US2601263A - Machine for inverting containers and directing cleaning fluid thereinto - Google Patents

Description

June 24, 1952 L, T COQKSON 2,601,263

MACHINE FOR INVERTING CONTAINERS AND DIRECTING CLEANING FLUID THEREINTO Filed NOV. 6, 1946 7 ShSeS-Sheet l lNvENToR LEONARD T. COOKSON June Z4, 1952 L. 1'. cooKsoN MACHINE FOR INVERTING CONTAINERS AND DIRECTING CLEANING FLUID THEREINTO 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NGV. 6, 1946 INVENTOR LEONARD T. COOKSON June 24, 1952 L. T. cooKsoN 2,601,263

MACHINE FOR INVERTING CONTAINERS AND DIRECTING CLEANING FLUID THEREINTO 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed NOV. 6, 1946 INVENTOR LEONARD T. cooKsoN June 24, 1952 T. cooKsoN MACHINE FOR INVERTING CONTAINERS AND DIRECTING CLEANING FLUID THEREINTO Filed Nov. e, 194e '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. LEONARD T. COOKSON June 24, 1952 L. T. cooKsoN MACHINE FOR INVERTING CONTAINERS AND DIRECTING CLEANING FLUID THEREINTO 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed NOV. 6, 1946 INVENTOR. LEONARD T. COOKSON June 24, 1952 1', CQOKSQN 2,601,263

MACHINE FOR INVERTING CONTAINERS AND DIRECTING CLEANING FLUID THEREINTO Filed NOV. 6, 1946 '7 SheetS-Shee't 6 June 24, 1952 l.. T. cooKsoN 2,601,263

MACHINE FOR INVERTING CONTAINERS AND DIRECTING CLEANING FLUID THEREINTO Filed Nov. 6, 1946 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 lNvENToR LEONARD T COCKSON Patented June 24, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT FEICE MACHINE FOR INVERTING CONTAINERS AND DIRECTING CLEANING FLUID THEREINTO Leonard T. Cookson, Kalamazoo, Mich., assignor to The Upjohn Company, a corporation of Michigan Application November 6, 1946, Serial No. 708,126

8 Claims. l

This invention relates to a container cleaning machine, and particularly to a type thereof in which the container is cleaned by inverting and directing thereinto a stream of cleaning fluid.

In the art of filling containers, such as bottles, under highly antiseptic conditions it is often desirable to direct a stream of fluid, such as air, into the container immediately prior to filling to insure the removal therefrom of dust particles, o1' other foreign material, which might have become lodged therein. It is desirable that such a machine work rapidly and efficiently and with a minimum of attention from the operator.

However, in cases where there may not be more than a few hundred of such bottles handled at any given time, or where there may not be more than a few hundred bottles of a particular size and capacity handled at a given time, the expense incident to using a fully automatic machine is not justified. Even if the expense of original purchase or construction might be accepted, it is often not desirable in the case of a few hundred bottles to expend the set-up and adjustment time incident to placing a fully automatic machine into operation.

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a machine which will be sufciently automatic to provide substantial economy in both time and labor over hand methods of directing a stream of fluid, such as air, into a bottle and yet one which is sufficiently simple in construction that it can be readily and quickly adjusted for a given size of bottle within a substantial range and placed into operating condition with a sufficiently small eX- penditure of time and labor as to make its use practicable with small lots of bottles.

It is further desirable for economy and convenience that such machine be operated by the same air supply which will normally be used to clean the bottles, and thus place the machine into operating condition with a single power connection. y

Accordingly, a major object of the invention is to provide a semi-automatic machine for directing a stream of cleaning fluid into a plurality of bottles.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine as aforesaid in which the bottles will be held in an inverted position while said uid is being directed thereinto.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine as aforesaid which can be readily adjusted to receive bottles within a substantial range of varying sizes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine as aforesaid in which all necessary adjustments can be quickly and accurately made. whereby the machine may be placed into operation in a minimum amount of time.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine as aforesaid in which the fluid used for cleaning the bottles may also be used as a source of actuating power.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine as aforesaid which will be adaptable to economical initial construction and which will be capable of economical maintenance.

Other objects and purposes of the invention will be apparent to persons acquainted with equipment of this type upon reading of the following disclosure and inspection of the accompanying drawings.

In constructing a mechanism meeting the objects and purposes above set forth, there is provided in general a machine having a platform fitted with means for gripping a plurality of bottles thereon which platform is rotatable about a horizontal axis by which said bottles may be turned into an inverted position. Placed below said platform is a plurality of nozzles for ejecting cleaning iiuid, which nozzles are supported by a vertically reciprocable platform. This nozzle platform is so reciprocated that immediately following the inverting of said bottles the nozzles will be moved upwardly to extend into said bottles, whereupon a stream` of cleaning fluid, such as compressed air, is caused to emerge from each nozzle under suflicient force to remove all dust and other foreign material from the interior of each of said bottles. All of said parts are arranged in a vertical line so that a single reciprocable member will, in its upward and downward movement, cause said parts to function.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a partially phantom, side elevation of a particular embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 represents a partially phantom, end elevation of the invention viewed from the leftward end of the machine as it appears in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a partially sectional elevation taken from the line III-III of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section taken on the line IV-IV of Figure 3 or the line IV-IV of Figure 2, said lines both defining the same crosssection.

