in its highest position, the second Huted roller engages with its lower edge
and lifts it over the end of the second trough, whereupon it slides, under the
influence of gravity, down a chute to the dusting device, through which it is
drawn by the caoutchouc (or caoutchouc-covered) rollers, as will be readily under-
stood. That part of the plate which is gripped between the belt and the caoutchouc
facing of the large pulley in the first trough is not exposed to the action of the
cleaning material until it arrives in the second trough, where a part of the plate
which has been cleaned in the first trough is gripped between the second belt and
the caoutchouc facing of the second pulley. It is in order that the whole of the
plate may be properly cleaned that two troughs having their belts and pulleys on
opposite sides are employed.
Dated this 12th day of December 1891.
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Chartered Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning Tin Plates.
I, JOSIAH SMITH, of 22, Conduit Street, in the City of Gloucester, Engineer,
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:-
This invention relates to a machine for cleaning tin plates, whereby the grease
which adheres to the surface of the tin after the plates leave the tinning pots is
efficiently and economically removed.
In the accompanying diagrams, which represent a machine constructed in
accordance with my invention,
Fig. 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section; Fig. 2 being a
corresponding plan.
Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing an amplification; Fig. 4 being a
corresponding plan.
Fig. is a side elevation illustrating the means sometimes employed for stirring
the cleaning material; Fig. 6 being a corresponding plan and Fig. 7 an end
elevation.
Fig. 8 is a cross section of the device for feeding the plates into the machine;
Fig. 9 being a corresponding longitudinal section and Fig. 10 a plan.
The machine comprises two open troughs A and A', of semi-cylindrical or other
convenient shape, arranged end to end; one trough (A¹) being higher than the
other (A). These troughs hold a quantity of sharps, bran, saw-dust or other
cleaning material. The second trough A is placed higher than the first in order
that the cleaning material may not be carried out by the plates. Each trough
contains a large iron pulley C or C, faced with caoutchouc and keyed on a
shaft or which rotates in bearings at the sides of the trough. These pulleys
have a diameter nearly equal to the distance from end to end of either trough.

page_text: An endless belt D or D' made of soft leather passes around each trough. Each
belt presses against the lower half or portion of the periphery of the corre-
sponding pulley Cor C, and then goes over two small pulleys f, one of which is
placed at each end of the trough near the large pulley; the belt being kept tight
by means of an adjustable pulley beneath the trough. Each large pulley C
or Cand belt D or D' are placed near one side of the trough in which they work;
one pulley and belt being, however, on the right-hand side and the other on the
left-hand side of the machine. The two small pulleys in the middle of the
machine are mounted on a shaft F, which, being fitted with a driving rigger F*,
serves as the driving shaft. This shatt is provided with a pinion F which gears
with and drives the toothed wheels F and keyed respectively to the shafts c
and c. On the opposite side of the trough to that on which the pulley and belt
work, there are three small guide-rollers g, g' and y³, cased with caoutchouc ;
g and being close together and g near the pulley Cor in the other trough.
The roller is fixed on the same spindle as the outer pulley f. The rollers g, g
and may, if preferred, be driven by gearing. Between the two pulleys on the
driving shaft F, a fluted caoutchouc roller is mounted. This roller is slightly
larger in diameter than the rollers y or pulleys . A similar fluted roller' is
also secured on the middle of the spindle F which carries the outer pulley and
the outer guide-ro.ler g at the outlet end of the machine. A V-shaped guide K is
placed above the machine between the two pulleys C and C. Suitable chutes or
inclines are also provided for guiding the greasy plates to, and for conducting the
cleaned plates from, the cleaning troughs.
The greasy plates may be fed to the machine automatically. They may be
placed in a box or receptacle M one above the other on a movable bottom or plat-
form m chained to weights N; the latter always keeping the plate (for the time
being uppermost) pressed against the partly-open top M of the box or receptacle.
An endless band O is mounted on pulleys o fixed at each end of the box or receptacle.
This band is furnished with teeth or catches O', which, as the band is caused to
move, engage with the plates one by one and force them out of the box or
receptacle on to a chute, whence they descend, under the influence of gravity, to
the inlet end of the machine; this action going on continuously until all the plates
have been removed from the box or receptacle, which can then be refilled.
