US 5,441,063 A · High speed bottle washing machine

Abstract

A high-speed bottle washing machine provides concurrent rotational motion to a workpiece as it is conveyed through a washing treatment zone for internal and external spray treatments. The machine comprises a plurality of moving bottle receiving stations for sequentially receiving and rotating inverted bottles received from a bottle infeed conveyor, a plurality of reciprocating spray nozzles, with at least one spray nozzle moving with each bottle receiving station, wherein each of the spray nozzles reciprocates from a first position below the inverted bottles, to a second position within the bottles, and a manifold assembly for sequentially supplying a caustic wash fluid under pressure to each of the plurality of spray nozzles to clean the bottles by impingement of the wash fluid in a predetermined pattern within the bottles as the bottles are rotated. The washed bottles are finally discharged at a bottle outfeed conveyor.

Claims58

Dependent claims

A high speed bottle washing machine for sequentially washing returnable bottles upon their return, prior to refilling, each said bottle having residual soiled locations on an internal surface thereof, said machine comprising:

(a) plurality of moving bottle receiving stations, each of said stations having means for sequentially receiving and means for independently gripping and rotating a respective inverted bottle received from a bottle infeed means and discharging them at a bottle outfeed means,
(b) a plurality of reciprocating spray nozzles, with at least one spray nozzle moving with each bottle receiving station, said spray nozzles reciprocating from a first position below said inverted bottles, to a second position within said bottles,
(c) manifold means for sequentially supplying a caustic wash fluid under pressure to each of said plurality of spray nozzles to clean said bottles by impingement of said wash fluid in a predetermined pattern at said residual soiled locations within the bottles as the bottles are rotated.

A high speed bottle washing machine for sequentially washing plastic returnable bottles upon their return, prior to refilling, each said bottle having residual soiled locations on an internal surface thereof, said machine comprising:

(a) an endless loop bottle carrier having a plurality of bottle receiving stations mounted thereon, said carrier having a bottle loading position and a bottle discharge position,
(b) a first positive drive means mounted on each of said bottle receiving stations for independently gripping and rotating inverted bottles received at said bottle loading position as they traverse said endless loop to said bottle discharge position,
(c) a plurality of moving spray nozzles, with each bottle receiving station having at least one spray nozzle associated therewith which travels with said station from said loading position to said discharge position,
(d) a second means for inserting each of said plurality of spray nozzles into an associated inverted bottle after said bottle is received at said bottle loading position,
(e) third means for providing a caustic wash fluid under pressure to each of said plurality of spray nozzles, whereby said bottles are cleaned by impingement of said wash fluid at said residual soiled locations within said bottles as the bottles are rotated,
whereby said bottle washing machine sequentially receives and discharges bottles at a high rate of speed while providing an extended wash cycle as said bottles travel said loop between said bottle loading position and said bottle discharge position.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

High speed bottle washing machine

Life of this patent

High speed bottle washing machine

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims58