Apparatus for washing dishes

A dish washing system comprising:

• a rack carry-in unit (24) in which a rack (14) with dishes (13) to be washed can be loaded, having a mechanism (32) for carrying the rack (14) toward a downstream dishwasher (10) along a rack carry-in line;
• a dishwasher (10) including a washing tank (11) and equipped with a casing (12) having an open bottom for covering said washing tank (11) having an open top, wherein the casing (12) is ascended or descended by a drive means (16, 17, 19, 20) to allow carrying the rack (14) horizontally in and out of the washing tank (11);
• a rack carry-out mechanism (21, 11) disposed adjacent to the dishwasher (10) for feeding the rack (14) after completion of dishwashing in a direction intersecting with the rack carry-in line of the rack carrying unit (24);
• a lifter unit (37) disposed adjacent to the dishwasher (10) in such a relationship that the rack carry-out line of the lifter unit (37) intersects with the rack carry-in line of the rack carry-in unit (24), having a lift (42) which is ascended or descended in a horizontal posture by a lift mechanism (44, 46, 47, 48);
• a rack loading device (62) disposed adjacent to the lift (42) for pulling the rack (14) fed out by the rack carry-out mechanism (21, 22) to a predetermined position in the lift (42), as well as, forwarding the rack (14) from the lift (42) located at a predetermined level to a downstream wagon (67);
• and
• a wagon (67) for receiving the rack (14) fed out of the lift (42) on a plurality of bracket pairs (70) disposed therein at predetermined vertical intervals, wherein said wagon is removably set at the outlet side of the lifter unit (37).