After leaving the cleaning troughs A and A', the plates may be conducted to a
dusting device consisting of three pairs of rollers; the two outer pairs being of
caoutchouc or covered therewith, and the inner pair of wood covered with sheep-
skin. The three upper rollers revolve in one direction, and the three lower rollers
in the opposite direction.
The action of the machine is as follows:-
-A greasy plate, having been caused
to slide out of the box or receptacle by the toothed band O, slides down the chute
to the inlet end of the machine, where it is gripped between the belt D and the
caoutchone facing of the pulley C, and drawn through the cleaning material in the
trough A; the plate being guided by the rollers g, g' and at the side of
the trough. After reaching the far end of the trough, it leaves the cleaning
material and passes into the V-shaped guide K. When nearly in its highest
position in the guide, the fluted roller engages with its lower edge and lifts it
from one side of the V-shaped guide K to the other. It then falls between the
belt D and the caoutchouc facing of the pulley C in the trough A', and is drawn
thereby through the cleaning material in that trough; the plate being guided by
the rollers, and at the side of the trough. After arriving at the far end of
the trough, it leaves the cleaning material and passes along a guide placed at a
tangent to the large pulley. When nearly in its highest position, the fluted roller h³
engages with its lower edge and lifts it over the end of the trough A', whereupon
it slides, under the influence of gravity, down a chute to the dusting device,
through which it is drawn by the caoutchouc (or caoutchouc-covered) rollers, as
will be readily understood. That part of the plate which is gripped between the
belt D and the caoutchouc facing of the pulley C is not exposed to the action of

page_text: the cleaning material until it arrives in the second trough, where a part of the
plate which has been cleaned in the first trough is gripped between the belt D' and
the caoutchouc facing of the pulley C. It is in order that the whole of the plate
may be properly cleaned that two troughs having their belts and pulleys on opposite
sides are employed.
In Figs. 3 and 4, there are three troughs A, A' and A². In the trough A, there
are two pulleys C and two belts D. In the trough A' there are two pulleys C₁,
two belts D, and two fluted rollers /'. In the trough A, there are one pulley C,
one belt D, and two fluted rollers; the pulley and belt being in the middle of
the trough. The rollers, gl and g² are dispensed with. A second guide K¹ is
used between the troughs A and A². The pulleys are driven by the pinion F
through the spur-wheels F and F, the pinion F and the spur-wheel F.
The action of the amplified machine is similar to that of the machine first
described; the plate being conducted from the trough A' to the trough A³ in the
same way as from the trough A to the trough A. The plates, after passing
through the machine, are received in a box R (Fig. 5).
I sometimes employ rocking levers P P mounted on the shafts c, cand
The lower arms P are bent so as to work under the belts and stir the cleaning
material; thus preventing the same from becoming caked. The upper arms P
are connected to a rod P². An arm P³ is bolted to one of the arms P¹.
A con-
necting rod P jointed to the arm P³ and to one of the spokes of the toothed
wheel F³ serves to communicate motion to all the connected levers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim :-
1. The improved method of cleaning tin plates substantially as herein described
and consisting in carrying them through cleaning troughs by means of pulleys,
belts and fluted rollers.
2. The improved apparatus for cleaning tin plates arranged or operating sub-
stantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. In apparatus for cleaning tin plates, the combination, with the troughs con-
taining the cleaning material, of the pulleys for gripping the plates, the endless
belts bearing against the lower parts of the pulleys, and the fluted rollers for
lifting the partially-cleaned plate from one trough into the next and removing the
cleaned plate from the machine, substantially as herein set forth.
4. In apparatus for cleaning tin plates, the combination, with the troughs con-
taining the cleaning material, the pulleys for gripping the plates, the endless belts
bearing against the lower parts of the pulleys, and the fluted rollers for lifting the
partially-cleaned plate from one trough into the next and removing the cleaned
plate from the machine, of the rocking levers for stirring the cleaning material,
substantially as herein set forth.
5. In apparatus for cleaning tin plates, the combination, with cleaning troughs
and their appurtenances, such as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, of the feeding device
described with reference to Figs. 8 to 10 of the accompanying drawings, substan-
tially as set forth.
Dated the 8th day of Sentember 1899
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Chartered Patent Agent.