US2379789A - Ampule cleansing machine - Google Patents

Description

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I AMPULE CLEANSING MACHINE Filed Sept. 13, 1941 Sheets-Sheet 4 WITNESSES INVEN TOR Wank 605502;

BY won/ 0% 7 ATTORNEYS July 3, 1945.

F. COZZOLI AMPULE CLEANSING MACHINE 5 'Shets-Sheet Filed Sept. 13, 1941 I 7g v 1 .INVENTOR WITNESSES 7 ,Fr'av k'cogzolb v v 1% I '7 7 ne Y ATTORNEYS Pa tentecl July 3, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE AMPULE CLEANSING MACHINE Frank Cozzoli, Plainfield, N. J. Application September 13, 1941; Serial No. 410,727

3 Claims. (Cl. 134-72) This invention relates to washing machinery, and more particularly to machinery used in cleansing, sterilizing and drying containers.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a machine adapted to the sanitary handling of containers through a plurality of steps, cleansing, and automatically delivering the sterile containers without being touched by human hands.

A further object is to provide a machine of;

the character described, which will be adapted Fig. 9 is a'sectional view showing the operation of the trough; 1

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the operation of the fluid control means;

Fig. 11 is a ide elevation of the ,cam shaft used to control the switches operating the valves to handle delicate containers, such as ampules.

depending upon the use to which the ampules are to be put, but, as an example, may consist of a strong cleansing solution in the first step,

a rinsing solution inth'e second, steam in the third, and hotfair for drying purposes in the fourth stage. I have shown a machine adapted to pass through six successive stages, but it will be appreciated that any number of stages may beused. y g

A still further object is to provide means whereby :the washing-stages are keptseparate .which determine'the amount of fluid or air used; Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view on the line in-l2 of Fig. 11; .1

Fig.13 is a cross-sectional view on the line I3- -|3 ofFig. 1. 1 My machine includes a frame In of any suitable type having a table II and a shelf l2. Mounted on the shelf I2 is a motor I3 which by means of a belt or chain Hand a gear box I5 rotates the shaft. It on which is mounted a sprocket ll engaging the chain I8. On the other 1 end of the, shaft I6 is mounted an arm I9 bearfrom one another so that the ampules .are sub-l. jected only to the predetermined treatment pules are moved to the'next stage. In the accompanying drawings- Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly broken away" to show the operation of mymachine;

Fig. 2, is a top plan view of a portion thereof; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of.

sections; v

the trough and nozzle ing a cam roller 20. The chain [8 engages a sprocket 25 mounted on the shaft 26. Also mounted on the shaft 26 is a double arm 21 carrying a cam roller 28. f l i 1 Pivoted at 30 to an extensionflof the table H is a lever arm 3|. At the oppositeend of the. arm 3| is a, pawl 32. Mounted on the shafts 33 and 34 are two pairs of sprockets 35 and 36. Also mounted on the shaft 34 is a ratchet 31, and it'. will be 'seen that as the shaft 26 rotates, due to the action of the chain I8 'ontlie sprocket 25, the lever arm 3! willbe contacted by the roller 28 which will cause itto rise and fall. .Thiswill causethe pawl 32 toengage the ratchet 3.1 and intermittently rotate the shaft 34and. thejsprock V et 36. i

Mounted for rotation on the sprockets 35 and 36 area series of units 40 pivoted attheir endsf H b pins 42 to form an. endless linked belt. I

" 45 and positionedby means of the threaded lmembers. 46 and 41. The memberfi'l tapers at Fig."5 isa cross-sectional view taken on the.

line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 6-- 5 of Fig. 5;

Fig. "7 is a cross-sectional detail view of the its lower end toform a nipple 48 ed to be engaged by the socket 50. 1

The socket 50 is provided with a soft rubber ,washer. 5| and is mounted on the tube 55in the bar 54. The tube 55 is slidablymounted in the bar 54 and a spring 52 exertsupward pressure against the socket 50. A lock Washer :56 limits the upward movement of the'tube. The lower end of the tube 55 forms a nipple 51. The bars 542 are mounted on a carriage 58 which is' provided with tubular end members or sleeves 60 slidably mounted on the supports 61. Mounted which is adapton the lower end of the tubular member 88 are rollers 82.