Figure 5 is an end elevation of the driving member showing also in broken lines one position of a locking cam driver relative thereto.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the driving member viewed from the leftward side of the part as appearing in Figure 5, showing in broken lines one position of a locking cam driver relative thereto.

Figure 7 is a bottom plan view of the said driving member.

Figure 8 is an end elevation of the driving member support, as viewed from its rightward end as appearing in Figure 1.

Figure 9 is an end elevation of the end sliding plate which supports the nozzle platform, viewed from the leftward end of the machine as it appears in Figure 1.

Figure 10 is a bottom plan view of the said sliding plate.

Figure 11 is a detail of the nozzle platform operating rack.

Figure 12 is a bottoni plan View of said nozzle platform operating rack.

Figure 13 is an end elevation of the member supporting the end sliding plate of the nozzle platform, as viewed from the leftward end of the machine .appearing in Figure 1, and showing in broken line the partial outline of the said sliding plate in one operative position relative thereto.

Figure 14 is a detail of the bottle holding mechanism viewed from the left as appearing in Figure 2.

Figure 1 5 is a detail of the driving wheel operating mechanism, as viewed from the leftward end of theV machine appearing in Figure 1, showing inbreken lines the outline of the driving/slide with respect to the cam driving pins carried thereby, and showing two positions of the said slide and pins with respect to the locking cam.

Figure 16 is a section taken on the line XVI--XVI lof Figure 1.

Figure 17 is a section taken on the line XVII-' XVII of Figure 1.

The ldrawings illustrated and the hereinafter appearing description describe one particular machine which embodies the principles of the invention. However, it should be understood that many of the details of this machine, particularly as to its size, the number of containers which it will handle, details of frames, bearings, gea-rs, and similar parts may be freely and Widely va-ried without departing from the scope of the invention. Since the particular machine here utilized for illustrative purposes has been designed for cleaning bottles intended for pharmaceutical use, terminology appropriate thereto has been used heretofore and will be employed hereinafter ybut such terminology will be understood as illustrative only and not limiting.

Referring new more particularly to the drawings, there is provided a frame of any convenient construction, such as angle iron, welded or bolted into position for supporting the parts hereinafter described. This frame comprises four vertical leg members, of which two are shown at I and 2, reinforced by suitable cross members 'of which one appears at 3 and provided ateach end of the top with platforms 4 and 5 braced by suitable side members including those shown at El and 1. The space between the end platforms i and 5 is occupied by the rotatable container supporting platform as hereinafter described in detail.

Container supporting piatform rlhe container supporting platform comprises parts which vmay arbitrarily be denoted as an upper plate I-il vand a lower plate II connected by end plates l2 and I3 and a center plate I4 (shown in Figure 1). Centrally located in each of said connecting plates is a bearing I5 receiving a shaft E6 (Figures l and 4) which shaft is supported in any convenient manner in bearings I'I and I8 mounted as required on the frame.

Along the edges of the aforementioned plates I9 and II of the supporting platform assembly are bolted, or otherwise suitably attached, the fastening members Is and I9a (Figures l and 3). The fastening members I on both sides of the supporting platform are drilled to receive the adjusting studs itil. These studs are held rigidly and adjustably by means of suitable nuts ISI with respect to the fastening members Ii), and are threaded through the lock nuts |62 into suitably tapped and appropriately placed openings in the guide plates 28 and 2 i. Thus, said plates 20 and 2| are firmly supported in operating position but may be moved toward or away from the center line of the said platform as desired by adjusting the said nuts II. This method of support for the guide plates 2t and 2i as described is one specic embodiment but is in no Way intended to be limiting.

Along the opposite edges of the plates on each side of said bottle supporting platform are located the respective gripping assemblies 22 and 23; Since these are identical, detailed description will be given only of the assembly 22 and it will be understood that the assembly 23 is a duplicate thereof.

The angle 2'5 constitutes a base for said assembly and extends substantially the full length of the bottle supporting platform. Aflixed at convenient points to said angle are suitable bolts, one of which is shown at 2G, extending through the adjacent fastening members I9@ and held flxedly in place with respect thereto by the nuts 2l and 28. Said bolts are received and suitably held within corresponding openings in the base member 25, of which that shown in Figure 14 at '2 6a is one, by which said base member is held adjustably xed with respect to the platform I0. Spaced along the extent of the base member 25 at convenient intervals is a plurality, here three, cam shaft supports 29, 39 and 3l. Suitably supported in bearings on said cam shaft supports is the cam shaft 32 which operatively supports the locking cams 33 and 3i.

