Conveyor type cleaning device for fragile containers and the like

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION IN A CLEANING MACHINE FOR LIGHTWEIGHT METALLIC CONTAINERS AND THE LIKE WHEREIN THE CONTAINERS ARE ADVANCED THROUGH A PLURALITY OF STATIONS ON A CONTINUOUSLY MOVING PERFORATE CONVEYOR WITH THE CONTAINERS SUPPORTED ON SAID CONVEYOR IN INVERTED POSITION, A WASHING STATION, A FIRST DRAIN AND BLOW-OFF STATION IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING SAID WASHING STATION, RINSE STATION IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING SAID FIRST DRAIN AND BLOW-OFF STATION, A SECOND DRAIN AND BLOW-OFF STATION IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING SAID RINSE STATION, AND A DRYING STATION BEYOND SAID SECOND DRAIN AND BLOW-OFF STATION; SAID WASHING STATION AND SAID RINSE STATION EACH INCLUDING A MULTIPLICITY OF NOZZLES ARRANGED BOTH ABOVE AND BELOW SAID CONVEYOR AND POSITIONED TO DIRECT STREAMS OF LIQUID DOWNWARDLY ONTO THE OUTER SURFACES OF THE INVERTED CONTAINERS AND UPWARDLY FROM BENEATH THE PERFORATE CONVEYOR ONTO THE INTERIOR SURFACES OF SAID INVERTED CONTAINERS, MEANS CONNECTING THE NOZZLES OF SAID WASHING STATION TO A SUPPLY OF WASHING FLUID, AND MEANS CONNECTING THE NOZZLES OF AID RINSING STATION TO A SUPPLY OF RINSING SOLUTION; EACH OF SAID DRAIN AND BLOW-OFF STATIONS COMPRISING A BLOW-OFF HEAD OVERLYING SAID CONVEYOR AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY SUBSTANTIALLY THE FULL WIDTH OF SAID CONVEYOR, AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING AIR UNDER PRESSURE TO SAID BLOW-OFF HEAD, SAID BLOW-OFF HEAD HAVING OUTLET MEANS ORIENTED TO DIRECT THE AIR UNDER PRESSURE DOWNWARDLY ONTO THE OUTER SURFACES OF THE CONTAINERS TO REMOVE THE WASHING AND RINSING SOLUTIONS THEREFROM; SAID DRYING STATION INCLUDING MEANS FOR SUBJECTING THE RINSED CONTAINERS TO HEATED AIR TO COMPLETELY DRY SAID CONTAINERS PRIOR TO THEIR REMOVAL FROM THE CONVEYOR.