Abstract: An apparatus for drying articles having an adjustably movable drying head includes a housing having a drying chamber defined therein and a conveyor extending therethrough. The conveying means carries articles to be dried on the conveyor through the drying chamber next past adjacently positioned drying plenum devices. The plenum boxes are movably mounted with respect to the housing toward and away from the conveying means to facilitate drying of articles of different shapes and sizes. The drying plenums can be positioned to the sides of the conveyor or above or below or any combination of such positions. The drying plenums include air distribution controls such as air guides in the form of slots adapted to facilitate drying of articles by blowing of the water thereoff primarily and secondarily by evaporation. A conduit being flexible along at least a section thereof extends between the blower and the movably positioned drying heads.

Abstract: A two stage liquid filtration apparatus including a first pre-filter stage for removing heavy small particulate contaminants from the liquid with a first housing defining an inlet and an outlet and a screening means dividing a central chamber therethrough to allow contaminants like sand to fall downwardly therefrom for pre-filtration thereof. The liquid is then carried to a second stage filter which is a rotary filtration means for further removing contaminants through a rotatable cylinder with internal baffles for discharging the waste at one end of the cylinder and discharging the filtered water downwardly about the periphery of the cylinder. The cylinder is formed of a filtration media. A liquid reservoir is positioned below the cylindrical filter which includes a tank means for receiving filtered liquid and a heating means for controlling the temperature thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for drying of articles traveling upon a conveyor which utilizes a housing defining a plenum chamber and a drying chamber therein for use in cooperation with a conveyor which enters the drying chamber at a conveyor inlet position and exits the drying chamber at a conveyor exit position. The plenum chamber is separated from the drying chamber by a particularly constructed airflow device which achieves various specific desired airflow patterns depending upon the type of article being carried upon the conveyor traveling through the drying chamber. A blower is included supplying pressurized air for drying to the plenum chamber where the pressure is equalized and applied in this manner to a plurality of slots defined in the airflow control.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for pre-washing and accumulating eggs which includes within a pre-wash station a pre-wash housing as well as spray conduits and spray jets for receiving pressurized cleaning fluid from a pump for spraying upon eggs traveling upon a conveyor located therebelow. A holding tank receives the spent fluid for recirculation through the pump. An egg diverting mechanism is included to prevent the grouping of eggs upon one lateral location upon the conveyor. The diverting mechanism includes rods extending laterally across the conveyor and one or more vertically extending plates positioned immediately above the conveyor to divert or guide the eggs into a somewhat more random orientation upon the egg conveyor when they reach the diverting mechanism in a group or bunched configuration. An accumulator is included to divide the randomly positioned eggs into rows upon the conveyor.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for movably washing, rinsing and drying a stationary article positioned within a housing defining a washing chamber therein. A support strut extends horizontally through the housing and a carriage means is movably mounted thereon to allow reciprocal lateral movement back and forth along the support strut. A support wheel structure rotably movable with respect to the carriage is mounted thereto and is in engagement with the support strut to facilitate this reciprocal movement. The carriage includes mounted thereon means for washing, rinsing and drying of the article positioned within the washing chamber. A drive is included including three rotatably movable pulleys and a driven sprocket. An air extractor is secured with respect to the housing to exhaust air from the washing chamber when drying air is being fed therein.

Abstract: An apparatus for washing a conveyor belt and any articles which may be positioned thereon including a plurality of nozzles including upwardly and downwardly directed nozzles and forwardly and rearwardly directed nozzles wherein the surrounded cleaning is achievable by use of the deflectors integral with respect to the nozzles. The wash station includes manifolds for communicating the cleaning solution from the pump to the nozzles. A filter as well as a tank for gathering of spent cleaning solution is included along with a return pipe for providing the filtered solution to the pipe for reprocessing. A drying station is included having a blower and manifolding means for dispensing the air for drying of articles on the conveyor belt or drying of the conveyor belt itself. The present invention is particularly usable with wire conveyor belts utilizing interlocking means for maintaining laterally extending straight sections in spatially disposed relationship with respect to one another.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for washing, sanitizing and drying stacks of flats used for carrying various items, particularly eggs. The apparatus includes a dual station defining dual processing chambers. Since the flats are washed while in stacks, the capacity for this apparatus and method is quite high. Also one or several stacks of flats is constantly being processed within one of the two processing chambers while the other processing chamber is being set up for the next step. A stack of flats is initially placed within the first processing chamber and is then flooded with cleaning solution. The stack of flats is rotationally moved for cleaning. During this washing operation another stack of dirty flats is placed within the second processing station. When the washing within the first processing station is completed, the cleaning solution therein is pumped into the second processing station.

Abstract: An egg washing conveyer apparatus particularly usable with eggs arranged in rows with the long axes thereof extending laterally with respect to the direction of movement of the conveyor including a brushing member which extends longitudinally between the individual rows of egg receiving recesses downwardly and obliquely inwardly toward each side of each row to provide complete brushing of the ends of the eggs which normally are not cleaned by a conventional overhead brushing apparatus. The present invention also includes the conventional overhead brushing apparatus for cleaning the major external portion of the egg which in combination with the end cleaning brushes provide complete cleaning of an egg surface by one washing station.

