US2371867A - Egg washing machine - Google Patents

Description

March 20, 1945. J. R. BAYLES EGG WASHING MACHINE Filed March 8, 1943 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 20, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,371,867 EGG WASHING MACHINE John It. Bayles, Clay Center, Kans, assignor to Industrial Patents Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware 3 Claims.

This invention relates'to a washing machine and more particularly to a machine for washing and scrubbing an object having a generally spherical shape such as an egg, an orange, or other article that may be rolled around to expose various areas of its surface.

It is an object of this invention to provide a washing and scrubbingmeans for cleaning the surface of a spherical object.

It is another object of this invention to provide a machine for washing eggs.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved brush assembly structure for a washing and scrubbingmachine'.

Still another object is to provide an improved conveyor structure for delivering the object through the machine.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine partly broken away; I

Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine shown in Figure l; and

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 3--3 of Figure, 1.

In the past it has been proposed to wash generally spherical objects by passing them continuously through successive stages of washing and scrubbing, spraying, and drying means and the present invention is an improvement on this type of machine. As will be seen below, a tank is here provided forv submerging the articles ina suitable washing'fiuid and conveying means continuously drive the articles through the tank whichis provided with brushing means disposed in a position to thoroughly scrub the articles. The spherical objects are then lifted, by the conveyor, out of the washing fluid and carried into ,a spray chamber, where the surfaces of the objectsareflushed with a rinsing fluid, and after the flushing fluid is drained off, the objects are carried into a suitable drying chamber to remove the fluid remaining on its surface.

In Figure 1, a tank I is shown, which is provided to hold any suitable washing fluid and an endless conveyor Hisnrounted within the tank so that during normal operation, substantially the entire length of its upper run passes through the body of washing fluid. The washing fluid may comprise any suitable solution for loosening the type of dirt on the surface of the-object being scoured and. the conveyor is designed to carry the object at least partially submerged in this fluid so that the objects will soak in the washing fluid and to insure that a large quantity of washing fluid will become entrained with the objects pear below.

As the objects progress from the entrance end of the tank toward the exit end adjacent roller l3 they pass under a series of scrubbing brushes [4 which cooperate with the washing fluid to agitate the fluid against the surface of the object whereby all of the adhering dirt particles are :"removed. The brushes are pivotally mounted at their forward ends about a bearing l5 and a series of laterally disposed brushes may be carried by the bearing which in turn is carried by a wall l6 as best shown in Figure 3. The bearings i5 are mounted in the wall such that the lower- -most edge of the brushes may contact the surface of the belt I I with the brush being disposed at a relatively steep angle and if necessary the brush may be weighted to insure that it will always fall to this position in order to engage an object in passing through the machine. The brushes are individually lifted from their inclined positions to a substantially horizontal position by the objects which pass therebeneath.

The wall I6 is provided along its lower edge with a pair of skirt members I? and i8 spaced apartto fit overthe side wall of the tank l0 and removably. fixed to the inner skirt H are brushes 19 which form the side walls of the tunnel.

through which the objects pass.

The brushes l4 forming the roof of the tunnel, as. above explained, are normally disposed with their lower ends engaging the conveyor belt and the lower face 20 of the brush makes an acute angle with respect to the face of theconveyor as it moves forwardly. At the pivotally mounted end of each of the brushes I4, the bristles forming the under surface 2| are cut away to provide a short planar section disposed at a less acute angle with respect to the conveyor for initially engaging the objects as they are driven through 'the washing tank I0. With this construction the spherical object passing along through the washing bath on the conveyor, will engage either the brushes [4, or both the side brushes l9 and the brushes M to be thoroughly scrubbed. The brush It should be mounted, dependingon the diameter of the objects such that they will engage the undercut forward surface of the brushes initially whereby the objects aremade to lift the individual brushes contacted, and as the conveyor carries the objects along, the brushes will be lifted to substantially a horizontal position. The

brushes ll are weighted to engage the objects with sumcient pressure to thoroughly scrub their surfaces. The objects pass beneath successive groups of laterally disposed brushes H which substantially cover the conveyor, and regardless of the relative positions of the objects on the conveyor they will be thoroughly scrubbed during their passage through the washing tank.

As the objects approach the exit end of the washing tank, the conveyor ll passes from under the last group of brushes II to carry the objects upwardly to the roller l3. The uppermost edge of roller i3 is disposed above the water level of the washing fluid maintained in the washing tank and as the object passes uphill with the conveyor, the excess washing fluid is rapidly drained The objects are then delivered onto a bridge 39 with sumcient inertia that they carry onto a conveyor 3! supported on rollers 32 and 33. The roller 82 is disposed at approximately the same level as the roller 13 so that the objects may pass gently from the bridge 30 onto the conveyor 3|.

