Apparatus for conveying and washing means therefor

• US 4,709,713 A
• Filed: 01/21/1986
• Issued: 12/01/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Henry Y. Kuhl
• Original Assignee: Henry Y. Kuhl
• Inventors: Kuhl, Henry Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hornsby, Harvey C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stinson, Frankie L.
• Application Number:
  US06/820,862
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 134/72, 134/95, 134/124, 134/131, 134/137, 134/140, 134/182, 134/183, 134/199, 198/848
• US Class Current: 134/72
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 31/165 Egg collecting or counting
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 43/00 Testing, sorting or cleaning eggs investigating or analysing eggs, e.g. by candling G01N33/08; Conveying devices for batteries A01K31/165; Pick-up devices

Abstract

An apparatus for washing a conveyor belt and any articles which may be positioned thereon including a plurality of nozzles including upwardly and downwardly directed nozzles and forwardly and rearwardly directed nozzles wherein the surrounded cleaning is achievable by use of the deflectors integral with respect to the nozzles. The wash station includes manifolds for communicating the cleaning solution from the pump to the nozzles. A filter as well as a tank for gathering of spent cleaning solution is included along with a return pipe for providing the filtered solution to the pipe for reprocessing. A drying station is included having a blower and manifolding means for dispensing the air for drying of articles on the conveyor belt or drying of the conveyor belt itself. The present invention is particularly usable with wire conveyor belts utilizing interlocking means for maintaining laterally extending straight sections in spatially disposed relationship with respect to one another.

Claims

1. An apparatus for conveying and washing means therefor, comprising:

(a) a conveying belt means comprising a plurality of wire members interlocking with and movable with respect to one another, each said wire member including;

(1) a central section extending approximately straight laterially across said conveying means prependicularly with respect to the direction of movement of said conveying means,

(2) interlocking end means adapted to movably grip adjacent wire members to maintain a spatial distance between central sections of adjacent wire members and allow pivotal movement between adjacent wire members for flexibility;

(b) a wash station for cleaning of said conveying belt means and articles randomly positioned thereon comprising;

(1) a wash housing means enclosing a portion of said conveying belt means and defining a washing chamber therein for enclosing and gathering cleaning solution sprayed toward said conveying belt means, said wash housing means defining an outlet means in the lower section thereof to allow used cleaning solution to exit from said wash housing means;

(2) a pump means for pumping cleaning solution into said washing chamber;

(3) an intake manifold means for receiving cleaning solution under pressure from said pump means and delivering same into an area adjacent to said conveying belt means, said intake manifold means including an upper manifold section extending across the upper surface of said conveying belt means, said upper manifold section and said lower manifold section being in fluid flow communication with respect to said pump means to receive cleaning fluid therefrom;

(4) a plurality of upper nozzles mounted in said upper manifold section and extending downwardly therefrom, said upper nozzles being in fluid flow communication with respect to the cleaning solution within said upper manifold section for dispensing same in a downwardly direction onto said conveying belt means and any articles randomly positioned thereon, said upper nozzles including a first upper nozzle section and a second upper nozzle section, said first upper nozzle section including first upper nozzle and first upper deflector means thereadjacent being oriented downstream with respect to the direction of movement of said conveyor means to facilitate cleaning of the upper and rearmost areas of said conveyor belt means and any articles randomly positioned thereon, said second upper nozzle section including second upper nozzles and second upper deflector means thereadjacent being oriented upstream with respect to the direction of movement of said conveyor means to facilitate cleaning of the upper and frontmost areas of said conveyor belt means and any articles randomly positioned thereon;

(5) a plurality of lower nozzles mounted in said lower manifold section and extending upwardly therefrom, said lower nozzles being in fluid flow communication with respect to the cleaning solution within said lower manifold section for dispensing same in an upwardly direction onto said conveying belt means and any articles randomly positioned thereon, said lower nozzles including a first lower nozzle section and a second lower nozzle section, said first lower nozzle section including first lower nozzles and first lower deflector means thereadjacent being oriented downstream with respect to the direction of movement of said conveyor means to facilitate cleaning of the lower and rearmost areas of said conveyor belt means and any articles randomly positioned thereon, said second lower nozzle section including second lower nozzles and second lower deflector means thereadjacent being oriented upstream with respect to the direction of movement of said conveyor means to facilitate the cleaning of the lower and frontmost areas of said conveyor belt means and any articles randomly positioned thereon;

(6) a drive means for operatively controlling said pump means;

(7) a tank positioned below said outlet means of said wash housing means to receive and gather used cleaning solution therefrom;

(8) a return line in fluid flow communication with respect to said tank means and with respect to said pump means for supplying cleaning solution to said pump;

(9) a support means mounted within said wash housing means for supporting and guiding said conveying belt means while traveling through said wash station, said support means defining open channels through which cleaning solution can be directed by said lower nozzles for cleaning of the bottom of said conveying belt means and the bottom of any articles randomly positioned thereon;

(c) a drying station positioned downstream from said wash station and enclosing said conveying belt means traveling therethrough, said drying station including

(1) a drying housing means enclosing said conveying belt means;

(2) a blower means supplying forced air for drying of said conveying belt means and any articles randomly positioned thereon;

(3) an air manifold means for receiving forced air from said blower means and communicating same into said drying housing means adjacent to said conveying belt means; and

(4) and air dispensing means positioned within said drying housing means and in fluid flow communication with respect to said air manifold means for delivering forced air for drying onto said conveying belt means and any articles randomly positioned thereon.

