US1923743A - Bottle washing machine - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 22, 1933. F. P. PERKINS Y 1,923,743

' BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE l Filed March 25, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l l", Q/ XS fg (L [NVEN TOR.

Aug. 22, 1933.

nya-umu F. P. PERKINS 1,923,743

BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE Filed March 25, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 NVENTOR.

@,/LQM, l/QW, me @M+/bw ATTORNEY.

Allg. 22, F p. PERK|N5 BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE Filed March 25, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\V il 4 INVENTOR.

M @M 3 v luzw, M,VL, 2Y?? 71M W v ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 22, 1933 BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE Frank P. Perkins, Waukesha, Wis., assigner' to Michael Yundt Company, Waukesha, Wis., a Corporation of Wisconsin Application March 25, 1931. Serial No. 525,061 4 claims. (CI. 1'5-59) This invention relates in general to bottle cleaning or washing machinery and more particularly to themeans for scrubbing the outsides 'of the bottles.

5 In one type of bottle washing machinery well known and widely used, the bottles are placed in holders carried by an endless chain or conveyor within a soaker tank containing a heated caustic solution. AtY the discharge end of the soaker tank the bottlesV are fed to an outside scrubber which cleans the outsides of the bottles. From ,the outside scrubbing means the bottles are carried into a washer which thoroughly cleans the insides of the bottles. Most bottles, and for example milk I5 bottles, have the neck portion reduced or of smaller diameter than the main body portion of the bottle. This shape of the bottle has rendered itdiicult with prior constructions to thoroughly cleanthe entire outsides oi the bottles.

One of theprincipal objects of the present in' vention is to providean outside scrubbbing means which effectively cleans and scrubs the necks as well as the main body portions of the bottles and which is equally effective with any of the various 2'5` sizes of bottles;

At further object-iste provide a bottle washingv machine having these-advantages and capacitiesv and'which is simple and durable in construction,

reliable `andfeife'ctiw'fe' in operation, and easy andA comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages reside in' certain novel features of the construction', arrangement and combination of parts which; will be herein- ,aftermore fully described and particularly 3`5'pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of thisY specification, and in which:

Figure 1 isa fragmentaryview in side elevation showing' an outside scrubbing mechanism for 40"' bottles embodying the present invention;

Figure 2! is a fragmentary :plan view along line 2-2 of Figure 1, a portion of the hollow supporting shaft for theV brush carrying arms `being broken away and shown in section for the sake of illustration-showing the outside scrubbing mechanism of Figure 1';

Figure 3 is a view in section taken on line 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4is a view-in-vertical section on line 4-4f of Figure 1;- and s Figure 5 is a group view'v in perspective showing, the camsemployed for washing bottles of different sizes. v

For a complete disclosure ofthe general structure of V ai bottlev washing machine in which the crank arms 8 is as above noted, hollow, and fur'- outside scrubbing Amechanism embodying the present invention may be advantageously employed, reference isimade to Patent 1,729,193, granted September 24, 1929, to Henry F. Stock, for a Bottle cleaning apparatus. p 6() Referring to Figure 1 it will be understood that after the bottles have passed through the soaking tank .(not shown) they slide down inclines 76 and are stopped by snubbers 77 operating in the manner described in the patent referred to. As 65 l the bottles are released from the incline ,'76 they slide by gravity down into the spaces between longitudinal extending and inclined` rollersv 1. The rollers 1 are supported by shafts V,2 journaled in bearings 3 on a suitable frame work 4. The 76 shafts 2 have sprocket wheels 5 xed to one end thereof and these sprocket Wheels are rotated by means of a suitably driven sprocket chain 6'-, shown diagrammatically in Figure 2. As acon-` sequence the rollers 1Y are turned or revolved and 75 they impart a rotation to the bottles about their longitudinal axis as` the bottles move down along the rollers 1.

For scrubbing the bottles a rotary scrubbing brush 6 is provided, the brush being of cylindrical form and overlying and extending transversely across the rollers 1. The brush 6 has an axial shaft 7, each end of which projects beyond the brush 4and is journaled in a crankA arm 8 Xed to a hollow supporting shaft 9, this shaft 9 being 85 journaled in suitable bearings provided therefor on the frame 4, one of these bearings being shown at 10 in Figure 2. The brush 6 is rotated in a counter clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 1 by means of a sprocket wheel 11 fixed to the shaft or axis 7 of the brush and a suitably driven sprocket chain 12 coacting with the sprocket wheel 11.

The supporting shaft 9 for the brush carrying ther is provided with perforations or spray openings 18. Water or cleansing fluid is sup'- plied to the interior of the hollow shaft v9' and preferably to one end thereof and this uidissues in the form: of downwardly directed sprays from the openings'13. It will be noted that, as shown indotted lines in Figure 1, the sprays are `directed towards the bottles and move in the same general direction as the adjacent portion of thebrush 6. This tends to concentrateV the sprays onto the surfaces of the bottles and any tendency on the part of the brush to obstruct the spraying of the bottles or throw the water away from the same is avoided.

