Sterilizer for rubber parts

Claim 2

A STERILIZER FOR OBTAINING RUBBER PARTS FOR PHARMACETICAL PURPOSES AND THE LIKE, WHICH RUBBER PARTS ARE FREE OF FRETTED PORTIONS THEREOF COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A. A STERILIZING DRUM FOR RECEIVING THE RUBBER PARTS, SAID DRUM HAVING A PERFORATED CIRCUMFERENTIAL WALL AND A CHARGING DOOR; B. A CLOSABLE OUTER CONTAINER, SAID OUTER CONTAINER BEING PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE CHARGING OPENING AND AT LEAST ONE EMPTYING OPENING ARRANGEED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID OUTER CONTAINER, SAID OUTER CONTAINER BEING ADAPTED TO RESIST PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL WHICH MAY EXIST BETWEEN ITS OUTER AND INNER SURFACES DURING OPERATION AND SAID DRUM BEING ARRANGED IN SAID OUTER CONTAINER; C. A SHAFT WHICH PASSES THROUGH A PASSAGE OUT OF SAID OUTER CONTAINER, SAID DRUM BEING MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT FOR ROTARY MOVEMENT BY SAID SHAFT AND SAID PASSAGE BEING

Claim 3

A sterilizer in accordance with claim 1, including means for changing steplessly the speed of rotation of said drive unit.

Claim 4

A sterilizer in accordance with claim 1, further comprising at least one outlet opening and wherein said outlet line opens into said at least one outlet opening, which is arranged below the level of said shaft.

Claim 5

A sterilizer in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a pressure-tight heating casing having connections for a pressure steam line, wherein the interior of said outer container is substantially smooth and the lower side of said outer container is surrounded by said pressure-tight heating casing.

Claim 6

A sterilizer in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a spray nozzle arrangement and wherein said liquid supply line is connected with said spray nozzle arrangement, said spray nozzle arrangement being arranged in said outer container.

Claim 7

A sterilizer in accordance with claim 1, wherein said shaft for said drum is a hollow shaft and is provided with openings for introduction of the pressurized steam into the interior of said drum.

Claim 8

A sterilizer in accordance with claim 1, including a perforated wall radial to a shaft, said perforated wall being inward of a vaned wall on said shaft, and said vaned wall being an integral part of said drum.

Claim 9

A sterilizer in accordance with claim 1, further comprising at least one air line, a sterilization filter and an air supply blower, and wherein said outer container has an air outlet opening, said outer container being connected via said at least one air line and said sterilization filter with said air supply blower.

Claim 10

A sterilizer in accordance with claim 8, further comprising a suction blower, said air outlet opening being arranged in the middle of the upper side of said outer container and being connected with said suction blower.

Claim 11

A sterilizer for obtaining rubber parts for pharmaceutical purposes and the like, which rubber parts are free of fretted portions thereof comprising, in combination: a. a sterilizing drum for receiving the rubber parts, said drum having a perforated circumferential wall and a charging door; b. a closable outer container, said outer container being provided with opening means for charging and emptying same, said outer container being adapted to resist pressure differential which may exist between its outer and inner surfaces during operation and said drum being arranged in said outer container; c. a shaft which passes through a passage out of said outer container, said drum being mounted on said shaft for rotary movement by said shaft and said passage being adapted to resist pressure differential which may exist between its outer and inner surfaces during operation; d. a drive unit, said drive unit being connecTed to said shaft for rotary driving of said shaft; e. operational means for affecting speed of said drive unit to provide at least one speed of rotation which is sufficiently high that rubber parts within said sterilizing drum may be held by centrifugal force against said inner wall of said drum; f. a liquid supply line and an outlet line, said supply line and said outlet line being in communication with said outer container; and g. means for introducing pressurized steam into said drum.

Claim 12

A sterilizer for obtaining rubber parts for pharmaceutical purposes and the like, which rubber parts are free of fretted portions thereof comprising, in combination: a. a sterilizing drum for receiving the rubber parts, said drum having a perforated circumferential wall and a charging door; b. a closable outer container, said outer container being provided with opening means for charging and emptying same, said outer container being adapted to resist pressure differential which may exist between its outer and inner surfaces during operation and said drum being arranged in said outer container; c. a shaft which passes through a passage out of said outer container, said drum being mounted on said shaft for rotary movement by said shaft and said passage being adapted to resist pressure differential which may exist between its outer and inner surfaces during operation; d. a drive unit, said drive unit being connecTed to said shaft for rotary driving of said shaft; e. operational means for affecting speed of said drive unit to provide at least one speed of rotation which is sufficiently high that rubber parts within said sterilizing drum may be held by centrifugal force against said inner wall of said drum; f. a liquid supply line and an outlet line, said supply line and said outlet line being in communication with said outer container; and g. means for introducing pressurized steam into said drum.

Claim 13

A sterilizer in accordance with claim 10, including a perforated wall radial to a shaft, said perforated wall being inward of a vaned wall on said shaft, and said vaned wall being an integral part of said drum.

Claim 14

In a method of providing a plurality of sterilized, small, delicate, form-stable articles, particularly rubber pieces for the pharmaceutical industry and the like, which pieces are free of fretted portions, in which method the articles are placed into a drum which is rotatably positioned in a closable outer container, the drum being connected with a drive assembly, a washing fluid is introduced into the outer container, the articles are washed and rinsed at least once, with renovation of the washing fluid in the optionally slowly rotating drum, and finally the articles are dried upon evacuation of the washing fluid and introduction of warm air into the outer container, the improvement comprising sterilizing the washed articles by hot steam introduced into the housing before the drying step, the drum being rapidly rotated during the sterilization step at such a speed that the articles are held against the inner wall of the drum by centrifugal force, and raising, as a part of the drying step, the r.p.m. of the drum subsequent to evacuation of the washing fluid to such an extent that the articles are distributed and held against the inner wall of the drum by centrifugal force, and maintaining the r.p.m. of the drum causing the holding of the articles until the end of the drying step.

Claim 15

In a method of providing a plurality of sterilized, small, delicate, form-stable articles, particularly rubber pieces for the pharmaceutical industry and the like, which pieces are free of fretted portions, in which method the articles are placed into a drum which is rotatably positioned in a closable outer container, the drum being connected with a drive assembly, a washing fluid is introduced into the outer container, the articles are washed and rinsed at least once, with renovation of the washing fluid in the optionally slowly rotating drum, and finally the articles are dried upon evacuation of the washing fluid and introduction of warm air into the outer container, the improvement comprising sterilizing the washed articles by hot steam introduced into the housing before the drying step, the drum being rapidly rotated during the sterilization step at such a speed that the articles are held against the inner wall of the drum by centrifugal force, and raising, as a part of the drying step, the r.p.m. of the drum subsequent to evacuation of the washing fluid to such an extent that the articles are distributed and held against the inner wall of the drum by centrifugal force, and maintaining the r.p.m. of the drum causing the holding of the articles until the end of the drying step.

Claim 16

A method according to claim 12, wherein the r.p.m. holding the articles on the inner wall of the drum is continuously maintained from the beginning of sterilization step to the end of the drying step.