US2353368A - Cleaning machine - Google Patents

Description

- July 11, 1944; A. P. SCHU LZ CLEANING MACHINE Fil ed Dec. 4, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 11, 1944 Arumr. Schulz, mill: Home South Bend, Ind., assignor to Appliances, Inc., outh. Bend, a corporation of Delaware Application llecember 4, 1939. Serial No. 307.385 6 Claims. 299-63) This invention relates to a cleaning machine and more particularly to a machine for washing dishes and like articles.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a cleaning machine in which the articles to be cleaned are supported in a stationary rack or the like and a fan-like spray of cleaning liquid is directed over them in arcuate sweeps. The arouate sweeps of thespray may be either oscillat- 31g sweeps or successive sweeps in the same direc- Another object of the invention is to provide a cleaning machine including a vaned impeller for creating a spray of'cleaning liquid in which the spray is guided indifferent directions. According to one important feature of the invention the spray whose direction is changed to sweep across the container or casing of the machine.

Yet another object of the invention is to pro-- vide a cleaning machinein which the level of cleaning liquid is automatically and accurately limited.

The above and other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will appear from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a central section of a dishwashing machine embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspectiveview of the tubular guide sleeve of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is, an enlarged section through the guide sleeve oil'set to show both-the inletand outlet openings;

Figure 4 is a section at right angles to Figure 1 illustrating another construction;

Figure 5 isv a perspective view of the guide sleeve of Figure i; Figure 6 is a partial perspective showing the gu de sleeve driving gearing of Figure 4. i

The machine of Figure '1 comprises a container. or receptacle l0 supported in. a casing illustrated by the dotted line I! and adapted to be closed by a cover plate It supported above its dishes I! orlike articles l4. The receptacle holds a rack to be cleaned. A com.

duit II which may lead from the usual city'water supply is connected to the upper part ofthe container ll pasta valve 22. An outlet conduit 24 also communicates with the lower partof the receptacle and with the inlet of a pump 28 which is driven by a motor 38. The pump outlet communicates with a discharge conduit 30 leading to any desired point. The outlet conduit is controlled by a va1ve'32 arranged adjacent the pump inlet and which may be operated in any desired mannen' v The inlet valve, as shown, is adapted to be opened by a. solenoid I4 connected in series with a manual switch 34 and with a second switch 38.

is confined toa relatively thin sheet bottom which supports to a rod 42 which its closed position.

The switch 38 has an operating arm 40 connected diaphragm 44 there diaphragm upwardly to move the When it is desired to 1111 the machine with water or other cleaning liquid the switch 36 may be closed to energize solenoid I4 and openthe inlet valve 22. Water then flows into the container l0 filling the drain pipe 24 and creating a A spring 46 urges the pressure head on the diaphragm 44 opposing the spring 46. When reaches a 'suflicient level the water in the container to depress the diaphragm 44 the switch 38 will be opened to interrupt the circuit to solenoid 34 so that the 'inlet' valve 22 may close. Thus this construction determines and limits the level of the water in the container.

Preferably the spring 48 is so adJusted as tomaintain the water level substantially at the line. L-L

inFigurel.

An impeller. indicated generally at As is rotatably mounted-in the lower part. of the container and is provided at its ends with a-shai't extending through the opposite sides of the container wall. A pulley I0 is secured to one end of the impeller shaft and is connected by a belt 52 with a pulley 54 on the shaft otthe driving motor 28. It .will be noted that the pulley is substantially smaller than the pulley '4 so that the impeller will be driven at a relatively high speed. In a preferred embodiment a motor turning 1725 R. P. M. and a ratio of 2 to 1 between pulleys 54 a and ill are used so that the impeller is driven at a speed of 3450 R. P. M.

At its opposite end the impeller shaft carries a pinion 5B driving a concentric pinion 58 through a train of reduction gearing. The pinion i8 is secured to the sleeved end of a tubular guide sleeve 80 which is rotatably mounted around the impeller in the lower part 01' the container.

The guide sleeve 64, as best seen in Figures 2 and 8', is formed with a series of axially spaced outlet'openings I! on diametrically opposite sides formed by slitting the periphery of the sleeve and pressing out a portionthereof in theshape Of a louver. The guide sleeve is further formed with diametrically opposite series of inlet openings 64 substantially elongated circumferentially of the' sleeve and spaced axially and circumferentially from the outlet openings 82.

The impeller is formed with a series of axially spaced sets of vanes 46 in alignment with the.

' outlet openings 82 and with the spaces between the vanes aligned with the inlet openings 64.

