US3852919A

US3852919A - Continuous cleaning apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3852919A
Application number: US00592799A
Authority: US
Inventors: D Baughman; J Carpenter
Original assignee: Carborundum Co
Current assignee: Pangborn Corp
Priority date: 1966-05-26
Filing date: 1966-11-08
Publication date: 1974-12-10
Anticipated expiration: 1991-12-10

Abstract

A continuous cleaning apparatus includes an elongated barrel which is open at both its feed and discharge ends to permit parts to flow axially therethrough. Cleaning devices are positioned along the barrel to clean the parts as the barrel rotates and a pickup apparatus is disposed at the feed end to insert the parts into the barrel.

Description

[ Dec. 10, 1974 Unite States te [191 Baughman et a1.

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[22] Filed: Nov. 8, 1966 Primary ExaminerDonald G. Kelly Attorney, Agent, or FirmDavid E. Dougherty; William H. Holt App]. No.2 592,799

Related US. Application Data Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 553,183, May 26,

[57] ABSTRACT A continuous cleaning apparatus includes an elongated barrel which is open at both its feed and discharge ends to permit parts to flow axially there- 5 MM 195 5 "4 a 25 W 8 4 W 1 W C a 4 0 N W 5 .2 u N w "Bin 0. Hr "Ha e s L l WM .m U'mF 1.1.1. 2 8 555 .1211

through. Cleaning devices are positioned along the barrel to clean the parts as the barrel rotates and a [56] References Cited pickup apparatus is disposed at the feed end to insert UNITED STATES PATENTS the parts into the barrel.

763,268 6 1904 Edwards 198/215 8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 0 a K H I? M F u I x mug/r m M M L 090 CONTINUOUS CLEANING APPARATUS This application is a continuation-in-part of the copending application Ser. No. 553,183, filed May 26, 1966.

This invention relates to an apparatus which is particularly suitable for cleaning large batches of parts or continuously fed parts such as automobile heads, manifolds, etc.

Parent application Ser. No. 553,183 filed May 26, 1966, describes an apparatus which is particularly effective for cleaning the above type parts. In that apparatus when a particular part is to be cleaned, the parts are fed one at a time to one end of an elongated rotatable barrel. The parts flow axially therethrough while being cleaned and are discharged at the other end of the barrel. The rotation of the barrel is controlled in such a manner in that rotation is periodically halted to permit a part to be fed into the barrel. This type of cleaning works quite effectively for large batches of the same type part. When a different type part is to be cleaned, the entire barrel is replaced by another barrel having a particular shape for receiving the new part.

An object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of the above type which may be continuously rotated without the necessity for periodic stopping of the barrel to receive each part.

A further object is to provide such an apparatus which is so shaped as to accommodate a plurality of different shaped parts so that the necessity of completely replacing a barrel when a new part is to be cleaned is minimized.

In accordance with this invention, the elongated barrel includes part pickup means for scooping parts off the feed conveyor as the barrel is rotating. In this manner the part is scooped from the conveyor and deposited in the barrel while the barrel continues to rotate so that it is not necessary to periodically halt the barrel rotation for receiving the part. The part pickup means may advantageously have a pair of elongated bars secured directly to the barrel and spaced so as to fit between the bands of the conveyor.

In accordance with another aspect of this invention,

the barrel is provided with a pluraltiy of parts positioning members which are so located therein that some of the members position a particularly shaped part in one orientation of the barrel and other members are disposed to position another shaped part in a different orientation of the barrel. With this type of apparatus the barrel rotates'in the same manner while cleaning a particular part. When a batch of different shaped parts is to be cleaned, the barrel is disengaged from its drive and rotated to a new orientation which disposes its parts positioning members to receive the new part. The rotation drive is then reen gaged and the barrel may rotate in its normal manner. Accordingly when a new part is to be cleaned all that is necessary is to reorientate the barrel rather than completely replace the barrel.