Pivotally mounted with respect to the base 25 are the clamp brackets 35 and 36, to which is affixed, as by welding or bolting, the clamp bar 31 extending the full distance which the bottles are intended to occupy. Said Vclamp bar is preferably faced with a resilient material 38, such as sponge rubber, extending its full length for effecting the actual gripping of the bottles. As best shown in Figure 3 the assembly is so arranged that in one position of the cams the clamp is in bottle receiving position, as clamp assembly 22 in Figure 3, and in another position of the cams the clamp is in bottle engaging position, as clamp assembly 23 in Figure 3. Associated with the bottle supporting parts 2D and 2| (Figure 3) is suitable stop mechanism 146 for limiting the travel of a given group ofbottles into the holding positions adjacent to said parts. This stop mechanism, designated generally by the numeral |46 in both places shown, comprises any convenient and presently known construction for the purpose but may desirably be a rod |41' headed by an enlarged end |48. It is urged out of operating position by the spring IAB and releasably held in operating position by any convenen'u catch means, not shown. The stop mechanism |46 isv supported by a slide mechanism |50 in Figure 1, which is adjustable and permits the operation of said rod |41 through an elongated slot |5| in the said guide plate 20.

At the end of the cam shaft, as appearing in Figures 2, and 15, is a cam driver 40 having cutouts 4| and 4|a thereinfor receiving the cam driving pins 42 and 42a, hereinafter described. The cam driver 40 is angularly arranged on the cam shaft with respect to the locking cams so that in the position shown in Figures 2 and 15 the cam driving pin 42 moving in a vertically upward direction will enter said cut-out 4| and cause said cam driver to rotate in a counterclockwise direction as the same appears in said figures.

The cam driver 40a in Figure 1 associated with the bottle gripping mechanism 23 is so positioned that when the bottle holding platform rotates 180 on its axis said cam driver 40a will then take the position with respect to the cam driving pins 42 and 42a which is occupied by the cam driver 40 in Figure 2. Thus the said cam driving pins 42 and 42a will actuate whichever cam driver is in operative position with respect to them.

The nozzles and nasale supports Shown in Figures 1 and 17 is a nozzle supporting platform |40 of any convenient construction, here an angle iron, supporting a plurality of nozzles 14| of any conventional type, aligned in position so as to be directly under the centers of and accurately in line with the openings of said bottles when same are in their inverted position preparatory for cleaning. For the purposes of longitudinal adjustment of said nozzles along said nozzle platform |40 with respect to the openings of said inverted bottles, a suitable slot is provided in the horizontal flange of the angle iron which constitutes the nozzle platform |40. The nozzles may be constructed, as in Figure 17, so that the upper body part |4|a is threadedly associated with the lower body part |4|b, thereby providing a suitable means of xing said nozzles |4|, with respect to the nozzle platform |40, after a slidable adjustment has been made between said nozzles and said platform with respect to the said inverted bottles.

Suspended from the nozzle platform |40 by means of the support bars |42 and |43, ofany suitable material or eonstruuction, is the exhaust tube header 44 to which are suitably attached a plurality of inlet nipples 45. These nipples on said exhaust header -44 are connected respectively to the outlet nipples 48 of the said nozzles |4| by means of suitably flexible conduits 46 which are limited in their construction only by the fluid which they are to conduct and the distance they are to conduct it. Although the said nozzles |4| may be of any convenient and conventional type, they are shown here, as comprised of a head 49, suitably recessed to receive the bottle being cleaned, to which head is suitably secured the upper end of a tube 49a, which is in turn slidably held at its lower end by the upper body part |4|a. A spring, sleeved about said tube 49a, is held under compression by bearing at its upper end against the lower side of the nozzle head and at its lower end against the top of the upper body part. The tube 49a is flanged at its lower end where it protrudes through the lower side of the upper body part thus preventing the said tube 49al from being 6 urged out of its slidable association with said upper body part due to the compression of the spring. The upper body part |4|a is threadedly attached to the lower body part |4|b in such a manner that a chamber `48a is provided in the lower body part.

One end of one of a plurality of suitable flexible conduits 6| is received through a suitable opening into the said chamber 48a where it is associated with the discharge tube 50, and rigidly attached thereto, which tube extends upwardly and coaxially through the tube 49a and the nozzle head 49, and protrudes beyond said head to such an extent that it will extend substantially within the bottle being cleaned thereby. The inside diameter of the tube 49a is sufficiently larger than the outside diameter of the tube 50 to permit the free passage of the cleaning fluid as it is exhausted from the bottle. The flexible conduits 6| are attached at their other extremities to the inlet manifold 60 by means of a plurality of nipples suitably xed thereto. Said manifold is fixed in position with respect tothe nozzle platform by means of any suitable support member 60a.