The conveyor carries the objects through a showering chamber 34 and a flushing fluid is there sprayed onto the objects to remove any washing fluid carried over from the washing tank. The spray means are operated under pressure and serve also to flush of! any foreign particles adhering to the surface of the object. As the objects are carried along by conveyor 3! the flushing fluid is drained-rapidly on of the articleand the catch basin disposed'around the conveyor 3i is arranged to immediately carry oil the fluid falling from the conveyor 3i. The objects are driven forwardly from the spraying chamber through a drying means and preferably, a chamber 35 is provided through which warmed air is circulated. A bathe 38 may be disposed horizontally within the chamber 85 and heating and circulating means 3'! may be disposed within the air passage thus provided to circulate warm air as indicated by the arrows. The chamber 35 shall be of such length that the objects will be completely dried as they issue from the end of this,

chamber. Suitable collecting means may be provided at the end oi. the conveyor Ii to receive the cleaned objects.

The operation of this machin has been fully described above and it will be seen that objects pass from the inlet end of the machine successively through a washing bath having scrubbingmeans cooperating with a soaking bath to thoroughly wash and scrub the objects. The brushes are arranged above the conveyor to keep the ob- .jects submerged sufliciently to be continuously soaking, and to pick up the washing fluid. The

theobjects. It will be remembered that the con-' veyor II is supported from the two rollers i2 and IS, the latter of which lifts the conveyor above the level of theliquid in the tank. Therefore,

I in order to force the objects under thefluid to effect a soaking thereof, this construction has been provided. The conveyor thus runs under the fluid; for most of its length and emerges only at mounting means for all the brushes has been provided to permit a ready removal of the entire brush assembly for cleaning. When a given set of brushes have been used until clogged, it is only necessary to slip off the one brush assembly and position another over the tank. By reason of this construction, the change maybe accomplished with a minimum loss of time and the machine need not be thrown out of operation for any great length of time. The top brushes as well as the side brushes may then be cleaned as a unit by pressure sprays to ready them for the next run.

The description given above refers to the preferred embodiment of this invention but it is quite probable that many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. It is contemplated that all such modifications shall be comprehended within the scope or the following claims.

I claim:

1. A washing machine for objects'having a generally cylindrical shape and carrying a type of dirt which becomes relatively gummy upon being loosened from the object, said machine including scrubbing means and a tank for containing a washing fluid, said scrubbing means taking the form of a plurality of rows of brushes for engaging the objects to scour the gummy dirt from the surface thereof, a conveyor to carry the objects through a fluid disposed in the tank in such a. manner that the objects are made to contact the brushes, said tank having side walls extending above the plane of the upper surface ofthe conveyor, unitary mounting means for all of the brushes, said mounting means having side wall members provided with skirt means at their lower edges, and said walls of the mounting means being adapted to be interfltted with the side walls of the tank by having the skirt means straddle upper edges of each of the side walls of the tank, whereby the unitary mounting means may be quickly removed from the tank when the the end of its forward run. The conveyor then flows upwardly to carry the eggs or other objects being washed up to the bridge :0 over which they pass to the conveyor 3i. The objects are then brushes become filled with the gummy dirt and a clean set of brushes afiixed to the tank walls in operative position l 2. A washing machine for objects having agenerally cylindrical shape and carrying a type of dirt which becomes relatively gummy upon being loosened from the object, said machine including scrubbing means and a tank for containing a washing fluid, said scrubbing means taking the form of a plurality of rows of brushes for engaging the objects to scour the gummy dirt from the surface thereof, a conveyor to carry the objects through a fluid disposed in the tank in such a manner-that the objects are made to contact the brushes, saidtank having side walls extending above the plane of the upper surface of the conveyor, unitary mounting means for all of the brushes, said mounting means having side wall members provided with skirt means at their lower edges, said brushes being hung from cross-members fixed between said wallsof .the mounting means to extend into the tank to engage and ride over the objects passing through the machine,

and said walls of the mounting means being adapted to be interfitted with the side walls of the tank by having the. skirt means straddle pper edges of each of the side walls of the tank, whereby the unitary mounting means may be quickly removed from the tank when the brushes become filled with the gummy dirt and a, clean set of brushes aifixed to the tank walls in operative position.

3. A washing machine for objects having a generally cylindrical shape and carrying a type of dirt which becomes relatively gummy upon being loosened from the object, said machine including scrubbing'means and a tank for containing a washing fluid, said scrubbing means taking the the brushes, said tankhaving side walls extend-' ing above the plane of the upper surface of the conveyor, unitary mounting means for all of the brushes, said mounting means having side wall members provided with skirt means at their lower edges, said brushes being pivotally hung from cross-members fixed between said walls of the mounting means to extend into the tank to engage and ride over the objects passing through the machine, and said walls of the mounting means being adapted to be interfltted with the side walls of the tank by having the skirt mean's straddle upper edges of each or theside walls of the tank, whereby the unitary mounting means may be quickly removed from the tank'when the brushes becomefilled with the gummy dirt and in operative position.

a clean set of brushes aflixed to the tank walls

Images