Abstract: A self contained high pressure hot water cleaning system for grocery carts is disclosed in which a trailer mounted fully enclosed system allows the automatic passage of individual grocery carts from one end to the other by the use of a conveyor passing through a wash tunnel having spray nozzles. The wash tunnel also provides a pair of rotating brushes, a spent fluid holding tank, a cleaning fluid supply tank, a sanitizing fluid supply tank, associated pumps as well as a heater for heating the cleaning fluid. The self contained system further provides a hand operated wand at the entrance of the wash tunnel to allow an operator to remove difficult accumulation of grime from the grocery carts. A lifting table and exit ramp is also provided.

Abstract: Cleaning apparatus particularly for cleaning printed circuit boards, of the type comprising an enclosure through which passes a conveyor conveying the boards along a continuous path, at least one cleaning unit, using solvent and so arranged as to spray the solvent over and under the boards carried along the path, at least one solvent reservoir situated at the lower part of the enclosure and designed to receive the solvent dripping after the spraying operation, wherein the apparatus further comprises an ultrasonic cleaning unit comprising a solvent storing tank arranged in the enclosure, in parallel relationship with respect to a horizontal portion of the path and at a short distance below the horizontal portion and above the reservoir, and equipped with ultrasonic generators, the storing tank having at least one draining pipe issuing into the reservoir and controlled by a valve, and an overflow along one side of the tank on the boards inlet side, and controls for the selective control of the spray-cleaning un

Abstract: Guide elements are provided to be mounted on rotatable drive rods of a conveyor apparatus, preferably of the type for wet processing of thin electrical printed circuit boards or printed circuit film, as the same is subjected to acid, neutralizer, water, air, sprays, rinses or the like, as such thin materials are moved through the machine. The guides serve to keep the thin materials from falling out of their intended planar path of travel through the machine, but are readily removable, preferably in snap-on, snap-off fashion for ready conversion of the apparatus to handle thicker materials in which such guide elements are not needed. The guide elements may be mounted in staggered fashion across the apparatus and serially along the path of travel through the apparatus. The elements are configured to resist twisting and allow rotatable drive rods to continue to rotate while the elements are disposed on the drive rods, but without rotation of the guide elements.

Abstract: A degreasing and cleaning machine for removing grease, oils and other substances or residues from the surfaces of machine parts and/or various articles of manufacture which includes a porous and continuous transporting conveyor having a section which extends through a chamber so as to be completely submerged in a cleaning solution and wherein flow controllers cycle a major portion of the cleaning solution through vertically spaced headers so as to direct the solution toward both the upper and lower sides of the transporting conveyor while minor portions of the solution are simultaneously passed through a non-turbulent skimmer chamber wherein greases, oils and other residues are continuously removed from the cleaning solution.

Abstract: A flatware washer comprising a cogged endless belt mechanism mounted lengthwise in a vertical orientation within a water containment housing; the top end of the cogged belt mechanism being hung around a drive wheel mechanism having complementary cogs mating with the cogs of the belt mechanism; the drive wheel mechanism being mounted at the top of the housing and supporting the belt mechanism in a vertical lengthwise orientation such that a curved bottom end section of the belt mechanism is spaced above the bottom edge of the housing and such that a pair of relatively elongated lengthwise sections of the belt extend downwardly from around the drive wheel mechanism in substantially parallel opposing relationship; the curved bottom end section of the hung belt mechanism being open for receiving a plurality of pieces of flatware between the pair of lengthwise sections; the drive wheel mechanism being connected to a drive mechanism programmed to drivably oscillate the wheel mechanism between predetermined degrees

Abstract: Vertical photoresist developer for processing of any size of printed circuit boards carried on a processing cassette. The processing cassette is carried by a chain through a main chamber, a rinse chamber and a drying chamber, all the processing chambers in line with each other. The processing system is electromechanical and electrically controlled, as well as air and liquid flow control. The developer is system oriented and symmetrical in operation to either side of the board. A printed circuit board holder with gripper fingers mounted in removable plastic chain cassette carries the board through separable processing chambers.

Abstract: Vertical photoresist developer for processing of any size of printed circuit boards carried on a processing cassette. The processing cassette is carried by a chain through a main chamber, a rinse chamber and a drying chamber, all the processing chambers in line with each other. The processing system is electromechanical and electrically controlled, as well as air and liquid flow control. The developer is system oriented and symmetrical in operation to either side of the board.

Abstract: Photoresist baked upon integrated circuit wafers is mechanically stripped therefrom. Wafers are unloaded from boats at the top of an elevator within a vertical housing filled with stripper solution, then deposited on a conveyor and carried through a horizontal housing also filled with stripper. The wafers are sprayed by high pressure stripper pumped through a nozzle at the end of their horizontal travel. The wafers are then transferred to another housing where they are rinsed, dried and, optionally, reloaded.

