CONTAINER WASHING APPARATUS

• US 3,664,355 A
• Filed: 07/20/1970
• Issued: 05/23/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert J. Adams
• Original Assignee: Robert J. Adams
• Inventors: Adams, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bleutge, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US05/056,538
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 134/143,144,145,152,165,170,171,175,177,200
• US Class Current: 134/143
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/0826 the containers being brought to the cleaning device

Abstract

A device for washing industrial gondolas consisting of two receptacles each open at one end and forming half sections of a gondola washing chamber. One of the sections is adapted to be pivoted from an open position to a position closing with the other section to form the washing chamber. The movable section has a platform on which a gondola is adapted to be clamped and arranged to support the gondola in a generally inverted position when the sections are closed. The two sections have sets of nozzles thereon arranged for directing high pressure jets of washing liquid against the inner and outer sides of all the gondola walls.

Claims

1. Apparatus for washing large containers, such as industrial gondolas, of the type having a bottom wall, upright side walls and an open upper end, said apparatus comprising a pair of chamber forming sections each of which is open at one end, one of said sections being supported for movement in a generally arcuate path from an open position wherein the sections are separated to a closed position wherein the open ends of the sections are juxtaposed to define an enclosed washing chamber, said movable section when in open position having generally horizontally extEnding support and also having a bottom wall spaced below said support, said movable section also having an upright rear wall extending substantially above said support and an upright front wall terminating at its upper end adjacent the plane of said support so that the support is unobstructed at the front side thereof to enable placement of a gondola in its normal upright position on said support from the front side of said movable section by means of a forklift truck, said two sections having other walls cooperating to form a generally cubical closed compartment when the sections are closed, means for clamping a gondola on said support in said upright position, said support being inclined in the closed position of said movable section such that the gondola secured thereto is disposed with its open end facing downwardly, said sections being dimensioned so that when in closed position the side walls of the gondola clamped on said support are spaced inwardly of the side walls of the chamber formed by the two sections, and means on the two sections for directing high pressure jets of washing solution against the walls of the gondola when the sections are in closed position comprising, a plurality of upright spray pipes on said movable section adjacent and spaced forwardly of the rear wall thereof for spraying the outer side of the rear wall of the gondola, a plurality of upright spray pipes on the other section positioned to project into the gondola when the sections are closed for spraying the inner sides of the gondola side walls and bottom wall, a plurality of upright spray pipes on said other section positioned for spraying the outer side of the front wall of the gondola and other upright spray pipes on at least one of said sections for spraying the outer sides of the other two side walls of the gondola.

2. An apparatus as called for in claim 1 wherein each of said sections comprises a generally diagonal half section of the chamber, the upper edges of the side walls of the movable section inclining downwardly and forwardly from the upper edge of the rear wall thereof to the upper edge of the front wall thereof.

3. An apparatus as called for in claim 1 wherein said one section is supported for pivotal movement from open to closed position.

4. An apparatus as called for in claim 1 wherein said last-mentioned spray pipes are located on the movable section.

5. An apparatus as called for in claim 1 including a set of spray nozzles on the movable section for directing jets of washing liquid against the under side of the bottom wall of the gondola.