Method and apparatus for treating and cleaning plates by means of a central reactor

A method of treating regularly-shaped flat parts having no central opening, using a chamber having side walls, an end wall, an opening in a front plate facing said end wall, support means enabling a plurality of parts to be carried, means for injecting treatment fluids therein in order to completely immerse said Darts in said fluids, means for closing said chamber, and means for discharging said fluids, thereby enabling said parts to be treated by said fluids, and enabling said fluids subsequently to be discharged from said chamber, wherein:

• said flat parts stored in a transport basket are brought beneath said chamber which is opened by moving the shell constituting the chamber away from its closure means;
• said parts are transferred by any suitable means from the basket into the open volume of said chamber;
• said parts are grasped by tilting two lateral combs that were previously moved apart, and which engage beneath said parts so as to constitute support means for them, and said transfer means is withdrawn;
• said chamber is closed by moving said shell over said parts and their supporting combs until contact is made against the closure means, and the assembly is sealed;
• and
• treatment is performed by injecting fluids into the chamber using said means for injecting treatment fluids so as to immerse said parts completely in said fluids, then at the end of the treatment, after the fluids have been discharged by said discharge means and after the chamber has been reopened, said parts are transferred back down into their transport basket.