Beverage glass washer

A machine for washing articles such as beverage glasses, comprising a plurality of spray nozzles arranged in sets, conveyor means for carrying articles to be washed along a defined path, from a load station successively through a washing zone having a set of washing nozzles from which washing liquid is discharged against the articles and a rinsing zone having a set of rinsing nozzles from which rinsing liquid is discharged against the articles, to an unloading station, means for delivering washing liquid under pressure to said set of washing nozzles, means for delivering rinsing liquid under pressure to said set of rinsing nozzles, a retention tank, and means for conducting into said retention tank a substantial portion of the rinsing liquid discharged from said set of rinsing nozzles, said machine being characterized by:

• A. a set of prewash nozzles along said path, in a prewash zone between said loading station and said washing zone;
• B. means comprising a prewash pump for withdrawing liquid from said retention tank and delivering it under pressure exclusively to said set of prewash nozzles for discharge from them against articles on said conveyor, to prewash the articles prior to their being sprayed with washing liquid,
• C. a washing liquid tank at a level below said set of washing nozzles and having a recirculation outlet near its bottom;
• D. return means for collecting substantially all washing liquid discharged from said set of washing nozzles and directing it towards said washing liquid tank;
• E. a wash pump communicated only with said recirculation outlet and with nozzles of aid set of washing nozzles, for withdrawing washing liquid through said recirculation outlet and delivering it under pressure to those nozzles for discharge from them;
• F. means for introducing makeup washing liquid from a source thereof into said washing liquid tank;
• G. means providing for one-way communication between said tanks, permitting flow into the retention tank from the washing liquid tank whenever liquid in the latter tends to rise above a predetermined filled level but at all times preventing opposite flow;
• and
• H. a screening vessel which is substantially above the bottom of said washing liquid tank and into which said return means discharges, said screening vessel having
• (1) a lower portion of fine mesh screen material through which liquid received in the screening vessel normally falls into the washing liquid tank, and
• (2) an overflow outlet,
• (a) which is at an overflow level above said lower portion,
• (b) through which liquid flows out of the screening vessel whenever liquid therein tends to rise above said overflow level, and
• (c) which is arranged for discharge into said retention tank.

A machine for washing articles such as beverage glasses, said machine being connectable with a source of water and with a source of electric current and comprising nozzle means from which cleansing liquid comprising heated water is discharged against articles to be cleaned, diversion means for conducting away from the machine a portion of the cleansing liquid discharged from said nozzle means, a recirculation system comprising a holding tank for temporarily storing the remainder of the cleansing liquid discharged from said nozzle means and means comprising a pump for withdrawing cleansing liquid from said holding tank and delivering it under pressure to said nozzle means, and means for delivering makeup cleansing liquid to said recirculation system at a rate to normally maintain a substantially constant level of cleansing liquid in said holding tank, said machine being characterized by:

• A. a water heating tank having an inlet connectable with said source of water and an outlet communicated with said recirculation system, said water heating tank
• (1) being mounted below said holding tank and
• (2) having a top wall which also serves as a bottom wall for the holding tank so that said wall provides for heat transfer between the contents of those tanks;
• B. a first electric heating element in the interior of said water heating tank, disposed to be immersed in the contents thereof;
• C. a second electric heating element in the interior of said holding tank, disposed to be immersed in the contents thereof;
• and
• D. thermostatic switch means responsive to the temperature of the contents of said holding tank and arranged to maintain a connection between said second electric heating element and said electric current source while said temperature is below a predetermined value and to open said connection when said temperature attains said value.

A machine for washing articles such as beverage glasses, said machine having moving parts operated by electrically energizable drive means and comprising nozzle means from which a cleansing liquid is normally discharged at a substantially constant discharge rate, and recirculation means comprising a pump for delivering said cleansing liquid under pressure to said nozzle means and a retention tank which is at a level below said nozzle means to receive cleansing liquid discharged from said nozzle means and which has a bottom portion from which said pump withdraws cleansing liquid, said machine being characterized by:

• A. a screening vessel at a level above said bottom portion of the retention tank and below the level of said nozzle means, arranged to receive substantially all of said cleansing liquid that is discharged from said nozzle means, said screening vessel having
• (1) a lower portion of fine mesh screen material through which cleansing liquid normally passes into said retention tank, and
• (2) an overflow outlet
• (a) which is at an overflow level spaced above said lower portion,
• (b) through which liquid flows out of said screening vessel when liquid therein tends to rise above said overflow level, and
• (c) which is communicated with a drain and so arranged as to direct liquid flowing therethrough away from said retention tank;
• and
• B. switch means responsive to the level of liquid in said retention tank, said switch means
• (1) being connected with said driven means and connectable with a source of electric current for energizing the drive means and
• (2) being arranged for maintaining said drive means connected with said current source so long as liquid in the retention tank is above a predetermined critical level and for disconnecting the drive means from said current source when that liquid falls below said critical level.

A machine for washing articles such as beverage glasses, comprising a plurality of spray nozzles arranged in sets and a conveyor for carrying articles to be washed along a defined path from a loading station to an unloading station through a succession of zones for each of which there is one of said sets of nozzles and in each of which a liquid is discharged against the articles from the set of nozzles for the zone, said machine being characterized by:

• A. a pair of tanks mounted beneath said nozzles,
• (1) one of said tanks being a washing liquid tank,
• (2) the other being a prewash liquid tank having, at an overflow level above the bottom thereof, an overflow outlet communicable with a waste drain, and
• (3) each of said tanks having a recirculation outlet near the bottom thereof;
• B. means providing for one-way communication between said tanks whereby flow from the prewash liquid tank to the washing liquid tank is at all times prevented but opposite flow is permitted as necessary to prevent liquid in the washing liquid tank from rising above a predetermined filled level which is at least as high as said overflow level;
• C. first recirculation means comprising a prewash pump communicated with the recirculation outlet in said prewash liquid tank and with the set of nozzles for a first of said zones, for delivering liquid from that tank to that set of nozzles for discharge therefrom;
• D. first liquid collection means underlying said set of nozzles for the first zone and arranged for collecting substantially all liquid discharged from those nozzles and directing it to said waste drain;
• E. makeup means for filling washing liquid into said washing liquid tank at a makeup rate;
• F. second recirculation means comprising a wash pump communicated with the recirculation outlet in the washing liquid tank and with the set of nozzles for a second of said zones, for delivering liquid from that tank to that set of nozzles for discharge therefrom at a rate which is normally substantially higher than said makeup rate;
• G. second liquid collection means underlying the set of nozzles for said second zone, for collecting substantially all liquid discharged from those nozzles and directing at least a major portion thereof into said washing liquid tank;
• H. rinsing liquid delivery means for delivering rinsing liquid to the set of nozzles for a third of said zones for discharge therefrom;
• and
• I. third liquid collection means underlying the set of nozzles for said third zone, for collecting all of the liquid discharged from those nozzles and directing at least a major portion thereof into said prewash liquid tank.