The cleaning fluid, as air under pressure, is released to the inlet manifold by means 0f a valve mechanism, in Figure 3, when the rod |8| is depressed by the trigger |82 which is in turn urged by the lever |83 pivotally mounted on the pin |84. The end |85 of the lever |83 is depressed when the end |86 of .said lever is urged upwardly by the shaft |00 which is designed to rise with the nozzle platform |48.

Upward motion of the nozzle holding platform causes the tubes 50 to enter the mouths of the bottles and also causes the actuation of the valve mechanism as above described, thereby releasing at a predetermined time a flow of cleaning fluid into the manifold 460, through the conduit 6| and thence out through said tubes 50 into the bottles. The air is exhausted through the head 49, the tube 49a, and chamber 48a where it leaves the nozzle by means ofthe nipple 48 and then flows through the conduit 46 where it is collected from all nozzles by the exhaust header 44. The exhausted air is removed from the header through the outlet 41 which may be connected to a suitable exhaust system or which may discharge the air freely at this point.

The said nozzle supporting platform |40 is supported by the connecting members 55 and 56 which are affixed to the extremities of the said nozzle platform |40 and are in turn supported by vertically sliding plates 51 and 58 (Figures 1, 3 and 16) hereinafter described in more detail.

The one sliding member 58 and its associated parts on the leftward end of the machine as viewed in Figure 1 are mirror images of the sliding member 51 and its associated parts on the other or rightward end of the machine as viewed in Figure 1. Therefore, detailed description will be given only of the sliding member 58 and its associated parts on the leftward end of the machine, except where reference to parts on the rightward end is made for the sake of clarity. Such treatment will sufficiently disclose the construction andV operation of member 51 and its associated parts.

The said sliding member 58 comprises, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, a rectangularly shaped part substantially wider than thick. Through said plate are a pair of slots 62 and 63 which are parallel with each other and of sufficient width to receive the hereinafter mentioned shafts IIO and |00, respectively. vAhmed. into said plate vmember 53 .on one side .thereof is a' nozzle' adjusting rack 64, the teeth of. which-are positioned with respect .to the .slot 63 to helengagedby the 4teeth of a. .pinion supported .on a

shaft extending through said slot. Mounted on said sliding plate 58 vis a nozzle reciprocating rack .G5 (Figures 9 to 12) mounting a bearing 6B for the support of a 4shaft |110 hereinafterv mentioned, having rack teeth GFI positioned with .respect to the slot E2 so that said teeth may .be engaged by the teeth of a .pinion III supported on a shaft II extending 'through said ,slot 62, and having a recessed portion receiving .the head of .a bolt 69 extendingv through said nozzle reciprocating rack and said slot.. and .held .by suitable .nuts 99a for supporting said. nozzle reciprocating rack in sliding relationship 'withsaid vertically sliding plate 58. Said vertically sliding plate 58 is, as bestshown in Figure 1.6., mountl ed onto an inner frame plate 'I0 shown in detail in Figure 13, and held slidingly with respect thereto by spacer members 'II and I2 as `shown supporting the retaining and guiding members 13 and 14 in Figure 16. Said inner .frame plate is suitably mounted onto the general .frame of the machine, said plate Vhasan opening I'II therein for clearing the nut B9 and ynozzle adjusting rack 64,. which extend therethrough. Located adjacent said opening I'IzI and in position to be aligned with the slot 62 is an opening surroundedA by a bearing |73 for receiving and supporting the shaft II as hereinafter described.

Placed oppositely to the frame member. "Hl is a corresponding member (Figures 8 and 16) having an opening 8| therethrough for the passage .of the driving connection 90 hereinafter described. An opening receiving the bearing. 82 is provided through said member 85 for .the end support of the shaft I'Il hereinafter described. The driving slide 89 (Figure 16) is positioned against said frame member .BD'and held slidingly with respect thereto by the spacers 84 and 85 cooperating with the slide retainingmembers 86 and 81.

The slide member (Figures 5, 6 and 7) comprises a vertical driving slide part B9' having a driving fiange v9|! affixed as by welding to its .lower end and extending out through theopeningV 8| as shown in Figures 1 tand 1'6. A vertically aligned slot 9| is provided therein for the passing of the hereinafter described shaft IIil. The rack elements 92 and 93 are provided on either side of said slot in a position' that their teeth will mesh with the teeth of the pinion I`I2 sup- 1,

ported on said shaft II il. The rack element 94 is near the upper end of said driving slide 89. The pins t2 and 42a previously described in connection particularlywith Figures 2 and 15 are adjustably. positioned near the top of said slide and -at suitable pointsv from the top of said slide, respectively. While these pins may be mounted in any one of several ways, it will be found effective, referring to the upper pin 2zfor example, to mount said pin 42 in a block 95 which is held in adjustable relationship with the .slide part 89 by means of the screw element 96, which is in turn supported by the block elements 91 and 98, rigidly mounted on the said slide part 89; Thus said pin may be adjusted to the right or left as appearing in Figurev 5 and held in such adjusted position by a set screw 99. |The pin 42a is mounted onto the driving slide 89 in the same manner and is similarly adjustable.