Novel features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to one skilled in the art from a reading from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts and in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view ofan apparatus formed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view in section ofa part of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevation view of a part of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIGS. 4 and 5 are end views of different shaped barrels usable in the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1-3.

As shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus 10 includes a supply conveyor 12 which feeds the parts 14 to a feed conveyor 16. The parts are then inserted in elongated barrel l8 and flow axially therethrough while the barrel is rotating. Barrel 18 is slotted or skeletal so that the parts 14 are cleaned by for example, abrasive blasting machines 20 disposed along the barrel. The cleaned parts are then discharged onto receiving conveyor 22 and thence to their area of further distribution by conveyors 24. The various drives for the conveyors and barrels may be of the type described in parent application Ser. No. 553,183, filed May 26, 1966.

As more clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, feed conveyor 16 is in the form ofa pair of bands or link chains 26 having spacing projections 28 for maintaining a proper spacing between the parts 14. The parts 14 are driven by conveyor 16 toward the open end of barrel 18. Barrel 18 includes a number of elongated bars 30 which are so arranged to properly position the part 14 during the rotation of the barrel. A pair of pickup elongated arms 32 are secured to some of the bars 30 and are conveniently spaced to fit between the chains 26 of conveyor 16 as best shown in FIG. 2. As also shown in FIG. 2 bar 30a terminates short of arms 32 so as not to interfere with the part sliding into the barrel.

Barrel 18 includes a ring gear 34 which is driven by gear train 36. The same gear drive for rotating barrel 18 is also connected to drive gear 38 for the conveyor 16. In this manner a proper synchronization of the rotation of barrel 18 with conveyor 16 is assured. As barrel 18 rotates. arms 32 scoop a part 14 from conveyor 16 (FIG. 3) and slide the part into the open end of barrel 18. The part is then moved axially into the barrel by periodically actuated piston cylinder assembly 40 which moves each part fed to the barrel toward the discharge end of the barrel. In this manner each successive part causes its adjacent part to be moved toward the discharge end of the barrel where by a similar process to the above described feed process, the last part is discharged from the barrel.

As best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, barrel 18 includes a plurality of parts positioning members 42-48. These members are arranged in such a manner to receive the specialized shapes of various manifolds, automobile heads, etc. For example, as indicated in FIG. 4, bars 43 and 44 cooperate to hold the part 14a. Bars 42 additionally cooperate for holding this part during rotation of the barrel by limiting the amount of movement of the part being cleaned. However, when a different part is to be cleaned, bars 42 or other bars might be inactive while the remaining bars cooperate in positioning this other part.

The periodic use and inactivity of certain parts positioning bars is better shown in FIG. 5 where a part 14b (in full lines) is positioned by bars 45, 46 and 47 with bars 48 being inactive. Another shaped part 14c (phantom), is held by the bars 46,- 47 and 48 with bars 45 being inactive. The number of parts positioning bars may be reduced by having some or all of the bars adjustable or movable such as bars 43 shown in FIG. 4.

With the use of the plurality of parts positioning bars it is not necessary to completely remove a barrel when a new part is to be cleaned, instead all that is necessary is to disengage the rotational drive of the barrel and reorientate the barrel. This may be done in any convenient manner. For example, FIG. 3 shows a possibility for disengaging drive 36 by slip clutch 50. When the drive 36 is disengaged from ring gear 34 another slip clutch 52 is utilized to engage gear 54 with ring gear 34. Next by the use of manual or automatic means, gears 54 is actuated to drive ring gear 34, a sufficient amount to reorientate its parts positioning bars so that upon reengagement of drive 36 and parts positioning bars of the rotating barrel will be synchronized with feed conveyor 16.

