Parts washer and filter assembly therefor

Claim 2

A cleaning fluid recirculating and filtering parts washer comprising: a generally rectangular cabinet structure including front, rear and side walls and a bottom; a sink for washing parts forming an upper portion of said cabinet, a controllable drain in said sink located adjacent one of said cabinet walls; a tank forming a lower portion of said cabinet and communicating with said drain; pump means for circulating cleaning fluid to said sink located in said tank adjacent another of said cabinet walls opposite the disposition of said sink drain and said one cabinet wall; and cleaning fluid filtration means surrounding said pump means and extending from said cabinet bottom to a level above a predetermined level of cleaning fluid therein; whereby cleaning fluid contaminated by a parts washing operation in said sink and entering said tank from said sink drain must travel substantially across said tank, from said drain to said pump means, thus allowing a substantial portion of waste particles and other contaminants to settle by gravity to the bottom of said tank prior to passing through said filtration means and pump for circulation back to said sink.

Claim 3

The parts washer as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a hinged cover on the top of said cabinet and fusible link strut means for maintaining said cover in an open condition, said fusible link melting in the event of fire to release said lever and allow said cover to close under the influence of gravity.

Claim 4

The parts washer as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sink further comprises overfill tubular means communicating with said tank for draining cleaning fluid back to said tank in the event of filling of said sink above a predetermined level.

Claim 5

The parts washer as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sink further comprises a parts holding basket having a perforated bottom and handle means at opposite ends of said basket, for suspending said basket in said sink said handle means being hingedly secured to said perforated bottom whereby said basket may be suspended in a vertical attitude exteriorally on said cabinet after use for drying.

Claim 6

The parts washer as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sink further comprises perforated tube means substantially across the bottom of and in said sink and fluid communication means from said sink through a cabinet wall for connection to a source of compressed gas whereby during a parts washing operation, gas is bubbled through cleaning fluid in said sink from said perforated tube means to agitate the cleaning fluid and thereby assist the parts washing operation.

Claim 7

The parts washer as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cabinet further comprises drain closing and opening means operable on said drain from exterior of said cabinet.

Claim 8

The parts washer as claimed in claim 6 wherein said controllable drain and its opening and closing means comprise a vertically movable plug, handle means mounted through a wall of said cabinet and plug actuating means operatively connected to said handle means for raising and lowering said plug to thereby open and close said drain.

Claim 9

The parts washer as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tank further comprises removable and replaceable liner means locatable therewithin for facile disposal of accumulated, settled contaminants and replacement by clean, unused liner means.

Claim 10

The parts washer as claimed in claim 1 wherein said filtration means further comprise shelf means therein for mounting said pump means withing said filtration means at a predetermined level, above said tank bottom.

Claim 11

The parts washer as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pump means further comprise an outlet conduit and a hose connected to said outlet conduit and located over said sink for directing cleaning fluid over parts being washed in said sink.

Claim 12

The parts washer as claimed in claim 1 wherein a filter assembly is interposed between said conduit and hose.

Claim 13

The parts washer as claimed in claim 1 wherein said filtration means comprise at least one screen of predetermined mesh, said scren being generally cylindrical in configuration.

Claim 14

The parts washer as claimed in claim 12 wherein said filtration means comprise at least a pair of screens concentrically arranged about said pump means, said pair of screens being telescopically interfittable one within the other and spaced apart.

Claim 15

The parts washer as claimed in claim 13 wherein at least one of said screens comprise a perforated sheet metal cylindrical casing having a plurality of evenly spaced apertures therethrough.

Claim 16

The parts washer as claimed in claim 16, wherein said filtration means comprise at least three of said perforated sheet metal cylindrical casings, telescopically arranged relative to and spced from one another.

Claim 17

The parts washer as claimed in claim 15 wherein said filtration means further comprise a fourth generally cylindrical screen located interiorally of said three casings immediately adjacent said pump means, the apertures of said fourth screen being of substantially reduced diameter with respect to the apertures of any one of said three casings.

Claim 18

The parts washer as claimed in claim 15 wherein the diameters of the apertures and the spacing thereof in all of said three cylindrical casings are equal.

Claim 19

The parts washer as claimed in claim 12 wherein said filtration means comprise at least three screens of predetermined mesh, concentrically arranged with respect to each other and said pump means, said screens being spaced apart from and telescopically arranged relative to one another and thereby defining an open bottomed multi-stage filtration assembly.

