High pressure plate washer

Claim 2

A jet washer for a mounting plate used in leather tanning processes, said plate having a planar body and a surrounding frame including connections to a travelling conveyor, said washer comprising: a pair of mounting structures positioned one at each of opposite sides of the conveyor path and each having a vertically extending panel disposed adjacent said path, a plurality of multi-arm pressure jet units rotatably mounted on each of said panels and positioned in vertically and horizontally spaced relation and with a nozzle at the end of each arm, and means for rotating said nozzles at a rate of speed relative to the rate of travel of a plate to have direct impingement of high pressure liquid against the entire surface of a plate in the course of travel of a plate through the washer.

Claim 3

A jet washer as defined in claim 1 wherein said nozzles are supplied with liquid from a fluid circuit including a pump to deliver liquid from the nozzles at a pressure in excess of 500 p.s.i.

Claim 4

A jet washer as defined in claim 1 wherein the space between said mounting structures exceeds the thickness of a plate and flexible wipers extending inwardly from the top and sides of each mounting structure to close off the space therebetween but permit travel of a plate through said space.

Claim 5

A jet washer as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said pressure jet units is rotatably mounted on one of said panels by means including a mounting base removably secured to a side of said panel facing into the cabinet and covering an opening in the panel, said opening being of a size to permit movement of a jet unit therethrough for service by release and movement of the mounting base.

Claim 6

A jet washer as defined in claim 4 with a plurality of motors associated one with each jet unit, a drive belt for each motor driving a pulley at each jet unit, and said pulleys being supported by said mounting bases whereby removal of a drive belt disconnects the drive to a jet unit to facilitate service of a jet unit.

Claim 7

A jet washer for cleaning porcelain plates used in the tanning industry to adhesively mount leather hides for treatment thereof comprising: a pair of cabinets positioned one at each side of a path of travel for a series of said plates and spaced apart a distance greater than the thickness of a plate, a plurality of flexible wipers on the top and sides of each cabinet extending inwardly toward said path to sealingly engage a plate travelling between said cabinets, a plurality of rotatable multiarm pressure liquid jet units mounted in each cabinet with a nozzle at the end of each arm pointed toward said path of travel, the jet units associated with each cabinet being vertically spaced and horizontally staggered in the direction of plate travel whereby thE arcs of the nozzles in adjacent jet units overlap in the vertical direction to have the entire height of a plate subject to liquid jets emitted from the nozzles, a pressure fluid circuit for supplying liquid under high pressure to said nozzles, and means for rotating said jet units at a rate of speed related to the speed of travel of a plate to have a liquid jet directed against every part of the surface of a plate.

Claim 8

A jet washer for cleaning porcelain plates used in the tanning industry to adhesively mount leather hides for treatment thereof comprising: a pair of cabinets positioned one at each side of a path of travel for a series of said plates and spaced apart a distance greater than the thickness of a plate, a plurality of flexible wipers on the top and sides of each cabinet extending inwardly toward said path to sealingly engage a plate travelling between said cabinets, a plurality of rotatable multiarm pressure liquid jet units mounted in each cabinet with a nozzle at the end of each arm pointed toward said path of travel, the jet units associated with each cabinet being vertically spaced and horizontally staggered in the direction of plate travel whereby thE arcs of the nozzles in adjacent jet units overlap in the vertical direction to have the entire height of a plate subject to liquid jets emitted from the nozzles, a pressure fluid circuit for supplying liquid under high pressure to said nozzles, and means for rotating said jet units at a rate of speed related to the speed of travel of a plate to have a liquid jet directed against every part of the surface of a plate.

Claim 9

A jet washer as defined in claim 6 wherein each cabinet has a panel to mount the rotatable jet units, each spray unit being mounted on a planar base removably attached to and overlying a panel opening of a size to permit passage of the spray unit through the panel opening for service thereof.

Claim 10

A jet washer as defined in claim 6 wherein said jet units are each driven by an electric motor positioned within the cabinet.

Claim 11

A jet washer as defined in claim 6 wherein said pressure fluid circuit includes a high volume, high pressure liquid pump and a pressure regulating valve in the circuit with said nozzles sized to provide a liquid delivery pressure in excess of 500 p.s.i. to have the liquid impinge on the plate surface as scouring jets.