Industrial washer structure
AssigneeIndustrial Metal Fabricators Co.
InventorsJohn F. Stimac, Paul E. Goulet
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An industrial washer including structure for and method of automatically moving a cover of the industrial washer to permit rapid exhaust of washing fluid fumes from the washer to facilitate inspection and maintenance of the washer. The structure for removing the cover specifically includes independent rack and pinion means at opposite sides of covers at both ends of the washer for rolling the covers independently parallel to a conveyor moving engine blocks through the washer. The method of the invention includes selectively, independently rolling the covers parallel to the conveyor on mating track and rollers by the rack and pinion means to expose significant portions of the interior of the washer to rapidly exhaust fumes from the washer.
Claims11
In an industrial washer for engine blocks or the like including a conveyor for receiving engine blocks and indexing them longitudinally through the industrial washer structure between a plurality of aligned stations including moving and stationary portions wherein washing fluid is circulated around the engine blocks including ferris wheel structure for orienting the engine blocks in a plurality of positions, which washer includes means for retrieving the washing fluid, filtering it and re-using it, and further including a cover over at least part of the conveyor and over at least one of said stations, said cover having a top wall, spaced side walls and an end wall which cover together with stationary portions of said station substantially completely encloses said part of said conveyor and said one station to restrict the washing fluid and fumes therefrom during washing, the improvement comprising means for selectively substantially completely removing the cover from said portion of the conveyor and said one station to provide rapid exhaust of washing fluid fumes from the conveyor and to expose the conveyor and associated engine block handling apparatus for maintenance including tracks parallel to the conveyor and wheels rotatably secured to the cover and positioned on the tracks, said wheels and tracks having mating configurations for guiding the wheels on the tracks, and means engaged with the cover for moving the cover parallel to the conveyor on the tracks.
In an industrial washer for engine blocks or the like, including a conveyor for receiving engine blocks and indexing them longitudinally through the industrial washer structure between a plurality of aligned stations wherein washing fluid is circulated around the engine blocks including ferris wheel structure for orienting the engine blocks in a plurality of positions, which washer includes means for retrieving the washing fluid, filtering it and re-using it, and further including covers provided over both ends of the conveyor and over the stations associated therewith, each of said covers having a top wall, spaced side walls and an end wall to substantially completely enclose part of said conveyor and said stations associated therewith to restrict the washing fluid and fumes therefrom during washing, bulkhead means extending transversely across said conveyor between two of said stations, said top and side walls of said covers engaging said bulkhead means in their closed positions and means for selectively independently moving the covers at both ends of the conveyor parallel to the conveyor for exposing different significant portions of the conveyor to provide rapid exhaust of washing fluid fumes from the conveyor and to expose the conveyor and associated engine block handling apparatus for maintenance.
In an industrial washer for engine blocks or the like, including a conveyor for receiving engine blocks and indexing them longitudinally through the industrial washer structure between a plurality of aligned stations wherein washing fluid is circulated around the engine blocks including ferris wheel structure for orienting the engine blocks in a plurality of positions, which washer includes means for retrieving the washing fluid, filtering it and re-using it, and further including a cover over at least part of the conveyor and over at least one of said stations, said cover having a top wall, spaced side walls and an end wall to substantially completely enclose said part of said conveyor and said one station to restrict the washing fluid and fumes therefrom during washing, the improvements comprising means for selectively substantially completely removing the cover from said portion of the conveyor and said one station to provide rapid exhaust of washing fluid fumes from the conveyor and to expose the conveyor and associated engine block handling apparatus for maintenance, wherein the means for removing the cover comprises tracks parallel to the conveyor and wheels rotatably secured to the cover and positioned on the tracks, said wheels and tracks having mating configurations for guiding the wheels on the tracks, and means engaged with the cover for moving the cover parallel to the conveyor on the tracks, wherein the means for moving the cover parallel to the conveyor on the tracks is rack and pinion structure and means for pinion rotation wherein the rack and pinion structure includes a separate rack on each side of the covers secured to the bottom thereof, a separate pinion engaged with the rack on each side of the cover, a single rotatably spindle, pinions secured on opposite ends of the spindle, a motor, a gearbox connected to the output of the motor, a sprocket on said spindle for rotation therewith, a sprocket secured to the output of the gearbox, and a chain drive operable between the sprocket.