2. An apparatus for conveying having washing means as defined in claim 1 wherein said wash station further includes a filter means positioned between said outlet means of said wash housing means and said tank means to filter the cleaning solution prior to being drawn into said return line for reuse.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said interlocking end means includes a wire loop means defining an opening therethrough into which an adjacent wire means extends for providing of said interlocking means.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said interlocking end means maintains said central section of said wire members at a spatial distance of approximately one inch from one another.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said support means comprises a plurality of vertical plates including upper edges for supporting said conveying belt means and being spatially disposed with respect to one another for defining said open channels therebetween.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said support means comprise three of said vertical plates.

7. An apparatus for conveying and washing means therefor, comprising:

(a) a conveying belt means comprising a plurality of wire members interlocking with and movable with respect to one another, each said wire member including;

(1) a central section extending approximately straight laterally across said conveying means perpendicularly with respect to the direction of movement of said conveying means;

(2) interlocking end means adapted to movably grip adjacent wire members to maintain a spatial distance between central sections of adjacent wire members of approximately one inch and allow pivotal movement between adjacent wire members for flexibility, said interlocking end means including a wire loop means defining an opening therethrough into which an adjacent wire means extends for providing of said interlocking means;

(b) a wash station for cleaning of said conveying belt means and articles randomly positioned thereon comprising;

(1) a wash housing means enclosing a portion of said conveying belt means and defining a washing chamber therein for enclosing and gathering cleaning solution sprayed toward said conveying belt means, said wash housing means defining an outlet means in the lower section thereof to allow used cleaning solution to exit from said wash housing means;

(2) a pump means for pumping cleaning solution into said washing chamber;

(3) an intake manifold means for receiving cleaning solution under pressure from said pump means and delivering same into an area adjacent to said conveying belt means, said intake manifold means including an upper manifold section extending across the upper surface of said conveying belt means and a lower manifold section extending across the under surface of said conveying belt means, said upper manifold section and said lower manifold section being in fluid flow communication with respect to said pump means to receive cleaning fluid therefrom;

(4) a plurality of upper nozzles mounted in said upper manifold section and extending downwardly therefrom, said upper nozzles being in fluid flow communication with respect to the cleaning solution within said upper manifold section for dispensing same in a downwardly direction onto said conveying belt means and any articles randomly positioned thereon, said upper nozzles including deflector means thereon for controlling the flow of cleaning solution, said upper nozzles including a first upper nozzle section and a second upper nozzle section, said first upper nozzle section having upper nozzles with said deflector means thereof oriented facing downstream with respect to the direction of movement of said conveyor means to facilitate cleaning of the bottom and rearmost areas of said conveyor belt means and any articles randomly positioned thereon, said second upper nozzle section having upper nozzles with said deflector means thereof oriented facing upstream with respect to the direction of movement of said conveyor means to facilitate cleaning of the bottom and frontmost areas of said conveyor belt means and any articles randomly positioned thereon;

(5) a plurality of lower nozzles mounted in said lower manifold section and extending upwardly therefrom, said lower nozzles being in fluid flow communication with respect to the cleaning solution within said lower manifold section for dispensing same in an upwardly direction onto said conveying belt means and any articles randomly positioned thereon, said lower nozzle including deflector means thereon for controlling flow of cleaning solution, said lower nozzles including a first lower nozzle section and a second lower nozzle section, said first lower nozzle section having lower nozzles with said deflector means nozzles oriented facing down-stream with respect to the direction of movement of said conveyor means to facilitate cleaning of the bottom and rearmost areas of said conveyor belt means and any articles randomly positioned thereon, said second lower nozzle section having lower nozzles with said deflector means thereof oriented facing upstream with respect to the direction of movement of said conveyor means to facilitate cleaning of the bottom and frontmost areas of said conveyor belt means and any articles randomly positioned thereon;

(6) a drive means for operatively controlling said pump means;

(7) a tank means positioned below said outlet means of said wash housing means to receive and gather used cleaning solution therefrom;

(8) a return line in fluid flow communication with respect to said tank means and with respect to said pump means for supplying cleaning solution to said pump;

(9) a support means mounted within said wash housing means for supporting and guiding said conveying belt means while traveling through said wash station, said support means defining open channels through which cleaning solution can be directed by said lower nozzles for cleaning of the bottom of said conveying belt means and the bottoms of any articles randomly positioned thereon, said support means comprising three vertically extending plates including upper edges for supporting said conveying belt means and being spatially disposed with respect to one another for defining said open channels therebetween;

(10) a filter means positioned between said outlet means of said wash housing means and said tank means to filter the cleaning solution prior to being drawn into said return lines for reuse;

(c) a drying station positioned downstream from said wash station and enclosing said conveying belt means traveling therethrough, said drying station including;

(1) a drying housing means enclosing said conveying belt means;

(2) a blower means supplying forced air for drying of said conveying belt means and any articles randomly positioned thereon;

(3) an air manifold means for receiving forced air from said blower means and communicating same into said drying housing means adjacent to said conveying belt means; and

(4) an air dispensing means positioned within said drying housing means and in fluid flow communication with respect to said air manifold means for delivering forced air for drying into said conveying belt means and any articles randomly positioned thereon.