Extrusion die cleaning apparatus

Claim 1

An apparatus for cleaning dies used for extrusion-forming of a ceramic material in a plastic state into formed cylindrical bodies, each such die having a plurality of passages each of relatively minute cross-sectional area extending longitudinally through each respective die generally normal to the ceramic material entrance and exit ends of the die, said apparatus comprising, in combination; A. a tank having a drain opening through the bottom thereof and otherwise arranged to be fluid-tight; B. a rotatable support member including a drive shaft rotatably mounted within said tank for rotatably supporting each of said dies to be cleaned with said entrance and exit ends of each respective die substantially exposed and generally horizontally disposed, such support member comprising a generally open framework for ready drainage of fluid cleaning material therefrom; C. a fluid conduit having on one end thereof a high pressure nozzle directed downwardly above said support member and spaced therefrom, such conduit extending snugly and slidably through a gland provided in a side of said tank in a fluid-tight relationship therewith and the second end of the conduit being connectable with a high pressure source of cleaning material; D. drive means clamped to said fluid conduit for reciprocative sliding movement thereof within said gland and corresponding movement of said nozzle above and generally parallel with the upper end of a die when supported by said support member for cleaning thereof; E. reversible motor means coupled with said drive shaft of said support member and with said fluid conduit drive means for imparting rotational movement and reciprocative sliding movement to the support means and to said conduit, respectively; F. a pair of first and second electrical circuit controlling limit switches supported to be actuated by said drive means when said fluid conduit reaches first and second selected limits, respectively, of its reciprocative path of movement; and G. electrical circuit means controlled by said limit switches for reversibly energizing said motor accordingly as said first and second limit switches are actuated by said drive means.

Claim 2

An apparatus for cleaning dies used for extrusion-forming of a ceramic material in a plastic state into formed cylindrical bodies, each such die having a plurality of passages each of relatively minute cross-sectional area extending longitudinally through each respective die generally normal to the ceramic material entrance and exit ends of the die, said apparatus comprising, in combination; A. a tank having a drain opening through the bottom thereof and otherwise arranged to be fluid-tight; B. a rotatable support member including a drive shaft rotatably mounted within said tank for rotatably supporting each of said dies to be cleaned with said entrance and exit ends of each respective die substantially exposed and generally horizontally disposed, such support member comprising a generally open framework for ready drainage of fluid cleaning material therefrom; C. a fluid conduit having on one end thereof a high pressure nozzle directed downwardly above said support member and spaced therefrom, such conduit extending snugly and slidably through a gland provided in a side of said tank in a fluid-tight relationship therewith and the second end of the conduit being connectable with a high pressure source of cleaning material; D. drive means clamped to said fluid conduit for reciprocative sliding movement thereof within said gland and corresponding movement of said nozzle above and generally parallel with the upper end of a die when supported by said support member for cleaning thereof; E. reversible motor means coupled with said drive shaft of said support member and with said fluid conduit drive means for imparting rotational movement and reciprocative sliding movement to the support means and to said conduit, respectively; F. a pair of first and second electrical circuit controlling limit switches supported to be actuated by said drive means when said fluid conduit reaches first and second selected limits, respectively, of its reciprocative path of movement; and G. electrical circuit means controlled by said limit switches for reversibly energizing said motor accordingly as said first and second limit switches are actuated by said drive means.