When the bottles iirst slide down onto the llo rollers 1 they move by gravity but their progress along the rollers and toward the brush 6 is controlled by bumper fingers 15. These bumper fingers 15 are carried by transverse bars 15 secured to a pair of endless sprocket chains 16 extending longitudinally of and adjacent to the sides of the frame work 4. For the sake of simplicity in illustration, only one such chain is illustrated in the drawings and, as shown in Figure l, is trained about sprocket wheels 17 at least one of which is positively driven. The sprocket chains 16 also carry, or have fixed thereto, transverse bars 18', to which push lingers 13 are secured. There is one set of bumper fingers yand push fingers between each pair of adjacent rollers 1 and the bumper fingers and push fingers are of such size and are so shaped and arranged that they pass in between the rollers and project upwardly beyond the tops thereof when traveling along with the top run of their sprocket chain. The bumper and push fingers and their specific mounting per se, land aside froml their organizationY in the assembly, form no part of this invention as they have long been known and used.

The brushV 6 is raised and lowered at predetermined times in order that it may be Positioned' for effective scrubbing engagement with the necks of the bottles in one phase of the operation and for effective scrubbing engagement with the relatively larger body portions'of the `bottles in another phase of the operation. This raisingand lowering, in this embodiment of the invention, is carried out by securing to one end of .the supporting shaft 9 a crank arm 20. The end of the ,crank arm 20 opposite that secured to the shaft 9 is pivoted to the upper end of an adjustable 27. A shaft is provided and has a bushing 28V pinned to one end thereof and slidably fitted in the bearing opening 27. The shaft 30 also has a .squared portion 30 fittedfor sliding movement in the correspondingly formed bearing opening 27. Intermediate its ends the shaft 30 has a follower 3l rotatively mounted thereon and selectively engageable with cams 32, 33 or 34 fixed f ,on a cam shaft 35. The shaft 35 is journaled in bearings provided therefor on the bracket 24 and is driven by gears 36 and 36" fixed respectively on the cam shaft 35 and on a shaft 37. This shaft 37 has one of the sprocket Wheels 17 fixed ythereto and also has a sprocket wheel 38 suitably secured thereon and suitably driven by a sprocket chain 39, as illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 1.

By sliding or adjusting the shaft 30 longitudinally, its follower 3l may be engaged with either y'cam 32, cam 33 or cam 34. For holding the shaft 30 in any of its longitudinal adjustments and also for indicating or facilitating exact positioning in any selected adjustment the shaft 30 is -formed with three spaced peripheral grooves 40, `-41 and 42 which are selectively engageable with a latch plate 43 slidable in guides 44 and having its lower end provided with a notch to permit the lower end to interengage with any one of the peripheral grooves in'such manner as to maintain the shaft 30 against longitudinal displacement. A handle 46 facilitates adjustment of the latch plate. On the outer end of the shaft 30 a knob 43 is provided to facilitate axial adjustment of the shaft 30.

In Figure 4 the follower 31 is shown engaged with the cam 33 which is shaped and designed for appropriately actuating the brush when quart bottles are being brushed. When theshaft is adjusted so that the latch 43 engages the groove the follower will be engaged with cam 34 and similarly when latch 43 engages groove 42 the follower will be engaged with the cam 32. The cam 32 is designed foi` use in washing pint bottles and the cam 34 is for use in washing halfpint bottles. It is to be understood at this point that the number of cams provided may be varied and that they may be shaped and designed for washing bottles of sizes other than those specifically mentioned.

bumperfingers travel beneath the brush 6 the brush is elevated but immediately thereafter, that is, when the bumper fingers are in the position` shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, the low points ofthe cam in operation come beneath the follower 31 so that the lever 22, link 21 and crank arm 20 and consequently also the crank arms 8 and the brush 6 are lowered to the position shown in full lines in Figure v1, whereupon the brush has scrubbing engagement with the necks of the bottles. This condition obtains until one of the push fingers 18 engages the bottom of the bottle and starts to push the same beneath the brush 6. At this time the higherpoints of the cam in operation comearound and engage the follower A31 to lift the lever 22 and consequently also the brush 6 to the dotted line position shown in Figure 1. In this way the reduced necks as Well as the main portions of the bottles are thoroughly scrubbed.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a bottle washing machinefoutside scrubbing mechanism comprising longitudinally eX-v tending inclined rollers, between and on which the bottles are supported, means for rotating the rollers to cause thebottles to rotate, push and bumper fingers movable between adjacent rollers and cooperable lwith the bottles for controlling their movement along the rollers, a rotary brush overlying and extending transversely to the rollers, a swingable support for said brush, cam means for swinging said support so as to lower the brush into engagement with the necks of the bottles and to raise the brush for engagement with the body portions of the bottles, and aj synchronized drive for the push and bumper fingers and said cam means whereby the brush is lowered while the bottles are under the control of the bumper fingers and is raised when the bottles are pushed-under thebrush under the ac-` then away from the brush, a swingable supportl for the brush and means for swinging said support including a lever connectedto the support, an adjustable followercarried by said lever, a

plurality of cams, each of said cams being adaptf ed for a particular size of bottle, and means for shifting'said follower to cause it to engage with any one of saidcamsuwhereby the movements.

of the brush are adapted to different sizes bottles.

3. In a bottle washing machine, outside scrubbing mechanism for the bottles including a rotary brush, feeding means for carrying the bottles toward, into brushing engagement with and then away from the brush, a swingable support for the brush, means for swinging said support including a lever connected to the support, a follower carried by the lever, a plurality of different cams supported for rotation on the machine, means for rotating the cams in synchronism with the operation of the feeding means and means rendering the cams selectively cooperable with the follower to adapt the movements of the brush to different sized bottles.

4. In a bottle washing machine, outside scrubbing mechanism for the bottles including a rowhich the follower is selectively cooperable to adapt the movements of the brush to different sized bottles, and means for moving said camsv in synchronism with the operation of the feeding means.

VFRANK P. PERKINS.

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