Apparatus for washing insulated trays

Apparatus for washing insulated trays having pockets on a major face thereof comprising a housing having an inlet and an outlet, the width of the inlet being substantially narrower than the height thereof so that trays to be washed will be vertically disposed and supported by a side face, first and second guide rails in said housing for guiding upright trays as they are being washed in said housing, said rails being spaced apart slightly greater than the thickness of the trays so that trays will tilt slightly from the vertical while being washed, an endless conveyor below the elevation of said guide rails for moving trays from said inlet through said housing to said outlet, motor means for driving said conveyor, said conveyor having generally V-shaped tray supports at spaced points therealong so that each tray side face is supported by two adjacent tray supports, said tray supports having a plastic coating to provide a non-slip surface for contact with a side face of trays to be washed, said conveyor including an endless conveyor chain, said tray supports being removably attached to said chain, nozzle means on opposite sides of vertical planes containing the longitudinal axes of the rails for spraying water generally horizontally at the opposite major faces of the trays, said nozzle means including vertically disposed manifold conduits having a plurality of nozzles at spaced points therealong, and a loading area projecting forwardly of the inlet, said loading area being defined by vertically disposed walls whose forward edges are at an acute angle relative to the horizontal, said loading area including a portion of said conveyor exposed between said last-mentioned walls.

Apparatus for cleaning trays with a washing or sanitizing liquid comprising a housing having an inlet and an outlet, the width of the inlet being substantially narrower than the height thereof so that trays to be cleaned will be vertically disposed and supported by a side face, first and second guide rails in said housing for guiding upright trays as they are moved through said housing, said rails being spaced apart slightly greater than the thickness of the trays so that trays will tilt slightly from the vertical while being washed, an endless conveyor below the elevation of said guide rails for moving trays from said inlet through said housing to said outlet, motor means for driving said conveyor, said conveyor having generally V-shaped tray supports at spaced points therealong so that each tray side face is supported from below by two adjacent tray supports, said tray supports having a coating to provide a non-slip surface for contact with a side face of trays to be washed, said conveyor including an endless conveyor chain, said tray supports being attached to said chain, nozzle means on opposite sides of vertical planes containing the longitudinal axes of the rails for spraying a washing or sanitizing liquid generally horizontally at the opposite major faces of the trays, and said nozzle means including vertically disposed manifold conduits having a plurality of nozzles at spaced points therealong.