Continuous cleaning apparatus

Claim 2

A continuous cleaning apparatus comprising an elongated barrel, said barrel having an open feed end and an open discharge end to permit the axial flow of parts therethrough, feed means for delivering parts to said feed end one at a time, discharge means for receiving parts from said discharge end one at a time, cleaning means positioned along said barrel for cleaning the parts flowing therethrough, said barrel being of skeletal form with open portions in its periphery to permit cleaning media from said cleaning means to enter said barrel, rotation means connected to continuously rotate said barrel to cause the parts therein to rotate as they are cleaned, and pickup means on said feed end for removing parts from said feed means and disposing the parts in said barrel.

Claim 3

A continuous cleaning apparatus comprising an elongated barrel, said barrel having an open feed end and an open discharge end to permit the axial flow of parts therethrough, feed means for delivering parts to said feed end one at a time, discharge means for receiving parts from said discharge end one at a time, cleaning means positioned along said barrel for cleaning the parts flowing therethrough, rotation means connected to continuously rotate said barrel to cause the parts therein to rotate as they are cleaned, and pickup means on said feed end for removing parts from said feed means and disposing the parts in said barrel, and said pickup means including a pair of elongated pickup arms disposed for rotation with said barrel.

Claim 4

A continuous cleaning apparatus comprising an elongated barrel, said barrel having an open feed end and an open discharge end to permit the axial flow of parts therethrough, feed means for delivering parts to said feed end one at a time, discharge means for receiving parts from said discharge end one at a time, cleaning means positioned along said barrel for cleaning the parts flowing therethrough, rotation means connected to continuously rotate said barrel to cause the parts therein to rotate as they are cleaned, and pickup means on said feed end for removing parts from said feed means and disposing the parts in said barrel, and said pickup means including a pair of elongated pickup arms disposed for rotation with said barrel.

Claim 5

An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said feed means includes a pair of conveyor bands spaced apart a distance greater than the distance between said pickup arms, and piston cylinder means for moving the parts axially in said barrel.

Claim 6

An apparatus as set forth in claim 3 including drive means connected to said rotation means for synchronizing the movement of said conveyors with the rotation of said barrel.

Claim 7

A continuous cleaning apparatus comprising an elongated barrel, said barrel having an open feed end and an open discharge end to permit the axial flow of parts therethrough, feed means for delivering parts to said feed end one at a time, discharge means for receiving parts from said discharge end one at a time, cleaning means positioned along said barrel for cleaning the parts flowing therethrough, rotation means for periodically rotating said barrel to cause the parts therein to rotate as they are cleaned, parts positioning means in said barrel for selectively holding different shaped parts therein, disengaging means for operatively disconnecting said rotation means from said barrel before a different shaped part is to be inserted therein, and barrel orientation means for controlling the orientation of said barrel to dispose said parts positioning means for holding different shaped barrel.

Claim 8

A continuous cleaning apparatus comprising an elongated barrel, said barrel having an open feed end and an open discharge end to permit the axial flow of parts therethrough, feed means for delivering parts to said feed end one at a time, discharge means for receiving parts from said discharge end one at a time, cleaning means positioned along said barrel for cleaning the parts flowing therethrough, rotation means for periodically rotating said barrel to cause the parts therein to rotate as they are cleaned, parts positioning means in said barrel for selectively holding different shaped parts therein, disengaging means for operatively disconnecting said rotation means from said barrel before a different shaped part is to be inserted therein, and barrel orientation means for controlling the orientation of said barrel to dispose said parts positioning means for holding different shaped barrel.

Claim 9

An apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said parts positioning means includes a plurality of parts positioning members, and at least some of said parts positioning members being adjustable.

Claim 10

A continuous cleaning apparatus compsing an elongated barrel, said barrel having an open feed end and an open discharge end to permit the axial flow of parts therethrough, said barrel including means for holding the parts to minimize relative rotation of the parts with respect to said barrel to provide positive control of the disposition of the parts as the parts flow through said barrel, feed means for delivering parts to said feed end one at a time, discharge means for receiving parts from said discharge end one at a time, cleaning means positioned along said barrel for cleaning the parts flowing therethrough, rotation means connected to continuously rotate said barrel to cause the parts therein to rotate as they are cleaned, and pickup means on said feed end for removing parts from said feed means and disposing the parts in said barrel.

Claim 11

A continuous cleaning apparatus compsing an elongated barrel, said barrel having an open feed end and an open discharge end to permit the axial flow of parts therethrough, said barrel including means for holding the parts to minimize relative rotation of the parts with respect to said barrel to provide positive control of the disposition of the parts as the parts flow through said barrel, feed means for delivering parts to said feed end one at a time, discharge means for receiving parts from said discharge end one at a time, cleaning means positioned along said barrel for cleaning the parts flowing therethrough, rotation means connected to continuously rotate said barrel to cause the parts therein to rotate as they are cleaned, and pickup means on said feed end for removing parts from said feed means and disposing the parts in said barrel.

Claim 12

A continuous cleaning apparatus comprising an elongated barrel, said barrel having an open feed end and an open discharge end to permit the axial flow of parts therethrough, feed means for delivering parts to said feed end one at a time, discharge means for receiving parts from said discharge end one at a time, cleaning means positioned along said barrel for cleaning the parts flowing therethrough, said cleaning means being disposed at different locations with respect to the circumferential periphery of said barrel for applying cleaning media into said barrel from different radial directions, rotation means connected to continuously rotate said barrel to cause the parts therein to rotate as they are cleaned, and pickup means on said feed end for removing parts from said feed means and disposing the parts in said barrel.

Claim 13

A continuous cleaning apparatus comprising an elongated barrel, said barrel having an open feed end and an open discharge end to permit the axial flow of parts therethrough, feed means for delivering parts to said feed end one at a time, discharge means for receiving parts from said discharge end one at a time, cleaning means positioned along said barrel for cleaning the parts flowing therethrough, said cleaning means being disposed at different locations with respect to the circumferential periphery of said barrel for applying cleaning media into said barrel from different radial directions, rotation means connected to continuously rotate said barrel to cause the parts therein to rotate as they are cleaned, and pickup means on said feed end for removing parts from said feed means and disposing the parts in said barrel.