US2235885A - Glassware washer and sterilizer - Google Patents

Description

March 25,1941. c w JQHNSQN 2,235,885

. GLASSWARE WASHER AND STERILIZER Filed July 29, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 D o 0 g 14 ifl/d/ 14 L R 3 Aiiorneps Patented Mar. 25, 1941 GLASSWARE WASHER AND STERILIZER Carl W. Johnson, Minneapolis, Minn" assignor to American Glass Sterilizer Corporation, Minneapolil, Minn, a corporation oi. Minnesota Application July 29, 1937, Serial No. 156,341

2 Claims.

My invention relates to apparatus for washing and sterilizing glassware and particularly to cabinet type apparatus for acting on a plurality of units of glassware at one time. I

In many establishments, such as, for example, commercial establishments wherein beverages are dispensed, considerable quantities of glassware, such as beverage glasses and the like, must be washed and sterilized and such washing and sterilizing must be done quickly and yet thoroughly and efiectively.

A general object of my invention is to provide apparatus adapted for rapid and convenient manipulation to thoroughly and eilectively wash and a sterilize a substantial quantity of glassware at one time.

a more specific object is to provide such apparatus including a closable cabinet containing supporting means for glassware and means for of- 20 iectively spraying both the interiors and exteriors oi" the glassware selectively with hot and cold water and steam.

another object is to provide such apparatus having a particularly compact and quickly and conveniently operatable door structure.

Still another object is to provide such apparatus having particularly eflective spraying means.

it further object is to provide such apparatus or simple, compact, rugged, light and inexpensive construction and adapted for rapid and easy installation.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the views, and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a partially broken away top view of an embodiment oi my invention with the doors thereof in open position;

Fig, 2 is a front view;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line i t oi Fig. 2 as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. t is a sectional view taken along the line li it of Fig. l as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line i---i of Fig. l. as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a detail view;

Fig. I! is a partially sectional side view of one or the spray units of my apparatus;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line t-t of Fig. '7 as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. ii is a sectional view taken along the line 9-t of Fig. '7 as indicated by the arrows; and

Fig. 10 is a pipe connection diagram of the pipes in my apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, my glassware washing and sterilizing device includes a casing or cabinet C of inverted U-shaped cross sections,

and, when viewed from above, of rectangular shape. The casing C has a floor II at the lower side thereof suitably sealed to the side walls of the casing, The forward side of the casing C is open with the exception of the lowermost part thereof, and this open side is provided with suitable closure means.

A door I2 is provided for theupphr portion of the open side of the cabinet 0. This door I! is of arcuate shape having a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the U-shape of the cabinet C. The door It is carried by sector shaped elements i3 and is secured to the curved edge portions of the sector shaped elements iii. The sector shaped elements i3 are located at the respective ends of the door i2 and cabinet C, and are connected to the end walls of the cabinet C by means of pivot elements It concentrically located relative to the curved portion of the cabinet C. The sector shaped elements it have a portion thereof extending beyond the pivot elements it and the door l2 and adapted for use as lever arms like. The upper end oi the door it is formed into a reversely turned element Ilia. which engages a resilient strip it contained within a channel formed by a reversely turned portion it of the cabinet 0. The lower end of the door it is bent to form a bead lib. A plate ii is secured to the inner side of the door it to act as a brace. it handle or lmob it is secured to the outer side of the lower portion of the door it. The door it may he swung upwardly and rearwardly on the pivot elements it to dispose the door within the curved rear portion or the cabinet C.

The lower portion of the open side of the cabinet C is provided with a door it, this door it being rectangular in shape and being hinged at its lower edge to the lower portion of the cabinet C. It should be apparent that the door is is swingable forwardly and downwardly to the open position thereof. The upper edge portion of the door I9 is bent to form a channel element its for receiving the bead I211 on the lower edge of the first described door it. A pair of links 20 are provided. Each link is associated with one of the sector shaped elements l3 and is pivotally connected at its inner end of the lever arm portion of the associated sector shaped element H3, The remaining or forward end of each of the links 20 is pivotally connected to a lug or ear l9b mounted till on and projecting inwardly from the lower portion of the door [9 a short distance above the lower edge thereof. By means of the link 20 raising of the knob E8 to open the upper door I2 is accompanied by movement of the lower door I9 outwardly and downwardly to its open position. Also, of course, closing of one of the doors I2 and i9 will be accompanied by closing of the other door. The vertical edge portions at the respective ends of the door l9 are bent inwardly to form sealing flanges I which are received in channels formed in complementary elements l9d secured to the end portions of the cabinet C as shown in Figure 6.