VExtending parallel to the general axis of the cylinder machine is the nozzle platform assembly, supporting shaft |60', which shaft is held at its one end .in the nozzle reciprocating rack 65 by means of the bearing 65, shownv in Figure 9. -Simil-ar parts are provid-ed yat the other end of said shaft |00 for similarly supporting said other end. A pinion IU-I (Figure. 1) is mounted on said shaft I-UO immediately inside 'the sliding plate `58 for cooperation with the nozzle adjusting rack 64 which is mounted on said sliding plate -58 as Figure 9, andasimilar' pinion I |12y is on the other end of this Ashaft for cooperation with a similar nozzle adjusting. rack associated therewith. A suitable operating handle ID3 is operatively associatedv with said shaft |00 vfor manual rotation thereof by which vthe nozzle supporting frame, through the action of said pinions on the Vrack 64, thereby on the sliding plate 58 and ltheir counterpart at. the other end.' of the machine, is caused to move upwardly or downwardly as desir-ed with respect to the rack 65.

The operating shaft I-I, Figure l, is parallel to the adjusting shaft -If and is supported, as shown in Figures 4 and 1'6, in the bearing l82 of the end plate 80, and in a corresponding bearing ina corresponding plate at the opposite end of the machine. Said shaft extends through the slot 9| in the slide 89, as well as through the slot 62 in the .supporting plate 58, both thereof being at the leftward end of the machine as appearing in Figure 1. Said shaft I'I' also extends through a corresponding, slot in a plate at the other end of the machine corresponding to the plate 58. Pinions III and II2 are mounted between the driving slide 29 and sliding plate 58'on said shaft I Ill and are rotatable therewith. The pinion III is placed next to sliding.

plate 5S for cooperation with the teeth 61 of the rack B5, whereby rotation of said shaft will cause the rack 65 and supporting plate 5?Y to move vertically withlrespect to the axis of said shaft iIII and hence with respect to the general frame of the machine.

Similarly a pinion II5v is mounted between the end plate I3 of the bottle platform and the outside frame member `8 on the shaft I6 in Figure 4 for rotation therewith and cooperates with thefrack 94 inv Figure 5 by which, when the said rack is moved upwardly, the shaft I6 is caused to rotate in one direction and as the rack moves downwardly the shaft IG is caused to rotate in the opposite direction.

Fixed at the leftward end of the machine 4as appearing in. Figure I., andpreferably supported onV the end of the machine by the plate BB, is the driving cylinder I 29. Figure 2 illustrates a phantom view of Vone possible position andarrangement of the driving cylinder |20 and. piston rod I2I with the latter connected in some suitable manner to the flange 95 of the driving member S9.. This may comprise any conventional air cylinder reciprocably operating a suitable piston whose connected piston vrod I2I is operatively connected to the driving flange 90. The |20 is supplied with any convenient source ofV operating fluid under pressure, preferably air, in order that the same source may, if convenient, be used as a supply to the cleaning fluid nozzles IH. .Said fluid is supplied to the cylinder |23 through. a suitable valve controlled by the handle I 22. This valve is of any convenient, conventional construction, having: one position by which the supply of air to the cylinder is prevented, one position. by which the air will be-permittedto drive the pistonV in one di- 9 rection within the cylinder, and another position by which the air will be permitted to drive the piston in the other direction within the cylinder.

Operation In operating the above described device, a quantity of bottles to be cleaned is placed upon the feeding table 1|. The operator then moves suicient of them onto the upper side, or plate, of the bottle supporting platform to fill same and adjusts the stop mechanism |40 appropriately to insure that the bottles will be longitudinally aligned with the iluid ejecting nozzles, which are in turn adjusted by any convenient means as heretofore described for individual alignment with respective bottle tops. One such adjustment will, of course, be sufficient for all subsequent operations with a given size of bottle.

Actuation of the crank |03 will, by rotating the shaft and pinions |0| and |02 mounted thereon, effect a movement of the rack 64 and its counterpart at the opposite end of the machine which racks are attached respectively to the sliding plates 458 and 51, thereby adjusting the nozzle platform |40, hence the nozzles |4|, upwardly or downwardly with respect to the bottle supporting platform mechanism. Thus, when any group of bottles is revolved into its downward, inverted position, adequate clearance will be provided between said nozzles and said bottles during the revolving operation. However, such clearance must be held to a minimum to insure a positive contact between the nozzle heads 48 and the open ends of the said bottles when said nozzles have been raised into cleaning position. The appropriate clearance and subsequent adjustment required may be either predetermined or determined by placing one or more bottles within the clamping mechanism on the inverted side of the bottle supporting platform. In either case, however, the final adjustment of said nozzle platform will be effected by means of the handle |03.