The concept of using a plurality of different parts positioning bars is particularly adapted to periodically rotating barrels such as described in patent application Ser. No. 553,183, filed May 26, 1966.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

Whatis claimed is:

1. A continuous cleaning apparatus comprising an elongated barrel, said barrel having an open feed end and an open discharge end to permit the axial flow of parts therethrough, feed means for delivering parts to said feed end one at a time, discharge means for receiving parts from said discharge end one at a time, cleaning means positioned along said barrel for cleaning the parts flowing therethrough, said barrel being of skeletal form with open portions in its periphery to permit cleaning media from said cleaning means to enter said barrel, rotation means connected to continuously rotate said barrel to cause the parts therein to rotate as they are cleaned, and pickup means on said feed end for removing parts from said feed means and disposing the parts in said barrel.

2. A continuous cleaning apparatus comprising an elongated barrel, said barrel having an open feed end and an open discharge end to permit the axial flow of parts therethrough, feed means for delivering parts to said feed end one at a time, discharge means for receiving parts from said discharge end one at a time, cleaning means positioned along said barrel for cleaning the parts flowing therethrough, rotation means connected to continuously rotate said barrel to cause the parts therein to rotate as they are cleaned, and pickup means on said feed end for removing parts from said feed means and disposing the parts in said barrel, and said pickup means including a pair of elongated pickup arms, disposed for rotation with said barrel.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said feed means includes a pair of conveyor bands spaced apart a distance greater than the distance between said pickup arms, and piston cylinder means for moving the parts axially in said barrel.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3 including drive means connected to said rotation means for synchronizing the movement of said conveyors with the rotation of said barrel.

5. A continuous cleaning apparatus comprising an elongated barrel, said barrel having an open feed end and an open discharge end to permit the axial flow of parts therethrough, feed means for delivering parts to said feed end one at a time, discharge means for receiving parts from said discharge end one at a time, cleaning means positioned along said barrel for cleaning the parts flowing therethrough, rotation means for periodically rotating said barrel to cause the parts therein to rotate as they are cleaned, parts positioning means in said barrel for selectively holding different shaped parts therein, disengaging means for operatively disconnecting said rotation means from said barrel before a different shaped part is to be inserted therein, and barrel orientation means for controlling the orientation of said barrel to dispose said parts positioning means for holding different shaped barrel.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said parts positioning means includes a plurality of parts positioning members, and at least some of said parts positioning members being adjustable.

7. A continuous cleaning apparatus compsing an elongated barrel, said barrel having an open feed end and an open discharge end to permit the axial flow of parts therethrough, said barrel including means for holding the parts to minimize relative rotation of the parts with respect to said barrel to provide positive control of the disposition of the parts as the parts flow through said barrel, feed means for delivering parts to said feed end one at a time, discharge means for receiving parts from said discharge end one at a time, cleaning means positioned along said barrel for cleaning the parts flowing therethrough, rotation means connected to continuously rotate said barrel to cause the parts therein to rotate as they are cleaned, and pickup means on said feed end for removing parts from said feed means and disposing the parts in said barrel.

8. A continuous cleaning apparatus comprising an elongated barrel, said barrel having an open feed end and an open discharge end to permit the axial flow of parts therethrough, feed means for delivering parts to said feed end one at a time, discharge means for receiving parts from said discharge end one at a time, cleaning means positioned along said barrel for cleaning the parts flowing therethrough, said cleaning means being disposed at different locations with respect to the circumferential periphery of said barrel for applying cleaning media into said barrel from different radial directions, rotation means connected to continuously rotate said barrel to cause the parts therein to rotate as they are cleaned, and pickup means on said feed end for removing parts from said feed means and disposing the parts in said barrel.

Claims

2. A continuous cleaning apparatus comprising an elongated barrel, said barrel having an open feed end and an open discharge end to permit the axial flow of parts therethrough, feed means for delivering parts to said feed end one at a time, discharge means for receiving parts from said discharge end one at a time, cleaning means positioned along said barrel for cleaning the parts flowing therethrough, rotation means connected to continuously rotate said barrel to cause the parts therein to rotate as they are cleaned, and pickup means on said feed end for removing parts from said feed means and disposing the parts in said barrel, and said pickup means including a pair of elongated pickup arms disposed for rotation with said barrel.