Abstract: Apparatus for removing labels from cylindrical cans involves the use of air jets which are directed by nozzles between the label and the can. The jets have sufficient force to rupture the label. An exhaust fan draws air around the can to draw the ruptured label away from the can.While the apparatus is best suited to remove sleeve like labels which are not adhesively secured to the can at least partial removal of labels which are adhesively secured to the can may be achieved.

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: Methods and apparatus are described for cleaning and recycling flexible floating cleaning plugs introduced into and propelled by water pressure through the cooling water tubes of a power plant heat exchanger located near a flowing body of water. A cooling water outlet conduit delivers used cooling water from the exit end of the heat exchanger cooling water tubes, together with a plurality of flexible floating cleaning plugs propelled therethrough, discharging them into the flowing body of water upstream from a containment barrier. The barrier has a convergent weir region at its downstream end, and a conveyor carries floating cleaning plugs from the convergent weir through a washing spray positioned to sluice away the accumulated scale, sediment, dirt and sludge gathered by the plugs from the cooling water tubes. A cooling water pump has its intake positioned far downstream in said flowing body of water or in a different body of water.

Abstract: A mobile cleaning ballast machine comprises an elongated machine frame; an endless ballast excavating and conveying chain adjustably mounted on the machine frame; and a ballast screening installation arranged to receive the excavated ballast conveyed by the endless chain. The excavated ballast is washed in an apparatus comprising an elongated conveyor receiving the excavated ballast conveyed by the endless chain and conveying the received ballast in a conveying path to the ballast screening installation, a water tank mounted on the machine frame below the elongated conveyor, the elongated conveyor extending above the water tank and the screening installation, a series of nozzles directed towards the conveying path and receiving water from the tank, and a drainage sieve for returning the water from the elongated conveyor to the water tank.

Abstract: An inline bottle rinser having quick bottle size changeover capabilities is disclosed. The bottle rinser has a linear bottle path therethrough with spray heads synchronized to the bottles for accurately directing rinse water through the open neck of the inverted bottles. The bottle carriers are mounted so as to be automatically snapped off the transport system so that bottle carriers for other size bottles may be snapped onto the transport system for changeover purposes. The rinser includes a rinse water spray system which may be raised and lowered in accordance with the bottle size in such a manner as to assure proper synchronization of the rinse water spray system for various bottle sizes. For particularly large containers, that smaller bottle carriers may be automatically removed and half that number of larger bottle carriers mounted on the transport system.

Abstract: A conveyor apparatus for transporting elongated, flat electronic component assemblies or the like through a surface treatment chamber in a predetermined orientation. A continuous belt is provided with two parallel spaced rows of retention pins which are automatically separated in the loading zone to facilitate positioning of the assemblies on the conveyor. A wedge-shaped shoe member forces the respective pins transversely outwardly and is provided with an aperture permitting the insertion of the assemblies therethrough. Secure retention of the assemblies in the treatment chamber is assured by an inverted U-shaped channel which urges the retention pins into engagement with the component assemblies. The pins may be bent outwardly to enhance the compressive forces exerted by the pin pairs comprising the respective rows. A center-ribbed exit belt pulley deforms the belt along its longitudinal center axis thereby spreading the pin rows to aid removal of the assemblies following surface treatment.

Abstract: This invention prevents dust, and particularly respirable dust, from becoming airborne at locations where coal or other dusty products are transferred from one support to another, and where spaces between the pieces of broken material open up and would otherwise release dust into the surrounding atmosphere. Foam, having bubbles small enough to be broken by respirable dust particles, is discharged into the spaces where the small bubbles, bursted by the dust particles, implode and wet the particles and cause adherence of the particles to adjacent surfaces, such as other foam or the broken pieces of material that separate to open up the spaces.

Abstract: A machine for washing drinking glasses has a conveyor upon which the glasses are conveyed from a loading zone through wash and rinse zones to an unloading zone. The machine may be operated on a continuous basis or it may be operated on a timed cycle basis, or it may be operated intermittently, being stopped by detector mechanism sensing the arrival of a glass at the unloading zone.

Abstract: A process and system for recovery and recycling of hard rock core forming aggregate used in the slip forming of elongated hollow-cored concrete planks using wash water to remove slurry and a rotating screen to remove the water from the aggregate with collection and conveying means for the aggregate.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to apparatus for washing trays and/or buggies, and includes a housing having means therein for conveying buggies from an entrance opening to an exit opening through respective washing and rinse zones beneath which are respective wash water and rinse water collecting reservoirs, a plurality of nozzles in the washing zone disposed in an inverted generally U-shaped configuration for directing high pressure streams of wash water downwardly and across the washing zone, a plurality of nozzles disposed at an upper area of the rinse zone for directing rinse water generally downwardly through the rinse zone, and means responsive to detecting means for detecting the level of collected wash water and rinse water in the respective washing and rinse reservoirs for adding make-up water to the washing and rinse nozzles.

