GB2027749A - Cleaning and Degreasing Apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Cleaning equipment comprises a chamber 12 containing a support 15 for articles to be cleaned and apertured pipework 22 for applying jets of liquid to articles supported within the chamber. Two reservoirs 10, 11 are provided for cleaning and rinsing liquids respectively, each having a pump 14 for delivering the liquid to the pipework. A sluice 13 drains liquid from the chamber and below the sluice is a duct 16 which is mounted for tilting movement about a horizontal axis for directing liquid drained from the chamber selectively to one or other of said reservoirs. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in Cleaning Equipment The invention relates to cleaning equimpent and has been developed in relation to equipment for degreasing and claning gearboxes and other transmission components and housing elements.

The invention relates, in particular, to cleaning equipment of the kind comprising a chamber containing a support for articles to be cleaned, a reservoir for cleaning liquid, and pumping means for delivering cleaning liquid from the reservoir to pipe-work within the chamber, the pipework being apertured so that, in use, jets of cleaning liquid from the apertures are applied to articles supported within the chamber.

Normally, the degreasing and cleaning of engine components requires two separate operations requiring the use of two different liquids. First, the components are cleaned using a cleaning solution, for example a hot aqueous alkaline preparation, and then they must be rinsed using a rinsing solution which may, for example, include a rust inhibitor. Hitherto, the need to perform two separate operations using different solutions has meant that separate cleaning and rinsing apparatuses are required, each operating with a different solution. With such an arrangement it is necessary to remove the components from one apparatus, after cleaning, and transfer them to the other apparatus for rinsing. Not only is this time-consuming and inconvenient, but care must be taken when handling components washed in an alkaline solution.In addition, the necessity of providing two sets of apparatus increases capital and maintenance costs, as well as increasing the floor space taken up by the equipment. The present invention sets out to provide cleaning equipment in which both cleaning and rinsing operations, with different solutions, can be carried out in a single apparatus.

According to the invention there is provided cleaning equipment, of the kind referred to above, wherein there are provided two reservoirs for cleaning and rinsing liquids respectively, pump means for delivering liquid from each reservoir to said pipework, means for draining liquid from said chamber, and liquid flow control means for directing liquid drained from the chamber selectively to one or other of said reservoirs.

Thus, when an initial cleaning operation is required, the liquid flow control means are operated to direct liquid drained from the chamber back into the cleaning liquid reservoir, and the pump delivering liquid from that reservoir to the chamber is energised. When initial cleaning has been completed, the pump is de-energised and the chamber completely drained. The liquid flow control means are then operated to direct liquid drained from the chamber into the rinsing liquid reservoir. The pump delivering rinsing liquid from that reservoir is then energised and the rinsing operation is carried out. The components being cleaned remain in the chamber during both operations and no handling of them is required.

The means for draining liquid from the chamber may include an outlet passage in the lower part of the chamber, and said liquid flow control means may comprise an inclined duct which is adjustable between first and second positions where a lower end thereof is in communication with said reservoirs respectively.

The duct may be pivotally mounted for tilting movement about a horizontal axis intermediate its ends between first and second positions, so that in the first position one end of the duct is lowermost and in the second position the opposite end of the duct is lowermost, the aforesaid outlet passage being in communication with a part of the duct intermediate its ends, and the opposite ends of the duct being in communication with said reservoirs respectively.

Preferably the tilting duct comprises a channelshaped element the open side of which is uppermost and located beneath said outlet passage.

The reservoirs may each have an opening over at least a part of the top thereof, above the normal level of liquid in the reservoir. A filter tray may be mounted below each end of the duct and above the normal level of liquid in the reservoir.

The following is a more detailed description of one embodiment of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic front elevation of a component cleaning machine according to the invention, and Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine.

The machine is generally in the form of an inverted "T" with two reservoirs 10 and 1 one containing a cleaning solution and the other a rinsing solution, being arranged on either side of the vertical leg of the "T" which comprises a washing chamber 12. The floor of the washing chamber is V-shaped and slopes downwardly towards the centre line of the chamber where there is formed an elongated sluice 1 3 providing an outlet passage from the chamber.

Associated with the reservoirs 10 and 11 are pumps 14 and 1 4a respectively, each of which delivers liquid from its associated reservoir to pipework 22 within the chamber 12, the pipework being apertured so that, in use, jets of liquid issuing from the apertures are applied to components supported within the chamber in a component carrier 1 5.

Mounted immediately beneath the sluice 13 is a channel-shaped shed plate 1 6 which is pivotally mounted for tilting movement about a horizontal axis 1 7 extending beneath and parallel to the sluice 13. The shed plate 16 is coupled to a reversible ciose-coupled worm reduction box and motor indicated at 18 in Figure 2.

Disposed over the reservoirs 10 and 11, and above the normal level of liquid therein, are located filter trays 1 9 and 20 respectively. The opposite ends of the shed plate 1 6 remote from its pivot axis 1 7 are disposed over the filter trays 19 and 20 respectively and, as may best be seen from Figure 2, the filter trays are slightly wider than the shed plate as viewed in plan. The shed plate is tiltable under the action of the gearbox and motor 18 between first and second inclined positions where the shed plate slopes downwardly towards one or other of the filter trays respectively.

