AUTOMATIC WASHING APPARATUS

• US 3,698,029 A
• Filed: 12/19/1969
• Issued: 10/17/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William D. Pulliam
• Original Assignee: William D. Pulliam
• Inventors: Pulliam, William D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scheel, Walter A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cantor, Alan I.
• Application Number:
  US04/886,678
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 15/21R,21D,97R,DIG.2,53,56,57,77 134/45,123,60,48,49,172,180
• US Class Current: 15/88.3
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 1/20 Cleaning of moving articles, e.g. of moving webs or of objects on a conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/022 Cleaning travelling work B08B3/042 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 3/04 for exteriors of land vehicles B60S3/002, B60S3/004 take precedence; specially adapted for railway vehicles B60S3/006

Abstract

Apparatus for automatically washing nestable shopping carts and the like. Automatic conveyor means separately engaging an undercarriage of each of a plurality of shopping carts for nested conveyance of the carts successively through a wash chamber and a rinse chamber of said apparatus. A plurality of rotatably mounted brushes, disposed about the conveyor means, are adapted to frictionally engage the moving carts in a scrubbing action. A counter-balanced, vertically movable and inclined array of wash nozzles forms a vertically-movable adaptable array, provided for accommodating and washing the undercarriage of shopping carts of different design and manufacture.

Claims

1. Apparatus for automatically washing nestable shopping carts and the like, comprising in combination a housing, said housing being divided into an aft wash chamber and forward rinse chamber by spring-loadedly hinged partitions;

(automatic) conveyor means adapted for separately engaging an underside of each of a plurality of shopping carts for nested conveyance of said carts forwardly through said housing from said aft wash chamber through said rinse chamber along a preselected path within said housing;

a plurality of rotatably mounted brushes disposed about said path within said aft wash chamber as to be adapted to frictionally engage said conveyed carts, whereby a rotational scrubbing action is imparted in response to said forward conveyance of said carts;

a first, second and third radial wash nozzle array within said wash chamber, said first and second array adapted to be rotatably driven in a respective vertical plane parallel to and on opposite sides of said path and separately oriented for directing fluid streams at a respective corresponding side of said carts, said third radial wash nozzle array adapted to be rotatably driven in a horizontal plane above said path within said wash chamber and oriented for directing fluid streams downwardly upon said carts;

at least one adaptable inclined wash nozzle array assembly of variously-directed nozzles adaptably vertically movably mounted within said path and within said wash chamber, for directing fluid streams at an undercarriage portion of said carts, said movable array mounting being preloaded in such a sense as to yieldingly oppose downward motion of said inclined array in response to a force exerted thereon by an engaging undercarriage portion of a forwardly conveyed cart, as to accommodate variations in undercarriage designs of said carts;

rinse nozzle means located within said rinse chamber and adapted to be connected to an external source of pressurized rinse water;

rinse water sump tank means forming a bottom of said rinse chamber for collection and selective disposal of waste rinse water;

a wash fluid sump located below said wash chamber;

wash fluid pump means having an inlet connected in fluid circuit to said sump and an outlet connected in fluid circuit to each of said wash nozzle arrays, said sump being arranged for drain collection of wash fluid emitted from said wash nozzle arrays; and

;

selectively operable closure means for drain collection closure of said sump, whereby adverse free-surface effects and sloshing may be reduced in a non-operative state of the apparatus.

2. Apparatus for automatically washing nestable shopping carts and the like, comprising in combination a housing, said housing being divided into an aft wash chamber and forward rinse chamber;

conveyor means adapted for separately engaging an underside of each of a plurality of shopping carts for conveying said carts forwardly through said housing from said aft wash chamber through said rinse chamber along a pre-selected path within said chambers;

a plurality of rotatably mounted brushes disposed about said path within said aft wash chamber as to be adapted to frictionally engage said conveyed carts, whereby a rotational scrubbing action is imparted in response to said forward conveyance of said carts;

a first and second radial wash nozzle array, each adapted to be rotatably driven about a horizontal axis of rotation transvErsely of said path and situated on an opposing side of said path within said wash chamber and separately oriented for directing fluid streams at a respective corresponding side of said carts;

a horizontal third radial wash nozzle array situated above said path within said wash chamber and adapted to be rotatably driven about a vertical axis and oriented for directing fluid streams downwardly upon said carts;

at least one inclined wash nozzle array assembly of variously-directed nozzles vertically movably mounted within said path and within said wash chamber for directing fluid streams at an undercarriage portion of said carts, said movable array mounting being preloaded in such a sense as to yieldingly oppose downward motion of said inclined array in response to a force exerted thereon by an engaging undercarriage portion of a forwardly conveyed cart;

rinse nozzle means located within said rinse chamber and adapted to be connected to an external source of pressurized rinse water; and

rinse water sump tank means forming a bottom of said rinse chamber for collection and selective disposal of waste rinse water;

a wash fluid sump located below said wash chamber;

wash fluid pump means having a self-priming inlet connected in fluid circuit to said sump and an outlet connected in fluid circuit to each of said wash nozzle arrays, said sump being arranged for drain collection of wash fluid emitted from said wash nozzle arrays; and

selectively operable closure means for drain collection closure of said sump, whereby adverse free-surface effects and sloshing may be reduced in a transportable, non-operative state of the apparatus.

3. Apparatus for automatically washing nestable shopping carts and the like, comprising in combination a housing, said housing being divided into an aft wash chamber and forward rise chamber;

conveyor means adapted for separately engaging an underside of each of a plurality of shopping carts for conveying said carts forwardly through said housing from said aft wash chamber through said rinse chamber along a pre-selected path within said chambers;

a plurality of rotatably mounted brushes disposed about said path within said aft wash chamber as to be adapted to frictionally engage said conveyed carts, whereby a rotational scrubbing action is imparted in response to said forward conveyance of said carts;

a first and second radial wash nozzle array, each adapted to be rotatably driven about a horizontal axis of rotation transversely of said path and situated on an opposing side of said path within said wash chamber and separately oriented for directing fluid streams at a respective corresponding side of said carts;

a horizontal third radial wash nozzle array situated above said path within said wash chamber and adapted to be rotatably driven about a vertical axis and oriented for directing fluid streams downwardly upon said carts;

at least one inclined wash nozzle array assembly of variously-directed nozzles vertically movably mounted within said path and within said wash chamber for directing fluid streams at an undercarriage portion of said carts, said movable array mounting being preloaded in such a sense as to yieldingly oppose downward motion of said inclined array in response to a force exerted thereon by an engaging undercarriage portion of a forwardly conveyed cart;

rinse nozzle means located within said rinse chamber and adapted to be connected to an external source of pressurized rinse water; and

rinse water sump tank means forming a bottom of said rinse chamber for collection and selective disposal of waste rinse water;

said apparatus being mounted upon a wheeled frame as to be transportable, and further comprising demountable legs for position and attitude stabilization of said frame in a non-transported state thereof;

closures at an aft entrance of said aft chamber and at a forward exit of said forward chamber, each of which closure comprises a foldable ramp;

A wash fluid sump located below said wash chamber;

fluid pump means having an inlet connected in fluid circuit to said sump and an outlet connected in fluid circuit to each of said wash nozzle arrays, said sump being arranged for drain collection of wash fluid emitted from said wash nozzle arrays;

selectively operable closure means for drain collection closure of said sump, whereby adverse free-surface effects and sloshing may be reduced in a transportable non-operative state of the apparatus; and

heater coil means for maintaining a wash fluid utilized by said sump within a preselected temperature range.