After the above described adjustment has been made, a group of bottles are moved onto the upper plate |0 of the bottle platform and the valve control handle |22 is manually actuated in such a manner as to cause the piston rod |2| to move upwardly from a position as shown in Figure l. Such upward motion is translated, through the flange 00 which is suitably attached both to the operating end of the piston rod and the lower end of the driving slide 89, into an upward motion of the said driving slide 89.

Hence there is effected an upward motion of the pins 42 and 42a. As said pin 02 moves upwardly, it will rst engage the opening 4| in the cam driver 40, causing it to rotate counter-clockwise as appearing in Figure 15 and thus move the clamp member 22 into clamping position onto said bottles.

Before the rotation of said cam driving wheel 40 and its resultant eects are completed, the upward movement of the driving member 89 has caused the engagement of the rack 92, mounted thereon along the slot 9| therein, with the pinion H2. Inasmuch as the said pinion H2, as well as the pinion ||I, are suitably mounted on the shaft ||0 as shown in Figures 4 and 16, the rotation of pinion ||2 by the rack 92 will cause the pinion to move the rack G with which it is engaged, on the opposite side of the shaft from the rack 92, in a downward direction. Since the rack 05 is secured to the sliding plate 58, which in turn supports the nozzle platform iii) 10 |40, a downward movement of the rack 05 will produce a downward movement of the nozzles and thereby remove them from the path of the subsequent rotation of the bottle platform.

At approximately that time when the locking of the bottles in place on the top side of the bottle platform is completed, the rack 94 in Figure 2 engages the pinion H5 for the purpose of rotating the bottle supporting platform through 180. After the completion of said rotation, the continued upward movement of said sliding member 89 engages the rack 03, in Figures 2, 4 and 16, with the pinion 2 resulting in a rotation of said pinion opposite in direction to the rotation imposed by the rack 92 since the two said racks are on opposite sides of the slot 9|, and accordingly on opposite sides of the shaft ||0 on which said pinion ||2 is mounted. Such opposite rotation causes the rack 65, hence the member 58 and nozzle platform |40 attached thereto, to be moved in an upward direction by the pinion thereby inserting the tubes into the bottles and seating their open ends into the recesses of the nozzle heads, as shown in Figure 3.

The upward motion of the said rack 65, in which the shaft |00 is carried at its one extremity, causes said shaft/to contact and raise the end of the lever |83 and thereby trip the valve |80 and release a stream of cleaning fluid through the tubes 50 into the bottles as here tofore described. Such stream will continue until the shaft is caused to move downwards and disengage the lever |83.

At about the time the rack 93 moves the nozzles up into cleaning position, the pin 42a engages the opening 1lll a in the driving cam wheel 40 causing it to rotate in a clockwise rotation as appearing in Figure 15. Such rotation releases the grip of the cam mechanism 23, shown in Figure 3 on any bottles held therein and permits their removal and replacement byv a new batch of bottles to be cleaned.

The piston rod |2| has at this point completed its upward stroke and in so doing has carried the machine through one half of a cycle and one cleaning operation.

To complete the cycle, the valve handle |22 is again actuated in the proper manner and the rod 2|, hence the driving slide 80, begins its downward stroke, and the previously mentioned operations are carried out in reverse. First, the shaft |00 moves down away from engagement with the end |80 of the lever |83. thereby stopping the flow of cleaning uid into the bottles. Then, the pin 42a reengages the opening 4|a in the driving cam wheel 40, thereby rotating same and clamping the new batch of bottles into place. The rack 93 causes the nozzle platform to be withdrawn from the bottles as heretofore described and the rack 94 rotates the bottle holding platform back through the previously rotated. This action places the new bottles into cleaning position and returns the cleaned bottles to the top of the platform. As this motion is completed the pin 42 engages the opening 4| and thereby releases the grip of the clamping mechanism 22 on the cleaned bottles and the rack 92 reengages the pinion |2, as previously described in detail, causing the nozzles to engage the open ends of the bottles to be cleaned. Such motion, as heretofore mentioned, release the flow of cleaning fluid for as long as the operator desires such flow and thus completes one cycle of the machines operation.

r This cycle may be repeated indefinitely.

,It `will vbe understood that many variations .-in `the vvparticular design details of -this machine may be made withinthe scope of the invention, particularly with respect to .the means for rcciprocating the Yslide A,member Bil, the ,number or" bottles .which -a 4givenmachine Lmay be designed to handle and the-particular clamping mechanism by which the bottles are rmly held in ,inverted positionfor cleaning.

YAlthough the machine is .herein illustrated as an independent unit, it .will ',be understood Vthat it may be suitably associated with Yconveyor mechanism, both for Vfeed and for discharge, without ,altering .the principles of this invention.

