Apparatus for cleaning of conveyors

A conveyor cleaning assembly for cleaning an endless conveyor as such conveyor moves in a predetermined direction along a portion of its path of movement, said cleaning assembly comprising:

• a cleaning head which includes at least one brush having bristles for engaging one or more surfaces of said conveyor and removing debris therefrom as said conveyor moves along said portion of its path in engagement with said brush, and
• a support frame adjacent said conveyor,
• a head support on which said cleaning head is held for holding said cleaning head with said brush thereon in a stationary position adjacent said portion of said path, said head support including a bracket which supports said cleaning head and is pivotally mounted on said support frame for movement between an engagement position on said frame wherein said brush held on said head support is in cleaning engagement with said conveyor and a retracted position on said frame wherein said brush held on said head support is clear of said conveyor,
• said cleaning head being removably mounted on said head support for removal and replacement while said head support is in said retracted position,
• means for selectively effecting adjustable positioning of said bracket about said pivotal mounting for moving said cleaning head thereon toward and away from such conveyor for holding said head support in said engagement position and selectively retracting said head support to said retracted position,
• whereby said brush is supported in a predetermined stationary position in cleaning engagement with said conveyor by said bracket and said means and may be selectively retracted to such a retracted position by said means and said bracket for cleaning or replacement of said brush, and
• said support frame defining a plurality of spaced discrete pivot attachment locations for said pivotal mounting of said bracket thereon for varying the relationship of said bracket and said cleaning head to such a conveyor in accordance with the length of the bristles of said brush.

A conveyor chain cleaning assembly for cleaning an endless conveyor chain as such conveyor chain moves in a predetermined direction along a portion of its path of movement, said chain cleaning assembly comprising:

• a section of a rail for carrying a conveyor chain and which defines said portion of the path of such a conveyor chain,
• a cleaning head which includes at least one cleaning element for engaging one or more surfaces of such a conveyor chain and removing debris therefrom as said conveyor chain moves along said rail section,
• a head support mounted on said rail section for holding said cleaning head adjacent such a conveyor chain as said chain traverses said rail section, said head support being mounted on said rail section for free movement between an engagement position on said rail section wherein said cleaning head held on said head support is in cleaning engagement with said conveyor chain and a retracted position on said rail section wherein said cleaning head held on said head support is clear of said conveyor chain and said rail section,
• a latch for selectively holding said head support in said engagement position and releasing said head support for free movement to said retracted position,
• whereby said cleaning head is supported in a predetermined position in engagement with said conveyor by said latch and may be freely retracted to such a retracted position for cleaning or replacement of said cleaning head upon release of said latch.

A conveyor cleaning assembly for cleaning an endless conveyor as such conveyor moves in a predetermined direction along a portion of its path of movement, said cleaning assembly comprising:

• a cleaning head which includes at least one cleaning element for engaging one or more surfaces of said conveyor and removing debris therefrom as said conveyor moves along said portion of its path in frictional engagement with said cleaning element,
• a head support for holding said cleaning head adjacent said portion of said path, said head support being mounted for free movement between an engagement position wherein said cleaning head held thereon is in engagement with said conveyor and a retracted position wherein said cleaning head held thereon is clear of said conveyor,
• said cleaning head being removably mounted on said head support for removal and replacement while said head support is in said retracted position,
• said head support having an engagement axis that is disposed generally parallel to said predetermined direction when said head support is in said engagement position, and said cleaning head and said head support being of complementary configurations for sliding engagement of said cleaning head with said support head upon movement of said cleaning head along said engagement axis in a direction corresponding generally to said predetermined direction of movement of such conveyor, said head support precluding movement of said cleaning head laterally relative to said engagement axis of said support head when so engaged therewith, and said cleaning head and said head support including abutment portions which limit the sliding engagement movement of said cleaning head onto said support head in said direction of movement of said conveyor, whereby said cleaning head may be so slid onto said support and into a cleaning position for contact with said conveyor and thereafter retained in such cleaning position by friction forces of said conveyor on said cleaning head as said conveyor moves in said predetermined direction and said cleaning head may be removed by sliding movement opposite to said predetermined direction, and
• a latch for selectively holding said head support in said engagement position and releasing said head support for free movement to said retracted position,
• whereby said cleaning head is supported in a predetermined position in engagement with said conveyor by said latch and may be freely retracted to such a retracted position for cleaning or replacement of said cleaning head upon release of said latch.