The shaft 28 is provided with cams 85 adapted to engage the rollers 82 on the carriage '88. It will be seen that upon each rotation of the shaft 28 the carriage 58 will be raised and the sockets 58 brought into pressure engagement with the nipples 48. The cam 88 and the cam roller 28 are so positioned upon the shaft 28 that the roller cam 28 will not be in engagement with the lever arm 8| while the high portion of the cam 85 is in engagement with the rollers 82 so that the sockets 58 will be out of engagement with the nipple 48 when the arm 8| and the pawl 82 move the ratchet 81 and sprockets 88 and 88.

As will be apparent from Fig. 1, the rotation is in a clockwise direction, and at the discharge end of the machine a shield 18 is provided to maintain the ampules A on the tubes 44 until they reach the end 1| of the shield 18.

In the framework 12 is a slot 18. A plunger bar 14 operates in the slot 18 in the following manner: The fork 15 is pivoted at 18 to either end of the bar 14 and merges into the arm 11 pivoted at 18. As. the shaft I8 rotates in'a counterclockwise direction, the roller arm 28 disengages the arm 11 and allows it to drop to the dotted position shown in Fig. 1. This allows the bar 14 to drop in the slot 18 and thus removes the ampule A from the tube 44 to a level with the tray on the shelf 18.

Mounted on the support 88 is a pusher 8| having a plurality of fingers 82 spaced from each other to coincide with the number of tubes 44 in each of the units 48.

Pivoted at 83 to the shelf I2 is an arm 84 which in turn is linked by the members 88 to the rear of the pusher 8|. A spring 81 engages th arm 84 to normally hold the pusher in a rearward position and to clear the slot 18. As

the cam roller 82 rotates it engages the arm 84 and forces it against the spring 81 so that the pusher will move the ampules from the top of the bar 14 onto the tray. Asthe roller moves along the arm 84 into the slot 88 pressure on the arm 84 is relieved and the spring 81 will cause the arm 84 to snap back and to move the pusher 8| out of the path of the bar 14 as the roller engages the erm 11 to move the bar 14 upwardly to receive additional ampules.

Mounted above the table I8 is a frame 88 carry-- ing a. motor 8| which operates the belt 82. The belt 82 rotates a series of pulleys 88. The pulleys 88 are positioned above each ampule and engage a washer 84 by-means of a shaft 85. The

washers 84 are adapted to engage the top of each ampule as it is forced upwardly bythe pressure of the cleansing fluid to cause it to spin during the cleansing operation, thus insuring a complete cleansing.

Each unit 48 is provided with a roller 48 on the pin 42 which engages a track I82 so that when the bar 84 is raised upwardly the unit 48 will be steadied and maintained in position. The rollers 48 ar also engaged by the sprockets 88 and 88 to move the linked belt.

As previously pointed out, each unit 48 has series of tubes mounted therein. In my machine I have shown four tubes but any convenient number may be applied. Each unit 48 is supplied-with a trough 48 to collect cleansing fluid or other material as it drains from the ampules.

In the machine as described six stages are provided, that is, each ampule moves through six intermittent movements and may receive asvaveo .troughs is shown in Fig. 9, and it will be seen that each trough 48 discharges into a separate drainage trough so that the fluids used in each operation are kept separate and may be re-used. The discharge issuing from these troughs flows into the several channels 88' of troughs 88 through a series of sluice-ways 48' of staggered lengths each sluice-way being directedinto a separate channel. I

Leading to each of the nipples 51 is a hose I88 which connects with a manifold I8I. Each of the manifolds MI is provided with'valves I88 at one end and valves I84 at the other end. Leading from the valve I88 is a pipe I88 which -may lead to an air or steam source, and from the the chain H8 and the sprockets H4 and II4" from the shaft 28. The shaft I I2 carries six cam members 8 which are identical in construction and one cam member II8 which i slightly different in construction. The cam members, II8 may be one continuous cam or six separate ones as shown. Each of the cam members III is adapted to operate a switch I28, there being all:

switches, one for each stage of the operation. The

cam member 8 is adapted to operate a switch identical in all respects with the switch I 28 but controlling the new of air through all of the stages.