Abstract: Washing apparatus for washing insulated trays includes an endless conveyor below the elevation of first and second guide rails which guide the trays in an upright disposition as they are being washed. The conveyor includes generally V-shaped tray supports at spaced points therealong so that each tray is supported by two adjacent tray supports. Vertically disposed manifolds have spraying nozzles for spraying water generally horizontally at opposite major faces of the trays.

Abstract: A longitudinal automatic sprayer for cleaning glass containers based on two parallel conveyor chains on which transverse beams carrying individual baskets are arranged perpendicularly to the direction of transport. At the beginning of the conveyor, the individual baskets are automatically filled with the unclean glass containers by a transfer device. A delivery device for automatically ejecting the containers is situated at the end of the conveyor. Spray nozzles for rinsing the glass containers are arranged above the conveyor. The individual baskets are checked for breakage by a mechanical scanning device underneath the conveyor chains. At the same time, the scanning device monitors the positioning of the individual baskets appropriate to the working cycle.

Abstract: In a film conveyor for use in developing films comprising a first and a second belt racks consisting of a plurality of narrow belts and pressure rollers, and a roller rack consisting of a plurality of squeegee rollers and spray tubes arranged between said two belt racks, the pressure rollers of the two belt racks are so positioned as to press the belts at the mid points of two vertically adjacent squeegee rollers, and the squeegee rollers of the roller rack are arranged in two vertical rows between which an adequate number of said spray tubes are horizontally disposed so that developing solution may be sprayed out directly toward between said two rows of squeegee rollers. Further, the squeegee rollers of the roller rack are driven in synchronism with the moving speed of the belts so as to effect smooth conveyance of the film held between the belts and the squeegee rollers.

Abstract: A spraying device for use in a bottle cleaning machine is disclosed having a conveyor chain which is movable through the cleaning machine. A plurality of bottle receiving receptacles are supported from the chain and the bottles to be cleaned are carried in the receptacles. A plurality of spray tubes having a nozzle for directing the spray in a fixed direction with respect to the tube are mounted for pivotal movement so that the spray from each tube is directed through a predetermined spraying zone into a bottle as the conveyor chain moves through the cleaning machine and as the spray tubes are pivoted through a spraying zone. The spray tubes are aligned in series so that the spray from each tube is directed into one of the bottles and so that the axes of the sprays from the different tubes are parallel, and coupling means connect each of the spray tubes with each other so that they pivot through the zone together.

Abstract: A continuous sampler having a predetermined number of sample containers in which a sample from a liquid flow is deposited at predetermined intervals of time. Samples are deposited in sample containers in a sampling position and the sample containers are stepped once each interval of time through a path of travel until they assume a cleaning position adjacent to the sampling position. A sample removal probe and a wash probe is lowered through an access opening in the sample container in the cleaning position and a source of washing solution is coupled to the wash probe and means for removing the contents of the sample container is coupled to the sample removal probe. Means for controlling the position of the wash and sample removal probes in a position inside the sample container in the cleaning position and in a position remote therefrom, as well as controlling the means for removing samples therefrom and the means coupling a wash solution thereto is provided.

Abstract: A cleaning or treating machine, particularly but not necessarily exclusively for cleaning newly formed aluminum beverage cans, has a belt for conveying items placed thereon through various stages of a washing cycle and a hold-down conveyor overlying the cans for preventing them from tipping. The hold-down conveyor has stiffening means extending thereacross and is trained over rolls or drums which are specially formed to accommodate the stiffening means. The conveyor is longitudinally supported by having rollers projecting from its longitudinal edges and which ride on tracks.

Abstract: Continuous casting apparatus is described wherein the temperature of the flexible casting belts in twin-belt machines having two or more main rolls in each belt carriage is controllably elevated prior to contact with the molten metal to improve the casting conditions and the operation of the thin flexible casting belts; the temperature elevation preferably being relatively gradual may be carried out while the travelling belts are approaching the nip rolls or while the belts are in contact with the nip rolls, or both. Zone control of belt pre-heating is disclosed, and control of the coolant streams issuing from the curved nip roll tubes by use of fingernail-like extenders may be provided to aid in pre-heating the belts and in controlling their operation. Intensive infra-red heaters are shown directed at close range toward the casting surfaces of the belts, these heaters serving also to cure and dry any coating material on the belts.

Abstract: A machine employing heated water as the medium for shrinking heat sensitive film wrapping on food products and the like, wherein the machine provides a hot water distribution and recirculation system incorporating a variable speed propeller pump operable to provide a combination of droplet type hot water sprinkling and cascaded hot water drenching in order to quickly and efficiently accomplish the close encasement shrinking of the heat sensitive film wrapping upon food product items conveyably transported through the shrinking chamber of the machine, thereby precluding thermal degradation of the food products with a consequent discoloring thereof when the same are otherwise exposed to elevated temperatures during the film shrinking operation.

Abstract: To quench hot coke it is delivered to the surface of water in a tank, where the coke floats. The coke is carried along the surface of the water until it becomes saturated and sinks, whereupon it is removed from the tank. The water adhering to the removed coke is allowed to evaporate.