In operation of the machine, the operator loads the components to be cleaned into the component carrier 1 5 and wheels the carrier into the washing chamber 12, securing the carrier within the chamber and closing the door 21 thereof. Initially the shed plate 1 6 is in the position shown in solid lines in Figure 1 where it is inclined downwardly towards the filter 1 9 disposed over the reservoir 10 containing the washing solution. The associated pump 14 is then activated and delivers the washing solution, which is heated, from the reservoir 10 to the apertured pipework 22 within the chamber 12.

The pipework may be of the kind comprising a looped spray bar rotatable with respect to the component carrier 1 5 and formed with tangentially directed apertures so that, in use, jets of the cleaning liquid issuing from the apertures are applied to the components within the chamber, and the spray bar is rotated under jet reaction.

The washing operation continues for a predetermined period which is preset on an adjustable cycle timer, not shown. During the course of the washing operation the cleaning liquid drains from the chamber 12 through the sluice 13 and falls onto the shed plate 16 which directs the drained liquid into the filter tray 19, from where it passes, under gravity, back into the reservoir 10.

When the cleaning operation has been completed the pump 14 stops and a time lapse occurs while any residue of cleaning liquid within the chamber 12 is drained off and led back to the reservoir 10 via the shed plate 1 6 and filter tray 19. The motor 18 is then activated to tilt the shed plate 1 6 to a position where it is inclined downwardly towards the filter tray 20 over the rinsing solution reservoir 11.

The pump 1 4a associated with the rinsing solution reservoir 11 is then activated to pump rinsing solution from that reservoir to the pipework 22 within the chamber 12, the liquid draining from the chamber and being returned via the shed plate 1 6 and filter tray 20 to the reservoir 11. Again, the time of rinsing is controlled by a preset cycle timer. When rinsing has been completed the rinsing pump stops, and there is again a time lapse to allow any residue of rinsing liquid to drain from the chamber. The shed plate is then activated by the motor 18 once more so that it is again inclined downwardly towards the washing solution reservoir 10 so that the machine is ready to accept the next batch of dirty components. The cleaned and rinsed components may then be removed from the machine.

By arranging filter trays between the shed plate and the reservoirs, it will be appreciated that the condition of the filter trays will have no effect on the operation of the associated pumps, regardless of the condition of the filters. If a filter tray becomes completely blocked, the drained liquid will merely overflow the sides of the tray and fall directly into the reservoir beneath. This is in contrast with the arrangements used hitherto in which filters have been located between the outlet from the reservoir and the inlet to the pump, or between the pump discharge outlet and the pipework in the chamber 12. In such arrangements such filters affected the operation of the pump as they gradually became blocked with foregin matter.

The door 21 is hingedly mounted on the machine for pivoting movement either about a vertical or about a horizontal axis. In an alternative arrangement, two doors may be located on opposite sides of the machine and a motorised conveyor provided in the lower part of the chamber 12 to convey components into and out of the chamber, the conveyor being indexed and timed to operate only when the doors are open.

A vapour extraction fan may be fitted to the chamber. Where this is done it is so controlled that it is activated only after the rinse pump stops and for a predetermined period, which is set on a cycle timer. This prevents needless heat extraction from the machine which would otherwise occur if the fan were continuously running.

The above described operations are preferably carried out automatically on a cycle timer, but they may also be effected manually. For example, instead of the shed plate 1 6 being motor driven, the operator may be provided with a locking lever connected to the shed plate so that he may pivot the shed plate to the correct position according to whether a washing or rinsing operation is required. In this cas limit switches are preferably located so that shouid the operator inadvertently have the shed plate inclined towards one reservoir while attempting to start the pump associated with the other reservoir, this will be over-ridden electrically.

Claims (8)

Claims

1. Cleaning equipment comprising a chamber containing a support for articles to be cleaned, apertured pipework in the chamber for applying jets of liquid to articles supported within the chamber, two reservoirs for cleaning and rinsing liquids respectively, pump means for delivering liquid from each reservoir to said pipework, means for draining liquid from said chamber, the liquid flow control means for directing liquid drained from the chamber selectively to one or other of said reservoirs.

2. Cleaning equipment according to claim 1, wherein the means for draining liquid from the chamber includes an outlet passage in the lower part of the chamber.

3. Cleaning equipment according to claim 2, wherin said liquid flow control means comprise an inclined duct which is adjustable between first and second positions where a lower end thereof is in communication with said reservoirs respectively.

4. Cleaning equipment according to claim 3, wherein the duct is pivotally mounted for tilting movement about a horizontal axis intermediate its ends between said first and second positions, so that in the first position one end of the duct is lowermost and in the second position the opposite end of the duct is lowermost, the aforesaid outlet passage being in communication with a part of the duct intermediate its ends, and the opposite ends of the duct being in communication with said reservoirs respectively.

5. Cleaning equipment according to claim 4, wherein the tilting duct comprises a channelshaped element the open side of which is uppermost and located beneath said outlet passage.

6. Cleaning equipment according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the reservoirs each have an opening over at least a part of the top thereof, above the normal level of liquid in the reservoir.

7. Cleaning equipment according to claim 4 and claim 6, wherein a filter tray is mounted below each end of the duct and above the normal level of liquid in the reservoir.

8. Cleaning equipment substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.