The switch I28 is mounted on a bracket HI and is adapted to pivot thereon at I22. It consists of two contact members-one stationary member I28. and one spring member I24. The spring member 124 has an extended frame I28 adapted to engage the cam. Anangle iron I28 is flxed to the base I8 and bears a screw I21 engaging therear of the switch I28. A light spring |28 tends to keep the switch member upwardly against the screw I21. I

It will be appreciated that the switches operated by the cams 8 each operate one of the valves I84 controlling the flow of liquid while the switch operated by the cam II8 controlsall of the valves I88 controlling the flow of air orfldry steam. The amount of fluid supplied in each stage may be controlled by the adjustment of the screw I21 on the switch controlling that'stage. In other words, the screw I21 may be adjusted so that the flexible end I28 is engagedby the cam for a longer or shorter period of time. By screwing the screw I21 downwardly the flexible member I28 will engage the cam sooner than when the screw I21 is screwed outwardly or upwardly. The amount of air delivered in each stage may also be controlled by the adjustment of the switch I28 controlling the valves I88. It will be seen that diilerent amounts of fluid may be delivered in each of the diflerent stages by causing the posed to the direction of movement of the belt valve I04 controlling that stage to open sooner. .All of the valves I04 will of course close simultaneously at which point the cam IIG will cause all of the valves I03 to open for a predetermined time.

In operation the ampules may be placed upon the tubes 44 from the table H either by hand or by means of an automatic feeding mechanism (not shown). mittently moved forward, the ampules will come under the washers 94. At that stage the upward movement of the carriage 58 will cause the sockets 50to engage the nipple 48 and the valves I04 will be opened by their respective switches I20 in accordance with the predetermined pattern. The ampules will then be subjected to a cleansing fluid, either liquid or gaseous, and will be forced against the washers 94 and thus rotated. As the high point of the cam II5 passes over the spring member I24, the valves I04 will close and at the same time the valves I03 will be opened by the switch engaging the cam II 6 allowing a blast of air or dryin gas to be delivered to the tubes 44 to blow them and the ampules free of liquid. The carriage 58 will then drop and the units will be moved into the second phase where the operation will be repeated with the desired cleansing fluid,

As shown in the drawings, each ampule will be moved through six stages and be subjected to six treatments with a drying operation after each treatment. The ampules will then move against the shield I and be deposited on the tray.

As has beenpreviously stated, I have shown units adapted to carry four ampules, but it will be appreciated that any number of ampules may be carried by a single unit and the ampules may be subjected to any number of intermittent treatments without departing from the invention herein disclosed.

Iclaim:

1. In a conveyor type washing machine, a continuous linked belt, each of the links of said belt comprising an elongated run-ofl trough for discharge fluids, said trough being transversely dis- As the series of units 40 are interand open at both ends, a series of sluice-ways situated at each end or said run-off troughs and communicating therewith, said sluice-ways being of staggered lengths, a receiving trough communicating with each said series of sluice-ways, said receiving trough being longitudinally divided into separate channels, each channel communicating with a separate sluice-way, and a lead-off conduit communicating with each said channel at the discharge point of said channel.

2. In a conveyor type washing machine, a series of washing units, each of said units constituting a trough, a plurality of washing'tubes extending through said trough, a nipple on the underside of each trough communicating with each of said washing tubes, means for moving said troughs and thereby said tubes intermittently, means for supplying difierent cleaning agents through said nipples to said tubes in the intervals between their intermittent movements, a second trough divided into separate channels, and a series of sluice-ways of staggered lengths communicating respectively with said separate channels and receiving the flow of the first men tioned troughs and delivering said flow to the different channels of the second trough for sep arate collection thereof.

3. In a conveyor type washing machine, a series of washing units, each of said units constituting a trough, a plurality of washing tubes extending through said trough, means for moving said troughsand thereby said tubes intermittently. means for supplying difierent cleaning agents to said tubes in the intervals between their intermittent movements, 9. second trough divided into separate channels, and a series of,- sluice-ways of staggered lengthscommunicating FRANK COBZZOLI.

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