US3985572A — Automatic spray cleaning apparatus and method

Claim 1

Independent Claim 220 words

Automatic cleaning apparatus for removing material coated on the inner surfaces of containers by spraying cleaning liquid at said surfaces in which the improvement comprises: sprayer means for spraying said cleaning liquid under high pressure at the inner surfaces of said containers and including stream forming means for forming at least one stream of said liquid having a longitudinal axis; automatic drive means for moving said stream forming means over the container surfaces along a predetermined path to scan said container surfaces with said liquid stream, said drive means moving said stream forming means about a cleaning axis and longitudinally along said cleaning axis during the scanning; and support means coupled to said drive means for supporting said sprayer means during said scanning, including first support means for causing the liquid stream to strike container surfaces at an acute angle between said stream axis and the surface impinged thereby and for automatically maintaining said acute angle substantially constant over given surface areas of said container surfaces during scanning as said stream forming means moves about said cleaning axis at a given longitudinal position on said cleaning axis, and second support means for automatically maintaining the spacing distance along the stream axis between said stream forming means and the container surfaces substantially constant during said scanning at said given longitudinal position.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 220 words

Automatic cleaning apparatus for removing material coated on the inner surfaces of containers by spraying cleaning liquid at said surfaces in which the improvement comprises: sprayer means for spraying said cleaning liquid under high pressure at the inner surfaces of said containers and including stream forming means for forming at least one stream of said liquid having a longitudinal axis; automatic drive means for moving said stream forming means over the container surfaces along a predetermined path to scan said container surfaces with said liquid stream, said drive means moving said stream forming means about a cleaning axis and longitudinally along said cleaning axis during the scanning; and support means coupled to said drive means for supporting said sprayer means during said scanning, including first support means for causing the liquid stream to strike container surfaces at an acute angle between said stream axis and the surface impinged thereby and for automatically maintaining said acute angle substantially constant over given surface areas of said container surfaces during scanning as said stream forming means moves about said cleaning axis at a given longitudinal position on said cleaning axis, and second support means for automatically maintaining the spacing distance along the stream axis between said stream forming means and the container surfaces substantially constant during said scanning at said given longitudinal position.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 29 words

Cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 1 which includes means for maintaining the pressure of said liquid stream substantially constant at said container surface over said given surface area.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 52 words

Cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the containers are tanks whose inner surfaces are cleaned by the liquid stream and the drive means is a programmed drive means which includes first drive means for moving the stream forming means into and out of said tanks along the cleaning axis.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 25 words

Cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 3 in which the tanks are cylindrical and the cleaning axis corresponds to the axis of the cylindrical tank.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 29 words

Cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 3 in which the tanks contain internal obstacles and the drive means automatically moves said stream forming means between and around said obstacles.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 33 words

Cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 3 in which the drive means includes second drive means for moving the stream forming means radially toward and away from said cleaning axis inside said tanks.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 28 words

Cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 6 in which the drive means includes third drive means for pivoting the stream forming means about said cleaning axis during cleaning.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 31 words

Cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the drive means includes an electronic computer which is programmed to cause said stream forming means to move along said predetermined path.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 26 words

Cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 7 in which the stream forming means includes a plurality of nozzles which form a plurality of said liquid streams.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 21 words

Cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 8 in which the nozzles are moved automatically around internal obstructions within the container tanks.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 60 words

Cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 10 in which the tanks have internal longitudinal baffles and the second and third drive means radially move and pivot each of the nozzles into a plurality of different lateral positions adjacent a different one of said baffles and the first drive means moves the nozzles longitudinally along said baffles in said lateral positions.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 28 words

Cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 11 in which the nozzles are oscillated across the inner surface of the tank between said baffles by said third drive means.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 55 words

Cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 6 in which the second drive means is positioned outside the tank and is coupled to a plurality of folding support arms which support stream forming nozzles within said tank for folding and unfolding said support arms to radially move said nozzles toward and away from the cleaning axis.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 54 words

Cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 6 in which the support arms are pivotally mounted on a central support shaft which is raised and lowered by the first drive means and which is provided with a passage means for transmitting the cleaning fluid through the support shaft and the support arms to said nozzles.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 21 words

Cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 3 which also includes means for moving the cleaning apparatus from one tank to another.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 130 words

A cleaning method for removing material coated on the surfaces of a container comprising the steps of: forming a stream of cleaning liquid; directing the liquid stream at said surfaces so that the longitudinal axis of said stream forms an acute angle with said surface; and scanning said stream over said surface by moving said stream about a cleaning axis and longitudinally along such axis with a support means while maintaining said angle substantially constant over a given surface area during scanning at a given longitudinal position on said cleaning axis and while maintaining the spacing distance along the stream axis between the source of said liquid stream and the container surface substantially constant during said scanning at said given longitudinal position, without contacting said surface with said support means.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 130 words

A cleaning method for removing material coated on the surfaces of a container comprising the steps of: forming a stream of cleaning liquid; directing the liquid stream at said surfaces so that the longitudinal axis of said stream forms an acute angle with said surface; and scanning said stream over said surface by moving said stream about a cleaning axis and longitudinally along such axis with a support means while maintaining said angle substantially constant over a given surface area during scanning at a given longitudinal position on said cleaning axis and while maintaining the spacing distance along the stream axis between the source of said liquid stream and the container surface substantially constant during said scanning at said given longitudinal position, without contacting said surface with said support means.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 31 words

A method in accordance with claim 16 which also includes maintaining the pressure of said stream at said surface substantially constant during movement of the stream over said given surface area.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 27 words

A method in accordance with claim 16 in which the container is a tank and the liquid stream is directed at the inner surface of said tank.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 29 words

A method in accordance with claim 16 in which the stream is moved over the surface of the object automatically along a predetermined path by a programmed drive means.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 22 words

A method in accordance with claim 18 in which the stream is moved accurately along said predetermined path by an electronic computer.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 45 words

A method in accordance with claim 18 in which the source of the liquid stream is moved longitudinally into and out of said tank along the cleaning axis, is moved radially toward and away from said cleaning axis, and is pivoted about said cleaning axis.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 34 words

A method in accordance with claim 21 in which the source is so moved automatically along a predetermined path over the inner surface of said tank by an electronic computer in an accurate manner.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 24 words

A method in accordance with claim 22 in which the three types of movement are accomplished by three different motors controlled by said computer.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 33 words

A method in accordance with claim 16 in which a plurality of streams of liquid are simultaneously directed at the surface of the object in different directions but at substantially the same angle.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 27 words

A method in accordance with claim 24 in which the sources of said plurality of streams are all spaced substantially the same distance from said object surface.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 134 words

Cleaning apparatus for cleaning the surfaces of container tanks by spraying cleaning liquid at said surfaces, in which the improvement comprises: sprayer means for spraying said cleaning liquid under high pressure through a plurality of nozzles which each emit at least two streams of said liquid; support means for supporting said nozzles on support arms extending radially outward from a common support shaft which is supported to prevent nonaxial pivoting movement of said shaft so that the nozzles of each pair are space symmetrically about the axis of said common shaft; and means for balancing the reactive forces applied to said common shaft and to said inserted support arms by the liquid streams emitted from said nozzles so that substantially no total bending force is exerted on said common shaft or said support arms.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 134 words

Cleaning apparatus for cleaning the surfaces of container tanks by spraying cleaning liquid at said surfaces, in which the improvement comprises: sprayer means for spraying said cleaning liquid under high pressure through a plurality of nozzles which each emit at least two streams of said liquid; support means for supporting said nozzles on support arms extending radially outward from a common support shaft which is supported to prevent nonaxial pivoting movement of said shaft so that the nozzles of each pair are space symmetrically about the axis of said common shaft; and means for balancing the reactive forces applied to said common shaft and to said inserted support arms by the liquid streams emitted from said nozzles so that substantially no total bending force is exerted on said common shaft or said support arms.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 42 words

Cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 26 in which the axes of the two streams emitted from each nozzle form acute angles to the axis of its support arm which are substantially equal angles on opposite sides of the support arm axis.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 39 words

Cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 27 in which the two streams emitted from each nozzle are balanced so that together they produce a total reactive force in a direction substantially coaxial with the support arm of said nozzle.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 55 words

Cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 26 in which the nozzles are supported in pairs with the two nozzles of each pair spaced apart by 180° and the total reactive forces produced on said two nozzles by the streams emitted therefrom are substantially equal and are directed at the common shaft in substantially opposite directions.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 89 words

Cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 29 in which the support means includes means for folding the support arms in and out relative to the axis of the common shaft equally so that each of said arms extends at substantially the same angle to the common shaft, and when said arms form an acute angle to the axis of said common shaft the total reactive forces produced on the two nozzles of each pair combine to produce a resultant force in a direction substantially coaxial with said common shaft.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 30 words

Cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 26 in which the common shaft and the support arms are provided with axial passage for transmitting the cleaning liquid therethrough to said nozzles.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 22 words

Cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 26 which includes drive means for rotating said common shaft about the axis of said shaft.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 36 words

Cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 32 in which the drive means rotates the common shaft in an oscillating manner and pivots the support arms in and out relative to the axis of said common shaft.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 238 words

Automatic cleaning apparatus for removing material coated on the inner surfaces of containers by spraying cleaning liquid at said surfaces in which the improvement comprises: sprayer means for spraying said cleaning liquid under high pressure at cylindrical inner surfaces of said containers and including stream forming means for forming at least one stream of said liquid having a longitudinal axis; automatic drive means for moving said stream forming means over the container surfaces along a predetermined path to scan said container surfaces with said liquid stream, said drive means moving said stream forming means rotationally about a cleaning axis and longitudinally along said cleaning axis during the scanning; support means coupled to said drive means for supporting said sprayer means during said scanning, including first support means for causing the liquid stream to strike cylindrical container surfaces at an acute angle between said stream axis and the surface impinged thereby and for automatically maintaining said acute angle substantially constant over given surface areas of said cylindrical container surfaces during scanning as said stream forming means rotates about the cleaning axis at a given longitudinal position on said axis, and second support means for automatically maintaining the spacing distance along the stream axis between said stream forming means and the container surfaces substantially constant during said scanning at said given longitudinal position; and means for maintaining the pressure of said liquid stream substantially constant at said cylindrical container surfaces.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 238 words

Automatic cleaning apparatus for removing material coated on the inner surfaces of containers by spraying cleaning liquid at said surfaces in which the improvement comprises: sprayer means for spraying said cleaning liquid under high pressure at cylindrical inner surfaces of said containers and including stream forming means for forming at least one stream of said liquid having a longitudinal axis; automatic drive means for moving said stream forming means over the container surfaces along a predetermined path to scan said container surfaces with said liquid stream, said drive means moving said stream forming means rotationally about a cleaning axis and longitudinally along said cleaning axis during the scanning; support means coupled to said drive means for supporting said sprayer means during said scanning, including first support means for causing the liquid stream to strike cylindrical container surfaces at an acute angle between said stream axis and the surface impinged thereby and for automatically maintaining said acute angle substantially constant over given surface areas of said cylindrical container surfaces during scanning as said stream forming means rotates about the cleaning axis at a given longitudinal position on said axis, and second support means for automatically maintaining the spacing distance along the stream axis between said stream forming means and the container surfaces substantially constant during said scanning at said given longitudinal position; and means for maintaining the pressure of said liquid stream substantially constant at said cylindrical container surfaces.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1979-10-12	1980-04-12	1980-10-12	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1983-10-12	1984-04-12	1984-10-12	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1987-10-12	1988-04-12	1988-10-12	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Automatic spray cleaning apparatus and method

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