Apparatus for washing receptacles automatically

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND STERILIZING FOOD RECEPTACLES COMPRISING A HOUSING, A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL PARTITION WITHIN SAID HOUSING, A SUMP IN SAID PARTITION, SAID SUMP HAVING A PAIR OF DRAINS, MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY OPERATING SAID DRAINS, A CAUSTIC RESERVOIR LOCATED BELOW SAID PARTITION FOR RECEIVING FLUID FROM ONE OF SAID DRAINS, A FLUID HEADER IN SAID HOUSING ABOVE SAID PARTITION, A SERIES OF SPRAY ELEMENTS MOUNTED ON SAID HEADER, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A PLURALITY OF RECEPTACLES WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND EXPOSED TO SAID SPRAY ELEMENTS, PUMP MEANS FOR REMOVING CAUSTIC FROM SAID RESERVOIR AND DISCHARGING IT THROUGH SAID SPRAY ELEMENTS ONTO SAID RECEPTACLES, MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY INTRODUCING RINSE WATER INTO SAID HEADER AND SAID SPRAY ELEMENTS, MEANS FOR DISCHARGING WATER FROM SAID SUMP, AUTOMATIC CONTROL MEANS MOUNTED ON THE EXTERIOR OF SAID HOUSING, SAID AUTOMATIC CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF REPLACEABLE RELAYS, A SERIES OF TRANSFORMERS OPERATED SEQUENTIALLY BY CERTAIN OF SAID RELAYS MULTIPLE VARIABLE RESISTANCE THERMAL DELAY ELEMENTS CARRIED BY EACH TRANSFORMER AND CONTROLLING CERTAIN OF SAID RELAYS SIMULTANEOUSLY AND SEQUENTIALLY, WHEREBY SAID AUTOMATIC CONTROL MEANS WILL OPERATE SAID PUMP MEANS TO SPRAY CAUSTIC ONTO SAID RECEPTACLES AND THEREAFTER OPERATE SAID WATER INTRODUCING MEANS TO RINSE SAID RECEPTACLES.