A reticulated platform 2! is provided in the lower portion of the cabinet C parallel to and spaced a moderate distance above the floor ll of the cabinet C. The platform 25 is raised in a plurality of places to form glass locating elements Zia, each of which is cut away to form a grating like structure and each of which is centrally aper tured. The reticulated platform 29 is, of course, suitably secured to the cabinet C to derive support therefrom. A conduit 22 is disposed under and extends along each row of glass locating elements Zia and each of the conduits 22 is provided with upwardly directed spray means beneath each of the glass receiving elements lilo associated therewith. The conduits 22 are connected together by other conduits 23 extending in a direction from front to rear of cabinet C. An upper conduit 2 is ("posed in the upper portion of the cabinet C and extends longitudinally thereof. Ihe upper conduit is provided in its lower side with a series of apertures suited for directing jets of liquid downwardly on the exteriors of glasses disposed on the reticulated platform H. The upper conduit 24 is connected to the conduits 23 by suitable generally vertical conduits 25.

As previously mentioned, upwardly directed spraying means is provided on the conduits 22 beneath the respective glass locating elements Zia. At each of the locations of such spraying means a vertically disposed headed pivot screw 26 is mounted on the conduit 22. A liquid directing element or member 21, shown in detail in Figures 7, 8 and 9, is mounted on the screw 26 to be retained thereon by means of the head of the screw 2G, and to be rotatable about a vertical axis. The liquid directing rotatable members 21 are of downwardly tapered or inverted frusto-conical shape. The conduit 22 is provided with apertures or orifices 22a situated just outside the limits of the lower portion of the periphery of the member 21. These apertures 22a are adapted, when the conduit 22 is filled with liquid under pressure, to project jets of liquid upwardly against the periphery of the member 2i. The member 21 is shaped in its peripheral portion to present angularly disposed surfaces adapted to be impinged upon by jets of liquid issuing from the orifices 22a in such manner that impingement of the jets of liquid on such angularly disposed surfaces will act to cause rotation or spinning of the member 21. Such angularly disposed surfaces may be formed in various ways, and I have found it preferable to form such surfaces in a manner to be described. I cut away the peripheral portion of the member 27 to form a circumferentially extending series of circumferential spaced grooves or recesses 21a. Each of the recesses 21a is disposed at an angle to the vertical axis of the member 2? and so varies in depth that the portions of the member ,2! defining the inner limits of the recess 21a are arwheel.

cuate in shape. Also the recess 27a is so tilted that the depth thereof at the side thereof defined by a generally downwardly facing surface is greater than the depth at the side opposite. Such recesses 27a may be formed by applying a cutting or grinding wheel of small diameter and disk shape to the member 21 at suitable points on the periphery thereof. Such wheel would be situated at an angle to'the vertical axis of the member 21 and at an angle to a radius of the member 21 at the point of application of the It should be apparent that jets of liquid issuing from the orifices 22a and striking the member 2? will engage the angularly disposed generally downwardly facing surfaces partially defining the recesses Ella, and will act to cause rotation or spinning of the member 21. Also liquid striking the member 2? will be somewhat deflected thereby. The liquid moving upwardly above the member 2? will be in the form of a divergent whirling spray composed of relatively fine drops of liquid. Such spray will be delivered to the interior of an inverted glass disposed upon the glass locating element Zia and will reach all portions of the interior of the glass to thoroughly wash the same. Steam delivered through the orifices 22a. will similarly reach all portions of the interior of a glass to thoroughly sterilize the same.

