Spray treatment apparatus

• US 4,453,556 A
• Filed: 01/05/1982
• Issued: 06/12/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hoklykem Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Hoklykem Holdings Limited
• Inventors: Corbett, Sydney C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bleutge, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US06/337,124
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 134/65, 134/69, 134/111, 134/152
• US Class Current: 134/65
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/02 Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 22/00 Chemical surface treatment of metallic material by reaction of the surface with a reactive liquid, leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, e.g. conversion coatings, passivation of metals
• CPC Class Codes: C23G 3/00 Apparatus for cleaning or pickling metallic material with organic solvents C23G5/04

Abstract

A spray treatment apparatus for small workpieces, for example for washing and rinsing, comprises several containers arranged for rotation about a common axis and each having an internal generally helical screw feed. Each barrel tapers from its intake end to its output end, which is disposed within the intake end of the next container, to feed workpieces directly. The axis is horizontal and the containers can be rotated independently. Spray heads carrying treatment liquid are spaced from the intake end of each container so that treatment liquid flows back in countercurrent to the workpieces to the intake end where it is collected at, filtered at and recycled to the spray heads.

Claims

1. A spray treatment apparatus for small workpieces, the apparatus comprising a frame, at least two containers rotatably mounted on the frame about a generally horizontal rotational axis, each container having an intake end and an output end and a generally helical feed means extending along the interior of the container from the intake to the output end so as to feed workpieces along the container on rotation thereof about its axis, the output end of one container being disposed within the intake end of the next adjacent container so that the workpieces are fed from said one to said next adjacent container on rotation of said one container, and each container tapering inwardly towards its axis in a direction from the intake to the output end thereof, and spray means spaced inwardly from the intake end of each container to spray treatment liquid on workpieces therein.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each container is separately mounted for rotation and separately driven, whereby the containers may be arranged to rotate at different speeds and/or in opposed rotational directions.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein a pair of external, parallel, axially spaced apart, coaxial annular tracks are provided on the or each container, each track being co-operable with a pair of support rollers so as to provide rotational mounting means for the container.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each container has a plurality of wall panels so as to be polygonal in any cross-section taken perpendicular to the axis.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the generally helical feed means comprise a plurality of strips secured rigidly to the wall panels of the container.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein openings are provided between the ends of adjacent strips, each of a size less than the size of the smallest workpieces to be treated, for drainage of treatment liquid towards the intake end of the container.

7. A spray treatment apparatus for small workpieces, the apparatus comprising a frame, at least two containers rotatably mounted on the frame about a generally horizontal rotational axis, each container having an intake end and a an output end and a generally helical feed means extending along the interior of the container from the intake to the output end so as to feed workpieces along the container on rotation thereof about its axis, the output end of one container being disposed within the intake end of the next adjacent container so that the workpieces are fed from said one to said next adjacent container on rotation of said one container, and each container tapering inwardly towards its axis in a direction from the intake to the output end thereof, and spray means spaced inwardly from the intake end of each container to spray treatment liquid on workpieces therein, and each container being separately mounted for rotation and separate drive means being provided for each container, whereby the containers may be independently rotated at different speeds and/or in opposed rotational directions.

8. Spray treatment apparatus for small workpieces the apparatus comprising a frame, at least one container rotatably mounted on the frame about a generally horizontal rotational axis, the container having an intake end and an output end and a generally helical feed means extending along the interior of the container from the intake end to the output end so as to feed workpieces along the container on rotation thereof about its axis, the container tapering inwardly towards the axis in a direction from the intake to the output end of the container, the container comprising a plurality of substantially flat wall panels and being of polygonal cross-section in planes perpendicular to its axis, and the helical feed means comprising a plurality of generally flat strips secured rigidly to the respective wall panels of the container.