Method and apparatus for cleaning bottle cases and the like

Claim 3

IN A DEVICE FOR CLEANING BOTTLE CASES AND THE LIKE HAVING A BOTTOM, SIDE AND END WALLS, AND COVER MEMBERS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO THE UPPER EDGES OF THE SIDE WALLS, AN ELONGATED HOOD HAVING AN ENTRANCE END AN EXIT END, GUIDEWAYS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID HOOD AND PROJECTING OUTWARDLY BEYOUND BOTH THE ENTRANCE AND EXIT END THEREOF ALONG WHICH THE CASES ARE ADAPTED TO MOVE IN INVERTED POSITION IN A HORIZONTAL PATH OF TRAVEL, CONTINUOUSLY MOVING CONVEYOR MEANS FOR MOVING THE CASES ALONG SAID GUIDEWAYS IN SPACED APART RELATION WITH OPPOSITE BODY WALLS THEREOF EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THEIR PATH OF TRAVEL, THE PORTION OF THE GUIDEWAYS PROJECTING FROM THE ENTRANCE END OF SAID HOOD BEING POSITIONED TO RECEIVE THE CASES WITH THEIR COVER MEMBERS LYING IN OUT-FOLDED POSITION AND EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THEIR PATH OF TRAVEL SHAKER MEANS IN ADVANCE OF THE ENTRANCE END OF SAID HOOD FOR SHAKING THE CASES TO REMOVE LOOSE DIRT THEREFROM, SAID SHAKER MEANS OVERLYING THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE CASES AND POSITIONED TO CONTACT THE INVERTED BOTTOMS THEREOF, A FIRST CLEANING STATION WITHIN SAID HOOD, SPRAY MEANS AT SAID FIRST CLEANING STATION FOR APPLYING A FOAM CLEANING AGENT TO THE END WALLS OF THE CASES, ROTARY BRUSH MEANS IMMEDIATELY BEYOND SAID SPRAYING MEANS FOR CONTACTING AND SCRUBBING THE END WALLS OF THE CASES, AN INDEXING STATION BEYOND SAID FIRST CLEANING STATION, MEANS AT SAID INDEXING STATION FOR TURNING SAID CASES THROUGH SUBSTANTIALLY 90* IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE SO AS TO BRING THE SIDE WALLS OF THE CASES INTO PARALLEL RELATION TO THE SAID PATH OF TRAVEL, MEANS FOR FOLDING THE COVER MEMBERS OF THE CASES DOWNWARDLY INTO CO-PLANAR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SIDE WALLS TO WHICH THEY ARE ARTICLUTED, A SECOND CLEANING STATION BEYOND SAID INDEXING STATION, SPRAYING MEANS AT SAID SECOND CLEANING STATION FOR APPLYING A FOAM CLEANING AGENT TO THE SIDE WALLS OF THE CASES AND THE OTHER SURFACES OF THE DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING COVER MEMBERS, ROTARY BRUSH MEANS IMMEDIATELY BEYOND SAID LAST NAMED SPRAYING MEANS FOR CONTACTING AND SCRUBBING BOTH THE SIDE WALLS OF THE CASES AND THE OUTER SURFACES OF THE COVER MEMBERS, MEANS FOR THEREAFTER SPRAYING THE SCRUBBED SURFACES OF THE CASES WITH WATER, INCLUDING MEANS FOR STRIPPING EXCESS MOISTURE FROM THE CASES AND FOR OUTFOLDING THE SAID COVER MEMBERS, WHEREBY THE CASES ARE DELIVERED FROM SAID DEVICE IN CLEANED CONDITION READY TO BE FILLED, SAID DEVICE INCLUDING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH ONE OF SAID CLEANING STATIONS FOR APPLYING FOAM CLEANING AGENT AND SCRUBBING THE BOTTOM OF THE INVERTED CASES.

Claim 4

IN A DEVICE FOR CLEANING BOTTLE CASES AND THE LIKE HAVING A BOTTOM, SIDE AND END WALLS, AND COVER MEMBERS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO THE UPPER EDGES OF THE SIDE WALLS, AN ELONGATED HOOD HAVING AN ENTRANCE END AN EXIT END, GUIDEWAYS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID HOOD AND PROJECTING OUTWARDLY BEYOUND BOTH THE ENTRANCE AND EXIT END THEREOF ALONG WHICH THE CASES ARE ADAPTED TO MOVE IN INVERTED POSITION IN A HORIZONTAL PATH OF TRAVEL, CONTINUOUSLY MOVING CONVEYOR MEANS FOR MOVING THE CASES ALONG SAID GUIDEWAYS IN SPACED APART RELATION WITH OPPOSITE BODY WALLS THEREOF EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THEIR PATH OF TRAVEL, THE PORTION OF THE GUIDEWAYS PROJECTING FROM THE ENTRANCE END OF SAID HOOD BEING POSITIONED TO RECEIVE THE CASES WITH THEIR COVER MEMBERS LYING IN OUT-FOLDED POSITION AND EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THEIR PATH OF TRAVEL SHAKER MEANS IN ADVANCE OF THE ENTRANCE END OF SAID HOOD FOR SHAKING THE CASES TO REMOVE LOOSE DIRT THEREFROM, SAID SHAKER MEANS OVERLYING THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE CASES AND POSITIONED TO CONTACT THE INVERTED BOTTOMS THEREOF, A FIRST CLEANING STATION WITHIN SAID HOOD, SPRAY MEANS AT SAID FIRST CLEANING STATION FOR APPLYING A FOAM CLEANING AGENT TO THE END WALLS OF THE CASES, ROTARY BRUSH MEANS IMMEDIATELY BEYOND SAID SPRAYING MEANS FOR CONTACTING AND SCRUBBING THE END WALLS OF THE CASES, AN INDEXING STATION BEYOND SAID FIRST CLEANING STATION, MEANS AT SAID INDEXING STATION FOR TURNING SAID CASES THROUGH SUBSTANTIALLY 90* IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE SO AS TO BRING THE SIDE WALLS OF THE CASES INTO PARALLEL RELATION TO THE SAID PATH OF TRAVEL, MEANS FOR FOLDING THE COVER MEMBERS OF THE CASES DOWNWARDLY INTO CO-PLANAR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SIDE WALLS TO WHICH THEY ARE ARTICLUTED, A SECOND CLEANING STATION BEYOND SAID INDEXING STATION, SPRAYING MEANS AT SAID SECOND CLEANING STATION FOR APPLYING A FOAM CLEANING AGENT TO THE SIDE WALLS OF THE CASES AND THE OTHER SURFACES OF THE DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING COVER MEMBERS, ROTARY BRUSH MEANS IMMEDIATELY BEYOND SAID LAST NAMED SPRAYING MEANS FOR CONTACTING AND SCRUBBING BOTH THE SIDE WALLS OF THE CASES AND THE OUTER SURFACES OF THE COVER MEMBERS, MEANS FOR THEREAFTER SPRAYING THE SCRUBBED SURFACES OF THE CASES WITH WATER, INCLUDING MEANS FOR STRIPPING EXCESS MOISTURE FROM THE CASES AND FOR OUTFOLDING THE SAID COVER MEMBERS, WHEREBY THE CASES ARE DELIVERED FROM SAID DEVICE IN CLEANED CONDITION READY TO BE FILLED, SAID DEVICE INCLUDING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH ONE OF SAID CLEANING STATIONS FOR APPLYING FOAM CLEANING AGENT AND SCRUBBING THE BOTTOM OF THE INVERTED CASES.