| 20110083706 | Multi-pass, inverting bottle cleaner - A bottle cleaner that inverts the bottles to spray solutions into them. The cleaner sends the bottles through two inverting passes for multiple stages of liquid cleaning. Thus, on the first pass, the bottles invert and receive, for example, a spray of a cleaning solution of some sort. The cleaner then returns the bottles to the upright orientation. On the second pass, the bottles again turn upside down and then may receive a liquid rinse. After returning the bottles to the normal orientation, the cleaner may then pass the bottles off to another location for further operations. Each pass of the bottles utilizes two sets of linked grippers arranged as a chain. One chain contacts the bottles on one side while the second chain contacts them on the other side. The two chains squeeze the bottles between them to firmly hold them. A single adjustment accomplishes a multitude of tasks. First, it sets a uniform distance between the two chains of each path through the cleaner at four different locations. Second, the same adjustment also equalizes the distances between the two chains of the two paths so that they will effectively retain the same bottles through the two passes through the machine. Four motors running at the same speed keep the chains moving together. The same principles also allow for a cleaner with three or more inverting and cleaning passes. | 04-14-2011 |