Abstract: An egg washing station is disclosed adapted to receive variously sized eggs for cleaning of the external surface thereof wherein the eggs are carried upon roller conveying means in longitudinally extending rows. A plurality of brushing means are included of alternating vertical heights in order to provide full and complete cleaning of various sized eggs when carried upon a horizontally extending conveyor. The brushes are mounted with respect to a brush frame such as to be movable longitudinally with respect to the direction of movement of the eggs carried upon the conveyor therebelow. A solution supply conduit extends across the station and dispenses cleaning solution through spray nozzles downwardly upon the brushes and eggs carried therebelow.

Abstract: A device is disclosed for destacking individual flats from a horizontally extending stack thereof for processing as well as a device for restacking of the processed flats. Biasing devices are disclosed for maintaining the integrity of the horizontally extending stacks of flats prior to processing such as washing and subsequent to such processing. A vacuum pick-up device is movable from the supply stack to a conveyor traveling through the processing station. A flat removal device which is cam operated is cyclically movable from a removal position to a restacking position and vice versa. Resilient retaining members such as spring biased doors and flexible plastic and steel members are included for retaining the uppermost flats of the horizontally extending supply stack and the lowermost flats of the horizontally extending restacked flats.

Abstract: A cart washing device is disclosed including a housing defining a washing chamber therein having fluid piping extending therearound with a plurality of nozzles preferably of the rotary type to spray washing and rinsing fluid throughout the washing chamber. A drive shaft is rotatably mounted within the housing and includes arms fixedly secured with respect thereto which include constructions at the lower end thereof for grasping, holding and lifting of carts to be washed. Rotation of the drive shaft will cause movement of the arms upwardly and lifting of the cart upwardly into the washing chamber such that washing and rinsing by fluids coming from the nozzles will be facilitated. The manner of grasping of the carts by the arms will include a cart bracket preferably being fixedly secured to each cart and a bracket head of enlarged dimension.

Abstract: An article washing device is disclosed which includes movable spray heads for both washing and rinsing while the article is stationary or moving. The housing is defined with the washing compartment therein having a frame means suspended from the upper portion thereof. The frame means is powered to move to and fro within the washing compartment. A supply line for washing solution and a supply line for rinsing solution are secured to the frame means and are oriented peripherally about the washing compartment. Spray heads are located in each of the washing and rinsing solutions such that the washing or rinsing solution can be released from the respective conduit while the frame means and the conduits themselves are moving back and forth longitudinally within the washing station. In this manner complete washing and rinsing of an article having many difficult areas to clean such as a rack is achievable.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for removing mold from the exterior of meat products, such as the casings of salami and pepperoni, is disclosed which includes a conveyor extending longitudinally through a plurality of stations for cleaning and drying the products. The meat product is placed upon the conveyor at an entry location and is then passed through a cleaning station which sprays refrigerated water at high pressure over the products. The nozzles for spraying the refrigerated water are placed above and below and to the sides of the conveyor carrying the salami or pepperoni. The conveyor then carries the meat roll to an air station which is adapted to blow ambient air across the conveyor carrying the meat to blow excessive water therefrom. The ambient air basically urges the water to be removed from the meat casing by the inertia of the air itself. The conveyor then carries the casings to a drying or heating station where heated air is blown over the salami or pepperoni to complete the drying operations.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for automatically loading eggs directly from stacks of alternately rotatably oriented flats includes a conveyor for supplying stacks of eggs to an egg loading station which includes a device for removing of the eggs from the uppermost flat and for removing the uppermost now empty flat. The device includes a device for rotating and lifting the stack after the flat is removed to orient the stack for the removing of the next layer of eggs. Such a configuration is made necessary since such stacks of eggs are normally arranged with each layer of eggs being rotated 90.degree. with respect to the next layer of eggs and since the array of eggs is normally not square it is necessary to reorient the stack each time a layer of eggs and the associated flat is removed therefrom. For this reason the present invention includes a stack rotation device in addition to a flat removal device, an egg removal device and a stack supply means.

Abstract: Equipment for use in washing articles such as egg trays and the like wherein the articles after being washed are moved by a conveyor to a drying zone for being picked up by a rotatable carriage by which they are lifted into a hood and rotated at high speed to discharge water or other washing liquid therefrom. The movement of the conveyor and the rotation of the carriage are coordinated to start and stop the rotation of the carriage so as to dry one article after another as it is advanced to the drying zone and onto the carriage by the conveyor. The rotatable carriage includes a system for orientation of the trays or the like for discharge to the conveyor and a brake assembly for quickly decreasing the rotational velocity of the carriage.

Abstract: Equipment for use in washing articles such as egg trays and the like wherein the articles after being washed are moved by a conveyor to a drying zone for being picked up by a rotatable carriage by which they are lifted into a hood and rotated at high speed to discharge water or other washing liquid therefrom. The movement of the conveyor and the rotation of the carriage are coordinated to start and stop the rotation of the carriage so as to dry one article after another as it is advanced to the drying zone and onto the carriage by the conveyor. The rotatable carriage includes a system for orientation of the trays or the like for discharge to the conveyor and a brake assembly for quickly decreasing the rotational velocity of the carriage.