A conveyor cleaning assembly for cleaning an endless conveyor as such conveyor moves in a predetermined direction along a portion of its path of movement, said cleaning assembly comprising:

• a cleaning head which includes at least one cleaning element for en a in one or more surfaces of said conveyor and removing debris therefrom as said conveyor moves along said portion of its path in frictional engagement with said cleaning element,
• a head support for holding said cleaning head adjacent said portion of said path, said head support being mounted for free movement between an engagement position wherein said cleaning head held thereon is in engagement with said conveyor and a retracted position wherein said cleaning head held thereon is clear of said conveyor,
• said head support being pivotally mounted for free swinging movement about a first axis for such movement between said engagement and retracted positions and also mounted for selective adjustment movement about a second axis for adjustment movement of said cleaning head thereon toward and away from said conveyor, said second axis being substantially orthogonal to said first axis, and
• a latch for selectively holding said head support in said engagement position and releasing said head support for free movement to said retracted position,
• whereby said cleaning head is supported in a predetermined position in engagement with said conveyor by said latch and may be freely retracted to such a retracted position for cleaning or replacement of said cleaning head upon release of said latch.

A conveyor cleaning assembly for cleaning an endless conveyor as such conveyor moves in a predetermined direction along a portion of its path of movement, said cleaning assembly comprising:

• a cleaning head which includes at least one brush for engaging one or more surfaces of said conveyor and removing debris therefrom as said conveyor moves along said portion of its path in engagement with said brush, and
• a support frame adjacent said conveyor,
• a head support for holding said cleaning head with said brush thereon in a stationary position adjacent said portion of said path, said head support being mounted on said support frame for movement between an engagement position on said frame wherein said brush held on said head support is in cleaning engagement with said conveyor and a retracted position on said frame wherein said brush held on said head support is clear of said conveyor, and
• said head support having an engagement axis that is disposed generally parallel to said predetermined direction when said head support is in said engagement position, said cleaning head and said head support being of complementary configurations for sliding engagement of said cleaning head with said head support upon movement of said cleaning head along said engagement axis in a direction generally parallel to said predetermined direction of movement of such conveyor, said head support precluding movement of said cleaning head laterally relative to said engagement axis of said support head when so engaged therewith, and said cleaning head being held in a stationary position in said slide engagement with said head support, whereby said cleaning head may be so engaged onto said head support and moved into a cleaning position by said head support for contact with said conveyor when said head support is in its engagement position and thereafter may be removed by sliding movement in a direction generally parallel to said predetermined direction of movement of said conveyor when said head support is in its retracted position,
• means for selectively holding said head support in said engagement position and selectively retracting said head support to said retracted position,
• whereby said brush is supported in a predetermined stationary position in cleaning engagement with said conveyor by said head support and said means and may be selectively retracted to such a retracted position by said means and said head support for cleaning or replacement of said brush.

A conveyor chain cleaning assembly for cleaning an endless conveyor chain as such conveyor chain moves in a predetermined direction along a portion of its path of movement, said chain cleaning assembly comprising:

• a section of a rail for carrying a conveyor chain and which defines said portion of the path of such a conveyor chain,
• said rail section including side portions for receiving such a conveyor chain therebetween,
• a cleaning head which includes at least one brush for engaging one or more surfaces of such a conveyor chain and removing debris therefrom as said conveyor chain moves along said rail section,
• a head support, on which said cleaning head is held, mounted on said rail section for holding said cleaning head adjacent such a conveyor chain as said chain traverses said rail section, said head support being mounted for free movement on said rail between an engagement position wherein said brush held thereon is in engagement with said conveyor chain and a retracted position wherein said brush held thereon is clear of said conveyor chain,
• said head support being disposed on the outer side of a respective one of said side portions, and wherein said brush is extended through said respective side portion and into cleaning engagement with such a conveyor chain on said rail section when said head support with said cleaning head thereon is in said engagement position,
• a latch for selectively holding said head support in said engagement position and releasing said head support for free movement to said retracted position,
• whereby said cleaning head is supported in a predetermined position with said brush in engagement with said conveyor by said head support and said latch and may be freely retracted by movement of said support head to such a retracted position for cleaning or replacement of said brush upon release of said latch.