Means is provided for delivering hot water, cold water, or steam to the conduits 22, 23, 24. and 25 so that such fluids may be ejected from the orifices 22a and 24a. The plumbing connections for such supply are diagrammatically shown in Figure 10 and are as follows:

Pipes 228 and 29 are provided for connections respectively to sources of hot and cold water under pressure. The hot water pipe 28 runs to the inlet of a super-heater or boiler B contained in a casing 38 secured to one end of the'main casing C. The outlet of the boiler B is connected through a pipe 35, a valve 32 and a pipe 33 to one of the conduits 22 which, of course, is in communication through the conduits 23 with the remaining ones of the conduits 22 and through the conduits 25 with the upper conduit 2%. The cold water pipe is connected through a valve 34 and a pipe 35 to one of the conduits 22. The handles of the valves 32 and 3 3 are disposed in front of the casing C and the valves and pipe connections associated therewith are housed in an auxiliary casing 36 mounted on the front of the lower portion of the main casing or cabinet C. Obviously the valves 32 and 35 may be separated to deliver hot water to the spray device by opening valve 32 or to deliver cold water to the spray device for chilling the washed or sterilized glasses by opening valve 34. Hot water supplied to the boiler B may be super-heated or converted into steam by the boiler B.

The boiler B will preferably be an electrically heated type of boiler serviced through an electrical supply cord 3? through a switch 38. Conveniently mounted in the upper portion of the auxiliary casing 30 are a thermostat 39 and wires 40. The thermostat 39 is associated with the boiler B so as to automatically control the application of the electric current to the boiler in such manner as to maintain a substantially fixed temperature in the contents of the boiler B. The thermometer ll is mounted on the top of the auxiliary casing 30 with its bulb portion d p within an element 42 secured to the upper side of the boiler B and hence being in intimate 2,285,885 thernio relatlon with the boiler B and its contents.

Means are provided for draining the moisture which will otherwise accumulate in the lower portion of the cabinet 0. For this purpose an outlet fitting is provided. This outlet fitting, contained within the auxiliary casing 36, is in communication with the lower portion of the cabinet C and is adapted to be suitably connected to the sewer or other place suited for disposal oi. waste water. i V

The prevailing method of use of my device is as follows: The switch 38 is kept closedv during the periods oi time when the device will be used so that the temperature or the hot water supplied from a source thereof will be raised to produce steam. The glasses to be washed and sterilized are placed within the cabinet in inverted position, each glass being located on the reticulated platform by means or the raised glass 10- cating elements 2m, the rims oi the glasses, of course, encircling the elements Zia. At first the hot water control valve is opened so-that hot water and steam will be delivered to the interior and exterior of each glass to thoroughly wash and sterilize the same. Then the cold water valve 34 is gradually opened to temper the liquid with which the glasses are being sprayed after which the hot water valve 32 may be closed so that only cold water will be delivered to the glasses to chill the same as a final part of the operation. V

The above described embodiment of my invention has been built and put to practical use and has been found to be highly satisfactory.

It is apparent that I have invented a novel, compact, effective and easily operated apparatusiior washing, sterilizing and chilling glasswar It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the term, details and arrangement or the various parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What is claimedis:

1. In a cabinet of inverted U-shaped cross section having one open side, an arcuate door for closing the upper portion of said open side and situated within the limits of said cabinet, 5 brackets on said door extending downwardly and rearwardly, beyond and being pivotally mounted at points concentric with the curved portion of said cabinet whereby said door may be swung between a normal position and a position just inwardly of the closed side oi! said cabinet, a door for closing the lower portion 01' the open side of said cabinet, said last mentioned door being hinged at its lower edge to said cabinet so as to be swingable outwardly, and links each pivotally connected at its respective ends to the lower end of one of said brackets and to said last mentioned door whereby said doors will open and close in unison responsive to force applied to open and close one thereof.

2. In a cabinet of inverted U-shaped cross section having one open side, an arcuate door for closing the upper portion of said open side. sector-shaped door-carrying members attached at their respective curved edges to said door and pivotally mounted adjacent their respective inner corners to points in said cabinet concentric with the curve of said cross section so that said door may be shifted edgewise between its closed position' and a position within the closed side of said cabinet, a flat rectangular door for closing the lower portion of said open side and being hinged at its lower edge to said cabinet so as to be swingable outwardly and inwardly relative thereto between closed and open positions, and a link pivotally connected at its respective ends to the inner corner of one of said sector shaped members and a suitable point on said flat door whereby said respective doors will open and close in unison responsive to force applied to open and 0 close one thereof.

vCARL 'W. JOHNSON.

Images