Automatic spray cleaning apparatus and method
First Claim
1. Automatic cleaning apparatus for removing material coated on the inner surfaces of containers by spraying cleaning liquid at said surfaces in which the improvement comprises:
- sprayer means for spraying said cleaning liquid under high pressure at the inner surfaces of said containers and including stream forming means for forming at least one stream of said liquid having a longitudinal axis;
automatic drive means for moving said stream forming means over the container surfaces along a predetermined path to scan said container surfaces with said liquid stream, said drive means moving said stream forming means about a cleaning axis and longitudinally along said cleaning axis during the scanning; and
support means coupled to said drive means for supporting said sprayer means during said scanning, including first support means for causing the liquid stream to strike container surfaces at an acute angle between said stream axis and the surface impinged thereby and for automatically maintaining said acute angle substantially constant over given surface areas of said container surfaces during scanning as said stream forming means moves about said cleaning axis at a given longitudinal position on said cleaning axis, and second support means for automatically maintaining the spacing distance along the stream axis between said stream forming means and the container surfaces substantially constant during said scanning at said given longitudinal position.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automatic high pressure spray cleaning apparatus and method for rapidly and efficiently removing material coated on the surface of an object are described. In accordance with the invention the axis of the cleaning liquid spray forms an acute angle with the object surface and such angle, as well as the distance along such axis between the spray nozzle and the object surface, are both maintained substantially constant over a given surface area. In addition, the pressure of the cleaning liquid at the surface of the object is also maintained substantially constant over such given area. The spray nozzles are automatically moved rotationally about a cleaning axis and longitudinally along such axis to scan over the object surface along a predetermined path while maintaining the spacing distance and angle substantially constant during rotation of the nozzles about the cleaning axis at a given longitudinal position on such axis, by motor operated drive means which may be controlled by an electronic computer. The cleaning apparatus is especially useful for cleaning the interior surface of container tanks, such as chemical reactor tanks which contain internal baffles and other obstructions. The nozzles are mounted on folding support arms which are supported on a vertical shaft to fold such arms in and out relative to the axis of such shaft. In addition, the support shaft rotates the nozzles through a predetermined horizontal arc and also raises and lowers the cleaning apparatus. The cleaning apparatus is supported on a mobile derrick for movement of such apparatus along guide rails between a plurality of container tanks. The reactive forces produced by the liquid spray on the spray nozzles are balanced so that the total bending force exerted on the vertical shaft is kept at a minimum regardless of the position of the folding support arms carrying such nozzles.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. Automatic cleaning apparatus for removing material coated on the inner surfaces of containers by spraying cleaning liquid at said surfaces in which the improvement comprises:
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sprayer means for spraying said cleaning liquid under high pressure at the inner surfaces of said containers and including stream forming means for forming at least one stream of said liquid having a longitudinal axis; automatic drive means for moving said stream forming means over the container surfaces along a predetermined path to scan said container surfaces with said liquid stream, said drive means moving said stream forming means about a cleaning axis and longitudinally along said cleaning axis during the scanning; and support means coupled to said drive means for supporting said sprayer means during said scanning, including first support means for causing the liquid stream to strike container surfaces at an acute angle between said stream axis and the surface impinged thereby and for automatically maintaining said acute angle substantially constant over given surface areas of said container surfaces during scanning as said stream forming means moves about said cleaning axis at a given longitudinal position on said cleaning axis, and second support means for automatically maintaining the spacing distance along the stream axis between said stream forming means and the container surfaces substantially constant during said scanning at said given longitudinal position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A cleaning method for removing material coated on the surfaces of a container comprising the steps of:
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forming a stream of cleaning liquid; directing the liquid stream at said surfaces so that the longitudinal axis of said stream forms an acute angle with said surface; and scanning said stream over said surface by moving said stream about a cleaning axis and longitudinally along such axis with a support means while maintaining said angle substantially constant over a given surface area during scanning at a given longitudinal position on said cleaning axis and while maintaining the spacing distance along the stream axis between the source of said liquid stream and the container surface substantially constant during said scanning at said given longitudinal position, without contacting said surface with said support means. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. Cleaning apparatus for cleaning the surfaces of container tanks by spraying cleaning liquid at said surfaces, in which the improvement comprises:
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sprayer means for spraying said cleaning liquid under high pressure through a plurality of nozzles which each emit at least two streams of said liquid; support means for supporting said nozzles on support arms extending radially outward from a common support shaft which is supported to prevent nonaxial pivoting movement of said shaft so that the nozzles of each pair are space symmetrically about the axis of said common shaft; and means for balancing the reactive forces applied to said common shaft and to said inserted support arms by the liquid streams emitted from said nozzles so that substantially no total bending force is exerted on said common shaft or said support arms. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. Automatic cleaning apparatus for removing material coated on the inner surfaces of containers by spraying cleaning liquid at said surfaces in which the improvement comprises:
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sprayer means for spraying said cleaning liquid under high pressure at cylindrical inner surfaces of said containers and including stream forming means for forming at least one stream of said liquid having a longitudinal axis; automatic drive means for moving said stream forming means over the container surfaces along a predetermined path to scan said container surfaces with said liquid stream, said drive means moving said stream forming means rotationally about a cleaning axis and longitudinally along said cleaning axis during the scanning; support means coupled to said drive means for supporting said sprayer means during said scanning, including first support means for causing the liquid stream to strike cylindrical container surfaces at an acute angle between said stream axis and the surface impinged thereby and for automatically maintaining said acute angle substantially constant over given surface areas of said cylindrical container surfaces during scanning as said stream forming means rotates about the cleaning axis at a given longitudinal position on said axis, and second support means for automatically maintaining the spacing distance along the stream axis between said stream forming means and the container surfaces substantially constant during said scanning at said given longitudinal position; and means for maintaining the pressure of said liquid stream substantially constant at said cylindrical container surfaces.
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Specification