In an industrial washer for engine blocks or the like, including a conveyor for receiving engine blocks and indexing them longitudinally through the industrial washer structure between a plurality of aligned stations wherein washing fluid is circulated around the engine blocks including ferris wheel structure for orienting the engine blocks in a plurality of positions, which washer includes means for retrieving the washing fluid, filtering it and re-using it, and further including a cover over at least part of the conveyor and over at least one of said stations, said cover having a top wall, spaced side walls and an end wall to substantially completely enclose the part of said conveyor and said one station to restrict the washing fluid and fumes therefrom during washing, bulkhead means extending transversely across said conveyor between said one station and an adjacent station, said top and side walls of said cover engaging said bulkhead means in its closed positions and means for selectively substantially completely removing the cover from said portion of the conveyor for exposing different significant portions of the conveyor and said one station to provide rapid exhaust of washing fluid fumes from the conveyor and to expose the conveyor and associated engine block handling apparatus for maintenance.
In an industrial washer including a conveyor for receiving parts to be washed and indexing them longitudinally through the industrial washer structure between a plurality of aligned stations, and further including covers provided over both ends of the conveyor and over the stations associated therewith, each of said covers having a top wall, spaced side walls and an end wall to substantially completely enclose the part of said conveyor and said stations associated therewith, bulkhead means extending transversely across said conveyor between two of said stations, said top and side walls of said covers engaging said bulkhead means in their closed positions and means for selectively independently moving the covers at both ends of the conveyor parallel to the conveyor for exposing different significant portions of the conveyor.
In an industrial washer, including a conveyor for receiving parts to be washed and indexing them longitudinally through the industrial washer structure between a plurality of aligned stations, and further including a cover over at least part of the conveyor and over at least one of said stations, said cover having a top wall, spaced side walls and an end wall to substantially completely enclose said part of said conveyor and said one station, the improvements comprising means for selectively substantially completely removing the cover from said portion of the conveyor and said one station, wherein the means for removing the cover comprises tracks parallel to the conveyor and wheels rotatably secured to the cover and positioned on the tracks, said wheels and tracks having mating configurations for guiding the wheels on the tracks, and means engaged with the cover for moving the cover parallel to the conveyor on the tracks, wherein the means for moving the cover parallel to the conveyor on the tracks is rack and pinion structure and means for pinion rotation, wherein the rack and pinion structure includes a separate rack on each side of the covers secured to the bottom thereof, a separate pinion engaged with the rack on each side of the cover, a single rotatable spindle, pinions secured on opposite ends of the spindle, a motor, a gearbox connected to the output of the motor, a sprocket on said spindle for rotation therewith, a sprocket secured to the output of the gearbox, and a chain drive operable between the sprockets.
In an industrial washer for engine blocks or the like including a conveyor, having two ends, for receiving engine blocks and indexing them longitudinally through the industrial washer structure between a plurality of aligned stations, including moving and stationary portions, wherein washing fluid is circulated around the engine blocks, including ferris wheel structure for orienting the engine blocks in a plurality of positions, which washer includes means for retrieving the washing fluid, filtering it and reusing it, and further including covers over both ends of the conveyor and over at least some of said stations, said covers each having a top wall, spaced sidewalls and an end wall which covers together with stationary portions of said some of said stations substantially completely enclose said ends of said conveyor and said some of said stations to restrict the washing fluid and fumes therefrom during washing, the improvement comprising means for selectively independently substantially completely removing the cover at both ends of the conveyor and said some of said stations parallel to the conveyor to provide rapid exhaust of washing fluid fumes from the conveyor and to expose different significant portions of the conveyor and associated engine block handling apparatus for maintenance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.