I claim:

`1. 11n ta container cleaning machine, thecombination comprisingza frame; container-support- ,ing mechanism rotatably `mounted in said r.frame forrotation about .a horizontal axis, and .means associated with said -mechanism rreleasably .holding .la container in fixed gposition with respect to .sa-id mechanism; a .nozzle and 'a frame supporting said nozzle for movement ktoward and away fromthe'axis of .rotationofsaid containersupporting mechanism, said nozzle supporting frame including a -supporting .plate slidably mounted on said iirst named frame; larslide -reciprocable on an axis parallel -to a .reference line connecting said nozzle and the nearest point thereto on the line comprising the center of rotation of said containeresupporting mechanism; means reacting to vmovement of said slide -in one `direction causing said supporting -plate to 'move iirst in one direction parallel ,to thedi-rectioiioi :movement of said slide and then 'in the opposite f direction parallel -to the direction `of 'movement offsaid slide, thereby causing 'said nozzle :first to move away from, -and then toward, said container supporting mechanism when .said slide Ais ,-moved; means also reacting to movement 'of said slide in one direction rotating :said container-.supporting vmechanism lthrough 180;

`mea-ns on said slide actuating vsaid container holding Ymeans; .manually controllable fmeans -controllably `reciprocatingsaid slide; means conftrollably effecting ejection of cleaning'rlnidrom said nozzle; said parts being so vassociated with respect to each other that-in one part 'of a cycle -of operation or" the machine a container will be held, inverted, entered by said nozzle, and contacted rwith cleaning uid ejected from said fnozzle, and in anotherpart of said cycle the ejection of .cleaning uid will be terminated, the nozzle withdrawn from said container, the container :returned to an upright position andreleased.

.2. `In a container cleaning machine, the combination comprising: .a frame; container-*supporting .mechanism rotatably imounted in .said frame for rotation about a .horizontal axis, and means associated with said mechanism releasably holding a container in .xed 'position l.with respect to said mechanism; a nozzle and a frame supporting said nozzle for .movement toward and `away from'the .axis of rotation of said .container supporting mechanism, said nozzle supporting frame including `a supporting plate slidablyi mounted on said first named frame; .a slide reciprocating on an .axis parallel to ra vreference line connecting said nozzle and the'nearest point lthereto on the line comprising the center of rotation of said container-supporting mechanism; ymeans reacting to movement ofsaid slide in one direction .means also reacting to movement of said slide in each direction rotating said container supporting mechanism through 180 with -each stroke of said slide; means on said slide .actuating said container .holding means; :manually controllable vmeans controllably reciprocating said slide; means controllably effecting ejection of cleaning uid from said nozzle; means adjustably varying the positioning of the nozzle with respect to said supporting plate along a line 4parallel to the above-mentioned vreference line; whereby in one part of a cycle of operation of 'the machine a container will bel-held, inverted, entered -by said nozzle, 'and contacted with cleaning Iiuid ejected from said nozzle, :and in another part of said cycle the ejection lof cleaning Yfluid will be terminated, the nozzle .withdrawn from said container, the container returned to an upright position vand -released.

V3. VIn a container cleaning machine, the .combination comprising: a vcontainer-holding mechanism-receiving a plurality of containers ion opposite ksides Y.thereof and Aincluding means releasably holding said containers iixed with respect to said mechanism; a plurality of nozzles and means supplying ,said nozzles with a cleaning fluid under pressure; a frame Ysupporting :said nozzles adjustably in a pattern Lcorresponding to that of the containers held by the containerholding mechanism, 4which frame is supported on a pair of plates slida-ble ltoward and Aaway from the container-holding mechanism; a nozzle driving rack carried by one of said plates; a'slide mounted ior reciprocation on a =line substantially parallel with a Areference line vconnecting one Aof ysaid nozzles and the nearest thereto of said containers; means actuated by a vfluid controllably reciprocating said slide and a source of said fluid in `controllable communication with said means; a shaft rotatably mounted below said frame and having a driving pinion Vand `a 4driven pinion which latter is operatively 4'associated with `the nozzle driving rack, said Vslide having a pair oferacks thereon so associated Afor operation of said driving pinion by which in one portion of the stroke of said slide the said driving pinion will be rotated in one direction and the nozzles moved toward the container-holding mechanism and in another portion of the same stroke the driving pinion will be rotated in the other direction and said nozzles vmoved away from said container-holding mechanism, said slide also having means thereon rotating the container-holding mechanism in vtimed relation to the'movement of said nozzles toward or away therefrom, and said slide also having means thereon operatively lassociated with other means on said containerLholding mechanism engaging and disengaging said means releasably vholding said containers; and means controllably ejecting cleaning fluid from said nozzles.