Claim 20

A cleaning fluid recirculating and filtering parts washer including: a cabinet; a parts washing sink in an upper part of the cabinet; a tank in a lower part of the cabinet for containing a supply of fluid; and a pump having an inlet communicating with said tank and outlet means communicating with said sink for circulating fluid from the tank to the parts washing sink; cleaning fluid filtration means surrounding the pump and extending from a bottom of the tank to a level above a predetermined level of cleaning fluid in the tank comprising a plurality of concentrically arranged screening means spaced apart with respect to one another and defining an open bottom therewithin and therebetween whereby contaminated cleaning fluid flowing therethrough to said pump will be slowed in velocity whereupon contaminant particles settle under the influence of gravity to said filtration means open bottom, said concentrically arranged screening means including at least two generally cylindrical sheet metal screen casings of different sizes having apertures therethrough and spacers therebetween securing said casings in spaced apart substantial concentricity; and means within the interior of said sheet metal screen casings providing a support for said pump and mounting said pump substantially above the filtration means open bottom.

Claim 21

A cleaning fluid recirculating and filtering parts washer including: a cabinet; a parts washing sink in an upper part of the cabinet; a tank in a lower part of the cabinet for containing a supply of fluid; and a pump having an inlet communicating with said tank and outlet means communicating with said sink for circulating fluid from the tank to the parts washing sink; cleaning fluid filtration means surrounding the pump and extending from a bottom of the tank to a level above a predetermined level of cleaning fluid in the tank comprising a plurality of concentrically arranged screening means spaced apart with respect to one another and defining an open bottom therewithin and therebetween whereby contaminated cleaning fluid flowing therethrough to said pump will be slowed in velocity whereupon contaminant particles settle under the influence of gravity to said filtration means open bottom, said concentrically arranged screening means including at least two generally cylindrical sheet metal screen casings of different sizes having apertures therethrough and spacers therebetween securing said casings in spaced apart substantial concentricity; and means within the interior of said sheet metal screen casings providing a support for said pump and mounting said pump substantially above the filtration means open bottom.

Claim 22

The parts washer as claimed in claim 19 wherein said screening means are at least three of said sheet metal casings.

Claim 23

The parts washer as claimed in claim 20 wherein each of said cylindrical sheet metal screen casings have apertures therethrough of equal diameter and of equal spacing.

Claim 24

The parts washer as claimed in claim 20 further comprising a fourth screening means of extremely fine mesh with respect to said three screening means and being positioned interiorally of the innermost of said three screening means, immediately adjacent the pump.

Claim 25

A cleaning fluid recirculating and filtering parts washer comprising: a generally rectangular cabinet structure including front, rear and side walls and a bottom; a sink for washing parts forming an upper portion of said cabinet, a drain in said sink located adjacent one of said cabinet walls; a tank forming a lower portion of said cabinet and communicating with said drain; pump means for circulating cleaning fluid to said sink located in said tank adjacent another of said cabinet walls opposite the disposition of said sink drain and said one cabinet wall; and cleaning fluid filtration means surrounding said pump means and extending from said cabinet bottom to a level above a predetermined level of cleaning fluid therein; whereby cleaning fluid contaminated by a parts washing operation in said sink and entering said tank from said sink drain must travel substantially across said tank, from said drain to said pump means, thus allowing a substantial portion of waste particles and other contaminants to settle by gravity to the bottom of said tank prior to passing through said filtration means and pump for circulation back to said sink; said washer further comprising perforated tube means substantially across the bottom of and in said sink; fluid communication means from said sink through a cabinet wall for connection to a source of compressed gas whereby during a parts washing operation, gas is bubbled through cleaning fluid in said sink from said perforated tube means to agitate the cleaning fluid and thereby assist the parts washing operation, said fluid communication means including a normally open valve having a fusible link operator for closing said valve and terminating the supply of gas to said perforated tube means in said sink in the event of fire.

Claim 26

A cleaning fluid recirculating and filtering parts washer comprising: a generally rectangular cabinet structure including front, rear and side walls and a bottom; a sink for washing parts forming an upper portion of said cabinet, a drain in said sink located adjacent one of said cabinet walls; a tank forming a lower portion of said cabinet and communicating with said drain; pump means for circulating cleaning fluid to said sink located in said tank adjacent another of said cabinet walls opposite the disposition of said sink drain and said one cabinet wall; and cleaning fluid filtration means surrounding said pump means and extending from said cabinet bottom to a level above a predetermined level of cleaning fluid therein; whereby cleaning fluid contaminated by a parts washing operation in said sink and entering said tank from said sink drain must travel substantially across said tank, from said drain to said pump means, thus allowing a substantial portion of waste particles and other contaminants to settle by gravity to the bottom of said tank prior to passing through said filtration means and pump for circulation back to said sink; said washer further comprising perforated tube means substantially across the bottom of and in said sink; fluid communication means from said sink through a cabinet wall for connection to a source of compressed gas whereby during a parts washing operation, gas is bubbled through cleaning fluid in said sink from said perforated tube means to agitate the cleaning fluid and thereby assist the parts washing operation, said fluid communication means including a normally open valve having a fusible link operator for closing said valve and terminating the supply of gas to said perforated tube means in said sink in the event of fire.