Apparatus for washing articles

Claim 2

Apparatus for washing articles, the apparatus comprising a frame, a central bearing member mounted by the frame and adapted to receive pipe means for conveying liquids thereto, a rotary conveyor mounted by the bearing member for rotation about a vertical axis to convey the articles mounted thereon through a pre-rinse station, a wash station and a rinse station each of which extends over a sector of the conveyor of predetermined angular extent, motor means operatively connected with the conveyor to rotate it at a predetermined speed, a set of radially-extending spray pipes for each of the said stations extending from the said central bearing member over a sector of angular extent corresponding to that of the respective station, being detachably connected to the central bearing member by a single common detachable mechanical pipe connection having a respective axis that extends radially from the said vertical axis and receiving a respective liquid from said pipe means, each of said detachable mechanical pipe connections between each set of spray pipes and the bearing member being mechanically noninterchangeable to ensure connection of each set of spray pipes only to operate in the respective station.

Claim 3

Apparatus for washing articles, the apparatus comprising a frame, a central bearing member mounted by the frame and adapted to receive pipe means for conveying liquids thereto, a rotary conveyor mounted by the bearing member for rotation about a vertical axis to convey the articles mounted thereon through a pre-rinse station, a wash station and a rinse station each of which extends over a sector of the conveyor of predetermined angular extent, motor means operatively connected with the conveyor to rotate it at a predetermined speed, a set of radially-extending spray pipes for each of the said stations extending from the said central bearing member over a sector of angular extent corresponding to that of the respective station, being detachably connected to the central bearing member by a single common detachable mechanical pipe connection having a respective axis that extends radially from the said vertical axis and receiving a respective liquid from said pipe means, each of said detachable mechanical pipe connections between each set of spray pipes and the bearing member being mechanically non-interchangeable to ensure connection of each set of spray pipes only to operate in the respective station.

Claim 4

Apparatus for washing articles, the apparatus comprising a frame, a central bearing member mounted by the frame and adapted to receive pipe means for conveying liquids thereto, a rotary conveyor mounted by the bearing member for rotation about a vertical axis to convey the articles mounted thereon through a pre-rinse station, a wash station and a rinse station each of which extends over a sector of the conveyor of predetermined angular extent, motor means operatively connected with the conveyor to rotate it at a predetermined speed, a set of radially-extending spray pipes for each of the said stations extending from the said central bearing member over a sector of angular extent corresponding to that of the respective station, being detachably connected to the central bearing member by a single common detachable mechanical pipe connection having a respective axis that extends radially from the said vertical axis and receiving a respective liquid from said pipe means, each of said detachable mechanical pipe connections between each set of spray pipes and the bearing member being mechanically non-interchangeable to ensure connection of each set of spray pipes only to operate in the respective station.

Claim 5

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each non-interchangeable mechanical pipe connection includes a radially and circumferentially extending flange on the respective spray pipe set engaging a corresponding horizontal annular surface of the central bearing member coaxial with the vertical axis, a recess in the flange, and a co-operating projection on the said surface, the circumferential location of each projection and its co-operating recess relative to the radial axis of the respective common detachable pipe connection being different for each connection to render the connections non-interchangeable.