4. In a machine for cleaning containers each having an opening therein, the combination comprising: a frame; a rotatable platform having two sides mounted on said fra-me; means secured to said platform releasably holding at least one container on each of said sides; at least one vnozzle reciprocably mounted and positioned with respect to said platform so that its reciprocable motion will carry it partially into and fully out from the opening of one of said containers in one position of said platform; means including a rack and gear effecting reciprocation of said nozzle; means supplyingr cleaning fluid to said nozzles and controlling the ejection of fluid therefrom; a reciprocating slide controllably and timeably actuating said rack and gear; means actuated by said slide rotating said platform in such positional and timed relationship with the reciprocation of saidnozzle that a container on one side thereof may be operatively associated with said nozzle while from the other side of said platform a container is being removed and another being put in its place; means including a piston and cylinder controllably reciprocating said slide.

5. In a machine for cleaning containers each having an opening therein, the combination comprising: a frame; a rotatable platform having two sides mounted on said frame means secured to said platform releasably holding at least one container on each of its sides; at least one nozzle positioned with respect to said platform and reciprocably mounted so that its reciprocable motion will carry it partially into and fully out from the opening of one of said containers in one position of said platform; means including a rack and gear effecting reciprocation of said nozzle; means controllably supplying cleaning fluid to said nozzles; a reciprocating slide controllably and timeably actuating said rack and gear; means actuated by said slide rotating said.

platform in such positional and timed relationship with the reciprocation of said nozzle that a container on one side thereof may be operatively associated with said nozzle while from the other side of said platform a container is being removed and another being put in its place; means including a piston and cylinder controllably reciprocating said slide; means also operated by said slide and associated with said platform automatically effecting gripping and releasing of said containers in timed relationship with the rotation of said platform.

6. In a container cleaning machine, the combination comprising: a frame; a container supporting mechanism mounted upon said frame for rotation about a horizontal axis; a device associated with said mechanism for releasably holding a container in fixed position with respect to said mechanism; a nozzle and a vertically reciprocable frame supporting said nozzle beneath said mechanism; a vertically reciprocable slide mounted upon said rst named frame; manually controllable means controllably reciprocating said slide; means responsive to movement of said slide in one direction causing"` said nozzle frame to move first in one direction and then in the opposite direction, thereby causing said nozzle to move rst away from and then toward said mechanism; means responsive to movement of said slide in either direction eecting rotation of said mechanism through 180; means on said slide actuating said container holding means; whereby, in one part of a cycle of operation of the machine a container will be held, inverted, entered by a nozzle and contacted with cleaning liuid ejected from said nozzle, and in another part of said cycle ejection of cleaning fluid will be terminated, the nozzle withdrawn from said container, the container returned to an upright position and released.

7. In a container cleaning machine, the combination comprising: a frame; a container supporting mechanism mounted upon said frame for rotation about a horizontal axis; a, device associated with said mechanism for releasably holding a container in lxed position with respect to said mechanism; a nozzle and a vertically reciprocable frame supporting said nozzle beneath said mechanism; a vertically reciprocable slide mounted upon said rst named frame; manually controllable means controllably reciprocating said slide; means responsive to movement of said slide in one direction causing said nozzle frame to move first in one direction and then in the opposite direction, thereby causing said nozzle to move iirst away from and then toward said mechanism; means responsive to movement of said slide in either direction effecting rotation of said mechanism through means on said slide actuating said container holding means; means connectable to a source of cleaning fluid and controllably conducting said iluid under pressure to said nozzle; whereby, in one part of a cycle of operation of the machine a container will be held inverted, entered by a nozzle and contacted with cleaning fluid ejected from said nozzle, and in another part of said cycle ejection of cleaning uid will be terminated, the nozzle withdrawn from said container, the container returned to an upright position and released.

8. In a container cleaning machine, the combination comprising: a frame; a container supporting mechanism mounted upon said frame for rotation about a horizontal axis; a device associated with said mechanism for releasably holding a container fixed position with respect to said mechanism; a nozzle and a vertically reciprocable frame supporting said nozzle beneath said mechanism; a vertically reoiprocable slide mounted upon said rst named frame; a source of fluid under pressure and manually controllable means responsive thereto controllably reciprocating said slide; means responsive to movement of said slide in one direction causing said nozzle frame to move rst in one direction and then in the opposite direction, thereby causing said nozzle to move iirst away from and then toward said mechanism; means responsive to movement of said slide in either direction effectingr rotation of said mechanism through 180; means on said slide actuating said container holding means; means controllably conducting said fluid to said nozzle; whereby, in one part of a cycle of operation of the machine a container will be held inverted, entered by a nozzle and contacted with cleaning fluid ejected from said nozzle, and in another part of said cycle ejection of cleaning fluid will be terminated, the nozzle withdrawn from said container, the container returned to an upright position and released.

LEONARD T. COOKSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,110,615 Eick Sept. 15, 1914 1,833,007 Taylor` Nov. 24, 1931 2,003,668 Pittenger June 4, 1935 2,035,791 Davis Mar. 31, 1936 2,176,126 Everett Oct. 17, 1939 2,196,027 Risser Apr. 2, 1940 2,282,474 Howard May 12, 1942

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