In use the container is filled to the indicated at high speed so that. it will'piclr up waterfrom extends into the drain pipe 24 and is secured at its upper end to a flexible switch 33 to openings and one are formed with closely spaced the lower portion of the guide sleeve and throw it'out at high velocity in the form of a flat fan shaped spray through the outlet openings 62. As

the impeller rotates, the guide sleeve 80 will be rotated at a much slower speed through the reduction gearing 56-58 so that the spray will sweep across the container in contact with the dishes and will clean the same. Water from the lower part of the container flows constantly into one or the other sets of inlet openings 64 and axially into the impeller vanes so that a continuous spray is created. As best seen in Figure Figures 1 to 3 and have been indicated by the same reference characters.

In this construction the impeller 48 is identical with that of Figure 1, but the guide. sleeve 88 differs in that it is provided with only one set of louvered outlet set of inlet openings 12 which sets of elongated slots. The guide sleeve 68 is pivotally connected to one end of a. link I4 which is pivoted at'its opposite end to a crank 16 lying inside of the container Ill. The crank isconnected to ashaft l8 projecting through the wall of the container and carryingon the outside thereof a worm gear 8|! which meshes with a worm 82. A worm gear 84 rigid with the worm 82 meshes in turn with a worm 85 formed on or securedto the end of the impeller shaft. In this construction as the impeller rotates, the link 14 will be rocked by the crank 16 to oscillate the guide sleeve 68. Thus the spray directedoutwardly by the outlet openings will sweep back and forth across the container and against the dishes or other articles which may be supported therein.

An important novel feature of the invention resides in the fact that the guide sleeve concentrates the entire impeller discharge int-o a spray of exceptionally high mass, and a very high velocity results from rotating the impeller at its relatively high speed of 3450 R. P. M. This theory of operation is distinctive over the prior art machines in which large mass surges are created by relatively slow moving impellers (1725 R. P. M); and over the prior art machines in which very fine, low mass sprays are created by fast moving impellers.

While several embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail it will be understood that various changes might be made therein f and it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the exact forms shown nor otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. For use in a cleaning machine including a container for articlesto be cleaned, a rotatable impeller having a plurality of axially spaced sets of vanes, means for rotating said impeller, a tubular guide sleeve rotatably surrounding the impeller and formed with peripheral outlet openings alined with the sets of vanes and peripheral inlet openings between the sets of vanes; and

at a rate slower than the rotation of said impeller to vary the position of the discharge openings.

means for continuously turning the guide sleeve container impeller having a plurality of axially spaced sets 2. For use in a cleaning machine including a for articles to be cleaned, a rotatable of vanes, means for rotating said impeller, a

tubular guide sleeve movably surrounding the impeller and formed with peripheral outlet openings alined with the sets of vanes and peripheral inlet openings between the sets of vanes, and means for oscillating the guide sleeve to move the outlet openings back and forth across the upper portion of the impeller at a rate slower than the movement of said impeller in its rotation.

3. For use in a cleaning machine including a container for articles to be cleaned, a rotatable impeller having a plurality of axially spaced sets ofvanes, means for rotating said impeller, a tubular guide sleeve movably surrounding the impeller and formed with diametrically opposite sets of peripheral outlet openings alined with the sets of vanes and peripheral inlet openings of substantial circumferential extent between the s'ets of vanes, and means for rotating the guide sleeve relative to said impeller so that the sets of outlet openings alternately move around the upper part of the impeller at a rate slower than the rotation of said impeller.

4. For use in a cleaning machine including a container for articles to be cleaned, a rotatable impeller having a plurality of axially spaced sets of vanes, a tubular guide sleeve movably surrounding the impeller andiormed with peripheral impeller at a rate slower than the rotation of said.

impeller.

5. For use in a cleaning machine including a container for articles to be cleaned, a rotatable impeller having a plurality of axially spaced sets of vanes, means for rotating said impeller, a tubular guide sleeve movably surrounding the impeller and formed with diametrically opposite sets of peripheral outlet openings alined with the sets of vanes and peripheral inlet openings of substantial circumferential extent between the sets .of vanes, means for supplying cleaning liquid to a level intermediate the top and bottom of the guide sleeve, and means for rotating the guide sleeve relative to said impeller at a rate slower than the rotation of said impeller so that the sets of outlet openings are alternately submerged in and move above the level of the liquid.

6. 'For use in a cleaning machine, a spray unit for cleaning liquid comprising a rotatable vaned impeller and a tubular guide sleeve surroundin the impeller formed with an axially spaced series of peripheral outlet openings and a series of peripheral inlet openings spaced axially and cir-, cumferentially oi the outlet openings, means for rotating said impeller, and means torotate said tubular guide sleeve-on the. axis of said impeller but at a rate of rotation slower than the rate of rotation of said impeller.

- ARTHUR P. SCHULZ.

inlet openings and will be

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